Fun Expressions That Will Make You Sound Like a Russian

When you arrive in a foreign country like Russia, even if you don’t speak the language, there are always some words and expressions which you hear so often that they get stuck in your head. Students who come to study abroad in Russia cannot help but pick these phrases up immediately. A lot of people even get tired of some of these words, yet you cannot fully understand informal Russian speech without grasping their meaning. On the flip side, those who come to study abroad for Russian or achieve progress online will have a ton of fun using them.

These informal phrases are very subtle and mostly beyond introductory Russian level, so mastering them will take practice. These words greatly vary based on the tonality you say them with and the extra words that go before or after them.

Да

“Да” (da) of course means “yes” in Russian. However, often times you will hear that word when this is not the case. That’s because “да” is often an emphatic word, a word that intensifies the emotion of the sentence that comes after this word.

Examples:

Да иди уже! = Get going already!
Да нет = No!

The second example is a funny one to Russians themselves, since they know of the logical paradox. However, “нет” is not used as an emphatic word in Russia, unlike the word “да”. In any case, the tone of voice leaves no doubt as to the meaning. You will see the word да included as an emphatic word in a large number of expressions.

Ладно

The word “ладно” on its own means “alright” or “okay”. However, that depends on the context.

Да ладно тебе = Oh stop (Imagine that someone is being too kind, offering to pay for dinner for you both)
Да ладно! = No way! (Imagine someone told you something amazing and you’re in disbelief
Да ладно = Yeah, right (Imagine somebody tells you something ridiculous and you’re not going to fall for it)
Ладно, тогда. = Alright, then. (Someone has given you an idea and you’re agreeing to it)
Ладно = Never mind (You don’t have the energy or desire to argue).

Informal Expressions and Tonality

When it comes to being able to understand such subtle informal speech, you will benefit enormously from getting a Russian teacher either online or in Moscow, as a native Russian tutor online knows better than anyone how to explain such Russian intermediate concepts. You will also need to learn to practice them since getting it down right requires repetition, but also the tonality you’ll hear if you study in Russia is likely different than you’re used to, and the tonality is what changes the meaning of these phrases.

TransEurope has unique expertise in teaching Russian from INTRO Russian through advanced level and our online Russian teacher can adapt to any schedule.

В общем

The literal meaning of “в общем” is “on the whole” or “in general”. However, it’s used in a unique way.
В общем = Anyway. В общем, нам надо подготовиться. = Anyway, we have to get ready. (You’re changing the topic of focus from what you were talking about to getting ready).

Вообще

The literal meaning of this phrase is the same as the previous word – “in general”. They are very similar but their uses are different.
Вообще = (Actually / You know what / Come to think of it). Вообще, я думаю, что это хорошая идея = Actually, I think that’s a good idea. In English, вообще in this case could be translated as “actually” or “you know what?”
Вообще! = Un-fricking-believable / WOW! (in this case, you are showing indignation). Imagine that you have to wait an entire hour to be served dinner at a restaurant and you’re not happy about it.

Ну

This word means “well”. However, its use goes beyond just that.

Да ну = Come on / Yeah right (You doubt what the person is saying. Да ладно can be mentioned in the same way, as mentioned above).
Да нууу = Nooo / No, I don’t feel like it
Ну тебя = Screw you
Ну-ну = Right, sure / Yeah, okay
Ну = You say this when someone pauses talking and you want them to continue.

Ты что

The literal translation is “You what”. It implies “What are you thinking/doing?” but assumes a shortened form.

Ты что? = 1) You say this to someone who’s being overly kind and you don’t want to accept their favor 2) You say this to someone who says something hard to believe, either with an amazed or skeptical tone of voice

Here are some more informal Russian words and expressions you’d definitely hear if you came to Russia to work or study Russian abroad:

Developing Natural Russian

Most people who would like to be able to communicate with Russian speakers in the most natural way possible would greatly benefit from taking a clear, goal-oriented course with a teacher in Russian language. At TransEurope, we tailor our courses specifically to suit your focus on learning Russian, whether it be for education, your career, or an Introduction to Russian. Our Moscow or online Russian tutor will tell you what level you can expect to reach following a predetermined study plan with us. Thanks to their decades of linguistic experience and methodology, your results are guaranteed within a predetermined time period.

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