Instead of making a funny joke, you achieve the opposite effect. This is definitely not a word that fits a circle of University buddies. This phrase is too rude and is usually said in an aggressive manner. The next time you hang out with Russian speakers, you want to use this word in a fun and joking manner.īut it simply doesn’t work this way. You look it up in the dictionary and see this means “shut up”. Let’s say you watch a new blockbuster and a criminal-hero says: “Zavali hlebalo!”. #3 Make Sure that it’s Suitable for Your Circle So, don’t hesitate to ask your Russian-speaking friends or inquire on forums about the sayings you’d like to use. The field of slang words is changing very fast! Some words exist in the language no longer than one year.
When you watch a movie or find a new word in literature, make sure that people actually use it before adding it to your daily vocabulary. Thus you’ll unmistakably understand the actual meaning of the slang expression. The primary source of new slang words should be your real-life experience: talk to a native speaker, watch a movie, a podcast or a new show.
It would be great if we could just open up a dictionary, learn a couple of slang phrases and insert them here and there. So, here is a couple of tips that you should keep in mind when you learn a new slang phrase. On the other – it’s very easy to misuse a word or phrase or even to cross the line that separates non-obscene and obscene language. On the one hand, we all want to make our speech brighter. Including slang in your daily speech will always be a controversial issue. That’s why getting to know common slang words will give you greater access to authentic learning materials. But when you try to watch original YouTube videos or listen to podcasts that are not specially adapted, you feel that there’s a big plot of vocabulary beyond your understanding. Usually, Russian learners use a narrow scope of materials: student books, vocabularies, talking to a tutor who uses academic language. #3 You’ll be Able to Understand a Greater Amount of Content
So, if you use the “mini-language” of your circle, you cause this sub-conscious “He/she belongs” feeling. Whether we want to or not, we understand “who is who” by the way he or she is talking.
The speech of a Moscow white collar will not always be clear to a countryside track driver and vice versa. It’s an illusion that people born and raised in one country speak one or several common languages in fact, these common languages are sometimes very different. So, to boost your comprehension of real-life speech, you need to know at least some common expressions. You’ll always be understood, but it doesn’t mean you’ll always understand what natives are talking about. The Russian you’ve learned in a classroom is your “survival” level. Native speakers use slang words very often and the amount of brand-new expressions is growing. That may be true, but I think that any Russian learner needs to be familiar with this aspect of the language. Some might argue that Russian slang may be omitted, that it’s not an obligatory part of the language and you can express any idea without any slang words. Three Practical Reasons to Learn Russian Slang
Download 75 Everyday Russian Slang Words PDF (for Free)įor your convenience, all the words are grouped into several categories: