Original Russian Proverbs and Where to Find Them

Because of the high demand, we are back again with some new and usable Russian proverbs and sayings, which are really useful and beneficial, especially if you are studying Russian in Moscow or in any other cities!

This time I am going to show you a dialogue between two friends, Mike and Marcus, using all the quotes. Of course, at first sight it won’t make any sense, but afterwards every figure of speech will be translated into Russian to understand the context behind it.

Marcus: Hey! How is it going? Everything alright? You look like someone put you in the water.
Mike: Hey. Yeah, I had a tough conversation with my parents about getting a new car. They are always making an elephant out of a fly! So annoying.
Marcus: I understand that, but you can’t hang noodles on their ears.
Mike: Yeah, I know that, but after they said NO, I was looking at them like a sheep standing in front of a new gate… It was so strange because when I first saw the car, I wanted to jump out of my pants!
Marcus: What did your girlfriend say about the whole situation?
Mike: Which girlfriend? She gave me a turn from the gate last week.
Marcus: Oh, I’m sorry mate. Let your road be your tablecloth!
Mike: That’s true. How are your studies going? I heard you started studying Russian.
Marcus: Quite good, actually. You can say that I literally crunch the granite out of science!
Mike: Sounds good! Ok, hold your tail as a pistol. See you around!

After reading this conversation, you might be a bit confused by the meaning of the Russian quotes. Don’t worry! I will help you to understand the Russian proverbs step by step!

First small, then big?

You may have already heard the phrase ‘always making an elephant out of a fly’ because it is also used in German. Translated into Russian it means: делать из мухи слона –this sentence делать из мухи (Fly) слона (Elephant) should be clear even to Russian students because it combines the infinitive with genitive. You can use this phrase in any conversation with friends or parents. In English they say, ‘don’t make a mountain out of mole-hill’.

Noodles are the new earrings?

To hang noodles on someone’s ears might sound a bit strange for people who aren’t from Russia. When you translate it into Russian it’s written: ‘лапша, висящая на ушах’ – it means that you shouldn’t lie to someone or think them stupid. So, remember – a Russian won’t lie to you, they would just hang noodles on your ears.

Open the gate

This phrase might also sound familiar to you, especially when you’re able to speak English or German. Standing like a sheep in front of a new gate is a common quote and often used for people who are not keen on trying something new or are just dull. Translated into Russian proverbs it means: ‘смотреть как баран на новые ворота’.

Your road

It nearly happened to everybody who a relationship. When you got dumped you’re likely to say some things you might regret afterwards, or you don’t. The perfect fitting Russian proverbs would be: Cкатертью дорога! Translated into English it means: Good riddance.

Keep your clothes on

It might sound hilarious to you but ‘jumping out of your pants’ is a really common quote in Russia and in England as well. The Russian version of this phrase is: выпрыгнут из штанов – and again, the genitive is used for ‘out’. You can use this sentence whenever you are particularly excited, or you are looking forward to something. The actual meaning of this proverbs is life is easier when you don’t need to think about relationships.

Study hard

Of course, you already know the basic quotes like ‘go hard or go home’ or ‘no pain, no gain’. Everybody knows that hard work pays off, but there are different phrases to describe it. The Russian one is really good, ‘crunch the granite out of science’, it means what it says. Translated into Russian it is written as: грызть гранит науки!

Fire!

Perfectly fitting with the last paragraph on studying hard, you also have the so-called ‘never give up’ quote: Держи хвост пистолетом! Translated into English it means that you should hold your tail as a weapon, which sounds a little bit funny, but you can work out what it means.
There are several proverbs you can use for each situation and like I mentioned in a previous post ‘on a date with Russian proverbs’, you can use any of them without hesitation. Give it a try and impress your Russian friends!

What is your favorite Russian proverb? Let us know in the comments section!

Also check out our article about 10 sentences every Russian student should know!

Posted by Russian Courses