Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "father" 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.

отец

Meaning: father

Pronunciation: [ah-TYEHTS]

Part of speech: noun

Rank: #165 (see frequency list)

Father and son. Photo by Onkelbo, licensed under CC-SA3.0

Example sentences:

Мой оте́ц рабо́тает в ба́нке.
My father works in the bank.
Он о́чень хоро́ший оте́ц.
He is a very good father.
Моему́ отцу́ пятьдеся́т лет.
My father is fifty years old.
literal To my father is fifty years.
Винт Серф изве́стен как "отец Интерне́та".
Vint Cerf is known as the "father of the Internet."
Де́ти игра́ют с отцо́м.
Children are playing with the father.
Мы ре́дко ви́димся с отцо́м.
I and my father seldom see each other.
literal We seldom see with father.
В насле́дство от отца́ мне оста́лась кварти́ра.
I inherited a flat from my father.
literal The flat was left to me in inheritance from father.
Отец Михаи́л прочита́л моли́тву.
Father Michael read a prayer.
Ди́ма Била́н стал отцо́м.
Dima Bilan became a father.
У неё нет отца́.
She does not have a father.
literal At her no father.

Idioms and set expressions:

оте́ц семе́йства = father of a family; paterfamilias; family man
приёмный оте́ц = foster-father
крёстный оте́ц = godfather
оте́ц-одино́чка = single father

Related words:

па́па = dad, daddy
ба́тя = father, dad (colloquial)
ба́тька = father, dad (colloquial)

Proverbs and sayings:

Во и́мя Отца́ и Сы́на и Свято́го Ду́ха.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Каков отец, таков и сынок.
Like father, like son.
Ради красного словца не пожалеет ни мать, ни отца.
For the sake of an effect word, he won't pity his mother or the Lord.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	оте́ц	отцы́
Genitive	отца́	отцо́в
Dative	отцу́	отца́м
Accusative	отца́	отцо́в
Instrumental	отцо́м	отца́ми
Prepositional	отце́	отца́х

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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