крестья́нин
krestʹjáninmasculine
The English word "peasant" is translated into Russian as крестья́нин (krestʹjánin). Wiktionary also lists крестья́нка (krestʹjánka) and селя́нин (seljánin).
Meaning: member of the agriculture low class (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| крестья́нин | krestʹjánin | masculine |
| крестья́нка | krestʹjánka | feminine |
| селя́нин | seljánin | masculine |
| селя́нка | seljánka | feminine |
| мужи́к | mužík | historical, masculine |
| дехка́нин | dɛxkánin | masculine |
| дехка́нка | dɛxkánka | Central Asia, Iran, feminine |
Which one should you use?
крестья́нин is the standard, neutral term for a peasant, often used in historical or sociological contexts. For a female peasant, use the feminine form крестья́нка. In a historical context, мужи́к can mean a peasant, but it is primarily used for male peasants. Finally, дехка́нин (masculine) and дехка́нка (feminine) are specific to Central Asia and Iran.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
крестья́нин is a neutral, standard term. In contrast, мужи́к is an informal, colloquial expression that can mean a peasant or a "guy" in modern speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
дехка́нка is a feminine form used specifically in Central Asia and Iran.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a female peasant, use the feminine form крестья́нка instead of the masculine крестья́нин.
How do you pronounce it?
krestʹjánin
Did you know?
- The words дехка́нин and дехка́нка are borrowed from Persian, reflecting the historical influence of Iranian agricultural systems in Central Asia.
- While мужи́к originally referred to a peasant, it is now often used as a compliment to describe a man who is strong, reliable and traditionally masculine.
- The word селя́нин comes from the root for 'village', specifically село. While it translates to 'villager' or 'peasant', it emphasizes the place of residence rather than the occupation.
Examples in context
- В прошлом веке крестьяне составляли значительную долю российского населения.In the last century, peasants constituted a significant share of the Russian population.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peasant” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
