Religion Рели́гия
13 Russian words on the topic of religion — each with a picture, an audio recording and an example sentence. Faith and worship across religions — church, synagogue, mosque and temple, plus soul, sin and the heavens.
| Picture | English | Russian · Ру́сский | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | religion | рели́гия | 🔗 Word familyAdjective: религио́зный (religious). Note the stress рели́гия. |
 | God | Бог | Pronounced [Bokh] — the final г sounds like kh (х). Бо́же мой! = 'My God!' (an old vocative). |
 | faith | ве́ра | 🔗 Word familyFrom ве́рить (to believe): ве́рить в = to believe in. Also a common first name, Ве́ра. |
 | prayer | моли́тва | 🔗 Word familyFrom моли́ться (to pray). |
 | church | це́рковь | ⚠️ GenderFeminine, irregular declension (це́ркви, gen. pl. церкве́й). 🔗 Word familyLike 'church', it goes back to Greek kyriakón. |
 | synagogue | синаго́га | Stress falls on -го́- (синаго́га), unlike English 'synagogue'. |
 | mosque | мече́ть | ⚠️ GenderFeminine (soft-sign noun). 🔗 Word familyFrom Arabic 'masjid', like 'mosque'. |
 | temple | храм | 🌎 RegionAn elevated word. Large churches are also called храм (храм Христа́ Спаси́теля in Moscow). |
 | soul | душа́ | ⚠️ GenderThe accusative shifts the stress: ду́шу. 🔗 Word familyRelated to дух (spirit) and дыша́ть (to breathe). |
 | heaven | не́бо | 🔀 Several meaningsне́бо = both 'sky' and 'heaven'. ⚠️ GenderIrregular plural небеса́. |
 | hell | ад | 🔗 Word familyFrom Greek 'Hades'. ⚠️ IrregularThe locative takes stressed -у́: в аду́. |
 | sin | грех | ⚠️ GenderStress moves to the endings: греха́, грехи́. 🔗 Word familyAdjective гре́шный (sinful). |
 | angel | а́нгел | Stress on the first syllable: а́нгел. 🔀 Several meaningsAlso a term of endearment (мой а́нгел). |
See also:History