# What is Chekov saying in the Star Trek 2009 reboot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [October 21, 2021, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873 "2021-10-21T05:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873/1 "2021-10-21T05:13:03Z")
The scene where Kirk and Sulu are in free fall together after trying to destroy Nero’s drill at Vulcan. Chekov is trying to transport them back onto the Enterprise before they splat into the ground. When Chekov succeeds, he says something in Russian. It sounds like “your-my-your!” Anybody know what that means in English? ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873/2 "2021-10-21T05:19:15Z")
I’m guessing боже мой (bozhe moi) = my god. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873/3 "2021-10-21T05:21:31Z")
Here’s the scene, cued up to just before the transport. Sounds to me like “yah moy you,” phonetically, but I’m not sure exactly what the Russian is. @mikecurtis, I was thinking maybe “bozhe moi,” too, but it doesn’t sound like that to me in this clip, and context suggests it’s more of an expression of relief or happiness. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rda7Y9EGqUU/hqdefault.jpg "Star Trek- Pavel Chekov Scenes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rda7Y9EGqUU) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873/4 "2021-10-21T05:23:31Z")
IMDB, in the trivia entries for the movie, says this: > [@](#): > > When Chekov manages to transport Sulu and Kirk aboard from a fall, he shouts “Yo-moyo!” This is a Russian exclamation of surprise and excitement, roughly corresponding to English “Oh man!” > **[Star Trek (2009) - Trivia - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796366/trivia/)** > > Star Trek (2009) - Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more... ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873/5 "2021-10-21T05:28:52Z")
Fascinating. It seems to be a bowlderized curse. > [@](#): > > The phrase you are describing is very likely «ё моё», pronounced “yo mai-yo’”. > > The phrase is a restrained variation of «ёб твою мать» ("yob tvai-yu mat’) , which literally translates as “f\*ck your mother.” This type of transformation is similar to the way we might say “gosh darnit!” instead of “god dammit!”, or just “Son of a…” without the b-word. The phrase starts with an obviously profane series of sounds, but transforms into something polite while still maintaining the feeling of profanity. It’s a curse without actual cursing. .[https://www.quora.com/What-does-your-ma-your-mean-in-Russian](https://www.quora.com/What-does-your-ma-your-mean-in-Russian) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-chekov-saying-in-the-star-trek-2009-reboot/952873/6 "2021-10-21T08:42:52Z")
Yup, this is correct. “Yup,” BTW, is how you pronounce “ёб.” Smirnov bowdlerizes it at the start of his comedy routine: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y5aeP0TX65k/maxresdefault.jpg "Yakov Live") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5aeP0TX65k)