Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| умере́ть | umerétʹ | perfective | |
| сконча́ться | skončátʹsja | formal | |
| умира́ть | umirátʹ | imperfective | |
| помира́ть | pomirátʹ | imperfective | |
| помере́ть | pomerétʹ | perfective | |
| погиба́ть | pogibátʹ | imperfective | |
| поги́бнуть | pogíbnutʹ | perfective | |
| сдыха́ть | sdyxátʹ | imperfective | |
| сдо́хнуть | sdóxnutʹ | perfective | |
| дать дуба | datʹ duba | [dadʲ ˈdubə] (narrow) | perfective |
| приказать долго жить | prikazatʹ dolgo žitʹ | [prʲɪkɐˈzadʲ ˈdoɫɡə ˈʐɨtʲ] (narrow) | perfective |
Depending on the context, whether you are describing a natural death, a violent accident or using a respectful euphemism, different words are required. For instance, if someone dies in a war or an accident, it is more appropriate to use forms of поги́бнуть. To express the idea of 'passing away' more softly, you can use the phrase уйти в мир иной.
Which one should you use?
Russian distinguishes between the process of dying and the completed event of death through aspect. Use the imperfective умира́ть to describe the process of dying or a repeated action, while the perfective умере́ть describes the completed event of death. When referring to someone dying in an accident, war or a violent way, use поги́бнуть (perfective) or погиба́ть (imperfective) instead of умере́ть. Additionally, помере́ть (perfective) or помира́ть (imperfective) can be used to mean 'to perish'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of respect or politeness varies significantly. Умере́ть is the common and formal way to say 'die'. For a respectful and formal way to say someone has passed away, often found in obituaries or official contexts, use сконча́ться. In contrast, сдо́хнуть is a highly disrespectful and is typically used for animals or to express contempt for a person. For a colloquial idiom similar to 'to kick the bucket', you can use the slang phrase дать дуба.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
umerétʹ
Did you know?
- The phrase приказать долго жить translates to 'to order [one] to live long'. It is an ironic euphemism used when someone has actually died.
- The slang phrase дать дуба literally translates to 'to give the oak'.
- The formal term сконча́ться shares a root with the word for 'end' or 'finish' кончи́ть. It treats death as the natural conclusion or completion of a life term.
Examples in context
- Больной скончался после продолжительной болезни.The patient died after a prolonged illness.
- Если ты продолжаешь так себя вести, то ты скоро сдохнешь голодной смертью.If you continue to behave like this, you'll soon starve to death.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “die” translations and entries дать дуба, приказать долго жить, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
