пра́вильный
právilʹnyj
Correct in Russian is пра́вильный (právilʹnyj), as in a correct answer or the correct way to do something. If unsure, use пра́вильный. Wiktionary also lists ве́рный (vérnyj) and корре́ктный (korréktnyj).
Meaning: free from error (adj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| пра́вильный | právilʹnyj |
| ве́рный | vérnyj |
| корре́ктный | korréktnyj |
пра́вильный is for something that follows a rule or is the factually right answer. To reply that's right in conversation, Russians often just say верно.
Which one should you use?
ве́рный stresses that something is true or accurate, and it can also mean loyal. корре́ктный is about social correctness, such as polite manners or language, rather than factual accuracy. The verb to correct a mistake is исправля́ть, or испра́вить for a single completed fix.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adverb is пра́вильно, correctly, used when an action was done correctly. Do not confuse the adjective with пра́вда, which is the noun truth.
How do you pronounce it?
Following the romanization právilʹnyj, the stress falls on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- While пра́вильный means 'correct', it is also the standard word for 'regular' when describing geometric shapes, such as a пра́вильный треуго́льник for an equilateral triangle.
- In certain contexts, пра́вильный can be used as a slang term for a person who is 'righteous' or 'proper' in a moral or social sense, often implying they are a 'good' person.
- The word корре́ктный is a loanword from the French 'correct', but in Russian it is used much more narrowly to describe social etiquette and tact than factual truth.
Examples in context
- Правильно, ты абсолютно прав!Correct, you are absolutely right!
- Это пра́вильный ответ на вопрос.Eto právil'nyy otvet na vopros.This is the correct answer to the question.
- Ты выбрал пра́вильный путь.Ty vybral právil'nyy put'!You chose the right way.
- Мне нужен пра́вильный размер.Mne nuzhen právil'nyy razmer.I need the correct size.
Example conversation
Ekaterina is checking Alexander's homework.
- Екатерина EkaterinaАлександр, здесь есть ошибка.Aleksandr, zdes' yest' oshibka.Aleksandr, there is a mistake here.
- Александр AleksandrКак будет пра́вильный вариант?Kak budet pravil'nyy variant?What is the correct version?
- Екатерина EkaterinaНужно изменить это слово.Nuzhno izmenit' eto slovo.You need to change this word.
- Александр AleksandrТеперь всё верно, спасибо.Teper' vsyo verno, spasibo.Now everything is correct, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “correct” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
