Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| короле́ва | koroléva | feminine |
| цари́ца | caríca | feminine |
In general, these terms refer to a female monarch. When you are referring to an actual queen with a specific name, it is customary to use the name followed by короле́ва, such as in "Елизавета II – королева Великобритании" (Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom).
Which one should you use?
короле́ва is the standard term used for a queen of a kingdom or a queen consort. In contrast, цари́ца is used for a female sovereign or empress in a historical context, specifically referring to a female ruler of an empire or a historical Russian sovereign.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of короле́ва is короле́вы, while the plural form of цари́ца is цари́цы.
How do you pronounce it?
koroléva
What mistakes should you avoid?
When playing chess, do not use короле́ва to refer to the queen piece. Instead, the piece is called ферзь. To describe the action of converting a pawn into a queen, use the phrase провести́ в ферзи́.
Did you know?
- In a deck of cards, the queen is called да́ма, which translates literally to 'lady'.
- While короле́ва refers to a queen, the Russian word for a queen bee is мато́чная пчела́ or simply мато́чка, meaning 'mother'.
- The chess term ферзь comes from the Persian word 'farzin', meaning 'vizier' or 'advisor'.
Examples in context
- Великобритания гордится своей королевой.Britain is proud of its queen.
- Она была настоящей королевой на сцене.She was a true queen on stage.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Aleksandr are looking at a history book.
- Екатерина EkaterinaКто эта короле́ва на фото?Kto eta koroleva na foto?Who is this queen in the photo?
- Александр AleksandrЭто была короле́ва Великобритании.Eto byla koroleva Velikobritanii.That was the queen of Great Britain.
- Екатерина EkaterinaОна кажется очень строгой.Ona kazhetsya ochen strogoy.She seems very strict.
- Александр AleksandrДа, она была сильным лидером.Da, ona byla silnym liderom.Yes, she was a strong leader.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queen” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
