девушка
dévuška[ˈdʲevʊʂkə]
The Russian phrase for "young woman" is девушка (dévuška).
девушка refers to a female person who is no longer a child but not yet an adult woman. It is commonly used to refer to both a girl and a young woman.
Which one should you use?
While девушка refers to a girl or a young woman, the word женщина is used to refer to an adult woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form is девушки (young women), the dative singular is девушке (to the young woman) and the accusative singular is девушку (young woman).
How do you pronounce it?
dévuška
Did you know?
- In historical contexts or folklore, the root дева appears in terms for mythical beings or virginal figures, giving девушка a subtle link to purity and youth.
- Using the word женщина (woman) to address a stranger in a service setting can sometimes be perceived as blunt or rude, making девушка the safer social choice.
- In modern Russian, девушка is often used to describe a woman's romantic partner, regardless of her age, similar to how 'girlfriend' is used in English.
Examples in context
- Джейн ужасно красивая девушка.Jane is a remarkably beautiful young woman.This sentence uses девушка to describe someone's beauty.Tatoeba #3091769 by TheWyld, translation #7364427 by AlanF_US
- Я думал, ты приличная девушка.I thought you were a decent young woman.This sentence uses девушка to describe someone's character.Tatoeba #4971247 by Karok, translation #2327206 by Hybrid
- Я думал, Вы приличная девушка.I thought that you were a decent young woman.Tatoeba #10183082 by marafon, translation #7171923 by CK
- На встрече присутствовала молодая женщина, представляющая компанию.There was a young woman representing the company at the meeting.
- Ты видела, какая красивая девушка прошла мимо?Did you see the beautiful young woman who passed by?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmitry is asking Maria about a new colleague.
- Мария MariaКто эта девушка в офисе?Kto eta devushka v ofise?Who is that young woman in the office?
- Дмитрий DmitryОна наш новый стажёр.Ona nash novyy stazhyor.She is our new intern.
- Мария MariaОна кажется очень умной девушкой.Ona kazhetsya ochen' umnoy devushkoy.She seems like a very smart young woman.
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, она закончила университет с отличием.Da, ona zakonchila universitet s otlichiyem.Yes, she graduated from university with honors.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry девушка, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
