ко́шка
kóškafeminine
The English word cat is translated into Russian as ко́шка (kóška).
ко́шка refers to the domestic species of cat. While it is grammatically a feminine noun, it is often used as a generic term for the species regardless of the specific cat's sex.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Which one should you use?
The masculine form кот is used specifically to refer to a male cat. When referring to multiple cats, the choice of plural form depends on the gender of the group: use коты for a group of male cats or a mixed-gender group and use кошки specifically for a group of female cats.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for a kitten is котёнок.
How do you pronounce it?
kóška
Did you know?
- The word кошка is also the Russian word for a 'claw hammer' or a 'grappling hook'.
- Russian folklore often portrays the 'Cat Bayun' as a giant talking cat whose hypnotic voice can lull anyone to sleep or trap them in a dream.
- While кошка is the biological term, Russians often use the diminutive киса or киська to address a pet, which functions similarly to 'kitty' in English.
Examples in context
- У нас есть красивая ко́шка.We have a beautiful cat.
- Мой кот очень игривый.My cat is very playful.
- Эта ко́шка очень милая.Eta koshka ochen' milaya.This cat is very cute.
- У меня дома живёт ко́шка.U menya doma zhivyot koshka.I have a cat living at my house.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Olga are looking at a photo on a phone.
- Дмитрий DmitryПосмотри, какая красивая ко́шка!Posmotri, kakaya krasivaya koshka!Look, what a beautiful cat!
- Ольга OlgaДа, эта ко́шка выглядит очень пушистой.Da, eta koshka vyglyadit ochen' pushistoy.Yes, this cat looks very fluffy.
- Дмитрий DmitryТы хочешь завести такую же?Ty khochesh' zavesti takuyu zhe?Do you want to get one just like that?
- Ольга OlgaОбязательно, я очень люблю кошек.Obyazatel'no, ya ochen' lyublyu koshek.Definitely, I love cats very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
