Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| тюрьма́ | tjurʹmá | feminine |
| темни́ца | temníca | dated, feminine |
| остро́г | ostróg | dated, masculine |
| куту́зка | kutúzka | feminine, slang |
| катала́жка | katalážka | feminine, slang |
| тюря́га | tjurjága | feminine, slang |
| зо́на | zóna | feminine, slang |
| казема́т | kazemát | dated, masculine |
The term refers to a place of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes.
Which one should you use?
тюрьма́ is the standard, neutral term used in both everyday speech and official contexts. For more specific nuances, you might use темни́ца, which is a dated term often implying a dark dungeon or остро́г and казема́т, which are also dated. In slang, you may encounter several words: куту́зка is a colloquial or slang term for a prison, often used in a somewhat derogatory or informal way, катала́жка and тюря́га are slang terms and зо́на is commonly used in slang or criminal subculture to refer to a penal colony or prison system.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
тюрьма́ is the neutral, standard option. куту́зка and зо́на are slang, while темни́ца, остро́г and казема́т are dated.
How does it change in a sentence?
When saying someone is 'in prison', the word тюрьма́ changes to the prepositional form в тюрьме́.
How do you pronounce it?
tjurʹmá
Did you know?
- The term казема́т is a loanword from French 'casemate', originally referring to a fortified gun position in a fortress wall.
- The archaic term остро́г refers to a fortification made of sharpened logs, showing that early Russian prisons were essentially wooden forts.
- Russian has a distinct word зо́на to differentiate the 'penal colony' system from the тюрьма́ which often refers to a shorter-term pre-trial detention center.
Examples in context
- Мы объявляем о строительстве новой тюрьмы в городе.We announce the construction of a new prison in the city.
- Он был осужден и отправлен в тюрьму на 10 лет.He was convicted and sent to prison for 10 years.
- Эта тюрьма́ очень старая.Eta tyur'ma ochen' staraya.This prison is very old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prison” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
