Hair & Appearance Во́лосы и вне́шний вид

20 Russian words on the topic of hair & appearance — each with a picture, an audio recording and an example sentence. Describing people: hair, color and style — built on the pattern у неё дли́нные во́лосы (“she has long hair”).

English	Russian · Ру́сский	Notes
hair	во́лосы	Plural; a single hair is во́лос.
long hair	дли́нные во́лосы	Hair is plural in Russian, so the adjective is plural too: дли́нные.
short hair	коро́ткие во́лосы	Adjective коро́ткий. ⚠️ Gender'Cut it short' is стричь ко́ротко — note the stress shift.
straight hair	прямы́е во́лосы	🔀 Several meaningsпрямо́й also means 'direct': прямо́й рейс — a direct flight.
wavy hair	волни́стые во́лосы	🔗 Word familyFrom волна́ (wave) — 'wavy' is built the same way as in English.
curly hair	кудря́вые во́лосы	🔗 Word familyCurls are ку́дри. кудря́вый also describes the person.
blond	блонди́н	A blond man; a blonde woman is блонди́нка. 🔗 Word familyFrom French blond.
dark-haired	темноволо́сый	🔗 Word familyCompound of тёмный (dark) + во́лосы (hair). A dark-haired man is also брюне́т.
brown-haired	шате́н	🔗 Word familyFrom French châtain (chestnut brown). A woman is шате́нка.
red-haired	ры́жий	Also the fox's color. 🔗 Word familyA redhead can be called ры́жик.
gray-haired	седо́й	🔀 Several meaningsOnly of hair; the color gray is се́рый.
bald	лы́сый	🔗 Word familyA bald spot is лы́сина.
haircut	стри́жка	🔗 Word familyFrom стричь (to cut hair). To get a haircut: стри́чься.
hair salon	парикма́херская	🔗 Word familyLiterally the 'wig-maker's' (from German). Declines like an adjective: в парикма́херской.
hairdresser	парикма́хер	🔗 Word familyFrom German Perückenmacher — 'wig maker'.
bangs	чёлка	🔗 Word familyFrom чело́ (archaic 'brow'). ё is always stressed.
ponytail	хвост	🔀 Several meaningsLiterally 'tail' — the same word as an animal's tail.
braids	ко́сы	Singular коса́. 🔀 Several meaningsThe same word also means 'scythe'.
beard	борода́	🔗 Word familyCognate of 'beard'. ⚠️ GenderThe stress jumps in the accusative: бо́роду.
mustache	усы́	Plural. 🔀 Several meaningsAlso a cat's whiskers.