3 Reasons why Russian swear words are OVERRATED

Russian swear words sound cool. That’s true. But. I try to keep them out of my own Russian speech. 

Why?

Well, because I’m a foreigner who learned Russian (just like you). 

And there are plenty of reasons to stay at a safe distance from Russian swear words.

Let me explain why:

Or continue reading to learn why swearing in Russian is overrated if you’re a foreigner:

A taxi driver in Moscow

I was sitting in a taxi in Moscow in 2016. 

It was my first time in Russia. When the taxi driver figured out I was a foreigner who was learning Russian, he gave me one important piece of advice:

Tell all the people I meet the word пиздец…

I’m so glad I did not follow his advice. 

Because the word пиздец means “fucked up”.

It’s a Russian swear word.

And while I would’ve gotten some laughs by saying it, I also would’ve made a fool out of myself.

So is there any reason to use Russian swear words in conversation?

3 Reasons why you should NOT say Russian swear words

Below I’ll describe 3 reasons why I don’t swear in Russian – and why I urge you to do the same.

Swearing in Russian is high risk – low reward

When I catch myself wanting to add a Russian swear word to my speech, it’s often because I want to sound cool. 

But honestly, that’s a small upside. Natives MAY think you’re a bit cool for swearing.

And there is a big downside:

Using Russian swear words can offend people.

There’s lot of native Russian speakers who detest Russian mat (swear words). And if you accidentally say it to someone like that, you’re not going to make friends.

Sure, you’re a foreigner and people will understand that you meant something else. 

But still, why take the risk?

Best case scenario: someone gets a laugh out of you (or at you)

Worst case scenario: you offend someone and you look like a fool

But there’s another thing you gain when you don’t swear…

Native speakers respect you more

My desire to use swear words in Russian is because I want to sound cool and get respect from native people. 

But my perspective changed when I figured out I don’t need to EARN their respect.

I’ve already GOT it.

You’re a foreigner who’s learning one of the most difficult languages in the world.

And native Russian speakers respect you for that. They appreciate it already.

There’s no need to try to act cool

And you know what’s more respectable than using swear words?

Being able to ]clearly and coherently say phrases in Russian – using regular words.

So why not put your efforts there?

By the way, if you struggle saying coherent phrases, my course Conversations Unlocked can help you start speaking from day 1.

But there’s one final reason why it’s smart to stay away from using Russian swearing words… 

We don’t understand the emotional load of a swear word

I often watch Russian comedians on youTube. It’s a great practice for my Russian. And it’s fun. I can easily spend several hours a week doing that. 

Recently, one of the comedians I was watching came to Amsterdam: Sergey Orlov.

So we went to see him.

And he often swears with a word долбоёб (motherfucker).

This is a bad Russian swear word.

But to me it sounds SO funny. 

So one day when our little cat was running around the house and screaming, I called her a долбоёб. I thought it was funny.

Then my girlfriend said that it’s better not to use that word, as it’s really offensive. 

A couple days later I thought “well, if долбоёб is offensive, then maybe долюоёбка or долюоёбочка might actually be funny”.

Turns out, it’s still offensive.

But to me it sounds super funny.

As foreigners, it’s difficult to understand the emotional load of a Russian swear word.

We might think it’s cute. Or playful. Or funny.

But in reality it can be offensive, rude, and impolite.

You cannot always trust your intuition here. Even if you’re at a high level.

So again, why take the risk?

When can you use Russian swear words as a foreigner?

I like it when people swear in Russian. It almost sounds poetic.

But for foreigners I think it’s pragmatic to not swear. 

Too many downsides. And so little upside.

Still, there can be some scenarios in which it’s fine if you use swear words as a foreigner:

• You’re a young adult and all your Russian speaking friends also swear: young adults tend to swear more in any language, so in this setting there are less downsides when you swear as a foreigner. Especially if you’re among friends.
• Your Russian is near native level: at this point you can better estimate when you can and when you cannot swear. I’m at this point, and occasionally allow myself a swear word now and then.
• You’re quoting someone who swore: if you’re quoting someone who was swearing, then those are not your words.

The last one is a fun excuse if you want to say swear words, but don’t want to bear the responsibility for saying them.

I was in Germany last summer with friends and I went to the bathroom at a gas station. 

When I was washing my hands, I suddenly heard someone scream “ёб твою мать, блять! Кто вы такие грязные блять люди а?!?” 

Fuck your mother, whore! Who are you dirty fucking people ah?!?

So I looked around and saw the Russian speaking cleaner open a toilet stall where someone hadn’t flushed.

One of my friends is from Ukraine, so I told him this story right away and we had a laugh out of it.

I would never choose to  say all these swear words myself. But if I’m quoting someone, it’s part of the story, right? :)