Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| уда́рить | udáritʹ | perfective | |
| ударя́ть | udarjátʹ | imperfective | |
| стуча́ть | stučátʹ | imperfective | |
| сту́кнуть | stúknutʹ | perfective | |
| бить | bitʹ | [bʲitʲ] (narrow) [bʲit̪ʲ] (narrow) |
imperfective |
| поби́ть | pobítʹ | perfective |
The most common way to express the general act of hitting or beating someone or something is with the verb бить. If you want to refer to a specific physical blow or strike, you can use the noun уда́р, which is derived from the verb уда́рить. For a specific slap on the face, use the noun пощечина. Colloquially, the verb хлопнуть is used to indicate a sudden and loud hit or slap.
Which one should you use?
When using the root for a sudden strike, use the perfective form уда́рить for a single, completed action of hitting, whereas the imperfective form ударя́ть describes a repeated or ongoing action. For the general act of beating or hitting, you have the imperfective бить and its perfective counterpart поби́ть. Additionally, you can choose between the imperfective стуча́ть and the perfective сту́кнуть.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
udáritʹ
Did you know?
- The verb стуча́ть is used not only for hitting a door but also for 'snitching' to the authorities, stemming from the sound of reporting someone's secrets.
- The verb бить is used in the phrase бить челом, which literally means 'to hit one's forehead' but actually means to make a humble request or petition.
- The verb бить is used in the common expression бить баклуши, which literally means 'to hit blocks of wood' but actually means to waste time or idle.
Examples in context
- Я не буду тебя бить.I'm not going to hit you.This sentence is useful for expressing a refusal to hit someone using the form бить.Tatoeba #11802007 by marafon, translation #11803507 by ddnktr
- Не давай Тому бить Мэри.Don't let Tom hit Mary.This sentence is useful for expressing a prohibition against letting someone hit someone else using the form бить.Tatoeba #5736781 by sharptoothed, translation #4666837 by CK
- Не заставляй меня бить тебя.Don't make me hit you.Tatoeba #4596639 by scriptin, translation #2275277 by CK
- Он попал в яблочкоHe hit the bullseye
- Она хлопнула его по спинеShe hit him on the back
- Он дал ей пощечинуHe gave her a slap
- Я хлопнул его по плечу, и он обернулся.I hit him on the shoulder, and he turned around.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hit” translations and entries бить, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
