вздыха́ть
vzdyxátʹimperfective
The Russian way to say 'to gasp' is вздыха́ть (vzdyxátʹ). Wiktionary also lists открыва́ть рот (otkryvátʹ rot) and вздохну́ть (vzdoxnútʹ).
Meaning: to draw in the breath suddenly (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| вздыха́ть | vzdyxátʹ | imperfective |
| открыва́ть рот | otkryvátʹ rot | |
| вздохну́ть | vzdoxnútʹ | perfective |
The verb refers to the action of drawing in breath suddenly. If you are referring to a short, sudden intake of breath as a noun, you can use судорожный вздох. If you are referring to a draw or a drag on a cigarette, the noun затяжка is used.
Which one should you use?
вздохну́ть is the perfective aspect, which is used to describe a single, completed instance of gasping or sighing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form вздыха́ть is imperfective. The form вздохну́ть is perfective.
How do you pronounce it?
vzdyxátʹ
Did you know?
- To say someone is 'gasping' in the sense of struggling for air, Russians often use the verb хвата́ть, which literally means 'to grab' or 'to snatch'.
- The verb вздыха́ть covers both 'gasping' and 'sighing'. Whether the breath is taken in shock or released in sadness depends entirely on the context of the sentence.
- Russian uses the word судорожный in судорожный вздох to describe a gasp. This adjective literally means 'convulsive' or 'related to a cramp'.
Examples in context
- Ого, ты купил новую машину!Wow, you bought a new car!
- Ничего себе, какая потрясающая новость!Oh my, what amazing news!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gasp” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
