Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| де́вушка | dévuška | feminine | |
| подру́жка | podrúžka | feminine | |
| возлю́бленная | vozljúblennaja | feminine | |
| гёрлфре́нд | gjorlfrɛ́nd | feminine | |
| гёрлфренд | gjórlfrɛnd | [ɡʲɵ(r)ɫˈfrɛnt] (narrow) [ˈɡʲɵ(r)ɫfrɨnt] (narrow) |
feminine |
| подру́га | podrúga | feminine | |
| прия́тельница | prijátelʹnica | feminine | |
| избранница | izbrán'itsa | [ɪzˈbranʲːɪt͡sə] (narrow) | feminine |
The term is used to refer to a female partner in a romantic relationship.
Which one should you use?
де́вушка is the most common way to refer to a romantic girlfriend, though it also literally means 'young woman' or 'girl'. In contrast, подру́га primarily means a platonic female friend and using it for a romantic partner can be ambiguous. For a casual female acquaintance, use прия́тельница. The diminutive подру́жка is often used for a close female friend or colloquially for a girlfriend. For a highly romantic, poetic and old-fashioned sense of 'beloved', use возлю́бленная. Finally, the transliterated English word гёрлфре́нд or гёрлфренд is used as slang by younger generations.
How do you pronounce it?
dévuška
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not assume that де́вушка only means 'girl'. In a social context, it is the standard way to introduce one's romantic partner.
Did you know?
- The word подру́га comes from the root ру́ка, meaning 'hand', implying someone who walks hand in hand with you.
- In very formal or legal settings, a romantic partner is rarely called a де́вушка and is instead referred to as гражда́нская жена́, meaning 'civil wife'.
- While де́вушка means 'girlfriend' or 'young woman', the masculine equivalent па́рень can mean both 'boyfriend' and 'guy' in the same versatile way.
Examples in context
- У меня есть девушка.I have a girlfriend.
- Моя девушка очень красивая.My girlfriend is very beautiful.
- Это моя новая девушка.This is my new girlfriend.
- Это моя де́вушка.Eto moya dévushka.This is my girlfriend.
- Его де́вушка очень добрая.Yego dévushka ochen' dobraya.His girlfriend is very kind.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Ekaterina are talking about a mutual friend's new relationship.
- Екатерина EkaterinaТы видел Ивана и его де́вушку?Ty videl Ivana i yego dévushku?Did you see Ivan and his girlfriend?
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, они выглядят очень счастливыми.Da, oni vyglyadyat ochen' schastlivymi.Yes, they look very happy.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЕго де́вушка очень красивая.Yego dévushka ochen' krasivaya.His girlfriend is very beautiful.
- Дмитрий DmitryСогласен, отличная пара.Soglasen, otlichnaya para.I agree, they are a great couple.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girlfriend” translations and entries гёрлфренд, избранница, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
