дождево́й лес
doždevój lesmasculine
The English phrase 'rainforest' is translated into Russian as дождево́й лес (doždevój les). If unsure, use дождево́й лес. Wiktionary also lists се́льва (sélʹva).
Meaning: type of forest (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| дождево́й лес | doždevój les | masculine |
| се́льва | sélʹva | feminine |
The term 'rainforest' refers to a type of forest.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase дождево́й лес is composed of дождево́й, which means 'rainy' or 'rain-related' and лес, meaning 'forest'.
Which one should you use?
While дождево́й лес is a general descriptive term for any rainforest, се́льва is a specific term often used in scientific or geographical contexts to refer to the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin.
How do you pronounce it?
doždevój les
Did you know?
- The term се́льва is a direct loanword from Portuguese, reflecting the colonial history of the Amazon basin where the word originated.
- Russian differentiates between a general 'forest' лес and a 'taiga' тайга, so calling a Siberian forest a дождево́й лес would be a factual error in Russian geography.
- In Russian, if you want to describe a very dense, impenetrable jungle, you might use the word джу́нгли instead of дождево́й лес.
Examples in context
- Я мечтаю посетить тропический лес в Бразилии.I dream of visiting the rainforest in Brazil.
- В Амазонском дождевом лесу обитает множество уникальных видов растений и животных.The Amazon rainforest is home to numerous unique plant and animal species.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rainforest” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
