Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| поправля́ться | popravljátʹsja | imperfective |
| попра́виться | poprávitʹsja | perfective |
This verb is used to describe the process or result of recovering from an illness or injury. When you want to express the wish "Get well!" as a command or a wish, you should use the imperative forms Поправля́йтесь! for polite or plural situations or Поправля́йся! for informal situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is formed from the prefix по- and the root прав-, which means straight or right. Literally, the verb means to make oneself right or better.
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form поправля́ться is used to describe the ongoing process of recovery or to state that someone is currently in the process of getting better. In contrast, the perfective form попра́виться is used to describe the completed action of recovery or the result of having gotten well.
How do you pronounce it?
popravljátʹsja
Did you know?
- In Russian, if you use the verb поправляться to describe a child, it might not mean they are recovering from a cold, but rather that they are 'growing' or 'maturing' physically.
- While поправля́йтесь is a standard wish, Russians often say не болейте, which literally means 'do not be sick'. This frames the wish as a command to avoid illness rather than a process of recovery.
- The root прав is also used in испра́вить, which means 'to correct' a mistake. This implies that being sick is a temporary 'error' in the body's state that needs correction.
Examples in context
- Уважаемый Иван Иванович, выздоравливайте!Dear Ivan Ivanovich, get well soon!
- Машенька, выздоравливай!Masha, get well soon!
- Уважаемая Анна Васильевна, желаю скорейшего выздоровления.Dear Anna Vasilyevna, I wish you a speedy recovery.
- Пожалуйста, выздоравливайте как можно скорее.Please get well soon.
- Дима, выздоравливай!Dima, get well soon!
- Быстрого выздоровления, Лена!Speedy recovery, Lena!
- Береги себя и выздоравливай!Take care of yourself and get well soon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get well” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
