колбаса́
kolbasáfeminine
The English word sausage is translated into Russian as колбаса́ (kolbasá) or соси́ска depending on the type.
Meaning: a food made of minced meat packed into a tubular casing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| колбаса́ | kolbasá | feminine |
| соси́ска | sosíska | feminine |
In Russian, the word used depends heavily on the size and form of the meat product. колбаса́ refers to sausage in a general sense or to large pieces of sausage often sold as whole logs or by weight. соси́ска is used for small, individual sausages such as frankfurters or hot dogs.
Which one should you use?
Use колбаса́ for general sausage or for large, bulk pieces. Use соси́ска specifically for small, individual sausages like those used in hot dogs.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both words are feminine nouns. To indicate possession or to be used after words like 'no' (нет), you must use the genitive singular forms: колбасы́ for колбаса́ and соси́ски for соси́ска.
How do you pronounce it?
kolbasá
Did you know?
- Russian culture has a famous variety called Докторская (Doctor's sausage), which was created in the 1930s to be a healthier, low-fat option for patients.
- The word соси́ска shares a phonetic similarity with the Russian verb 'to suck' (соса́ть), which can make certain jokes or wordplay quite obvious to native speakers.
- In historical Russian contexts, specifically during periods of scarcity, the term колбаса́ became a symbol of luxury and status in literature and Soviet-era storytelling.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, принесите мне порцию колбасы.Please bring me a portion of sausage.
- Давай съедим ещё немного колбаски.Let's eat a little more sausage.
- Я люблю колбасу́.I love sausage.
- Две соси́ски, пожа́луйста.Two sausages, please.
- В холодильнике лежит колбаса́.V kholodil'nike lezhit kolbasa.There is sausage in the refrigerator.
- Эта колбаса́ очень вкусная.Eta kolbasa ochen' vkusnaya.This sausage is very tasty.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Anastasia are deciding what to put in their sandwiches.
- Дмитрий DmitryАнастасия, у нас есть колбаса́?Anastasiya, u nas yest' kolbasa?Anastasia, do we have any sausage?
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, она в холодильнике.Da, ona v kholodil'nike.Yes, it is in the fridge.
- Дмитрий DmitryОтлично, я сделаю бутерброд.Otlichno, ya sdelayu buterbrod.Great, I will make a sandwich.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСделай и мне тоже, пожалуйста.Sdelay i mne tozhe, pozhaluysta.Make one for me too, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sausage” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
