25 Must-Know Slang Phrases in Russian language

Slang in Russian language

Like other languages of our amazing world have tremendous amount of slang phrases, Russian is not an exclusion of this rule. Modern Russian language developed hundreds variations for each of the normal word. Even small declensions and ending changes can create absolutely different meaning or situation where this Russian slang word might be used. Russian slang is not only used by young representatives of our culture but also by older people. Itโ€™s part of Russian culture to simplify communication with each other. And even if for someone some of those Russian phrases might be viewed as not a slang but regular phrase, we assure you that itโ€™s still a slang. We suggest not to use them in conversation where you want to be known as a highly educated man. You need to know those phrases only because when you hear it from your Russian friends you can know the meaning of what they are talking about.




We will provide you with short explanations to each of the phrases and situation where it can be used mostly.

  1.  ะ”ะฐ ะฝะต ะณะพะฝะธ! โ€“ Literal meaning โ€“ โ€œDonโ€™t go that fastโ€ or โ€œDonโ€™t drive fastโ€. But in reality the contextual meaning: a) You are talking something unreal; b) I cannot believe you; c) You are saying something that I donโ€™t believe itโ€™s a truth; d) Donโ€™t lie.
  2. ะงั‘ ั‚ั‹ ะณะพะฝะธัˆัŒ ะผะฝะต? โ€“ This Russian slang phrase means basically the same as previous one. Just another way saying so.
  3. ะฅะฒะฐั‚ะธั‚ ะฑะฐะทะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะฝะต ะฟะพ ั‚ะตะผะต! โ€“ Itโ€™s hard to explain the literal meaning but itโ€™s more like: โ€œEnough of this, change the topicโ€. Itโ€™s usually used when you want to someone to be quiet and change the topic of the discussion. Keep in mind itโ€™s rather rude form of slang, so be careful using it.
  4.  ะัƒ ะฝะธั„ะธะณะฐ ัะตะฑะต! โ€“ The meaning of this Russian slang is that you express your amazement. Slang phrase means a surprise that you did not expect. More like โ€œWowโ€ in English but in more complicated way of saying it.
  5. ะ”ะฐ ะฝัƒ ะฝะฐั„ะธะณ! โ€“ This Russian slang phrase is short and very precise. It means: โ€œI donโ€™t want to itโ€ or โ€œF*ck it I donโ€™t want to deal with itโ€. Any way both English meaning combined in one Russian equals the phrase that youโ€™d do not want to use but still need to know it.
  6. ะœะฝะต ะฟะพั„ะธะณ ะธะปะธ ะœะฝะต ะดะพ ะปะฐะผะฟะพั‡ะบะธ. โ€“ Those equal to each other phrases mean the same: โ€œI donโ€™t care!โ€ But first one is more rude than the second. We would say the second is childish phrase and doesnโ€™t bring anything negative  nor anything positive.
  7. ะะต ัั‚ั€ะฐะดะฐะน ะฒััะบะพะน ั„ะธะณะฝั‘ะน! โ€“ Literally it means: Do not suffer from any garbage! You can have a hunch that it is something about doing wrong or unnecessary. Which goes like this: Donโ€™t do that because it doesnโ€™t make any sense or itโ€™s just not worth it.
  8. ะฏ ะฟั€ะพัั‚ะพ ะบะฐะนั„ัƒัŽ ะพั‚ ั‚ะตะฑั! โ€“ That is a nice slang phrase. And let us explain why. Because it basically has the compliment accenting. When you say: โ€œI’m just excited about  you!โ€ or โ€œIโ€™m just thrilled because of youโ€.
  9. ะญั‚ะพ ัƒะถะต ะฟะพะปะฝั‹ะน ะทะฐัˆะบะฒะฐั€! โ€“ The word ะทะฐัˆะบะฒะฐั€ has the meaning that something was overdone. Which brings us to the point that this Russian slang means: โ€œThis is too muchโ€ or when you say it to somebody that he or she did something too complicated or overdone.
  10. ะกะปัƒัˆะฐะน, ะฝะต ั‚ะพั€ะผะพะทะธ ะฝะฐ ะฟะพะฒะพั€ะพั‚ะต! โ€“ โ€œListen, do not brake on the turn!โ€ We gave you the direct meaning before the explanation because it is so clear to get a clue of the idea when you can use it. But we have to give you a short explanation anyway. This Russian slang phrase is widely used in a situation when people want to rush  or to hurry someone and they say: Come on, donโ€™t be silly/stupid and continue doing it right. Which means when you brake or stop on turns you slow down the process so it is getting too slow.
  11. ะšะฐะถะตั‚ัั, ะะดั€ะตะน ะถั‘ัั‚ะบะพ ะผะพั€ะพะทะธั‚ัั ะพั‚ ะฝะฐั. โ€“ โ€œSeems Adrey rigidly freezes from us.โ€ Does it make sense to you? If no then letโ€™s explain it. In Russian slang culture โ€œto freeze from someoneโ€ means to avoid meeting with someone. Other words โ€œto avoidโ€ of seeing anybody. So this phrase means: Seems Andrey is very much avoiding to meet with us.
  12. ะะฝั‚ะพะฝ ะณะฐัะธั‚ัั ะพั‚ ะผะตะฝั‚ะพะฒ. โ€“ The same meaning as previous slang phrase but with slightly different accent. This phrase would be said by some young criminal boy than average teenager.
  13. ะกะฒะตั‚ะฐ ะฟั€ะพะดะธะฝะฐะผะธะปะฐ ัะฒะพะตะณะพ ะฟะฐั€ะฝั ะฒั‡ะตั€ะฐ ะฒะตั‡ะตั€ะพะผ. โ€“ For this phrase we want you to imaging a situation, where one girl with name Sveta went on a date with a boy. After having fun with that boy on a date she simply said โ€œgoodbyeโ€ but not continue the evening with him. Hopefully, you understand what we mean by that. So for some cultures it can be very strange but for Russian culture it is quite usual situation. So that boy can say a slang phrase: Sveta โ€œleft her boyfriend with no bonusesโ€ after a date or the meaning like โ€œSveta refused to continue the date with her boyfriendโ€. And if to be precise, her boyfriend wanted to have some intimate relationships with Sveta, but she didnโ€™t want to comply with her boyfriendโ€™s expectations.
  14. ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟะพะฑะฐะทะฐั€ะธะผ! โ€“ What you can see from Russian text is English literal translation: โ€œLetโ€™s marketingโ€. Most likely it wonโ€™t make sense to you. Russian slang verb โ€œะฑะฐะทะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒโ€ means โ€œto marketโ€ (it has nothing to do with this word directly but the verb ะฑะฐะทะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ derives from the noun ะฑะฐะทะฐั€ which is market in English). You know that โ€œmarketโ€ is a crowded place and people speak loudly there. Thatโ€™s why โ€œะฑะฐะทะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒโ€ means slang version โ€œto talkโ€ in Russian.
  15. ะ‘ั€ะฐั‚ะฐะฝ, ั‚ั‹ ัะฟะฐะปะธะปัั! โ€“ The word โ€œะฑั€ะฐั‚ะฐะฝโ€ is a slang version of โ€œbrotherโ€. And the verb โ€œัะฟะฐะปะธั‚ัŒััโ€ โ€“ has the meaning โ€œto be burned outโ€. So slang phrase means: โ€œBro, you got spottedโ€ or โ€œBro, somebody saw youโ€ (when actually โ€œbroโ€ did not want anybody to see him).
  16. ะฏ ัะตะณะพะดะฝั ะถั‘ัั‚ะบะพ ั‚ัƒะฟะปัŽ. โ€“ This one is very simple: โ€œI am very stupid todayโ€ or โ€œI’m thinking slow  todayโ€.
  17. ะญั‚ะพ ะถะตัั‚ัŒ ะบะฐะบะฐั-ั‚ะพ. โ€“ In this Russian phrase the word โ€œะถะตัั‚ัŒโ€ means more like โ€œcrazyโ€, something that is unusual. When you see how you Bro being drunk trying to do somersaults and itโ€™s his 5th attemptโ€ฆ That is โ€œะถะตัั‚ัŒโ€ and expresses: โ€œwhat is going on here, itโ€™s crazyโ€.
  18. ะงัƒะฒะฐะบ, ัƒะณะพะผะพะฝะธััŒ! โ€“ Itโ€™s simple: โ€œDude, calm down!โ€
  19. ะฏ ะฝะธั…ั€ะตะฝะฐ ะฝะต ะฒะธะถัƒ. โ€“ โ€œI donโ€™t see anythingโ€ but itโ€™s a quite rude way of saying so. Pay attention where to apply this phrase.
  20. ะญั‚ะพ ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ะทะฐะปะตะฟะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะฐั ัั‚ะฐั‚ัŒั ะฟั€ะพ ั€ัƒััะบะธะน ัะปะตะฝะณ. โ€“ In this case, we need to explain one word so you could understand the whole sentence. Itโ€™s adjective: โ€œะทะฐะปะตะฟะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝั‹ะนโ€ โ€“ slang word that means something is so interesting that you canโ€™t look away and stop reading. The current phrase basically means the following: โ€œItโ€™s very interesting article about Russian slangโ€. Not a bad slang and can be used in daily conversations with young people of Russian nationality.
  21. ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟะพั…ะฐะฒะฐะตะผ. โ€“ โ€œLetโ€™s eat somethingโ€. Simple, short but indecently as well. So try not to say like this.
  22. ะžั„ะธะณะตั‚ัŒ ั‚ั‹ ะบั€ัƒั‚ะพะน ั‡ัƒะฒะฐะบ! โ€“ This phrase has the word โ€œั‡ัƒะฒะฐะบโ€ and you already know it very well. (see 18th phrase from this list). But โ€œะพั„ะธะณะตั‚ัŒโ€ may be a new word for you and it means โ€œgo nutsโ€. So the full meaning is somewhat like: โ€œCrazy (go nuts), you are a cool dude!โ€ โ€“ Itโ€™s short and concise.
  23. ะญั‚ะพั‚ ะะผะตั€ะธะบะพั ั‡ัƒะผะพะฒะพะน ั‚ะธะฟ! โ€“ There is a Russian slang word for American citizens โ€œะะผะตั€ะธะบะพัโ€. Itโ€™s not that rude word but itโ€™s a common Russians phrase. The second word is adjective โ€œั‡ัƒะผะพะฒะพะนโ€ means funny, crazy and mad but in all good sense of the word. This word derives from the Russian word โ€œั‡ัƒะผะฐโ€ โ€“ plague (disease). But again it is used to describe a guy that he is full-of-life person that knows how to party and feel himself happy/enjoyed with its life.
  24. ะฅะพั€ะพัˆ ะณั€ัƒะทะธั‚ัŒ ะผะตะฝั ะฟะพัั‚ะพัะฝะฝะพ. โ€“ In this case the Russian word โ€œั…ะพั€ะพัˆโ€ means โ€œenoughโ€ in slang world. And the verb โ€œะณั€ัƒะทะธั‚ัŒโ€ has the normal dictionary meaning โ€œto load (on)โ€ and it describes someone or something โ€œloading extra weight (problems, question and complicated situation, etc)โ€. Which the full phrase means: โ€œEnough constantly putting/loading problems and issues on my headโ€ or โ€œStop bother me constantlyโ€.
  25. ะŸะพัˆะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ะบะฐั€ะผะฐะฝะฐั… ะฑัƒะดะตั‚ ะฝะต ะปะธัˆะฝะธะผ! โ€“ This phrase is quite normal except the first word โ€œะฟะพัˆะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒโ€ which means โ€œto search for somethingโ€ or โ€œlook for somethingโ€. Of course itโ€™s again Russian phrase is meant as slang. Youโ€™d better not use this slang in civil environments because you might be understood incorrectly. English translation would be: โ€œTo look in pockets will not be superfluousโ€ or โ€œTo search in pockets will not be superfluousโ€ (Itโ€™s needed to look into pockets, maybe something can be found there). 

 See also: 150+ Smart Russian Phrases that You Should Know 

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