гру́стный
grústnyj
The English word 'sad' can be translated into Russian as гру́стный (grústnyj). Wiktionary also lists печа́льный (pečálʹnyj).
Meaning: feeling sorrow (adj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| гру́стный | grústnyj |
| печа́льный | pečálʹnyj |
Both words are used to describe the feeling of sorrow.
Which one should you use?
гру́стный is the standard, everyday word for 'sad'. In contrast, печа́льный is more literary, poetic or implies a sense of melancholy and profound sorrow.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender of the noun it modifies, so use the feminine form гру́стная when describing a feminine noun, the neuter form гру́стное when describing a neuter noun and the plural form гру́стные when describing plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
grústnyj
Did you know?
- In Russian culture, there is a concept called светлая грусть or 'bright sadness'. This describes a bittersweet feeling of nostalgia that is comforting rather than depressing.
- Russian speakers often use the word тоска́ to describe a specific, profound type of sadness that lacks a clear cause, a feeling that English lacks a single equivalent for.
- The word гру́стный is closely related to the concept of 'heaviness', as the root can be linked to the idea of a 'heavy' or 'burdensome' mood.
Examples in context
- Эта история очень грустная.This story is very sad.
- События последних дней оставили грустное впечатление.The events of the past few days left a sad impression.
- Мне грустно без тебя.I'm sad without you.
- Сегодня погода такая грустная.Today the weather is so sad.
- Моему другу грустно, потому что он не может поехать со мной.My friend is sad because he can't come with me.
- гру́стный фильмA sad movie
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sad” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
