лев
lev[lʲef]masculine
The Russian word for lion is лев (lev). Wiktionary also lists льви́ца (lʹvíca).
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| лев | lev | [lʲef] (narrow) | masculine |
| льви́ца | lʹvíca | feminine |
The word refers to the big cat Panthera leo.
Which one should you use?
The feminine form for a lioness is льви́ца.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word лев changes to льва in the genitive case, such as when saying 'of the lion'.
How do you pronounce it?
lev
Did you know?
- The Russian word for the lion, лев, is the exact same word used for the Bulgarian currency, the lev. This creates a linguistic coincidence where the word for a king of beasts is also a unit of money.
- While лев means 'lion', it is also a common Russian male given name. It is the Russian equivalent of the name 'Leo'.
- In Russian fables and folklore, the лев is often contrasted with the муравей 'ant' to illustrate that strength is not always the most valuable trait.
Examples in context
- Я рычу как лев.I am roaring like a lion.This sentence is useful for describing the sound of a roar using лев.Tatoeba #7529392 by odexed, translation #1665889 by Amastan
- Лев – царь леса.The lion is the king of the forest.This sentence shows a metaphorical description of a lion using лев.Tatoeba #9934383 by soweli_Elepanto, translation #7245974 by Sifaks
- Лев царь зверей.The lion is the king of beasts.This sentence illustrates the phrase 'king of beasts' using лев.Tatoeba #502447 by zhekka, translation #29839 by CK
- Лев – король животного мира.The lion is the king of the animal kingdom.
- Малыш, ты мой львёнок.Sweetheart, you're my little lion cub.
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anastasia and Dmitry are at the zoo.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСмотри, какой огромный лев!Smotri, kak ogromnyy lev!Look, what a huge lion!
- Дмитрий DmitryОн сейчас спит в тени.On seychas spit v teni.He is sleeping in the shade right now.
- Анастасия AnastasiaКак думаешь, лев всегда так спит?Kak dumayesh, lev vsegda tak spit?Do you think the lion always sleeps like that?
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, они очень много спят.Da, oni ochen mnogo spyat.Yes, they sleep a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries лев, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
