дух

See also: доухъ

Belarusian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *duxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dux]

Noun

дух • (dux) m pers (genitive ду́ха, nominative plural ду́хі, genitive plural ду́хаў)

1. ghost

Declension

Declension of дух (pr velar masc-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	дух dux	ду́хі dúxi
genitive	ду́ха dúxa	ду́хаў dúxaw
dative	ду́ху dúxu	ду́хам dúxam
accusative	ду́ха dúxa	ду́хаў dúxaw
instrumental	ду́хам dúxam	ду́хамі dúxami
locative	ду́ху dúxu	ду́хах dúxax
count form	—	ду́хі1 dúxi1

¹Used with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and higher numbers after 20 ending in 2, 3, and 4.

Noun

дух • (dux) m inan (genitive ду́ху, uncountable)

1. spirit

   Баявы́ дух. ― Bajavý dux. ― Fighting spirit.

Declension

Declension of дух (inan sg-only velar masc-form accent-a)

	singular
nominative	дух dux
genitive	ду́ху dúxu
dative	ду́ху dúxu
accusative	дух dux
instrumental	ду́хам dúxam
locative	ду́ху dúxu

References

• “дух” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org

Bulgarian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *duxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dux]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ux

Noun

дух • (duh) m

1. ghost
2. spirit

Declension

Declension of дух

	singular	plural
indefinite	дух duh	ду́хове, духове́ dúhove, duhové
definite (subject form)	духъ́т duhǎ́t	ду́ховете, духове́те dúhovete, duhovéte
definite (object form)	духа́ duhá
count form	—	ду́ха dúha
vocative form	ду́хо dúho	ду́хове, духове́ dúhove, duhové

Derived terms

nouns

• въ́здух (vǎ́zduh)
• за́дух (záduh)
• про́дух (próduh) (dialectal)
• тръду́ха (trǎdúha) (dialectal)

References

• “дух”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “дух”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010

Macedonian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *duxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dux]
• Hyphenation: дух

Noun

дух • (duh) m (plural ду́хови, relational adjective ду́ховен)

1. ghost
2. spirit
3. (figurative) essence
4. soul

   Synonym: ду́ша (dúša)

Declension

Declension of дух

	singular	plural
indefinite	дух (duh)	духови (duhovi)
definite unspecified	духот (duhot)	духовите (duhovite)
definite proximal	духов (duhov)	духовиве (duhovive)
definite distal	духон (duhon)	духовине (duhovine)
vocative	духу (duhu)	духови (duhovi)
count form	—	духа (duha)

References

• “дух” in Дигитален речник на македонскиот јазик (Digitalen rečnik na makedonskiot jazik) [Digital dictionary of the Macedonian language] − drmj.eu

Pannonian Rusyn

Etymology

Inherited from Old Slovak duch, from Proto-Slavic *duxъ. Cognates include Carpathian Rusyn дух (dux) and Slovak duch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdux]
• Rhymes: -ux
• Hyphenation: дух

Noun

дух (dux) m inan (relational adjective духовни)

1. spirit (soul of a person or other creature; supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form)

   зли дух ― zli dux ― evil spirit

   Дух святи ― Dux svjati ― Holy Spirit

2. spirit (manner or style; intent, real meaning)

   тимски дух ― timski dux ― team spirit

   у духу братства ― u duxu bratstva ― in the spirit of brotherhood

3. ghost, apparition

   Synonyms: уява (ujava), зявенє (zjavenje), привидзенє (prividzenje), соблазен (soblazen)

Declension

Declension of дух (dux)

	singular	plural
nominative	дух (dux)	духи (duxi)
genitive	духа (duxa)	духох (duxox)
dative	духу (duxu)	духом (duxom)
accusative	дух (dux)	духи (duxi)
instrumental	духом (duxom)	духами (duxami)
locative	духу (duxu)	духох (duxox)
vocative	духу (duxu)	духи (duxi)

Related terms

adjectives

• духовити (duxoviti)

nouns

• духовенство n (duxovenstvo)
• душа f (duša)
• душпастир m pers (dušpastir)

References

• Medʹeši, H.; Fejsa, M.; Timko-Djitko, O. (2010), “дух”, in Ramač, Ju., editor, Руско-сербски словнїк [Rusyn-Serbian Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy
• Fejsa, M.; Šlemender, M.; Čelʹovski, S. (2022), “apparition”, in Анґлийско-руски словнїк [English-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy; Ruska matka, →ISBN, page 26
• Fejsa, M.; Šlemender, M.; Čelʹovski, S. (2022), “ghost”, in Анґлийско-руски словнїк [English-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy; Ruska matka, →ISBN, page 125
• Fejsa, M.; Šlemender, M.; Čelʹovski, S. (2022), “spirit”, in Анґлийско-руски словнїк [English-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy; Ruska matka, →ISBN, page 294

Russian

Alternative forms

• духъ (dux) — pre-1918 spelling

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *duxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dux]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Saint Petersburg):

  (file)

Noun

дух • (dux) m anim or m inan (genitive ду́ха, nominative plural ду́хи, genitive plural ду́хов, relational adjective духово́й)

1. spirit

   боево́й дух ― bojevój dux ― morale (literally, “fighting spirit”)

   перевести́ дух ― perevestí dux ― to catch one's breath; to take a breather

   не в ду́хе ― ne v dúxe ― in a bad mood

   • 1869, Лев Толстой [Leo Tolstoy], “Том 2, Часть четвёртая, VII”, in Война и мир; English translation from Aylmer and Louise Maude, transl., War and Peace, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1922–1923:

     Где, как, когда́ всоса́ла в себя́ из того́ ру́сского во́здуха, кото́рым она́ дыша́ла — э́та графи́нечка, воспи́танная эмигра́нткой-францу́женкой, э́тот дух, отку́да взяла́ она́ э́ти приёмы, кото́рые pas de châle давно́ бы должны́ бы́ли вы́теснить? Но дух и приёмы э́ти бы́ли те са́мые, неподража́емые, не изуча́емые, ру́сские, кото́рых и ждал от неё дя́дюшка.

     Gde, kak, kogdá vsosála v sebjá iz tovó rússkovo vózduxa, kotórym oná dyšála — éta grafínečka, vospítannaja emigrántkoj-francúženkoj, étot dux, otkúda vzjalá oná éti prijómy, kotóryje pas de châle davnó by dolžný býli výtesnitʹ? No dux i prijómy éti býli te sámyje, nepodražájemyje, ne izučájemyje, rússkije, kotóryx i ždal ot nejó djádjuška.

     Where, how, and when had this young countess, educated by an émigrée French governess, imbibed from the Russian air she breathed that spirit and obtained that manner which the pas de châle would, one would have supposed, long ago have effaced? But the spirit and the movements were those inimitable and unteachable Russian ones that “Uncle” had expected of her.

2. mind
3. courage
4. ghost
5. breath
6. scent
7. rebel (especially in Afghanistan; from душма́н (dušmán))
8. (military, slang) new recruit, rookie who is sometimes abused by the longer serving soldiers

Declension

Declension of дух (bian masc-form velar-stem accent-a) 

		singular	plural
nominative		ду́х dúx	ду́хи dúxi
genitive		ду́ха dúxa	ду́хов dúxov
dative		ду́ху dúxu	ду́хам dúxam
accusative	animate	ду́ха dúxa	ду́хов dúxov
	inanimate	ду́х dúx	ду́хи dúxi
instrumental		ду́хом dúxom	ду́хами dúxami
prepositional		ду́хе dúxe	ду́хах dúxax
partitive		ду́ху dúxu
locative		духу́ duxú
vocative		ду́ше dúše

Derived terms

Compounds:

• дух вре́мени (dux vrémeni, “German Zeitgeist”)
• как на духу́ (kak na duxú)
• на́ дух не переноси́ть impf (ná dux ne perenosítʹ)
• ни сном ни ду́хом (ni snom ni dúxom)
• собра́ться с ду́хом pf (sobrátʹsja s dúxom)

Related terms

• во́здух (vózdux)
• духи́ (duxí)
• духо́вный (duxóvnyj)
• души́стый (dušístyj)
• ду́шный (dúšnyj)
• душо́к (dušók)

Descendants

• → Armenian: դուխ (dux)
• → Azerbaijani: dux
• → Gagauz: duh

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *duxъ, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dûx/

Noun

ду̏х m anim or m inan (Latin spelling dȕh)

1. (animate) ghost, spirit

   Исус, пак пун Духа Светог, врати се од Јордана, и одведе Га Дух у пустињу, […]

   Isus, pak pun Duha Svetog, vrati se od Jordana, i odvede Ga Duh u pustinju, […]

   Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, […]

2. (inanimate) spirit

Declension

Declension of дух

	singular	plural
nominative	ду̏х	ду̀хови / ду̏си
genitive	духа	ду̀хо̄ва̄ / ду̑ха̄
dative	духу	ду̀ховима / ду̏сима
accusative	духа / дух	ду̀хове / ду̏хе
vocative	ду̏ше	ду̀хови / ду̏си
locative	духу	ду̀ховима / ду̏сима
instrumental	духом	ду̀ховима / ду̏сима

Related terms

• ду́ша

Further reading

• “дух”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Ukrainian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *duxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dux]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

дух • (dux) m inan (genitive ду́ху, uncountable)

1. spirit

   дух і душа́ ― dux i dušá ― spirit and soul

Declension

Declension of дух
(inan sg-only velar masc-form accent-a)

	singular
nominative	дух dux
genitive	ду́ху dúxu
dative	ду́хові, ду́ху dúxovi, dúxu
accusative	дух dux
instrumental	ду́хом dúxom
locative	ду́сі, ду́хові dúsi, dúxovi
vocative	ду́ху dúxu

Noun

дух • (dux) m pers (genitive ду́ха, nominative plural ду́хи, genitive plural ду́хів)

1. ghost

   Synonym: при́вид m (prývyd)

Declension

Declension of дух
(pers velar masc-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	дух dux	ду́хи dúxy
genitive	ду́ха dúxa	ду́хів dúxiv
dative	ду́хові, ду́ху dúxovi, dúxu	ду́хам dúxam
accusative	ду́ха dúxa	ду́хів dúxiv
instrumental	ду́хом dúxom	ду́хами dúxamy
locative	ду́хові, ду́ху dúxovi, dúxu	ду́хах dúxax
vocative	ду́ху dúxu	ду́хи dúxy

Derived terms

• духівни́к m (duxivnýk)
• духівни́цтво n (duxivnýctvo)
• духівни́ця f (duxivnýcja)
• духове́нство (duxovénstvo)
• духо́вний (duxóvnyj)
• духо́вність (duxóvnistʹ)

Further reading

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “дух”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2025), “дух”, in Словник української мови: у 20 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 20 vols] (in Ukrainian), volumes 1–15 (а – п'ять), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka; Ukrainian Lingua-Information Fund, →ISBN