64 Body Parts in Russian

We frequently discuss our body parts, from describing illnesses to talking about shopping, so it's logical to learn them as a student of Russian. To ensure you're ready for any kind of interaction, refer to the guide below.

This guide will help you learn the Russian words for body parts from the very top of your head down to your little toes, enabling you to explain your aches to a doctor and engage in everyday chats.

Head and Face in Russian

• голова (head)
• волосы (hair) In Russian, hair is a plural masculine noun. The singular version is used only for a single strand of hair.
• лоб (forehead)
• затылок (back of the head)
• макушка (crown of the head)
• лицо (face)
• глаз (eye)
• бровь (eyebrow, feminine)
• веко (eyelid)
• ресницы (eyelashes) This is a plural feminine noun. Similar to hair, the singular form is seldom used.

• нос (nose)
• рот (mouth)
• горло (throat)
• шея (neck)
• щека (cheek)
• борода (beard)
• усы (mustache) This is a plural masculine noun. The singular form has some specific uses unrelated to the human body.

• ухо (ear)
• челюсть (jaw, feminine)
• губа (lip)
• подбородок (chin)
• зуб (tooth)
• язык (tongue)

Upper Body in Russian

• спина (back)
• плечо (shoulder)
• подмышка (armpit)
• грудь (chest or breast, feminine) Russian does not differentiate between chest and breast. Interestingly, the plural for breasts is still expressed by the singular noun грудь.

• живот (abdomen)
• пузо (belly, colloquial)
• пупок (navel or belly button)
• рука (arm or hand) In everyday Russian, there is no separate word for hand and arm. A specific term for the hand— кисть руки (feminine)—exists but is primarily used in medical contexts.

• локоть (elbow, masculine)
• запястье (wrist)
• ладонь (palm of the hand, feminine)
• палец (finger)
• указательный палец (pointer finger)
• средний палец (middle finger)
• безымянный палец (ring finger; lit. unnamed)
• мизинец (little finger; this is the only finger name that doesn't include the word 'finger')
• большой палец (thumb; lit. the big finger)

Lower Body in Russian

• поясница (lower back)
• талия (waist) You wouldn’t use талия for a man's waist, or when describing a physical condition for anyone; in those cases, you’d use поясница.

• таз (hips) This is a singular noun that corresponds to the plural form in English.

• ягодица (buttock)
• зад (butt)
• пах (groin)
• бедро (thigh)
• нога (leg or foot) In daily Russian, the same word is used for leg and foot. The word ступня specifically means foot but is rarely used in casual conversation.

• колено (knee)
• икра (calf)
• лодыжка or щиколотка (ankle) Technically these refer to two connected but slightly different anatomical parts, but the words are used interchangeably in Russian.

• пятка (heel)
• палец ноги (toe; lit . a finger of a foot) Only the большой палец and мизинец have unique names among the toes, and when using them you specify на ноге (on a foot).

• ноготь (fingernail or toenail, masculine) To specify a toenail, you add "foot" or even "finger of a foot" after ноготь.

Internal Body Parts in Russian

• мозг (brain)
• лёгкие (lungs) This is a plural neuter noun that appears and functions like an adjective. A singular form would only be found in a medical diagnosis.
• сердце (heart)
• кровь (blood, feminine)
• почка (kidney)
• печень (liver, feminine)
• мышца (muscle) When talking about physique, the plural masculine мускулы might also be used.

• желудок (stomach)
• кость (bone, feminine)
• ребро (rib)

A Few Grammar Notes

Let's quickly discuss gender in Russian. Every noun is feminine, masculine, or neuter. The word's ending typically indicates the gender.

• Nouns ending in a consonant are masculine. For example, глаз (eye)

• Nouns ending in either –а or –я are feminine. As with рука (hand)

• Nouns ending in either –о or –е are neuter. For instance, колено (knee)

• Nouns ending in –ь can be either feminine or masculine, with no other marker to distinguish them. As seen in локоть (elbow, masculine) and челюсть (jaw, feminine)

There are exceptions to these rules, but none apply to body part vocabulary.

Another key point is that articles do not exist in Russian, so you don't need to concern yourself with using the correct article before a noun.

However, knowing a noun's gender is still crucial because adjectives must match the gender of the nouns they describe.

левый глаз (left eye)

левая рука (left hand)

левое колено (left knee)

Fortunately, plural nouns are less complicated. All genders use the same plural adjective form, for example, усталые (tired) eyes/hands/knees.

Possessive pronouns in the first and second person follow the same gender agreement rules as adjectives.

мой глаз (my eye)

моя рука (my hand)

моё колено (my knee)

If this grammar seems a bit confusing at first, don't worry—the more you use it (and see it used), the more familiar it will become. Try to pay attention to noun gender when you watch or listen to Russian media like TV shows or podcasts, or when reading Russian texts.

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How to Say Something Hurts

The Russian verb for "hurts" is болит, and it remains the same for all genders. The plural form is болят.

You can describe pain by saying моё колено болит (my knee hurts), and while you will be understood, this isn't the common way to say it in daily conversation.

Instead, you should use the possessive structure у меня (which conveys the meaning of "I have"), followed by болит and then the body part.

У меня болит колено. (My knee hurts.)

У меня болит рука. (My hand hurts.)

У меня болит спина. (I have back pain.)

Idioms Featuring Body Parts in Russian

Informal Russian conversation often includes various idiomatic expressions, and many of these involve body parts.

Some idioms would be easily understood by an English speaker if translated word for word, but many others will seem confusing without knowing their implied meaning.

It's important to note that these are very informal.

For these phrases to be appropriate, there should be a good level of familiarity and friendliness between the people talking.

Не бери в голову!

Literally, “don’t take [it] into [your] head.”

As you might guess, it generally means "don't worry about it!" Used only as a command, it suggests the listener is worrying too much about a small matter.

Вертится на языке.

This is a handy phrase for when you know something but can't recall the exact word. Literally, “spins on [my] tongue.”

От чистого сердца.

This idiom means “from a pure heart.” It's often said when giving a gift, offering help, or sometimes when giving advice. It shows the giver has only good intentions and no hidden motive.

У меня скоро живот лопнет!

You can also use желудок here interchangeably. "My stomach is about to burst" is a light-hearted way to tell your host you are too full to eat any more of their delicious food.

Just be sure you appear and sound genuinely sorry when you say it.

У меня глаза на лоб вылезли.

Literally, “my eyes got out to the forehead.” This expression describes the feeling of being completely astonished by what you have seen.

Попал пальцем в небо.

The direct English translation is “hit the sky with a finger.” It means the other person has said something completely wrong or made a very inaccurate guess.

Oт макушки до пяток (from the crown of the head to the heels), these were the Russian body parts for everyday conversation, idioms, and health situations!

So what are you waiting for? Let's start learning!

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