# Is there an equivalent of 'duh' in Russian **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971 "2006-03-03T22:44:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/1 "2006-03-03T22:44:29Z")
Is there a saying in Russian that is the equivalent of ‘duh’? Can someone give that to me? If not can someone teach me to spell ‘I’m stupid’ in Russian? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/2 "2006-03-03T22:58:36Z")
You wouldn’t be friends with [Andrei Kirilenko’s wife](http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_3565004) would you? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/3 "2006-03-03T23:32:28Z")
I used to have a pet theory that “duh” came from the Russian word for yes “[da],” but probably not. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/4 "2006-03-03T23:42:48Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I used to have a pet theory that “duh” came from the Russian word for yes “[da],” but probably not. No, “duh” Comes from from the habit of saying “um” or “ah” as a pause while trying to respond to a question. “Duh” is just the mocking version of it. As with most onomatopoeia all three probably have a sketchy etymology. Also, foreign language equivalents are probably equally sketchy. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/5 "2006-03-04T16:05:11Z")
I no longer work with friends in the NSA, some of whom have really excellent language skills in Russian. However, based on this, there most likely is, though it will be nothing close to the English literal. This is all vernacular, and not at all literal. So, I do not know what the equivalent might be, but I am sure there is one. Waiting for a Russian guru to expand our knowledge here… ---
**Author:** ![I\_Dare\_For\_More](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/76d3ee/32.png) [@I\_Dare\_For\_More](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Dare_For_More)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/6 "2006-03-04T19:55:15Z")
I’m from Bulgaria… maybe some of you know that bulgarian language is the base of the russian. I understand and speak russian but really I can’t get what exactly do you mean with “duh” 😕 If you explain it in english I’ll try to find the answer! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/7 "2006-03-04T20:01:11Z")
It’s like when someone tells you something obvious that you already know and they say it to you like they think you don’t–then “duh” is an excellent response. There it means (approximately), “no shit”, “no kidding”, or something else equally sarcastic and snarky. It is also used to describe utter stupidity on the part of the speaker or (more likely) someone else. “The parking lot attendant can’t find my car, and it’s the red one right there, duh!” or “I locked my purse in the car!” “well, open it and get it out.” “I can’t–the keys are in my purse! Duh!” :smack: Duh is very useful, but can also be seen as childish and unprofessional. Most people use it in private conversation, but not in formal settings. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/8 "2006-03-04T20:06:01Z")
> [@I\_Dare\_For\_More](#): > > I’m from Bulgaria… > maybe some of you know that bulgarian language is the base of the russian. > I understand and speak russian but really I can’t get what exactly do you mean with “duh” 😕 > If you explain it in english I’ll try to find the answer! Its basically a way of saying ‘I’m not very smart’. Any kind of popular russian slang that means ‘I’m not very smart’ will do. Or "I’m a pervert’ will also do. A pervert is a sexual deviant. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/9 "2006-03-05T04:24:11Z")
Think of “duh” as an abbreviated way of saying “this is so obvious that only an idiot could fail to understand it/do it correctly.” The comment may be a form of confession by the speaker or a comment about another person’s lack of competence. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Dare\_For\_More](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/76d3ee/32.png) [@I\_Dare\_For\_More](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Dare_For_More)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/10 "2006-03-05T18:09:26Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Its basically a way of saying ‘I’m not very smart’. Any kind of popular russian slang that means ‘I’m not very smart’ will do. Or "I’m a pervert’ will also do. A pervert is a sexual deviant. Huh, I’ll ask my russian friends and then I’ll share the information 🙂 Post.Scriptum By the way nice to meet you all, my name’s Lilia 😉 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Dare\_For\_More](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/76d3ee/32.png) [@I\_Dare\_For\_More](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Dare_For_More)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/11 "2006-03-05T18:19:54Z")
So, few mins ago I talked to a friend from Moscow… and as I supposed - Duh or in bulgarian and russian ДУХ means spirit… The word “loh” means smth like fool… I hope that’s the answer you are looking for! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/12 "2006-03-06T15:02:37Z")
This was a response from a friend in Moscow. _no, there is no such one word in Russian 🙂 There are some expressions, which are used in such situations: eg.: “a to!”, “tozhe mnje - novostj!” (if someone said news which everybody knows)._ Welcome **I\_Dare\_For\_More** , you may be interested in this thread started last week in another category…: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=360917](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=360917) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-duh-in-russian/346971/13 "2006-03-06T18:02:50Z")
I know a guy who is Russian and I want to take a copy of his picture and put a talking bubble with some Russian insult in it. Something like “I’m a pervert”, anything self depricating and in Russian.