дай бог
daj box
The English phrase 'God willing' can be expressed in Russian as дай бог (daj box). If unsure, use дай бог. Wiktionary also lists с бо́жьей по́мощью (s bóžʹjej pómoščʹju) and бог даст (box dast).
Meaning: God willing (intj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| дай бог | daj box |
| с бо́жьей по́мощью | s bóžʹjej pómoščʹju |
| бог даст | box dast |
с бо́жьей по́мощью is used when emphasizing that success depends on divine assistance rather than just a favorable outcome.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase дай бог literally means 'give God' in the sense of 'may God give'.
Which one should you use?
бог даст uses the future tense of the verb 'to give', whereas дай бог uses the imperative mood. с бо́жьей по́мощью is used to emphasize the necessity of divine help for success.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
дай бог is the most common and slightly more colloquial way to express the sentiment. In contrast, с бо́жьей по́мощью is a more formal expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase дай бог can function as an interjection or as a parenthetical phrase within a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
daj box
Did you know?
- The word бог shares a linguistic connection with the Latin word 'dives', which means 'rich'. This suggests an ancient conceptual link between the divine and the idea of wealth or abundance.
- Russian speakers often use бог даст to politely avoid making a firm commitment or a specific promise about the future.
- Even though the phrases are religious in origin, many Russians use дай бог as a secular exclamation of hope or desire, similar to saying 'I hope so' or 'fingers crossed'.
Examples in context
- Дай бог!God willing!This example shows how to use дай бог as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #6983653 by odexed, translation #3167764 by Theocracy
- Дай бог, сделаю завтра.God willing, I will do it tomorrow.This example shows how to use дай бог as a parenthetical phrase within a sentence.Tatoeba #9124465 by carlosalberto, translation #9124415 by carlosalberto
- Я надеюсь, мы увидимся завтра, если Бог даст.I hope we'll see each other tomorrow, God willing.
- Приеду к тебе вечером, дай Бог.I'll come to your place in the evening, God willing.
- Дай бог, мы скоро увидимся.Day bog, my skoro uvidimsya.God willing, we will see each other soon.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a future trip over the phone.
- Александр AleksandrТы приедешь в гости этим летом?Ty priyedesh' v gosti etim letom?Will you come to visit this summer?
- Екатерина EkaterinaДай бог, если всё будет хорошо.Day bog, yesli vsyo budet khorosho.God willing, if everything goes well.
- Александр AleksandrЯ очень жду твоего приезда.Ya ochen' zhdu tvoyego priyezda.I am really looking forward to your arrival.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЯ тоже, Александр.Ya tozhe, Aleksandr.Me too, Alexander.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God willing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries бог, с, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
