никуда не годится
nikuda ne goditsya
The English phrase 'no good' is expressed in Russian as никуда не годится (nikuda ne goditsya).
никуда не годится is used to describe something that is not acceptable, not of a high enough quality to be useful or not suitable for any purpose at all.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'is not fit for anywhere' or 'is not good for any purpose'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb годится is in the third-person singular form. If the subject of your sentence is plural, you must change the phrase to никуда не годятся.
How do you pronounce it?
nikuda ne goditsya
Did you know?
- The root of годится also appears in the word погода, meaning 'weather'. This originally referred to the 'fitting' or 'suitable' time of year for certain activities.
- Russian allows for 'double negatives' like никуда не годится, where both ни- and не signify negation. In English, two negatives usually cancel each other out, but in Russian, they reinforce the negative meaning.
- The verb годится comes from the same root as год, which means both 'year' and 'suitable'. This connects the idea of something being 'fit' for a purpose with the timing of a specific period.
Examples in context
- Эй, этот узел никуда не годится. Лодку унесёт.Hey, that knot is no good. The boat will float away.This sentence shows how to use никуда не годится to describe a faulty knot.Tatoeba #13891349 by marafon, translation #13891044 by frpzzd
- Этот скотч никуда не годится постоянно отклеивается.This sticky tape is no good – it keeps coming off.This sentence illustrates the use of никуда не годится for a piece of tape that is not working properly.Tatoeba #11516082 by Wezel, translation #11514284 by sundown
- Как врач он никуда не годится.He is no good as a doctor.This sentence demonstrates using никуда не годится to describe someone's lack of capability in a professional role.Tatoeba #2464812 by Lenin_1917, translation #293622 by papabear
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexander and Olga are looking at a new kitchen knife.
- Александр AleksandrЭтот нож никуда не годится.Etot nozh nikuda ne goditsya.This knife is no good.
- Ольга OlgaПочему ты так решил, Александр?Pochemu ty tak reshil, Aleksandr?Why did you decide that, Alexander?
- Александр AleksandrОн совсем не режет овощи.On sovsem ne rezhet ovoshchi.It doesn't cut vegetables at all.
- Ольга OlgaТогда нам нужно купить другой.Togda nam nuzhno kupit' drugoy.Then we need to buy another one.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
