#35 Russian Youth Slang

Language changes gradually over time. Among younger generations in particular, new expressions often emerge, while existing words may also come to be used with meanings that differ from their original ones.

Russian is no exception. In modern Russia, a wide variety of youth slang is used in conversations between friends, on social media, in videos, and in online games. Some of these expressions have developed from existing Russian words, while others have been strongly influenced by English and internet culture.

Such expressions are not always appropriate in formal settings such as school or work, but they are interesting if you want to understand how modern Russian is actually used and how the language is changing. Knowing some basic slang can also be useful when you encounter real Russian on social media or in videos.

In this article, I will explain the main characteristics of Russian youth slang, introduce several representative expressions, and discuss points you should keep in mind when using them.

1. Characteristics of Russian Youth Slang

Youth slang refers mainly to informal words and expressions used among younger generations.

In Russian, slang used by young people is commonly referred to as молодёжный сленг.

Youth slang is frequently used in casual situations such as conversations between friends, social media, online games, and video comments. Today in particular, new expressions can spread extremely quickly through the internet, and many words have emerged from English, gaming, music, and online trends.

At the same time, the boundaries between youth slang, slang in general, and ordinary colloquial language are not always clear. A word that first becomes popular among young people may later spread to a much wider age range and become established as an ordinary colloquial expression. For example, кру́то (cool / awesome) and прико́л (joke / something funny” are now widely used and are not limited to younger speakers.

Conversely, some expressions may become popular for a particular period but begin to sound outdated only a few years later. For this reason, expressions described as “youth slang” are not fixed; they constantly change according to the period and generation.

You should also remember that an expression that sounds natural between friends may be inappropriate in a school report, business document, or other formal context. When learning youth slang, it is therefore important to understand not only what an expression means, but also who uses it and in what situations.

2. Various Examples of Russian Youth Slang

Modern Russian contains a wide range of colloquial expressions that are especially common among younger speakers. You will often encounter them not only in conversations between friends, but also on social media, in videos, music, and online games.

Here are several examples of Russian youth slang.

кру́то — cool / awesome

Кру́то is used to mean “cool,” “awesome,” or “great.”

It comes from the adjective круто́й, and you can say Кру́то! when you want to react positively to something. It is similar to saying “Cool!” or “Awesome!” in English.

Today, this expression is no longer limited to young people and is widely used in casual conversation.

туси́ть — to hang out / have fun with friends

туси́ть is an informal verb meaning to spend time with friends, hang out, or socialize.

It can be used not only for going to parties or events, but also for casually spending time with a group of friends. A related word is тусо́вка, which can refer to a gathering, social scene, or group of people who regularly spend time together.

прико́л — joke / something funny

прико́л is a colloquial word that can mean “joke,” “something funny,” or “something amusing.”

For example, В чём прико́л? can mean “What is funny about it?”, “What is the point?”, or “What is going on?” depending on the context.

Because its meaning varies according to the situation, you need to interpret it based on how it is actually being used.

жесть — crazy / awful

The original meaning of жесть is “tinplate” or thin sheet metal, but in colloquial Russian it is also used as a reaction to something shocking or extreme.

If you hear about an unbelievable or terrible situation, you might respond with Жесть!, which can be similar to “That’s crazy!” or “That’s awful!”

It is not always purely negative and can sometimes simply express strong surprise.

ого́нь — awesome / excellent

The original meaning of ого́нь is “fire,” but in colloquial speech it can also mean “awesome,” “excellent,” or “really good.”

For example, you might say Ого́нь! when praising food, music, clothing, or something else you think is particularly good. In that context, it is similar to saying “Amazing!” or “Awesome!”

As these examples show, Russian youth slang includes not only newly created words but also existing words that have acquired new meanings.

The nuance of the same expression can also differ depending on the context or generation. Since youth slang changes rapidly, I recommend looking at how words are actually used in conversations and on social media rather than relying only on dictionary definitions.

3. English-Derived Words in Russian

In fields closely connected with international culture and technology, such as IT, music, fashion, and business, many English-derived words have entered the Russian vocabulary. A number of these expressions have also spread into everyday speech among young people through social media and the internet.

For example, лайк comes from the English word like and refers to a “like” on social media. Other examples include фейк, from fake, and стрим, from stream.

Russian does not simply borrow English nouns as they are. New verbs are sometimes created from them according to Russian grammatical and word-formation patterns.

For example, the verb ла́йкать, meaning “to like” something on social media, was formed from лайк.

Similarly, хе́йтить was formed from хейт, which comes from the English word hate. It is an informal verb used when someone dislikes, attacks, or criticizes a person or thing negatively.

In this way, words borrowed from foreign languages can become fully incorporated into Russian patterns of word formation and grammar.

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4. Internet-Specific Expressions Are Spreading

The internet plays a major role in the creation and spread of youth slang.

On social media, video platforms, and online games, new words and usages develop through interactions between users. An expression that originally belonged to a particular online community may spread through social media and eventually become part of everyday conversation.

Some of these internet expressions originated in English, but the important point is not simply that they were borrowed from English. They may develop their own meanings and patterns of use within Russian-speaking online communities.

For example, кринж comes from the English word cringe. On the Russian-language internet, it is widely used to describe something embarrassing, awkward, or painfully uncomfortable to watch.

Another example is рофл, which comes from the English internet abbreviation ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing). In Russian-speaking online communities, it can mean “a joke” or “something funny.” It has also given rise to the verb ро́флить, meaning “to joke around,” “to mess around,” or “to make fun of someone.”

Existing words can also acquire new meanings online. Memes, videos, or particular events can cause entirely new expressions to spread within a very short period of time.

One of the defining characteristics of such expressions is how quickly they change. A word may suddenly become popular after initially being used by only a small online community, while another may sound outdated and almost disappear after only a few years.

For this reason, when learning internet slang, it is important to look not only at dictionary definitions but also at the actual contexts in which the expressions are being used.

5. Points to Keep in Mind When Using Youth Slang

Once you learn some youth slang, you may want to try using it in actual conversations. However, you need to be careful about both the person you are speaking to and the situation.

Expressions that sound perfectly natural between friends or on social media may sound overly casual when you speak to a teacher, supervisor, or someone you have just met. In formal settings in particular, using standard Russian is generally the safer choice.

Youth slang also tends to carry subtle nuances. Even expressions that can all be translated as “cool,” “crazy,” or “awesome” may differ depending on whether they express surprise, praise, irony, or criticism. If you memorize only the Japanese or English translation and use the word without understanding its nuance, you may give a different impression from the one you intended.

In addition, youth slang changes quickly, and usage can differ considerably between generations. An expression that was popular only a short time ago may already sound dated, or it may be restricted to a particular age group or online community. If you are not a native speaker, forcing such expressions into conversation can sometimes sound unnatural.

You should also be aware that some forms of youth slang are not merely informal but can be vulgar or insulting.

Russian has a group of highly taboo obscene and profane expressions known as мат. You may encounter them in films, music, or on the internet, but some are extremely vulgar and offensive. I do not recommend using them unless you fully understand their meaning, strength, and social implications.

When learning youth slang, I think it is helpful to distinguish between being able to understand an expression and being able to use it naturally yourself.

A good first goal is simply to understand these expressions when you hear or read them. If you later decide to use them yourself, I recommend first observing how native speakers use them and in what situations.

6. Summary

Russian has many forms of youth slang that are used mainly among younger generations.

The main characteristics can be summarized as follows:

Youth slang consists largely of expressions that you are unlikely to encounter in a standard Russian textbook. Russian-language social media and videos, in particular, provide many opportunities to encounter the wide variety of slang used in real life.

You do not need to force yourself to memorize youth slang when studying Russian. However, if you want to understand modern Russian more fully, knowing that these expressions exist—and understanding their basic meanings and contexts—can be very useful.

Yuri Miyajima

Writer

I’m a Japanese writer with a deep interest in Russia. Through my articles, I explore a wide range of topics related to the country, including its culture, history, traditions, food, everyday life, and language.