развива́ться
razvivátʹsjaimperfective
The English verb evolve is translated into Russian as развива́ться (razvivátʹsja). Wiktionary also lists разви́ться (razvítʹsja).
Meaning: come into being, develop (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| развива́ться | razvivátʹsja | imperfective |
| разви́ться | razvítʹsja | perfective |
The verb means to come into being or to develop.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is built from the prefix раз– (un-) and the root –ви– (related to 'winding' or 'turning'), which literally suggests an 'unrolling' or 'unfolding' of complexity.
Which one should you use?
Use the imperfective развива́ться for the continuous process of evolution. Use the perfective разви́ться for the fact that something has evolved or reached a new state.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperfective form развива́ться is used to describe the ongoing process of evolution or development. The perfective form разви́ться is used to describe a completed evolutionary change or a specific result of development.
How do you pronounce it?
razvivátʹsja
Did you know?
- The word развива́ться is a homonym of the word for 'fluttering' or 'flapping' in the wind, such as a flag. Both words share the same root related to movement and unfolding.
- If you say a person is разви́тый, you are not just saying they are 'evolved', but that they are 'well-developed' or even 'highly cultured' and 'sophisticated'.
- While развива́ться means to evolve, the word разви́ть can mean 'to untangle' or 'to unravel' a knot. This reflects the literal sense of 'unfolding' that is present in the concept of evolution.
Examples in context
- Наука постоянно развивается, открывая новые горизонты.Science is constantly evolving, uncovering new horizons.
- Мозг человека эволюционировал на протяжении миллионов лет.The human brain has evolved over millions of years.
- Компьютерные игры постоянно развиваются, добавляя новые возможности.Video games continuously evolve, adding new features.
- Современные технологии стремительно прогрессируют, упрощая нашу жизнь.Modern technologies are rapidly evolving, simplifying our lives.
- Технологии продолжают быстро развива́ться.Tekhnologii prodolzhayut bystro razvivat'sya.Technologies continue to develop rapidly.
- Его идеи стали развива́ться со временем.Yego idei stali razvivat'sya so vremenem.His ideas began to evolve over time.
- Эта система должна развива́ться постепенно.Eta sistema dolzhna razvivat'sya postepenno.This system must develop gradually.
Example conversation
Alexander and Maria are discussing a new business project.
- Александр AleksandrНаш проект должен активно развива́ться.Nash proyekt dolzhen aktivno razvivat'sya.Our project must develop actively.
- Мария MariaТы прав, Александр.Ty prav, Aleksandr.You are right, Alexander.
- Александр AleksandrРынок постоянно меняется.Rynok postoyanno menyayetsya.The market is constantly changing.
- Мария MariaДа, нам нужно расти.Da, nam nuzhno rasti.Yes, we need to grow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evolve” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
