не́бо
néboneuter
The Russian word for sky is не́бо (nébo).
не́бо refers to the atmosphere above a point on Earth, specifically the place where one sees the sun, moon, stars and clouds. It is the most commonly used word for sky in Russian.
Meaning: atmosphere above a given point, especially as visible from the surface of the Earth as the place where the sun, moon, stars, and clouds are seen (noun)
Which one should you use?
не́бо is polysemous, meaning it can refer to both the physical sky and the religious concept of heaven.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word не́бо is a neuter noun. In the genitive case, it becomes не́ба, which is used after prepositions like из (from) or to indicate possession. In the dative case, it becomes не́бу, used when something is directed toward or given to the sky.
How do you pronounce it?
nébo
Did you know?
- The word не́бо is also the Russian word for the 'palate' or the roof of the mouth. This is because the upper part of the mouth is seen as the 'sky' of the oral cavity.
- The word не́бо is often paired with the verb валиться in the phrase не́бо валится на голову, which describes a situation where everything is going wrong at once.
- The adjective небе́сный is used in Russian art and poetry to describe specific shades of azure that are not categorized as simply 'blue'.
Examples in context
- Я люблю смотреть на небо вечером.I love looking at the sky in the evening.
- В Сибири небо часто бывает ясным и безоблачным.In Siberia, the sky is often clear and cloudless.
- Он восхищался прекрасными небесами каждый день.He admired the beautiful skies every day.
- Сегодня очень синее не́бо.Segodnya ochen' siniye nebo.The sky is very blue today.
- Ночное не́бо полно звёзд.Nochnoye nebo polno zvyozd.The night sky is full of stars.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Sergey are walking in a park.
- Екатерина EkaterinaКакое чистое не́бо сегодня!Kakoye chistoye nebo segodnya!What a clear sky today!
- Сергей SergeyДа, погода просто отличная.Da, pogoda prosto otlichnaya.Yes, the weather is just great.
- Екатерина EkaterinaСкоро увидим звёзды на не́бе.Skoro uvidim zvyozdy na nebe.Soon we will see stars in the sky.
- Сергей SergeyЯ тоже этого жду, Екатерина.Ya tozhe etogo zhdu, Ekaterina.I am looking forward to that too, Ekaterina.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sky” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
