лук
luk[ɫuk]masculine
The English word 'onion' can be translated into Russian as лук (luk). Wiktionary also lists лу́ковица (lúkovica) and голо́вка (golóvka).
Meaning: bulb (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| лук | luk | [ɫuk] (narrow) | masculine |
| лу́ковица | lúkovica | feminine | |
| голо́вка | golóvka | feminine |
The word лук is a broad term that can refer to both the bulbous onion and the green spring onion/scallion.
Which one should you use?
While лук refers to the plant or the vegetable in a culinary sense, лу́ковица specifically refers to the botanical bulb structure. The form голо́вка (literally 'little head') is used to refer to a single small head or bulb of an onion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun лук changes to лука in the genitive case. To say 'onion soup' or 'onion flavor', use the adjective луковый instead of the noun лук.
How do you pronounce it?
luk
Did you know?
- While лук means 'onion', it is also used in the word лукавый, which means 'cunning' or 'sly'.
- In Russian folk medicine and superstitions, лук is traditionally used as a charm to ward off the 'evil eye' and illness.
- Russian has a third лук, which is a direct loanword from the English word 'look' used in fashion and photography.
Examples in context
- Я хочу лукового супа.I want some onion soup.Tatoeba #11035695 by marafon, translation #6777230 by CK
- Я не хочу луковый суп.I don't want onion soup.Tatoeba #7362563 by odexed, translation #6805736 by CK
- Мне приснился сон о луке.I had a dream about an onion.Tatoeba #8083645 by Ivanovb, translation #10114134 by ddnktr
- Можете добавить немного лука?Could you add some onion?
- Нужно купить несколько луковицWe need to buy several onion bulbs.
- Нам нужны стебли лука для салатаWe need onion stems for the salad.
- Сколько чеснока нужно добавить вместо лука?How much garlic should we add instead of onion?
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexander and Ekaterina are shopping at a local market.
- Александр AleksandrЕкатерина, ты взяла лук?Ekaterina, ty vzyala luk?Ekaterina, did you get the onion?
- Екатерина EkaterinaДа, я положила его в сумку.Da, ya polozhila yego v sumku.Yes, I put it in the bag.
- Александр AleksandrХорошо, тогда пойдём к овощам.Khorosho, togda poydyom k ovoshcham.Good, then let's go to the vegetables.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДавай, Александр, я хочу ещё яблок.Davay, Aleksandr, ya khochu yeshchyo yablok.Let's go, Alexander, I want some apples too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “onion” translations and entries лук, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries лук, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
