го́лубь
gólubʹmasculine
The Russian word for pigeon is го́лубь (gólubʹ). Wiktionary also lists голу́бка (golúbka).
Meaning: bird of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| го́лубь | gólubʹ | masculine |
| голу́бка | golúbka | feminine |
The term refers to birds belonging to the Columbidae family, which includes both pigeons and doves.
Which one should you use?
While го́лубь is the masculine form used for a general pigeon, голу́бка is used specifically to refer to a female pigeon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of го́лубь is голуби́.
How do you pronounce it?
gólubʹ
Did you know?
- The term голубика is used for blueberries, despite the words sharing a common root related to the color blue.
- In Russian, the word голу́бка is often used as a term of endearment for a woman, similar to 'darling' or 'sweetheart' in English.
- Russian distinguishes between two types of blue: синий for dark blue and голубой for light blue, with the latter being inextricably linked to the color of a ‘pigeon’.
Examples in context
- На подоконнике сидит серый го́лубь.Na podokonnike sidit seryy golub'.A grey pigeon is sitting on the windowsill.
- Этот го́лубь очень смелый.Etot golub' ochen' smelyy.This pigeon is very brave.
- В парке летает белый го́лубь.V parke letaet belyy golub'.A white pigeon is flying in the park.
Example conversation
A couple is walking in a city park.
- Ольга OlgaСмотри, Александр, какой красивый го́лубь!Smotri, Aleksandr, kakoy krasivyy golub'!Look, Alexander, what a beautiful pigeon!
- Александр AleksandrДа, этот го́лубь очень яркий.Da, etot golub' ochen' yarkiy.Yes, this pigeon is very bright.
- Ольга OlgaЯ хочу его сфотографировать.Ya khochu yego sfotografirovat'.I want to take a photo of it.
- Александр AleksandrОсторожно, он может улететь.Ostorozhno, on mozhet uletet'.Be careful, it might fly away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pigeon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
