Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| отвали́! | otvalí | |
| убира́йся! | ubirájsja | |
| исче́зни! | isčézni | |
| кати́сь! | katísʹ | |
| прова́ливай! | proválivaj | |
| пошёл во́н! | pošól vón | addressee masculine |
| пошла́ во́н! | pošlá vón | addressee masculine |
These phrases are used to command someone to go away or leave you alone. While some forms are blunt commands to leave a physical space, others are more dramatic or idiomatic. For example, исче́зни! is a more dramatic way to say get lost, literally commanding the person to disappear and пропади с глаз долой can be interpreted as an instruction to disappear from one's sight.
What does it mean word for word?
The word отвали́! literally means 'fall off' or 'detach', but it is used figuratively to tell someone to get lost or leave you alone.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the gender of the person being addressed or the specific nuance of the command. пошёл во́н! and пошла́ во́н! are used to tell someone to go away, with the former for men and the latter for women. кати́сь! is metaphorical, literally meaning 'roll' (like a wheel) to idiomatically tell someone to roll along or get lost. убира́йся! is a common, blunt way to tell someone to leave a room or a place immediately.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Most of these expressions are informal and blunt. отвали́! is a colloquial and somewhat rude way to tell someone to go away, similar to 'buzz off' in English. убира́йся! is also considered informal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the command to go out or away, you must choose the form based on the gender of the person you are addressing: use пошёл во́н! for a male and пошла́ во́н! for a female.
How do you pronounce it?
otvalí
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the verb заблуди́ться to tell someone to 'get lost' in the sense of telling them to go away. заблуди́ться only refers to the physical act of losing one's way or becoming disoriented.
Did you know?
- While кати́сь! literally means 'roll', it is frequently extended to кати́сь колбасой, which translates to 'roll away like a sausage'.
- The word проваливай comes from the verb провалиться, which means to fall through a hole or a trapdoor.
- Using пошёл во́н! was historically a very harsh command often used by masters to servants or parents to children in imperial Russia.
Examples in context
- Исчезни! Я тебя здесь не хочу видеть.Get lost! I don't want to see you here.
- Отвали́!Otvali!Get lost!
- Ты мне надоел, отвали́!Ty mne nadoyel, otvali!I'm tired of you, get lost!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get lost” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
