How do you say "wish" in Russian?

желать

zhelat'

Verb Cyrillic

In Russian, "wish" is желать (zhelat').

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

English speakers can read it as zhelat', putting emphasis on "at", and the rest comes out fairly flat. Try whispering it first, then say it at normal speed.

Writing and usage

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

Example sentence

Поздравляю тебя с днём рождения.

Pozdravljaju tebja s dnem rozhdenija.

I wish you a happy birthday.

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How to remember желать

Notice how "zhel" echoes something like the syllable "zhel" in everyday English speech — a small bridge to remembering "wish".

Related words

Browse all Russian words in the glossary.

Questions about желать

How do you pronounce желать?

English speakers can read it as zhelat', putting emphasis on "at", and the rest comes out fairly flat. Try whispering it first, then say it at normal speed.

Is желать formal or casual?

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

How is желать used in Russian?

желать is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Поздравляю тебя с днём рождения. (I wish you a happy birthday.).

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.

"Wish" 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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