космона́вт
kosmonávtmasculine
The English word astronaut is translated into Russian as космона́вт (kosmonávt). Wiktionary also lists космона́втка (kosmonávtka) and астрона́вт (astronávt).
Meaning: member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft, or someone trained for that purpose (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| космона́вт | kosmonávt | masculine |
| космона́втка | kosmonávtka | feminine |
| астрона́вт | astronávt | masculine |
| астрона́втка | astronávtka | US, feminine |
In Russia and the former Soviet Union, the official term for a person trained for spaceflight is космона́вт.
Which one should you use?
The term космона́вт is the standard Russian term for a space traveler. In contrast, астрона́вт is typically used to refer to NASA astronauts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of космона́вт is космона́втка.
How do you pronounce it?
kosmonávt
Did you know?
- While космона́вт is the standard term, the Soviet Union avoided using астрона́вт during the Space Race to distance their program from the American one.
- The word космос used in космона́вт refers to the entire universe, whereas the English 'space' often refers specifically to the vacuum between planets.
- Even though the feminine form космона́втка exists, you will rarely hear it in official space agency reports. In formal-sounding Russian contexts, the masculine космона́вт is often used to refer to the entire crew, regardless of gender.
Examples in context
- Мы посмотрели фильм о космонавтиках.We watched a movie about astronauts.
Example conversation
Maria and Dmitry are watching a documentary about space.
- Мария MariaСмотри, какой смелый космона́вт!Smotri, kakoy smelyy kosmonavt!Look, what a brave astronaut!
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, работа космона́вта очень опасна.Da, rabota kosmonavta ochen' opasna.Yes, an astronaut's job is very dangerous.
- Мария MariaТы бы хотел быть космона́втом, Дмитрий?Ty by khotel byt' kosmonavtom, Dmitriy?Would you want to be an astronaut, Dmitry?
- Дмитрий DmitryНет, я боюсь высоты.Net, ya boyus' vysoty.No, I am afraid of heights.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “astronaut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
