Slang and Expressions Сленг и выраже́ния
12 Russian words on the topic of slang and expressions — each with a picture, an audio recording and an example sentence. How people actually talk — parties, cash and hangovers. Colloquial but safe for polite company; the genuinely rude words live in the next chapter.
| Picture | English | Russian · Ру́сский | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | cool | кру́то | 🔗 Word familyAdverb of круто́й, literally 'steep'. Note the stress shift: кру́то but круто́й. |
 | cash | нали́чные | ⚠️ GenderA plural-only noun (originally an adjective). 'to pay cash' = плати́ть нали́чными. |
 | guy | па́рень | 🔀 Several meaningsAlso means 'boyfriend': её па́рень = her boyfriend. ⚠️ GenderPlural па́рни. |
 | party | вечери́нка | 🔗 Word familyFrom ве́чер 'evening' — originally an evening gathering. |
 | what's up? | как дела́? | Literally 'how are things?'. Answer with хорошо́ or норма́льно. |
 | drunk | пья́ный | 🔗 Word familySame family as пить 'to drink'; напи́ться = to get drunk. |
 | hangover | похме́лье | Useful phrase: с похме́лья = 'hungover'; у меня́ похме́лье = I have a hangover. |
 | I don't care | мне всё равно́ | Literally 'to me it's all equal'; мне is dative. |
 | nothing you can do | ничего́ не поде́лаешь | The г in ничего́ is pronounced [v]. The double negative is standard Russian. |
 | amazing | удиви́тельный | 🔗 Word familyFrom удиви́ть 'to surprise' — literally 'surprising'; noun: удивле́ние. |
 | perfect | идеа́льно | 🔗 Word familyCognate of 'ideal'; the adverb of идеа́льный. |
 | to flirt | флиртова́ть | 🔗 Word familyBorrowed from 'flirt'. ⚠️ IrregularTakes с + instrumental: флиртова́ть с ней (flirt with her). |
See also:Getting annoyedProverbs and Idioms