вертолёт
vertoljót[vʲɪrtɐˈlʲɵt]masculine
The English word helicopter is translated into Russian as вертолёт (vertoljót). Wiktionary also lists геликопте́р (gelikoptɛ́r) and гелико́птер (gelikóptɛr).
Meaning: aircraft (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| вертолёт | vertoljót | [vʲɪrtɐˈlʲɵt] (narrow) | masculine |
| геликопте́р | gelikoptɛ́r | dated, masculine | |
| гелико́птер | gelikóptɛr | dated, masculine |
The word is used to refer to the aircraft known as a helicopter.
What does it mean word for word?
The word вертолёт is derived from the Russian verb вертеть, which means to spin or to rotate.
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive singular form вертолёта is used to indicate possession or to follow certain prepositions, such as in the phrase пилот вертолёта (pilot of a helicopter). The prepositional singular form вертолёте is used after the preposition на when expressing being inside or on the aircraft, as in на вертолёте.
How do you pronounce it?
vertoljót
Did you know?
- The term вертолёт is believed to have been coined by Nikolay Kamov during a technical commission meeting on February 8 1929.
- A Russian speaker uses the preposition на (meaning 'on') instead of в (meaning 'in') when saying they are traveling by вертолёт.
- The term 'вертолёт' was born out of the Soviet era's push to create homegrown technical terminology rather than relying on foreign borrowings.
Examples in context
- Том – пилот вертолёта.Tom is a helicopter pilot.This sentence shows how to use the genitive form вертолёта to describe a pilot.Tatoeba #6298023 by soweli_Elepanto, translation #6298014 by Hybrid
- За нами летит вертолёт.There's a helicopter flying after us.Tatoeba #13405399 by marafon, translation #13404382 by frpzzd
- Мы полетим на вертолёте.We will fly in a helicopter.This sentence shows the use of the prepositional form вертолёте after the preposition на.Tatoeba #6738591 by nina99nv, translation #7765529 by AlanF_US
- Наша компания только что закупила новый вертолет.Our company has just acquired a new helicopter.
- Смотри, там в небе летит вертушка!Look, there's a helicopter flying in the sky!
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are watching the sky.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСмотри, там летит вертолёт!Smotri, tam letit vertolyot!Look, a helicopter is flying there!
- Андрей AndreyДа, это очень большой вертолёт.Da, eto ochen' bol'shoy vertolyot.Yes, that is a very large helicopter.
- Анастасия AnastasiaТы думаешь, он приземлится здесь?Ty dumayesh', on prezemit'sya zdes'?Do you think it will land here?
- Андрей AndreyСкорее всего, он летит мимо.Skoreye vsego, on letit mimo.Most likely, it is just flying past.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “helicopter” translations and entries вертолёт, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries вертолёт, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
