This collection presents 50 Russian words that start with N, spanning from “на” to “нужно”. Many are short, high-frequency words—prepositions, common verbs, and useful adjectives for everyday speech.
Russian words that start with N are core vocabulary items you meet in everyday Russian. For example, the tiny preposition “на” appears in idioms, addresses, and many place names across Russian-speaking regions.
Below you’ll find the table with English gloss, Cyrillic headword, and example sentences.
English gloss: Provides a short, clear meaning so you quickly grasp each word without needing a dictionary lookup.
Cyrillic headword: Shows the accurate Russian spelling so you can recognize, pronounce, and look up the word in Russian texts.
Example sentence: Offers a simple Russian sentence with an English translation so you see natural use and learn context.
Russian words that start with N
| Headword (Cyrillic) | Transliteration | Part of speech | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| на | Na | preposition | on; at |
| но | No | conjunction | but |
| не | Ne | adverb | not |
| нет | Net | interjection | no; there is not |
| никто | Nikto | pronoun | nobody; no one |
| никогда | Nikogda | adverb | never |
| ничего | Nichego | pronoun | nothing; never mind |
| новый | Novyy | adjective | new |
| номер | Nomer | noun | number; room number |
| нежный | Nezhnyy | adjective | tender; gentle |
| надежда | Nadezhda | noun | hope |
| нрав | Nrav | noun | temper; disposition |
| налево | Nalevo | adverb | to the left |
| направо | Napravo | adverb | to the right |
| название | Nazvanie | noun | title; name |
| назад | Nazad | adverb | back; ago |
| наука | Nauka | noun | science; study |
| народ | Narod | noun | people; nation |
| невозможно | Nevozmozhno | adverb | impossible |
| необходимо | Neobkhodimo | adverb | necessary |
| небо | Nebo | noun | sky |
| недавно | Nedavno | adverb | recently |
| неделя | Nedelya | noun | week |
| нефть | Neft | noun | oil (petroleum) |
| ноль | Nol | numeral | zero |
| нож | Nozh | noun | knife |
| ночь | Noch | noun | night |
| нос | Nos | noun | nose |
| носок | Nosok | noun | sock |
| нога | Noga | noun | leg; foot |
| нужда | Nuzhda | noun | need; necessity |
| нельзя | Nelzya | adverb | cannot; not allowed |
| немного | Nemnogo | adverb | a little; some |
| напиток | Napitok | noun | drink; beverage |
| наличие | Nalichie | noun | availability; presence |
| написать | Napisat | verb | to write |
| начать | Nachat | verb | to begin; to start |
| находить | Nahodit | verb | to find |
| нужен | Nuzhen | adjective | needed; necessary |
| нужно | Nuzhno | adverb | needed; necessary (impersonal) |
| ноябрь | Noyabr | noun | November |
| наркотик | Narkotik | noun | drug (narcotic) |
| наивный | Naivnyy | adjective | naive |
| насекомое | Nasekomoe | noun | insect |
| наследие | Nasledie | noun | heritage |
| начальник | Nachalnik | noun | boss; manager |
| нерв | Nerv | noun | nerve |
| нелепый | Nelepyy | adjective | absurd; ridiculous |
| номинал | Nominal | noun | denomination; face value |
| ночной | Nochnoy | adjective | night (adjective); nocturnal |
Descriptions
на
Very common preposition indicating place or direction. Она сидит на стуле. She sits on the chair.
но
Very common coordinating conjunction used for contrast. Я хотел прийти, но заболел. I wanted to come, but got sick.
не
Basic negation used to make verbs and adjectives negative. Я не понимаю. I do not understand.
нет
Used to deny or to state absence. У меня нет времени. I don’t have time.
никто
Negative pronoun meaning ‘no person’. Никто не пришёл. Nobody came.
никогда
Adverb meaning ‘at no time’. Я никогда не курил. I never smoked.
ничего
Means ‘nothing’ or used to console. Ничего страшного. It’s not serious.
новый
Common adjective meaning recently made or acquired. У меня новый телефон. I have a new phone.
номер
Can mean numeral or hotel room. Наш номер на третьем этаже. Our room is on the third floor.
нежный
Describes soft or delicate qualities. Она очень нежная. She is very gentle.
надежда
Common abstract noun for expectation. У меня есть надежда. I have hope.
нрав
Refers to character or temperament. У него добрый нрав. He has a kind disposition.
налево
Directional adverb indicating left. Поверните налево. Turn left.
направо
Directional adverb indicating right. Поверните направо. Turn right.
название
Used for titles and names of works. Какое название фильма? What’s the film’s title?
назад
Indicates movement backward or past time. Шагни назад, пожалуйста. Step back, please.
наука
Field of systematic knowledge or discipline. Он изучает науку. He studies science.
народ
Collective term for a population. Народ празднует. The people are celebrating.
невозможно
Indicates that something cannot be done. Это невозможно сделать. This is impossible to do.
необходимо
Formal adverb meaning ‘it is necessary’. Это необходимо знать. This is necessary to know.
небо
Common noun for the sky above. Чистое голубое небо. Clear blue sky.
недавно
Adverb for the recent past. Я недавно вернулся. I returned recently.
неделя
Unit of seven days. До выходных осталась неделя. One week left until the weekend.
нефть
Natural resource; petroleum. В стране добывают нефть. The country extracts oil.
ноль
The number 0; used in math and temperature. Температура равна нулю. The temperature is zero.
нож
Common cutting tool. У меня есть нож. I have a knife.
ночь
Period from sunset to sunrise. Доброй ночи. Good night.
нос
Facial feature. У него большой нос. He has a big nose.
носок
Clothing for the foot. Где мой носок? Where is my sock?
нога
Body part used for standing and walking. У неё болит нога. Her leg hurts.
нужда
Describes lack or essential requirement. Он испытывает нужду. He experiences need.
нельзя
Used to prohibit or state impossibility. Здесь нельзя курить. Smoking is not allowed here.
немного
Quantifier meaning ‘a small amount’. Дай мне немного воды. Give me a little water.
напиток
Any liquid intended for drinking. Хочешь напиток? Do you want a drink?
наличие
Indicates presence or stock. Товара в наличии нет. The item is not in stock.
написать
Perfective infinitive meaning to write (complete action). Напиши мне письмо. Write me a letter.
начать
Perfective infinitive meaning to start. Мы решили начать урок. We decided to start the lesson.
находить
Imperfective verb meaning to locate or discover. Я нахожу книгу на столе. I find the book on the table.
нужен
Short-form adjective expressing necessity. Мне нужен помощник. I need an assistant.
нужно
Impersonal form used with infinitives to express necessity. Тебе нужно идти. You need to go.
ноябрь
Name of the eleventh month. Ноябрь — холодный месяц. November is a cold month.
наркотик
Refers to an illegal or controlled drug. Наркотики опасны. Drugs are dangerous.
наивный
Describes a person as inexperienced or trusting. Он слишком наивный. He is too naive.
насекомое
Small arthropod like a beetle or fly. В саду много насекомых. There are many insects in the garden.
наследие
Cultural or historical legacy. Это культурное наследие. This is cultural heritage.
начальник
Person who leads a team or department. Мой начальник строг. My boss is strict.
нерв
Biological or figurative nerve/tension. У него слабые нервы. He has weak nerves.
нелепый
Describes something unreasonable or silly. Это было нелепо. That was ridiculous.
номинал
Value printed on currency or a label. Номинал купюры — десять рублей. The bill’s denomination is ten rubles.
ночной
Describes something related to night. Ночной поезд опоздал. The night train was late.