Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ноль | nolʹ | [nolʲ] (narrow) | masculine |
| нуль | nulʹ | [nulʲ] (narrow) | masculine |
| зеро́ | zeró | neuter, rare |
ноль is used to denote the cardinal number before 1, signifying nothing. It is the standard term used in mathematics and when referring to the digit zero in sequences like phone numbers or codes. The related verb обнулить means to set a value to zero or to nullify, and in modern Russian political discourse, it is often used to describe resetting or nullifying terms, such as presidential terms.
Which one should you use?
While ноль and нуль both mean zero, ноль is the more common and standard form used in everyday speech and mathematics. In contrast, зеро́ is a rare neuter loanword used almost exclusively in the context of gambling, specifically to refer to the zero on a roulette wheel.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms ноль and нуль are masculine, while зеро́ is neuter.
How do you pronounce it?
nolʹ
Did you know?
- Russian speakers use ноль to describe a person who is completely unskilled or useless in a specific field, similar to calling someone a 'zero' in English.
- The Russian word ноль is a direct descendant of the Latin word nūlla, which originally meant 'no one'.
- Despite its common use, зеро́ is grammatically neuter, whereas the standard ноль is masculine.
Examples in context
- Ноль это число.Zero is a number.This sentence is useful for defining ноль as a number.Tatoeba #13188694 by EugeneGS, translation #11161481 by carlosalberto
- Ноль особое число.Zero is a special number.This sentence is useful for describing ноль as a special number.Tatoeba #4336210 by odexed, translation #2797850 by carlosalberto
- В воде ноль калорий.Water has zero calories.This sentence is useful for expressing the absence of calories using ноль.Tatoeba #4743772 by marafon, translation #4502850 by CK
- У меня ноль яблок.I have zero apples.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrey and Anastasia are checking the temperature on a thermometer.
- Андрей AndreyНа улице сейчас ноль градусов.Na ulitse seychas nol' gradusov.It is zero degrees outside right now.
- Анастасия AnastasiaОй, это очень холодно!Oy, eto ochen' kholodno!Oh, that is very cold!
- Андрей AndreyНадень теплую куртку, Анастасия.Naden' tepluyu kurtku, Anastasiya.Put on a warm jacket, Anastasia.
- Анастасия AnastasiaХорошо, я надену её.Khorosho, ya nadenu yeyo.Okay, I will put it on.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zero” translations and entries ноль, нуль, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ноль, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
