Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| пито́мец | pitómec | masculine |
| дома́шнее живо́тное | domášneje živótnoje | neuter |
| люби́мец | ljubímec | masculine |
| живо́тное-компаньо́н | živótnoje-kompanʹón | neuter |
In Russian, several terms can be used to refer to a pet depending on the context. пито́мец is the direct translation for pet, while люби́мец is often used when speaking of a beloved pet. If you want to be more descriptive, the phrase домашний пито́мец (domestic pet) is very common.
What does it mean word for word?
люби́мец literally translates to 'favorite' or 'darling'. The phrase дома́шнее живо́тное literally means 'domestic animal'.
Which one should you use?
пито́мец is the direct translation for 'pet', but it can sometimes sound slightly more formal or clinical. In contrast, люби́мец is a more affectionate term. For formal or biological contexts, дома́шнее живо́тное (domestic animal) is the standard way to refer to a pet.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
пито́мец and люби́мец are masculine nouns. дома́шнее живо́тное and живо́тное-компаньо́н are neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
pitómec
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'pet' can be a verb meaning 'to stroke an animal', the Russian word пито́мец is only a noun. To describe the action, Russians use the verb глади́ть, which also means 'to iron clothes'.
- In Russia, it is common to refer to a pet as хвостик, which means 'little tail'. This is an affectionate slang term used regardless of the animal's actual tail size.
- In certain Russian literary contexts, calling someone a пито́мец судьбы (pet of fate) describes a person who is highly favored by luck or destiny.
Examples in context
- У меня есть питомец.I have a pet.
- Моя кошка – моя жизнь.My cat is my life.
- Я люблю своего песика.I love my little dog.
- Этот пито́мец очень умный.Etot pitomets ochen' umnyy.This pet is very smart.
- Мой первый пито́мец был кот.Moy pervyy pitomets byl kot.My first pet was a cat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
