How do you say "first" in Russian?

Первый

Pervyj

Noun Cyrillic

In Russian, "first" is Первый (Pervyj).

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Pronunciation

Read Pervyj as two short beats strung together, keeping "Per" heavier than the rest because the first syllable is where the emphasis belongs.

Writing and usage

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

Example sentence

Она заняла первое место в гонке.

Ona zanjala pervoe mesto v gonke.

She won first place in the race.

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How to remember Первый

Imagine a first shouting its own name, "Pervyj", across a room, and let that silly image do the memorizing for you.

Related words

Browse all Russian words in the glossary.

Questions about Первый

How do you pronounce Первый?

Read Pervyj as two short beats strung together, keeping "Per" heavier than the rest because the first syllable is where the emphasis belongs.

Is Первый formal or casual?

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

How is Первый used in Russian?

Первый is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: Она заняла первое место в гонке. (She won first place in the race.).

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.

"First" 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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