Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "country" 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.

страна

Meaning: country, land

Pronunciation: [strah-NAH]

Part of speech: noun (feminine noun)

Rank: #204 (see frequency list)

Karelia is known as the land of the rivers and lakes.
Photo by WomEOS, adapted by MasterRussian.com, licensed under CC SA 2.0

Example sentences:

Росси́я - большáя странá.
Russia is a big country.
Из какóй Вы страны́?
What country are you from? (polite)
Президéнта нáшей страны́ зову́т Дми́трий Медвéдев.
The name of the president of our country is Dmitry Medvedev. (Assumed office 7 May 2008)
Зимóй пти́цы улетáют в жáркие стрáны.
In winter, birds migrate to hot countries.
literal In winter, birds fly away to hot countries.
В каки́х европéйских стрáнaх ты был?
What European countries have you been to? (informal)
Мы лю́бим нáшу страну́.
We love our country.
Вчерá я купи́ла энциклопéдию стран ми́ра.
Yesterday I bought a world countries encyclopedia. (said by a female)
Онá хотéла поéздить по э́той прекрácной странé.
She wanted to travel through this wonderful country.
Брази́лия явля́ется развивáющейся странóй.
Brazil is a developing country.
Перу́ - э́то гóрная странá,
Peru is a mountainous country.
Карéлию назывáют странóй рек и озëр.
Karelia is called the land of the rivers and lakes.
Зарубéжные стрáны не соглácны с пози́цией Росси́и.
Foreign countries don't agree with the positions of Russia.
Ты знáeшь каки́е стрáны принадлежáт к стрáнам трéтьего ми́ра?
Do you know what countries belong to the Third World countries?
Мнóгие арáбские стрáны богáты нéфтью.
Many Arab countries are rich in oil.

Idioms and set expressions:

зарубéжные стрáны = foreign countries
в масштáбах всей страны́ = nation-wide
literal in the scale of the whole country
развивáющиеся стрáны = developing countries
четы́ре страны́ свéта = four cardinal points
literal the four countries of the world
cтрáны трéтьего ми́ра = Third World countries
жáркие стрáны = hot countries

Related words:

госудáрство = state
рóдина = homeland
край = region, country, krai (an administrative division in Russia)

Proverbs and sayings:

Москвá - головá, а странá - ру́ки и нóги.
Moscow is the head and the country is arms and legs.
Если áрмия сильнá, непобеди́ма и странá.
If the army is strong, the country is invincible.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	страна́	стра́ны
Genitive	страны́	стра́н
Dative	стране́	стра́нам
Accusative	страну́	стра́ны
Instrumental	страно́й	стра́нами
Prepositional	стране́	стра́нах

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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