100+ Russian Words You Already Know
Open a Russian menu and "ΠΊΠΎΡΠ΅" needs no translation. Walk through passport control and "ΠΏΠ°ΡΠΏΠΎΡΡ" reads itself. Russian pulled a large share of its vocabulary from the same wells English did: Latin, Greek, French, and a century of shared technology and science. Once you can sound out Cyrillic, a real chunk of Russian vocabulary turns out to be words you already know, just wearing a different alphabet. Here are more than 100 of them.
Why so many Russian words look English
Cognates exist because languages borrow, and Russian has borrowed constantly. Words like ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ° (system) and ΠΏΡΠΎΠ±Π»Π΅ΠΌΠ° (problem) trace back to the same Greek and Latin roots that gave English its academic vocabulary. Words like ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΡΠ°Π½ (restaurant) and ΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ (menu) arrived by way of French, the same route many English food words took. Twentieth-century technology added another wave wholesale: ΡΠ΅Π»Π΅ΡΠΎΠ½, ΠΊΠΎΠΌΠΏΡΡΡΠ΅Ρ, ΠΈΠ½ΡΠ΅ΡΠ½Π΅Ρ.
None of this means pronunciation is identical. Russian stress can land on a different syllable than you would guess, and consonants shift sound at the end of a word. But the shape of the word, the letters in the order they appear, is close enough that reading it out loud gets you most of the way to being understood.
You do need the alphabet first. If any of the Cyrillic below looks unfamiliar, the companion guide to all 33 Cyrillic letters is a faster start than memorizing this list by sight.
100+ Russian words, sorted by where you would use them
Each table lists the Cyrillic word, a simplified transliteration, and its English meaning. Stress is not marked here; treat the transliteration as a reading guide, not a strict pronunciation key.
Food & drink
Food words travel fast between languages. These are common enough that you could order a meal in Russian using words you already have.
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ΠΊΠΎΡΠ΅ | kofe | coffee |
| Π±Π°Π½Π°Π½ | banan | banana |
| Π»ΠΈΠΌΠΎΠ½ | limon | lemon |
| ΡΠΎΠΊΠΎΠ»Π°Π΄ | shokolad | chocolate |
| ΡΠ°Ρ Π°Ρ | sakhar | sugar |
| ΡΠ°Π»Π°Ρ | salat | salad |
| ΡΡΠΏ | sup | soup |
| ΡΠΈΡ | ris | rice |
| ΠΉΠΎΠ³ΡΡΡ | yogurt | yogurt |
| Π±Π΅ΠΊΠΎΠ½ | bekon | bacon |
| ΠΏΡΠ΄ΠΈΠ½Π³ | puding | pudding |
| ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΡΠ°Π½ | restoran | restaurant |
| ΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ | menyu | menu |
| ΠΏΠΈΡΡΠ° | pitsa | pizza |
| Π΄Π΅ΡΠ΅ΡΡ | desert | dessert (the sweet course) |
| ΡΡΡΠΊΡ | frukt | fruit |
| Π²ΠΈΠ½ΠΎ | vino | wine |
| Π³Π°ΠΌΠ±ΡΡΠ³Π΅Ρ | gamburger | hamburger |
| ΡΡΠ½Π΄Π²ΠΈΡ | sendvich | sandwich |
| ΠΊΡΠ΅ΠΌ | krem | cream |
Technology
Modern technology vocabulary is nearly global. Russian adopted most of these directly, with light spelling changes for the Cyrillic alphabet.
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ΡΠ΅Π»Π΅ΡΠΎΠ½ | telefon | telephone |
| ΠΊΠΎΠΌΠΏΡΡΡΠ΅Ρ | kompyuter | computer |
| ΠΈΠ½ΡΠ΅ΡΠ½Π΅Ρ | internet | internet |
| ΡΠΌΠ°ΡΡΡΠΎΠ½ | smartfon | smartphone |
| ΡΠΎΠ±ΠΎΡ | robot | robot |
| Π²ΠΈΠ΄Π΅ΠΎ | video | video |
| ΠΊΠ°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΠ° | kamera | camera |
| ΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΠΎ | radio | radio |
| ΡΠ΅Π»Π΅Π²ΠΈΠ·ΠΎΡ | televizor | television |
| Π±Π°ΡΠ°ΡΠ΅Ρ | batareya | battery |
| ΡΠ΅ΡΠ²Π΅Ρ | server | server |
| ΡΠ°ΠΉΠ» | fayl | file |
| ΠΎΠ½Π»Π°ΠΉΠ½ | onlayn | online |
| Π»Π°Π·Π΅Ρ | lazer | laser |
| ΠΌΠΎΠ½ΠΈΡΠΎΡ | monitor | monitor |
| ΠΏΡΠΈΠ½ΡΠ΅Ρ | printer | printer |
Travel
Airports, hotels, and tickets use a small, very consistent set of international words. These alone get you through most travel situations by ear.
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ΠΏΠ°ΡΠΏΠΎΡΡ | pasport | passport |
| Π²ΠΈΠ·Π° | viza | visa |
| ΡΠ°ΠΊΡΠΈ | taksi | taxi |
| Π±ΠΈΠ»Π΅Ρ | bilet | ticket |
| ΡΡΡΠΈΡΡ | turist | tourist |
| ΠΎΡΠ΅Π»Ρ | otel | hotel |
| Π±Π°Π³Π°ΠΆ | bagazh | baggage |
| Π°ΡΡΠΎΠΏΠΎΡΡ | aeroport | airport |
| ΡΠ΅ΡΠΌΠΈΠ½Π°Π» | terminal | terminal |
| ΠΊΡΡΠΈΠ· | kruiz | cruise |
| ΡΡΠ°Π½ΡΡΠ΅Ρ | transfer | transfer |
| Π³ΠΈΠ΄ | gid | guide |
| ΠΊΠ°ΡΡΠ° | karta | map (also "card") |
| ΠΌΠ°ΡΡΡΡΡ | marshrut | route |
Places
Continents, common civic buildings, and the words for the organizations that run a city are almost all shared internationally, Russian included.
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ΠΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠ° | Amerika | America |
| ΠΠ²ΡΠΎΠΏΠ° | Yevropa | Europe |
| ΠΠ·ΠΈΡ | Aziya | Asia |
| ΠΡΡΠΈΠΊΠ° | Afrika | Africa |
| ΠΠ°Π½Π°Π΄Π° | Kanada | Canada |
| ΠΠ²ΡΡΡΠ°Π»ΠΈΡ | Avstraliya | Australia |
| ΠΊΠΎΠ½ΡΠΈΠ½Π΅Π½Ρ | kontinent | continent |
| ΡΠ΅Π³ΠΈΠΎΠ½ | region | region |
| ΡΠ΅ΡΠΏΡΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ° | respublika | republic |
| ΠΎΠΊΠ΅Π°Π½ | okean | ocean |
| ΠΌΡΠ·Π΅ΠΉ | muzey | museum |
| ΡΠ΅Π°ΡΡ | teatr | theater |
| ΡΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΠΎΠ½ | stadion | stadium |
| ΠΏΠ°ΡΠΊ | park | park |
| Π±Π°Π½ΠΊ | bank | bank |
| ΡΠ½ΠΈΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΈΡΠ΅Ρ | universitet | university |
| ΡΠΊΠΎΠ»Π° | shkola | school |
| ΠΈΠ½ΡΡΠΈΡΡΡ | institut | institute |
Everyday life & work
Office and daily-life vocabulary in Russian leans hard on the same Greco-Latin roots as English, especially anything to do with organizations, documents, or job titles.
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ΠΏΡΠΎΠ±Π»Π΅ΠΌΠ° | problema | problem |
| ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ° | sistema | system |
| ΠΏΡΠΎΠ³ΡΠ°ΠΌΠΌΠ° | programma | program |
| ΠΈΠ½ΡΠΎΡΠΌΠ°ΡΠΈΡ | informatsiya | information |
| Π΄ΠΎΠΊΡΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ | dokument | document |
| Π½ΠΎΠΌΠ΅Ρ | nomer | number |
| ΡΠ΅ΠΊΡΠ½Π΄Π° | sekunda | second (time) |
| ΠΌΠΈΠ½ΡΡΠ° | minuta | minute |
| ΠΌΠΎΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ | moment | moment |
| ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Ρ | ideya | idea |
| ΠΏΡΠΎΠ΅ΠΊΡ | proekt | project |
| ΠΏΡΠΎΡΠ΅ΡΡ | protsess | process |
| ΡΠ΅Π·ΡΠ»ΡΡΠ°Ρ | rezultat | result |
| ΠΊΠΎΠ½ΡΡΠΎΠ»Ρ | kontrol | control |
| ΡΡΠ½ΠΊΡΠΈΡ | funktsiya | function |
| Π΄ΠΎΠΊΡΠΎΡ | doktor | doctor |
| ΡΡΡΠ΄Π΅Π½Ρ | student | student |
| ΠΏΡΠΎΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΡ | professor | professor |
| Π΄ΠΈΡΠ΅ΠΊΡΠΎΡ | direktor | director |
| ΠΏΡΠ΅Π·ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Π½Ρ | prezident | president |
| ΠΌΠΈΠ½ΠΈΡΡΡ | ministr | minister |
| ΠΏΠΎΠ»ΠΈΡΠΈΡ | politsiya | police |
| ΡΠ΅ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠ°ΡΡ | sekretar | secretary |
Arts, sports & entertainment
Sports and arts vocabulary spread with the sports and art forms themselves, so team sports and classical arts carry nearly identical names into Russian.
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ΠΌΡΠ·ΡΠΊΠ° | muzyka | music |
| Π³ΠΈΡΠ°ΡΠ° | gitara | guitar |
| ΠΏΠΈΠ°Π½ΠΈΠ½ΠΎ | pianino | piano |
| ΠΎΡΠΊΠ΅ΡΡΡ | orkestr | orchestra |
| ΠΎΠΏΠ΅ΡΠ° | opera | opera |
| Π΄ΡΠ°ΠΌΠ° | drama | drama |
| ΠΊΠΎΠΌΠ΅Π΄ΠΈΡ | komediya | comedy |
| ΡΠΈΠ»ΡΠΌ | film | film |
| Π°ΠΊΡΡΡ | akter | actor |
| ΡΠΎΡΠΎΠ³ΡΠ°ΡΠΈΡ | fotografiya | photography |
| ΡΠΏΠΎΡΡ | sport | sport |
| ΡΡΡΠ±ΠΎΠ» | futbol | football (soccer) |
| Π±Π°ΡΠΊΠ΅ΡΠ±ΠΎΠ» | basketbol | basketball |
| ΡΠ΅Π½Π½ΠΈΡ | tennis | tennis |
| Ρ ΠΎΠΊΠΊΠ΅ΠΉ | khokkey | hockey |
| ΡΠ΅ΠΌΠΏΠΈΠΎΠ½ | chempion | champion |
| ΠΎΠ»ΠΈΠΌΠΏΠΈΠ°Π΄Π° | olimpiada | Olympics |
| ΠΊΠ°ΠΏΠΈΡΠ°Π½ | kapitan | captain |
A few sounds to know before you read these aloud
Reading these aloud with confidence takes a few adjustments. Russian stress can fall on any syllable, and it is not marked in normal writing, so a word may sound different from what its spelling suggests. Unstressed vowels also shift: an unstressed Π often sounds closer to "ah". Consonants at the end of a word devoice, so a word spelled with a final "Π±" or "Π³" is often pronounced closer to "p" or "k". None of this changes the meaning, and none of it should stop you from trying.
If any of this is new, the full Russian alphabet guide covers it letter by letter, including the same false friends that show up throughout this list.
Cognate questions, answered
What is a cognate?
A cognate is a word that looks and sounds similar in two languages, usually because both borrowed it from the same source, or because the languages share an ancestor. The words on this page are Russian words close enough to their English relatives to recognize on sight.
Will these words sound exactly like English if I say them?
Close, not identical. Russian applies its own stress and consonant rules, so pronunciation shifts a little. The shape of the word is still close enough that both reading and listening comprehension get a real head start.
Do I need to know the Cyrillic alphabet to use this list?
You will get more out of it if you do. Once you can sound out Cyrillic, you can read every word on this page yourself instead of relying on the transliteration next to it.
Are all of these words used in everyday Russian?
Yes. Every word here is a real, commonly used Russian word, not an invented example. A few are more formal, like ΠΏΡΠ΅Π·ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Π½Ρ or ΡΠ΅ΡΠΏΡΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ°, and some are everyday casual words, like ΡΠ°ΠΊΡΠΈ or ΠΏΠΈΡΡΠ°, but all of them are genuine vocabulary.
Turn recognizing into remembering
Recognizing a word is not the same as owning it. Russio takes these words, and more than 2,000 others, and turns them into lasting vocabulary with spaced repetition and active recall, starting from the free Cyrillic alphabet and A1 level. No streaks, no pressure, free to start.