лету́чая мышь
letúčaja myšʹfeminine
The English word "bat" (referring to the mammal) is translated into Russian as лету́чая мышь (letúčaja myšʹ). Wiktionary also lists нетопы́рь (netopýrʹ) and кожа́н (kožán).
Meaning: small flying mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| лету́чая мышь | letúčaja myšʹ | feminine |
| нетопы́рь | netopýrʹ | masculine |
| кожа́н | kožán | masculine |
лету́чая мышь is the standard, everyday term for any bat.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase лету́чая мышь is literally a "flying mouse".
Which one should you use?
While лету́чая мышь is the general term for any bat, нетопы́рь refers specifically to certain species of bats (often the vesper bat) and is a more specialized or archaic term. Similarly, кожа́н is a more specialized biological term, often used to refer to specific types of bats like the vesper bat, whereas лету́чая мышь is the common everyday word.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term лету́чая мышь is a feminine noun. When using the genitive plural form, it becomes лету́чих мышей.
How do you pronounce it?
letúčaja myšʹ
Did you know?
- While the general term for bat is лету́чая мышь, the term нетопы́рь is derived from the verb топать, which means 'to stomp' or 'to tread'.
- Because лету́чая мышь is feminine, it is often used as a playful or insulting metaphor in Russian to describe a woman who is erratic or 'flits' from one thing to another.
- The Russian word for mouse мышь is a direct relative of the English word 'mouse' through their shared Proto-Indo-European ancestor *múHs.
Examples in context
- Какую скорость может развить летучая мышь в полете?What speed can a bat reach while in flight?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries мышь, CC BY-SA 4.0.
