кло́ун
klóunmasculine
The English word 'clown' can be translated into Russian as кло́ун (klóun). If unsure, use кло́ун. Wiktionary also lists шут (šut) and пая́ц (pajác).
Meaning: performance artist working in a circus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| кло́ун | klóun | masculine | |
| шут | šut | [ʂut] (narrow) | masculine |
| пая́ц | pajác | masculine | |
| фигля́р | figljár | masculine |
кло́ун is the standard, neutral term for a circus performer or a person wearing clown makeup.
Which one should you use?
While кло́ун refers to a modern circus performer, шут refers to a historical court jester or a person acting foolishly in a literary context. пая́ц is often used pejoratively to describe someone who behaves in a ridiculous or clownish manner to mock them. фигля́р refers to a person who performs trivial or nonsensical tricks, often used to describe someone behaving shallowly or foolishly.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is klóun.
Did you know?
- If you call someone a пая́ц in a political debate, you are not just calling them funny, you are accusing them of being a mindless puppet or a puppet-like figure.
- In Russian culture, the шут was often the only person in a royal court allowed to tell the king the truth through jokes without being punished.
- The Russian word кло́ун is a direct loanword from the English 'clown', showing how modern circus terminology was globalized.
Examples in context
- Лена может становиться настоящим шутом, когда у нее благодарные зрители.Lena can become quite a clown when she has an appreciative audience.This sentence is useful for seeing how шут can be used to describe someone acting foolishly.Tatoeba #8908784 by yatomoya, translation #8778015 by AlanF_US
- В цирке выступают профессиональные кло́уны.Professional clowns perform in the circus.
- Кло́уны развлекали детей на дне рожде́ния.Clowns entertained the children at the birthday party.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clown” translations and entries шут, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
