20 Russian Curse Words You Probably Didn't Know

Russian curse words are the best way to get rid of frustration and negativity.

The Russian language is so poetic and melodic that even their curse words sound differently. 

So, stay here because we are going to show you the 20 hilarious and ‘poetic’ Russian curse words. In the end of the article, you'll find a spreadsheet with all these swear words, their pronunciation and translation. Stay tuned!

If you want to learn to speak this poetic language, then don’t wait anymore. Book a lesson with a Russian tutor on Justlearn.

Please have in mind that this article is for fun and educational purposes.

????? (Blyat’)

Meaning: wh*re

The word originates from the 19th century, where the root of the word means ‘to wander around.’ It actually referred to a woman who sleeps around.

Over time, people started using it to offend someone, especially women, since it’s considered quite rude.

Let’s take a look at the following example: ?? ??, ?????? ?????! ( Ah, ti’ yebanaya blyat’)  Oh, you f*cking wh*re!’ As you might see from the translation, it is pretty offensive.

????? (Gav-no)

Meaning: sh*t

Just like in English, this word isn’t a real offensive cuss word in Russian either. 

It can be used to express your negativity, anger, or frustration or when something unpredictable comes up.

?????? (Gan-don)

Meaning: Condom

If you say ‘gandon’ in Russian to someone, it means that you saying they’re weak, annoying, and depending on the occasion, even very stupid. 

????? (Yebat‘)

Meaning: F*ck

This is a Russian verb in the meaning ‘to copulate.’

Figuratively speaking, this cuss word is used to refer to an annoying person, who’s being unpleasant.

Russian people tend to use the phrase ‘zhizn’ ebet meya,’ which means ’life is f*cking me.’

From this verb, one more word is commonly used, and it can be enough to offend someone, but also to free you from frustration, negativity, and anger. It is ‘???????? (otyebis’), which means ‘f*ck off.’

???? (Zhopa)

Meaning: a*s/ arse

Depending on the tone you will use with this word, it doesn’t have to be offensive at all. 

Even if it is translated as ‘arse’ the best equivalent for this word can be when you are calling someone ‘brat.’ It’s mainly used for younger kids.

Here are some examples where you can use this one as a swear word:

• ??????´? ???´ ??´??!( Pocelyi moy zhopu)- Kiss my ass!
• ?????´?? ??´??! (Podvin’ zhopoo)- Move your ass!
• ?? ???? ??´???! ( Ne bud’ zhopoyi)- Don’t be an asshole!

??? (Loh)

Meaning: Stupid or sucker

If you tell someone that they’re a sucker in English, chances are they wouldn’t be offended much. 

In Russian, however, the situation is different. Using this word can be very offensive, and if you say it to someone, they might think that you want to harm them.

?????? ???? (Loshad’ mochy)

Meaning: Horse pee hole! 

Yes, ‘pee hole’ in Russian is often used as a curse word. 

The meaning of the phrase is from ‘pee like a rushing racehorse.’ Why ‘horse’? According to some Russian sayings, in the Soviet period, this had a negative connotation. Russian trainers, that is Russian mafia, cheated by giving horses a lot of water. Because of the water, they were becoming heavy, but also more nervous and, therefore, faster so that they can finish the race and pee right after the race.

???? ??????? (Mochy Perhot’)

Meaning: Pee hole dandruff

The phrase is successfully translated into English, but you still don’t get it, do you? Yes, this curse word is one of those where there is no logic at all.

However, in Russian, it’s pretty commonly used. It isn’t offensive, but if you start using it with some other curse words, then be careful, because you can get in trouble.

????? (Mudak)

Meaning: sh*thead

While the word ‘blyat’ is mainly used for women, the word ‘mudak’ is used only for men. It can be explained as a castrated pig. 

According to some linguistics, this word originates from the Sanskrit language in the meaning ‘idiot.’ Therefore, it’s no wonder why this word is used in an insulting way.

You can use the verb ‘mudak’ when someone's behavior is annoying or unpleasant.

??????? ?? ?????! (Otyebis ot menya!)

Meaning: Get the f*ck away from me

We think that the translation speaks for itself. 

When you are mad at someone, or when someone is really annoying, this curse phrase is the best to release that negativity out.

????????? (Razvalyuha)

Meaning: Car which falls apart as it goes

The meaning of the word explains a lot. You can 

use it in many different situations but  be careful because it may seem pretty offensive.

?????? (Pizdets)

Meaning: Damn it

This word originates from ‘vulva.’ Over time, it distorted to ‘pizdets.’ Perhaps today it isn’t used so often as it was ten years ago, but it still belongs to the group of Russian curse words. 

Like the English equivalent ‘damn it,’ it can be used on different occasions, or to express surprise or an exclamation like in the sentence ‘Vot eto pizdets!’

??????? (Svolach’)

Meaning: scum or jerk

It’s an old swear word which dates back from the Middle Age.

At first, it was used for animals that are dragged to trash. 

Today, it’s a quite strong and offensive word to say and refers to a person that did something unpleasant or nasty.

????? (Srat’)

Meaning: To sh*t

Literally, this word can be translated as ‘to sh*t.’ Since in English it doesn’t refer to swearing, the better equivalent is ‘you don’t give a sh*t,’ in the meaning ‘you don’t care at all.’

There are different variants in Russian that include the verb ‘srat’ such as ‘?????´?? (nasrat’),’ which can mean ‘not to care for’ and ‘??????´????(obosrat’sya),’  in the meaning ‘to sh*t oneself.’ Here is an example of how this word can be used in the sentence: ??? ?????´?? ?? ???? ???´??? ( Mnye nastrat’ na tvayo mneniye)-  I don’t care about your opinion.

???? (Suka)

Meaning: B*tch

Literally, this term describes a female dog and used that way, it isn’t offensive, nor can it be defined as a curse word. Just like the English translation, the word ‘???? (Su-ka)’ is used in an offensive way to refer to a woman. It can be used for men, though rarely and when you want to use it towards men, it has to be the perfect occasion for it.

For example, many people often use the following sentence: ‘?????´? ???? ???, ??´??! (Zakroyi svoyi rot, suka!),’ which means ‘Shut your mouth, bitch!’

?? ??????????? (Ti degheneraat)

Meaning: You’re a degenerate

Telling someone that they are a degenerate, whether you are using it to insult someone or just to sound fun, it’s not something that you should do. Among Russian phrases, this one can be pretty offensive, so don’t use it too often.

??????? (Ublydok)

Meaning: Bastard

The word perfectly fits the English translation and it means ‘bastard.’ Therefore, it’s used in the same way. 

??? (Hooy)

Meaning: D*ck

Russian call it ‘the mother of swear words.’ 

This one is so commonly used that almost everyone used it at one point. It is, however, quite offensive. If you don’t want to repeat yourself, instead of this word, you may see the word ‘??´?? (zhoopa)’

So, depending on the situation, it can have different meanings, though similar ones. Let’s take a look at several examples:

• ????? ( huyevo) - shitty, awful
• ??? (???´) ???´??. (Huyi, yevo znaet’)-  I don’t know. / Who fucking knows.
• ??? ??´???! (Mnye pohuyu)-  I don’t give a fuck!
• ??? ????´! (? ??´??, ? ???) (Hooy tebe (v zhopu, b rot)) -  You’ll get nothing! (literally, it means A di*k for you! (in the a*s, in the mouth))

????????? ??? (Chertovsky dno)

Meaning: F*cking bottom

This phrase is not insulting, at least in most of the situations. It means that someone’s situation in life is so bad that it can’t get any worse, that is the bottom.

???? ??????? (Chush sobachya)

Meaning: Bullsh*tter or Bullsh*it

Calling someone a ’bullsh*tter’ can be quite insulting. So, be careful when and how you use it.

Russian Curse Words 

To make it easier for you, we’ve made a table sheet with all these 20 Russian swear words.

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In the first column you may find a cuss word in Russian, written in Cyrillic, in the second we’ve put pronunciation to make it easier to read and pronounce the word or phrase, and in the third column, Russian to English translation.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed reading about Russian swear words. They are so much different from any other curse words, but still powerful enough. 

Remember that swear words are a part of every language. But be careful when using them because, as you saw, some of them can be pretty offensive and you might get in a tough situation.

The main thing about Russian bad words is the attitude. Russian words sound strong, as we already said ‘poetic,’ and they have a powerful effect. So, besides being careful, take a proper attitude while swearing.

Russian is one of the most colorful languages. To make sure we are telling the truth, book a lesson with a Russian tutor on Justlearn.