ле́бедь
lébedʹmasculine
The English word "swan" is translated into Russian as ле́бедь (lébedʹ).
The term refers to the waterfowl of the genus Cygnus.
Meaning: waterfowl of the genus Cygnus (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is lébedʹ.
Did you know?
- The word лебедь has a confusing grammatical quirk: while it refers to a bird, it historically follows a declension pattern usually reserved for females, though it is now used for any gender of swan.
- In Russian folklore, the Царевна-лебедь or 'Swan Princess' is a recurring magical character who can transform from a bird into a beautiful woman.
- Russian has a specific expression лебединая верность, meaning 'swan fidelity', which describes a couple that stays together for life because swans are believed to mate for life.
Examples in context
- Белый ле́бедь красиво плавает в пруду.Belyy lebed' krasivo plavaet v prudu.A white swan swims beautifully in the pond.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swan” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
