высо́кий
vysókij
The English word "tall" (referring to a person) is translated into Russian as высо́кий (vysókij). Wiktionary also lists ро́слый (róslyj).
Meaning: of a person (adj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| высо́кий | vysókij |
| ро́слый | róslyj |
In Russian, you can describe a person's height using either высо́кий or ро́слый.
Which one should you use?
высо́кий is the standard, general word used for both the height of people and the height of inanimate objects such as buildings or mountains. ро́слый is used specifically for people and often carries a connotation of being tall and well-built or sturdy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective высо́кий must change its ending to agree with the gender, number and case of the person being described. For example, the feminine form is высо́кая, the plural form is высо́кие and the masculine genitive or accusative form is высо́кого.
How do you pronounce it?
vysókij
Did you know?
- In Russian, if a person is 'tall' in an awkward or lanky way, a speaker might avoid both words and instead use a slang term like длинный, which literally means 'long'.
- Russian has a specific word, высо́коме́рный, derived from высо́кий, which literally means 'measuring high' but is used to describe someone who is arrogant.
- If you use высо́кий to describe a person's voice, it means the voice is high-pitched, whereas 'tall' has no relation to pitch in English.
Examples in context
- Мой друг высокач, потому что он играет в баскетбол.My friend is tall because he plays basketball.
- Он очень высо́кий мужчина.On ochen' vysokiy muzhchina.He is a very tall man.
- Мой брат довольно высо́кий.Moy brat dovol'no vysokiy.My brother is quite tall.
- Этот спортсмен очень высо́кий.Etot sportsmen ochen' vysokiy.This athlete is very tall.
Example conversation
Alexander and Anastasia are looking at a photo of a new colleague.
- Александр AleksandrПосмотри на этого нового коллегу.Posmotri na etogo novogo kollegu.Look at this new colleague.
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, он очень высо́кий!Da, on ochen' vysokiy!Yes, he is very tall!
- Александр AleksandrАнастасия, ты тоже это заметила?Anastasiya, ty tozhe eto zametila?Anastasia, did you notice that too?
- Анастасия AnastasiaКонечно, он настоящий гигант.Konechno, on nastoyashchiy gigant.Of course, he is a real giant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tall” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
