Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "war" 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.

война

Meaning: war, warfare

Pronunciation: [vigh-NAH]

Part of speech: noun (feminine noun)

Rank: #188 (see frequency list)

Grandpa, were you scared in the war?
Photo by ilyinov, licensed under CC SA 2.0

Example sentences:

Я ненави́жу войну́!
I hate war!
Во врéмя войны́ они́ жи́ли в Ленингрáде.
They lived in Leningrad during the war.
Дéдушка, тебé бы́ло стрáшно на войнé?
Grandpa, were you scared at the war?
Чапáев cчитáлся в СССР герóем Граждáнской войны́.
In USSR, Chapayev was considered a Civil war hero.
Вторáя мировáя войнá унеслá огрóмное коли́чество жи́зней.
The Second World War took many lives.
Во врéмя войны́ он был солдáтом, а потóм стал офицéром.
He was a soldier during the war and then became an officer.
Когдá началácь войнá, он пошëл на фронт добровóльцем.
When the war broke out, he went to the front as a volunteer.
В 1939 году́ Гермáния объяви́ла войну́ Пóльше.
In 1939 Germany declared war on Poland.
Эти стрáны ужé давнó веду́т войну́.
These countries have been at war for a long time.
Конéчно, я отношу́cь к вóйнам отрицáтельно.
Of course, I have a negative attitude towards wars.
C утрá до вéчера у них дóма настоя́щая война!
They quarrel from early mornig till late in the evening!
literal From early morning till late in the evening they have a real war!
Вы читáли "Войну́ и мир" Толстóго?
Have you read the "War and Peace" by Tolstoy?

Idioms and set expressions:

Граждáнская войнá = Сivil war
Холóдная войнá = Сold war
Пéрвая мировáя войнá = First World War
Вторáя мировáя войнá = Second World War
объяви́ть войну́ = to declare war
вести́ войну́ = to be at war

Related words:

воéнный = military
мир = peace
би́тва = a battle
солдáт = a soldier

Proverbs and sayings:

На войнé как на войнé
Everything can happen.
literal At war as at war.
Кому́ войнá, a кому́ мать роднáя.
There're people who profit from war.
literal For some it's the war, and for others it's their own mother.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	война́	во́йны
Genitive	войны́	во́йн
Dative	войне́	во́йнам
Accusative	войну́	во́йны
Instrumental	войно́й	во́йнами
Prepositional	войне́	во́йнах

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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