Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| чи́зкейк | čízkejk | masculine |
| творо́жный пиро́г | tvoróžnyj piróg | masculine |
| творо́жный пу́динг | tvoróžnyj púding | masculine |
| чизке́йк | čizkéjk | masculine |
| ватру́шка | vatrúška | feminine |
In modern Russian cafes and restaurants, the transliterated term чи́зкейк is the most common way to order a Western-style cheesecake. Other terms exist to describe different types of dairy-based desserts.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase творо́жный пиро́г is a literal description of a cheesecake, where творо́жный means 'made of curd/quark' and пиро́г means 'pie/cake'.
Which one should you use?
The loanword чи́зкейк specifically refers to the Western-style creamy cheesecake, such as a New York style. In contrast, the word ватру́шка refers to a traditional Eastern European pastry consisting of a ring of dough with a center of sweetened quark, which is a different culinary concept. The phrase творо́жный пиро́г acts as a descriptive term for a curd pie.
How does it change in a sentence?
Since чи́зкейк is a masculine noun, it will change its ending in different grammatical cases, such as becoming чи́зкейка in the genitive case (for example, to express 'no cheesecake').
How do you pronounce it?
čízkejk
Did you know?
- Russian makes a sharp linguistic distinction between сыр (aged cheese) and творо́г (curd cheese), which is why a traditional cheesecake is called творо́жный пиро́г instead of сы́рный пиро́г.
- The word пиро́г in творо́жный пиро́г is so versatile that it can describe a dessert cake or a savory meat pie, depending on the filling.
- Russian lacks a single, dedicated word for 'cream cheese', so speakers must use the descriptive phrase творо́жный сыр, which literally translates to 'curd cheese'.
Examples in context
- Я бы хотел(а) заказать творожный пирог, пожалуйста.I would like to order a cheesecake, please.
- Этот чи́зкейк очень вкусный.Etot chizkeyk ochen' vkusnyy.This cheesecake is very delicious.
- Я хочу заказать чи́зкейк.Ya khochu zakazat' chizkeyk.I want to order a cheesecake.
- В меню есть чи́зкейк?V menyu yest' chizkeyk?Is there cheesecake on the menu?
Example conversation
A couple is deciding on dessert at a cafe.
- Андрей AndreyАнастасия, ты хочешь десерт?Anastasiya, ty khochesh' desert?Anastasia, do you want dessert?
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, я бы хотела чи́зкейк.Da, ya by khotela chizkeyk.Yes, I would like a cheesecake.
- Андрей AndreyХорошо, я закажу чи́зкейк для нас.Khorosho, ya zakazhu chizkeyk dlya nas.Okay, I will order a cheesecake for us.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСпасибо, Андрей!Spasibo, Andrey!Thank you, Andrey!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheesecake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
