Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| бога́тый | bogátyj |
| состоя́тельный | sostojátelʹnyj |
| зажи́точный | zažítočnyj |
| обеспе́ченный | obespéčennyj |
| иму́щий | imúščij |
In Russian, several adjectives describe the state of having wealth or financial resources. While бога́тый is a way to say "rich," other terms like состоя́тельный, обеспе́ченный, зажи́точный and иму́щий are used.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these words depends on the nuance you wish to convey. бога́тый is a blunt way to say "rich." If you want to be more polite and neutral, use состоя́тельный, which means "well-off" or "well-to-do." For a neutral focus on being financially secure or having a steady income, use обеспе́ченный. The word зажи́точный is often used to describe a person, a village or a household that is comfortably prosperous, often implying a sense of traditional stability.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective бога́тый must change its ending to бога́того when used in the genitive case, such as after the preposition у (to have).
How do you pronounce it?
bogátyj
Did you know?
- The term зажи́точный became dangerous during the early Soviet era. People labeled as кулаки (wealthy peasants) were often targeted for persecution because their 'prosperity' was seen as exploitation.
- In Russian, you can describe a 'rich' sound or a 'rich' flavor using насы́щенный instead of бога́тый. While English uses 'rich' for both cake and bank accounts, Russian splits these concepts more strictly.
- The term иму́щий comes from the verb 'to have' and was used in legal and political contexts to distinguish those with property from the 'propertyless' proletariat.
Examples in context
- Он очень богатый человекHe is a very rich person.
- Она семьи зажиточнойShe comes from a prosperous family.
- Он настоящий богачHe is a real rich guy.
- богатый наличнымиRich in cash
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rich” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
