How important is it to speak Ukrainian completely correctly?

[Globehopper]

I'm thinking of going to Ukraine one day, and I'm learning Ukrainian too. I was wondering if I had to speak it perfectly, or if there are some things you don't have to do.

For example, if I said "Ya kochu chai z lemon" instead of "Ya kochu chai z lemonom", how wrong is that? Will everyone start laughing, or can that be accepted from a foreigner?

[ricardo]

Depends of your accent but for most a foreign accent is accepted and praised that you want to learn and put the effort to learn the languaqe.
As far as to pronunce lemon if you make it fast yuo'll see the difference in sounds is negigible.

[Globehopper]

Thanks, but I meant gramaticly, not pronounciation. Is it okay to not use the instrumental case, and say 'lemon' instead of 'lemonom.' Do the native speakers adhere to the rules for the cases all the time?

[Irinka]

If you already know how to say it the correct way, so why don't you? People might understand, but will respect you more if you try harder.

[kievan]

Basically, it takes listening to our nation's most senior executive for a short while to understand that speaking Ukrainian correctly is not -- at the time -- at all that important. And may soon become the least needed skill you may want to master.

Be happy,

Kievan

[Globehopper]

What I meant was, if a foreigner doesn't know better, and says my origional example of chai z lemon, instead of lemonom (the instrumental case), is that considered a real big mistake? Does it matter, is not knowing the cases common by foreigners, or even native speakers? Like I said before, I'm learning Ukrainian and I want to know if I have to master and always use the cases perfectly. Among native speakers, would they said 'z lemon' instead or 'z lemonom'- do native speakers adhere strictly to the rules of the cases?

I'm concerned with this because cases can be the hardest part of a language. English has 4, Ukrainian has 6, and Finnish, one of the hardest languages, has 9.



Thanks!

[kievan]

Got it!

Originally posted by Globehopper
What I meant was, if a foreigner doesn't know better, and says my origional example of chai z lemon, instead of lemonom (the instrumental case), is that considered a real big mistake [...] Among native speakers, would they said 'z lemon' instead or 'z lemonom'- do native speakers adhere strictly to the rules of the cases?

[...]Ukrainian has 6, and Finnish, one of the hardest languages, has 9.

Thanks!

Native speakers do sometimes drop their case endings -- when they are too drunk Otherwise they do adhere...

And -- in fact -- Ukrainian has 7 (there's one called the vocative case)

Kievan