как ты смеешь
kak ty smeesh'
The Russian phrase for "how dare you" is как ты смеешь (kak ty smeesh').
This phrase is used to express indignation and shock at another person's action.
Meaning: used to express indignation and shock at another person's action (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of как (how), ты (you) and смеешь (dare/have the audacity).
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally or a group of people, you should use the form как вы смеете.
How do you pronounce it?
kak ty smeesh'
When do people say it?
To add more emotional emphasis and show stronger indignation, you can add the particle Да to the beginning of the phrase, as in Да как ты смеешь!
Did you know?
- The word ты is a direct cognate of the English 'thee' and 'thou', sharing a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European word *túh₂.
- Because ты is the informal 'you', using как ты смеешь to someone who expects the formal вы is an extra layer of insult, effectively stripping them of their social status.
- Because the verb сметь is somewhat dramatic, using it in a casual setting like a modern cafe can make you sound like you are acting in a theater play.
Examples in context
- Да как ты смеешь.How dare you!Tatoeba #2146594 by mrtaistoi, translation #1612975 by Spamster
- Как ты смеешь это делать!How dare you do this!Tatoeba #5802325 by marafon, translation #5800851 by CK
- Как ты смеешь так говорить?How dare you say that?Tatoeba #2381236 by shanghainese, translation #16342 by Zifre
- Как вы посмели критиковать мою работу?How dare you criticize my work?
- Как ты посмел без извинений опоздать?How dare you be late without any apologies?
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anastasia is angry at Alexander for interrupting her during a speech.
- Анастасия AnastasiaКак ты смеешь меня перебивать!Kak ty smeyesh menya perebivat'!How dare you interrupt me!
- Александр AleksandrЯ просто хотел помочь.Ya prosto khotel pomoch'.I just wanted to help.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЭто было крайне невежливо.Eto bylo krayne nevezhlivо.That was extremely rude.
- Александр AleksandrПрости, Анастасия, я не хотел обидеть.Prosti, Anastasiya, ya ne khotel obidet'.Sorry, Anastasia, I didn't want to offend you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries как, ты, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
