Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "body" 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.

тело

Meaning: body, flesh, figure, corpse

Pronunciation: [TYEH-luh]

Part of speech: noun (neuter noun)

Rank: #287 (see frequency list)

She has a beautiful slender body.
Photo by dollen CC-BY-ND-2.0

Example sentences:

У неё краси́вое и стро́йное те́ло.
She has a beautiful and slender body.
Она́ стыди́лась своего́ те́ла.
She was embarassed of her body.
У него́ кра́сные пятна́ по всему́ те́лу.
He has red spots all over his body.
Медве́дь не тро́нет мёртвое те́ло.
A bear will not touch a dead body.
Ну́жно следи́ть за свои́м те́лом.
It is necessary to take care of your body.
literal It is necessary to follow after your body.
На его́ те́ле бы́ло не́сколько шра́мов.
There were a few scars on his body.
У спортсме́нов си́льные тела́.
Athletes have strong bodies.
Они́ горди́лись свои́ми мускули́стыми тела́ми.
They were proud of their muscular bodies.
Те́ло сме́ртно, душа́ бессме́ртна.
The body is mortal, the soul is immortal.
Те́ло э́той же́нщины бы́ло прекра́сно.
This woman's body was beautiful.
На ме́сте ава́рии на́йдены тела́ поги́бших.
The dead bodies were found at the accident site.
Куб и пирами́да - геометри́ческие тела́.
Cube and a pyramid are geometrical objects.
У неё стро́йная фигу́ра и краси́вое те́ло.
She has slender figure and beautiful body.
Мне надое́ла рекла́ма средств по ухо́ду за те́лом!
I'm tired of ads for body care products!

Idioms and set expressions:

дрожа́ть всем те́лом = tremble all over
го́лое те́ло = naked body
небе́сное те́ло = celestial body, heavenly body
твёрдое те́ло = solid
жи́дкое те́ло = liquid
обнажённое те́ло = nude body
иноро́дное те́ло = foreign body
на го́лое те́ло = next to the skin
мура́шки по те́лу бе́гают = it gives one the shiver
растере́ть те́ло = massage body, rub body
Принима́й те́ло! = (humorous) Here's your drunken relative!
literal Take the body!
геометри́ческое те́ло = geometric shape, geometric solid, geometrical object
literal geometrical body
язы́к те́ла = body language
ухо́д за те́лом = body care
проду́кты/сре́дства по ухо́ду за те́лом = body care products

Related words:

теле́сный = corporal
те́льце = small body, corpuscle
ту́ловище = trunk, torso
плоть = flesh
труп = corpse

Proverbs and sayings:

В здоро́вом те́ле здоро́вый дух.
A healthy mind in a healthy body.
Вели́к те́лом, да мал де́лом.
Penny wise and pound foolish.
literal Big body but small result.
Чте́ние для ума́ - что гимна́стика для те́ла.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
Мал язы́к, да всем те́лом владе́ет.
Your tongue may save your pate.
literal The tongue is small in size, but it is the master over the whole body.
Кре́пок те́лом - бога́т и де́лом.
A healthy man is a successful man.
literal Strong with body - rich with results.

Своя́ руба́шка бли́же к те́лу.
Charity begins at home.
literal One's own shirt is closer to the body.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	те́ло	тела́
Genitive	те́ла	те́л
Dative	те́лу	тела́м
Accusative	те́ло	тела́
Instrumental	те́лом	тела́ми
Prepositional	те́ле	тела́х

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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