Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| милосе́рдие | milosérdije | neuter |
| сострада́ние | sostradánije | neuter |
Russian uses different words for mercy depending on whether you are describing a feeling of empathy or an act of benevolence. милосе́рдие refers to mercy or charity, often implying a sense of Christian charity or benevolent mercy shown by a person of higher status to someone in need. In contrast, сострада́ние is more focused on the feeling of empathy or 'suffering with' someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The word милосе́рдие is a compound of мил (kind/dear) and сердце (heart), literally meaning 'kind-heartedness'.
Which one should you use?
сострадание is more focused on the feeling of empathy or 'suffering with' someone, whereas милосердие focuses on the act of showing mercy or kindness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive singular form of милосердие is милосердия, which is used in phrases like 'lack of mercy' (отсутствие милосердия).
How do you pronounce it?
milosérdije
Did you know?
- Unlike English where 'mercy' can be a plea in a movie ('Have mercy!'), a Russian speaker in a desperate situation is more likely to use пощади́, which specifically means 'spare my life'.
- If you use the word жа́лость (pity) instead of сострада́ние (empathy), you might inadvertently sound condescending to the person you are trying to help.
- The word милосе́рдный is so strongly associated with holiness that using it to describe a regular friend's kindness would sound strangely poetic or sarcastic.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mercy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
