About
The character "俄" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the semantic component "人" (person) and the phonetic component "我" (wǒ), with its earliest attested meanings relating to a person leaning or being inclined, which later extended to convey suddenness or a brief duration. This sense is preserved in classical Chinese compounds such as "俄而". During the 19th century, the character was adopted through phonetic borrowing from terms like Mongolian "Орос" (Oros) to designate Russia, leading to its current primary meaning as the prefix for "Russian" or "Russia" in modern Chinese, while its original connotations became largely archaic.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
俄罗斯是一个大国。
我正在学习俄语。
俄式面包很好吃。
俄罗斯首都是莫斯科。
俄语比英语难学。
我去过俄罗斯旅游。
俄罗斯的冬天非常寒冷。
俄中两国在经济上合作密切。