Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "century" 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.

век

Meaning: century, age, lifetime, epoch

Pronunciation: [vyek]

Part of speech: noun (masculine noun)

Rank: #457 (see frequency list)

I'd like to live in the Middle Ages.
Photo by pasukaru76 CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Я счита́ю, двадца́тый век был тяжёлым.
I think the 20th century was difficult.
Телефо́н был изобретён в девятна́дцатом ве́ке.
Telephone was invented in the 19th century.
Я бы хоте́л жить в Сре́дние векá.
I'd like to live in the Middle Ages.
Она́ мно́го повида́ла не своëм веку́.
She has seen much in her lifetime
Семëн Петрóвич уе́хал дожива́ть свой век в дере́вню.
Semion Petrovich decided to spend the rest of his life in a village.
literal Semion Petrovich went to spend the rest of his life to a village.
Ро́ма, я це́лый век тебя́ не ви́дел, как ты?
Roma, I haven't seen you for ages, how are you?
literal Roma, I haven't seen you the whole century, how are you?
Никогда́ тебя́ не забу́ду, век бу́ду по́мнить.
I'll never forget you, I'll remember you all my life.
literal I'll never forget you, I'll remember you for a century.
В ко́и-то ве́ки ты на да́чу собра́лся?
I can't believe you're going to the country house!
literal In what centuries are you going to dacha?
Счита́ется, что девятна́дцатый век - Золото́й век ру́сской литерату́ры.
They say that the 19th century is the Golden century of the Russian literature.
Сейча́с осо́бенно ва́жно идти́ в но́гу с ве́ком.
It's now really important to keep pace with the century.

Idioms and set expressions:

ка́менный век = the Stone Age
бро́нзовый век = the Bronze Age
желе́зный век = the Iron Age
Сре́дние века́ = the Middle Ages
на моëм веку́ = in my lifetime
отжи́ть свой век = go out of fashion
literal live out one's lifetime
на наш век хва́тит = it will last our time
век не вида́лись = not see each other for ages
literal not see each other for a century
в ко́и-то ве́ки = once in a blue moon
literal in what centuries
во ве́ки веко́в = for ever and ever
literal in centuries of centuries
на векá = for centuries to come
literal for centuries
на ве́ки ве́чные = forever
literal for eternal centuries
жить в векáх = live through the ages
literal live in the centuries
ограбле́ние ве́ка = the robbery of the century

Related words:

столе́тие = century
ве́чный = eternal
веково́й = century-long

Proverbs and sayings:

Век живи́ - век учи́сь.
Live and learn.
literal Live for a century and learn for a century.
Лу́чше во́все не жени́ться, чем с жено́ю век брани́ться.
It's better not to marry at all than quarelling with your wife all the time.
Красота́ до ве́чера, а доброта́ - на век.
Beauty lasts till the evening, and kindness lasts for a century.

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.

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