бе́лка
bélkafeminine
The Russian word for squirrel is бе́лка (bélka). Wiktionary also lists ве́верица (véverica) and ве́кша (vékša).
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| бе́лка | bélka | feminine |
| ве́верица | véverica | feminine, obsolete |
| ве́кша | vékša | feminine, regional |
| вевёрка | vevjórka | feminine, obsolete |
The primary word used to refer to this rodent is бе́лка.
Which one should you use?
The standard form is бе́лка. Other forms like ве́верица and вевёрка are obsolete. The form ве́кша is a regional variation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
ве́кша is a regional form of the word.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms provided are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
bélka
Did you know?
- While бе́лка is the animal, the Russian word for 'squirrel' is also used as slang for a state of delirium tremens caused by alcohol withdrawal.
- In Russian, the phrase белка в колесе means 'a squirrel in a wheel' and is used to describe a person who is trapped in a never-ending cycle of work.
- The word белка shares the same root as the Russian word for 'white' (белый), which some linguists believe refers to the white belly of the squirrel.
Examples in context
- В зоопарке можно увидеть белок.You can see squirrels at the zoo.
- Дети наблюдали играющую белочку на дереве.The children watched a playing squirrel on the tree.
- Сегодня я видела такую милую белочку в парке!Today I saw such a cute squirrel in the park!
- В сибирских лесах можно встретить большое количество сибирских белок.In the Siberian forests, you can encounter a large number of Siberian squirrels.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “squirrel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
