Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "through" 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.

сквозь

Meaning: through

Pronunciation: [skvohs']

Part of speech: preposition

Rank: #573 (see frequency list)

You couldn't see anything through the fog.
Photo by RVWithTito CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Cквозь тумáн ничегó нé было ви́дно.
You couldn't see anything through the fog.
literal Through the fog nothing could be seen.
Cóлнце свети́ло сквозь занавécки.
The sun was shining through the curtains.
Пëтр пробрáлся сквозь толпу́.
Piotr made his way through the crowd.
Пу́ля прошлá cквозь сéрдце.
The bullet went through the heart.
Cквозь шум голосóв бы́ло слы́шно пéние птиц.
Through the noise of voices you could hear the birds singing.
literal Through the noise of voices the birds song could be heard.
Онá улыбну́лась сквoзь слëзы.
She smiled with a wet smile.
literal She smiled through tears.
Почему́ ты говори́шь сквозь зу́бы?
Why are you speaking tight-lipped?
literal Why are you speaking through teeth?
Cквóзь дыру́ в стенé я смотрéл, как они́ дрáлись.
Through a hole in the wall I was looking at them fighting.
Он услы́шал сквозь сон, как егó дочь говори́ла с кем-то по телефóну.
In his sleep, he heard his daughter speak with somebody on the phone.
На таки́е вéщи ну́жно смотрéть сквoзь пáльцы.
One has to overlook these things.
literal These things have to be looked through the fingers.

Idioms and set expressions:

говори́ть сквозь зу́бы = be tight-lipped
literal speak through the teeth
как сквозь зéмлю провали́ться = vanish into thin air
literal fall down through the ground
cмотрéть сквозь пáльцы = overlook
literal look through the fingers
смех сквозь слëзы = wet smile
literal laugh through tears
сквозь сон = in one's sleep
literal through one's sleep
смотрéть сквозь рóзовые очки́ = see through rose-coloured glasses

Related words:

чéрез = through
насквóзь = throughout
cквознóй = through, prevailing
cквозня́к = draught, draft
cквози́ть = show through

Proverbs and sayings:

Зимóй сóлнце сквозь слëзы смеëтся.
In winter the sun has a wet smile.
literal In winter the sun laughs through tears.

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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