ruso
/ˈruso/masculine
The Spanish word for the Russian language is ruso.
ruso is the noun used to refer to the Russian language. It also functions as an adjective meaning of or pertaining to Russia.
Meaning: Russian (language) (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ruso is the masculine form used for the language, you may encounter other forms based on the context. The feminine form rusa is used when referring to a Russian woman or a Russian female adjective.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun for the Russian language is masculine and is used as ruso. When used as an adjective, the word must agree in gender with the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈruso/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Unlike English, the word for the language or nationality is not capitalized in Spanish unless it starts a sentence.
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers may use the phrase está en ruso to describe something that is completely incomprehensible, similar to the English phrase 'it is Greek to me'.
- While ruso means 'Russian', the word ruso is also used in some Spanish-speaking regions as a slang term for someone who is very fair-skinned or has red hair.
- In Spain, the term ruso is sometimes used in the context of 'estética rusa' to describe a specific style of high-glamour makeup and nail art popular in Eastern Europe.
Examples in context
- Yo no sé ruso.I don't know Russian.This sentence is useful for stating that you do not know the Russian language.Tatoeba #1386440 by marcelostockle, translation #681310 by Source_VOA
- Pedro no habla ruso.Pedro doesn't speak Russian.This sentence is useful for stating that Pedro does not speak the Russian language.Tatoeba #3672862 by hayastan, translation #8735793 by deniko
- Él sabe hablar ruso.He can speak Russian.This sentence is useful for stating that someone has the ability to speak the Russian language.Tatoeba #10082638 by manufrutos, translation #10081825 by Cabo
- Juan es un hablante nativo de ruso.John is a native Russian speaker.
- ¡Hola, Natasha! Eres muy simpática, ¿eres rusa?Hi, Natasha! You're very friendly, are you Russian?
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are discussing which languages to learn.
- LucíaMateo, ¿quieres aprender ruso este año?Mateo, do you want to learn Russian this year?
- MateoSí, pero el ruso es muy difícil.Yes, but Russian is very difficult.
- LucíaEs verdad, pero suena muy bonito.That's true, but it sounds very beautiful.
- MateoTienes razón, estudiemos ruso juntos.You're right, let's study Russian together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “russian” translations and entries ruso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
