пошёл к чёрту
pošól k čórtumasculine
The English phrase "go to hell" is expressed in Russian as пошёл к чёрту (pošól k čórtu). Wiktionary also lists пошла́ к чёрту (pošlá k čórtu) and пошли́ к чёрту (pošlí k čórtu).
Meaning: interjection (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| пошёл к чёрту | pošól k čórtu | masculine |
| пошла́ к чёрту | pošlá k čórtu | feminine |
| пошли́ к чёрту | pošlí k čórtu | plural |
This expression is an informal and rude interjection used to dismiss someone or express anger.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "went to the devil" rather than "to hell".
Which one should you use?
While 'hell' is ад, this specific idiom uses чёрт (devil) to express the same sentiment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form пошёл к чёрту is used when addressing a man, the feminine form пошла́ к чёрту is used when addressing a woman and the plural form пошли́ к чёрту is used when addressing a group of people or using the formal 'you'.
How do you pronounce it?
pošól k čórtu
When do people say it?
The expression Удачи вам! means "Good luck to you!" and can be used sarcastically to convey dissatisfaction.
Did you know?
- The Russian language has a separate, much more vulgar category of swear words called 'mat'. While пошёл к чёрту is rude, it is not considered 'mat' and is acceptable in many informal settings where true profanity is not.
- Because the phrase literally means 'went to the devil', it is grammatically in the past tense, even though it is used as a command or an exclamation in the present.
- In some contexts, telling someone to go to the чёрт can be used playfully between very close friends, whereas using the word ад would almost always be taken as a serious and dark curse.
Examples in context
- Пошёл к чёрту!Go to hell!This example shows how to use the masculine form пошёл к чёрту.Tatoeba #7088298 by Wezel, translation #607840 by Eldad
- Он сказал, что я пошёл к чёрту.On skazal, chto ya poshol k chortu.He said that I should go to hell.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A heated argument between a couple in a kitchen.
- Александр AleksandrТы меня совсем не слушаешь!Ty menya sovsem ne slushayesh!You don't listen to me at all!
- Екатерина EkaterinaАлександр, пошёл к чёрту со своими претензиями!Aleksandr, poshol k chortu so svoimi pretendziyami!Alexander, go to hell with your complaints!
- Александр AleksandrКак ты можешь так со мной говорить?Kak ty mozhesh tak so mnoy govorit?How can you talk to me like that?
- Екатерина EkaterinaУходи сейчас же.Ukhodi seychas zhe.Leave right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go to hell” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
