People and family in Russian
203 words in Russian on the topic “people and family”: семья — family, отец — father, мама — mom, ребёнок — child.
203 words on the topic
- семьяsemyafamilyOne root with semya, "a seed": the people from one seed. "Family" grew from the Latin for "household servants" — about the house, not the blood.
- отецotetsfatherAt home it is papa; otets is for documents and solemn occasions. The of-form ottsa shows up more often than the dictionary shape.
- мамаmamamomThe baby word, like mum and mama nearly everywhere. Papa also ends in -a yet stays masculine — gender is not the ending alone.
- ребёнокrebyonokchildIts plural comes from a different word, like "person" and "people": rebyonok — deti. The course table keeps rebyonka and rebyonku.
- пареньparenguy, young manThe colloquial word for a young man; the neutral one is molodoy chelovek. It does not map onto any single English word one to one.
- другdrugfriendChanges its consonant in the plural: drug — druz ya. Podruga is the word for a female friend; English "friend" serves both.
- продавецprodavetsseller, shop assistantThe one who sells; the one who buys is pokupatel. The -ets ending names the person by the deed.
- покупательpokupatelcustomer, buyerFrom pokupat, "to buy", plus the person-ending. Pokupatel khochet desyat yablok.
- человекchelovekperson, humanThe plural is a different word, lyudi — like "person" and "people". But after numbers chelovek stays: desyat chelovek.
- мужчинаmuzhchinamanEnds in -a yet grammatically masculine: muzhchina i zhenshchina pyut kofe.
- женщинаzhenshchinawomanFrom zhena, "wife", plus the person-ending. Zhenshchina — prodavets, a muzhchina — pokupatel.
- юношаyunoshayoung man (bookish)The bookish youth; ends in -a but takes masculine agreement. Yunosha byl zdes utrom.
- девушкаdevushkayoung womanThe everyday address for a woman up to any plausible age: Devushka khochet yabloko.
- старикstarikold manFrom staryy plus the person-ending. Starik pyet chay bez sakhara.
- незнакомецneznakometsstrangerNe plus znakomy: the one you do not know. Neznakomets zdes? — Ne znayu.
- толпаtolpacrowdA collective with a mind of its own: tolpa — eto mnogo chelovek.
- соседsosedneighborSosed byl shumnyy — "the neighbor was noisy". The feminine is sosedka; the adjective sosedniy means "next-door".
- сынsynsonShort and old; doch is its twin. Moy syn v shkole.
- иностранецinostranetsforeignerLiterally "of other lands": ya inostranets, i ya ne ponimayu — "I am a foreigner and I do not understand".
- администраторadministratorreceptionist, administratorAdministrator byl vchera — "the receptionist was there yesterday" — the desk person of any institution.
- рыбакrybakfishermanRybak byl tam utrom — "the fisherman was there in the morning" — ryba plus the person-ending.
- волосыvolosyhairAlways plural: ona lyubit dlinnyye volosy — "she loves long hair" — English keeps it singular, this one does not.
- высокийvysokiytall, highMoy drug vysokiy — "my friend is tall" — the same word measures buildings and people.
- низкийnizkiyshort, lowetot dom nizkiy — "this house is low" — for people the word is nizkogo rosta.
- молодойmolodoyyoungMoy drug molodoy — "my friend is young" — molozhe is its comparative, not molodeye.
- бородаborodabeardBoroda byla dlinnaya — "the beard was long" — the classic of winter portraits.
- усыusymustacheAlways plural: usy byli dlinnyye — "the mustache was long" — English keeps it singular.
- худойkhudoythin, skinnyDrug byl khudoy — "my friend was thin" — the neutral word; khudoy khleb is thin bread too.
- толстыйtolstyythick, fatMoy sviter tolstyy — "my sweater is thick" — of sweaters, books and cats alike.
- симпатичныйsimpatichnyygood-looking, nice (person)On simpatichnyy — "he is good-looking" — from sympathy: pleasant to meet.
- внешностьvneshnostlooks, appearanceVneshnost — ne vsyo: "looks are not everything" — the course's wisdom in one soft sign.
- добрыйdobryykindMama dobraya — "mom is kind" — dobro is the goodness inside.
- весёлыйvesyolyycheerfulMoy drug vesyoly — the short form; vesyoly vecher is a merry evening.
- умныйumnyysmart, cleverMoy drug umnyy — "my friend is smart" — um is the mind inside the word.
- злойzloymean, wickedTy zloy? — "are you being mean?" — deeper than serdityy: this is character, not mood.
- спокойныйspokoynyycalmKoshka spokoynaya — "the cat is calm" — spokoynoy nochi is the good-night wish.
- вежливыйvezhlivyypoliteMoy drug vezhlivyy — "my friend is polite" — vezha is the old word for an expert, one who knows the ways.
- ленивыйlenivyylazySegodnya ya lenivyy — "today I am feeling lazy" — len is the laziness itself.
- смелыйsmelyybraveMoy drug smelyy — "my friend is brave" — smet is the daring inside.
- честныйchestnyyhonestMoy drug chestnyy — "my friend is honest" — chest is the honor inside.
- характерkharaktercharacterU mamy dobryy kharakter — "mom has a kind character" — possession, as ever, is "at her there is".
- официантofitsiantwaiterOfitsiant byl dobryy — "the waiter was kind" — ofitsiantka is the waitress.
- игрушкаigrushkatoyVot igrushka moyego rebyonka — "here is my child's toy" — the diminutive of igra.
- невестаnevestabrideNevesta v belom — "the bride is in white" — the same root as nevedomy, the unknown: once she left her home for one.
- женихzhenikhgroomZhenikh opozdal! — "the groom was late!" — zhenit, to marry, is his verb.
- женитьсяzhenitsyato marry (of a man)Moy drug zhenitsya — "my friend is getting married" — the -sya verb that takes a wife; a woman vykhodit zamuzh — goes out behind the husband.
- разводrazvoddivorceIkh razvod vsekh udivil — "their divorce surprised everyone" — raz- plus vod: the leading apart.
- родителиroditeliparentsAlways plural: moi roditeli zhivut v gorode — "my parents live in the city" — rodit, to give birth, inside.
- братbratbrotherMoy brat zhivyot v Moskve — "my brother lives in Moscow" — bratya is the plural.
- сестраsestrasisterMoya sestra uchitsya v Moskve — "my sister studies in Moscow".
- бабушкаbabushkagrandmotherMoya babushka zhivyot za gorodom — "my grandmother lives outside town" — the word every soup is named after.
- дедушкаdedushkagrandfatherDedushka chitayet gazetu — "grandpa is reading the newspaper" — ded, the old root, with the endearment.
- дядяdyadyauncleDyadya priezzhayet zavtra — "uncle arrives tomorrow" — also the polite word for any older man.
- тётяtyotyaauntTyotya zvonit kazhdoye voskresenye — "aunt calls every Sunday" — the Sunday call of the family.
- внукvnukgrandsonVnuk s dedushkoy doma — "the grandson is home with grandpa" — vnuchka is the granddaughter.
- родственникrodstvennikrelativeNa prazdnik priezzhayut rodstvenniki — "relatives come for the holiday" — the ones born with you.
- двоюродный братdvoyurodnyy bratcousin (male)Literally "second-born brother": moy dvoyurodnyy brat zhivyot v drugom gorode.
- детиdetichildrenThe plural with no singular twin — deti igrayut v parke — "the children play in the park" — rebyonok is one of them.
- мальчикmalchikboyMalchik pyet moloko — "the boy drinks milk" — mal, small, inside the word.
- девочкаdevochkagirlDevochka risuyet — "the girl is drawing" — the little sister of devushka.
- дочьdochdaughterMoya doch uchitsya v Moskve — "my daughter studies in Moscow" — docheri is the of-form.
- сколько тебе лет?skolko tebe let?how old are you?Literally "how many to-you of years": Skolko tebe let? — Mne desyat — "I am ten" — the years go into the of-form.
- взрослыйvzroslyyadult, grown-upetot paren uzhe vzroslyy — "this young man is grown up already".
- подростокpodrostokteenagerPodrostok ves den v telefone — "the teenager is on the phone all day" — pod- plus rost: the one still growing.
- младенецmladenetsinfant, babyMladenets spit — "the baby is sleeping" — mlady, the old word for small and young.
- возрастvozrastageNapishite imya i vozrast — "write the name and the age" — voz- plus rast: the growing up.
- мне тридцать летmne tridtsat letI am thirtyMne tridtsat let, a bratu dvadtsat pyat — "I am thirty and my brother is twenty-five" — the ages in the to-form.
- кудрявыйkudryavyycurlyU moyego druga kudryavyy rebyonok — "my friend has a curly-haired child" — kudri are the curls.
- лысыйlysyybaldMoy otets lysyy, a mama kudryavaya — "my father is bald, and mom is curly" — the family contrast.
- седойsedoygray-hairedOtets sedoy, a mama net — "father is gray-haired, mom is not" — the years written in the hair.
- ростrostheightU parnya rost, kak u ottsa — "the young man is as tall as his father" — rost is the height itself.
- стройныйstroynyyslim, slenderMoy drug ochen stroynyy — "my friend is very slim" — stroy is the build of the body.
- среднего ростаsrednego rostaof medium heightMoy drug srednego rosta, a ya net — "my friend is of medium height, and I am not" — the of-form of the measure.
- щедрыйshchedryygenerousMoy drug ochen shchedr — the short form of shchedryy — "my friend is very generous" — the handing-out.
- терпеливыйterpelivyypatientMoya mama ochen terpelivaya — "my mom is very patient" — terpet, to endure, inside.
- трудолюбивыйtrudolyubivyyhard-workingMoy otets ochen trudolyubivyy — "my father is very hard-working" — literally "labor-loving".
- надёжныйnadyozhnyyreliableMoy drug ochen nadyozhnyy — "my friend is very reliable" — the one you can lean on.
- скромныйskromnyymodestOna ochen skromnaya — "she is very modest" — skrom, the boundary one keeps.
- общительныйobshchitelnyysociable, outgoingMoy drug obshchitelnyy, a ya net — "my friend is sociable, and I am not" — obshcheniye inside.
- заботливыйzabotlivyycaringMoya mama ochen zabotlivaya — "my mom is very caring" — zabota is the care itself.
- серьёзныйseryoznyyseriousOtets u menya seryoznyy — "my father is a serious man" — the weight of the word.
- воспитанныйvospitannyywell-manneredRebyonok ochen vospitanny — "the child is very well-mannered" — brought up well.
- чувство юмораchuvstvo yumorasense of humorU moyego druga yest chuvstvo yumora — "my friend has a sense of humor" — yumor, the mood of the joke.
- жадныйzhadnyygreedy, stingyOtets moyego druga ochen zhadnyy — "my friend's father is very stingy" — zhadnost is the stinginess.
- упрямыйupryamyystubbornRebyonok ochen upryamyy — "the child is very stubborn" — upor is the stubbornness.
- грубыйgrubyyrudeParen vchera byl grubym — "the guy was rude yesterday" — grubost is the rudeness.
- наглыйnaglyybrazen, pushyYego drug ochen naglyy — "his friend is very brazen" — the shameless one.
- хитрыйkhitryycunning, slyRebyonok ochen khitryy — "the child is very cunning" — the fox's adjective.
- болтливыйboltlivyychatty, talkativeMoya mama ochen boltlivaya — "my mom is very chatty" — bolta is the chatter.
- рассеянныйrasseyannyyabsent-mindedYa segodnya ochen rasseyannyy — "I am very absent-minded today" — rasseyanny, scattered.
- вспыльчивыйvspylchivyyhot-temperedOtets u menya vspylchivyy — "my father is hot-tempered" — vspyshka is the flash.
- равнодушныйravnodushnyyindifferentOn ochen ravnodushnyy — "he is very indifferent" — ravno plus dusha: an equal soul, unmoved.
- привычкаprivychkahabitU menya yest privychka — utrom kofe — "I have a habit: coffee in the morning" — the habit named as possession.
- подругаpodrugafemale friendMoya podruga zhivyot v Moskve — "my friend lives in Moscow" — the friend who is a woman.
- знакомыйznakomyyacquaintanceOn znakomy, a ne drug — "he is an acquaintance, not a friend" — the one you know, no more.
- талантtalanttalentU neyo talant k yazykam — "she has a talent for languages" — k plus the to-form of the gift.
- родитьсяroditsyato be bornYa rodilsya v Moskve — "I was born in Moscow" — a woman says ya rodilas.
- детствоdetstvochildhoodMoye detstvo — u babushki v derevne — "my childhood was at grandma's in the village".
- юностьyunostyouthYunost — vremya mechtat — "youth is the time for dreaming" — the young years.
- взрослая жизньvzroslaya zhiznadult lifeVzroslaya zhizn — eto ne tolko rabota — "adult life is not only work".
- поколениеpokoleniegenerationMolodoye pokolenie zhivyot v internete — "the young generation lives on the internet".
- родной городrodnoy gorodhome townMoy rodnoy gorod — sovsem ryadom — "my home town is quite close" — rodnoy, of one's own.
- прожить в стране пять летprozhit v strane pyat letto live in a country for five yearsOn prozhil v Moskve pyat let — "he has lived in Moscow five years" — pyat, five, kept.
- воспоминаниеvospominaniememory, recollectionU menya khorosheye vospominaniye o shkole — "I have a good memory of school".
- старая фотографияstaraya fotografiyaold photographV korobke lezhat starye fotografii — "old photographs lie in the box" — the paper of the past.
- судьбаsudbafate, destinyTakova sudba — "such is fate" — the fate that needs no reason.
- начать новую жизньnachat novuyu zhiznto start a new lifeYa khochu nachat novuyu zhizn s ponedelnika — "I want to start a new life on Monday" — the Monday of all reforms.
- завести семьюzavesti semyuto start a familyOni khotyat zavesti semyu — "they want to start a family" — the family as something acquired.
- богатыйbogatyyrichBogatyy ne vsegda schastliv — "the rich are not always happy" — having much: rich experience, rich harvest, not only money; the old belief was that God added to the rich man's store.
- бедныйbednyypoorBednyy student zhivyot na kofe — "the poor student lives on coffee" — having little; kin to beda, trouble: trouble was thought to have settled with the poor man.
- сосед по комнатеsosed po komnateroommateSosed po komnate igraet na gitare nochyu — "the roommate plays guitar at night" — the one who shares the room with you; no student hostel manages without one, and English says roommate.
- друг детстваdrug detstvachildhood friendDrug detstva priekhal bez preduprezhdeniya — "a childhood friend arrived unannounced" — the one you grew up beside; childhood friend is word for word the same in English.
- дальний родственникdalniy rodstvennikdistant relativeDalniy rodstvennik napisal iz drugoy strany — "a distant relative wrote from another country" — kin a few branches out on the tree; dalniy measures distance in family, not in kilometers.
- воспитывать детейvospityvat deteyto raise childrenTrudno vospityvat detey i rabotat — "it is hard to raise children and work" — to grow a person, not only to feed one; vospitat is to feed the soul: school teaches, home vospityvayet.
- известныйizvestnyyfamousIzvestnyy artist zhivyot v etom dome — "the famous actor lives in this building" — the one whose vest, the news, has spread far; vest and povest, the tale, are one family.
- сильныйsilnyystrongSilnyy veter raskachival derevya — "a strong wind rocked the trees" — having sila, strength: character, coffee, wind — the word works everywhere.
- помолвкаpomolvkaengagementAfter the engagement they became groom and bride
- обручальное кольцоobruchalnoe koltsowedding ringObruchalnoe koltso ona ne snimaet nikogda — "she never takes off the wedding ring" — the ring put on at the wedding and worn without taking off; from obruch, the circle that binds two.
- свадебное платьеsvadebnoe platewedding dressMy sister is sewing the wedding dress herself
- молодожёныmolodozhyonynewlywedsMolodozhony uekhali k moryu na nedelyu — "the newlyweds went to the sea for a week" — the young couple straight after the wedding; the word welds molodye, the young, and zhony, the wives, into one.
- медовый месяцmedovyy mesyatshoneymoonMedovyy mesyats oni proveli u morya — "they spent the honeymoon by the sea" — the first month of a marriage; medovyy, honey-sweet, because the first month is the sweetest.
- новосельеnovoselehousewarmingV subbotu u sosedey novosele — "on Saturday the neighbors have a housewarming" — the first feast in the new home, from novoye zhilyo, the new lodging; moved in, then celebrate — English says housewarming.
- траурtraurmourningThere was mourning in the house, and no guests were received
- разумныйrazumnyyreasonable, sensibleThe sensible way out is to move the meeting
- добротаdobrotakindnessEgo dobrota izvestna vsemu domu — "his kindness is known to the whole house" — from dobryy, kind: the kindness of the soul, a golden kindness.
- выдержкаvyderzhkaself-control, composureV spore nuzhna vyderzhka — "an argument needs self-control" — from vyderzhat, to hold out: holds and does not give in; the vyderzhka of wine is another thing, the time in the barrel.
- терпениеterpeniepatienceTerpenie — glavnaya cherta uchitelya — "patience is the teacher's main trait" — from terpet, to endure: the stock of it runs out, and patience and labor wear anything down, says the proverb.
- эгоизмegoizmselfishnessEgoizm ottalkivaet druzey — "selfishness pushes friends away" — Latin for I: a life only about oneself; the egoist is its carrier, the same "ego" English keeps in "ego" and "egoism".
- леньlenlazinessLen meshaet emu uchitsya — "laziness keeps him from studying" — no wish to stir; the proverb calls her mother, born before us all, and the adjective is lenivyy.
- упрямствоupryamstvostubbornnessUpryamstvo dovelo ego do ssory — "stubbornness led him into a quarrel" — standing on one's own to the end: a child's kind, stubborn as a mule, people say; from upersya, braced.
- любопытствоlyubopytstvocuriosityLyubopytstvo gonit ego chitat chuzhie pisma — "curiosity drives him to read other people's letters" — from lyubo, it is pleasing: the wish to know everything; the proverb warns the curious Barbara's nose got torn off at the market.
- порядочностьporyadochnostdecency, integrityPoryadochnost dorozhe deneg — "decency is worth more than money" — from poryadok: the person with whom everything goes straight; English decency.
- находчивостьnakhodchivostresourcefulnessNas vyruchila nakhodchivost provodnika — "the guide's resourcefulness saved us" — finding a way out where there is none; from nakhodit, to find.
- беспечностьbespechnostcarelessnessBespechnost molodosti prokhodit bystro — "the carelessness of youth passes quickly" — bez pechal, without sorrow: living without thinking of tomorrow; it sounds warmer than wicked.
- решительныйreshitelnyydecisive, resoluteOna dala reshitelnyy otkaz — "she gave a firm refusal" — ready to decide and not backing away: a step, a no; from reshit, to decide.
- застенчивыйzastenchivyyshy, bashfulZastenchivyy sosed pervym ne zagovorit — "the shy neighbor will not be the first to speak" — one who hides behind the wall, from stena; the picture is of a wall to hide behind, not of temperament.
- обидчивыйobidchivyyeasily offended, touchyObidchivyy drug pomnit kazhduyu meloch — "the touchy friend remembers every little thing" — from obida, the hurt; one takes offense at whom — at a brother, at the whole world; English says touchy.
- покладистыйpokladistyyeasy-going, accommodatingPokladistyy naparnik soglashaetsya na vsyo — "the easy-going partner agrees to everything" — one who is lad down and agrees: a neighbor, a character; the convenient person for common work.
- дотошныйdotoshnyythorough, meticulousDotoshnyy chitatel nashyol tri opechatki — "the meticulous reader found three typos" — one who digs to the very bottom: a check, a questioning; English says meticulous.
- самолюбивыйsamolyubivyyself-respecting, proudSamolyubivyy avtor ne terpit pravok — "the vain author cannot bear edits" — sam plus lyubit: loves himself and wounds easily; not the same as the sebyalyub, the self-server in deed; English vain.
- отзывчивыйotzyvchivyyresponsive, compassionateOtzyvchivaya medsestra uspokoila vsyu palatu — "the responsive nurse calmed the whole ward" — one who responds to another's trouble; from otkliknutsya, to answer the call.
- замкнутыйzamknutyywithdrawn, reservedZamknutyy sosed zdorovaetsya, but ne boltaet — "the reserved neighbor says hello but does not chatter" — like the lock on the door: a man, living shut; not angry — just the door locked with a key.
- прямолинейныйpryamolineynyystraightforward, bluntPryamolineynyy drug skazhet pravdu v litso — "a straightforward friend will say the truth to your face" — going by the straight line: a man, a frankness bordering on rude; from pryamyy, straight.
- непредсказуемыйnepredskazuemyyunpredictableNepredskazuemyy kharakter derzhit vsekh v tonuse — "an unpredictable character keeps everyone on their toes" — you cannot say it in advance; the negation of predictable.
- слушатьсяslushatsyato obey, to mindMalysh slushaetsya babushku — "the little one obeys his grandma" — to do as told; it asks whom; listening with the ears is slushat — a different verb.
- хвастатьсяkhvastatsyato boast, to bragOn khvastaetsya novym telefonom — "he boasts about his new phone" — khvasta is the old word for boasting; it asks what? — and English show off is the same show.
- сплетничатьspletnichatto gossipSosedi spletnichayut o kazhdom — "the neighbors gossip about everyone" — spletni is literally things plaited together: talk woven into one; it asks about whom.
- притворятьсяpritvoryatsyato pretend, to feignKot pritvoryaetsya spyashchim — "the cat pretends to be asleep" — to cover the real with oneself: to feign illness, pretend not to notice; from tvorit, to make, under a prefix.
- сдержатьсяsderzhatsyato restrain oneself, to hold backOna sderzhalas i ne otvetila — "she held back and did not answer" — to keep words and feelings in hand: barely held back, held back and said nothing; from derzhat under a prefix.
- подшутитьpodshutitto play a joke on, to teaseBrat podshutil nad nim v aprele — "his brother played a joke on him in April" — the light joke from above; it asks over whom.
- навратьnavratto tell a lie, to make upMalchishka navral pro otsenki — "the lad lied about his grades" — to lie once; navral s tri koroba is lying by the crateful, big and sweeping; from vrat under a prefix.
- подслушатьpodslushatto eavesdropOn podslushal razgovor za stenoy — "he overheard the conversation behind the wall" — to listen on the sly; from slushat under a prefix, and English eavesdrop.
- навязыватьсяnavyazyvatsyato impose oneself, to be pushyOn navyazyvaetsya v kazhduyu kompaniyu — "he imposes himself on every company" — navyazat is to tie on by force: do not impose; the pushy seller is naviazchivyy, from vyazat, to tie, under a prefix.
- держать словоderzhat slovoto keep one's wordEtot chelovek derzhit slovo — "this man keeps his word" — built just like English keep the word: keeping a promise, they say, is harder than making one.
- заслужитьzasluzhitto earn, to deserveSvoey rabotoy on zasluzhil uvazhenie — "by his work he earned the respect" — from sluzhba, served out by labor: trust, a deserved award; it asks what.
- упрекнутьupreknutto reproach, to blameOna upreknula menya v zabyvchivosti — "she reproached me for forgetfulness" — the short reproach with a word; it asks in what.
- похвалитьpokhvalitto praise (once)Uchitelnitsa pokhvalila sochinenie — "the teacher praised the essay" — the good word from above; it asks for what, and pohvala, the praise, is said to lift the wings.
- осудитьosuditto condemn (an action)Sosedi osudili ego postupok — "the neighbors condemned his act" — to say the no out loud; in court it is the verdict, in life the judgment of a deed; hurry slowly with it.
- подвестиpodvestito let down, to fail someoneV trudnyy chas on menya ne podvyol — "in the hard hour he did not let me down" — to lead — and lead to the edge: he let his friends down; it asks whom.
- нарочноnarochnoon purpose, deliberatelyOn narochno vyklyuchil budilnik — "he turned off the alarm on purpose" — deliberately, with intent; in the old days a narochny was the messenger sent on purpose.
- по глупостиpo glupostiout of foolishnessPo gluposti podpisal ne glyadya — "out of foolishness he signed without looking" — glupost is the foolish deed: did it and regretted it; English out of foolishness.
- из лучших побужденийiz luchshikh pobuzhdeniywith the best of intentionsOna skazala eto iz luchshikh pobuzhdeniy — "she said it with the best of intentions" — pobuzhdeniye is what nudged you: meant it for the best; the standing formula of an excuse.
- это некрасивоeto nekrasivothat is not niceObzyvat gostey nekrasivo — "it is not nice to call guests names" — a deed judged in the words of looks: not nice of you; English that is not nice works the same way.
- он не со злаon ne so zlahe means no harmOn ne so zla, prosto zabyl — "he means no harm; he just forgot" — zlo here is ill will; so zla means out of spite, and this says there was none.
- довериеdoverietrustDoverie rastyot medlenno — "trust grows slowly" — faith under a prefix: between friends; one doveryaet someone, and doveryaet secrets to someone.
- завистьzavistenvyZavist sosedey ego ne trogaet — "the neighbors' envy does not touch him" — zavidovat is from videt, to see: saw another's and it ached; the white kind is without malice, and it asks whom.
- жалостьzhalostpityZhalost k bezdomnoy sobake spasla ey zhizn — "pity for the stray dog saved its life" — to take pity is to spare with the heart: for animals; zhalkiy is the one pitied and despised at once.
- влияниеvliyanieinfluenceVliyanie druzey na nego ogromnoe — "the friends' influence on him is enormous" — like an inflow into another's decisions: of an older brother; it asks on whom; Latin influere is to flow in.
- авторитетavtoritetauthority, standingU trenera bolshoy avtoritet — "the coach has great authority" — Latin for teacher, founder; they say one enjoys authority with people, and an authoritative opinion is a weighty one.
- взаимноvzaimnomutual(ly)Ikh simpatiya okazalas vzaimnoy — "their sympathy turned out mutual" — toward each other: a liking, and respect must be mutual; from vzayom, in exchange.
- на равныхna ravnykhon equal footingS detmi on govorit na ravnykh — "with children he talks as equals" — no elders, no bosses: to talk, to play as equals; English says as equals.
- поладитьpoladitto get along (with)Kot i shchenok poladili za nedelyu — "the cat and the puppy got along within a week" — lad is the accord of the house: to get along with the neighbors; the business that ne laditsya is not going well.
- держаться в сторонеderzhatsya v storoneto stay on the sidelinesV sporakh on derzhitsya v storone — "in disputes he stays on the sidelines" — to stand at the edge and not climb in: from gossip, from quarrels; English says keep to oneself.
- деньгиdengimoneyAlways plural, with no singular of its own — and prices are said straight in it: dvesto rubley, not "two hundred of money".
- мужmuzhhusbandThe everyday word; on forms the bookish suprug appears instead. Keep it apart from muzhik, a colloquial "guy".
- женаzhenawifeAlso the older word for simply "woman"; here it is the family word. Ego zhena — vrach: no verb needed for "is".
- фамилияfamiliyalast nameThe classic false friend: familiya is your LAST NAME, not your family — that is semya. On forms it comes before the first name.
- местоmestoplace, seatBoth "place" and "seat": eto moyo mesto, "this is my seat". The phrase kakoye eto mesto? asks what kind of place it is.
- странаstranacountryA cousin of storona, "side": the land that lies around you. Kakaya eto strana? asks which country it is.
- людиlyudipeopleA plural with no singular twin, just like "people". One word covers groups of any makeup.
- жизньzhiznlifeEnds in a soft sign, so it is feminine despite the look. Spokoynaya zhizn — "a quiet life".
- следующийsleduyushchiynextFrom sledovat, "to follow": the one that comes after. Podozhdi sleduyushchiy avtobus — "wait for the next bus".
- прошлыйproshlyylast, previousFrom proshloye, "the past": rasskazhi pro proshlyy god, "tell me about last year".
- свекровьsvekrovmother-in-law (husband's mother)Svekrov khorosho gotovit — "the mother-in-law cooks well" — a feminine noun in a soft sign.
- тёщаtyoshchamother-in-law (wife's mother)Tyoshcha ochen lyubit chay — "the mother-in-law loves tea" — the wife's mother has her own word.
- свёкорsvyokorfather-in-law (husband's father)Svyokor mnogo rabotayet — "the father-in-law works a lot" — the husband's father.
- зятьzyatson-in-lawMoy zyat ochen dobryy — "my son-in-law is very kind" — the daughter's husband.
- невесткаnevestkadaughter-in-lawNevestka gotovit obed — "the daughter-in-law is making lunch" — named for the bride she once was.
- племянникplemyanniknephewPlemyannik lyubit futbol — "the nephew loves football" — plemya, the tribe, inside.
- племянницаplemyannitsaniecePlemyannitsa ochen lyubit knigi — "the niece loves books" — the same tribe, feminine.
- внучкаvnuchkagranddaughterVnuchka ochen lyubit babushku — "the granddaughter loves grandma" — the feminine of vnuk.
- близнецыbliznetsytwinsU mamy bliznetsy — "mom has twins" — blizko, close, inside.
- родняrodnyakin, the whole familyMnogo rodni na prazdnike — "a lot of kin at the holiday" — the collective of all relatives.
- старший братstarshiy bratolder brotherStarshy brat uchit menya plavat — "my older brother is teaching me to swim" — starshiy, the elder.
- младшая сестраmladshaya sestrayounger sisterMladshaya sestra khochet igrat — "the younger sister wants to play" — mladshaya, the younger.
- единственный ребёнокedinstvennyy rebyonokonly childYa yedinstvennyy rebyonok v semye — "I am an only child" — yedin, one, at the root.
- двоюродная сестраdvoyurodnaya sestracousin (female)Dvoyurodnaya sestra zhivyot v Moskve — "my cousin lives in Moscow" — the feminine cousin.
- мачехаmachekhastepmotherMachekha ochen dobraya — "the stepmother is very kind" — the fairy tales owe her an apology.
- отчимotchimstepfatherOtchim rabotayet vrachom — "the stepfather works as a doctor" — the with-form names the trade.
- сиротаsirotaorphanSirota zhivyot v detskom dome — "the orphan lives in a children's home".
- вдоваvdovawidowVdova zhivyot odna — "the widow lives alone" — vdovyets is the widower.
- супругsuprugspouse (male)The bookish husband: yeyo suprug rabotayet v banke — "her spouse works at a bank" — muzh is the everyday word.
- супругаsuprugaspouse (female)Yego supruga khorosho gotovit — "his spouse cooks well" — zhena is the everyday word.
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
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How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Это моя семьяEto moya semyaThis is my family
- Отец работает в банкеOtets rabotaet v bankeFather works at a bank
- Мама готовит обедMama gotovit obedMom is making lunch
- Дети дома, а отец работаетDeti doma, a otets rabotaetThe children are home and father is working
- Этот парень учит русскийEtot paren uchit russkiyThis guy is learning the language
- Мой друг живёт в МосквеMoy drug zhivyot v MoskveMy friend lives in Moscow
What is worth knowing about these words
семья (semya) — family. One root with semya, "a seed": the people from one seed. "Family" grew from the Latin for "household servants" — about the house, not the blood.
отец (otets) — father. At home it is papa; otets is for documents and solemn occasions. The of-form ottsa shows up more often than the dictionary shape.
мама (mama) — mom. The baby word, like mum and mama nearly everywhere. Papa also ends in -a yet stays masculine — gender is not the ending alone.
ребёнок (rebyonok) — child. Its plural comes from a different word, like "person" and "people": rebyonok — deti. The course table keeps rebyonka and rebyonku.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “family” in Russian?
One root with semya, "a seed": the people from one seed. "Family" grew from the Latin for "household servants" — about the house, not the blood.
- How do you say “friend” in Russian?
Changes its consonant in the plural: drug — druz ya. Podruga is the word for a female friend; English "friend" serves both.
- How do you say “woman” in Russian?
From zhena, "wife", plus the person-ending. Zhenshchina — prodavets, a muzhchina — pokupatel.
- How do you say “crowd” in Russian?
A collective with a mind of its own: tolpa — eto mnogo chelovek.
- How do you say “fisherman” in Russian?
Rybak byl tam utrom — "the fisherman was there in the morning" — ryba plus the person-ending.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Mum, friend, child, neighbour. The first thing people ask you about, and the first thing you tell about yourself.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “family” in Russian?
«семья», read “semya”. One root with semya, "a seed": the people from one seed. "Family" grew from the Latin for "household servants" — about the house, not the blood. It is one of 203 words in the set “people and family” — the rest are in the table above.
How many family words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 203 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.