скунс
skuns[skuns]masculine
In Russian, the word for skunk is скунс (skuns). Wiktionary also lists воню́чка (vonjúčka).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| скунс | skuns | [skuns] (narrow) | masculine |
| воню́чка | vonjúčka | feminine |
The word refers to the skunk animal.
Which one should you use?
скунс is the biological term for the animal, whereas воню́чка is a colloquial, diminutive term that literally means 'stinky thing' and is often used to describe the animal or anything that smells bad.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the skunk is the direct object of a verb, such as in 'I saw a skunk', the masculine noun скунс changes its ending to скунса.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is skuns.
Did you know?
- Because skunks are not native to Russia, many Russians only know the animal through American films and cartoons, making скунс a word strongly associated with Western pop culture.
- The diminutive воню́чка follows a common Russian pattern where adding a suffix like -чка creates a word that is simultaneously more cute and more insulting depending on the context.
- The word воню́чка comes from the root вонь, which refers to a foul stench, rather than the neutral word for smell запах.
Examples in context
- Скунс живёт под домом.The skunk lives under the house.The sentence is useful for describing where a скунс lives.Tatoeba #10533712 by marafon, translation #10533593 by eeyinn
- Мы его зовём «Человек-Скунс».We call him "Skunk Man".The sentence is useful for showing how to use the name скунс in a nickname.Tatoeba #477328 by FeuDRenais, translation #477324 by FeuDRenais
- Я вчера ночью почти наступил на скунса.I almost stepped on a skunk last night.The sentence is useful for describing an encounter with a скунс.Tatoeba #423341 by FeuDRenais, translation #423339 by CM
- Скунс – небольшое млекопитающее, известное своим характерным запахом.A skunk is a small mammal known for its distinctive smell.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Dmitry are looking at a photo of an animal.
- Екатерина EkaterinaСмотри, какой милый скунс на фото!Smotri, kakiy milyy skuns na foto!Look, what a cute skunk in the photo!
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, но он очень сильно пахнет.Da, no on ochen silno pakhnet.Yes, but it smells very strong.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЯ бы не хотела видеть скунса вживую.Ya by ne khotela videt skunsa vzhivuyu.I wouldn't want to see a skunk in real life.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ с тобой согласен, Катя.Ya s toboy soglasen, Katya.I agree with you, Katya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skunk” translations and entries скунс, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
