Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "life" 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.

жизнь

Meaning: life, living, existence

Pronunciation: [zhizn']

Part of speech: noun

Rank: #79 (see frequency list)

Example sentences:

Хорошая жизнь - это когда ты занимаешься тем, что тебе нравится.
Good life is when you do what you like.
Чем вы зарабатываете на жизнь?
What do you do for living?
Он любит семейную жизнь.
He loves family life.
Максим ведет здоровый образ жизни.
Maxim leads a healthy lifestyle (way of living).
На это уйдёт целая жизнь.
This will take lifetime (whole life).
Он никогда в жизни не врал.
He has never lied in his whole life.
Как жизнь?
How are things? (literally: How's life?)
Это лето я не забуду никогда в жизни!
I won't forget this summer ever in my life!

Idioms and set expressions:

вопрос жизни и смерти = the question of life and death
при жизни = when someone is still alive
ни в жизнь = under no circumstances
жизнь бьёт ключом = life is in full swing
биться не на жизнь, а на смерть = fight to the death
вопрос жизни и смерти = matter of life and death
Как жизнь? = How are things? How's life?
Он жизни не рад. = He wishes he were dead.
лишить себя жизни = to commit suicide
устроить весёлую жизнь = to cook one's goose for someone
холостая жизнь = bachelorhood
растительная жизнь = vegetation
узнать жизнь = to get a look at the elephant
Вести двойную жизнь. = To live a double life.
Покончить счёты с жизнью. = To shut one's lights out.
Нить жизни. = The thread of life

Proverbs and sayings:

Жизнь прожить -- не поле перейти.
Life is not a bed of roses. (Living through one's life is not like going through a field.)
Жизнь -- малина.
Life is good. (lit: Life is raspberry)
Жизнь бьёт ключом.
Life is in full swing.
Борьба не на жизнь, а на смерть.
A wrestle for life or death.
Начать новую жизнь.
To make a new life.
Кого жизнь ласкает, тот и горя не знает.
He dances well to whom fortune pipes.
Кошелёк или жизнь!
Your money or your life!
На всю оставшуюся жизнь.
To the end of one's life.
Не жизнь, а малина.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Плыть по реке жизни.
To trip up the river of life.
Такова жизнь.
C'est la vie. (Such is life.)

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	жи́знь	жи́зни
Genitive	жи́зни	жи́зней
Dative	жи́зни	жи́зням
Accusative	жи́знь	жи́зни
Instrumental	жи́знью	жи́знями
Prepositional	жи́зни	жи́знях

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.