медве́дь
medvédʹmasculine
The Russian word for bear is медве́дь (medvédʹ). Wiktionary also lists медве́дица (medvédica) and медвежо́нок (medvežónok).
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| медве́дь | medvédʹ | masculine |
| медве́дица | medvédica | feminine |
| медвежо́нок | medvežónok | masculine |
| ми́шка | míška | masculine |
The primary term for the large mammal of the family Ursidae is медве́дь.
Which one should you use?
медве́дь is the standard biological term for the animal, whereas ми́шка is used for toys or in a more affectionate, diminutive sense. If you are talking about a specific gender or age, use медве́дица for a female bear or медвежо́нок for a bear cub.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ми́шка is a diminutive or colloquial form used for teddy bears or to refer to a bear affectionately.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form for a female bear is медве́дица. The word for a bear cub is медвежо́нок.
How do you pronounce it?
medvédʹ
Did you know?
- There is a common Russian idiom медве́дь на ухо наступил, meaning 'a bear stepped on one's ear', used to describe someone who is completely tone-deaf.
- In ancient Slavic times, the true name for the bear was a taboo word that was never spoken aloud for fear of summoning the beast.
- The expression медве́жья услу́га (a bear's service) refers to a favor that ends up causing more harm than good.
Examples in context
- Медведь – симпатичное, но опасное существо.The bear is a cute but dangerous creature.
- Смотри, какой мишка!Look, what a cute little bear!
- В лесу жил большой медве́дь.V lesu zhil bol'shoy medved'A large bear lived in the forest.
- Медве́дь очень сильный и опасный.Medved' ochen' sil'nyy i opasnyyThe bear is very strong and dangerous.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСмотри, какой большой медве́дь!Smotri, kakoy bol'shoy medved'!Look, what a big bear!
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, этот медве́дь выглядит очень грозно.Da, etot medved' vyglyadit ochen' grozno.Yes, this bear looks very formidable.
- Анастасия AnastasiaДмитрий, ты его боишься?Dmitriy, ty yego boyishsya?Dmitry, are you afraid of him?
- Дмитрий DmitryКонечно, я боюсь диких зверей.Konechno, ya boyus' dikikh zverey.Of course, I am afraid of wild animals.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
