убива́ть
ubivátʹimperfective
The English phrase "slay" is translated into Russian as убива́ть (ubivátʹ). Wiktionary also lists уби́ть (ubítʹ).
Meaning: to kill, murder (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| убива́ть | ubivátʹ | imperfective |
| уби́ть | ubítʹ | perfective |
Which one should you use?
Use the perfective form уби́ть to describe a single, completed act of killing. Use the imperfective form убива́ть to describe the process of killing or a habit of killing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The perfective aspect has several forms: the infinitive is уби́ть, the masculine past tense is уби́л and the plural past tense is уби́ли.
How do you pronounce it?
ubivátʹ
Did you know?
- A person can be described as уби́тый meaning 'slain', but this is also common slang for being extremely tired or even very drunk.
- In many folk tales, the act of slaying a dragon or monster is often described using победи́ть, which means 'to conquer' or 'to defeat' rather than just 'to kill'.
- Russian has a specific noun, уби́йца, for a murderer, but the word уби́ть is also used in the common phrase уби́ть два зайца одним выстре́лом, meaning 'to kill two hares with one shot'.
Examples in context
- Он не хотел убива́ть это насекомое.On ne khotel ubivat' eto nasekomoye.He did not want to kill this insect.
- Охотники планировали убива́ть крупную дичь.Okhotniki planirovali ubivat' krupnuyu dich'.The hunters planned to kill large game.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slay” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
