Russian

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [mot͡ɕ]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ot͡ɕ

Etymology 1

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Inherited from Proto-Slavic *moťi, from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-, whence English might. Cognate to Ancient Greek μῆχος (mêkhos, means, remedy) and Proto-Germanic *maganą (to be able, may).

Verb

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мочь (močʹimpf (perfective смочь)

  1. (intransitive) can, be able to
  2. may
    мо́жет бытьmóžet bytʹmaybe
Conjugation
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Derived terms
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verbs

Etymology 2

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Inherited from Proto-Slavic *moťь, from Proto-Indo-European *mógʰtis, *megʰ- (to allow, be able, help). Cognate to Proto-Germanic *mahtiz and its descendants like English might.

Doublet of мощь (moščʹ), a borrowing from Old Church Slavonic.

Noun

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мочь (močʹf inan (genitive мо́чи, nominative plural мо́чи, genitive plural мо́чей)

  1. power, might
    Synonyms: си́ла (síla), мощь (moščʹ)
    • 1979, Yuri Entin (lyrics and music), “Человек я простой”, performed by Mikhail Boyarsky:
      И теперь дня прожить без тебя мне не в мочь,
      Это-ж надо, влюбился в царскую дочь!
      I teperʹ dnja prožitʹ bez tebja mne ne v močʹ,
      Eto-ž nado, vljubilsja v carskuju dočʹ!
      And now to live one day without you I cannot
      I just had to fall in love with a king's daughter!
      (literally, “And now to live one day without you isn't in my power.
      It just had to [happen], [I] fell in love with a king's daughter!
      ”)
Declension
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