evolang.
Browse
About
Russian vocabulary·приро́да · nature

Russian nature and animal vocabulary

Short answer: nature is приро́да (pri-RO-da) and an animal is живо́тное (zhi-VOT-na-ye). Two grammar points come with this topic: a few landscape words take a special stressed -у́ for location (в лесу́, “in the forest”), and animals, like people, change their ending when they are the object of a verb (Я ви́жу медве́дя, “I see a bear”).

не́бого́рылеспо́лерека́берёза skymountainsforestfieldriverbirch
A central Russian landscape. The birch, берёза, is the country’s unofficial national tree.
On this page Landscapesв лесу́: the -у́ ending30 animalsAnimals as objectsWhat animals sayAnimal idiomsRelated guides

Landscapes

Each word with its “where” form. Most take the normal prepositional ending -е; the four marked in red take a stressed -у́ instead (see the next section).

в лесу́: the special -у́ ending

About a hundred short masculine nouns take a stressed -у́ instead of -е after в and на when they mean a place. Many are nature words. After о (“about”) they return to the normal ending: в лесу́ (in the forest), but о ле́се (about the forest).

в лесу́о ле́се in the forest (place)about the forest (topic)
The -у́ is always stressed. It only appears for location after в and на.
my sa-bi-RA-yim gri-BY v li-SU Мыweсобира́емgatherгрибы́mushroomsвinлесу́forest We pick mushrooms in the forest.
my si-DYE-li na bi-ri-GU ri-KEE Мыweсиде́лиsatнаonберегу́bankреки́river We sat on the riverbank.
BA-bush-ka ra-BO-ta-yit f sa-DU Ба́бушкаgrannyрабо́таетworksвinсаду́garden Granny is working in the garden.
ka-RO-vy pa-SUT-sa na lu-GU Коро́выcowsпасу́тсяgrazeнаonлугу́meadow Cows are grazing in the meadow.

30 animals

Grouped by where you would meet them. Many have an irregular plural, shown after the slash. Tap to hear both forms.

Дома́шние живо́тныеPets and farm animals
Ди́кие живо́тныеWild animals
Пти́цы, ры́бы, насеко́мыеBirds, fish, insects

Animals as objects: the animate accusative

Russian treats animals like people: they are animate (grammatically “alive”). When an animate masculine noun is the object of a verb, it takes the genitive ending -а / -я instead of staying unchanged. In the plural, all animate nouns do this.

INANIMATE · NO CHANGEANIMATE · LIKE THE GENITIVE Я ви́жу лес. I see the forest. Я ви́жу медве́дя. I see a bear.
Feminine animals in -а / -я take the normal -у / -ю: Я ви́жу ко́шку. The change matters for masculine nouns and all plurals.
v li-SU my VEE-di-li mid-VYE-dya Вinлесу́forestмыweви́делиsawмедве́дяbear We saw a bear in the forest. медве́дь → медве́дя: animate masculine.
ya kar-MEEL ka-TA ЯIкорми́лfedкота́cat I fed the cat. кот → кота́: the stress moves to the ending.
a-NA LYU-bit la-shi-DYEY Она́sheлю́битlovesло́шадейhorses She loves horses. In the plural, every animate noun takes the genitive plural form.
my ku-PEE-li RY-bu Мыweкупи́лиboughtры́буfish We bought a fish. Feminine -а → -у, as for any feminine noun.

What animals say

Russian animals make different noises from English ones, and each sound has its own verb.

Animal idioms

Comparisons with animals that every Russian speaker uses.

  1. GO-la-din kak volkго́лоденhungryкакasволкwolf starvingLiterally “hungry as a wolf”.
  2. KHEET-ry kak li-SAхи́трыйcunningкакasлиса́fox sly as a foxThe same image as English.
  3. mid-VYEZH-ya us-LU-gaмедве́жьяbear’sуслу́гаfavour a favour that does more harm than goodFrom a fable in which a bear kills a fly on his friend’s face with a rock.
  4. ni RY-ba ni MYA-saниneitherры́баfishниnorмя́соmeat dull, without characterLiterally “neither fish nor meat”.
  5. kak KOSH-ka s sa-BA-kaiкакlikeко́шкаcatсwithсоба́койdog always quarrellingUsed with жить: they live like cat and dog.