Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ка́мень | kámenʹ | masculine |
| валу́н | valún | masculine |
In Russian, these terms describe physical objects. Use ка́мень to refer to a stone or rock of any size. If you are referring specifically to the sport of rock climbing, use Скалолазание. Note that there are also unrelated words that use "rock" in English as slang. For example, the verb рули́ть is slang for being very skillful or favorable and кача́ть or раска́чивать mean to cause something to shake or sway violently.
Which one should you use?
ка́мень is the general term for any stone or rock, ranging from small pebbles to large rocks, while валу́н refers specifically to a very large, heavy and often rounded boulder.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ка́мень is a masculine noun. Its plural form is ка́мни, and its genitive singular form, used to indicate possession or "of" relationships, is ка́мня.
How do you pronounce it?
kámenʹ
When do people say it?
If you want to informally describe something as "awesome" or "rocking" in Russian, you can use the word Крутой.
Did you know?
- In Russian folklore, the ка́мень-стари́к or 'old man stone' is a mythical boulder that can speak or provide guidance to travelers.
- The phrase ка́мень на ше́е meaning 'a stone around the neck' is used metaphorically to describe a heavy burden or a person who is a constant liability.
- In Russian, the diminutive form ка́мешек is used for a tiny pebble, showing how the language uses suffixes to drastically change the scale of the object.
Examples in context
- Мы видели огромную скалу на вершине горы.We saw a huge rock at the top of the mountain.
- Рыбаки хорошо знают каждую скалу в этом районе.Fishermen know every rock in this area very well.
- Этот камень такой тяжелый!This rock is so heavy!
- Мы строим забор из камней.We're building a fence using rocks.
- У него сердце камень!He has a heart of stone!
- Мы поднялись на самый высокий утёс в округе.We climbed the highest cliff in the region.
- На берегу реки лежала огромная плита.There was a huge flat rock on the riverbank.
- Под водой лежит большой ка́мень.Pod vodoy lezhit bol'shoy kamen'.A large rock lies under the water.
- Осторожно, там острый ка́мень.Ostorozhno, tam ostryy kamen'.Watch out, there is a sharp rock there.
Example conversation
Alexander and Maria are hiking in the mountains.
- Александр AleksandrМария, посмотри на тот ка́мень.Mariya, posmotri na tot kamen'.Maria, look at that rock.
- Мария MariaДа, он выглядит очень странно.Da, on vyglyadit ochen' stranno.Yes, it looks very strange.
- Александр AleksandrДавай обойдём его.Davay oboydyom yego.Let's go around it.
- Мария MariaХорошая идея, Александр.Khoroshaya ideya, Aleksandr.Good idea, Alexander.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rock” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
