Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| исто́рия | istórija | feminine |
| расска́з | rasskáz | masculine |
| по́весть | póvestʹ | feminine |
The term for story in Russian varies based on whether you are discussing a historical event, a literary work or a casual anecdote. исто́рия can refer to a narrative or the academic subject of history, and in colloquial speech, it is often used to describe a funny or interesting anecdote or incident.
Which one should you use?
расска́з is used specifically for a short piece of prose or a narrated account of events. по́весть refers to a literary form that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. In contrast, исто́рия can mean both a narrative 'story' and the academic subject 'history'.
How does it change in a sentence?
исто́рия and по́весть are feminine nouns, while расска́з is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
istórija
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use исто́рия for all types of stories, but расска́з is more precise for a literary short story.
Did you know?
- The word исто́рия is a direct loanword from the Greek 'historía', which originally meant 'inquiry' or 'knowledge acquired by investigation'.
- In modern Russian slang, исто́рия can be used to describe a complicated or messy situation, similar to the English phrase 'quite a story'.
- When Russians talk about a 'true story', they often use реа́льная исто́рия rather than правди́вый расска́з, emphasizing the reality of the events over the truthfulness of the narrator.
Examples in context
- Я люблю читать истории о любви и приключениях.I love reading stories about love and adventures.
- Ваш рассказ о поездке в Москву был очень интересным.Your story about the trip to Moscow was very interesting.
- Когда я был маленьким, моя бабушка часто рассказывала мне сказки перед сном.When I was little, my grandmother often told me stories before bedtime.
- У меня есть интересная сказка о трех поросенках. Хотите ее услышать?I have an interesting story about the three little pigs. Would you like to hear it?
- Это была очень грустная исто́рия.Eto byla ochen' grustnaya istoriya.It was a very sad story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “story” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
