пылесо́сить
pylesósitʹimperfective
The English verb 'to vacuum' is translated into Russian as пылесо́сить (pylesósitʹ). Wiktionary also lists пропылесо́сить (propylesósitʹ).
Meaning: transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| пылесо́сить | pylesósitʹ | imperfective |
| пропылесо́сить | propylesósitʹ | perfective |
The verb means to clean with a vacuum cleaner. If you want to refer to the vacuum cleaner device itself, use the noun пылесос. Note that the noun ва́куум refers specifically to a region of space that contains no matter.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb пылесо́сить is a compound of пыль (dust) and сосать (to suck).
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form пылесо́сить is used for the ongoing process of vacuuming or for a habitual action. The perfective form пропылесо́сить is used to indicate that the vacuuming task was completed once.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
pylesósitʹ
Did you know?
- The core of the verb пылесо́сить contains the word сосать, which means 'to suck' and is also the root used for 'to drink through a straw'.
- In Russian, you cannot use the word for 'vacuum' (ва́куум) as a verb. If you said ва́куумировать, you would be talking about industrial vacuum-packing or science, not cleaning a rug.
- Because пылесо́сить is derived from a noun, it is an example of a 'denominal verb'. This process of turning objects into actions is very productive in Russian but rare in English.
Examples in context
- У меня новый пылесосI have a new vacuum cleaner
- Я собираюсь пылесо́сить ковёр.Ya sobirayus' pylyesosit' kovyor.I am going to vacuum the carpet.
- Ты должен пылесо́сить каждый день.Ty dolzhen pylyesosit kazhdy den'.You must vacuum every day.
Example conversation
In a living room, discussing household chores.
- Андрей AndreyОльга, ты будешь пылесо́сить сегодня?Ol'ga, ty budesh' pylyesosit segodnya?Olga, will you be vacuuming today?
- Ольга OlgaДа, я планирую пылесо́сить вечером.Da, ya planiruyu pylyesosit vecherom.Yes, I plan to vacuum in the evening.
- Андрей AndreyХорошо, тогда я помою пол.Khorosho, togda ya pomoyu pol.Okay, then I will mop the floor.
- Ольга OlgaАндрей, это отличный план.Andrey, eto otlichnyy plan.Andrey, that is an excellent plan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vacuum” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
