стрельба́
strelʹbáfeminine
In Russian, shooting is стрельба́ (strelʹbá). Wiktionary also lists пальба́ (palʹbá) and перестре́лка (perestrélka).
Meaning: instance of shooting (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| стрельба́ | strelʹbá | feminine |
| пальба́ | palʹbá | feminine |
| перестре́лка | perestrélka | feminine |
| шу́тинг | šúting | masculine |
The term for shooting depends entirely on whether you are describing a military event, a noisy exchange, a video game or a general act of using firearms.
Which one should you use?
стрельба́ is the standard, neutral term for the act of shooting. пальба́ is a colloquial term often used to describe rapid, noisy or indiscriminate firing. перестре́лка specifically refers to a skirmish or an exchange of fire between two sides. шу́тинг is a slang loanword used almost exclusively to refer to the 'shooting' genre of video games.
How does it change in a sentence?
стрельба́, пальба́ and перестре́лка are feminine nouns, while шу́тинг is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
strelʹbá
Did you know?
- In Russian, you cannot use the neutral стрельба́ to describe a 'photo shoot'. For that, the language uses съёмка, which is derived from the word for 'taking' or 'filming'.
- The word стрельба́ shares the same root as стрела́, meaning 'arrow'. Historically, the Russian word for shooting referred to the discharge of bows before it ever applied to gunpowder.
- The colloquial пальба́ is related to the word па́лец, meaning 'finger'. It evokes the physical action of the finger pulling the trigger rapidly.
Examples in context
- Военный тренировался в стрельбе на полигоне.The soldier was training in shooting at the shooting range.
- Давай сходим на стрельбище в выходные?Let's go to the shooting range this weekend?
- Мы устроили пальбу из пневматической винтовки на даче.We had some shooting with an air rifle at the countryside house.
Example conversation
Olga and Sergey are talking about a loud noise they heard.
- Ольга OlgaСергей, ты слышал эту стрельбу́?Sergey, ty slyshal etu strel'bu?Sergey, did you hear that shooting?
- Сергей SergeyДа, стрельба́ была очень громкой.Da, strel'ba byla ochen' gromkoy.Yes, the shooting was very loud.
- Ольга OlgaГде сейчас происходит стрельба́?Gde seychas proiskhodit strel'ba?Where is the shooting happening now?
- Сергей SergeyДумаю, это в соседнем дворе.Dumayu, eto v sosednem dvore.I think it is in the next yard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shooting” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
