жева́ть
ževátʹ
To chew in Russian is жева́ть (ževátʹ).
The verb жева́ть is used to describe the action of crushing food with one's teeth before swallowing.
Meaning: to crush food with teeth prior to swallowing (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
ževátʹ
Did you know?
- The verb жева́ть can be used colloquially to mean 'to drag out' a conversation or a process unnecessarily, as if the speaker is chewing the topic for too long.
- While English speakers might chew gum in a meeting, doing so while speaking to an elder in Russia is often seen as a significant mark of disrespect.
- The common word for gum жва́чка is actually a diminutive form derived directly from the verb жева́ть.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, не говорите при жеванииPlease, don't speak while chewing
- Ты как всегда жуешь громкоYou're chewing loudly as always
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chew” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
