Family in Russian
Vocabulary to use when talking about the family in Russian. Differences between the English and the Russian names for family members and relatives.
Differences between the English and the Russian names for family members and relatives
- In Russian, there are no words for siblings or grandparents. The Russians say "brothers and sisters" or "grandma and grandpa".
- As for the parents-in-law, in Russian you have to specify if you are talking about the parents of the wife or of the husband.
- In English, one's sibling-in-law can be the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. In Russian, however, the specific names for these type of relations are almost out of use. The special words for "in-laws" were included in the table below and marked as "old". You can come across them in the Russian literature, especially in the works of such authors as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky or Chekhov. Today, instead of using these special terms, you name the exact relation saying "brother of the husband", "sister of the wife", etc.
Relatives and family in Russian
Note on the declension:
- The words "папа" (papa), "дедушка" (grandpa) and "дядя" (uncle) denominate male persons. But as they end in -А or -Я, they are declined like female nouns.
- In possessive constructions such as "жена брата" (wife of a brother), "муж сестры" (husband of a sister) or "родители жены" (parents of the wife), the second noun is placed in the genitive case.
Notes on the pronunciation in Russian:
- Stressed vowels are highlighted red in words of more than one syllable.
- The symbol [ʲ] (superscript j) indicates soft consonants.
| English | Russian with Transliteration |
| family | семья [simjá] |
| family member | член семьи [chlʲen simjí] |
| parents | родители [radítili] |
| mother | мать [matʲ] |
| mom, mum | мама [máma] |
| father | отец [atʲéts] |
| dad | папа [pápa] |
| children | дети [dʲéti] |
| daughter | дочь [doch] дочка [dóchka] |
| son | сын [syn] |
| sibling literal: brothers and sisters |
братья и сёстры [brátja i sʲóstry] |
| sister | сестра [sistrá] |
| elder sister | старшая сестра [stárshyja sistrá] |
| younger sister | младшая сестра [mlátshyja sistrá] |
| stepsister | сводная сестра [svódnaja sistrá] |
| brother | брат [brat] |
| elder brother | старший брат [stárshyj brat] |
| younger brother | младший брат [mlátshyj brat] |
| stepbrother | сводный брат [svódnyj brat] |
| twins (identical) | близнецы [bliznitsý] |
| twins (fraternal) | двойняшки [dvaynʲáshki] |
| twin-sister (identical) | сестра-близнец [sistrá-bliznʲets] |
| twin-sister (fraternal) | сестра-двойняшка [sistrá-dvaynʲáshka] |
| twin-brother (identical) | брат-близнец [brat-bliznʲets] |
| twin-brother (fraternal) | брат-двойняшка [brat-dvaynʲáshka] |
| grandparents literal: grandma and grandpa grandmas and grandpas |
бабушка и дедушка [bábushka i dʲédushka] oder in Plural: бабушки и дедушки [bábushki i dʲédushki] |
| grandma / grandmother | бабушка [bábushka] |
| grandpa / grandfather | дедушка [dʲédushka] |
| great-grandmother | прабабушка [prabábushka] |
| great-grandfather | прадедушка [pradʲédushka] |
| grandchildren | внуки [vnúki] |
| granddaughter | внучка [vnúchka] |
| grandson | внук [vnuk] |
| aunt | тётя [tʲótʲa] |
| uncle | дядя [dʲádʲa] |
| cousin sister | двоюродная сестра [dvayúradnaja sistrá] |
| cousin brother | двоюродный брат [dvayúradnyj brat] |
| wife | жена [zhyná] |
| husband | муж [mush] |
| sister-in-law | |
| your brother’s wife | жена брата [zhyná bráta] |
| sister of your husband | сестра мужа [sistrá múzha] old: золовка [zalóvka] |
| sister of your wife | сестра жены [sistrá zhyný] old: свояченица [svayáchinitsa] |
| brother-in-law | |
| your sister’s husband | муж сестры [mush sistrý] |
| brother of your husband | брат мужа [brat múzha] old: деверь [dʲévérʲ] |
| brother of your wife | брат жены [brat zhyný] old: шурин [shúrin] |
| nephew | племянник [plimʲánik] |
| niece | племянница [plimʲánitsa] |
| parents-in-law | |
| parents of your wife | родители жены [radítili zhyný] |
| parents of your husband | родители мужа [radítili múzha] |
| mother-in-law | |
| mother of your wife | тёща [tʲóshsha] |
| mother of your husband | свекровь [svikrofʲ] |
| father-in-law | |
| father of your wife | тесть [tʲéstʲ] |
| father of your husband | свёкор |
| [svʲókr] | |
| daughter-in-law | невестка [nivʲéstka] |
| son-in-law | зять [zʲátʲ] |
| relatives | родственники [rótstvʲiniki] |
| female relative | родственница [rótstvʲinitsa] |
| male relative | родственник [rótstvʲinik] |
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