Це шахрайство.

In Ukrainian, the present-tense verb to be is usually not stated in simple sentences like this.

So:

• Це шахрайство. = This is fraud / This is a scam.

A more word-for-word English gloss would be something like:

• This — fraud.

Ukrainian often leaves out є (is) in the present tense when identifying or defining something.

You may sometimes see Це є шахрайство, but in everyday modern Ukrainian that usually sounds more emphatic, formal, or less natural than the simple Це шахрайство.

Here це means this or it in the sense of this is / it is.

In sentences like this, це is very commonly used to identify something:

• Це книга. = This is a book.
• Це проблема. = This is a problem.
• Це шахрайство. = This is fraud / This is a scam.

So even though це literally often corresponds to this, in real usage it can also feel like English it when you are reacting to a situation:

• That email? Це шахрайство. = That email? It’s a scam.

Шахрайство means fraud, swindling, or scam/fraudulent activity.

It is an abstract noun, so it refers to the dishonest act or scheme itself, not the person.

Compare:

• шахрайство = fraud, scamming, a scam
• шахрай = fraudster, con artist, swindler

So:

• Це шахрайство. = This is fraud / This is a scam.
• Він шахрай. = He is a fraudster / con artist.

Because the sentence is describing the situation or act, not the person.

• шахрайство = the dishonest activity, fraud, scam
• шахрай = the person who commits it

So if you are talking about an email, website, phone call, deal, or scheme, you would usually say:

• Це шахрайство.

If you are pointing at a person and saying He’s a scammer / con artist, then you would use:

• Це шахрай.
• Він шахрай.

It is in the nominative singular.

In a sentence like Це шахрайство, Ukrainian normally uses the nominative for the noun that identifies what something is.

Grammatically:

• це = demonstrative word used in identification
• шахрайство = nominative singular noun

Also, шахрайство is a neuter noun.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

• tse shakh-RAI-stvo

A few notes:

• Це sounds like tse
• х is like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• the stress in шахрайство falls on -рай-

So:

• Це → tse
• шахра́йство → shakh-RAI-stvo

If you want to sound more natural, say it smoothly as one short statement:

• tse shakh-RAI-stvo

The stress is on -рай-:

• шахра́йство

So the sentence is pronounced:

• Це шахра́йство.

Stress matters in Ukrainian, so it is worth memorizing it with the word.

Yes. Depending on context, Це шахрайство can be translated in several natural ways, including:

• This is fraud.
• This is a scam.
• This is fraudulent. (less literal, more interpretive)
• It’s a scam.

English chooses different wording depending on context, but the Ukrainian sentence itself is straightforward.

For example:

• suspicious message, fake website, fake phone call → It’s a scam
• illegal dishonest financial activity → This is fraud

Це шахрайство is the most neutral and natural order.

Ukrainian word order is flexible, but changing it changes the emphasis.

• Це шахрайство. = neutral: This is fraud / a scam.
• Шахрайство це. = unusual and strongly marked; it can sound literary, emotional, or contrastive

For learners, the best default is:

• Це + noun

So here, stick with:

• Це шахрайство.

You can, but in most everyday situations it is less natural than Це шахрайство.

In modern Ukrainian, the present-tense є is often omitted in simple identification sentences.

So:

• Це шахрайство. = normal, natural
• Це є шахрайство. = possible, but often more emphatic, formal, or stylistically marked

As a learner, use the shorter version unless you have a specific reason to add є.

Ukrainian has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of English a or the in this sentence.

That means:

• Це шахрайство could correspond to:
  • This is fraud
  • This is a scam
  • It’s a scam

Context tells you which English version sounds best.

This is very normal in Ukrainian. You do not need to add anything for a or the.

It is a normal and common word, and it works in both everyday and formal contexts.

You might hear it in:

• daily conversation
• warnings about online scams
• news reports
• legal or official contexts

Depending on nuance, Ukrainians might also use other words such as:

• обман = deception, cheating
• афера = scam, shady scheme
• махінація = shady dealing, manipulation, scam-like scheme

But шахрайство is a very standard and useful word for fraud/scam.

You simply add не before the noun:

• Це не шахрайство. = This is not fraud / This is not a scam.

This is the normal way to negate this kind of sentence.

You can ask:

• Це шахрайство?

In Ukrainian, yes/no questions are often made just by using question intonation, without changing the word order.

So:

• Це шахрайство. = This is a scam.
• Це шахрайство? = Is this a scam?

You can also make it more explicit in conversation with intonation or context, but the basic form is exactly the same words.