Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| спеши́ть | spešítʹ | imperfective |
| поспеши́ть | pospešítʹ | perfective |
| торопи́ться | toropítʹsja | imperfective |
| поторопи́ться | potoropítʹsja | perfective |
You can use the noun спе́шка to describe the concept of haste or a rush. Note that the word камыш is a related form meaning a plant.
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on whether you are describing an ongoing state or a completed action. спеши́ть and торопи́ться are imperfective, meaning they describe the ongoing process of hurrying or a general state of being in a rush. торопи́ться specifically emphasizes being pressed for time, often used to explain why one cannot do something immediately. In contrast, поспеши́ть and поторопи́ться are perfective. Use поспеши́ть when focusing on the completed action of hurrying or the decision to speed up, and use поторопи́ться when the intent is to make haste to complete a task quickly.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The second-person plural or formal imperative form of спеши́ть is спеши́те, used to command others to hurry or rush.
How do you pronounce it?
spešítʹ
When do people say it?
To tell someone to slow down or not to rush through a task, you can use the phrase не спеши́. If you want to express the idea of doing something quickly or in a rush in an informal setting, you can use the adverb Быстренько.
Did you know?
- In Russian, the act of rushing is often paired with the word суета́, which describes 'meaningless hustle' or 'futile rushing'. While спе́шка is just speed, суета́ is the stressful chaos that often accompanies it.
- While English uses 'rush' for both people and water, Russian uses торопи́ться for people and стреми́тельный to describe a 'rushing' or 'torrential' river.
- The reflexive ending in торопи́ться suggests that the person is 'hurrying themselves', reflecting a Russian linguistic tendency to view haste as an internal state one imposes on oneself.
Examples in context
- Я тороплюсь. Мне нужно успеть на поезд (Ya toroplus'. Mne nuzhno uspet' na poezd)I'm rushing. I need to catch the train.
- Не следует поспешать с принятием решения (Ne sleduet pospešat' s prinâtiem rešeniya)Don't rush to make a decision.
- Надо быстренько сделать дела и идти (Nado bystrén'ko sdelat' dela i idti)We need to quickly finish our business and go.
- Не надо так спеши́ть.Ne nado tak speshit'.You don't need to rush like that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rush” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
