туале́тная бума́га
tualétnaja bumágafeminine
The English phrase "toilet paper" is туале́тная бума́га (tualétnaja bumága) in Russian.
туале́тная бума́га refers to paper used for cleaning oneself after defecation or urination.
Meaning: paper to clean oneself after defecation or urination (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound of the adjective туале́тная (meaning toilet or relating to the toilet) and the noun бума́га (meaning paper).
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing possession or quantity, such as "a roll of toilet paper" (руло́н туале́тной бума́ги), the phrase takes the genitive case endings –ой for the adjective and –и for the noun. If the phrase is the direct object of a verb, the adjective takes the –ую ending and the noun takes the –у ending: туале́тную бума́гу.
How do you pronounce it?
tualétnaja bumága
Did you know?
- In the Soviet era, the scarcity of туале́тная бума́га became a common trope in jokes and anecdotes about the failings of the planned economy.
- The word туале́тная is derived from the French word 'toilette', reflecting the significant influence of French culture on the Russian aristocracy in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- In Russian, a single piece of paper used for cleaning is often called салфе́тка, which is the same word used for a formal 'napkin' at a dinner table.
Examples in context
- Вам нужна туалетная бумага?Do you need toilet paper?
- Мама, закончилась туалетка!Mom, we ran out of toilet paper!
- Где лежит туале́тная бума́га?Gde lezhit tualetnaya bumaga?Where is the toilet paper?
- Нам нужна туале́тная бума́га.Nam nuzhna tualetnaya bumaga.We need toilet paper.
- Эта туале́тная бума́га очень мягкая.Eta tualetnaya bumaga ochen' myagkaya.This toilet paper is very soft.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “toilet paper” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
