How do you say "read" in Russian?

читать

chitat'

Verb Cyrillic

In Russian, "read" is читать (chitat').

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Pronunciation

Read it aloud as "chitat'", with the accent sitting mid-word, and English speakers usually flatten the vowels a bit at first, which is fine.

Writing and usage

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

Example sentence

Я читаю книгу перед сном.

Ja chitaju knigu pered snom.

I read a book before bed.

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How to remember читать

Whenever "chitat'" comes up, picture a stack of unpaid bills on a desk; how the word tumbles out quickly keeps them linked.

Related words

Browse all Russian words in the glossary.

Questions about читать

How do you pronounce читать?

Read it aloud as "chitat'", with the accent sitting mid-word, and English speakers usually flatten the vowels a bit at first, which is fine.

Is читать formal or casual?

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

How is читать used in Russian?

читать is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Я читаю книгу перед сном. (I read a book before bed.).

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.

"Read" in other languages

Curated by Jack 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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