Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| инжене́р | inženér | masculine |
| инжене́рка | inženérka | feminine |
| инжене́рша | inženérša | feminine |
The term refers to a person engaged in designing, constructing or maintaining machinery or engines or more generally to anyone professionally qualified in a branch of engineering. You can specify a field by using hyphenated compounds, such as инженер-строитель for a civil engineer or инженер-электрик for an electrical engineer.
Which one should you use?
While инжене́р is the standard form, there are feminine versions for referring to women. инжене́рка is used in colloquial speech, while инжене́рша is an informal form that can be perceived as slightly derogatory.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal professional settings or official documents, the masculine form инжене́р is used as a gender-neutral term for any engineer, regardless of their sex.
How does it change in a sentence?
In formal contexts, инжене́р functions as a gender-neutral noun for both men and women. In casual speech, the feminine forms инжене́рка and инжене́рша are used to specify a female engineer.
How do you pronounce it?
inženér
Did you know?
- The word инжене́р is a loanword from Western Europe, specifically arriving in Russian via German or French rather than having a Slavic root.
- In Soviet times, the title инжене́р was a coveted social status that carried more weight than just a job description, often denoting a specific level of education and social class.
- In some old-fashioned or regional dialects, инжене́рша was used specifically to refer to the wife of an engineer rather than a woman who was an engineer herself.
Examples in context
- У нас в компании работает много инженеров.We have many engineers working in our company.
- Я хочу стать инженером.I want to become an engineer.
- Как работает инженер?How does an engineer work?
- Знаешь ли ты хороших инженеров?Do you know any good engineers?
- Мой брат талантливый инжене́р.Moy brat talantlivyy inzhenyer.My brother is a talented engineer.
- Нам нужен опытный инжене́р для этого проекта.Nam nuzhen opytnyy inzhenyer dlya etogo proyekta.We need an experienced engineer for this project.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Ekaterina are discussing a job opening at a construction company.
- Дмитрий DmitryЕкатерина, ты знаешь хорошего инжене́ра?Ekaterina, ty znayesh' khoroshego inzhenyera?Ekaterina, do you know a good engineer?
- Екатерина EkaterinaДа, у меня есть отличный специалист на примете.Da, u menya yest' otlichnyy spetsialist na prime-te.Yes, I have an excellent specialist in mind.
- Дмитрий DmitryЭто было бы здорово для нашей команды.Eto bylo by zdorovo dlya nashey komandy.That would be great for our team.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДмитрий, я пришлю тебе его резюме завтра.Dmitriy, ya prishlyu tebe yego rezyume zavtra.Dmitry, I will send you his resume tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “engineer” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
