How do you say "swim" in Russian?

плавать

plavat'

Verb Cyrillic

In Russian, "swim" is плавать (plavat').

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Pronunciation

The word rolls off as "plavat'", with the emphasis landing on the middle syllable, and most learners get it after repeating it slowly a handful of times.

Writing and usage

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

Example sentence

Она любит плавать в море.

Ona ljubit plavat' v more.

She likes to swim in the sea.

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How to remember плавать

Picture a calculator on a cluttered desk to lock in "plavat'" — the sound mirrors how the word tumbles out quickly.

Related words

Browse all Russian words in the glossary.

Questions about плавать

How do you pronounce плавать?

The word rolls off as "plavat'", with the emphasis landing on the middle syllable, and most learners get it after repeating it slowly a handful of times.

Is плавать formal or casual?

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

How is плавать used in Russian?

плавать is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Она любит плавать в море. (She likes to swim in the sea.).

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.

"Swim" 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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