Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| лол | lol | |
| Ы | Y | |
| ржунимагу́ | ržunimagú | |
| испацту́ла | ispactúla | |
| пацтало́м | pactalóm | |
| гы | gy | |
| гыыыы | gyyyy | |
| бгг | bgg | |
| ржу | ržu | [rʐu] (narrow) |
While лол is a direct transliteration of the English term, it is often used more casually or even sarcastically in Russian internet slang.
Which one should you use?
While лол is the standard transliteration, other forms offer different nuances: гы represents a short, somewhat dry or awkward laugh and бгг is an onomatopoeic way to represent a chuckle or a mischievous laugh. In digital text, instead of using smiley faces, many Russian speakers use multiple closing parentheses ))) to indicate laughter or a positive mood.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term ржунимагу́ is a highly informal internet slang term used to express intense laughter, often considered dated or 'cringe' by modern standards. For a lighter, playful laugh similar to the English "hehe", you can use Хе-хе.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ржу is the first-person singular present tense of the verb ржать (to neigh/to laugh loudly), used in slang to mean "I am laughing heartily".
How do you pronounce it?
lol
When do people say it?
In Russian digital communication, multiple closing parentheses ))) are used instead of a smiley face to indicate laughter or a positive mood.
Did you know?
- The single letter ы is sometimes used as a shorthand for laughter, representing a blunt or sudden sound.
- The verb ржать literally means 'to neigh' like a horse, so using it to describe laughter implies a loud, unrestrained, or almost animalistic sound.
- The slang term ржунимагу́ is an example of 'Padonki' slang from the early 2000s, a style of intentional misspelling that is now considered 'cringe' or outdated.
Examples in context
- По-тамильски собаки говорят «лол-лол».In Tamil, dogs go "lol lol."This sentence uses лол to show how the word sounds in a specific context.Tatoeba #14044128 by marafon, translation #13924267 by rul
- Том из тех, кто говорит "лол" в реальной жизни.Tom is one of those people who say "lol" in real life.This sentence uses лол to describe someone's real-life speech habits.Tatoeba #8936632 by DemonicSatori, translation #8343416 by deniko
- Лол!Lol!This sentence shows лол used as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #4964934 by Karok, translation #2770644 by Hybrid
- Карина рассказала смешную историю. Ха-ха!Karina told a funny story. Haha!
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrey and Ekaterina are chatting via instant messenger.
- Андрей AndreyТы видела это видео?Ty videla eto video?Did you see this video?
- Екатерина EkaterinaДа, лол, это очень смешно!Da, lol, eto ochen' smeshno!Yes, lol, it is very funny!
- Андрей AndreyЯ не могу перестать смеяться.Ya ne mogu perestat' smeyat'sya.I can't stop laughing.
- Екатерина EkaterinaТо же самое!To zhe samoye!Same here!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lol” translations and entries Ы, бгг, ржу, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
