#russian slang

[povarensky]

let me introduce you to the prime specimen of a wonderful world of russian meme slang

#education

[haxyr3]

A moment of cuteness: Cerberus's puppy guards the gates to the kingdom of the cute little dead ones".

Diminutives, anyone? мёртвенькие – with the diminutive suffix -еньк- – means “the slightly dead” or “the cute little dead ones,” giving it a soft, almost affectionate tone. In Russian, diminutives like this can make even the most serious words sound endearing!

A slang word милота means "cuteness" or "adorableness." It’s used to describe something overwhelmingly cute, often in a warm or affectionate way. In Russian internet slang, милота is widely applied to cute animals, babies, or anything that gives off an "aww" factor.

[nevermindrussia]

Icicle, cuckoo and umbrella: reverse derivatives in Russian

Today I'm gonna tell you of 3 very interesting and very different words in Russian. What have they in common is that all of them are reverse derivatives. It means that they descend from words, that seem like their derivatives (diminutives, to be precise), but in fact are not. So let's look through examples:

1. Зонт [zont] - an umbrella

The most interesting thing of this word is that in modern Russian language it is absolutely literal and commonly used, despite of it's origin. And the origin was the total linguistic mistake - but made too long ago, that's all the point))

So the word what зонт is descending from, is «zonnedek» (Dutch, "a sun-protecting tent over a deck"). It was one of navy terms, which was brought to Russia by Peter the Great. The first Russian Emperor was extremely fond of Europe, it's people's culture and skills, especially shipbuilding and navigation. So zonnedek had become a trendy thing not only among sailors. Some noble citizens had started to use portable sun tents - umbrellas - calling them so. But very few of them was educated enough to understand Dutch, so very soon zonnedek had transformed to зонтик [zontik] - which had sounded a more familiar to Russian people. Then -ик had been determined as a diminutive suffix (like in ключ - ключик, брат - братик), and of course eliminated in order for word to sound more respectable. So today we have зонт in every dictionary, despite of using it mostly for protection not of the sun - zonne - but of the rain. And the vast majority of Russian people have never heard of зонтик as the original form of this word. We use it, but as a normal diminutive. «Девочке подарили красивый яркий зонтик» - "The little girl was given a nice vivid umbrella", but «Мужчина держал в руке стильный черный зонт, явно недешевый» - "The man was holding a stylish black umbrella, looking definitely pricey".

2. Сосуля [sosulya] - an icicle

This word had become a meme in 2010, when the governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko had made an appeal to scientists to create an innovative method to remove icicles from city roofs. The normal Russian word сосулька [sosul'ka] was considered an inappropriate diminutive by her (for -к- is a common diminutive suffix in Russian), and in order to make her speech more reputable she had invented сосуля. Most Russian people had been making fun of it, because it had sounded totally illiteral. Despite the liguists saying сосуля is an existing but obsolete form of this word, it still sounds like that in modern Russia. So we can consider it like that: сосулька is the original form, сосуля is a reverse derivative.

3. Кукуха [kukukha] - a cuckoo

The original name for this bird in Russian is кукушка [kukushka]. See the -к- suffix again? Looks like a diminutive. Like, for ex.: старуха [starukha] - старушка [starushka], брюхо [bryuho] - брюшко [bryushko], etc. But кукушка is not a diminutive, and, unlike сосулька, there is no any question. So every Russian knows that кукуха is illiteral, but still use it - but in very special case.

The point is some years ago кукушка had become a slang name for one's mental stability)) The modern «у него/нее кукушка поехала» [u nego/nee kukushka poehala] - lit. "his/her cuckoo is departing" - idiom have the same meaning to traditional «у него/нее крыша поехала» [u nego/nee krysha poehala] - lit. "his/her rooftop is departing", which is "he/she is going mad". Almost immediately кукушка had transformed to кукуха - a reverse derivative word that never existed before, just for more fun) And original idiom had been deconstructed. So today we can say not just «у тебя кукуха поехала» [u tebya kukukha poehala] - "you are insane", but also, for ex., «береги кукуху» [beregi kukukhu] - "take care of your cuckoo", "be mentally safe".

The caption is: "The departure of the cuckoo"

That's all for today! See you soon to tell you some more amazing facts of Russian language, lifestyle and culture!

[o-r-i-g-a-m-i]

По чему слово "смотри" в большинстве случаев равносильно слову "слушай" ?

Why is the word "look" in most cases tantamount to the word "listen"?

🤔🤔🤔

[therussianmajor]

Русский Сленг — Russian Slang (1/?)

Part 1: Sex (LGBT+ Inclusive) — Урок 1: Секс (ЛГБТ+ Включающий)

note: some of these words may be considered offensive by some, so use them with caution — this especially applies to LGBT-related vocabulary

презерватив/галоша/нахуйник — condom/rubber/dick-shield

любовник/любовница — lover (m/f)

заниматься сексом — to have sex

заниматься любовью — to make love

шведская семья — ménage à trois

секс на одну ночь — one-night stand

трахать — to fuck

минет — blowjob

дрочить — to jerk off

кончить — to cum

еби меня — fuck me!

гомосексуал — homosexual

голубой — gay

лесбиянка — lesbian

актив — top

пассив — bottom

универсал — versatile (“уни” for short, like “vers” in English)

блядун — slut (male)

шлюуха — slut (female)

ВППП — STDs

снять — to pick up (as in to pick up a guy/girl)

хуй — dick

член — dick/member

сиськи — tits

влагалище — vagina

[dailyrussian]

травка - (n) (diminutive) grass; (slang) marijuana; (colloq.) the process of etching

[nevermindrussia]

Anatomy of гопник. Russian hooligans and where to find them (better not to)

Гопник [gopnik] is a member of a very salient Russian antisocial low-class subculture. Гопники [gopniki] (pl. from «гопник») may be translated as "hooligans", "gangsters", "bandits", "bullies", "punks", "white trash" and so on; in fact they are all of it in various proportions.

It all began in the end of XIXth century in St. Petersgurg, with creating a special institution named «Городское общество призора» [gorodskoye obschestvo prizora], "The Municipal Society for Supervision". It's "clients" were беспризорники [besprizorniki] — "waifs", the children and teenagers without parents, who lived on streets, made gangs and got their living by stealing and banditry. They were meant to be reformed and reeducated in order to return them to normal lifestyle; but it was not so easy. After the October Revolution of 1917 the society building was handed over for Городское общежитие пролетариата [gorodskoe obschezhitie proletariata], "The Municipal Dormitory for Proletarians" — with the most of it's inhabitants.

As you can see, the acronym for both institutions was ГОП.

The «гопники» name had descended from it. Firstly they were the same former waifs: totally uncultured, rude, criminal-minded kids who might steal and rob just for fun (for the Soviet government took care of their living, and there was no more need in getting their food on their own). The famous «гоп-стоп» [gop-stop] term means an act of robbery by gopniks, as well as the key phrase they stopped citizen with in dark alleyways of St. Petersburg (called Leningrad at that times).

Today's gopniks are spread all over Russia. They mostly are not kids but lads or young men (appr. 16 — 30 years old). But they still have much in common with the residents of ГОП. They're enjoying bullying more than getting money and valuables. As well, they hate and despise anyone who has a higher social status than them (in fact, almost everybody). As well, they make gangs with their own law and morality inside it — both are described with «понятия» [ponyatia], which may be approximately translated as "the concept". And as well, they don't position themselves as a subculture. Instead, they seem to consider themselves as the only proper culture, for any ordinary citizen is called «лох» [lokh] ("a sucker, a loser") in a gopnik slang; and gopniks themselves are «нормальные пацаны» [normal'nye patsany] ("normal guys"), «реальные пацаны» [real'nye patsany] ("real guys"), «четкие пацаны» [chyotkiye pacany] ("clear guys") and so on.

So let's have a look on the the picture above and see some typical modern gopnik features.

1. Кепка [kepka] (a cap). A necessary head gear. May come in a winter, autumn or summer form (the last option may be a baseball cap)

2. Семки [semki] (sl. from «семечки» [semechki], sunflower seeds). Sunflower seeds is a popular and traditional snack in Russia, so not everyone who consume it is a gopnik. But gopniks are more fond of it than ordinary people, also they eat it in very rude way, spitting husk on ground etc.

3. Абибас [abibas] (dist. from Adidas). A cheap sporswear, mostly produced in China and faking famous brands. To avoid copyright issues, Chinese fake manufacturers usually change 1 or 2 letters in a brand name: Abibas instead of Adidas, Nice instead of Nike etc. Russian gopniks are not embarrased by it, they still think that sportswear is cool.

4. Борсетка or барсетка [barsetka] (from Italian "borsette", "a little bag"). A kind of men's clutch or wallet made of leather (in gopnik case, almost always imitation).

5. Сидеть на кортах [sidet' na kortakh] ("to squat"). This is a slang form of «сидеть на корточках» [sidet' na kortochkah], which was transformed for some reason. Maybe gopniks find a diminutive «-ч-» suffix (as well as in «семечки») offencive (sl. «зашквар» [zashkvar] — "a shame"). Anyway, this pose is typical for gopniks enough to being considered indecent for normal people.

6. Пивас [pivas] (sl. from «пиво» [pivo] — "beer"). Cheap as well. Often comes in a «полторашка» [poltorashka] (sl. from «полтора» [poltora], "one and a half") — a plastic bottle of 1.5 liters.

7. Shoes. It isn't seen on the picture, but in 90th most of Russian gopniks preferred such kinds of shoes as oxfords and loafers (of course, disgracefully cheap, fake leather, never shined). Combining it with sweatpants! No comments.

8. Сиги [sigi] (sl. from «сигареты» [sigarety] — "cigarettes"). Most gopniks smoke. They're used to drop cigarette butts on ground everywhere, as well as seeds husk. Also bumming a cigarette is a common start for a bullying act:

«Э, слыш! Сюда иди! Курить есть? А если найду?»

[Ae, slysh! Syuda idi! Kurit' yest'? A yesli naidu?] — "Hey! Come here! Got a cig? No? And what if I'll find it on you?"

***

Gopniks are well known type of marginals in Russia. We make fun of them with lots of jokes and memes; somebody even romantize their culture. But no one really wants to meet them in a dark deserted place. Wish you never will as well! Fortunately they are rare now in big cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc. Generally there have a special habitat, usually some outskirts of a city. So if you are travelling to Russia, you'd better ask your local friends in advance about places where one shouldn't walk alone in the evening.

So that's all! Be safe and secure!

[russianwithpolly]

What do you know about the word

👦 Голова 👧?

The word голова in Russian has a several meanings:

🔹Head - Она́ мо́ет го́лову ка́ждый день. - She washes her head every day.

🔹Mind - Моя голова была заби́та де́душкиными забо́тами. - My mind has been scattered with grandfatherly worries.

🔹Brains – Прости, друг, но мне нужна твоя голова. - Sorry, friend, but I need to pick your brain.

🔹Master - Он сам себе́ голова́. - He is his own master.

❕In common speech Russians can use other words which also denote head.❕

🔷 Голо́вушка (colloquial, diminutive form from голова)

Моей бе́дной голо́вушке ну́жно отдохну́ть. - My poor little head needs to rest.

🔷Головё́нка (colloquial, derogatory form from голова)

О чем ты с ним разгова́риваешь? У него абсолю́тно пуста́я головё́нка! - What are you talking to him about? He has a completely empty head!

🔷Башка́́ (colloquial, rough)

Ты своей башко́й думал, когда из дома сбега́л? - Did you think with your head when you ran away from home?

❕Also, the word «голова» can be replaced with other words used in a figurative sense. Such words most often convey a humorous tone (less often rude) ❕

🔷Кры́ша - direct meaning : roof

Крыша е́дет – going crazy

На каранти́не у меня буква́льно пое́хала кры́ша - During the quarantine time , I literally went crazy.

🔷Черепу́шка - direct meaning : little skull

🔷Ку́мпол - direct meaning : bonce

Она упала с неба, и прямо мне по ку́мполу / по черепу́шке. - Pow! That thing fell from the sky on my head.

🔷Котело́к - direct meaning : bowler

Котело́к не ва́рит – literal : the pot does not cook (no quick wits, head doesn't work)

Почему мой котело́к ва́рит не как у продвинутого парня? - Why can't I just think with my junk like a modern man?

🔷Куку́шка/куку́ха - direct meaning : cuckoo

Куку́ха съе́хала -literal : cuckoo has moved out

(impaired ability to think clearly, about someone who lost his mind)

У него куку́шка съе́хала после а́рмии, стал очень агресси́вным. - He went crazy after the army, became very aggressive.

Idioms and set expressions:

🔷Вы́ше го́лову! = Chin up!

🔷Лома́ть го́лову (над чем?) = to rack one’s brains / puzzle over / trying to figure out/ beating my brains out

Я долго лома́л го́лову над этой задачей. - I've been beating my brains out trying to solve the problem.

🔷Потерять голову (от чего?/из-за чего?) = to lose one's head

🔹от любви - to be in love with someone.

Когда я встретил Веронику, я просто потеря́л го́лову от любви! - When I met Veronica, I just lost my head!

🔹от трево́ги (anxiety) /стра́ха (fear) to lose one's self-control

Я чуть не потеря́ла го́лову от стра́ха, когда не нашла сына в саду.- I almost lost my head with fear when I did not find my son in the garden.

🔷Бежа́ть сломя́ го́лову = to run headlong

Когда думаю о бра́ке, хочется бежа́ть сломя́ го́лову. - When I think about marrying him, I just want to run.

🔷На све́жую го́лову = with a fresh head/ literal: on a fresh head

Ты до́лжен поду́мать утром, на све́жую го́лову.- You must think in the morning, with a fresh mind.

🔷Пуста́я голова́ = thoughtless brains /literal: empty head

Перед экза́меном у меня голова́ совсе́м пуста́я. - Before the exam my head is completely empty.

🔷Вби́ть себе́ в го́лову = to take into one's head

Почему Аня вби́ла себе в го́лову, что не сдаст экза́мен! - Why did Anna get it into her head that she would not pass the exam!

🔷С головы до ног = from head to foot, from top to toe

Собака была покры́та гря́зью с головы до ног. - The dog was covered in mud from head to foot.

🔷Пове́сить го́лову = to hang one's head  (become discouraged, desperate, very upset).

-Что случилось? Почему го́лову пове́сил?

- Завтра мой друг уедет из города.

- What happened ? Why did you become upset?

- Tomorrow my friend will leave the city.

🔷Голова́ на плеча́х. - head on your shoulders (to be capable of making sound, responsible decisions).

У Тома есть голова́ на плеча́х, он никогда не бросит университет из-за девушки. - Tom has a good head on his shoulders, he will never leave university because the girl said.

Proverb:

Одна голова — хорошо, а две — лучше. - Two heads are better than one*.

*Some problems may be solved more easily by two people working together

*Me, giving psychological advice*

*My own mental health*