умер
umer
The Russian word for 'died' is умер (umer).
умер is used to say that a person or animal has stopped living.
Which one should you use?
умер is a neutral and factual term for death. In contrast, скончался is used in more formal or respectful contexts, such as when writing obituaries or offering condolences.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you wish to be more formal and respectful, you should use скончался.
How does it change in a sentence?
While умер is the masculine form, it must change to умерла if the subject is a female. If the subject is plural (for example, 'they died'), you must use умерли.
How do you pronounce it?
umer
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, friends might use the slang term откинул копыта, which translates to 'threw back his hooves'. This is used to describe someone dying in a somewhat disrespectful or humorous way.
- When talking about a person who has died, Russians may use the word покойный, which literally means 'the peaceful one'.
- If you are speaking about a person who died in a sudden or violent way, Russians might use the verb погиб instead of умер. This word is specifically used for someone who 'perished' in an accident, war, or disaster.
Examples in context
- Я чуть не умер.I almost died.This sentence is useful for expressing how close one came to death.Tatoeba #3514255 by marafon, translation #2245598 by CK
- Он умер во сне.He died in his sleep.This sentence is useful for describing how someone died.Tatoeba #7948492 by marafon, translation #7384862 by CH
- Он умер от рака.He died of cancer.This sentence is useful for stating a cause of death.Tatoeba #1621410 by Biga, translation #286501 by CK
- Печальная новость: Иван Иванович скончался вчера днем.Sad news: Ivan Ivanovich died yesterday afternoon.
- Мы сегодня услышали, что дедушка твоего друга скончался. Прими мои соболезнования.We heard today that your friend's grandfather passed away. Please accept my condolences.
- Сегодня утром больная кошка ушла из жизни. Мы скучаем по ней.This morning, the sick cat passed away. We miss her.
- 1336 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Sergey are talking about a neighbor's pet.
- Екатерина EkaterinaТы слышал про кота соседа?Ty slyshal pro kota soseda?Did you hear about the neighbor's cat?
- Сергей SergeyНет, что с ним случилось?Net, chto s nim sluchilos'?No, what happened to him?
- Екатерина EkaterinaК сожалению, он вчера умер.K sozhaleniyu, on vchera umer.Unfortunately, he died yesterday.
- Сергей SergeyКак жаль, он был очень милым.Kak zhal', on byl ochen' milym.What a pity, he was very cute.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
