Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "head" 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.

голова

Meaning: head, mind, brains, chief, master

Pronunciation: [gah-lah-VAH]

Part of speech: noun (feminine noun)

Rank: #91 (see frequency list)

An image of a human head
by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator, licensed under CCA-2.5 2006

Example sentences:

Она́ мо́ет го́лову ка́ждый день.
She washes her head every day.
У меня́ боли́т голова́.
I have a headache.
literal At me head aches.
У него́ в голове́ не́ было ни одно́й мы́сли.
There was not a single thought in his mind.
По обы́чаю, же́нщинам нельзя́ входи́ть в правосла́вную це́рковь с непокры́той голово́й.
According to the custom, women should not enter the Orthodox church bare-headed.
Со́лнце стои́т высоко́ над голово́й.
The sun is high above the head.
Он сам себе́ голова́.
He is his own master.

Idioms and set expressions:

человек с головой = a bright person; a man with brains
literal a man with head
на свежую голову = with a fresh head
literal on a fresh head
пустая голова = empty pate
literal empty head
смелая голова = bold spirit
literal brave head
голову давать на отсечение = to stake one's head / life
головой ручаться за кого-либо = to answer for somebody with one's life
вбить себе в голову = to take into one's head
с головы до ног = from head to foot, from top to toe
выдать себя с головой = to give oneself away
не выходить из головы = not go out of one’s mind
ломать голову = to rack one’s brains
бежать сломя голову = to run headlong
потерять голову = to lose one's head
ударять в голову = to rush to the head; to go to one's head; to hit
Выше голову! = Chin up!
повесить голову = to hang one's head

Proverbs and sayings:

Хлеб всему голова.
Bread is the stuff of life. / Bread - whole head!
Одна голова — хорошо, а две — лучше.
Two heads are better than one.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	голова́	го́ловы
Genitive	головы́	голо́в
Dative	голове́	голова́м
Accusative	го́лову	го́ловы
Instrumental	голово́й	голова́ми
Prepositional	голове́	голова́х

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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