Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ста́рый | stáryj |
| пожило́й | požilój |
| немолодо́й | nemolodój |
| в лета́х | v letáx |
| в года́х | v godáx |
| в во́зрасте | v vózraste |
When describing the age of living beings, several different terms can be used depending on the level of politeness or the specific nuance you wish to convey. For objects, the word древний can be used to imply that something is ancient or very old.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase в лета́х is an idiomatic expression that literally means 'in years', used to say someone is 'in their years' or advanced in age.
Which one should you use?
ста́рый is the standard, neutral word for 'old' and can be used for both people and objects. пожило́й is a polite, euphemistic alternative similar to 'elderly', while немолодо́й literally means 'not young' and is used to avoid the bluntness of calling someone old. For more idiomatic descriptions of age, you can use в лета́х (in years), в года́х or в во́зрасте.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ста́рый changes its endings to agree with the gender and number of the noun it describes: use ста́рая for feminine nouns like 'woman' (женщина), ста́рое for neuter nouns like 'window' (окно) and ста́рые for plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
stáryj
When do people say it?
In informal contexts, the terms Старичок or Старушка are used as endearing terms to refer to old people affectionately.
Did you know?
- The word ста́рый is a cognate of the English word 'stale', as both derive from an ancestral root describing something that has existed for a long time.
- The preposition в used in the phrase в во́зрасте (in age) descends from Proto-Indo-European roots, sharing an ancient ancestry with the English preposition 'in'.
- In Russian, calling someone ста́рый can be perceived as blunt or rude, leading speakers to use double negatives like немолодо́й ('not young') to be polite.
Examples in context
- Для этого соревнования допускаются спортсмены возрастной категории 18-30 лет.For this competition, athletes in the age category of 18-30 years are allowed.
- Моя бабушка – самая милая старушка во всем мире!My grandmother is the sweetest old lady in the whole world!
- Мы провели вечер с пожилыми родителями моего друга.We spent the evening with my friend's elderly parents.
- Этот храм считается одним из самых древних в России.This temple is considered one of the oldest in Russia.
- Мой ста́рый кот спит на диване.Moy staryy kot spit na divane.My old cat is sleeping on the sofa.
- Этот ста́рый пёс очень добрый.Etot staryy pyos ochen' dobryy.This old dog is very kind.
- У него ста́рый конь в конюшне.U nego staryy kon' v konyushne.He has an old horse in the stable.
Example conversation
Sergey and Ekaterina are discussing Sergey's pet.
- Сергей SergeyПосмотри на моего кота.Posmotri na moyego kota.Look at my cat.
- Екатерина EkaterinaОн кажется очень ста́рым.On kazhetsya ochen' starym.He seems very old.
- Сергей SergeyДа, он уже ста́рый, но здоровый.Da, on uzhe staryy, no zdorovyý.Yes, he is already old, but healthy.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЭто главное для него.Eto glavnoye dlya nego.That is the main thing for him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries в, CC BY-SA 4.0.
