раку́шка
rakúškafeminine
The English word shell can be translated into Russian as раку́шка (rakúška), ра́ковина or па́нцирь depending on the type of animal. Wiktionary also lists ра́кушка (rákuška).
Meaning: hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| раку́шка | rakúška | feminine |
| ра́ковина | rákovina | feminine |
| ра́кушка | rákuška | feminine |
| па́нцирь | páncirʹ | masculine |
In Russian, the choice of word depends on whether you are describing the hard covering of a mollusk or the protective carapace of other animals.
Which one should you use?
ра́ковина is a formal or scientific term used to describe a mollusk's shell, while раку́шка is the version used in everyday speech. If you are referring to the hard protective shell or carapace of animals such as turtles, crabs or beetles, you should use па́нцирь.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the common word раку́шка is раку́шки.
How do you pronounce it?
rakúška
Did you know?
- In Russian, the word ра́ковина is also the standard word for a bathroom sink. This is because early washbasins were often shaped like a large seashell.
- The word ра́ковина is also used to describe the curved part of a human ear. In many medical or anatomical contexts, the ear's structure is likened to a shell.
- Russian has a completely different word, скорлу́па, specifically for the shells of eggs and nuts. Using раку́шка for an egg would sound like the egg was a sea creature.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shell” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
