The 500 most common Russian words

These are the first 500 of a graded list of 2500, in the order a corpus of everyday writing says you will actually meet them. Learning them in this order is the fastest route to understanding most of what you read.

Meanings are given in English on this page. In the app they appear in your own language, translated on your device.

#	Word	Type	Meaning
1	в	Prepositions	in, at; into, to
2	и	Conjunctions	and
3	на	Prepositions	on, at; to, onto
4	не	Particles	not, no, -n't, without
5	с	Prepositions	with; from, off (a surface)
6	я	Pronouns	I (first-person singular subject pronoun)
7	что	Pronouns	what
8	быть	Verbs	to be
9	это	Pronouns	this, that; it is
10	по	Prepositions	along, around; according to; each
11	а	Conjunctions	and; but, whereas
12	как	Conjunctions	like (in the same manner as / a similar manner to)
13	то	Pronouns	that (one)
14	он	Pronouns	third-person masculine singular pronoun: he, it
15	из	Prepositions	from
16	все	Pronouns	everyone, everybody
17	за	Prepositions	behind, beyond; for; during
18	для	Prepositions	for
19	к	Prepositions	to, toward
20	о	Prepositions	about, of, on
21	который	Pronouns	what, which (among a specific series)
22	но	Conjunctions	but, yet
23	у	Prepositions	at, by, near
24	год	Nouns	year
25	мы	Pronouns	we
26	ты	Pronouns	second-person singular, nominative case: you, thou
27	от	Prepositions	from, away from
28	его	Pronouns	his
29	этот	Determiners	Mostly proximal demonstrative determiner. Usually
30	свой	Pronouns	one's own
31	вы	Pronouns	you (plural or formal singular)
32	так	Adverbs	so, thus; like this
33	человек	Nouns	person, human being, man
34	они	Pronouns	they
35	же	Particles	emphatic: but, though; the very same
36	один	Numbers	one (1)
37	до	Prepositions	until, up to; before
38	только	Adverbs	only, but
39	она	Pronouns	she, it (third-person feminine singular pronoun)
40	кто	Pronouns	who
41	время	Nouns	time
42	если	Conjunctions	if, in case
43	когда	Conjunctions	when
44	такой	Determiners	such (a), such, that/this kind/sort/type of
45	бы	Particles	would (forms the conditional)
46	уже	Particles	Used to emphasise an amount or quantity of something
47	еще	Adverbs	still, yet; more, another
48	или	Conjunctions	or
49	их	Pronouns	their
50	её	Pronouns	her, its
51	новый	Adjectives	new
52	при	Prepositions	at, by; under, during
53	мой	Pronouns	my, mine
54	чтобы	Conjunctions	that...should (indicates the subjunctive)
55	есть	Verbs	there is, there are
56	первый	Adjectives	first
57	какой	Determiners	what
58	другой	Determiners	other, another, different, next, else
59	тот	Determiners	that, those (distal to an observer)
60	может	Adverbs	maybe, perhaps
61	после	Prepositions	after (in time)
62	наш	Pronouns	our, ours
63	нет	Particles	there is not
64	день	Nouns	day, daytime
65	хотеть	Verbs	to want, to desire
66	сам	Pronouns	self, -self
67	очень	Adverbs	very, really, much, very much
68	работа	Nouns	work
69	также	Adverbs	also, too, as well, likewise
70	говорить	Verbs	to speak, to talk (perfective поговорить)
71	два	Numbers	two (2)
72	сказать	Verbs	to say, to tell
73	дело	Nouns	affair, matter, concern
74	вот	Particles	Used in place of a pronoun to direct attention towards
75	чем	Conjunctions	than
76	знать	Verbs	to know
77	над	Prepositions	above, over
78	жизнь	Nouns	life
79	под	Prepositions	under, below, beneath (movement to beneath a location)
80	где	Conjunctions	where
81	стать	Verbs	to stand
82	себя	Pronouns	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves
83	место	Nouns	place, spot
84	да	Conjunctions	and
85	даже	Adverbs	even
86	можно	Adverbs	one may, it is possible
87	просто	Adverbs	simply, plainly, just
88	раз	Conjunctions	if, since; as long as
89	больше	Adverbs	any more
90	сейчас	Adverbs	now (presently, at present, at the moment)
91	должен	Adjectives	Used to express indebtedness. Usually translated as the
92	мир	Nouns	peace
93	более	Adverbs	more
94	большой	Adjectives	big, large, great
95	об	Prepositions	about, of, on
96	нужный	Adjectives	necessary, needed
97	самый	Pronouns	the very
98	ну	Interjections	well
99	город	Nouns	city, town
100	сделать	Verbs	to make, to do
101	без	Prepositions	without, aside from, except, minus
102	ни	Conjunctions	neither, nor
103	там	Particles	Filler word
104	область	Nouns	region, oblast, province
105	ли	Conjunctions	whether, if
106	друг	Nouns	close friend
107	иметь	Verbs	to have, to possess
108	вопрос	Nouns	question
109	страна	Nouns	country
110	теперь	Adverbs	now, at present
111	российский	Adjectives	Russian (concerning the country, nationality)
112	всего	Adverbs	in total, in all
113	сегодня	Adverbs	today
114	каждый	Pronouns	every, each
115	делать	Verbs	to make, to do
116	ребёнок	Nouns	child, kid, baby: children, kids, babies
117	получить	Verbs	to receive, to get
118	через	Prepositions	through
119	последний	Adjectives	last, latest, recent
120	игра	Nouns	game
121	часть	Nouns	part
122	русский	Adjectives	Russian, related to Russian ethnicity, language
123	являться	Verbs	to report (in person), to appear
124	тоже	Particles	expresses disbelief, sarcasm, irony
125	почему	Adverbs	why (due to what, on what grounds)
126	слово	Nouns	word, term
127	думать	Verbs	to think
128	группа	Nouns	group
129	пока	Conjunctions	so long as, while
130	несколько	Pronouns	a few, several, some
131	весь	Determiners	all, the whole, all of, the whole of, the entire
132	работать	Verbs	to work
133	тем	Adverbs	the (to that degree, to the same degree)
134	хороший	Adjectives	good, nice, fine
135	система	Nouns	system
136	всё	Pronouns	everything
137	второй	Adjectives	second
138	вид	Nouns	look, looks, appearance, air
139	ничто	Pronouns	nothing
140	всегда	Adverbs	always
141	история	Nouns	history
142	сторона	Nouns	side, hand, party
143	дом	Nouns	house, building (a residential building)
144	право	Adverbs	indeed, really
145	между	Prepositions	between, among
146	видеть	Verbs	to see (perceive by eyesight)
147	сила	Nouns	strength
148	здесь	Adverbs	here
149	потому	Adverbs	therefore, because of that, consequently
150	рука	Nouns	hand
151	результат	Nouns	effect, result, return, outcome
152	случай	Nouns	case
153	деньги	Nouns	money
154	себе	Particles	keep on
155	конец	Nouns	end
156	женщина	Nouns	woman
157	однако	Adverbs	however, yet, still
158	много	Adverbs	much
159	тут	Adverbs	here
160	любить	Verbs	to love, to like, to be fond of
161	число	Nouns	number (cardinal)
162	проблема	Nouns	problem (difficulty)
163	дать	Verbs	to give
164	тогда	Adverbs	then (at that time)
165	отношение	Nouns	attitude
166	ваш	Pronouns	your
167	помощь	Nouns	help, assistance, aid
168	военный	Adjectives	war; military
169	час	Nouns	hour, o'clock, time, time of day
170	фильм	Nouns	film, movie
171	школа	Nouns	school
172	ещё	Adverbs	still, yet; more, another
173	потом	Adverbs	afterwards, afterward, after that
174	против	Prepositions	against
175	хорошо	Adverbs	well, right
176	война	Nouns	war, warfare
177	книга	Nouns	book
178	основной	Adjectives	basic, fundamental, main, primary, principal, cardinal
179	общий	Adjectives	common
180	центр	Nouns	center, centre
181	лицо	Nouns	face
182	развитие	Nouns	development, growth, progress
183	район	Nouns	district
184	три	Numbers	three (3)
185	некоторый	Pronouns	some; certain (adjectival)
186	стоять	Verbs	to stand
187	найти	Verbs	to find
188	организация	Nouns	organization, arrangement
189	совет	Nouns	advice
190	вместе	Adverbs	together, coupled with, along with
191	лишь	Adverbs	only, merely, just
192	связь	Nouns	tie, relation, bond, contact
193	лучше	Adverbs	rather
194	команда	Nouns	command, order
195	начал	Nouns	Old Believer prayer
196	данные	Nouns	data
197	никто	Pronouns	nobody, no one; (with negative) anybody, anyone
198	компания	Nouns	company (a group of acquaintances)
199	твой	Pronouns	your, yours, thy, thine
200	перед	Prepositions	in front of, before
201	известный	Adjectives	known, familiar
202	решение	Nouns	decision, solution, answer
203	находиться	Verbs	to be found, to turn up
204	именно	Adverbs	Used to emphasise
205	поэтому	Adverbs	so, therefore, that's why
206	государственный	Adjectives	state
207	жить	Verbs	to live
208	высокий	Adjectives	tall
209	конечно	Adverbs	of course, certainly
210	стал	Verbs	began to
211	выйти	Verbs	to exit, to go out
212	идти	Verbs	to go
213	такое	Pronouns	something like that, something like this, such a thing
214	уровень	Nouns	level, standard, amount
215	язык	Nouns	tongue
216	смотреть	Verbs	to look, to gaze
217	хотя	Conjunctions	although, though (contrasting two clauses)
218	чего	Pronouns	what for? why?
219	матч	Nouns	match
220	власть	Nouns	authority, authorities, power
221	закон	Nouns	law
222	вообще	Adverbs	generally, in general, usually
223	ведь	Conjunctions	as, because
224	образ	Nouns	shape, form
225	остаться	Verbs	to remain, to stay
226	программа	Nouns	program/programme
227	маленький	Adjectives	little, small
228	партия	Nouns	party (political group)
229	земля	Nouns	earth
230	голова	Nouns	head
231	дома	Adverbs	at home
232	спасибо	Interjections	thank you, thanks
233	глаз	Nouns	eye
234	момент	Nouns	moment
235	любой	Determiners	any, either, whichever one wants
236	понимать	Verbs	to understand, to comprehend, to see
237	член	Nouns	limb
238	машина	Nouns	car, motor vehicle
239	сайт	Nouns	website, site
240	могут	Verbs	third-person plural present indicative imperfective of
241	никогда	Adverbs	never
242	советский	Adjectives	Soviet
243	мужчина	Nouns	man (male person)
244	считать	Verbs	to calculate
245	вода	Nouns	water
246	понять	Verbs	to understand, to comprehend, to see
247	состав	Nouns	composition, structure, membership, staff, body
248	главный	Adjectives	chief, leading, main, principal, head, central
249	международный	Adjectives	international
250	качество	Nouns	quality
251	президент	Nouns	president
252	играть	Verbs	to play
253	возможность	Nouns	opportunity, chance, potential
254	около	Prepositions	near, around, about, by
255	почти	Adverbs	almost, nearly
256	участие	Nouns	participation, collaboration, complicity
257	месяц	Nouns	month
258	проект	Nouns	project (planned endeavor)
259	могу	Verbs	first-person singular present indicative imperfective
260	семья	Nouns	family
261	цель	Nouns	goal, target, aim, end, object
262	правда	Conjunctions	though, however, but
263	выбор	Nouns	choice (option or decision)
264	сын	Nouns	son
265	неделя	Nouns	week
266	государство	Nouns	State
267	принять	Verbs	to take
268	бог	Nouns	God
269	управление	Nouns	administration, direction
270	решить	Verbs	to solve, to settle
271	готовый	Adjectives	ready, prepared
272	кроме	Prepositions	except, besides
273	ночь	Nouns	night, nighttime (period of time from sundown to sunup)
274	помочь	Nouns	belt, tape, or restraint to hold, support
275	действие	Nouns	action, activity
276	суд	Nouns	court
277	полный	Adjectives	full, complete
278	клуб	Nouns	cloud, puff (of smoke, etc.)
279	взять	Verbs	to take
280	среди	Prepositions	among, in the midst of
281	план	Nouns	plan (set of intended actions), scheme
282	национальный	Adjectives	national
283	старый	Adjectives	old
284	путь	Nouns	way, path, road
285	е	Nouns	The Russian name of the Latin script letter E/e
286	отец	Nouns	father
287	количество	Nouns	quantity, number, amount
288	правительство	Nouns	government, administration, cabinet
289	песня	Nouns	song
290	пора	Nouns	time
291	московский	Adjectives	Moscow
292	территория	Nouns	territory
293	настоящий	Adjectives	present
294	использовать	Verbs	to use, to apply
295	период	Nouns	period (all senses)
296	сколько	Pronouns	how much, how many
297	девушка	Nouns	girl, lass (from the age of puberty to womanhood)
298	политический	Adjectives	political
299	апрель	Nouns	April
300	следовать	Verbs	to follow (move continually behind someone or something)
301	причина	Nouns	cause (source or reason of an event or action)
302	пойти	Verbs	to go
303	деятельность	Nouns	activity
304	глава	Nouns	head, top, summit
305	смерть	Adverbs	dying to, dying for
306	либо	Conjunctions	either ... or
307	сезон	Nouns	season (quarter of a year)
308	писать	Verbs	to write
309	победа	Nouns	victory
310	движение	Nouns	movement, motion, stirring (also social and political)
311	сентябрь	Nouns	September
312	средство	Nouns	means, facility
313	тысяча	Numbers	thousand (1000)
314	оказаться	Verbs	to turn out, to be found, to prove (to be)
315	пройти	Verbs	to pass, to go, to walk
316	буду	Verbs	I will have, I would like
317	производство	Nouns	production, manufacture
318	главное	Nouns	the main thing, the essentials
319	появиться	Verbs	to appear, to show up, to emerge
320	народ	Nouns	people
321	ряд	Nouns	row, line, tier
322	разный	Adjectives	different, diverse, unlike
323	вернуться	Verbs	to return, to come back (from)
324	назад	Prepositions	ago
325	имя	Nouns	personal name, first name, Christian name
326	увидеть	Verbs	to see, to catch sight of, to notice
327	автор	Nouns	author
328	средний	Adjectives	middle
329	мама	Nouns	mama, mummy, mommy, mum, mom (mother)
330	условие	Nouns	condition
331	роль	Nouns	role, part
332	минута	Nouns	minute
333	улица	Nouns	street
334	например	Adverbs	for example, for instance, e.g
335	прийти	Verbs	to come (to), to arrive (at)
336	цена	Nouns	price, cost
337	узнать	Verbs	to recognize
338	ждать	Verbs	to wait for (to stay where one is or delay action)
339	март	Nouns	March
340	май	Nouns	May
341	рубль	Nouns	ruble
342	образование	Nouns	formation
343	республика	Nouns	republic
344	общество	Nouns	society
345	чемпионат	Nouns	championship
346	затем	Adverbs	then, thereupon, after that
347	оно	Pronouns	it (third-person neuter singular pronoun)
348	про	Prepositions	about, concerning
349	см	Nouns	cm, centimeter
350	сразу	Adverbs	at once, simultaneously
351	форма	Nouns	form, shape
352	великий	Adjectives	large, big
353	красный	Adjectives	red
354	экономический	Adjectives	economic (relating to the economy)
355	класс	Nouns	class
356	целый	Adjectives	whole, entire
357	украинский	Adjectives	Ukrainian
358	новость	Nouns	novelty
359	нельзя	Adjectives	it is impossible (perfective aspect), one cannot
360	снова	Adverbs	anew
361	совсем	Adverbs	quite, entirely, totally
362	пытаться	Verbs	to attempt, to try
363	рабочий	Adjectives	worker
364	посмотреть	Verbs	to look
365	информация	Nouns	information
366	внимание	Nouns	attention
367	любовь	Nouns	love
368	сильный	Adjectives	strong, powerful
369	важный	Adjectives	important
370	связанный	Adjectives	constrained (by something)
371	народный	Adjectives	people's
372	население	Nouns	population, inhabitants
373	состояние	Nouns	state, status, condition
374	создание	Nouns	creation (act of creation)
375	никакой	Pronouns	not any of possible variants, no, none
376	молодой	Adjectives	young
377	житель	Nouns	inhabitant, resident, occupant, dweller
378	следующий	Adjectives	following
379	пара	Nouns	pair, couple
380	третий	Adjectives	third
381	строительство	Nouns	construction, building
382	брат	Nouns	brother
383	значит	Particles	so, then, well, therefore
384	куда	Adverbs	where?
385	т	Nouns	ton
386	собственный	Adjectives	one's own, peculiar, proper
387	парень	Nouns	fellow, lad, chap, guy, bloke, boy
388	дальше	Adverbs	furthermore
389	показать	Verbs	to show
390	тело	Nouns	body (physical structure of a human or animal)
391	жена	Nouns	wife
392	лучшее	Nouns	something better
393	процесс	Nouns	process
394	крупный	Adjectives	coarse, coarse-grained
395	порядок	Nouns	order
396	местный	Adjectives	local
397	американский	Adjectives	American
398	мать	Nouns	mother
399	оба	Numbers	both
400	наука	Nouns	science
401	пять	Numbers	five (5)
402	белый	Adjectives	white
403	рассказать	Verbs	to tell
404	начинать	Verbs	to begin, to start
405	мера	Nouns	a dry measure approximately equal to one pood of seeds
406	течение	Nouns	current, flow, stream
407	кажется	Particles	apparently, it seems
408	неё	Pronouns	genitive/accusative of она́ (oná)
409	свет	Nouns	light
410	сердце	Nouns	heart
411	вести	Verbs	to lead, to preside over, to chair
412	душа	Nouns	soul
413	февраль	Nouns	February
414	министр	Nouns	minister (the politician who heads a ministry)
415	культура	Nouns	culture
416	январь	Nouns	January
417	армия	Nouns	army
418	официальный	Adjectives	official
419	серия	Nouns	series (a number of related things coming in sequence)
420	дорога	Nouns	road
421	годы	Nouns	An unusually long time
422	нравиться	Verbs	to please [with dative ‘someone’]
423	федерация	Nouns	federation
424	предприятие	Nouns	enterprise, business, undertaking
425	служба	Nouns	service
426	общественный	Adjectives	social
427	происходить	Verbs	to take place, to happen, to occur
428	исследование	Nouns	research, study
429	рост	Nouns	growth (in a living organism)
430	борьба	Nouns	struggle, fight, conflict, combat
431	начало	Nouns	beginning, commencement, onset, start
432	здание	Nouns	building, edifice, structure
433	труд	Nouns	work, labor/labour
434	правило	Nouns	rule
435	современный	Adjectives	contemporary
436	начать	Verbs	to begin, to start, to commence
437	мнение	Nouns	opinion (person's)
438	дорогой	Adjectives	dear, precious
439	различный	Adjectives	different (not the same)
440	союз	Nouns	union
441	ноябрь	Nouns	November
442	заниматься	Verbs	to study, to learn
443	плохо	Adverbs	bad, badly (in a bad manner)
444	слишком	Adverbs	too (more than enough), too much
445	встреча	Nouns	meeting, encounter
446	список	Nouns	list, register
447	представитель	Nouns	representative
448	версия	Nouns	version
449	мировой	Adjectives	world; global, worldwide
450	единственный	Adjectives	sole, only, unique
451	ответ	Nouns	answer, reply, response
452	нога	Nouns	leg
453	август	Nouns	August
454	декабрь	Nouns	December
455	ход	Nouns	motion, movement, travel, progress, locomotion, headway
456	социальный	Adjectives	social
457	участник	Nouns	participant, participator
458	иногда	Adverbs	sometimes, at times
459	вещь	Nouns	thing, object
460	составлять	Verbs	to constitute, to make up, to form
461	материал	Nouns	material
462	искать	Verbs	to look for, to seek
463	счёт	Nouns	count
464	граница	Nouns	border, boundary, bounds, confines, frontier
465	идея	Nouns	idea, thought, notion
466	представлять	Verbs	to present, to offer
467	событие	Nouns	event, occurrence, incident
468	добрый	Adjectives	good
469	орган	Nouns	organ
470	октябрь	Nouns	October
471	возможно	Adverbs	perhaps, possibly, as ... as possible
472	го	Nouns	go (board game)
473	своё	Pronouns	nominative/accusative neuter singular of свой (svoj)
474	становиться	Verbs	to stand, to take a stand
475	курс	Nouns	course, year (in college, university)
476	менее	Adverbs	less
477	помнить	Verbs	to remember, to recollect, to think of, to keep in mind
478	проходить	Verbs	to pass, to go, to walk
479	операция	Nouns	operation
480	немного	Adverbs	a little, some
481	точка	Nouns	period, dot, full stop
482	сборная	Nouns	combined team, national sports team
483	основа	Nouns	basis, foundation, base
484	смысл	Nouns	sense, meaning
485	поздний	Adjectives	late
486	герой	Nouns	hero
487	сеть	Nouns	net (used for catching fish), mesh
488	попасть	Verbs	to hit (a target)
489	умереть	Verbs	to die of natural causes
490	давно	Adverbs	long ago
491	зачем	Adverbs	why, what for
492	раньше	Adverbs	earlier, before, in the past
493	рядом	Adverbs	alongside, beside, side by side, nearby
494	точно	Conjunctions	as though, as if
495	часто	Adverbs	frequently, often
496	июнь	Nouns	June
497	институт	Nouns	institute
498	депутат	Nouns	deputy, assemblyman, delegate
499	край	Nouns	border, edge, brink, brim, fringe
500	надеяться	Verbs	to hope

All 500 A1 words are on this page, free, with no sign-up.

The rest of the list

A2A2 Beginner: 500 more wordsголос · задача · объект · век · ситуация
B1B1 Intermediate: 750 more wordsдни · практически · трудно · ю · сообщить
B2B2 Upper intermediate: 750 more wordsолимпиада · кампания · боевик · битва · секунда

A2 to B2 are part of Oqou Pro, in the app, where you can also send any word straight into spaced review and meet it again on the day you are about to forget it.

Where this comes from

The order is measured: it comes from how often each word appears in a large corpus, counted across all the forms of a word rather than each form separately, so a verb is ranked where you really meet it. The band edges are a convention rather than a measurement. Nothing says word 501 is harder than word 500; the levels are cut where established graded reader series cut theirs.

wordfreq 3.1 (frequency order) + en.wiktionary via kaikki.org (part of speech, gender, gloss). Corpus read on 2026-09-16.

Questions

Where does the order come from?

From how often each word appears in a large corpus of everyday writing. Frequency is counted across all the forms of a word and attributed to the dictionary form, so a verb is ranked where a reader really meets it rather than being spread thinly over a dozen endings.

Why are these lists shorter than the ones with 5,000 or 10,000 words?

Because past about 2,500 a frequency rank stops meaning much. Rank 6,000 in a web corpus is not a harder word, it is a word that happens to be common in journalism. Established graded reader series top out near 2,500 headwords for the same reason.

Is every word in the list a real dictionary word?

Yes. Every headword is checked against the language's own Wiktionary entry, which is where the part of speech, the gender and the meaning come from. That check is what removes the proper nouns, single letters and corpus noise that raw frequency lists are full of.

Do I need the app?

Not for this page. The A1 list is free here and free in the app. A2 to B2 are part of Oqou Pro, and the app is also where a word can go from a list into a review queue, which is the part a page cannot do.

Has a native speaker checked these?

Not yet. The frequency order and the part of speech are mechanical, and the meanings come from a dictionary rather than being written by hand, but nothing here has been through native review. If you spot a meaning that is technically right and practically useless, we would like to hear about it.