зави́стливый
zavístlivyj
The English word jealous translates to Russian as зави́стливый (zavístlivyj) or зави́дующий.
Meaning: envious, feeling resentful of someone for a perceived advantage, material or otherwise (adj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| зави́стливый | zavístlivyj |
| зави́дующий | zavídujuščij |
The term is used to describe someone who is envious or feeling resentful of someone for a perceived advantage, material or otherwise.
Which one should you use?
The form зави́стливый is used to describe a person's character or a permanent trait of being an envious person. In contrast, the form зави́дующий is a present active participle used to describe someone who is currently experiencing the feeling of envy toward someone else.
How do you pronounce it?
zavístlivyj
Did you know?
- In Russian culture, there is a common superstition called сглаз, where praising someone too much can trigger the зави́сть of others and bring bad luck. To counteract this, people often use neutralizing phrases to avoid attracting envy.
- There is a common Russian expression белая зави́сть, which translates to 'white envy'. It describes a positive, admiring kind of jealousy where you are happy for the person but wish you had what they have.
- The word ревни́вый for romantic jealousy is related to the word ревность, which historically shares a root with 'irritation' or 'stinging'. It describes a sharp, piercing emotion rather than the longing associated with зави́сть.
Examples in context
- Когда она узнала о моем повышении, она стала зеленой от зависти.When she found out about my promotion, she turned green with envy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jealous” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
