Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| день | denʹ | [dʲenʲ] (narrow) | masculine |
| су́тки | sútki | feminine, plural |
In Russian, the word for "day" depends on whether you are referring to the daylight hours or a specific 24-hour duration. день is the general word for a day and also specifically refers to the daytime, as opposed to ночь (night).
Which one should you use?
While день is used for general purposes and daylight, use су́тки when you need to be precise about a full 24-hour period or a complete cycle of day and night. су́тки is a feminine plural noun used for technical or precise durations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word день changes form depending on its role in a sentence. When expressing a quantity or "a day's worth," use the genitive singular form дня. To indicate a plural quantity (such as "five days"), use the genitive plural дней. For expressing duration or repetition, such as in the phrase "by day and by night," use the instrumental form днями.
How do you pronounce it?
denʹ
Did you know?
- While день refers to a day, the word су́тки (24 hours) has no singular form and is always plural, similar to the English word 'scissors'.
- The Russian word день is a distant relative of the Sanskrit word dina, showing a prehistoric connection between Slavic and Indian languages.
- To say someone is 'day-dreaming', Russian uses the word мечтать (to dream), as there is no direct equivalent combining 'day' and 'dream'.
Examples in context
- Это не мой день.This is not my day.This sentence is useful for expressing that a particular day is not going well.Tatoeba #3879904 by odexed, translation #2548623 by CK
- Я целый день ем.I eat all day.This sentence demonstrates how to describe an action happening throughout the day.Tatoeba #8822032 by marafon, translation #6849841 by Eccles17
- Я ждал этот день.I've been waiting for this day to come.This sentence shows how to express waiting for a specific day.Tatoeba #1521221 by corvard, translation #1519398 by CK
- Мы планируем встретиться в среду.We are planning to meet on Wednesday.
- Каждый день я практикуюсь в русском языке.Every day, I practice the Russian language.
- 4261 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Olga and Sergey are talking about their work schedules.
- Ольга OlgaТы работал весь день?Ty rabotal ves' den'?Did you work all day?
- Сергей SergeyДа, этот день был очень длинным.Da, etot den' byl ochen' dlinnym.Yes, this day was very long.
- Ольга OlgaЗавтра будет выходной день.Zavtra budet vykhodnoy den'.Tomorrow will be a day off.
- Сергей SergeyЯ очень жду этот день.Ya ochen' zhdu etot den'.I am really looking forward to that day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries день, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries день, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
