20 Russian Slang Words and Phrases (With Register Notes)
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Russian slang can help you follow films, songs and casual conversations, but these words are not interchangeable with neutral Russian. Some are simply informal, while others are blunt, low-register or dated, so learn what they mean before deciding whether to use them yourself.
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Table of contents
- 1. Бабки [babki] – “Money”
- 2. Тусить [tusit’] – “To hang out”
- 3. Чувак/чувиха [chuvak/chuvikha] – “Dude” / a dated term for a woman
- 4. Чёрт [chyort] – “Devil” or “damn”
- 5. Хавать [khavat’] – “To eat”
- 6. Бухать [bukhat’] – “To drink alcohol”
- 7. Грузить [gruzit’] – “To burden someone with talk or problems”
- 8. Бомба [bomba] – “Brilliant”
- 9. Достал/достала [dostal/dostala] – “Got on someone’s nerves”
- 10. Всё ништяк [Vsyo nishtyak] – “It’s all good”
- 11. Мне до лампочки [Mne do lampochki] – “I don’t care”
- 12. Мне фиолетово [Mne fioletovo] – “I don’t care”
- 13. Офигеть! [Ofiget’!] – “Wow!”
- 14. Кайфануть [kaifanut’] – “To enjoy yourself”
- 15. Давай побазарим! [Davai pobazarim!] – “Let’s talk”
- 16. Да не гони! [Da ne goni!] – “Come off it!”
- 17. Да ну на фиг! [Da nu na fig!] – “Forget it!”
- 18. Ни фига себе! [Ni figa sebe!] – “Wow!”
- 19. Это полный зашквар! [Eto polnyi zashkvar!] – “This is totally cringe”
- 20. Ты спалился! [Ty spalilsya!] – “You got caught!”
- How to Use Russian Slang Without Sounding Awkward
Here are 20 Russian slang words and phrases you are likely to encounter. The transliterations are simple pronunciation guides rather than a formal academic system.
1. Бабки [babki] – “Money”
Бабки is jargon for “money”, rather like “cash” or “bucks”. The same form can also be the plural of бабка (“grandmother”), but that is not the meaning here.
Бабки есть? [Babki yest’?] – “Got any money?”
Register: jargon and informal. Use the neutral деньги [den’gi] in formal situations.
2. Тусить [tusit’] – “To hang out”
Тусить means to hang out, socialise or party. It is related to the common verb тусоваться [tusovat’sya].
Мы тусим. [My tusim.] – “We’re hanging out.”
Register: informal youth slang. It fits a chat with friends, not a formal invitation.
3. Чувак/чувиха [chuvak/chuvikha] – “Dude” / a dated term for a woman
Чувак is an informal word for a man or person, much like “dude” or “guy”. You will also come across чувиха for a woman, but it is dated and low-register, not a neutral feminine version that learners can safely use.
Этот чувак со мной работает. [Etot chuvak so mnoi rabotayet.] – “This guy works with me.”
Register: чувак is informal and familiar. Treat чувиха as a word to recognise rather than one to copy.
4. Чёрт [chyort] – “Devil” or “damn”
The noun чёрт means “devil”. As an exclamation, it can work like “Damn!” or the milder “Shoot!”
Чёрт, я забыла об этом. [Chyort, ya zabyla ob etom.] – “Damn, I forgot about it.” A male speaker would say забыл [zabyl].
Register: a common mild expletive, but still not language for every setting.
5. Хавать [khavat’] – “To eat”
Хавать is a reduced, slangy verb for eating. Depending on the context, English translations such as “chow down” or simply “eat” can fit.
Идём хавать. [Idyom khavat’.] – “Let’s go eat.”
Register: slang or low colloquial. The neutral verb is есть [yest’].
6. Бухать [bukhat’] – “To drink alcohol”
The low-colloquial verb бухать means to drink alcohol, often with the sense of “booze” rather than having one quiet drink.
Пошли бухнём. [Poshli bukhnyom.] – “Let’s go for a drink.”
Related forms include бухой [bukhoi] (“drunk”) and набухаться [nabukhat’sya] (“to get drunk”). These are all blunt, reduced forms.
7. Грузить [gruzit’] – “To burden someone with talk or problems”
The literal meaning of грузить is “to load”. In colloquial speech, it can mean burdening someone with your problems, lecturing them or overwhelming them with talk.
Хватит меня грузить! [Khvatit menya gruzit’!] – “Stop laying all this on me!”
Register: colloquial and dismissive. Its exact English translation depends on what the other person is doing.
8. Бомба [bomba] – “Brilliant”
Бомба literally means “bomb”, but informally it can describe something brilliant or a big hit.
Это место просто бомба! [Eto mesto prosto bomba!] – “This place is brilliant!”
Register: enthusiastic and informal, rather like calling something “the bomb” in English.
9. Достал/достала [dostal/dostala] – “Got on someone’s nerves”
The verb достать has neutral meanings such as “to reach” and “to get”. In the phrase ты меня достал, it means that someone has made you thoroughly fed up.
Ты меня достал! [Ty menya dostal!] – “I’m fed up with you!” Say достала [dostala] when speaking to a woman.
Register: colloquial and forceful. It expresses more irritation than a mild “you annoyed me”.
10. Всё ништяк [Vsyo nishtyak] – “It’s all good”
Ништяк is a reduced, jargon word expressing approval or satisfaction. In this phrase, it means that everything is fine.
Я разобрался. Всё ништяк. [Ya razobralsya. Vsyo nishtyak.] – “I’ve worked it out. It’s all good.”
Register: slangy and expressive. Всё хорошо [Vsyo khorosho] is the neutral alternative.
11. Мне до лампочки [Mne do lampochki] – “I don’t care”
This colloquial idiom expresses indifference. Translating it word by word as “to me, to the light bulb” will not tell you what it means.
Мне до лампочки, придёт он или нет. [Mne do lampochki, pridyot on ili net.] – “I don’t care whether he comes or not.”
Register: colloquial and dismissive, closer to “I couldn’t care less” than a polite “I don’t mind”.
12. Мне фиолетово [Mne fioletovo] – “I don’t care”
Мне фиолетово is another colourful way to say that you are indifferent, even though фиолетовый literally means “purple” or “violet”.
Да мне фиолетово вообще. [Da mne fioletovo voobshche.] – “I really don’t care.”
Register: colloquial, joking or dismissive. Its tone is not identical in every context to мне до лампочки, so listen to how speakers around you use each phrase.
13. Офигеть! [Ofiget’!] – “Wow!”
The perfective verb офигеть can mean to be stunned or amazed. Used on its own, it works as an exclamation such as “Wow!” or “No way!”
Офигеть! Никогда не ожидала. [Ofiget’! Nikogda ne ozhidala.] – “Wow! I never expected that.” A male speaker would say не ожидал [ne ozhidal].
Register: reduced colloquial. It can sound rude in polite company, though it is not obscene Russian mat.
14. Кайфануть [kaifanut’] – “To enjoy yourself”
The noun кайф [kaif] can mean pleasure, enjoyment or a high. The perfective verb is кайфануть, meaning to enjoy yourself or get a buzz from something.
Я кайфанул. [Ya kaifanul.] – “I really enjoyed myself.” A female speaker would say кайфанула [kaifanula].
Register: informal slang. The word family has associations with intoxication, but modern uses often refer more broadly to enjoyment.
15. Давай побазарим! [Davai pobazarim!] – “Let’s talk”
The related noun базар can mean “market” and, in jargon, “talk”. Побазарить means to have a chat or talk something over.
Давай выйдем, побазарим. [Davai vyidem, pobazarim.] – “Let’s step outside and talk.”
Register: reduced colloquial, and it can sound rough or confrontational. Neutral давай поговорим [davai pogovorim] is safer in an ordinary conversation.
16. Да не гони! [Da ne goni!] – “Come off it!”
In slang, гнать can refer to talking nonsense or exaggerating. Depending on the tone, да не гони can mean “Come off it!”, “Don’t talk rubbish!” or “No way!”
Да не гони! Серьёзно? [Da ne goni! Seryozno?] – “No way! Seriously?”
Register: informal and potentially accusatory. Tone and context decide whether it is playful disbelief or a charge of lying.
17. Да ну на фиг! [Da nu na fig!] – “Forget it!”
Да ну на фиг expresses refusal, disbelief or a desire to drop something. English equivalents include “Forget it!”, “No way!” and a softened “To hell with it!”
Да ну на фиг! Не буду я это делать! [Da nu na fig! Ne budu ya eto delat’!] – “Forget it! I’m not doing that!”
Register: emphatic colloquial. It is euphemistic rather than obscene, but it is still abrupt.
18. Ни фига себе! [Ni figa sebe!] – “Wow!”
Ни фига себе expresses strong surprise, much like “Wow!” or “Bloody hell!” depending on the context.
Ни фига себе! Он это реально сделал! [Ni figa sebe! On eto real’no sdelal!] – “Wow! He really did it!”
Register: reduced colloquial and stronger than the neutral ничего себе [nichego sebe].
19. Это полный зашквар! [Eto polnyi zashkvar!] – “This is totally cringe”
Зашквар describes something shameful, embarrassing or socially unacceptable. In newer youth and internet slang, English “cringe” is often the closest translation.
Это полный зашквар! Я не знаю, что делать. [Eto polnyi zashkvar! Ya ne znayu, chto delat’.] – “This is totally cringe! I don’t know what to do.”
Register: youth and internet slang. Slang dates quickly, so it may sound marked or dated outside the group using it.
20. Ты спалился! [Ty spalilsya!] – “You got caught!”
In slang, спалиться means to give yourself away or get caught doing something you wanted to hide.
Ты спалился на экзамене. [Ty spalilsya na ekzamene.] – “You got caught in the exam.” A woman would say спалилась [spalilas’].
Register: informal slang. It is about being exposed or caught, not merely being seen.
How to Use Russian Slang Without Sounding Awkward
Russian slang is useful for understanding conversations and entertainment, but recognition should come before imitation. Start with the neutral alternatives, notice who uses each slang term and in which situations, then try the ones that fit the people you actually speak with. That bit of attention to register will make a bigger difference than memorising a long list and dropping the words everywhere.
Original article by Kristin Savage, updated by the Fluent in 3 Months team.
If you need additional motivation, check out this Language Hacking podcast episode:
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