Russian in Different Languages
Discover 'Russian' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'Russian' holds a wealth of significance and cultural importance that extends far beyond its role as a linguistic identifier. As the native language of over 160 million people, Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world. Its rich literary tradition, spanning centuries of poetry, prose, and drama, has produced some of the greatest works in human history.
Moreover, Russian culture has had a profound impact on the world, from its contributions to science, art, and ballet, to its pivotal role in shaping global politics and history. From the era of the Tsars to the Soviet Union and beyond, Russia's influence can be felt in every corner of the globe.
Given its historical and cultural importance, it's no wonder that many people are interested in learning the word 'Russian' in different languages. Whether you're planning a trip to Moscow, studying Russian literature, or simply interested in expanding your linguistic horizons, knowing the translation of 'Russian' can be a valuable and enriching experience.
Here are just a few examples of how 'Russian' is translated in different languages:
Russian
Russian in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | russies | ||
| "Russies" refers to both Russian the nationality and the language, and also to "Russians" as a people, in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ራሺያኛ | ||
| The word "ራሺያኛ" can also mean "Soviet" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | rashanci | ||
| Igbo | asụsụ russia | ||
| The word "Asụsụ Russia" in Igbo, meaning "Russian", is derived from the English word "Russia". | |||
| Malagasy | rosiana | ||
| The word "Rosiana" originally meant "white" before gaining its modern usage referring to Russians | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chirasha | ||
| The word 'Chirasha' in the Nyanja (Chichewa) language, which is used to refer to Russian people, has no alternative meanings and no known etymological roots in the Nyanja or Bantu language family. | |||
| Shona | chirussian | ||
| In Shona, the word "ChiRussian" also means "a person who speaks Russian" | |||
| Somali | ruush | ||
| The word "Ruush" in Somali has been suggested to be derived from the Arabic word "Ruus" which means "head" or "chief". | |||
| Sesotho | serussia | ||
| Swahili | kirusi | ||
| "Kirusi" is also used in Swahili to refer to an infectious disease. | |||
| Xhosa | isirashiya | ||
| The word 'IsiRashiya' is derived from the Xhosa pronunciation of the Russian word 'Rossiya'. | |||
| Yoruba | ara ilu rọsia | ||
| The word "Ara ilu Rọsia" is a calque of the French word "Les Russes", meaning "the Russians". | |||
| Zulu | isirashiya | ||
| The word "IsiRashiya" in Zulu, which refers to "Russian", is also used to describe "an object or situation that is difficult or burdensome." | |||
| Bambara | irisikan na | ||
| Ewe | russiagbe me | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikirusiya | ||
| Lingala | liloba ya russe | ||
| Luganda | olurussia | ||
| Sepedi | se-russia | ||
| Twi (Akan) | russia kasa | ||
Russian in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الروسية | ||
| {"text": "الروسية تعني "البيضاء" باللغة السلافية القديمة، وقد أطلق عليها هذا الاسم بسبب البشرة البيضاء للسكان الأصليين."} | |||
| Hebrew | רוּסִי | ||
| רוּסִי, besides meaning "Russian", is also a nickname for someone with red hair or freckles. | |||
| Pashto | روسي | ||
| The word "روسي" also means "fair" or "blond" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الروسية | ||
| {"text": "الروسية تعني "البيضاء" باللغة السلافية القديمة، وقد أطلق عليها هذا الاسم بسبب البشرة البيضاء للسكان الأصليين."} | |||
Russian in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rusisht | ||
| In the Gheg dialect of Albanian, "Rusisht" also refers to a kind of Slavic dance or Slavic folk music. | |||
| Basque | errusiera | ||
| The word 'Errusiera' derives from the Basque word 'errus' (Rus), referring to the Rus' people, the ancestors of modern-day Russians. | |||
| Catalan | rus | ||
| Croatian | ruski | ||
| U hrvatskom jeziku riječ ruski, osim narod i jezik, označava i čudnovato, neobično i nespretno; ono što je rusko je 'kao kod Rusa'. | |||
| Danish | russisk | ||
| In Danish, "russisk" can also refer to the color or language "Russian" or a type of car (Russian) that is popular among high school graduates in Denmark. | |||
| Dutch | russisch | ||
| The Dutch word | |||
| English | russian | ||
| The word "Russian" derives from the Old Norse "Rus", which originally referred to the people of what is now Sweden. It later came to refer to the Kievan Rus', an Eastern Slavic state that existed from the 9th to the 13th century and was the precursor to modern Russia. | |||
| French | russe | ||
| "Russe" can also mean "red" or "red-haired" in French, while the feminine form "rousse" exclusively designates "red-haired." | |||
| Frisian | russysk | ||
| It also refers to other people and countries in a broader sense of the word. | |||
| Galician | ruso | ||
| In Galician, the word "Ruso" can also refer to a kind of chestnut or a redhead person. | |||
| German | russisch | ||
| The German word "Russisch" can also refer to the color black. | |||
| Icelandic | rússneskt | ||
| The word "Rússneskt" in Icelandic also refers to the Russian language and culture. | |||
| Irish | rúisis | ||
| The word 'Rúisis' has several meanings, including 'red', 'ruddy', and 'blood-red'. | |||
| Italian | russo | ||
| In Italian, "russo" means "red" and is also used to refer to the color of hair or skin, or to describe something as coarse or unrefined. | |||
| Luxembourgish | russesch | ||
| The word "Russesch" is a derived from "Ruthener", a historical exonym for Belarusians used in the German language, the original etymology being from "Rus" which is the historical name of the Kyivan Rus'. | |||
| Maltese | russu | ||
| The word "Russu" derives from the Greek word "Rhos" and refers to a people from ancient Kievan Rus'. | |||
| Norwegian | russisk | ||
| "Russisk" also means "drunk" in Norwegian, often used to describe a high school graduate celebrating with alcohol. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | russo | ||
| In Portugal, "russo" can mean both "Russian" and "redhead." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ruiseanach | ||
| Ruiseanach can also mean a reddish-brown colour; something which is rusty or russet. | |||
| Spanish | ruso | ||
| The word "ruso" derives from the adjective "rucio," meaning "grayish," possibly alluding to the medieval image of Slavs as blonde-haired people. | |||
| Swedish | ryska | ||
| The term "ryska" (Russian) in Swedish also refers to "a kind of bread made of rye and wheat flour" and "a kind of apple with red skin and sweet, slightly sour flesh." | |||
| Welsh | rwseg | ||
| The Welsh word 'Rwseg' is derived from the Polish 'Rusnak', meaning 'a person from Rus' (modern Ukraine and Belarus). | |||
Russian in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | руская | ||
| The word "Руская" in Belarusian can also refer to the historical region of Rus', which included parts of present-day Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. | |||
| Bosnian | ruski | ||
| In Bosnian, the word "Ruski" can also mean "rustic" or "simple". | |||
| Bulgarian | руски | ||
| Руски in Bulgarian is derived from an Old Church Slavonic word meaning "fair" or "blond" and was applied to the Vikings from the lands to the north. | |||
| Czech | ruština | ||
| {"text": "Slovo "ruština" má v češtině i význam hovorový, který označuje alkohol."] | |||
| Estonian | vene keel | ||
| Vene keel may refer to the Russian language or the Venetian language (the latter being obsolete in Estonian). | |||
| Finnish | venäjän kieli | ||
| The word "Venäjän kieli" literally means "the language spoken in Venäjä", which is an archaic Finnish-language name for Russian. Another meaning of "Venäjän kieli" is "Slavic". | |||
| Hungarian | orosz | ||
| The word 'orosz' in Hungarian originally meant 'giant', which is possibly a reference to the legendary Scythian tribe known as the Arsi, who were said to be giants. | |||
| Latvian | krievu | ||
| In the Latvian dialect of Latgale, "krievu" also means "white bread" or "a loaf of wheat bread". | |||
| Lithuanian | rusų | ||
| Rusų also refers to the Rusyn or Carpathian Rusyn minority group residing in Lithuania | |||
| Macedonian | руски | ||
| "Руски" (Russian) can also mean "coarse" or "unrefined" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | rosyjski | ||
| Rosyjski may also mean 'pink' or 'rosy' in Polish, as it is derived from the Latin word 'roseus' meaning 'rose-coloured'. | |||
| Romanian | rusă | ||
| The word "Rusă" derives from the medieval Latin "Rutheni", referring to the inhabitants of the Kievan Rus'. | |||
| Russian | русский | ||
| Слово "русский" происходит от древнерусского слова "русь", которое означало "дружина", "воинство". | |||
| Serbian | руски | ||
| The word "Руски" can also refer to the Rusyns, an East Slavic ethnic group living in parts of Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, and Serbia. | |||
| Slovak | rusky | ||
| V slovenčine sa výraz „Ruský“ používa aj na označenie rusínskeho pôvodu alebo príslušnosti k Rusínom. | |||
| Slovenian | rusko | ||
| "Rusko" is also used to describe a rustic or rural area in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | російський | ||
| У слові «російський» корінь «рос» походить від давньоруського слова «Русь», яким позначали східнослов'янські племена, що проживали на території сучасної України та Росії. | |||
Russian in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রাশিয়ান | ||
| The word "রাশিয়ান" derives from the Persian word "روس" (Rus), referring to the Rus' people, the ancestors of modern Russians. | |||
| Gujarati | રશિયન | ||
| Hindi | रूसी | ||
| रूसी शब्द रूसिया क्षेत्र के लोगों से संबंधित है और इसका उपयोग प्राचीन भारत में भी 'लाल' अर्थ के लिए किया जाता था। | |||
| Kannada | ರಷ್ಯನ್ | ||
| Malayalam | റഷ്യൻ | ||
| Marathi | रशियन | ||
| Nepali | रुसी | ||
| In Nepali, "रुसी" also refers to the Soviet Union or its citizens, regardless of their ethnicity. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੂਸੀ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਰੂਸੀ" means "Russian" but also refers to a particular type of fabric. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රුසියානු | ||
| Tamil | ரஷ்யன் | ||
| ரஷ்யன் is also used as a nickname for someone with a round and flat face or someone who speaks in a gruff and hoarse voice. | |||
| Telugu | రష్యన్ | ||
| Urdu | روسی | ||
| The Urdu word "روسی" is also used to refer to the Cyrillic alphabet. | |||
Russian in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 俄语 | ||
| “俄语”的“俄”字既可以指代俄罗斯，也可以指代欧罗巴地区的斯拉夫语系国家。“俄语”一词既可以指代俄罗斯的官方语言，也可以指代斯拉夫语系中多个国家的语言 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 俄語 | ||
| 俄語亦寫作「俄羅斯語」、「羅剎文」，乃源自古時俄羅斯人「羅斯人」之稱 | |||
| Japanese | ロシア | ||
| The word "ロシア" (roshia) is derived from the Russian word "Россия" (Rossiya), which is itself derived from the Greek word "Ρωσία" (Rōsía), meaning "land of the Rus'". However, the word can also be used in Japanese to refer to the Soviet Union. | |||
| Korean | 러시아인 | ||
| The word "러시아인" can also refer to people from Ukraine and Belarus due to their historical and cultural connections to Russia, although the term is primarily used to refer to ethnic Russians. | |||
| Mongolian | орос | ||
| "Орос" is a loanword from the Middle Mongolian period, derived from the Middle Persian word "rus" or "rōs" meaning "light" or "white". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရုရှား | ||
Russian in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rusia | ||
| Di Tatar Sunda, kata 'rusia' juga digunakan untuk menyebut orang berkulit cerah atau orang Eropa. | |||
| Javanese | wong rusia | ||
| "Wong Rusia" in Javanese can also mean "people who are drunk" | |||
| Khmer | រុស្ស៊ី | ||
| The word "រុស្ស៊ី" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रूस" (Ruṣa), which referred to the Rus' people. | |||
| Lao | ພາສາລັດເຊຍ | ||
| Malay | orang rusia | ||
| Orang Rusia translates to "Russian" in Malay, and is also an Indonesian slang term for "unattractive". | |||
| Thai | รัสเซีย | ||
| Рyсские (Russians) หรือ Русы (Rus) เป็นชนชาติสลาฟตะวันออก | |||
| Vietnamese | tiếng nga | ||
| Tiếng Nga trong tiếng Việt cũng có nghĩa là tiếng nói của trẻ con. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ruso | ||
Russian in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rus | ||
| The word "Rus" derives from ancient Turkic and also has the meaning "blond" or "light". | |||
| Kazakh | орыс | ||
| The word "Орыс" in Kazakh, meaning "Russian", derives from the Persian word "rws" and ultimately from the Sanskrit word "Ruśa". | |||
| Kyrgyz | орусча | ||
| This word is also used to refer to the Russian language or the Russian people. | |||
| Tajik | русӣ | ||
| In Tajik, “русӣ” (“Russian”) can also mean “a person who is from Russia” or “the official language of Russia”. | |||
| Turkmen | rus | ||
| Uzbek | ruscha | ||
| Ruscha is also used to refer to the Cyrillic alphabet. | |||
| Uyghur | رۇسچە | ||
Russian in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lukia | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "Lukia" can also refer to a type of traditional fishing spear. | |||
| Maori | ruhia | ||
| The name Ruhia, meaning "Russian," also refers to the Ruhia people, the first Russians to visit New Zealand. | |||
| Samoan | lusia | ||
| The word "Lusia" in Samoan can also refer to an accordion. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | russian | ||
Russian in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ruso aru | ||
| Guarani | ruso ñe’ẽ | ||
Russian in International Languages
| Esperanto | rusa | ||
| "Rusa" is also the name of a small breed of deer in Indonesian, as well as the name of a town in Ukraine. | |||
| Latin | russian | ||
| The Latin word 'russicus' has also been used to refer to the Ruthenian (modern-day Ukrainian and Belarusian) people, and in particular the Rusyns, a Slavic ethnic group inhabiting the Carpathians. | |||
Russian in Others Languages
| Greek | ρωσική | ||
| The word «Ρωσική» in Greek can also refer to a specific embroidery stitch or to a traditional type of dress from the Peloponnese region. | |||
| Hmong | lavxias | ||
| "Lavxias" is pronounced in the "High-Falling Tone," and it originally meant "Red Russia". This was used during the Cold War era to refer to the Soviet Union and later on as "Russian". | |||
| Kurdish | rûsî | ||
| The word 'Rûsî' in Kurdish can also refer to the Rusyn people of Eastern Europe. | |||
| Turkish | rusça | ||
| Rusça kelimesi "Rus" anlamına gelmesinin yanı sıra, "açık mavi" rengini de ifade eder. | |||
| Xhosa | isirashiya | ||
| The word 'IsiRashiya' is derived from the Xhosa pronunciation of the Russian word 'Rossiya'. | |||
| Yiddish | רוסיש | ||
| "רוסיש" means both "Russian" and "Russophone", not to be confused with the Russian word « русский », which only has the former meaning. | |||
| Zulu | isirashiya | ||
| The word "IsiRashiya" in Zulu, which refers to "Russian", is also used to describe "an object or situation that is difficult or burdensome." | |||
| Assamese | ৰাছিয়ান | ||
| Aymara | ruso aru | ||
| Bhojpuri | रूसी भाषा के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަޝިޔާ ބަހުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | रूसी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ruso | ||
| Guarani | ruso ñe’ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | ruso nga ruso | ||
| Krio | rɔshian langwej | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕووسی | ||
| Maithili | रूसी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯁꯤꯌꯥꯒꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | russian tawng a ni | ||
| Oromo | afaan raashiyaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | russian ଷିୟ | | ||
| Quechua | ruso simi | ||
| Sanskrit | रूसी | ||
| Tatar | рус | ||
| Tigrinya | ሩስያዊ | ||
| Tsonga | xirhaxiya | ||