How to Say "Swimming" in Russian

пла́вание

plávanijeneuter

The Russian word for swimming is пла́вание (plávanije).

пла́вание is used to refer to swimming as a sport or a general activity.

Meaning: human activity of moving oneself through water (noun)

Which one should you use?

Use пла́вание when referring to the activity or the sport of swimming, rather than the physical act of a person currently swimming in the water.

The noun пла́вание changes to пла́вания in the genitive case, which is often used after prepositions like без (without).

plávanije

Russian uses the root of плавание to describe 'floating' prices or 'floating' exchange rates, called плавающий курс.
The word пла́вание can also refer to sailing or navigation in a maritime context, not just swimming in a pool.
Russian has two different verbs for the act of swimming: плавать for general swimming and плыть for swimming in a specific direction.

Я люблю плавание.
I love swimming.
Давай сегодня поплаваем?
Let's go swimming today?
Он прекрасно плавает.
He swims beautifully.
Пла́вание помогает укрепить мышцы.
Plávanie pomogayet ukrepit' myshtsy.
Swimming helps to strengthen muscles.
Её любимое занятие пла́вание.
Yeyo lyubimoye zanyatiye plávanie.
Her favorite activity is swimming.
Пла́вание в море очень приятное.
Plávanie v morye ochen' priyatnoye.
Swimming in the sea is very pleasant.

Andrey and Ekaterina are discussing their summer hobbies.

Андрей Andrey

Екатерина, ты любишь пла́вание?
Yekaterina, ty lyubish' plávanie?
Ekaterina, do you like swimming?
Екатерина Ekaterina

Да, я очень люблю пла́вание.
Da, ya ochen' lyublyu plávanie.
Yes, I love swimming very much.
Андрей Andrey

А мне больше нравится бег.
A mne bol'she nravitsya beg.
And I like running more.
Екатерина Ekaterina

Это тоже полезно для здоровья.
Eto tozhe polezno dlya zdorov'ya.
That is also good for health.

Sources

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