Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ру́сский | rússkij | masculine |
| ру́сский язы́к | rússkij jazýk | masculine |
The term ру́сский is a common way to refer to the Russian language, the Russian people and things related to the historical Rus' culture. If you want to say you speak 'in Russian', you should use the adverbial form по-ру́сски.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between ру́сский and росси́йский. Use ру́сский when referring to the language, the people or cultural aspects. Use росси́йский when referring to the political state or the Russian Federation, such as the Russian government or a Russian passport.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term Москаль is a colloquial term used predominantly in Ukraine to refer to ethnic Russians. However, it carries a negative connotation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ру́сский is the masculine singular form. It is used when the noun it modifies is masculine, or when the word is being used as a masculine noun to refer to the language.
How do you pronounce it?
rússkij
Did you know?
- While ру́сский refers to the language and ethnicity, the word язы́к meaning 'language' also means 'tongue' as a physical organ. This makes the phrase ру́сский язы́к literally 'Russian tongue'.
- Historically, the word росси́йский was used to include all citizens of the Russian Empire regardless of their ethnicity, making it an inclusive political term rather than an ethnic one.
- The adjective ру́сский changes its ending based on the gender of the noun it describes, which is why it appears as ру́сская for a woman or ру́сское for a neutral object.
Examples in context
- Я изучаю русский языкI am learning Russian
- Русские люди очень гостеприимныеRussian people are very hospitable
- Российская культура богата и разнообразнаRussian culture is rich and diverse
- Русский является государственным языком РоссииRussian is the official language of Russia
- Я очень люблю русскую кухню и планирую изучать русский язык.I really love Russian cuisine and plan to learn the Russian language.
- Российская литература славится своими великими писателями.Russian literature is famous for its great writers.
- Он хорошо знает ру́сский.On khorosho znayet russkiy.He knows Russian well.
Example conversation
Olga asks Dmitry about his language skills.
- Ольга OlgaДмитрий, вы учите ру́сский?Dmitriy, vy uchite russkiy?Dmitry, are you learning Russian?
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, я учу его два года.Da, ya uchu yego dva goda.Yes, I have been learning it for two years.
- Ольга OlgaВаш ру́сский очень хороший!Vash russkiy ochen' khoroshiy!Your Russian is very good!
- Дмитрий DmitryСпасибо, Ольга, мне приятно.Spasibo, Ol'ga, mne priyatno.Thank you, Olga, that's kind of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “russian” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
