Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "law" 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.

закон

Meaning: law, act, statute

Pronunciation: [zuh-KOHN] IPA: [zɐˈkon]

Part of speech: noun (masculine noun)

Rank: #491 (see frequency list)

According to the law they have to put him into prison.
Photo by smlp.co.uk CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Закóн прирóды еди́н для всех.
The law of nature in the same for everyone.
literal The law of nature is one for everyone.
По закóну они́ должны́ посади́ть егó в тюрьму́.
According to the law they have to put him into prison.
Какóй избирáтельный закóн Росси́и?
What electoral law is there in Russia?
Я никогдá не понимáл закóны фи́зики.
I've never understood the laws of physics.
В э́том году́ был и́здан нóвый свод закóнов.
This year a new legal code was published.
Престу́пник нécколько раз нарушáл закóн.
The criminal broke the law several times.
Онá находи́лась вне закóна в своéй странé.
She was outlaw in her own country.
Ну́жно иметь в виду́, что существу́ют тáкже и непи́санные закóны.
One has to take into consideration that there are also undeclared rules.
literal One has to take into consideration that unwritten laws also exist.
Он был ворóм в закóне.
He was a kingpin.
Твоë решéние для меня́ закóн.
Your decision is my command.
literal Your decision is a law for me.

Idioms and set expressions:

закóн прирóды = law of nature
закóны матемáтики = laws of mathematics
избирáтельный закóн = electoral law
по закóну = according to the law
и́менем закóна = in the name of the law
статья́ закóна = an article of law
свод закóнов = legal code
издáть закóн = to issue a law
literal to publish a law
нару́шить закóн = to break the law
соблюдáть закóны = to observe the law
объяви́ть вне закóна = to outlaw
literal to declare out of law
закóны гостеприи́мства = laws of hospitality
Закóн Бóжий = religion
literal God's law
закóн не пи́сан кому-либо = the law is not written for smb
воровскóй закóн = the law of the underworld
literal thief's law
вор в закóне = kingpin
literal a thief in law
закóн бутербрóда = Murphy's Law
literal sandwich law

Related words:

закóнный = legal
незакóнный = illegal
законодáтель = a legistator
законодáтельный = legislative
прáвило = a rule

Proverbs and sayings:

Дуракáм закóн не пи́сан.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
literal There's no written law for fools.
Не бóйся закóна, бóйся судьи́.
Don't be afraid of law, be afraid of judge.
Не знай закóна, не знáет и грехá.
If you don't know the laws, you don't know what the sin is.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	зако́н	зако́ны
Genitive	зако́на	зако́нов
Dative	зако́ну	зако́нам
Accusative	зако́н	зако́ны
Instrumental	зако́ном	зако́нами
Prepositional	зако́не	зако́нах

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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