карто́фель
kartófelʹmasculine
Potato in Russian is карто́фель (kartófelʹ). Wiktionary also lists карто́фелина (kartófelina) and карто́шка (kartóška).
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| карто́фель | kartófelʹ | masculine |
| карто́фелина | kartófelina | feminine |
| карто́шка | kartóška | colloquial, feminine |
| карто́ха | kartóxa | feminine |
The word refers to the starchy plant tuber eaten as a vegetable.
Which one should you use?
карто́фель is used when referring to the vegetable or the crop in a general or formal sense. If you are specifically referring to one individual physical potato tuber, use карто́фелина. In everyday speech, people often use the colloquial карто́шка, while карто́ха is a highly informal, slangy term.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
карто́фель is the standard and formal term. карто́шка is a common, informal way to refer to potatoes in everyday speech and карто́ха is a highly informal, slangy term. For an affectionate term used among friends and family, you can use Картошечка.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun карто́фель changes its ending to карто́феля in the genitive singular case.
How do you pronounce it?
kartófelʹ
Did you know?
- In Russia, the phrase копать карто́шку meaning 'to dig potatoes' is often used as a synonym for grueling, mandatory seasonal labor.
- While карто́фель is masculine, the common colloquial form карто́шка is feminine.
- The diminutive Картошечка doesn't just mean 'small potato' but can be used to describe something cute and plump.
Examples in context
- Ты любишь картофель?Do you like potatoes?
- Моя бабушка готовит лучший картофельный пирог.My grandmother makes the best potato pie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
