Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| идио́т | idiót | masculine |
| идио́тка | idiótka | feminine |
| дура́к | durák | masculine |
| ду́ра | dúra | feminine |
| ду́рень | dúrenʹ | masculine |
| глупе́ц | glupéc | masculine |
All these terms describe a person of low general intelligence, though they vary significantly in how harsh or clinical they sound.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends heavily on the intended tone. идио́т carries a harsh, almost clinical connotation, implying a profound lack of mental capacity. In contrast, дура́к is a much more common, everyday colloquial way to call someone an idiot or a fool. For a milder, more playful or affectionate way to call someone a silly person or a dummy, use ду́рень. If you are looking for a more formal or literary term for a fool, often found in storytelling or philosophy, use глупе́ц. Finally, тупица is an informal term that implies a lack of common sense or general stupidity.
How does it change in a sentence?
Russian nouns change based on the gender of the person you are describing. The feminine form of идио́т is идио́тка. Similarly, the feminine form of дура́к is ду́ра.
How do you pronounce it?
idiót
Did you know?
- The term дура́к is the name of a wildly popular card game in Russia, which translates literally to 'the fool'.
- In Russian, calling a man дура́ (the feminine form of 'fool') is a common way to insult his masculinity or sense of strength, regardless of the gendered grammar.
- While идио́т is a harsh insult, Fyodor Dostoevsky used it as the title for one of his greatest novels to describe a protagonist whose purity of heart was mistaken for stupidity.
Examples in context
- Он не очень умный парень.He's not a very smart guy.
- Не будь дураком!Don't be an idiot!
- Ты идиот!You're an idiot!
- Почему ты сделал это? Ты же тупица!Why did you do that? You're such a moron!
Example conversation
Dmitry forgot his keys inside the locked apartment.
- Дмитрий DmitryОй, я забыл ключи в квартире!Oy, ya zabyl klyuchi v kvartire!Oh, I forgot the keys in the apartment!
- Ольга OlgaДмитрий, ну ты и идио́т!Dmitriy, nu ty i idiot!Dmitry, you are such an idiot!
- Дмитрий DmitryПрости, я просто очень спешил.Prosti, ya prosto ochen' speshil.Sorry, I was just in a great hurry.
- Ольга OlgaТеперь нам придётся вызывать мастера.Teper' nam pridyotsya vyzyvat' mastera.Now we will have to call a locksmith.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
