капиба́ра
kapibárafeminine
The Russian word for capybara is капиба́ра (kapibára). Wiktionary also lists водосви́нка (vodosvínka).
Meaning: Hydrochoerus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| капиба́ра | kapibára | feminine |
| водосви́нка | vodosvínka | feminine |
Both forms refer to the large rodent known as the capybara (Hydrochoerus).
What does it mean word for word?
The synonym водосви́нка is a compound word consisting of вода, meaning water and свинка, meaning pig or little pig.
Which one should you use?
капиба́ра is a direct transliteration of the scientific name, whereas водосви́нка is a common descriptive name used in Russian.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both forms are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
kapibára
Did you know?
- Russian speakers often use капиба́ра as a meme to describe a state of extreme calm and indifference, echoing the animal's global reputation.
- The term водосви́нка can occasionally be used in Russian to refer to guinea pigs, which are also members of the same family.
- In Russian, both капиба́ра and водосви́нка are grammatically feminine, even if the specific animal is male.
Examples in context
- Зоологический парк был известен своей коллекцией экзотических животных, включая капибару.The zoo was known for its collection of exotic animals, including the capybara.
- Капиба́ра очень милое животное.Kapibarа ochen' miloye zhivotnoye.The capybara is a very cute animal.
- Эта капиба́ра любит плавать.Eta kapibara lyubit plavat'.This capybara loves to swim.
Example conversation
Olga and Andrey are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- Ольга OlgaСмотри, какая большая капиба́ра!Smotri, kakaya bol'shaya kapibara!Look, what a big capybara!
- Андрей AndreyДа, она выглядит очень спокойной.Da, ona vyglyadit ochen' spokoynoy.Yes, she looks very calm.
- Ольга OlgaАндре́й, ты хочешь пойти в зоопарк?Andrey, ty khochesh' poyti v zoopark?Andrey, do you want to go to the zoo?
- Андрей AndreyКонечно, я с удовольствием схожу.Konechno, ya s udovol'stviyem skhozhu.Of course, I would love to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “capybara” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
