russo
/ˈrus.so/masculine
In Italian, the word for the Russian language is russo.
russo is used as a noun to refer to the Russian language or as an adjective meaning of or pertaining to Russia.
Meaning: Russian (language) (noun)
Which one should you use?
When you use russo as a noun to mean the language itself, it is typically used with a definite article, such as il russo.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies or describes. Use russa for feminine singular nouns (for example, la lingua russa), russi for masculine or mixed-gender plural nouns (for example, gli russi) and russe for feminine plural nouns (for example, le donne russe).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable: /ˈrus.so/.
Did you know?
- In some regional Italian dialects, words derived from russo were historically used to describe things that were reddish-brown or rusty, rather than referring to the country of Russia.
- In Italian, adjectives of nationality like russo are not capitalized when used as adjectives, unlike in English where 'Russian' is always capitalized.
- The plural form russi is used for any group containing at least one male, even if the group consists of ninety-nine women and one man.
Examples in context
- Non so il russo.I don't know Russian.This sentence shows how to use the word to express a lack of knowledge of the language.Tatoeba #3579994 by Guybrush88, translation #681310 by Source_VOA
- È un nome russo.It's a Russian name.This sentence shows the word used as an adjective to describe a name.Tatoeba #5927234 by Guybrush88, translation #5927074 by mailohilohi
- Sono russo, e tu?I'm Russian, how about you?This sentence shows the word used to describe a person's nationality.Tatoeba #13493590 by Guybrush88, translation #13485998 by rul
- Mi piace molto la lingua russa.I really like the Russian language.
- Ho intenzione di imparare il russo perché mi affascina la sua cultura.I intend to learn Russian because I find its culture fascinating.
- Abbiamo bisogno di un traduttore da italiano a russo per il progetto.We need an Italian to Russian translator for the project.
- Mi piacerebbe visitare la Russia per sperimentare la vita russa di persona.I would love to visit Russia to experience Russian life firsthand.
- 223 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are discussing their language courses at a cafe.
- GiuliaStudi il russo a scuola?Do you study Russian at school?
- AlessandroNo, preferisco il russo al tedesco.No, I prefer Russian to German.
- GiuliaÈ una lingua molto difficile.It is a very difficult language.
- AlessandroSì, ma mi piace molto.Yes, but I like it a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “russian” translations and entries russo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
