# "Russians have no word for freedom" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592 "2009-10-29T12:35:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/21 "2009-10-30T12:56:40Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. So find out how to say “Nothing left to lose” and then you know how to say “freedom” in Russian. > > Sincerely, > > Me and Bobby McGee +1 ---
**Author:** ![Ispolkom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Ispolkom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ispolkom)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/22 "2009-10-30T13:20:54Z")
Russian has 2 words for freedom, svoboda and volia. On the other hand it doesn’t really have an equivalent for “fun.” ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/23 "2009-10-30T13:30:59Z")
For a minute there I thought the dope was so astute that we could go this entire thread without anyone mentioning the fact that it’s bs that Russian don’t have a word for freedom, because everybody already knew that, and that part of ignorance was fought in these parts. Anyway, this entire thing shows that it doesn’t matter in the least whether the French have a word for entrepreneur, or the Russians have a word for freedom, because I’ve seen them have fun, even though they don’t have a word for it. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/24 "2009-10-30T13:34:13Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > Of course the word ‘hoax’ is in the dictionary. The word ‘gullible’, however, isn’t. It isn’t? Wow, I didn’t know that! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/25 "2009-10-31T00:13:23Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > 'Course it does! It sounds like an incontinent Italian who lost the key to his front door. Laugh of the day! ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/26 "2009-10-31T00:49:29Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Apparently Bush did say that the French have no word for entrepreneur. If he did, he was correct. Obviously it is a French word but just means contractor. Well, it does mean the same thing as in English ([cite](http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/entrepreneur)). It can also mean contractor (point B. 2. b in my cite). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/27 "2009-11-01T03:31:10Z")
> [@Ispolkom](#): > > Russian has 2 words for freedom, svoboda and volia. On the other hand it doesn’t really have an equivalent for “fun.” What, “vodka” doesn’t count? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/28 "2009-11-02T07:00:45Z")
The French have no word for “home.” ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592/29 "2009-11-02T07:36:07Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > Laugh of the day! You better enjoy it. In soviet russia you only get one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russians-have-no-word-for-freedom/515592.md?page=1)