Most Common Russian Curse Words:
Now that you have master the the Ukrainian Curse words, time to check out Russian curses to better understand what is happening on the raw war videos. Ukrainians are making swearing an act of resistance, so we thought we should investigate art of swearing from the russian side as well.
1) Blyat (Блять) = Whore
This is perhaps the quintessential Russian swear word. In the 19th century made it to the list of restricted words. The root of the word means ‘wander around’, referring to a woman who gets around if you catch my drift. Like the word “Shit” in English this term is used like more of an exclamation. It is of course considered very rude.
2) Svolach (Сволочь) = Scum, Jerk
This word isn’t considered to be as rude as a word like Blyat, and has been a Russian swear word in use since the 14th century. This comes from the word “To drag” and means something like “look what the cat dragged in.”
3) Khokhol (хохол):
This is a deragatory word used by the Russians to describe Ukrainians. It comes from an old Cossack surname like that of Nikolai Gogol. The Russians use as a nasty ethnic slur against Ukrainians to make them seem subhuman or stupid. Keep in mind that the Ukrainians also have their own slurs to describe Russians like Katsap (Which means billy goat).
4) Pizdets (Пиздец) = Damn it
See the Ukrainian version here. Originally it meant ‘vagina’ but has over time. Pizdets can be used to describe a situation that has gone very wrong like (FUBARed), and it can be used on its own like: Vot eto pizdets!
5) Hui (Хуй) = Dick (sounds like Hooey)
Like its Ukrainian counterpart Khuy, it is a A very multifunctional word like “shit” or “fuck” in English, that is usually used in many phrases. We don’t really know when and how this word appeared, but research suggests that ancient Slavic people would use it. Usually, the situations never have anything to do with the male reproductive organ. The context is similar to the word ‘f*ck’. For example, Иди на хуй (‘Idi na hui’) means ‘Go f*ck yourself’ and Хуй знает (‘Hui zna-et’) means ‘Who the f*ck knows?’
6) Mudak (Мудак) = Shithead
This Russian curse word can only be said to men. It either originated from the old Russian word for a castrated pig or perhaps the Sanskrit word for ‘idiot’ which is essentially the meaning it has today. If any aspect of a man’s behavior can be classified as rude, he may be referred to as a mudak.
7) Gandon (Гандон) = Condom
This word comes from the English ‘condom’ and can sometime be used for just that. This word is used to describe a person you dont like.
8) Zhopa (Жопа) = Ass
What started as a swear word has over time become a sometimes playful, endearing term that can be used among loved ones. Although you wouldn’t want to say it to a child and have them repeat it. In the right context, it can become rude and may be misinterpreted.
9) Yebat (Ебать) = Fuck
Unlike the English word “Fuck” this is the verb form “to fuck”. It takes root from words in ancient Indian languages meaning to reproduce. In the figurative sense, it can be used to describe a person who is annoying, messing around or just being unpleasant.
10) Suka (Сука) = Bitch
Just like in English the original meaning of the word means a female dog. Now it is used as a derogative term for women. This word isn’t really used for describing men, however it can be added to other curse and slang words so chances are you will hear it a lot!
11) Gavno (Гавно) = Shit
This word just means shit and originates from a Slavic word that means ‘cow excrement’; the word has the same root as cow-related words, such as beef. It is used as an exclamation of disappointment at a time of crisis. There is also a usage when ‘gavno’ can refer to something bad, like bad work that someone finished.
12) pedik, pidor, (педик, пидор) = Derogatory Term for Gay Person
Russian slang has a lot of curse words to describe LGTBQ+ people. Perhaps this is because they are very intolerant of LGBTQ. We won’t go too far into these terms, but it may be helpful to recognize them.
