Кра́сная пло́щадь
Krásnaja plóščadʹfeminine
Red Square in Russian is Кра́сная пло́щадь (Krásnaja plóščadʹ).
Meaning: Moscow square (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the adjective кра́сная, meaning 'red' and the noun пло́щадь, which means 'square' in the sense of an open plaza or town square.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you need to use the phrase in the genitive case, such as when saying 'near Red Square', the form changes to Кра́сной пло́щади.
How do you pronounce it?
Krásnaja plóščadʹ
When do people say it?
Although the name is translated as 'red', the word кра́сная historically meant 'beautiful' in this context.
Did you know?
- In modern Russian, calling someone кра́сный can imply they are a communist. This creates a linguistic irony where the 'beautiful' square is now inextricably linked to the political color of the Soviet era.
- The word пло́щадь refers specifically to an open urban plaza. If you want to talk about a geometric square, Russians use the word квадра́т.
- While кра́сная is now translated as 'red', it comes from an Old Russian word meaning 'beautiful'. This is why many ancient Russian towns have a кра́сная street or square, even those that have no connection to the color red.
Examples in context
- Извините, где находится Красная Площадь?Excuse me, where is Red Square?
- Красная площадь находится рядом с Кремлём.Red Square is located near the Kremlin.
- Кра́сная пло́щадь очень красиво выглядит ночью.Krásnaya plóshchad' óchen' krasivo vyglyadit noch'yu.Red Square looks very beautiful at night.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red square” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
