Russian Job Titles
Russian job vocabulary comes with an interesting twist: some professions have clear masculine and feminine pairs, while others use the same masculine-looking word for everyone. A female doctor is still врач (vrach) in formal Russian, while a female teacher is учительница (uchitel’nitsa). This guide covers common professions in Cyrillic with transliteration, gender forms where they exist, and the grammar for talking about work.
Learn from Your Home Screen
Lingo puts new words on your Home Screen with pronunciation and translations β so you learn 30 languages without even opening the app.
Professions with Gender Pairs
These professions have well-established masculine and feminine forms. Both are commonly used in everyday Russian.
The Russian word for nurse literally means "medical brother" (медбрат) for men and "medical sister" (медсестра) for women. This reflects the historical gender associations of the profession, though both forms are standard today.
Professions Without Standard Feminine Forms
These professions use the same word for both genders in formal Russian. Gender is shown through verb agreement and adjective endings, not the noun itself.
When a woman holds a gender-neutral profession title, the verb changes gender while the noun stays the same: Она работала врачом (She worked as a doctor) — note the feminine verb ending -а on работала.
Practice These Words in Lingo Widget
Home screen widgets, daily vocabulary, and 30 languages to explore.
More Professions
Useful Phrases About Work
Here is how to talk about your career in Russian:
- Я — врач (ya vrach) — I am a doctor
- Я работаю в больнице (ya rabotayu v bol’nitse) — I work in a hospital
- Кто вы по профессии? (kto vy po professii?) — What is your profession?
- Я ищу работу (ya ishchu rabotu) — I am looking for work
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Russian job titles change for gender?
Some do and some do not. Common professions like учитель/учительница (teacher) and повар/повариха (cook) have feminine forms. However, many professions like врач (doctor), инженер (engineer), and адвокат (lawyer) use the same form for both genders grammatically, though the verb or adjective may change.
How do you state your profession in Russian?
Use the instrumental case after работать: "Я работаю врачом" (I work as a doctor). Or use the nominative: "Я — врач" (I am a doctor). Both are common.
What is the feminine form pattern in Russian?
When a feminine form exists, it typically uses suffixes: -ница (учительница), -ка (студентка), -ша (секретарша), or -иха (повариха). Some feminine forms like -ша are considered informal or slightly outdated.
How do you ask someone their job in Russian?
The standard questions are Кто вы по профессии? (What is your profession? — formal) or Где вы работаете? (Where do you work? — formal) or Кем ты работаешь? (As whom do you work? — informal).
Why do some professions not have a standard feminine form?
Historically, some professions were male-dominated, and feminine forms were never established or sound colloquial. Врач (doctor), инженер (engineer), and адвокат (lawyer) are used for both genders in formal Russian. You show gender through agreement: "Она хороший врач" (She is a good doctor).