у́горь
úgorʹmasculine
The Russian word for eel is у́горь (úgorʹ).
The term refers to any fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes.
Meaning: any fish of the order Anguilliformes (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is úgorʹ.
Did you know?
- In Russian folklore, the eel is sometimes associated with the 'water spirit' or 'vodyanoy' due to its elusive nature and ability to slip through any grasp.
- The Russian word у́горь is a near-homophone to the word у́голь, which means 'coal'.
- While an English speaker might use the word 'eel' metaphorically to describe a slippery person, a Russian speaker would likely use a different adjective or a phrase involving 'змея' (snake) to convey the same sense of slipperiness.
Examples in context
- У́горь очень скользкий.Úgor' ochen' skol'zkiy.The eel is very slippery.
- В этом блюде есть у́горь.V etom blyude yest' úgor'.There is eel in this dish.
- Большой у́горь плавал в реке.Bol'shoy úgor' plaval v reke.A large eel swam in the river.
Example conversation
At a seafood restaurant.
- Мария MariaЧто вы посоветуете сегодня?Chto vy posovetuyete segodnya?What do you recommend today?
- Александр AleksandrНаш у́горь сегодня очень свежий.Nash úgor' segodnya ochen' svezhiy.Our eel is very fresh today.
- Мария MariaХорошо, я возьму его.Khorosho, ya voz'mu yego.Good, I will take it.
- Александр AleksandrПрекрасный выбор, Мария.Prekrasnyy vybor, Mariya.Excellent choice, Maria.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
