Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| пина́ть | pinátʹ | imperfective | |
| пнуть | pnutʹ | [pnutʲ] (narrow) | perfective |
| ляга́ть | ljagátʹ | imperfective | |
| лягну́ть | ljagnútʹ | perfective |
To kick means to strike with or raise the foot or leg. You can also use the noun пино́к to refer to a single kick, or the phrase Дать пинка to say "give a kick". Another way to express the idea of hitting with a foot is the expression Бить ногой, which literally means "to hit with a foot".
Which one should you use?
Russian uses different verb forms depending on whether the action is ongoing or completed. The imperfective forms пина́ть and ляга́ть are used for repeated actions or the ongoing process of kicking. In contrast, the perfective forms пнуть and лягну́ть are used for a single, completed kick. ляга́ть and лягну́ть often carry a more aggressive or animalistic connotation, such as an animal kicking or describe a sudden, sharp kick.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
pinátʹ
Did you know?
- The perfective verb пнуть shares a surprising historical root with the number 'five' in Russian, which is пять.
- To describe a 'kick' in the sense of a spicy food's heat or a strong drink's effect, Russian does not use пино́к but instead uses words related to 'bite' or 'sharpness'.
- The phrase Дать пинка is often used metaphorically to mean 'to give someone a nudge' or 'to motivate someone' to get moving.
Examples in context
- В футбольном матче игрок ударил мяч ногой.In the football match, the player kicked the ball with his foot.
- Не надо пина́ть кота.Ne nado pinat' kota.Don't kick the cat.
- Ребёнок начал пина́ть дверь.Rebyonok nachal pinat' dver'.The child started kicking the door.
- Он любит пина́ть мяч.On lyubit pinat' myach.He likes to kick the ball.
Example conversation
A living room where a man is bothering a pet.
- Анастасия AnastasiaАндрей, не пина́й так сильно собаку!Andrey, ne pinay tak sil'no sobaku!Andrey, don't kick the dog so hard!
- Андрей AndreyЯ не пина́ю её, я просто играю.Ya ne pinayu yeyo, ya prosto igrayu.I am not kicking her, I am just playing.
- Анастасия AnastasiaТы её пугаешь, когда начинаешь так пина́ть.Ty yeyo pugayesh', kogda nachinayesh' tak pinat'.You are scaring her when you start kicking like that.
- Андрей AndreyХорошо, я буду аккуратнее.Khorosho, ya budu akkuratneye.Okay, I will be more careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kick” translations and entries пнуть, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries пнуть, CC BY-SA 4.0.
