Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "sun" 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.

солнце

Meaning: sun, Sun, sunlight, sunshine

Pronunciation: [SOHN-tseh]

Part of speech: noun (neuter noun)

Rank: #372 (see frequency list)

The weather is just wonderful today, the sun is shining!
Photo by barockschloss CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Сегóдня погóда прócто отли́чная - свéтит сóлнце!
The weather is just wonderful today, the sun is shining!
literal Today the weather is just perfect, the sun is shining!
Земля́ вéртится вокру́г Сóлнца.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Зимóй совсéм нé было сóлнца, и мы все ужáсно устáли.
There was no sunlight in winter at all, so we were all terribly tired.
Cóлнце зашлó, и они́ сидéли в темнотé.
The sun has set, and they were sitting in the dark.
Вставáй, ужé взошлó cóлнце, порá рабóтать!
Come on, the sun has risen, it is time to start working!
Cóлнце на ю́ге - я́ркое и жáркое.
The sun is hot and bright in the South.
Крестья́не всегдá встаю́т с cóлнцем.
Peasants always get up at dawn.
literal Peasants always get up with the sun.
Не сиди́ на сóлнце, у тебя́ бу́дет сóлнечный удáр.
Don't sit in the sun, you will get a sunstroke.
Cóлнце моë! Ты опя́ть заболéл!
Oh my baby! You are ill again!
literal My sun! You are ill again!
Тогдá нам ещë cвети́ло сóлнце свобóды.
The sun of liberty was still shining to us then.

Idioms and set expressions:

сóлнце свéтит = the sun is shining
до сóлнца = before dawn
по сóлнцу = by the sun; clockwise
прóтив сóлнца = against the sun
под сóлнцем = under the sun
мécто под сóлцем = a place under the sun
грéться на сóлнце = to bask in the sun
сóлнце зашлó = the sun has set down
сóлнце взошлó = the sun has risen
сóлнце крácное = beautiful sun (poetical)

Related words:

сóлнечный = sunny
сóлнышко = my little sun, baby (tender)
сóлнечно = [it's] sunny

Proverbs and sayings:

И на Сóлнце бывáют пя́тна.
Nobody is perfect.
literal There are spots even on the Sun.
Cóлнце - на лéто, зимá - на морóз.
Days become longer and frosts become stronger.
literal The sun is to summer, the winter is to frosts.
Зимóй сóлнце что мáчеха: свéтит, да не грéeт.
In winter the sun is like a stepmother, it gives light, but it does not warm.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	со́лнце	со́лнца
Genitive	со́лнца	со́лнц
Dative	со́лнцу	со́лнцам
Accusative	со́лнце	со́лнца
Instrumental	со́лнцем	со́лнцами
Prepositional	со́лнце	со́лнцах

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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