письмо́
pisʹmóneuter
The Russian word for writing is письмо́ (pisʹmó). Wiktionary also lists писа́ние (pisánije).
Meaning: process of representing a language (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| письмо́ | pisʹmó | neuter |
| писа́ние | pisánije | neuter |
The term for writing refers to the process of representing language. Литература, while translating to literature, is also commonly used to refer to writing or written works.
What does it mean word for word?
The word письмо́ is derived from the root пис- (to write).
Which one should you use?
Use письмо́ for general writing or a letter. In contrast, the form писа́ние is used specifically to refer to holy scripture or a formal body of written texts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Russia, Сочинение is commonly used to specifically refer to writing an essay or a composition.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both писа́ние and письмо́ are neuter.
How do you pronounce it?
pisʹmó
Did you know?
- In Russian, the word for 'handwriting' is почерк, which stems from the root for 'hand' and 'stroke' rather than the root for 'writing'.
- While письмо́ means writing, it is also the standard word for a 'letter' sent to someone, meaning you use the same word to talk about the act of writing and the physical object you send.
- In a formal historical context, писа́ние can also refer to 'writings' in the sense of official, archaic documents or chronicles.
Examples in context
- Письмо́ – это моё хоббиWriting is my hobby
- Русская литература очень богатаRussian writing is very rich
- У меня завтра контрольное сочинениеI have a test essay tomorrow
- Я люблю изучать старинное письмо́.Ya lyublyu izuchat' starinnoye pis'mo.I love studying ancient writing.
- Это письмо́ трудно разобрать.Eto pis'mo trudno razobrat'.This writing is hard to decipher.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Dmitry are discussing a calligraphy class.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДмитрий, посмотри на это красивое письмо́!Dmitrij, posmotri na eto krasivoe pis'mo!Dmitry, look at this beautiful writing!
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, оно выглядит очень изящно.Da, ono vygljadit ochen' izjaschno.Yes, it looks very elegant.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЯ хочу изучить такое письмо́.Ja hochu izuchit takoe pis'mo.I want to learn this kind of writing.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ могу помочь тебе с этим.Ja mogu pomoch' tebe s etim.I can help you with that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “writing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
