Chernivtsi Syllabification: (Cher·niv·tsi)Pronunciation: /ˌCHirniftˈsē/Definition of Chernivtsi a city in western Ukraine, in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, close to the border with Romania; population 249,500 (est. 2009). It was part of Romania between 1918 and 1940. Russian name Chernovtsy. Chernivtsi in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of Chernivtsi in the British & World English dictionary