не о́чень
ne óčenʹ
The English phrase "not really" can be translated into Russian as не о́чень (ne óčenʹ). Wiktionary also lists не сли́шком-то (ne slíškom-to).
Meaning: to a low degree (adv)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| не о́чень | ne óčenʹ |
| не сли́шком-то | ne slíškom-to |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase не о́чень literally means "not very".
How do you pronounce it?
ne óčenʹ
Did you know?
- While не о́чень means 'not very', Russians often use it as a polite euphemism to mean 'terrible' or 'bad'. If a Russian describes a meal as не о́чень, they are likely suggesting it was quite unpleasant.
- The particle -то in не сли́шком-то adds a layer of irony or skepticism. It transforms a simple 'not too much' into a nuanced 'not really', often implying that the speaker thinks the opposite is true.
- Russian allows for 'double negatives' that do not cancel each other out. Using не о́чень in a sentence that already contains a negative word simply reinforces the degree of the negation.
Examples in context
- Тебе понравился фильм? Не особенно. Сюжет был предсказуемым.Did you like the movie? Not really. The plot was predictable.
- Сегодня не о́чень тепло.Segodnya ne ochen' teplo.It is not really warm today.
- Этот фильм не о́чень интересный.Etot fil'm ne ochen' interesnyy.This movie is not really interesting.
- Я не о́чень голоден.Ya ne ochen' goloden.I am not really hungry.
Example conversation
Anastasia and Dmitry are talking about a new restaurant.
- Анастасия AnastasiaТебе понравился этот ресторан?Tebe ponravilsya etot restoran?Did you like this restaurant?
- Дмитрий DmitryЧестно говоря, не о́чень.Chestno govorya, ne ochen'.To be honest, not really.
- Анастасия AnastasiaА еда была вкусной?A eda byla vkusnoy?Was the food tasty?
- Дмитрий DmitryОна была не о́чень вкусной.Ona byla ne ochen' vkusnoy.It was not really tasty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “not really” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
