дочь
dočʹ[dot͡ɕ]feminine
The Russian word for daughter is дочь (dočʹ). Wiktionary also lists до́чка (dóčka) and дщерь (dščerʹ).
Meaning: female offspring (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| дочь | dočʹ | [dot͡ɕ] (narrow) | feminine |
| до́чка | dóčka | feminine | |
| дщерь | dščerʹ | [t͡ɕɕːerʲ] (narrow) | feminine, ironic, obsolete |
The term is used to refer to a female offspring.
Which one should you use?
дочь is the standard neutral form, while до́чка is a diminutive used to express affection or to refer to a young daughter. дщерь is an archaic, highly formal or poetic way to say daughter that is no longer used in everyday speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
дочь is the standard neutral term. до́чка is an affectionate and informal way of saying 'daughter' in Russian.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word дочь changes to дочери in the genitive case, which is used to indicate possession (e.g., 'daughter's name').
How do you pronounce it?
dočʹ
Did you know?
- The word дочь is a cognate of the English word 'daughter', as both trace their roots back to the same Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
- Using the diminutive до́чка can sometimes be used ironically by adults to patronize someone or treat them like a child, much like 'sweetie' in English.
- In Russian culture, the diminutive до́чка can be used by an older woman to address a younger woman she views as a daughter, even if they are not biologically related.
Examples in context
- Я вам не дочь.I'm not your daughter.The first sentence shows how to use дочь in a negative statement regarding the speaker's relationship to the listener.Tatoeba #3533588 by marafon, translation #1943922 by Spamster
- Я не его дочь.I'm not his daughter.The second sentence demonstrates the use of дочь when referring to a third party's daughter.Tatoeba #4898612 by Wezel, translation #8160539 by TheNightAvl
- Я не твоя дочь.I am not your daughter.The third sentence illustrates the use of дочь when expressing a lack of a daughter-like relationship in a familiar context.Tatoeba #2906764 by marafon, translation #2906751 by Hybrid
- У вас есть дочь?Do you have a daughter?
- Я поздравляю вашу дочь!I congratulate your daughter!
- Какая у вас милая дочка!What a cute daughter you have!
- Привет, дочка! Как дела?Hello, daughter! How are you doing?
- 712 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Olga and Alexander are looking at a family photograph.
- Ольга OlgaЭто моя дочь.Eto moya doch.This is my daughter.
- Александр AleksandrОна очень красивая.Ona ochen krasivaya.She is very beautiful.
- Ольга OlgaСпасибо, моя дочь учится в школе.Spasibo, moya doch uchitsya v shkole.Thank you, my daughter is studying at school.
- Александр AleksandrЭто замечательно, Ольга.Eto zamechatelno, Ol'ga.That is wonderful, Olga.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daughter” translations and entries дочь, дщерь, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
