кошки
koshki
The English phrase "cats" is translated into Russian as кошки (koshki).
кошки refers to small domesticated carnivorous mammals with soft fur and retractable claws.
Which one should you use?
While кошка is the general term for a cat or a female cat, кот is used specifically to refer to a male cat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of the word is кошка. The form кошек is used for the number five or more (e.g., пять кошек).
How do you pronounce it?
koshki
Did you know?
- In Russian, the word кошка is also the term for a 'grappling hook' used by climbers or special forces.
- Russian folklore often depicts the 'Cat Bayun', a magical cat whose songs can put anyone to sleep or wake them from a deep slumber.
- When you want to speak about cats in a very affectionate or 'cute' way, you might use the diminutive form котики, which is extremely common in casual conversation and social media.
Examples in context
- У вас три кошки.You have three cats.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase кошки in the context of possession.Tatoeba #3128342 by marafon, translation #387408 by CM
- У них две кошки.They have two cats.Tatoeba #3293471 by marafon, translation #2789238 by shekitten
- У нас две кошки.We've got two cats.Tatoeba #13495978 by marafon, translation #13497058 by rul
- Мои кошки просто обожают играть с мячиками.My cats just love playing with balls.
- 318 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmitry and Anastasia are talking about their pets.
- Дмитрий DmitryАнастасия, ты любишь кошек?Anastasiya, ty lyubish koshek?Anastasia, do you like cats?
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, кошки очень милые животные.Da, koshki ochen' milyye zhivotnyye.Yes, cats are very cute animals.
- Дмитрий DmitryМои кошки всегда спят днём.Moi koshki vsegda spyat dnyom.My cats always sleep during the day.
- Анастасия AnastasiaМои тоже так делают.Moi tozhe tak delayut.Mine do that too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
