ソ連
Soren[so̞ɾẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase "soviet union" is translated into Japanese as ソ連 (Soren). If unsure, use ソ連. Wiktionary also lists ソビエト連邦 (Sobieto Renpō) and ソヴェト連邦 (Soveto Renpō).
Meaning: USSR (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ソ連 | Soren | [so̞ɾẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| ソビエト連邦 | Sobieto Renpō | |
| ソヴェト連邦 | Soveto Renpō |
The term is used to refer to the USSR. When you are speaking about the Soviet Union in a historical context, it is common to add the prefix 旧 (kyū), meaning 'former', to create the phrase 旧ソ連.
What does it mean word for word?
The term ソ連 is an abbreviation of ソビエト連邦.
Which one should you use?
ソ連 is the common, abbreviated form used in daily conversation and news, whereas ソビエト連邦 is the full, formal name.
How do you pronounce it?
Soren
Did you know?
- The short form ソ連 is a linguistic relative of the Chinese 'Sūlián', Korean 'Soryeon' and Vietnamese 'Liên Xô'.
- While ソ連 refers to the state, the word ソビエト on its own can refer to the specific local councils that formed the basis of the government.
- The pronunciation of 'Soviet' can vary slightly between ソビエト and ソヴェト depending on the specific text or era, though both refer to the same entity.
Examples in context
- 日本は敗戦後ソ連と平和条約を締結し損ねました。After Japan lost the war, it failed to establish a peace treaty with the Soviet Union.This sentence is useful for demonstrating a failure to establish a peace treaty with the Soviet Union using ソ連.Tatoeba #9614765 by Sim5634, translation #11772423 by pip
- ソビエト連邦は25年前に崩壊した。The Soviet Union collapsed 25 years ago.This sentence shows how to describe the collapse of the Soviet Union using ソビエト連邦.Tatoeba #13231578 by atitarev, translation #5701998 by Hybrid
- ロバート・ハンセンが、旧ソ連に秘密情報を売りさばいた容疑で逮捕された。Robert Hansen was arrested on suspicion of having sold off secret information to the former Soviet Union.This sentence uses ソ連 to discuss the former Soviet Union in a historical context.Tatoeba #74292 by fcbond, translation #329428 by fcbond
- 今回の研究発表では、ソビエト連邦の軍事力について詳しく調査した。In this research presentation, a detailed investigation was conducted on the military power of the Soviet Union.
- 昔、ソ連とアメリカは冷戦状態にあった。Back in the day, there was a cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States.
- おおむね、私たちにとってソビエト連邦は重要な歴史的な存在でした。Overall, the Soviet Union was an important historical presence for us.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at an old history textbook.
- 蓮 Renこの地図はソ連の時代のものかな？Kono chizu wa Soren no jidai no mono kana?I wonder if this map is from the Soviet Union era?
- 結衣 Yuiそうね、国境の形が違うわ。Sou ne, kokkyou no katachi ga chigau wa.Yes, the borders look different.
- 蓮 Renソ連の歴史は複雑そうだ。Soren no rekishi wa fukuzatsu sou da.The history of the Soviet Union seems complicated.
- 結衣 Yuiもっと勉強する必要があるわね。Motto benkyou suru hitsuyou ga aru wa ne.We really need to study it more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soviet union” translations and entries ソ連, ソビエト連邦, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ソビエト連邦, ソ連, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
