испу́ганный
ispúgannyj
The Russian word for scared is испу́ганный (ispúgannyj). Wiktionary also lists напу́ганный (napúgannyj) and боя́щийся (bojáščijsja).
Meaning: afraid, frightened (adj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| испу́ганный | ispúgannyj |
| напу́ганный | napúgannyj |
| боя́щийся | bojáščijsja |
The words in this set describe being afraid or frightened. While the adjectives describe a state of being, the verb испу́гаться is commonly used to describe the sudden act of becoming frightened.
Which one should you use?
испу́ганный describes a person who has been frightened by a specific event or stimulus. In contrast, боя́щийся describes a person who is generally afraid of something or is currently in the process of fearing it.
How does it change in a sentence?
испу́ганный is the masculine singular adjective. To describe a female person as scared, use the feminine form испу́ганная. To describe a neuter noun as scared, such as an animal животное, use the form испу́ганное. The plural form for multiple people or objects is испу́ганные.
How do you pronounce it?
ispúgannyj
Did you know?
- The root of испу́ганный is linked to the word пу́га which can refer to a scarecrow, a figure used to frighten birds away from fields.
- Russian has a specific word труси́шка, a diminutive of 'coward', used to describe someone who is constantly боя́щийся in a way that is cute or childish rather than insulting.
- The word боя́ться is a reflexive verb, meaning that in the Russian mind, the act of being afraid is something that happens to the self, rather than an external force acting upon the person.
Examples in context
- Я боюсь пауков.I am scared of spiders.
- Он боится темноты.He is scared of the dark.
- Мы боимся высоты.We are scared of heights.
- Пациенты тревожатся перед операцией.Patients are anxious before the surgery.
- Его пугает громкая музыка.Loud music scares him.
- Я испугался, когда услышал шум в темноте.I got scared when I heard a noise in the dark.
- Они испугались неожиданного грома.They got scared by the sudden thunder.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scared” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
