How do you say "cry" in Russian?

плакать

plakat'

Verb Cyrillic

In Russian, "cry" is плакать (plakat').

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Pronunciation

Pronounce this as "plakat'", leaning heavier on the first part, and English speakers usually flatten the vowels a bit at first, which is fine.

Writing and usage

плакать is written using cyrillic. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

Ребёнок начал плакать.

Rebenok nachal plakat'.

The baby began to cry.

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How to remember плакать

Whenever "plakat'" comes up, picture someone waving a coupon at checkout; the rolled sound near the front keeps them linked.

Related words

Browse all Russian words in the glossary.

Questions about плакать

How do you pronounce плакать?

Pronounce this as "plakat'", leaning heavier on the first part, and English speakers usually flatten the vowels a bit at first, which is fine.

Is плакать formal or casual?

плакать is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is плакать used in Russian?

плакать is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Ребёнок начал плакать. (The baby began to cry.).

Where can I practice Russian words for free?

You can play free Russian minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Russian glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Cry" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Russian language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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