мёртвый
mjórtvyj[ˈmʲɵrtvɨj]
In Russian, the English word 'dead' is translated as мёртвый (mjórtvyj). Wiktionary also lists у́мерший (úmeršij) and до́хлый (dóxlyj).
Meaning: no longer alive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| мёртвый | mjórtvyj | [ˈmʲɵrtvɨj] (narrow) | |
| у́мерший | úmeršij | ||
| до́хлый | dóxlyj | also, collective, derogatory, usually |
The term is used to describe someone or something that is no longer alive.
Which one should you use?
мёртвый is the standard, neutral adjective used to describe a person or thing that is no longer alive. у́мерший is a more formal or clinical term, often used in official contexts or as a polite way to refer to 'the deceased'. до́хлый is a derogatory term used for dead animals or to describe something as useless or 'dead' in a disrespectful way.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
мёртвый is the masculine singular form of the adjective. The feminine singular is мёртвая, the neuter singular is мёртвое and the plural form is мёртвые.
How do you pronounce it?
mjórtvyj
Did you know?
- The Russian word мёртвый shares the same ancient root as the English words 'murder', 'mortal' and 'morbid'.
- The term до́хлый is often used figuratively in Russian to describe a weak or powerless person, regardless of whether they are alive.
- While мёртвый is neutral, using до́хлый to describe a person is a severe insult that implies they died like an animal.
Examples in context
- Я живой или мёртвый?Am I alive or dead?This sentence shows how to ask if one is alive or dead using мёртвый.Tatoeba #12670466 by marafon, translation #10823304 by Amastan
- Он лежит как мёртвый.He is lying as dead.This sentence uses мёртвый to describe someone lying still.Tatoeba #12676751 by marafon, translation #12676758 by Legeartis
- Он живой или мёртвый?Is he alive or dead?This sentence uses мёртвый to ask about the state of another person.Tatoeba #13462047 by marafon, translation #13437424 by rul
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anastasia and Sergey are talking about a plant in the room.
- Анастасия AnastasiaПосмотри, этот цветок совсем мёртвый.Posmotri, etot tsvetok sovsem myortvyy.Look, this flower is completely dead.
- Сергей SergeyДа, он засох ещё в прошлом месяце.Da, on zasokh yeshchyo v proshlom mesyatse.Yes, it dried up last month.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЖаль, я думала, что он ещё живой.Zhal, ya dumala, chto on yeshchyo zhivoy.Too bad, I thought it was still alive.
- Сергей SergeyНам нужно купить новый.Nam nuzhno kupit' novyy.We need to buy a new one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dead” translations and entries мёртвый, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries мёртвый, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
