я убью тебя
ya ub'yu tebya
In Russian, "I will kill you" is я убью тебя (ya ub'yu tebya).
This phrase is used as a direct threat to end someone's life.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of я (I), убью (will kill) and тебя (you, in the accusative case).
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the target from a single person to multiple people or to use a formal tone, replace тебя with вас. To say "I will kill him", replace тебя with его. To say "I will kill her", replace тебя with её.
How do you pronounce it?
ya ub'yu tebya
Did you know?
- In casual speech, the phrase я тебя убью is often used as a playful or exaggerated expression of annoyance between friends or romantic partners, similar to 'I'm going to kill you' in English.
- In Russian, you can omit the я (I) entirely and just say убью тебя, as the verb ending already tells the listener that the speaker is the one doing the killing.
- The Russian word for 'I', я, is a linguistic cousin to the Latin 'ego'. Both words trace their origins back to the same Proto-Indo-European root for the self.
Examples in context
- Пора совершить возмездие. Сейчас я убью тебя!It's time I got revenge. Now I will kill you!This sentence shows the phrase used in the context of seeking revenge.Tatoeba #2937709 by Ooneykcall, translation #2937707 by Ooneykcall
- Я убью тебя.I will kill you.This sentence is a simple statement of the threat.Tatoeba #1486953 by heccele, translation #1111435 by Scott
- Я убью вас, господин!I will kill you, sir!
- Не сомневайся, я тебя убью в этой игре!Don't doubt it, I will kill you in this game!
- Будь осторожен, или я тебя убью!Be careful, or I will kill you!
- Если ты не замолчишь, я убью тебя!Esli ty ne zamolchish, ya ub'yu tebya!If you don't shut up, I will kill you!
Example conversation
Two enemies are arguing in a tense confrontation.
- Мария MariaТы совершил огромную ошибку, Александр.Ty sovershil ogromnuyu oshibku, Aleksandr.You have made a huge mistake, Aleksandr.
- Александр AleksandrЧто ты собираешься сделать, Мария?Chto ty sobirayesh'sya sdelat', Mariya?What are you going to do, Mariya?
- Мария MariaЯ убью тебя за это.Ya ub'yu tebya za eto.I will kill you for this.
- Александр AleksandrПопробуй, если сможешь.Poprobuy, yesli smozhesh'.Try it, if you can.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries тебя, я, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
