ни́жнее бельё
nížneje belʹjóneuter
The English word 'underwear' is translated into Russian as ни́жнее бельё (nížneje belʹjó). If unsure, use ни́жнее бельё. Wiktionary also lists испо́днее (ispódneje) and бельё (belʹjó).
Meaning: clothes worn next to the skin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ни́жнее бельё | nížneje belʹjó | neuter | |
| испо́днее | ispódneje | neuter | |
| бельё | belʹjó | [bʲɪˈlʲjɵ] (narrow) | neuter |
The term ни́жнее бельё is the standard and most common way to refer to clothes worn next to the skin in both spoken and written Russian.
Which one should you use?
While ни́жнее бельё is the common term, испо́днее specifically means 'undergarment' and is used in more formal or literary contexts. The word бельё can also be used to refer to underwear.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word бельё is a collective noun. This means it is used in the singular form even when you are referring to multiple pieces of underwear.
How do you pronounce it?
nížneje belʹjó
Did you know?
- The word бельё is etymologically rooted in the color white, derived from the adjective бе́лый, meaning 'white'.
- Russian has a specific noun for 'bed linens' постельное бельё and 'underwear' ни́жнее бельё, both utilizing the same base word бельё to categorize fabric goods.
- If you want to sound more affectionate or use a diminutive form, you can use бельи́шко, though it is much more casual.
Examples in context
- Она не носила нижнее бельё.She didn't wear underwear.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of бельё in a negative statement.Tatoeba #12477097 by marafon, translation #8394868 by Amastan
- Меняйте нижнее бельё ежедневно.Change underwear daily.This sentence is useful for providing a general instruction using бельё.Tatoeba #3786758 by corvard, translation #3563483 by corvard
- Я меняю нижнее бельё ежедневно.I change my underwear every day.This sentence is useful for expressing a personal daily habit using бельё.Tatoeba #4899118 by marafon, translation #3729561 by CM
- Меня интересует качество вашего нижнего белья.I am interested in the quality of your underwear.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “underwear” translations and entries бельё, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries бельё, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
