Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| отли́чный | otlíčnyj |
| прекра́сный | prekrásnyj |
| замеча́тельный | zamečátelʹnyj |
| великоле́пный | velikolépnyj |
| чуде́сный | čudésnyj |
The various Russian forms of 'great' are used to describe things that are very good. While they all share this core meaning, they carry different nuances: some emphasize quality, some beauty and some a sense of wonder.
What does it mean word for word?
The word великоле́пный is built from roots meaning 'great' and 'splendor', which makes it mean 'magnificent'.
Which one should you use?
While all these words mean 'great', отли́чный specifically carries the nuance of being 'excellent' or 'perfect' in quality. прекра́сный is often used to describe things that are not just 'great' in quality, but also aesthetically beautiful or wonderful. чуде́сный implies a sense of wonder or magic, similar to 'marvelous' in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal equivalent of 'great', you can use Превосходно. In informal situations, you can use Классно or Отпад. The word класс is a slangy, informal way to say 'great' or 'cool' when reacting to something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When reacting to news or a situation (for example, 'That's great!'), use the adverbial form отли́чно instead of the adjective отли́чный. Additionally, the word здо́рово functions as an interjection to mean 'Great!' or 'That's great!' in casual conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
otlíčnyj
Did you know?
- If you use the slang term отпад, you are literally saying something is 'falling off' or 'dropping off'.
- The word здо́рово can mean 'great' in a casual setting, but it is also the adverbial form of the adjective meaning 'healthy'.
- The word отли́чный shares a linguistic root with the Russian verb meaning 'to differ' or 'to stand apart'.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Aleksandr are discussing a new restaurant.
- Екатерина EkaterinaТы пробовал этот ресторан?Ty proboval etot restoran?Have you tried this restaurant?
- Александр AleksandrДа, там отли́чный сервис.Da, tam otlichnyy servis.Yes, the service there is great.
- Екатерина EkaterinaА еда там вкусная?A eda tam vkusnaya?And is the food tasty there?
- Александр AleksandrДа, всё просто супер.Da, vsyo prosto super.Yes, everything is just super.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “great” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
