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5,000+ Russian words from 29 simple rules

Verbamor's free Russian word patterns list turns English you already know into Russian you can understand and say. Learn one of the 29 rules and a whole group of words comes with it, so together they cover 5,000+ words. The page and the PDF give you 229 examples to start with. The first 4 are open below. Leave your email to open the other 25 and get the printable PDF.

Verbamor screenshot titled ‘The lesson ends. The words stay.’ Before: a learner sits alone at her laptop after a lesson. Three Spanish cards saved from it, la cuenta, el mesero and la propina, lead to the after: she laughs and chats with a waiter at a café table.

Verbamor records your lesson and turns what your tutor taught into cards that come back on schedule.

-tion → -ция

nation in English is нация in Russian.

29 patterns
229 example words
6 groups
Free PDF

Words you already know 14

English shares thousands of words with Russian. Learn one ending and you get the whole group.

-tion-цияFeminine Nation, station, information -tion becomes -ция

English words that end in -tion end in -ция in Russian. These words are feminine. The plural is -ции. Say the ц like ts.

нацияnation
информацияinformation
станцияstation
ситуацияsituation
революцияrevolution
организацияorganization
операцияoperation
традицияtradition

-sion-сияFeminine Version, profession, mission -sion becomes -сия

English words that end in -sion end in -сия. These words are feminine. The plural is -сии.

версияversion
профессияprofession
дискуссияdiscussion
миссияmission
сессияsession
пенсияpension
комиссияcommission
экскурсияexcursion

-y-ияFeminine Philosophy, biology, energy -y becomes -ия

English subject and idea words that end in -y end in -ия. These words are feminine.

философияphilosophy
биологияbiology
энергияenergy
географияgeography
историяhistory
церемонияceremony
колонияcolony
терапияtherapy

-ist-истMasculine Tourist, pianist, journalist -ist becomes -ист

English words for people that end in -ist end in -ист. These words are masculine. Add -ка for a woman. Say туристка.

туристtourist
пианистpianist
оптимистoptimist
специалистspecialist
журналистjournalist
реалистrealist
финалистfinalist
артистartist

-ism-измMasculine Tourism, optimism, realism -ism becomes -изм

English words that end in -ism end in -изм. These words are masculine.

туризмtourism
оптимизмoptimism
капитализмcapitalism
реализмrealism
организмorganism
механизмmechanism
социализмsocialism
идеализмidealism

-ic-ический Fantastic, electric, political -ic becomes -ический

English adjectives that end in -ic or -ical end in -ический. Use -ическая with a feminine noun. Use -ическое with a neuter noun.

фантастическийfantastic
электрическийelectric
политическийpolitical
классическийclassic
экономическийeconomic
историческийhistoric
романтическийromantic
практическийpractical

-al-альный Normal, final, central -al becomes -альный

English adjectives that end in -al end in -альный. The ending changes with the noun. Use -альная, -альное or -альные.

нормальныйnormal
финальныйfinal
персональныйpersonal
центральныйcentral
национальныйnational
оригинальныйoriginal
социальныйsocial
идеальныйideal

-er / -or-ер / -орMasculine Computer, doctor, director -er / -or becomes -ер / -ор

English words that end in -er or -or end in -ер or -ор. These words are masculine.

компьютерcomputer
докторdoctor
профессорprofessor
директорdirector
моторmotor
авторauthor
принтерprinter
менеджерmanager

-ure-ураFeminine Culture, temperature, structure -ure becomes -ура

English words that end in -ure end in -ура. These words are feminine.

культураculture
температураtemperature
структураstructure
фигураfigure
литератураliterature
архитектураarchitecture
скульптураsculpture
карикатураcaricature

-ment-ментMasculine Moment, document, element -ment becomes -мент

English words that end in -ment end in -мент. These words are masculine.

моментmoment
документdocument
элементelement
экспериментexperiment
аргументargument
инструментinstrument
парламентparliament
фрагментfragment

-ent / -ant-ент / -антMasculine Student, president, client -ent / -ant becomes -ент / -ант

English words that end in -ent or -ant end in -ент or -ант. These words are masculine. Add -ка for a woman. Say студентка.

студентstudent
президентpresident
клиентclient
агентagent
пациентpatient
эмигрантemigrant
консультантconsultant
ассистентassistant

-овать Plan, copy, organize Loan verbs end in -овать

Many English verbs become Russian verbs with -овать or -ировать. To plan is планировать. In the present, -ова- becomes -у-. Say я планирую and ты планируешь.

планироватьto plan
организоватьto organize
копироватьto copy
контролироватьto control
игнорироватьto ignore
рекомендоватьto recommend
фотографироватьto photograph
финансироватьto finance

-ology-ологияFeminine Psychology, technology, ecology -ology becomes -ология

English words that end in -ology end in -ология in Russian. These words are feminine. The stress is on -ло-. Say психология.

психологияpsychology
технологияtechnology
экологияecology
социологияsociology
археологияarchaeology
мифологияmythology
идеологияideology
геологияgeology

-ive-ивный Active, positive, creative -ive becomes -ивный

English adjectives that end in -ive often end in -ивный. The ending changes with the noun. Use -ивная, -ивное or -ивные.

активныйactive
позитивныйpositive
негативныйnegative
креативныйcreative
эффективныйeffective
эксклюзивныйexclusive
агрессивныйaggressive
интенсивныйintensive

Gender 6

The ending or the meaning of a word often gives its gender. Learn the group, not each word.

а о House, car, window The last letter gives the gender

The last letter gives the gender. A consonant or й is masculine. The letters -а and -я are feminine. The letters -о and -е are neuter. Say мой дом, моя машина and моё окно.

дом (m)house
стол (m)table
музей (m)museum
машина (f)car
неделя (f)week
окно (n)window
море (n)sea
письмо (n)letter

-ияFeminine Russia, Italy, Spain Countries in -ия are feminine

Many country names end in -ия. These names are feminine. To say in, change -ия to -ии. Say в России and в Италии. Other names follow their last letter. Канада is feminine. Китай is masculine.

РоссияRussia
ИталияItaly
ИспанияSpain
ФранцияFrance
ГерманияGermany
АнглияEngland
ЯпонияJapan
ИндияIndia

-остьFeminine News, joy, speed Words in -ость are feminine

A soft sign hides the gender of a word. The ending -ость tells you. These words are feminine. They name ideas, like English -ness and -ty. Say моя радость.

новостьa piece of news
радостьjoy
скоростьspeed
возможностьopportunity
молодостьyouth
гордостьpride
трудностьdifficulty
безопасностьsafety

-тельMasculine Teacher, writer, driver People in -тель are masculine

Words for people that end in -тель are masculine. They are like English -er words. Some add -ница for a woman. Учитель becomes учительница. Others do not. A woman who drives is водитель.

учительteacher
писательwriter
водительdriver
читательreader
жительresident
зрительviewer
строительbuilder
покупательbuyer

-ьMasculine January, April, June All months are masculine

All months are masculine. This includes the months that end in a soft sign. Say прошлый январь. To say in, add -е. Say в январе. Write months with a small letter.

январьJanuary
февральFebruary
апрельApril
июньJune
июльJuly
сентябрьSeptember
октябрьOctober
декабрьDecember

чь шьFeminine Night, daughter, thing A soft sign after ж, ч, ш, щ is feminine

After ж, ч, ш and щ, a soft sign marks a feminine word. Say эта ночь. Masculine words have no soft sign there. Say этот нож and этот врач.

ночьnight
дочьdaughter
вещьthing
помощьhelp
речьspeech
мышьmouse
молодёжьyoung people
ложьlie

Exceptions 3

These common words break the rules. Learn each set together.

-мя Name, time, flame The ten words in -мя are neuter

Words that end in -я are usually feminine. Ten words that end in -мя are neuter. Say моё имя and новое время. The plural is different. Say имена and времена.

имяname
времяtime
пламяflame
знамяbanner
семяseed
племяtribe
бремяburden

-а / -яMasculine Dad, uncle, grandfather Words for men that end in -а or -я

Some words for men end in -а or -я. They are masculine. Say мой папа and мой дядя. The endings change like feminine words. Say я вижу папу.

папаdad
дядяuncle
дедушкаgrandfather
мужчинаman
юношаyoung man
судьяjudge

≈ Shop, surname, office Words that look like English but are not

Many loan words mean the same in English. These do not. Магазин means shop, not magazine. Learn the real meaning of each one.

магазинshopnot magazine
фамилияsurnamenot family
кабинетoffice, studynot cabinet
аккуратныйneatnot accurate
симпатичныйnice-lookingnot sympathetic
проспектavenuenot prospect
фабрикаfactorynot fabric
батонloaf of breadnot baton

Plurals and other rules 3

One small rule changes many words.

= Cafe, metro, taxi Loan words that never change

Loan words that end in -о, -е, -и, -у or -ю never change. Most are neuter. Say новое кафе. Say в метро and на такси. Кофе is the exception. It is masculine.

кафеcafe
метроmetro
киноcinema
таксиtaxi
пальтоcoat
менюmenu
радиоradio
интервьюinterview

ы → и Books, hands, lessons Write и, never ы, after г к х ж ч ш щ

The usual plural ending is -ы. After г, к, х, ж, ч, ш and щ, write -и. Книга becomes книги. Урок becomes уроки. This rule applies to all endings.

книга becomes книгиbook
рука becomes рукиhand
нога becomes ногиleg
урок becomes урокиlesson
нож becomes ножиknife
врач becomes врачиdoctor
девушка becomes девушкиgirl
язык becomes языкиlanguage

в …е At school, at work, in the park Add -е to say where

To say where you are, use в or на. Then add -е to the place. Школа becomes в школе. Парк becomes в парке. Work takes на. Say на работе.

школа becomes в школеschool
работа becomes на работеwork
парк becomes в паркеpark
театр becomes в театреtheater
ресторан becomes в ресторанеrestaurant
офис becomes в офисеoffice
университет becomes в университетеuniversity
банк becomes в банкеbank

Word building 1

Add a small part to a word you know. You get a new word.

не- Not far, not bad, unknown Не- makes the opposite

Add не- to the start of a word to make the opposite. Далеко becomes недалеко. The new word is often softer. Неплохо means not bad, so quite good.

большой becomes небольшойnot big
далеко becomes недалекоnot far
плохо becomes неплохоnot bad
дорогой becomes недорогойinexpensive
правда becomes неправдаuntruth
возможно becomes невозможноimpossible
известный becomes неизвестныйunknown
обычный becomes необычныйunusual

Pronunciation 2

Some letters do not sound the way an English reader expects.

о → а Milk, good, thanks An unstressed о sounds like а

Only a stressed о sounds like o. An unstressed о sounds like a. Say ma-la-KO for молоко. Say spa-SEE-ba for спасибо. The spelling does not change.

молокоmilkma-la-KO
хорошоgood, wellkha-ra-SHO
спасибоthank youspa-SEE-ba
водаwaterva-DA
МоскваMoscowmask-VA
собакаdogsa-BA-ka
погодаweatherpa-GO-da
головаheadga-la-VA

б → п Bread, friend, city The last consonant loses its voice

A voiced consonant at the end of a word loses its voice. Б sounds like п. Д sounds like т. Г sounds like к. Say khlyep for хлеб. Say drook for друг.

хлебbreadkhlyep
другfrienddrook
мужhusbandmoosh
городcityGO-rat
садgardensat
глазeyeglas
зубtoothzoop
снегsnowsnyek

C Colin Taylor Oct 22, 2026 · 8 min read Drafted with Claude (AI), reviewed and edited by Colin Taylor. How pieces are written

How to use these patterns

Read one pattern a day. Say the example words out loud. Then look for that pattern in what you read and hear that week. A pattern you notice three times in real Russian stays with you. Soon you hear those words in speech and use them in your own sentences.

Start with the first group, words you already know. Those 14 patterns turn English words you use every day into Russian ones. The gender group comes next. It tells you the gender before you look the word up.

The same kind of list exists for Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, each with its own free PDF.

A pattern is a guide, and every guide has exceptions. The exceptions group lists the common ones, like имя. When a word you made from a pattern sounds wrong, check it.

Patterns get a word in. To keep it, the forgetting curve shows how fast a new word fades and when to review it.

Questions people ask

What is a Russian word pattern?

A rule that changes many words at once. English words that end in -tion end in -ция in Russian. These words are feminine. When you know that rule, you know нация, информация and станция before anyone teaches them to you.

Do the patterns always work?

Most of the time, and each pattern says where it stops. The exceptions group lists common words that break the rules, like имя. The false friends pattern lists words that look like English and mean something else, like магазин, which means shop.

Is this the same as the Word patterns screen in Verbamor?

Yes. These are the same 29 Russian patterns. In the app you can pick any example word and save it as a flashcard with a picture, an example sentence and audio.

What do I get by email?

A printable PDF with all 29 patterns and 229 example words, and my post-lesson debrief handbook. Then a few short emails. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Turn a pattern into words you can say.

Open Word patterns in Verbamor, pick the words you want, and save them. Each card gets a picture, an example sentence and audio, and comes back just before you forget it, so the word is there when you need it in a conversation.

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