Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "black" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

чёрный

Meaning: black, dirty

Pronunciation: [CHYOHR-niy]

Part of speech: adjective (Also see #456)

Rank: #333 (see frequency list)

We had a black cat.
Photo by eschipul CC-BY-SA-2.0

Example sentences:

У нас былá чëрная кóшка.
We had a black cat.
Я хочу́ купи́ть чëрное плáтье.
I want to buy a black dress.
Ты лю́бишь чëрный хлеб?
Do you like brown bread?
literal Do you like black bread?
Я не могу́ жить без чëрного кóфе.
I can't live without black coffee.
Нéбо бы́ло чëрным от туч.
The sky was black with clouds.
literal The sky was black from clouds.
Настóйка сдéлана из чëрной сморóдины.
The liquer was made of black currant.
Иногдá я пью чëрный чай с молокóм.
I sometimes drink black tea with milk.
Нефть назывáют чëрным зóлотом.
Oil is called black gold.
literal They call oil black gold.
Рубáшка былá чëрной, как сáжа.
The shirt was black (dirty) as soot.
Он приéхал с ю́га весь чëрный.
He came from the south really suntanned.
literal He came from the south all black.
Ты купи́л э́то на чëрном ры́нке?
Did you buy that at the black market?
Похóже, для нас наступи́ли чëрный дни.
It seems that we're going through rainy days.
literal It seems that black days have come for us.
Он увлекáлся чëрной мáгией.
He was fond of black magic.
Онá бы́стро сбежáла по чëрной лécтнице.
She quickly ran down the backstairs.
Как ты отнócишься к чëрному ю́мору?
What is your opinion about black humour?
literal What is your attitude to black humour?

Idioms and set expressions:

занести́ в чёрный спи́сок = put on a blacklist
чёрный ю́мор = black humour
чёрный я́щик = black box
чёрная дырá = black hole
чёрная зáвисть = green with envy
literal black envy
чёрная кошка пробежáла (мéжду) = there is a coolness (between)
чёрная мáгия = black magic
чёрная металлурги́я = ferrous metallurgy
literal black metallurgy
чёрное духовéнство = the regular clergy
literal black clergy
чёрные метáллы = ferrous metals
literal black metals
выдавáть чёрное за бéлое = call black white
держáть в чёрном тéле кого-либо = keep smb on short rations
literal keep smb in black body
отклáдывать на чёрный день = put by for a rainy day
literal put by for a black day
предстáвить дéло в чёрном свéте = represent an affair pеssimisticly
literal represent an affair in black light
чëрно-бéлый фильм = black-and-white movie
чёрное дéрево = ebony
literal black tree
чёрная рабóта = dirty work
literal black work
чёрное сéрдце = black heart
чёрный ры́нок = black market
чёрный пéрец = black pepper

Related words:

чернови́к = rough copy
черноволócый = black-haired
черноглáзый = dark-eyed
тëмный = dark

Proverbs and sayings:

Береги́ дéнежку на чëрный день.
Put the money by for a rainy day.
literal Put the money by for a black day.
Чëрного кобеля́ не вы́моешь добелá.
One can't make a good person of a bad one.
literal A black dog can't be washed to white.

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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