Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| торопи́ться | toropítʹsja | imperfective |
| поторопи́ться | potoropítʹsja | perfective |
| спеши́ть | spešítʹ | imperfective |
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form торопи́ться is used to describe the ongoing state of being in a hurry or the general habit of rushing. In contrast, the perfective form поторопи́ться is used when focusing on the completion of a quick action or the specific act of speeding up. The verb спеши́ть is a synonym for торопи́ться but often carries a slightly more formal or literary tone, or emphasizes the sense of rushing toward a destination.
How does it change in a sentence?
To tell one person to 'hurry up' informally, use the imperative form поторопи́сь. To tell a group of people or a person you are addressing formally to 'hurry up', use the imperative form поторопи́тесь.
How do you pronounce it?
toropítʹsja
When do people say it?
The phrase Ну же means 'Come on' or 'Well'.
Did you know?
- In casual speech, Russians often use the word давай ('give') as a shorthand for 'hurry up' or 'let's go' when urging someone to move faster.
- Russian has a specific word суета́ to describe the 'hurry' that is chaotic, pointless, and filled with unnecessary fuss, which differs from the purposeful rush of торопи́ться.
- The verb спеши́ть is a cognate of the English word 'speed', as both derive from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to prosper' or 'to move quickly'.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, поторопитесь, чтобы успеть на встречу.Please hurry up to make it to the meeting.
- Поторопись, или опоздаем на поезд!Hurry up or we will be late for the train!
- Я не люблю слишком сильно торопи́ться.Ya ne lyublyu slishkom sil'no toropit'sya.I don't like to hurry too much.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Dmitriy are preparing to leave for a train station.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДмитрий, не нужно так сильно торопи́ться!Dmitriy, ne nuzhno tak sil'no toropit'sya!Dmitriy, there is no need to hurry so much!
- Дмитрий DmitryНо мы всё время торопи́мся.No my vsyo vremya toropimsya.But we are always in a hurry.
- Екатерина EkaterinaТы слишком сильно торопи́шься, успокойся.Ty slishkom sil'no toropish'sya, uspokoysya.You are hurrying too much, calm down.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ просто не хочу опоздать.Ya prosto ne khochu opozdat'.I just don't want to be late.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hurry up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
