Top 10 Most Popular Russian Swear Words

'Yob tvoyu mat' is the ultimate Russian curse. It targets the other person's mother directly, which in Russia is the absolute limit of what's acceptable.

The literal meaning of 'khuy' is the male genitals. In Russia it's an extremely heavy expletive.

Russians use 'pizdets' when a situation has become completely hopeless or catastrophic. It describes that moment when absolutely everything has gone to hell.

This verb forms the foundation of the entire Russian swearing system. Master this root and you immediately understand a quarter of all Russian street language.

'Blyad' is without doubt the most heard word in the 'mat' category. It works as the Russian 'fuck' and rolls out automatically with every setback.

It simply means the other person can get lost or drop dead. Russian distinguishes between men and women here through the ending of the word.

Literally, 'suka' means bitch (female dog). You hear this swear word often in Russian movies and series.

'Mudak' is closest to 'jerk' or 'asshole', but the emphasis is mainly on the other person's stupidity. In the Soviet era the word acquired a special status.

The literal translation is shit (originally specifically cow pats). You usually use it as a comment on a situation that's going badly.

'Durak' is the mildest entry point for anyone wanting to learn to swear in Russian. It means fool or idiot and has appeared in folk tales and classic literature for centuries.