лошади́ная си́ла
lošadínaja sílafeminine
The English phrase horsepower is translated into Russian as лошади́ная си́ла (lošadínaja síla).
The term is used to denote horsepower, representing the strength or power of an engine or machine.
Meaning: strength (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound of лошадиная (horse-related/adjectival form of horse) and сила (strength/power).
Which one should you use?
While лошадиная сила is the full noun phrase, you may also see the abbreviation л. с. used in technical contexts to represent horsepower.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing a specific amount of horsepower (e.g., '100 horsepower'), the phrase typically shifts to the genitive plural form лошадиных сил.
How do you pronounce it?
lošadínaja síla
Did you know?
- The word си́ла is the root of the common Russian term силовики, which refers to members of the security forces and police.
- In Russian, the word си́ла can be used as a colloquial adjective meaning 'awesome' or 'very cool', often exclaimed as Си́ла!
- While лошади́ная си́ла refers to engine power, Russians use the phrase лошадиными темпами to describe something happening at a 'galloping' or very fast pace.
Examples in context
- Сколько лошадиных сил имеет этот автомобиль?How many horsepower does this car have?
- Смотри, у этой машины 200 л.с.!Look, this car has 200 horsepower!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “horsepower” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
