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Russian vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "to swim" in Russian?

плавать

plavatʹ

Noun Cyrillic

In Russian, "to swim" is плавать.

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Pronunciation

Say PLAH-vuh-tuh, with stress on the first syllable. The 'pla' comes out like 'plah' in 'plot'.

Writing and usage

Seven letters total. The root плав appears in related words like плавание (swimming). Double the sound in memory.

Example sentence

Мальчик плавает в бассейне.

The boy is swimming in the pool.

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How to remember плавать

Plavat starts with the 'pla' sound, like the splash sound when you dive, plus 'vat'.

Related words

Browse all Russian words in the glossary.

See more verbs.

See more verbs.

Questions about плавать

How do you say "to swim" in Russian?

In Russian, "to swim" is плавать. It is a noun.

How is плавать written in Russian?

Seven letters total. The root плав appears in related words like плавание (swimming). Double the sound in memory.

How is плавать used in a sentence?

Use плавать as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Мальчик плавает в бассейне. (The boy is swimming in the pool.).

Where can I practice Russian words for free?

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"To swim" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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