Russian is packed with words that capture emotions, states of being, or cultural concepts English struggles to pin down. Here are 15 untranslatable Russian words that’ll make you wish English had them too.
1. Тоска (Toska)
Тоска
[tɐˈska]A deep, melancholic longing with no obvious cause - somewhere between nostalgia, existential dread, and an ache for something unnameable.
2. Почемучка (Pochemuchka)
Почемучка
[pət͡ɕɪˈmut͡ɕkə]A child (or adult) who asks 'why?' incessantly. The word itself is a playful blend of 'почему' (why) and the suffix '-учка' (denoting a person).
3. Разлюбить (Razlyubit')
Разлюбить
[rəz⁽ʲ⁾lʲʉˈbʲitʲ]To fall out of love - a single verb for the slow, painful process of love fading away.
4. Зависть (Zavist')
Зависть
[ˈzavʲɪsʲtʲ]“Envy”
While 'envy' exists in English, the Russian concept carries a heavier, more corrosive weight - often implying resentment or bitterness.
5. Подвиг (Podvig)
Подвиг
[ˈpodvʲɪk]A heroic deed, but not just any act of bravery - it’s a selfless, often spiritual or moral triumph against great odds.
6. Бытие (Bytiye)
Бытие
[bɨtʲɪˈje]“Being”
Existence itself, but with philosophical weight - closer to Heidegger’s 'Dasein' than the casual English 'being'.
7. Надрыв (Nadryv)
Надрыв
[nɐˈdrɨf]A emotional or physical rupture - like a sob tearing from your chest, or the moment a person breaks under strain.
8. Стушеваться (Stushevat'sya)
Стушеваться
[stʊʂɨˈvat͡sːə]To fade into the background, lose confidence, or become flustered in a social setting. Dostoevsky’s favourite word for social awkwardness.
9. Хамство (Khamstvo)
Хамство
[ˈxamstvə]Rude, boorish behaviour - not just impoliteness, but a deliberate, aggressive disregard for others.
10. Авось (Avos')
Авось
[ɐˈvosʲ]A cultural attitude of 'maybe it’ll work out' - blind optimism mixed with reckless hope, often leading to procrastination.
11. Недоперепить (Nedoperepit')
Недоперепить
[nʲɪdəpʲɪrʲɪˈpʲitʲ]The state of not having drunk enough alcohol to fully relax - a very specific Russian problem.
12. Чувствовать (Chuvstvovat')
Чувствовать
[ˈt͡ɕustvəvətʲ]“To feel”
While 'to feel' exists in English, the Russian version is more visceral - encompassing physical sensation, emotion, and intuition in one.
13. Соборность (Sobornost')
Соборность
[sɐˈbornəsʲtʲ]A spiritual unity of people - like communal harmony, but deeper, often tied to Russian Orthodox philosophy.
14. Ушанка (Ushanka)
Ушанка
[ʊˈʂankə]Those iconic Russian fur hats with ear flaps. English just calls them 'ushankas' - because no English word does them justice.
15. Закадычный друг (Zakadychnyy drug)
Закадычный друг
/zɐˈkadɨtɕnɨj ˈdruk/A 'back-to-back' friend - someone so close you’d stand back-to-back with them in a fight. Deeper than a best friend.
These words reveal how language shapes thought. Russian doesn’t just describe the world - it feels it differently. Want more linguistic quirks? Check out our guide to Russian compound words.
