Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| па́рень | párenʹ | masculine | |
| кавале́р | kavalér | masculine | |
| друг | drug | [druk] (narrow) [drux] (Russia, Southern, narrow) |
masculine |
| возлю́бленный | vozljúblennyj | masculine | |
| бойфре́нд | bojfrɛ́nd | masculine | |
| ухажёр | uxažór | [ʊxɐˈʐor] (narrow) | masculine |
| прия́тель | prijátelʹ | masculine | |
| дружо́к | družók | masculine | |
| молодой человек | molodoj čelovek | [məɫɐˈdoj t͡ɕɪɫɐˈvʲek] (narrow) | masculine |
The term парень is a common and versatile way to refer to a male partner in a romantic relationship.
Which one should you use?
па́рень is a common and versatile term for 'boyfriend'. For a more polite and slightly more formal way to refer to a boyfriend than the casual парень, use молодой человек. The term ухажёр refers specifically to a man who is actively courting or 'wooing' a woman, rather than someone in an established relationship. Возлюбленный is a highly romantic, poetic and somewhat old-fashioned term used in literature rather than everyday conversation. The loanword бойфре́нд is used among younger generations and in urban slang, but it sounds much less natural in traditional or formal speech than парень. Прия́тель implies a more casual or superficial connection than друг and is rarely used to mean a serious romantic partner.
How do you pronounce it?
párenʹ
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should be aware that using друг to mean 'boyfriend' can be ambiguous. Without context, a Russian listener will assume you mean a platonic friend.
When do people say it?
The term девушка can be used to translate 'girlfriend'.
Did you know?
- The word кавале́р is a direct loan from the French word 'cavalier', which originally referred to a horseman.
- The word дружо́к is a diminutive of друг but is often used mockingly or condescendingly to refer to a 'little friend' or a 'buddy' in an insulting way.
- In Russian, the term молодо́й челове́к is frequently used by strangers as a polite way to get a young man's attention, similar to 'excuse me, sir'.
Examples in context
- Это твой новый друг?Is that your new boyfriend?This sentence uses друг to ask if someone is a new boyfriend.Tatoeba #5695705 by Selena777, translation #5068371 by CK
- Это её молодой человек.That's her boyfriend.This sentence uses молодой человек to identify someone as a boyfriend.Tatoeba #5479487 by marafon, translation #1357090 by sacredceltic
- Тебе нужен молодой человек.You need a boyfriend.This sentence uses молодой человек to state that someone needs a boyfriend.Tatoeba #11135073 by Svetislava, translation #2646676 by CK
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries друг, ухажёр, молодой человек, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
