кни́га
knígafeminine
The English word "book" is кни́га (kníga) in Russian. Wiktionary also lists кни́жка (knížka).
Meaning: collection of sheets of paper bound together containing printed or written material (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| кни́га | kníga | feminine |
| кни́жка | knížka | feminine |
The term refers to a collection of sheets of paper bound together containing printed or written material.
Which one should you use?
While кни́га refers to a standard book, кни́жка is a diminutive form often used for smaller books, booklets or in more casual speech.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
кни́га is a feminine noun. It changes its ending in different grammatical cases. For example, it becomes кни́ги in the genitive singular or the nominative plural.
How do you pronounce it?
kníga
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly try to use the noun кни́га as a verb to mean "to book (reserve)" a room. Instead, you must use the verbs брони́ровать, заброни́ровать or резерви́ровать.
Did you know?
- Russian speakers use the word кни́жка to refer to a passport or an identification booklet, even though these are legal documents.
- The Russian word for a bookmark is закла́дка, which literally translates to 'a laying down' or 'a placing'.
- In the Soviet era, some кни́ги were printed on very low-quality, grayish paper called газе́тная бумага, which makes many vintage Russian books feel like newspapers.
Examples in context
- У вас есть книга?Do you have a book?
- Ты прочитал эту книжку?Have you read this book?
- Эта кни́га очень интересная.Eta kniga ochen' interesnaya.This book is very interesting.
- Где лежит моя кни́га?Gde lezhit moya kniga?Where is my book lying?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “book” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
