Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| власть | vlastʹ | [vɫasʲtʲ] (narrow) | feminine |
| влия́ние | vlijánije | neuter |
The term for power in Russian depends on the context of the ability to affect or influence. Use власть for political authority or government. Use влияние when describing the ability to affect someone's opinions or decisions. For physical strength, use сила and for mechanical or electrical power like that of an engine, use мощность. Related terms include могущество and мощь.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two main forms depends on the type of power being described. Use власть when referring to political or social power, such as the authority to command others. Use влияние when referring to personal or social influence, which is the ability to affect character or decisions rather than a legal right to command.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form власти is used to refer to "the authorities" or "the powers that be".
How do you pronounce it?
vlastʹ
Did you know?
- In Russian, the concept of 'influence' expressed by влияние is linguistically rooted in the idea of 'flowing into' or 'streaming onto' something.
- The word власть is a doublet of во́лость, which historically referred to a territorial administrative district rather than the concept of power itself.
- Russian distinguishes between electrical 'power' мощность and the 'power' of an electric current сила тока, which literally translates to 'force of current'.
Examples in context
- Власть в руках Тома.The power rests with Tom.The first sentence shows the use of власть in the context of someone holding power.Tatoeba #2959148 by sharptoothed, translation #2959147 by sharptoothed
- Мне не нужна власть.I don't need power.The second sentence illustrates a personal statement about not needing власть.Tatoeba #4659711 by odexed, translation #10097604 by ddnktr
- Власть свела его с ума.Power has driven him mad.The third sentence demonstrates how власть can be described as having a psychological effect.Tatoeba #5819766 by Fin, translation #5819670 by Hybrid
- власть правительстваThe power of the government
- у тебя есть сила преодолеть любой вызовYou have the power to overcome any challenge
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmitry and Ekaterina are discussing a political leader's authority.
- Дмитрий DmitryУ него огромная власть.U nego ogromnaya vlast'.He has enormous power.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЭто пугает меня.Eto pugayet menya.That scares me.
- Дмитрий DmitryЕкатерина, это часть политики.Ekaterina, eto chast' politiki.Ekaterina, it is part of politics.
- Екатерина EkaterinaНо такая власть опасна.No takaya vlast' opasna.But such power is dangerous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “power” translations and entries власть, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries власть, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
