How to say ‘ex’ in Russian

Although it is easy to hear the Anglicism “экс” in Russian, it is primarily used as a prefix with titles such as “экс-президент” (ex-president), “экс-министр” (ex-minister), and “экс-чемпион” (ex-champion).

When referring to your former partner, use the adjectives “бывший” and “бывшая” which can be translated to “former” in English. These adjectives can be used with nouns that indicate titles, statuses, and even objects such as “бывший директор” (former director), “бывшая жена” (former wife), “бывший коллега” (former colleague), and “бывшая столица” (former capital).

Additionally, “бывший” and “бывшая” can be used without a noun, which is more colloquial (only applies to previous romantic or marriage relationships).

Examples:

• У него хорошие отношения с бывшей женой. = He has a good relationship with his ex-wife.
• Вчера в метро я увидела своего бывшего. = Yesterday I saw my ex on the subway.