Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| роди́вшийся | rodívšijsja | ||
| урождённый | uroždjónnyj | [ʊrɐʐˈdʲɵnːɨj] (narrow) | rare |
The word роди́вшийся is an adjective used to describe someone who has been given birth to. In most natural contexts, Russian speakers prefer to use the past tense verb form родился (masculine) or родилась (feminine) to say that someone 'was born'. For a more formal or poetic way to say 'to come into the world', you can use the phrase Появиться на свет.
Which one should you use?
роди́вшийся refers specifically to the physical act of being born. In contrast, урождённый is a rarer term used figuratively to mean 'innate' or 'inborn', such as describing a 'born leader'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form роди́вшийся is a past active participle that functions as an adjective meaning 'having been born'. This form must agree in gender and case with the noun it modifies. For example, роди́вшуюся женщину refers to 'the woman who was born'.
How do you pronounce it?
rodívšijsja
Did you know?
- Russian uses the same root род for 'born' as it does for 'family' родина and 'genus' род. This links the act of being born directly to the concept of ancestry.
- While English uses the passive 'was born', Russian uses a reflexive form родился which functions more like 'gave birth to himself'. This structural difference reflects a linguistic view of the subject acting upon themselves during the event.
- To describe a 'born leader', Russians often use the word природный instead of урождённый. This describes a quality that is 'of nature' rather than just a result of birth.
Examples in context
- Я родился в Москве.I was born in Moscow.
- Он родился в 1990 году.He was born in 1990.
- Он появился на свет в глухой деревушке.He came into the world in a remote village.
- Машины, телевизоры и компьютеры – все это появилось на свет благодаря техническому прогрессу.Cars, televisions, and computers – all of this came into the world thanks to technological progress.
- Мой брат родился в прошлом году.My brother was born last year.
- Он родился, когда во Франции шел дождь.He was born when it was raining in France.
- Моя сестра родилась веселой и жизнерадостной.My sister was born cheerful and full of life.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “born” translations and entries урождённый, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
