Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| уника́льный | unikálʹnyj |
| исключи́тельный | isključítelʹnyj |
| еди́нственный | jedínstvennyj |
| неповтори́мый | nepovtorímyj |
The primary way to express being one of a kind is through the adjective уника́льный.
What does it mean word for word?
The word неповтори́мый is built from the prefix не- (not), the root повтор- (repeat) and the suffix -имый (participle), literally meaning 'that which cannot be repeated'.
Which one should you use?
Russian offers several nuances for uniqueness. While уника́льный describes something special or rare, единственный is used when you mean 'the only one' in existence, such as 'the only son'. If you wish to describe something as 'exceptional' or 'extraordinary' in quality, use исключи́тельный.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, уника́льный must change its ending to match the gender of the noun it describes. Use уникальная for feminine nouns and the ending -ое for neuter nouns, such as уникальное решение (a unique decision).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is unikálʹnyj.
Did you know?
- In Russian, calling a person уника́льный can sometimes sound slightly sarcastic or overly clinical, as if you are describing a biological specimen.
- Russian speakers sometimes use один-единственный to add extreme emphasis. Doubling the word 'one' transforms 'the only' into 'the one and only'.
- While уника́льный is a loanword from Latin, the word неповтори́мый is purely Slavic in origin. This creates a subtle stylistic choice between a 'global' and a 'traditional' sound.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “unique” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
