Russian sayings
Encyclopedia
Russian sayings give an insight into many aspects of Russian history
, culture
, and nation
al character
. The Russian language
is replete with many hundreds of proverb
s (пословица pʌˈslovitsʌ) and sayings (поговоркa [pəɡʌˈvorkʌ]). These were already tabulated by the seventeenth century, and collected and studied in the nineteenth and twentieth, with the folk-tales being an especially fertile source. Quite a few sayings are of literary origin.
[f trʲɪdʲɪˈvʲatʌm ˈtsarstvʲə]
"In the three-ninth kingdom", a typical beginning of a fairy tale
; often used ironically in a reference to a place far away.
Со времён царя Гороха. (So vremyón tsaryá Gorókha.)
[ˌsʌ vrʲɪˈmʲon tsʌˈrʲa ɡʌˈroxʌ]
"Since the times of Tsar Green-pea."; c.f. English
, "since time immemorial" = "с незапамятных времён".
Ни к селу, ни к городу. (Ni k selú, ni k górodu.)
[ni k sʲɪˈlu, ni ɡ ˈɡorʌdu]
"Neither for a village nor for a city."; c.f. English
, "of no use or relevance whatsoever."
Хоть кол на голове теши. (Khot' kol na golové teshí.)
[ˌxʌtʲ ˈkol na ɡəlʌˈvʲe tʲɪˈʃi]
"Even if you whittled a spike on his head...", said of someone especially stubborn or recalcitrant.
Делать из мухи слона. (Délat' iz múkhi sloná.)
[ˈdʲelatʲ iz ˈmuxi slʌˈna]
"To make an elephant out of a fly."; c.f. English
, "to make a mountain out of a mole-hill."
Палить из пушки по воробьям. (Palít' iz púshki po vorob'yám.)
[pʌˈlitʲ is ˈpuʃki pʌ vʌrʌbˈjam]
"To shoot sparrows with a cannon", c.f. English
, "crack a nut with a sledgehammer
."
Бить баклуши. (bit' baklúshi)
[ˈbitʲ bʌkˈluʃi]
c.f. English
, "to fool (away)," "to waste time."
Когда рак (на горе) свистнет. (Kogdá rak (na goré) svístnet.)
[kʌɡˌda ˈrak (na ɡʌˈre) ˈsvʲisnʲet]
"When a crayfish
whistles (on the mountain)", c.f. English
, "when pigs fly", meaning "never."
Показать, где раки зимуют. (Pokazát', gde ráki zimúyut.)
[pəkʌˈzatʲ, ɡde ˈraki ziˈmujut]
"To show one where the crayfish spend winter", c.f. English
, "to punish; to give a piece of one's mind."
Щи да каша — пища наша (Shchi da kásha ― píshcha násha.)
[ɕːi dʌ kʌˈʃa ― ˈpiɕːʌ nʌˈʃa]
"Shchi
and kasha
are our food.", c.f. English
, "We are simple people, for this is all we eat."
[pʌkʌˈzatʲ kuzʲkinu ˈmatʲ]
"To show one Kuzma's mother", see above.
Есть человек, есть проблема. Нет человека, нет проблемы. (Yest' chelovék, yest' probléma. Net chelovéka, net problémy.)
[jestʲ tʃʲɪlʌˈvʲek, jestʲ prʌbˈlʲemʌ. nʲet tʃʲɪlkˈvekʌ, nʲet prʌˈblʲemɨ]
"If there is a person, there is a problem. If there is no person, then there is no problem."
This is commonly incorrectly attributed to Joseph Stalin
, the political leader of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953. In fact this phrase was used by Soviet writer Anatoly Rybakov
in his novel Children of the Arbat.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, and nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al character
Moral character
Moral character or character is an evaluation of a particular individual's durable moral qualities. The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits...
. The Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
is replete with many hundreds of proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
s (пословица pʌˈslovitsʌ) and sayings (поговоркa [pəɡʌˈvorkʌ]). These were already tabulated by the seventeenth century, and collected and studied in the nineteenth and twentieth, with the folk-tales being an especially fertile source. Quite a few sayings are of literary origin.
Sample sayings
В тридевятом царстве. (V tridevyátom tsárstve.)[f trʲɪdʲɪˈvʲatʌm ˈtsarstvʲə]
"In the three-ninth kingdom", a typical beginning of a fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
; often used ironically in a reference to a place far away.
Со времён царя Гороха. (So vremyón tsaryá Gorókha.)
[ˌsʌ vrʲɪˈmʲon tsʌˈrʲa ɡʌˈroxʌ]
"Since the times of Tsar Green-pea."; c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "since time immemorial" = "с незапамятных времён".
Ни к селу, ни к городу. (Ni k selú, ni k górodu.)
[ni k sʲɪˈlu, ni ɡ ˈɡorʌdu]
"Neither for a village nor for a city."; c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "of no use or relevance whatsoever."
Хоть кол на голове теши. (Khot' kol na golové teshí.)
[ˌxʌtʲ ˈkol na ɡəlʌˈvʲe tʲɪˈʃi]
"Even if you whittled a spike on his head...", said of someone especially stubborn or recalcitrant.
Делать из мухи слона. (Délat' iz múkhi sloná.)
[ˈdʲelatʲ iz ˈmuxi slʌˈna]
"To make an elephant out of a fly."; c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "to make a mountain out of a mole-hill."
Палить из пушки по воробьям. (Palít' iz púshki po vorob'yám.)
[pʌˈlitʲ is ˈpuʃki pʌ vʌrʌbˈjam]
"To shoot sparrows with a cannon", c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "crack a nut with a sledgehammer
Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
."
Бить баклуши. (bit' baklúshi)
[ˈbitʲ bʌkˈluʃi]
c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "to fool (away)," "to waste time."
Когда рак (на горе) свистнет. (Kogdá rak (na goré) svístnet.)
[kʌɡˌda ˈrak (na ɡʌˈre) ˈsvʲisnʲet]
"When a crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
whistles (on the mountain)", c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "when pigs fly", meaning "never."
Показать, где раки зимуют. (Pokazát', gde ráki zimúyut.)
[pəkʌˈzatʲ, ɡde ˈraki ziˈmujut]
"To show one where the crayfish spend winter", c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "to punish; to give a piece of one's mind."
Щи да каша — пища наша (Shchi da kásha ― píshcha násha.)
[ɕːi dʌ kʌˈʃa ― ˈpiɕːʌ nʌˈʃa]
"Shchi
Shchi
Shchi is a Russian soup with cabbage as the primary ingredient. Its primary distinction is its sour taste, which usually originates from cabbage. When sauerkraut is used instead, the soup is called sour shchi, and soups based on sorrel, spinach, nettle, and similar plants are called green shchi...
and kasha
Kasha
Kasha is a cereal commonly eaten in Eastern Europe. In English, kasha generally refers to buckwheat groats, but in Slavic countries, kasha refers to porridge in general and can be made from any cereal, especially buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, millet, and rye...
are our food.", c.f. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "We are simple people, for this is all we eat."
Popular phrases
Показать Кузькину мать. (Pokazát' Kuz'kinu mat'.)[pʌkʌˈzatʲ kuzʲkinu ˈmatʲ]
"To show one Kuzma's mother", see above.
Есть человек, есть проблема. Нет человека, нет проблемы. (Yest' chelovék, yest' probléma. Net chelovéka, net problémy.)
[jestʲ tʃʲɪlʌˈvʲek, jestʲ prʌbˈlʲemʌ. nʲet tʃʲɪlkˈvekʌ, nʲet prʌˈblʲemɨ]
"If there is a person, there is a problem. If there is no person, then there is no problem."
This is commonly incorrectly attributed to Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, the political leader of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953. In fact this phrase was used by Soviet writer Anatoly Rybakov
Anatoly Rybakov
Anatoly Naumovich Rybakov was a Soviet and Russian writer, the author of the anti-Stalinist Children of the Arbat tetralogy, novel Heavy Sand, and many popular children books including Adventures of Krosh, Dirk, Bronze Bird, etc...
in his novel Children of the Arbat.