magpie, gossip, chatterbox, soroka headdress, traditional headdress
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Russian
/sɐˈrokə/
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A Russian feminine noun meaning a magpie, and figuratively an intrusive gossip or chatterbox; historically it can also name a traditional married woman's headdress.
В южных районах России сорока была частью традиционного наряда.
In southern regions of Russia, the soroka was part of traditional dress.
Дети наблюдали за сорокой у кормушки.
The children watched the magpie by the feeder.
В русском фольклоре сорока часто связана с новостями и сплетнями.
In Russian folklore, the magpie is often associated with news and gossip.
Мастерица восстановила сороку по музейному образцу.
The craftswoman recreated the soroka headdress from a museum model.
Этнограф описал сороку как женский праздничный головной убор.
The ethnographer described the soroka as a women's festive headdress.
Similar words
сплетница
белобока
сплетник
трепач
болтун
болтушка
трещотка
кичка
Meanings
Magpie
noun
nature
neutral
A magpie, especially the Eurasian magpie, a black-and-white bird in the crow family.
Examples
На ветке сидела сорока.
A magpie was sitting on the branch.
Я увидел сороку возле забора.
I saw a magpie near the fence.
Сорока громко стрекотала в саду.
The magpie chattered loudly in the garden.
Дети наблюдали за сорокой у кормушки.
The children watched the magpie by the feeder.
В русском фольклоре сорока часто связана с новостями и сплетнями.
In Russian folklore, the magpie is often associated with news and gossip.
Из гнезда сороки выпал блестящий предмет.
A shiny object fell from the magpie's nest.
Similar words
белобока
Gossip or chatterbox
noun
people
informal
A colloquial, disapproving word for a person who talks too much or spreads gossip.
Examples
Не будь сорокой: не рассказывай всем чужие секреты.
Do not be a gossip: do not tell everyone other people's secrets.
В деревне её считали сорокой, потому что она знала все новости.
In the village people considered her a gossip because she knew all the news.
Эта сорока опять принесла слухи.
That chatterbox has brought rumors again.
Он болтал без остановки, как сорока.
He talked nonstop, like a magpie.
Слово сорока в таком смысле звучит насмешливо.
The word сорока in this sense sounds mocking.
Бабушка называла соседку сорокой за её любовь к сплетням.
Grandmother called the neighbor a gossip because she loved gossip.
Similar words
сплетник
сплетница
трепач
болтун
болтушка
трещотка
Traditional headdress
noun
history
formal
A rare historical name for a traditional ornate headdress worn by married women in parts of Russia.
Examples
В витрине лежала старинная сорока с вышивкой.
An old soroka headdress with embroidery lay in the display case.
Этнограф описал сороку как женский праздничный головной убор.
The ethnographer described the soroka as a women's festive headdress.
На реконструкции костюма не хватало сороки.
The costume reconstruction was missing the soroka headdress.
В южных районах России сорока была частью традиционного наряда.
In southern regions of Russia, the soroka was part of traditional dress.
Словарь помечает это значение слова сорока как историческое.
The dictionary marks this meaning of сорока as historical.
Мастерица восстановила сороку по музейному образцу.
The craftswoman recreated the soroka headdress from a museum model.
Similar words
кичка
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *s(v)orka, a Slavic bird name with cognates such as Polish sroka and Czech straka. Russian dictionaries also connect the old headdress sense with the bird, probably through resemblance to a magpie's coloring or tail.
FAQ
What does сорока mean in Russian?
Its main meaning is “magpie,” the black-and-white bird. It can also mean a gossip or chatterbox in colloquial speech.
Is сорока the Russian word for forty?
No. Со́рок is the lemma for “forty.” сорока́ is an inflected form used in contexts such as около сорока книг “about forty books.”
What gender is сорока?
It is a feminine noun.
What is the plural of сорока?
The nominative plural is сороки.
What is the accusative singular of сорока?
For the bird or person sense it is сороку, as in я увидел сороку.
Can сорока describe a person?
Yes, colloquially and usually disapprovingly, it can describe a gossip or very talkative person.
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