Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| зверь | zverʹ | [zvʲerʲ] (narrow) | masculine |
| живо́тное | živótnoje | neuter | |
| тварь | tvarʹ | [tvarʲ] (narrow) | feminine |
| бе́стия | béstija | feminine |
Russian uses different words for a beast depending on whether you are being biological, descriptive or insulting.
Which one should you use?
The term живо́тное is the standard, neutral biological term for any animal. In contrast, зверь often implies a wild or predatory beast. The word тварь can mean a living creature, but in modern usage, it is almost always used as a highly offensive insult meaning 'scum' or 'vile creature'. The word бе́стия is a loanword from Latin/European languages and sounds more literary or archaic than the native зверь.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
бе́стия is a literary term. When referring to small or cute animals, you might use the diminutive зверюшка to sound more affectionate.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun зверь changes its stem to звер- in the accusative case, such as in the phrase видеть зверя (to see the beast).
How do you pronounce it?
zverʹ
When do people say it?
In folklore and mythology, the term оборотень is used to describe a werewolf or a shape-shifting beast. Similar to English, calling a person a зверь can be a compliment to describe someone with extraordinary strength, stamina or skill.
Did you know?
- While тварь originally meant any 'created thing' or 'object' in Old East Slavic, it underwent a semantic shift to become a harsh insult for a person.
- The word зверь shares an ancient root with the Latin word 'ferus' and the Greek 'thēr', linking Russian beasts to the same linguistic family as 'feral' and 'therianthrope'.
- The word бе́стия is often used to describe a cunning, mischievous, or spirited woman in older Russian literature.
Examples in context
- По лесу бродит странный зверь.A strange beast is roaming through the woods.This sentence illustrates a strange beast roaming the woods using зверь.Tatoeba #5373779 by marafon, translation #5373768 by Hybrid
- Самый опасный зверь – это зверь внутри.The most dangerous beast is the beast within.This sentence uses зверь to describe an internal, metaphorical beast.Tatoeba #1638026 by dimitris, translation #1638024 by dimitris
- Ты зверь! Ты даже не пропустил ни одного вопроса!You're a beast! You haven't even missed one question!This sentence shows how зверь can be used as a colloquial compliment for someone's skill.Tatoeba #1569934 by Biga, translation #851129 by papabear
- Природа полна различных животныхNature is full of various animals.
- Он настоящий зверь в спортеHe is a real beast in sports.
- Это чудовище съело все мои цветыThis beast ate all my flowers.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maria and Dmitry are looking at a photo of a wild animal.
- Мария MariaСмотри, какой огромный зверь!Smotri, kakoy ogromnyy zver!Look, what a huge beast!
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ никогда не видел такого зверя.Ya nikogda ne videl takogo zverya.I have never seen such a beast.
- Мария MariaОн выглядит очень опасным.On vyglidit ochen opasnym.It looks very dangerous.
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, этот зверь может быть агрессивным.Da, etot zver mozhet byt agressivnym.Yes, this beast can be aggressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beast” translations and entries зверь, тварь, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries зверь, тварь, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
