What’s Russia well-known for? Right, drinking. The rich history of Russian alcohol gave birth to a lot of related words that can’t be translated directly into other languages and require explanation. The same goes for words that appeared during the First and Second World Wars and throughout Russia’s history.
In order to understand the Russian language fully and to know more about Russian culture, it’s essential to learn the most-used untranslatable Russian words. That’s why we here at RussianPod101.com have prepared for you a list of the top-ten modern untranslatable Russian idioms that you can easily study and start using. Please, go ahead!
Table of Contents
- Опохмелиться (Opokhmelit’sya)
- Запой (Zapoy)
- Сушняк (Sushnyak)
- Халява (Khalyava)
- Хамить (Khamit’)
- Брезговать (Brezgovat’)
- Подвиг (Podvig)
- Однолюб (Odnolyub)
- Воля (Volya)
- Тоска (Toska)
- Conclusion
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1. Опохмелиться (Opokhmelit’sya)
Literal Translation: “Drink some more alcohol.”
Meaning: To drink more alcohol in order to remove the negative effects of a hangover.
Example Situation: It’s possible that after a wild night with Russian friends in a cottage outside of the city, that in the morning someone will recommend that you drink some more alcohol to overcome a hangover.
Usage in a Sentence:
Пора опохмелиться.
Pora opokhmelit’sya.
“It’s time to drink some more alcohol for hangover.”
Interesting Fact:
This is one of the more fascinating untranslatable words in the Russian language. In Russia, it’s considered a folk remedy for a hangover. However, modern medicine has proved that it works only for alcoholics who experience addiction to the ethanol.
2. Запой (Zapoy)
Literal Translation: “Several days drinking.”
Meaning: This word means drinking alcohol for several days or even weeks in a row, not letting the body remove the alcohol from your blood.
Example Situation: If you’ve ever gone out for a weekend vacation and drank alcohol for two or more days in a row, congrats! You’ve experienced one of the most common Russian untranslatable words, запой (zapoy).
Usage in a Sentence:
Уйти в запой.
Uyti v zapoy.
“To start the several-days drinking session.”
Паша сдал проект и ушел в запой.
Pasha sdal proekt i ushol v zapoy.
“Pasha has finished the project and started zapoy.”
Interesting Fact:
It’s fun to know that several centuries ago, Russian merchants were allowed to take a vacation for a zapoy period. It was stated in the statute of the merchant guild, signed by the emperor Alexander I in 1807. Every Russian merchant could have the annual vacation for болезнь души (bolezn’ dushi)—“the sickness of the soul.” That was what zapoy was called back then. Merchants could go for a small zapoy—for two weeks—or for a big one lasting a month.
3. Сушняк (Sushnyak)
Literal Translation: “Dry mouth.”
Meaning: The feeling of a dry mouth during a hangover.
Example Situation: You may hear this word in an explanation when somebody asks you to bring him some water in the morning. Or if you’re experiencing a hangover and drink a lot of water, your Russian colleague or a friend will ask empathetically if you’re having sushnyak.
If that’s the case, he’ll probably recommend folk treatments against it. No, this won’t be as radical as опохмелиться (opokhmelit’sya)—”to drink more alcohol.” But rather something like кефир (kefir)—“kefir, cultured buttermilk” or рассол (rassol)—“pickle brine.”
Usage in a Sentence:
У меня сушняк, принеси, пожалуйста, водички.
U menya sushnyak, prinesi, pozhaluysta, vodichki.
“I’m having sushnyak, please, bring me some water.”
Что, сушняк замучил?
Chto, sushnyak zamuchil?
“Well, torturing from sushnyak?”
4. Халява (Khalyava)
Literal Translation: “Freebie.”
Meaning: The word applies to different kinds of situations when you get something so easy that it’s unfair.
Example Situation: If you get some valuable things from the company you work for as a present—and you didn’t do anything to deserve it—then you получил это на халяву (poluchil eto na khalyavu) or got it as khalyava. Or, if you suddenly got really good grades at school but didn’t do anything to deserve them, then that’s khalyava as well.
Usage in a Sentence:
Начальник получил повышение и сегодня проставляется. Сходим, выпьем на халяву?
Nachal’nik poluchil povysheniye i segodnya prostavlyayetsya. Skhodim, vyp’yem na khalyavu?
“The boss got promoted and will buy everyone a drink today. Let’s go for a free drink.”
Interesting Fact:
This is actually one of the really funny untranslatable Russian words. There’s a university tradition for students at midnight before an exam to open a gradebook on the page for a future exam, hold it out the window, and shout three times Халява, приди! (Khalyava, pridi!)—”Khalyava, come!” By doing that, students believe that they’ll get lucky on the exam.
5. Хамить (Khamit’)
Literal Translation: “To behave in a rude way.”
Meaning: Rude, impudent, and insolent way of behavior with impunity.
Example Situation: Usually, this word characterizes the way Russians can act to unknown people on the street when someone wants to show their superiority and higher social status by being confident of impunity. Usually, people use this word to point out this bad behavior and stop it.
Related Words:
Хам (kham)—“The male who is behaving in a rude way.”
Хамка (khamka)—“The female who is behaving in a rude way.”
Usage in a Sentence:
Прекратите хамить.
Prekratite khamit’.
“Stop being rude.”
Interesting Fact:
In a very popular Russian novel “The Twelve Chairs” written by Ilf and Petrov, there’s a famous character named Ellochka whose spoken vocabulary consisted of only 30 words. One of these words was Хамите (Khamite)—“You are being rude.”
6. Брезговать (Brezgovat’)
Literal Translation: “To feel disgusted by something.”
Meaning: The word “disgusted” doesn’t show the full meaning of the word брезговать (brezgovat’). It also means that the person treats something or someone with disdain, or feels a bit superior.
Example Situation: The word isn’t used in spoken language that much. But you can hear it in context of talking about someone. For example, when one person achieved a success and feels ashamed to talk to his less successful friends, you can say that he брезгует (brezguyet’).
Related Words:
Брезгливо (brezglivo)—“with disgust”
Брезгливый (brezglivyy)—“fastidious/disgust”
Usage in a Sentence:
Маша выбилась в люди и теперь брезгует общаться с нами.
Masha vybilas’ v lyudi i teper’ brezguyet obshchat’sya s nami.
“Masha became successful and now feels ashamed to talk to us.”
7. Подвиг (Podvig)
Literal Translation: “Brave and heroic feat.”
Meaning: A really significant and meaningful heroic act. This act is usually made in very difficult and dangerous circumstances. The person who’s doing this act usually does it selflessly.
Example Situation: All brave and heroic acts that were selflessly made during the wars are called подвиг (podvig). But of course, now this word can be applied even to civilian matters; for example, when a person does an impossible amount of valuable work in the office in a short time, people can say that he made трудовой подвиг (trudovoy podvig)—“labor podvig.”
Usage in a Sentence:
Совершить подвиг.
Sovershit’ podvig.
“To make podvig.”
За героические подвиги во Второй мировой войне звания Героя Советского Союза были удостоены более 11 000 человек, из которых многие – посмертно.
Za geroicheskiye podvigi vo Vtoroy mirovoy voyne zvaniya Geroya Sovetskogo soyuza byli udostoyeny boleye odinnadtsati tysyach chelovek, iz kotorykh mnogiye – posmertno.
“For heroic acts during the Second World War more than 11,000 people were given honorary distinction as The Hero of the Soviet Union. Some of them were given it posthumously.”
Additional Notes:
If you want to understand Russian подвиг (podvig) better, check out the military film В бой идут одни старики (V boy idut odni stariki) that we recommend in our article “Top 10 Russian Movies: With Links and Famous Quotes (2018 Update).”
8. Однолюб (Odnolyub)
Literal Translation: “A person who loves only one person.”
Meaning: This is one of the most beautiful untranslatable Russian words. It means a person who can love only one person in a lifetime. The word comes from combining two parts. The first one is одно- (odno-)—the form of the word один (odin)—”one.” The second one is -люб (-lyub)—the abbreviation of the word любить (lyubit’)—”to love.”
Example Situation: This word sounds a bit old-school, so it doesn’t come up in conversations often. Though, if the topic allows, using it regarding a really devoted person will be great. For example, if a guy marries and lives with his first love till his death he can be called однолюб (odnolyub).
Usage in a Sentence:
Её мужчина – однолюб, ей с ним очень повезло.
Yeyo muzhchina – odnolyub, yey s nim ochen’ povezlo.
“Her man is odnolyub, she is so lucky.”
9. Воля (Volya)
Literal Translation: “Freedom.”
Meaning: This word has plenty of meanings. The most used meanings are 1.) self-control, 2.) desire, and 3.) freedom. The most controversial is the third one as it doesn’t mean something positive, but means the absence of неволя (nevolya)—“captivity.” It has the global meaning of freedom, meaning no authority or obligations.
As the famous Russian poet Bulat Okudzhava said about the Russian: “What usual Russian person tends to do in his spare time? Who knows. To think, to talk, to drink alcohol. Alcohol not as the goal itself, but as the mean of communication, fun, forgetfulness. To volya – the Russian doesn’t care about freedom, he loves volya. It means – to be without restrictions. And when he is told that here is your freedom, he doesn’t understand that.”
Example Situation: This word isn’t used in spoken language often—of course, that doesn’t mean you won’t hear it during philosophical conversations at night in the kitchen with alcohol that Russians love so much. But you’ll meet a lot of this word in books, newspapers, news, films, series, etc. For example, when a person goes out of prison, you can hear in the news Он вышел на волю. (On vyshel na volyu.) meaning, “He came out of prison.”
Related Words:
Вольный (vol’nyy)—“Free.”
Usage in a Sentence:
Сила воли.
Sila voli.
“Willpower.”
Вадим начал развивать силу воли, принимая контрастный душ каждое утро.
Vadim nachal razvivat’ silu voli, prinimaya kontrastnyy dush kazhdoye utro.
“Vadim has started to develop his willpower by taking contrast showers every morning.”
10. Тоска (Toska)
Literal Translation: “Feeling of boredom and depression.”
Meaning: Strong soul languor; soul anxiety combined with sadness and boredom; painful gloom.
Example Situation: You’re studying abroad. It’s raining. You’re sitting all alone in your room near the window and watching the gray and depressing scenery. You miss your home a little bit, sad from the weather and loneliness, and feel a little bit of self-pity and boredom. Here we are. You’re feeling Russian тоска (toska).
Another example is when your colleague visits a conference and you ask him how it went. He can say Тоска (Toska), meaning that it was really boring and depressing.
Related words:
Тосковать (toskovat`)—“to feel toska.”
Тоскливо (tosklivo)—“with toska.”
Usage in a Sentence:
– Ты что такая унылая сидишь? (Ty chto takaya unylaya sidish’?)
– Да тоскливо как-то. (Da tosklivo kak-to).
– “Why are you looking so gloomy (while sitting)?”
– “Well, I feel soul anxiety.”
Эта книга – полная тоска.
(Eta kniga – polnaya toska).
“This book is super boring and depressing.”
11. Conclusion
Now you know the top ten untranslatable words Russian people use really often. Write them down and try to use them while talking with your Russian friends or colleagues. It’ll be a great conversation opener, but remember that Russian people really enjoy getting philosophical.
So, you’ll probably hear a lot more explanations to the Russian words with no English equivalent than we studied above. And some of these explanations will be true only to that one person you’re talking to. 
That’s fine. Try asking what love is to several different people and you’ll get different answers.
So, don’t be afraid. Go. Communicate. Improve your language skills and get to know the mysterious Russian soul.
Of course, knowing just ten Russian words with no English translation might be less than enough to speak Russian freely. There are plenty of Russian words with no translation; some words appear only in the spoken language and some idioms get old and remain only in books. This makes it especially important to understand untranslatable words to learn Russian.
Consider taking some lessons in our MyTeacher program for Russian-learners to learn the untranslatable terms in Russian that will help you to reach your language goal. Our professional teachers will not only expand your active vocabulary, but will help you sound like a real Russian pretty soon. RussianPod101.com is here to guide you through every step of your language-learning journey!
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Last updated:
June 14, 2022
15 Untranslatable Russian Words and What They (Sort of) Mean
Russian has quite a few words and phrases (and plenty of jokes) that don’t have a direct translation into English, making the transfer of ideas between the two languages messy at times.
In this post, I’ll give it our best shot.
Learn these untranslatable Russian words and you’ll be learning a bit more about the culture and language!
Contents
- Untranslatable Words and Why Every Language Has Them
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- The untranslatable culture of the Russian language
- Lost in Translation: 15 Untranslatable Russian Words
-
- Russian Concepts That Don’t Exist in English
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- 1. тоска
- 2. недоперепил
- 3. хамство
- 4. распутица
- 5. авось
- 6. встрепенуться
- 7. грозный
- 8. совесть
- 9. ударник
- Russian Words That Don’t Have an English Equivalent
-
- 10. почемучка
- 11. листопад
- 12. баюкать
- 13. успевать
- 14. сутки
- 15. ничего себе
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Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Untranslatable Words and Why Every Language Has Them
Languages aren’t developed in a lab (unless you’re looking at Constructed Languages, which literally are created artificially).
They’re born out of necessity and grow along with the cultures that use them. Because of this, languages create words that are important to their cultures.
Sometimes, these words don’t exist outside of the single language. Other times, the entire concept is completely untranslatable to other cultures.
The untranslatable culture of the Russian language
What does this mean for Russian?
The Russian language is in large part a product of its environment. For instance, much like the often-cited 50 Eskimo words for snow, Russian has a different word for every possible type of snow- and rain-storm imaginable:
буря — storm
вьюга — snowstorm
метель — blizzard
пурга — somewhere between a snowstorm and a blizzard
…and way too many more to list.
There are also a few words in Russian for things that simply don’t exist anywhere else, like:
самовар — a metal teapot of sorts, usually ornate [literally: self-cooker])
буржуйка — a metal cooking device
Other words are hard to pin down because their definitions rely too much on connotation, like the Russian дача, which can be roughly translated as “country house” but has a much deeper meaning for Russians as a historic and national phenomenon.
Learning words that only exist in Russian will, of course, boost your vocabulary.
And so much more than that! You’ll be learning about the culture of Russia, the history of the language and the values that Russians hold dear enough that they require words of their own.
There are plenty of ways to discover these wonderful Russian-specific words, but one of the best is by listening to Russian speakers do their thing. An immersion-based program like FluentU can help you with this. FluentU uses authentic Russian videos to help you understand how native speakers actually use the language while reinforcing vocabulary and grammatical concepts through interactive captioning and adaptive flashcards.
Russian Concepts That Don’t Exist in English
These words are so uniquely Russian, that the very concepts they refer to don’t even exist in English.
1. тоска
You might see тоска translated as “boredom” or “melancholy.” Some dictionaries equate it to “yearning.” Others say it means “ennui.”
It means all of this and more.
The word isn’t used that often in everyday life, but has been used in Russian literature to describe that “Загадочная русская душа” (“mysterious Russian soul”).
Take it from Владимир В. Набоков (Vladimir Nabokov), a great Russian writer, who described the word as such:
“At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody or something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom…”
Wow, heavy start.
Let’s lighten things up a bit, shall we?
2. недоперепил
If you take this word apart, you get:
не- — not
-до- — up
-пере- — over
-пил — drank
Wait. What?
Yep, недоперепил literally means “not drank up too much.”
It sounds ridiculous, but that’s about as close of a translation as you can get to this uniquely Russian word: A state of being where you’ve drunk a lot but not as much as you could (or wanted to). The word has a wistful tone, implying that you wish you’d drunk more.
So if you’re out at a bar and the barista cuts you off, you can say, “Но я же недоперепил!” (“But I haven’t yet drank as much as I can!”)
If you have a mild hangover but not the terrible bout you were expecting, you might say, “Кажется я вчера недоперепил” (“It looks like I didn’t drink to my limit yesterday”).
What a wonderful word! (And what an exciting life you live!)
Russian has a few other drinking words that don’t have an English analogue:
запой — a drinking binge that usually extends beyond a few days
опохмелиться — to drink a bit more on the day after you drank too much (about the same meaning as the expression “hair of the dog”)
But that’s enough drinking for one post. Давай, давай! (Come on, come on!) Moving on!
3. хамство
This word can be very roughly translated to “boorishness” or “audacity,” but honestly, neither come close to the full meaning. It refers to the insolence, the rudeness, of someone who doesn’t follow societal rules. You might say that it’s like “being cheeky,” but in a more severe sense.
For the definition of this one, let’s come back to our dear writer, Nabokov. He translated it as…
Actually, even he couldn’t translate it. Another Russian author, Сергей Довлатов (Sergei Dovlatov), continued where Nabokov left off, calling хамство “Это непереводимое слово” (“that untranslatable word”).
The Russian culture has historically praised proper manners and good-naturedness, so it follows that they have a word for someone who’s poorly behaved toward others.
In fact, the language has a number of similar words that likewise don’t have true translations (though we’ll give approximate equivalents below):
наглость — impudence
грубость — rudeness in a rough sort of way
нахальство — impertinence, having nerve or gall
4. распутица
Here’s a case of a word that doesn’t have a translation simply because it describes something that doesn’t exist in English. The распутица is a season of bad roads, a time during spring and fall where the snow and rain are so bad that they render unpaved roads practically impassable.
Some have surmised that the word has something to do with Распутин (Rasputin), but the real origin is more useful for the language learner: it comes from the root путь (road) and the prefix рас- (like the English “dis”). In other words, to “disroad”!
5. авось
Although авось can be said to mean “maybe” (or more literally, “may be”), the word has a more in-depth meaning as well.
The concept of авось is more like a blind belief that things will work out. It represents the optimistic hope that luck will be on your side.
You can use it as a strange mix of “hopefully” and “have faith”:
Авось Бог поможет. — Hopefully/I have faith that God will help.
Авось ты найдешь что ищешь. — Hopefully/I have faith that you’ll find what you’re looking for.
You can also use the phrase “на авось,” which is actually closest in translation to a well-known Spanish saying: “Que sera, sera.” In other words: Luck, faith and whatever will be, will be!
Надеемся на авось. — Let’s hope/put our faith in luck.
The idea of авось builds onto the historic Russian stereotype of people who don’t do anything to resolve their problems but still expect a positive outcome. The same concept gave the Russian language a word that does exist in the English language: судьба, or fate.
For a literary look at that elusive русская душа and the philosophies it holds dear, have a read of “Oblomov” by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov (“Обломов,” Иван А. Гончаров), about a character who doesn’t do or not, but rather simply… exists:
“All his anxiety resolved itself into a sigh and dissolved into apathy and drowsiness.”
6. встрепенуться
This wonderful word is similar to the English word “rouse,” as in “rouse yourself from sleep.” And “flutter,” as in “a bird fluttering its wings.” And “beat,” as in “a heart beating faster.” And…
Okay, you get it.
So much meaning packed into one word! Although it’s mostly used in poetry, like in the timeless Russian poetry of Afanasy Fet (Афанасий Фет), this word is a perfect example of the versatile nature of the Russian language.
It comes from the root word трепет (thrill or awe), and is often used to refer to nature or humans (leaves can flutter and rouse themselves).
Like this word? Here’s a word with a similar concept: оживиться — to “liven up,” or, literally, to “bring life to yourself.”
7. грозный
You might not realize it, but you already know this word. Remember Ivan the Terrible? In Russian, he’s Иван Грозный!
Although it’s translated as “terrible,” грозный is closer in meaning to “threatening” or “overbearing.” The moniker wasn’t given to Ivan for his terrible deeds, but rather his fearsome nature.
The root of the word, гроз, means (loosely) “horror”—and is, incidentally, also the root of the word гроза (thunder)! Personally, we think Ivan the Thunderous is much more menacing.
8. совесть
We’re paying another visit to the mysterious Russian soul in this entry, with the word совесть—which is a sort of combination of conscience and morals, all rolled into one word.
Depending on the phrase, this word translates in slightly different ways to English:
имей совесть — “have some shame”
совесть имеешь? — “do you have a moral compass?”
чистая совесть — “a clear conscience”
угрызения совести — “something eating at your conscience,” literally “gnawings of conscience”
But in a nutshell, совесть is the feeling of being expected to follow social morals, an intrinsic duty to have a conscience by human nature (rather than by law or through learning).
9. ударник
You might recognize the root this word derives from: удар (a hit).
Naturally, ударник can be used literally to mean drummer, the hammer of a gun or a hammer in general (and various other “hitty” things).
But in a broader sense, ударник is also a model worker, an upstanding employee who’s used as an example for other workers for how they should behave.
This word has historic origins, dating back to Soviet-era Russia to hyper-productive workers called “shock workers.”
The idea was that by elevating hard workers to a position of national importance, other citizens would follow their example.
Although the word isn’t used often today in this sense, it’s an important part of Russian history, and you’ll still occasionally hear it live on through the phrase “ударный труд” (“shock work”)—which refers to extremely hard or productive labor.
Russian Words That Don’t Have an English Equivalent
Below are some words that do have an equivalent concept in English, but no single word to refer to it.
10. почемучка
Someone who asks a lot of questions. Think of a toddler constantly asking “почему?” (“why?”).
You might also hear words like незнайка (know-nothing), from the phrase не знаю (I don’t know).
11. листопад
The falling of leaves in autumn, like snowfall (снегопад).
This one comes from the words for лист (leaf) and падать (to fall).
12. баюкать
To put a baby down to sleep while singing to them. English has similar words—to lull, to rock—but no single term that so nicely sums up the concept.
Put your baby down to sleep with a Russian lullaby that uses a variation of the term!
13. успевать
Many Russians are baffled by the fact that English doesn’t have a single word for this concept: to make it on time, or to have enough time to do something. This one word covers both definitions in a neat package:
Я успела на работу. — I made it on time to work.
Я успела поработать. — I had enough time to work.
14. сутки
While English has the word “day,” there’s no version of this Russian word, which refers to “a 24-hour period.”
15. ничего себе
Wow! Amazing! Golly gee!
Okay, so English is not the most expressive language when it comes to showing our excitement about something. Russian, on the other hand, is.
Many terms in Russian that express awe are idioms that don’t translate literally, but they all have different levels of excitement and meaning.
For instance, the phrase “ничего себе!” literally means “nothing for myself!” but is used as a way of saying “I can’t believe it!”
Here are some other fun ways to show how amazed you are at something:
Вот это да! — Wow! (Literally: “Here this yes!”)
Надо же! — Wow! (Literally: “It’s needed!”)
Да ты что! — Wow, I don’t believe you! (Literally: “Yes you that!”)
Russian has plenty of untranslatable moments.
After all, how do you translate this perfectly acceptable response to a question: “да нет, наверное” (literally: “yes no maybe”—though meaning more along the lines of “well, probably not”).
As you learn more about the Russian language, you’ll get a deeper sense of the culture that birthed it. And after a while, the language’s idiosyncrasy will become second nature to you.
Good luck on your journey to fluency!
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This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
We have already written about some barely translatable words like ‘toska’ or ‘bespredel.’ The article attracted much comment with readers suggesting other words they consider exist only in Russian. Let’s have a look at them.
1. Soviest’
This word comes from the old Slavic language and copies the Greek “syneidesis” (conscience, sense of duty). However, in Russia the meaning of soviest’ is much broader and refers to the deep personal interpretation of good and evil and the feeling of responsibility not only before society, but before God and yourself.
Russians consider soviest’ as a vivid notion, saying “soviest’ tortures” («испытываю угрызения совести» — if you’ve done a bad thing), “done by soviest’” («сделано на совесть» — good-quality, well done).
2. Zapoy
There is a widespread belief that Russians are big drinkers. Undoubtedly, plenty of words connected to the Russian drinking culture can be found in the language.
For example, there is no direct translation for the word “zapoy”. It’s not just a lengthy bender, but a recurrent condition sometimes lasting for more than a week. Some historians claim that merchants in tsarist Russia were legally prescribed taking a rest cure due to «soul illness».
Nowadays there are not many Russians who believe zapoy is a reboot required from time to time. There’s also an expression «to do something by zapoy,» (for example, to read by zapoy – «читатьзапоем») which means to do something for a long time without interruption, to be fully immersed in the process.
3. Pogrom
The term pogrom has multiple meanings as a riot or massacre. However, mostly it describes the act of organized cruelty or killing that is done to a large group of people because of their race or religion. The act should be approved or condoned by the local authorities, too.
The term is usually applied to anti-Jewish violence in the Russian Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries according to Encyclopædia Britannica. The characteristics of a pogrom vary widely depending on the specific incidents, at times leading to, or culminating in massacres.
Later the term entered the English language in order to describe mass violence in other countries, for instance, in Germany (“Kristallnacht” also called Night of Broken Glass or November Pogroms).
4. Baba
Originally this word had a specific meaning – an old woman, a female witch doctor. Some linguists believe the combination of the sounds «BA BA» is a child’s reaction to another woman who lives in the family home.
One version claims this word transformed into famous babushka (grandmother). In the 18th century this term got another meaning: the wife of serf (peasant) and became a synonym for a plain, uneducated woman.
The embodiment of the Russian baba is well-known due to Nikolai Nekrasov’s poem Who Is Happy in Russia?: baba is a woman who can stop a horse at full tilt and enter a burning house!
Nowadays the word will sound offensive to a Russian woman.
5. Muzhik
Originally this word meant “a married peasant man”. After the Russian revolution in 1917 the status muzhik made their holder proud of being the opposite of bourgeois. It was at that time when the idiom «real muzhik» entered the Russian language and it remains well known to this day.
Who is a real muzhik? It’s a man in possession of a wide range of qualities: he’s not just strong, but patient, what you see is what you get, and he uses his smekalka (see next paragraph) every now and then.
However, the word is not so unequivocal: it may also signify an uneducated, boorish man.
6. Smekalka
Smekalka is one of the typical features of the «mysterious Russian soul»: it’s not just being savvy, ingenious or inventive — it’s the skill to solve problems quickly and simply in imaginative ways.
In Russian folktales, good characters always have a lot of smekalka. It helps them to overcome difficulties and win over bad characters.
Smekalka helped honored Russian commanders achieve great and miraculous victories. When military general Alexander Suvorov had to cross a broken bridge in the Alps, he made his soldiers knit the logs with their scarves, which enabled them to fix the bridge!
7. Brodyaga
This Russian word can roughly be translated as hobo – a person who has no home and wanders constantly. But a brodyaga is not homeless in the traditional sense. He just likes to live in different places, sort of a downshifter. As Russians say about brodyagas: he’s a rolling stone, here today — and gone tomorrow.
8. Dukh
This is a philosophical cornerstone of Russian literature and culture in general. According to religious beliefs, dukh is an immortal immaterial basis close to the word dusha (soul).
Besides, dukh is related to the inner condition of the human – “the strength of dukh” («сила духа») means the individual moral strength. “Dukh of freedom” («дух свободы») means a spirit.
9. Khalyava
This word is often used in the expression «nakhalyavu» which means to get something completely free, without any effort. This untranslatable concept, similar to the concepts of “freebie”, might help to get the philosophy of the Russian collective unconscious (Russians say: vinegar is sweet if you get it “nakhalyavu”).
Khalyava is the complete opposite of the typical American dream in which you become successful as a result of a hard work. Russian happiness includes wealth obtained by pure luck or a rich relative who suddenly appears, immediately dies and leaves you a fortune.
A day before exams, students who didn’t succeed in their studies try to attract » khalyava» (which is supposed to help them) by opening their textbooks and shouting out of the window of their dorm » khalyava, come here!»
10. Zapadlo
The word comes from prison slang, but today you can hear many Russians using it. It was derived from the word «padla» which means a sneaky, bad man.
When Russians say zapadlo, it implies they don’t want to be like this bad man. “Mne zapadlo” (For me it’s zapadlo) means the person doesn’t want to do something because he considers this action humiliating, beneath his dignity.
Keep in mind that the word has an expressive negative subtext. Being among decent people, you’d rather say “nikaknemogu, izvinite” (I would rather not do it, sorry).
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One of the most exciting moments in learning a foreign language is when you come across a word or phrase that simply does not exist in your native tongue. You may be able to come up with translations that have a similar meaning, but none of them convey the same linguistic subtleties or emotional nuances as the original. Here we have selected twenty of our favourite Russian words that encapsulate a different way of thinking about the world:
One of the most exciting moments in learning a foreign language is when you come across a word or phrase that simply does not exist in your native tongue. You may be able to come up with translations that have a similar meaning, but none of them convey the same linguistic subtleties or emotional nuances as the original. Here we have selected twenty of our favourite Russian words that encapsulate a different way of thinking about the world:
Воля — Vol-ya
Dictionaries will often translate volya as something like freedom or free-will, but the word means so much more than свобода (svoboda), its plainer synonym. It describes a state of unbounded, almost anarchic freedom – the sense of liberty that you might feel in a place of vast, natural beauty. It’s the opposite of constraint, oppression, drudgery; a feeling that anything is possible and nothing can hold you back.
Самородок – Samo-rodok
A samorodok is essentially a ‘diamond in the rough’. It describes a person endowed with natural talent and potential that has not been able to refine their skills in the framework of formal education or training. Unlike the English expression, samorodok emphasises the coarseness of the individual in his current state. In its literal sense, it means ‘golden nugget’.
Запой – Za-poy
Zapoy means the drinking binge to end all drinking binges. This doesn’t mean going out for a few drinks and waking up with a headache the next morning. It’s not a zapoy unless it lasts for multiple days, causes considerable mayhem, and you wake up in some unfamiliar place with no recollection of what even happened.
Бытие – B-wyh-tee-yeh
This is a rather grandiloquent philosophical word that means something like the state-of-existence-beyond-existence-itself (obviously a vital word for beginner students to learn!) Perhaps the best way to describe it is as the pure reality of things untainted by human subjectivity and fallibility, a hyperconscious reality
Любоваться – Lyoo-bov-atsya
Lyubovatsya means to stare at something with admiration and adoration. It has the sense of basking in the wonderment of whatever it is your looking at, taking enormous pleasure from just being in its presence. It is a much more self-indulgent feeling than the English ‘admire’.
Показуха – Pok-az-oo-kha
If ever there was a word to describe the Soviet Union, with its sturdy veneer but crumbling reality, this was it. Pokazukha means something similar to window-dressing. It refers to a slightly absurd attempt to show things in a good light when you know full well that it’s an absolute shambles. It emphasises the audacity of the deceiver.
Тоска – Tosk-a
We couldn’t resist including toska and Vladimir Nabokov’s famous definition:
No single word in English renders all the shades of toska. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody or something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom Vladimir Nabokov
People do have a habit of (unfoundedly) claiming that their native language is richer and more poetic others, but as Nabokov spoke English to the same level as he did Russian, we’ll take his word on it.
The rule of thumb then is to use грусть (grust) when referring to ‘regular sadness’ and toska when you mean the sort of sorrow that you feel in the marrow of your bones..
Живучий – Zhiv-oo-chee
This slightly sinister word means ‘one that clings to life’. It can’t really be translated as resilient or tenacious as they words have positive, stoical connotations. One of the most zhivuchiye people in history has to have been Rasputin, who was poisoned, shot, and thrown into the freezing Malaya Nevka River, and yet still had the fight in him to claw at the ice with his fingernails.
Мужик – Moo-zhik
What is a muzhik? You hear men calling each other this word all the time in Russia, but it’s difficult to pin down exactly what it means. muzhik is often placed alongside those colloquial terms in English that we have for male friends: mate, fellow, guy, bloke, lad, dude, bro, etc. However, the difference is that these words don’t say anything particular about his personality, whilst muzhik definitely does.
Historically, muzhik was simply a way of referring to a male, Russian peasant. Nowadays, if you call someone a muzhik you are expressing your admiration for any number of qualities: machoism, hardiness, independence, financial success, physical bravery. In short, a muzhik is a loveable rogue with a love for volya (see above).
Быт – B-wyh-t
In stark contrast to the spiritual existence of бытие (bytiye), the word быт is connected to the mundane, drudgery of everyday life, particularly that which is contained within the home. It very neatly captures the sense of dullness that we feel when going about our daily chores and other activities necessary for life – loading the dishwasher, pouring milk into our bowl of cereal, washing ourselves in the shower. Those moments when we feel we are existing, rather than living.
The beauty of every language, no matter if it belongs to one particular language family or stands out alone ( which is called an isolate), is in its uniqueness.
By uniqueness, here we mean on words and phrases its native speakers use that can’t be simply translated to English or some other language.
Russian, for example, has many words that can’t be translated to English, so often it can be quite challenging explaining language learners and other non-Russian speakers some words.
On the other hand, understanding and, above all, using untranslatable Russian words is one of the signs that a person speakers Russian in some more advanced and sophisticated way.
Therefore, to help you with being fluent and impressing Russian native speakers, we’ve gathered the 20 most common untranslatable Russian words.
We are sure that there are many more but if you agree that the more words like these you know, the better that will be for your Russian language skills. And for that, we recommend you turn to
Russian tutors, native speakers, and professional teachers who will discover for you a whole new world.
But now, let’s dive in.
Why Learning Untranslatable Russian Words Anyway?
Languages are living things that change over time.
They aren’t made intentionally so there is no special program or app or perhaps some magic you can pour into your brain and from the next day start using it.
Out of necessity and circumstances, languages developed words and phrases that mean something in their culture but outside they don’t tell much.
That’s why there are untranslatable words in Russian, as well as in many other languages.
So, here are some reasons why you should learn untranslatable Russian words:
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Learning words that can be used only in Russian, undoubtedly, enrich your vocabulary.
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Besides words, how and when to use them, you actually learn about the culture, history, and people as well.
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You can compare to other Russian words and phrases which are spoken in other Russian speaking countries, find out if there are other namings for certain things that are used only in one particular area.
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Besides vocabulary, this way is a great way to practice and improve your Russian pronunciation, too.
11 Untranslatable Russian Words And When to Use Them Properly
In the following lines, you can find some of the commonly used untranslatable Russian words, which can help you not only with your vocabulary but to help you understand the culture of one nation.
Авось
One of the close meanings in English is,undoubtedly, ‘maybe’ but this word can be explained with other words as well.
The word ‘aвось’ can also describe your desire and optimism that something will work out, that the final result will be positive.
In other words, it can be explained as ‘have faith’ as well.
Белоручка
Coming from the words ‘Бело’ in the meaning of ‘white’ and ‘ручка’ as ‘hand,’ this words is used for those who don’t want to do any dirty work, no matter the reason.
Листопад
Now, this is the word that doesn’t have English equivalent, nor even some similar one.
It can be explained as the case when in autumn leaves fall from the tree.
The word comes from the words ‘лист’ which means ‘leaf; and the verb ‘падать,’ which means ‘to fall.
Надрыв
There is a lot of research about this word, especially Dostoyevsky himself used it as one of the key things in his works.
The word refers to emotional outburst, after so strong feelings a person can’t hide anymore.
Недоперепил
Sounds pretty amusing the word, doesn’t it?
Now when you hear meanings of all parts of the word, you would think that we are joking.
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не- not
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до- up
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пере- over
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пил- drank
So, literally translated, this word means ‘not drank up too much.’
In situations when you are drunk, but not too much and you could ( also also wanted) to get just a little bit more drunk, feel free to use ‘недоперепил.’
Почемучка
This word also can’t be translated to English, nor explained with one word.
It comes from the question word ‘Почему,’ which means ‘why.’
As you may suppose yourself now, it refers to someone asking a lot (or too many) questions.
For kids and toddlers, for example, we can say thay are ‘Почемучка,’ because they ask too many questions.
Совесть
The closest English equivalent to this russian word is ‘conscience.’
However, the Russian one isn’t only that. It represents conscience and a feeling for right, for moral in one.
Сушняк
Even though we don’t want to seems that all the Russians do is drink and get drunk, but here’s one more Russian word related to alcohol.
This word describes the feeling when your throat is dry the morning after partying and drinking.
Тоска
This word is usually translated as ‘boredom’ or ‘melancholy’ and it isn’t a mistake. However, this word can also be explained with ‘yarning’
Today, the word isn’t commonly used in everday conversations. Mainly, you can find it in literature, for example, in one of
Vladimir Nabokov’s works.
Ударник
Here’s one word that was widely used back in Soviet times and has historic background. In that context, the word refers to a worker who serves as an example of how others should behave.
In some other, more general, contexts, the word can be used as a ‘drummer’ because the noun comes from the verb ‘удар’ which means ‘to hit.’
Хамство
This word is mainly translated as ‘audacity’ or ‘borishness’ but we can’t say that these expressions are a good translation.
This Russian word is somewhere between.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the Russian language has many commonly used words that can be simply translated to English or another foreign language.
Many of them neither can be explained for the foreigners to understand their meanings.
For some of them, a person has to be present, to be a part of the culture and situations the words is used and to feel when can be the right case to use it properly.
Russian tutors, for example, are one of the tools that can help you with that so that you can
learn Russian at home and still feel like you are there, in some of the
Russian speaking countries.
Comparing English and Russian is like comparing apples to oranges.
English is a Germanic language and Russian belongs to the Slavic language family. This means the languages have completely different grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. The latter is particularly tricky, because it is important to learn new words not separately but in context, pay attention to their shades of meaning and sometimes memorize phrases.
As a Russian learner you will come across some words that are hard to translate. Perhaps there isn’t an equivalent word or the translation requires a couple of words in English. Here is a list of nine Russian words that do not have an English equivalent.
Russian Words that Don’t Have English Equivalent
Сутки [sutki] (noun, plural)
This word is used to talk of a timeframe equal to 24 hours.
An example of usage: Я работаю сутки через двое. [ya rabotayu sutki cheriz dvoye] – I work for 24 hours and then have 48 hours off.
Кипяток [kipitok] (noun, masculine)
This word means boiling water, as in Залейте чашку с чаем кипятком [zaleyte chashku s chaem kipyatkom ] – Pour boiling water into the cup with tea.
Почемучка [pochimuchka] (noun, masculine or feminine, depending on gender)
This word is used to describe a person who asks a lot ‘почему?’[pochimu] – why? Most often it refers to young children who are curious and ask a lot of questions.
Успевать [uspivat’] (verb)
It means ‘to make something on time’, ‘have time to do something’. Я успела на работу несмотря на пробки.[ ya uspela na rabotu nesmotrya na probki] – I managed to reach my office on time despite the traffic jam.
Беспредел [bespridel](noun, masculine)
Mayhem would be the closest English equivalent, however, it does not describe the depth of this Russian word, which also means lawlessness, complete disorder and actions that go beyond any laws and moral principles:
В стране полный беспредел [v strane polnyy bespridel] – There’s a complete mess in the country.
Тоска [taska](noun, feminine)
This word has many aspects and means melancholy, craving, nostalgia for something that has happened and will not repeat or missing someone you love dearly. In other words, there is more to this word than sadness:
Находясь за границей, я испытываю огромную тоску по дому, семье и друзьям. [nahadyas’ za granitsey, ya ispytyvayu ogromnuyu tasku pa domu, sim’ye i druz’yam.] – Staying abroad I miss greatly my home, family and friends.
Полюбить/разлюбить [palyubit’/razlyubit’](verbs)
When it comes to love and relationships, there are separate words in Russian for ‘fall in love with’ and ‘fall out of love’:
Как можно разлюбить дорогого человека? [kak mozhna razlyubit’ daragova cheloveka]- How can you fall out of love with a dear person?
Сушняк [sushniak](noun, masculine)
This word stems from the word ‘сухой’ which means dry and is used to talk about extreme thirst that appears as a result of drinking:
После вчерашней вечеринки у него такой сушняк. [posle vcherashney vecherinki u nivo takoy sushnyak] – After yesterday’s party he’s got the dry horrors.
Пошлый [poshlyj] (adjective)
This word encompasses such English equivalents as vulgar, promiscuous, trivial and tasteless:
Я нахожу её поведение пошлым. [ya nahozhu yeyo pavideniye poshlym] I find her behavior vulgar.
Now let’s take a look at some English words that you won’t find a direct translation for in Russian.
English Words that Don’t Exist in Russian
Sibling(s)
Believe it or not, there is no word for ‘sibling’ in Russian. You can only say ‘брат/братья’ [brat/bratia] for ‘brother/brothers’ or ‘сестра/сёстры’ [sistra/siostry] for ‘sister/sisters’.
Grandparents
Just like with the word ‘siblings’, in Russian you can only say ‘дедушка’ [dedushka] for grandfather and ‘бабушка’ [babushka] for grandmother.
Thirsty
Although this word is translated into Russian as ‘жаждущий’ [zhazhdushchiy], you will never hear this Russian word in everyday life. Instead of asking ‘Are you thirsty?’, native Russian speakers ask ‘Do you want to drink?’: ‘Ты хочешь пить?’ [ty hochesh’ pit’] or ‘Вы хотите пить?’ [vy hotite pit’] if addressing a few people/using the polite form.
Fortnight
In Russian, you would have to say ‘две недели’ [dve nideli] – two weeks or ‘четырнадцать дней’ [chityrnadtsat’ dney] – fourteen days.
Facilities
[the buildings, equipment, and services provided for a particular purpose as defined by Cambridge dictionary]. There is no Russian word that would contain all the shades of meaning of the word ‘facilities’. You can either translate it as ‘equipment’ – ‘оборудование’ [oborudovaniye], conveniences –‘удобства’[udobstva] or construction – ‘сооружение’[sooruzheniye] depending on the context.
Commuter
This very simple English word does not have an equivalent in Russian and would need to be translated as ‘a person who lives in the suburb and regularly travels to work in the city’: ‘житель пригорода, ежедневно ездящий на работу в город’[zhitel’ prigarada, yezhidnevno yezdyashchiy na rabotu v gorad]
Roundabout
[on the road] is translated into Russian as ‘перекрёсток с круговым движением’ [perikriostok s krugovym dvizheniyem]
Thumb
This word is translated into Russian as the ‘big finger’: ‘большой палец’ [bal’shoy palets].
Toe
In Russian, there’s no difference between the words ‘finger’ and ‘toe’, both are translated as ‘палец’[palets], and if you would like to specify which ‘палец’ you mean, you can add ‘палец на ноге’ which literally means ‘finger on my foot’.
Challenging
To describe this adjective in Russian you would have to use a combination of words ‘трудный’[trudnyj] – ‘difficult’ and ‘интересный’ [intiresnyj] – ‘interesting’
Such words as ‘earworm’, ‘jetlag’ , ‘tailgate(r)’ do not exist in Russian, and you would have to describe what each of them means if you wanted to talk about them in Russian.
Words ‘click’ and ‘branch’ have been borrowed from English and are basically the same: ‘клик’ and ‘бранч’, only spelt in Cyrillic.
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As you can see, both Russian and English have words that require either translation with help of a few words, or lose their full meaning once translated due to the cultural differences. Hopefully you find this blog post useful and it helps you get a better grasp of the Russian language.
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Ievgeniia Logvinenko is passionate about languages and holds a Master’s degree in English philology. In addition to English, she speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German and basic French.