# Are you fluent in Russian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351 "2006-05-19T01:02:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrightSmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BrightSmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightSmite)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/1 "2006-05-19T01:02:50Z")
If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you would translate what Fedor says as [he watches brother get beat in a fight](http://www.flurl.com/item/Fedor_Watches_his_brother_lose_a_fight_u_138379/) (only 30 second video) Also, what does the guy say (off camera) at ALSO: how would you correctly pronounce the Fedor in Russian? Many many thanks, BrightSmite ---
**Author:** ![BrightSmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BrightSmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightSmite)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/2 "2006-05-19T01:04:42Z")
> [@BrightSmite](#): > > If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you would translate what Fedor says as [he watches brother get beat in a fight](http://www.flurl.com/item/Fedor_Watches_his_brother_lose_a_fight_u_138379/) (only 30 second video) > > Also, what does the guy say (off camera) at > > ALSO: how would you correctly pronounce the Fedor in Russian? > > Many many thanks, > > BrightSmite If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you would translate what Fedor says as [he watches brother get beat in a fight](http://www.flurl.com/item/Fedor_Watches_his_brother_lose_a_fight_u_138379/) (only 30 second video) Also, what does the guy say (off camera) at **18 Seconds** ALSO: how would you correctly pronounce the Fedor in Russian? Many many thanks, BrightSmite ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/3 "2006-05-19T03:47:33Z")
> [@BrightSmite](#): > > If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you would translate what Fedor says as [he watches brother get beat in a fight](http://www.flurl.com/item/Fedor_Watches_his_brother_lose_a_fight_u_138379/) (only 30 second video) > > Also, what does the guy say (off camera) at **18 Seconds** > > ALSO: how would you correctly pronounce the Fedor in Russian? Fedor is pronounced FYO-dor. What looks like an ‘e’ with two dots over it in Cyrillic is pronounced ‘yo’, short ‘o’. As for what he was saying…I couldn’t quite make out the offscreen comment at 18 seconds, but it sounded sorta like ‘What the hell is that?’ in English. The rest was pretty much straight cursing. “Get away, get away…fuck. Bitch, pederast…” and then “Hit the forehead, not the mouth, stop!..fuck.” So mostly cursing, some fight instructions, then more cursing. Understandable. Some of the cursing was a bit indistinct, but the feeling was there. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/4 "2006-05-19T06:04:16Z")
It sounded like he repeated “сука” several times. It means “cunt”, basically. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/5 "2006-05-19T08:34:39Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > It sounded like he repeated “сука” several times. > > It means “cunt”, basically. Umm… Well I think “bitch” would be a lot closer since “сука” means… well… “bitch”. As in both a disparaging term for a woman as well as a dog of the female persuasion. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/6 "2006-05-19T08:48:18Z")
To anybody wondering how to say “cunt” in Russian, I’m guessing “блядь” or “пизда” are the closest. Pronounced "blyad’ " and “pizda” respectively. Both literally an incredibly obscene and taboo term for the female genetalia or disparaging term for a person (of either sex, but the word is much stronger if used against women). Note, however, that most Russian swear words are much stronger socially than their English counterparts. While I am yet to find an adult American who would not swear under any circumstances, there are plenty of Russians who live their entire lives without uttering a single swear word from [Mat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_%28language%29) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/7 "2006-05-19T19:30:37Z")
Crap. You’re both right. My russian girlfriend won’t let me swear around her, so I don’t get to practice my ‘bad words’ much. ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/8 "2006-05-19T22:43:07Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Note, however, that most Russian swear words are much stronger socially than their English counterparts. While I am yet to find an adult American who would not swear under any circumstances, there are plenty of Russians who live their entire lives without uttering a single swear word from Mat Yup. In fact, this is why I couldn’t make out some of the words - I haven’t lived in Russia since I was 7 years old, and my knowledge of Russian is almost entirely based on what is said in a family, scientific, or news-program context. I just never learned how to swear properly. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/9 "2006-05-19T22:47:02Z")
> [@Crescend](#): > > Yup. In fact, this is why I couldn’t make out some of the words - I haven’t lived in Russia since I was 7 years old, and my knowledge of Russian is almost entirely based on what is said in a family, scientific, or news-program context. I just never learned how to swear properly. :smack: Note: I did no actually write what you quoted. groman did. For a second there, I thought I had lost my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/10 "2006-05-19T22:48:38Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Note: I did no actually write what you quoted. groman did. For a second there, I thought I had lost my mind. Whoops! I copy/pasted incorrectly. My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/11 "2006-05-19T23:58:35Z")
> [@groman](#): > > To anybody wondering how to say “cunt” in Russian, I’m guessing “блядь” or “пизда” are the closest. Ah, that’s exactly what I was wondering. Glad to have the Dope. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrightSmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BrightSmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightSmite)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/12 "2006-06-23T00:34:12Z")
> [@Crescend](#): > > Fedor is pronounced FYO-dor. What looks like an ‘e’ with two dots over it in Cyrillic is pronounced ‘yo’, short ‘o’. > > As for what he was saying…I couldn’t quite make out the offscreen comment at 18 seconds, but it sounded sorta like ‘What the hell is that?’ in English. > > The rest was pretty much straight cursing. “Get away, get away…fuck. Bitch, pederast…” and then “Hit the forehead, not the mouth, stop!..fuck.” > > So mostly cursing, some fight instructions, then more cursing. Understandable. > > Some of the cursing was a bit indistinct, but the feeling was there. Thank you Greatly for for your response: But at :18 secinds it sounds like the guy is saying " No esh new" (in Russian) Are you saying that he his saying ‘What the hell is that?’ in English… Or Russian? Thanks in advance… ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fluent-in-russian/357351/13 "2006-06-23T00:41:36Z")
> [@BrightSmite](#): > > Thank you Greatly for for your response: > > But at :18 secinds it sounds like the guy is saying " No esh new" (in Russian) > > Are you saying that he his saying ‘What the hell is that?’ in English… Or Russian? Thanks in advance… What he was saying at :18 was indistinct to me. It sounded more like English than Russian to my ear, and I parsed it as English.