щерби́на
ščerbínafeminine
In Russian, the word for 'nick' is щерби́на (ščerbína). Wiktionary also lists зазу́брина (zazúbrina).
Meaning: small cut in a surface (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| щерби́на | ščerbína | feminine |
| зазу́брина | zazúbrina | feminine |
The word щерби́на refers to a small cut, pit or depression in a surface. Related verbs for making a nick or notch include надре́зать and поре́зать.
Which one should you use?
Use щерби́на to describe a nick, pit or depression in a surface, such as a dent in a table or a crack in a sidewalk. Use зазу́брина specifically for a notch or a jagged nick, which is often found on the edge of an object like a piece of wood or a blade.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the feminine noun щерби́на is щерби́ны, while the plural form of the feminine noun зазу́брина is зазу́брины.
How do you pronounce it?
ščerbína
Did you know?
- The verb зазубрить describes the act of cramming for an exam or rote memorization. This connects the physical 'nick' of a blade to the mental act of carving information into one's memory.
- The root of щерби́на is shared with the verb щерби́ть, which specifically describes the wearing away or chipping of tooth enamel.
- If you have a 'chip' in a piece of fine china or porcelain, a Russian speaker will usually avoid щерби́на and use the word скол instead.
Examples in context
- Позвольте представить вам Николая, нашего нового коллегу.Allow me to introduce Nikolay, our new colleague.
- Привет, Коля! Как дела?Hi, Kolya! How are you?
- На столе появилась глубокая щерби́на.Na stole poyavilas' glubokaya shcherbína.A deep nick appeared on the table.
- Эта щерби́на портит вид изделия.Eta shcherbína portit vid izdeliya.This nick spoils the look of the product.
- На старой полке видна небольшая щерби́на.Na staroy polke vidna nebol'shaya shcherbína.A small nick is visible on the old shelf.
Example conversation
Sergey and Anastasia are inspecting an old wooden table.
- Сергей SergeyАнастасия, посмотри на этот стол.Anastasiya, posmotri na etot stol.Anastasia, look at this table.
- Анастасия AnastasiaОй, здесь есть небольшая щерби́на.Oy, zdes' yest' nebol'shaya shcherbína.Oh, there is a small nick here.
- Сергей SergeyДа, эта щерби́на очень заметна.Da, eta shcherbína ochen' zametna.Yes, this nick is very noticeable.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЕё нужно будет заделать.Yeyo nuzhno budet zade-lat'.It will need to be repaired.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nick” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
