Russian Literature Vocabulary Lesson terms

Russian Vocabulary about Russian Literature

Published: May 8, 2023

Russian literature uses the same forms and structures as well as literary and poetic devices as other great Western literature. One can find in Russian literature fiction and nonfiction, novels, short stories, and poems, all containing narrative structure, metaphor, simile, metonymy, and other common devices. Thus, Russian literature can be analyzed with many of the same concepts and tools with which students of literature are bound to be well familiar.

The following free bilingual Russian vocabulary lesson is meant for advanced students of Russian who are also deeply interested in analyzing and discussing Russian literature. This lesson seeks to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text.

Hover over the bold Russian to reveal its English translation. Note that Russian phrases already used previously in the text will not have the translation provided. Challenge yourself to learn as you go!

Structure and Classification

Whether youโ€™re studying in Russia or the US, if youโ€™re learning Russian language, youโ€™re probably also reading classic Russian literature. Here is some useful vocabulary for discussing literature.

ะ›ะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐย can be ั…ัƒะดะพะถะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะฐั ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐ, or ะดะพะบัƒะผะตะฝั‚ะฐะปัŒะฝะฐั, ะฝะตะฑะตะปะปะตั‚ั€ะธัั‚ะธั‡ะตัะบะฐั ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐ. Both of these types of literature can contain a ะฟั€ะตะดะธัะปะพะฒะธะต, ะฟั€ะพะปะพะณ, and ัะฟะธะปะพะณ.

There are many different subtypes of ั…ัƒะดะพะถะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะฐั ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐ: ั„ัะฝั‚ะตะทะธ, ะผะธัั‚ะธะบะฐ/ัƒะถะฐัั‹, ะฝะฐัƒั‡ะฝะฐั ั„ะฐะฝั‚ะฐัั‚ะธะบะฐ, ะบั€ะธะผะธะฝะฐะปัŒะฝะฐั ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐ/ะดะตั‚ะตะบั‚ะธะฒ, ะปัŽะฑะพะฒะฝั‹ะต ะธัั‚ะพั€ะธะธ, ัŽะผะพั€ะธัั‚ะธั‡ะตัะบะธะน ั€ะฐััะบะฐะท, and ะธัั‚ะพั€ะธั‡ะตัะบะฐั ะฟั€ะพะทะฐ.

There are also lots of different types of literary works: ั€ะพะผะฐะฝ, ะฟะพะฒะตัั‚ัŒ, ั€ะฐััะบะฐะท, ัั‚ะธั…ะพั‚ะฒะพั€ะตะฝะธะต, and ะฐะฝั‚ะพะปะพะณะธั, a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. A format that is not as common in modern fiction is a ั€ะพะผะฐะฝ ะฒ ัั‚ะธั…ะฐั…, such as Pushkinโ€™s ะ•ะฒะณะตะฝะธะน ะžะฝะตะณะธะฝ. Every literary work has ะณะตั€ะพะธ,ย including a ะณะปะฐะฒะฝั‹ะน ะณะตั€ะพะนย and an ะพั‚ั€ะธั†ะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ะณะตั€ะพะน.

A typical ัั‚ั€ัƒะบั‚ัƒั€ะฐ ััŽะถะตั‚ะฐย includes the several parts. First, the ัะบัะฟะพะทะธั†ะธั, ะฟั€ะตะดัั‚ะฐะฒะธั‚ ะณะตั€ะพะตะฒ, ะผะตัั‚ะพ ะธ ะฒั€ะตะผั ะดะตะนัั‚ะฒะธั: ะบั‚ะพ, ะณะดะต, ะบะพะณะดะฐ. The ะทะฐะฒัะทะบะฐย presents the ะฟะตั€ะฒะพะต ัั‚ะพะปะบะฝะพะฒะตะฝะธะต ะบะพะฝั„ะปะธะบั‚ัƒัŽั‰ะธั… ัั‚ะพั€ะพะฝ. Then, the ะฟะตั€ะธะฟะตั‚ะธะธ ะฟะพ ะฒะพัั…ะพะดัั‰ะตะน , ะบัƒะปัŒะผะธะฝะฐั†ะธั, ะฟะตั€ะธะฟะตั‚ะธะธ ะฟะพ ะฝะธัั…ะพะดัั‰ะตะน, and ั€ะฐะทะฒัะทะบะฐย develop the story to its ั„ะธะฝะฐะป, which ties up any lose ends to the story and gives it conclusion. In many ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ะพะธะทะฒะตะดะตะฝะธั, ัะธะผะฒะพะปั‹ย are important, and each ัะธะผะฒะพะป ะฒั‹ั€ะฐะถะฐะตั‚ย an idea.

ะŸั€ะตะดะทะฝะฐะผะตะฝะพะฒะฐะฝะธะตย is a ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฝั‹ะน ะฟั€ะธั‘ะผย in which the author drops subtle hints about events or developments that will occur later in the story. A common example is a ัะธะผะฒะพะป ะฑะตะดั‹, such as a ั‡ะตั€ะฝะฐั ะบะพัˆะบะฐ, ะฟะตั€ะตะฑะตะถะฐะฒัˆะฐั ะดะพั€ะพะณัƒ, ะบะฐั€ะบะฐะฝัŒะต ะฒะพั€ะพะฝะฐ, ะณั€ะพะทะฐ, or ะฒะฝะตะทะฐะฟะฝะพ ะฟะพั‚ัƒั…ัˆะฐั ัะฒะตั‡ะฐ.ย 

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Literary Devices

Knowing ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ะธั‘ะผั‹ย that ะฐะฒั‚ะพั€ั‹ย use can help readers ะฐะฝะฐะปะธะทะธั€ะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ัƒ. One of the most common ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ะธั‘ะผั‹ย is a ะผะตั‚ะฐั„ะพั€ะฐ, a ั„ะธะณัƒั€ะฐ ั€ะตั‡ะธย that describes an object by stating that it is in some way the same as another otherwise unrelated object. For example: ะœะพะน ะดะพะผ โ€” ะผะพั ะบั€ะตะฟะพัั‚ัŒ, or ะฒะตััŒ ะผะธั€ โ€” ั‚ะตะฐั‚ั€.

Russian Vocabulary about Russian Literature
Dostoyevskyโ€™s office โ€“ from the Dostoyevksy Apartment Memorial Museum in St. Petersburg. Read about an SRAS student who explored it while abroad in 2018 here.

A ะผะตั‚ะฐั„ะพั€ะฐย is slightly different from a ัั€ะฐะฒะฝะตะฝะธะต, which is an ัƒะฟะพะดะพะฑะปะตะฝะธะตย that compares two objects by using a comparative word such as ะบะฐะบย or ั‡ะตะผ, or verbs such as ะฝะฐะฟะพะผะธะฝะฐะตั‚. For example: ะœัƒะถะธะบ ะณะปัƒะฟ, ะบะฐะบ ัะฒะธะฝัŒั, ะฐ ั…ะธั‚ั‘ั€, ะบะฐะบ ั‡ั‘ั€ั‚.

A twist on a ะผะตั‚ะฐั„ะพั€ะฐ or ัั€ะฐะฒะฝะตะฝะธะตย is ะฟะตั€ัะพะฝะธั„ะธะบะฐฬั†ะธัย or ะพะปะธั†ะตั‚ะฒะพั€ะตะฝะธะต, which is representing a non-human entity as if it were human. For example: ะŸะปะฐั‡ั‘ั‚ ะดะพะถะดัŒ, ะฒะตั‚ะตั€ ะฟะพั‘ั‚ ะฟะตัะฝะธ.

When using ะผะตั‚ะพะฝะธะผะธัย the author refers to an object or concept not by its own name, but by something associated with that thing or concept. For example: ะฏ ั‚ั€ะธ ั‚ะฐั€ะตะปะบะธ ััŠะตะปย โ€“ here, food is implied, although the author never actually says โ€œthree plates of food.โ€

One type of metonymy is ัะธะฝะตะบะดะพั…ะฐ, which is a term for a part of something that refers to the whole of it, or vice versa. For example: ะ•ะดะธะฝัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะพะต ั‡ะธัะปะพ ะฒะผะตัั‚ะพ ะผะฝะพะถะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะพะณะพ: ะ’ัั‘ ัะฟะธั‚ โ€” ะธ ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตะบ, ะธ ะทะฒะตั€ัŒ, ะธ ะฟั‚ะธั†ะฐย (Gogol).

ะะปะปะตะณะพั€ะธัย is a ั€ะธั‚ะพั€ะธั‡ะตัะบะธะน ะฟั€ะธั‘ะผย in which characters or events represent a different idea or concept. For example: (from the Bible) ะ˜ัƒะดะฐ ะพะปะธั†ะตั‚ะฒะพั€ัะตั‚ ะปะพะถัŒ ะธ ะฟั€ะตะดะฐั‚ะตะปัŒัั‚ะฒะพ, ะฐ ะ‘ะพะณะพั€ะพะดะธั†ะฐ โ€“ ะบั€ะฐัะพั‚ัƒ ะธ ะฝะตะฟะพั€ะพั‡ะฝะพัั‚ัŒ.

A ัะฒั„ะตะผะธะทะผย is a generally harmless word or expression used in place of one that might be offensive or unpleasant. For example: ะฑะพะปะตะต ะถั‘ัั‚ะบะธะต ะผะตั‚ะพะดั‹ ะดะพะฟั€ะพัะฐย instead of ะฟั‹ั‚ะบะธ. The opposite of an ัะฒั„ะตะผะธะทะผย is a ะดะธัั„ะตะผะธฬะทะผ, which, instead of using harmless words, uses phrases that are offensive either about the ะดะตะฝะพั‚ะฐั‚ย or to the audience, or both. For example: ัะดะพั…ะฝัƒั‚ัŒย instead of ัƒะผะตั€ะตั‚ัŒ.

An ะฐะปะปัŽะทะธัย is a reference to a famous historical or literary person or event. These are very common in Russian ะณะฐะทะตั‚ะฝั‹ะต ะทะฐะณะพะปะพะฒะบะธ. One headline reads: ะ‘ะตั€ะตะณะธ ะบะธัั‚ัŒ ัะผะพะปะพะดัƒย is an allusion to the proverb ะ‘ะตั€ะตะณะธ ั‡ะตัั‚ัŒ ัะผะพะปะพะดัƒ; meaning that one should watch out to not make stupid mistakes in oneโ€™s youth as these come back to haunt you in the future.

ะ“ะธะฟะตั€ะฑะพะปะฐย involves using ะฟั€ะตัƒะฒะตะปะธั‡ะตะฝะธะตย as a rhetorical device or figure of speech, but should not be taken literally. It is used to evoke strong emotions or impressions. For example: ะฏ ะณะพะฒะพั€ะธะป ัั‚ะพ ั‚ั‹ััั‡ัƒ ั€ะฐะทย or, looking at a large meal, saying that โ€œะฝะฐะผ ะตะดั‹ ะฝะฐ ะฟะพะปะณะพะดะฐ ั…ะฒะฐั‚ะธั‚โ€.

On the other hand, ะปะธั‚ะพั‚ะฐย is a form of ะฟั€ะตัƒะผะตะฝัŒัˆะตะฝะธะตย that is always deliberate and with the intention of ะฒั‹ั€ะฐะทะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพัั‚ัŒ. For example: ะ›ะพัˆะฐะดัŒ ะฒะตะปะธั‡ะธะฝะพะน ั ะบะพัˆะบัƒ, ะถะธะทะฝัŒ ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตะบะฐ โ€” ะพะดะธะฝ ะผะธะณ.

ะŸะตั€ะธั„ั€ะฐฬะทย refers to an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech, in that the information can have multiple meanings. For example: ะ›ัŽะดะธ ะฒ ะฑะตะปั‹ั… ั…ะฐะปะฐั‚ะฐั…ย to mean doctors or ั†ะฐั€ัŒ ะทะฒะตั€ะตะนย to refer to a lion.

Most people who watch modern TV shows are familiar with ัะฐั€ะบะฐะทะผ, which is also quite common in literature. It can involve using a bitter statement or feigning indifference. For example: ะ•ัะปะธ ะฑะพะปัŒะฝะพะน ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ั…ะพั‡ะตั‚ ะถะธั‚ัŒ, ะฒั€ะฐั‡ะธ ะฑะตััะธะปัŒะฝั‹ย (Faina Ranevskaya).

Russian Vocabulary about Russian Literature
SRAS students on a tour of the Lenin State Library, one of the worldโ€™s largest, in Moscow in 2021. Read a review of the library from a student who visited it in 2019 here.

ะฅัƒะดะพะถะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ะพะฑั€ะฐะทย is vivid and descriptive language that is used to add depth to a literary work. Authors use imagery to appeal to human senses and deepen the readerโ€™s understanding of the work. Imagery sometimes uses metaphors, and strives to engage all the readerโ€™s senses.

ะ˜ั€ะพฬะฝะธัย is a contrast or inconsistency between what the reader expects from a situation and what actually happens. Sometimes similes or metaphors are used to state the opposite of the truth, for example: ะัƒ ั‚ั‹ ั…ั€ะฐะฑั€ะตั†! to refer to a coward, or ัƒะผั‘ะฝ-ัƒะผั‘ะฝย for an idiot.

ะะฝั‚ะธั‚ะตะทะฐย is comparing two things that are not related to each other in order to show their differences. For example: ะšั‚ะพ ะฑั‹ะป ะฝะธั‡ะตะผ, ั‚ะพั‚ ัั‚ะฐะฝะตั‚ ะฒัะตะผ.

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Poetry

ะะปะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั†ะธัย is repeating the same or similar sounds, usually at the beginning or in the middle of multiple words. Alliteration is used largely in ะฟะพัะทะธั, ะฟะพัะปะพะฒะธั†ั‹, ะฟะพะณะพะฒะพั€ะบะธ , and ัะบะพั€ะพะณะพะฒะพั€ะบะธ.

For example:

ะ’ั‹ั…ะพะดะธะปะฐ ะบ ะฝะธะผ ะณะพั€ะธะปะปะฐ,
ะ˜ะผ ะณะพั€ะธะปะปะฐ ะณะพะฒะพั€ะธะปะฐ
ะ“ะพะฒะพั€ะธะปะฐ ะธะผ ะณะพั€ะธะปะปะฐ,
ะŸั€ะธะณะพะฒะฐั€ะธะฒะฐะปะฐ.

(A gorilla went to them,
The gorilla told them,
The gorilla told them,
Repeated.)
โ€“ K. Chukovsky, Barmalei

When analyzing ะฟะพัะทะธั, there are a few other things to consider in addition to ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ะธั‘ะผั‹, for instance, there are various ัั‚ะธั…ะพั‚ะฒะพั€ะฝั‹ะต ั€ะฐะทะผะตั€ั‹ย that a ะฟะพัั‚ย can use: ะพะดะฝะพัะปะพะถะฝั‹ะน, ะดะฒัƒัะปะพะถะฝั‹ะน, ั‚ั€ะตั…ัะปะพะถะฝั‹ะน, ะฟัั‚ะธัะปะพะถะฝั‹ะน. Here are some of the ัะฐะผั‹ะต ั€ะฐัะฟั€ะพัั‚ั€ะฐะฝะตะฝะฝั‹ะต meters:

1. ะฅะพั€ะตะน: a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one:

ะ‘ัƒั€ั ะผะณะปะพัŽ ะฝะตะฑะพ ะบั€ะพะตั‚
ะ’ะธั…ั€ะธ ัะฝะตะถะฝั‹ะต ะบั€ัƒั‚ั

โ€“ A. Pushkin

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2. ะฏะผะฑ: the opposite of a ั…ะพั€ะตะน, this consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable:

ะœะพะน ะดัะดั ัะฐะผั‹ั… ั‡ะตัั‚ะฝั‹ั… ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะป,
ะšะพะณะดะฐ ะฝะต ะฒ ัˆัƒั‚ะบัƒ ะทะฐะฝะตะผะพะณ,
ะžะฝ ัƒะฒะฐะถะฐั‚ัŒ ัะตะฑั ะทะฐัั‚ะฐะฒะธะป
ะ˜ ะปัƒั‡ัˆะต ะฒั‹ะดัƒะผะฐั‚ัŒ ะฝะต ะผะพะณ.

โ€“ A. Pushkin

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3. ะะฝะฐะฟะตัั‚: two short syllables followed by a long one:

ะž, ะฒะตัะฝะฐ ะฑะตะท ะบะพะฝั†ะฐ ะธ ะฑะตะท ะบั€ะฐัŽ โ€“
ะ‘ะตะท ะบะพะฝั†ะฐ ะธ ะฑะตะท ะบั€ะฐัŽ ะผะตั‡ั‚ะฐ!
ะฃะทะฝะฐัŽ ั‚ะตะฑั, ะถะธะทะฝัŒ! ะŸั€ะธะฝะธะผะฐัŽ!
ะ˜ ะฟั€ะธะฒะตั‚ัั‚ะฒัƒัŽ ะทะฒะพะฝะพะผ ั‰ะธั‚ะฐ!

โ€“ A. Blok

ย 

4. ะะผั„ะธะฑั€ะฐฬั…ะธะน: a long syllable between two short syllables:

ะะต ะฒeั‚ะตั€ ะฑัƒัˆัƒะตั‚ ะฝะฐะด ะฑะพั€ะพะผ,
ะะต ั ะณะพั€ ะฟะพะฑะตะถะฐะปะธ ั€ัƒั‡ัŒะธ โ€“
ะœะพั€ะพะท-ะฒะพะตะฒะพะดะฐ ะดะพะทะพั€ะพะผ
ะžะฑั…ะพะดะธั‚ ะฒะปะฐะดะตะฝัŒั ัะฒะพะธ.

โ€“ N. Nekrasov

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Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov leads SRAS' Research Services, performing remote archive research and consultations for researchers around the globe. Andrei graduated from Ural State University (journalism) and Irkutsk State Linguistic University (English). He also studied public policy and journalism at Duke University on a Muskie Fellowship and taught Russian at West Virginia University. As a journalist, he has reported in both Russian and English language outlets and has years of archival research experience. He has travelled Russia extensively and penned many stories on the โ€œreal Russiaโ€ which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei also contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS Family of Sites.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

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