Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "target" 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.

цель

Meaning: target, goal, aim, mark

Pronunciation: [tsehl']

Part of speech: noun (feminine noun)

Rank: #572 (see frequency list)

Shoot at the target!
Photo by miggslives CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Cтреля́й в цель!
Shoot at the target!
Какáя у тебя́ цель?
What is your goal?
Удар попáл в цель.
The strike hit the target.
Я могу́ знать, с какóй цéлью ты всë э́то дéлаешь?
May I know the purpose why you are doing all that?
literal May I know with what purpose are you doing all that?
Мы ужé у цéли: виднá верши́на.
We're already getting to the final point, you can see the peak.
literal We're already at [the] target, the peak [is] seen.
У меня́ я́сные цéли, котóрых я всегдá добивáюсь.
I always have clear goals that I always achieve.
Ceмëн задáлся цéлью вы́учить все европéйские языки́.
Semion is aiming to learn all the European languages.
Онá сдéлала э́то в свои́х ли́чных цéлях.
She did it to suit her own ends.
literal She did it in her own aims.
Я люблю́ броди́ть по у́лицам без цéли.
I like wandering along the streets without any purpose.
В цéлях обеспечéния безопácности движéния бу́дет ужесточëн контрóль на дорóгах.
In order to guarantee the road safety the road control will be toughened.

Idioms and set expressions:

попáсть в цель = hit the mark
ми́мо цели = wide of the mark
я́сная цель = clear objective
имéть цéлью = have for an object
преслéдовать цель = pursue one's object
стáвить себé цéлью = set oneself as an object
служи́ть цéли = serve the purpose
дости́чь цели = achieve one's object
отвечáть цéли = answer the purpose
задавáться цéлью = aim to
в свои́х ли́чных цéлях = to suit one's own ends
с цéлью = with the purpose
с еди́нственной цéлью = for the single purpose
в цéлях = in order to
literal in goals

Related words:

целевóй = targeted
целеустремлëнный = purposeful
целенапрáвленный = purposeful, commited
задáча = aim, purpose, task
бесцéльный = purposeless

Proverbs and sayings:

Цель опрáвдывает срéдства.
The ends justify the means.

Case

Singular

Plural

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.

Got questions?

Ask them in the Russian Questions and Answers — a place for students, teachers and native Russian speakers to discuss Russian grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other aspects of the Russian language.