инсу́льт
insúlʹtmasculine
In Russian, the English word stroke is translated as инсу́льт (insúlʹt). Wiktionary also lists парали́ч (paralíč) and уда́р (udár).
Meaning: loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| инсу́льт | insúlʹt | masculine |
| парали́ч | paralíč | masculine |
| уда́р | udár | masculine |
The term refers to a medical stroke, specifically the loss of brain function caused by a sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain.
Which one should you use?
инсу́льт is the standard medical term for the condition. In contrast, уда́р is a more colloquial way to refer to a stroke. It is also important to distinguish between the two: инсу́льт refers to the stroke itself, while парали́ч refers to the resulting paralysis.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All three forms, парали́ч, уда́р and инсу́льт, are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
insúlʹt
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse инсу́льт with парали́ч. The former is the stroke, while the latter is the paralysis that may follow.
Did you know?
- The word инсу́льт is a loanword from Latin, which is why it sounds similar to the English 'insult' despite having a completely different meaning.
- The colloquial term уда́р literally means 'blow' or 'strike'. This reflects an old belief that a stroke was caused by a sudden invisible strike from a supernatural force or a sudden shock.
- The word парали́ч is sometimes used as a slang exclamation to describe a state of being completely frozen by fear or indecision.
Examples in context
- Мой дедушка перенес инсульт.My grandfather had a stroke.
- Врачи очень внимательно обследовали больного после инсульта.The doctors thoroughly examined the patient after the stroke.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stroke” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
