Russian Words: Emotions

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Updated on March 03, 2020

The Russian language has an abundance of words to describe emotions. Learn how to talk about feelings with these lists of Russian words for emotions, translations, and examples.

Emotions

Russian Word	English Word	Pronunciation	Examples
Радость	Joy, happiness	RAdast'	Подпрыгивать от радости (patPRYghivat' at RAdasti) - To jump for joy
Тревога	Anxiety	tryVOga	Всепоглощающая тревога (fsyepaglaSHAyushaya tryVOga) - All-encompassing anxiety
Грусть	Sadness	groost'	Грусть всё не прогодит (groost' vsyo ny praHOdit) - The sadness is not going away
Злость	Anger	zlost'	От злости он не мог говорить (at ZLOSti on ne MOK gavaREET') - He couldn't speak because of the anger he felt
Гнев	Anger	gnef	Ну не гневись (noo ne gneVEES') - Don't be cross
Ненависть	Hatred	NYEnavyst'	Сильная ненависть (SEEL'naya NYEnavyst') - Strong hatred
Неуверенность	Doubt, uncertainty	nyooVYErynnast'	Неуверенность в себе (nyooVYErynnast' f syBYE) - Lack of self-confidence
Сомнение	Doubt	saMNYEniye	Поставить под сомнение (pasTAvit' pat saMNYEniye) - To call into question
Счастье	Happiness	SHAStye	Огромное счастье (agROMnaye SHAStye) - Great happiness
Страх	Fear	strakh	Под страхом смерти (patSTRAham SMYERti) - Literally: under the threat of death. Meaning: if it kills me; (wouldn't do something even) to save one's life
Печаль	Sadness	pyCHAL'	Сидит весь в печали (siDEET ves' f pyCHAli) - He's there all sad
Испуг	Fear	eesPOOK	Сильный испуг (SEEl'niy eesPOOK) - To be very frightened
Любовь	Love	lyuBOF'	Совет да любовь (saVYET da lyuBOF') - Love and peace
Беспокойство	Anxiety	byspaKOIstva	Извините за беспокойство (eezviNEEtye za byspaKOIstva) - Sorry to bother you

Expressing Emotions

Russian culture allows for free expression of emotions, especially when surrounded by friends and family. When communicating with strangers or in formal situations, smiles are reserved for moments of genuine humor or happiness.

Russian Word	English Word	Pronunciation	Examples
Радоваться	To be joyful/happy	RAdavatsa	Радуйся жизни (RAdooisya ZHEEZni) - Enjoy life
Бояться	To be scared	baYATsa	Я не боюсь (ya ne baYUS) - I'm not scared
Волноваться	To worry	valnaVATsa	Что ты волнуешься? (SHTOH ty valNOOyeshsya) - Why are you worried?
Печалиться/быть печальным/печальной	To be sad	pyCHAlitsa/byt' pyCHALnym/pyCHAL'nai	Она печалится (aNAH pyCHAlitsa) - She's feeling sad/down
Грустить	To be sad	groosTEET'	Не грустите, друзья (ny groosTEEtye, drooZYA) - Don't be sad, friends
Восторгаться	To be excited, to admire	vastarGATsa	Она очень восторгалась (aNAH OHchen vastarGAlas') - She spoke in very admiring tones
Обожать	To adore	abaZHAT'	Я тебя обожаю (ya tyBYA abaZHAyu) - I adore you
Любить	To love	lyuBEET'	Ты любишь сладкое? (ty LYUbish SLATkaye) - Do you have a sweet tooth?
Успокаиваться/быть спокойным/спокойной	To calm down, to be calm	oospaKAeevatsa/byt' spaKOInym/spaKOInai	Давай успокоимся (daVAI oospaKOeemsya) - Let's calm down
Быть довольным/довольной	To be happy/content	byt' daVOL'nym/daVOL'nai	Ты довольна? (ty daVOL'na) - Are you happy/are you happy now?
Быть счастливым/счастливой	To be happy	byt' shasLEEvym/shasLEEvai	Он счастлив (OHN SHASlif) - He's happy
Испугаться	To be frightened	eespoGATsa	Не пугайся (ne pooGAIsya) - Don't be frightened
Сомневаться	To doubt, to be doubtful	samnyVATsa	Я очень в этом сомневаюсь (ya OHchen v EHtam samneVAyus) - I doubt that very much

Emotions Idioms

Many Russian idioms and sayings warn against talking or smiling too much. Others describe a state of not being oneself when angry or happy. This table has some of the most popular idioms about emotions in Russian.

Russian Expression	Literal Translation	Meaning	Pronunciation
Выходить из себя	To come out of oneself	To lose one's cool, to lose one's temper	vyhaDEET' eez syBYA
Помешаться от ярости	To go mad from fury	To be furious	pameSHATsa at YArasti
Быть вне себя от...	To be outside of oneself from...	To be beside oneself	byt' vnye syBYA
Довести до белого каления	To bring to the state of incandescence	To infuriate, "to get on last nerve"	davysTEE da BYElava kaLYEniya
Играть на нервах	To play on nerves	To irritate (on purpose)	eeGRAT' na NYERvah
Выматывать всю душу	To pull out all of one's soul	To torment, to annoy to the point of exhaustion	vyMAtyvat' VSYU DOOshoo
Любить до безумия	To love to the point of madness	To be madly in love	lyuBEET' da byZOOmiya
Улыбаться как дурак	To smile like a fool	To smile when it is not appropriate	oolyBATsa kak dooRAK