Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "friend" 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.

товарищ

Meaning: friend, comrade, colleague, fellow, companion, person, individual

Pronunciation: [tah-VAH-risch]

Part of speech: noun

Rank: #210 (see frequency list)

I decided to go to Suzdal to visit a university friend.
Photo by kyllaris, licensed under CC SA 2.0

Example sentences:

Вчерá я с мои́ми товáрищами по рабóте был на корпорати́ве.
Yesterday my colleagues and I were at a corporate party.
Я реши́л поéхать в Cу́здаль к товáрищу по университéту.
I decided to go to Suzdal to visit a university friend.
Алексáндр - мой шкóльный товáрищ.
Alexander is my schoolmate.
Собáка - мой вéрный товáрищ.
My dog is my best friend.
literal My dog is my loyal comrade.
Вáня был отли́чным товáрищем.
Vania was a perfect friend.
Я отдáл конспéкты одному́ товáрищу.
I gave my notes to a friend of mine.
На съéзде нé было товáрища Смирнóва.
Comrade Smirnov was absent at the party congress.
Товáрищи! Я прошу́ тишины́! Мы начинáeм обсуждéние.
Comrades! Silence, please. We're starting the discussion.
Этих товáрищей сюдá никтó не звал.
These individuals were never invited.

Idioms and set expressions:

товáрищ по несчácтью = companion in distress
товáрищ по ору́жию = companion in arms

Related words:

друг = friend
прия́тель = friend, pal
знакóмый = acquaintance
господи́н = sir, mister
граждани́н = sir (old-fashioned), citizen

Proverbs and sayings:

Гусь свиньé не товáрищ.
Oil and water don't mix.
literal A goose can't be a pig's friend.
Пéший кóнному не товáрищ.
A rich can't ba a friend of a poor.
literal A pedestrian can't be a friend of a horseman.
Cы́тый голóдному не товáрищ.
A rich can't ba a friend of a poor.
literal The well-fed don't understand the hungry.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	това́рищ	това́рищи
Genitive	това́рища	това́рищей
Dative	това́рищу	това́рищам
Accusative	това́рища	това́рищей
Instrumental	това́рищем	това́рищами
Prepositional	това́рище	това́рищах

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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