AVOS' (ABOCЬ)

Blindly trusting in pure luck. "Avos" means seizing an opportunity if there's even just a chance of success. Maybe this concept explains the infamously wacky antics in Russian YouTube videos…

​

 

ВАВА (БАБА)

"Baba" went from meaning "a female witch doctor" to "a common, uneducated woman. "Possibly comes from everyone's favorite Russian word, "babushka." It sounds offensive nowadays, so be careful.

 

​

BELORUCHKA (БЕЛОРУЧКА)

Literally "a person with white hands" and roughly means "someone who doesn't want to get their hands dirty." Beloruchki are seen as lazy.

 

​

BYTIYE (БЫТИЕ)

This means "to be"… not in the physical sense but in a metaphysical, hyperconscious sense. Good word for befriending Russian philosophers.

 

 

BRODYAGA (БРОДЯГА)

This word is often translated as "hobo," but it's more like a voluntary hobo. It's someone who likes living in various places. "Nomadic" might be more fitting.

 

​

DACHA (ДАЧА)

A summer house, but a distinctly Russian one. Pack all of Russian culture into a charming Soviet-era cottage, and you've got a dacha.

 

​

GLAZOMER (ГЛАЗОМЕР)

Made up of "eye" and "measurement," this word describes someone who can measure weights and distances by appearance alone.

 

​

КАPEL' (КАПЕЛЬ)

This word describes the day when the icicles start to melt. It may be far too late in the year for many people's tastes, but kapel' is always a happy time.

 

KHALYAVA (ХАЛЯВА)

Receiving something for free and taking advantage of that fact. People who do this are called khalyavshchiki, or freeloaders.

 

​

ODNOLIUB (ОДНОЛЮБ)

Essentially the opposite of a womanizer, an odnoliub is a man with only one woman in his life. It's the type of man any Russian woman would want.

 

​

MUZHIK (МУЖИК)

At first, a muzhik was a married peasant man, but the word became a title of pride after the Russian Revolution, as muzhiki were the opposite of the bourgeois. Nowadays, muzhiki may be machos or uneducated boors.

 

​

PEREPODVYPODVERT (ПЕРЕПОДВЫПОДВЕРТ)

This word refers to something done in a complicated, incomprehensible way. Never before has a word been more characteristic of itself.

 

​

РОСНЕМUСНКА (ПОЧЕМУЧКА)

The Russians have a cute, endearing word for a or a curious child who incessantly asks questions about the world. But pochemu (why)?

 

​

POPUTCHIK (ПОПУТЧИК)

Ever traveled and just totally hit it off with a stranger on the train? Well, the Russians have a word for that. Now, if you find a Russian poputchik, you'll be able to impress them.

 

​

POROSHA (ПОРОША)

A perfectly Russian word, "porosha" describes the pristine, untouched white snow that falls on a windless night or evening.

 

SAMORODOK (CAМОРОДОК)

This literally refers to a nugget of precious metal, but it's also a compliment. Samorodki are innately intelligent people with no formal education.

 

​

SMEKALKA (CМЕКАЛКА)

"Smekalka" refers to a certain type of creativity to solve problems quickly and efficiently. It's a cherished Russian trait, displayed by many Russian fairytale heroes.

 

​

STROYNIY (СТРОЙНЫЙ)

This word is too versatile to have a single translation. It can mean many things, but in general, it conveys elegance, harmony, symmetry, and balance.

 

​

TOSKA (TOСКА)

This poetic word describes a longing when there's nothing to long for. At its weakest, it can simply be boredom, but at its strongest, it's a form of untranslatable spiritual anguish.

 

​

ZAPADLO (ЗАПАДЛО)

Originally prison slang, this expression has become commonplace in everyday Russian slang. "Mne zapadlo" ("For me it's zapadlo") is a simple (albeit somewhat vulgar) way to express that something is beneath your dignity.

 

​

ZAVODILA (ЗАВОДИЛА)

A zavodila is a motivator, inspiring people through goodwill, confidence, and setting a good example. A zavodila can be either a good or a bad influence.