сленг
sleng[sɫɛnk]masculine
The English word 'slang' is translated into Russian as сленг (sleng). Wiktionary also lists жарго́н (žargón) and арго́ (argó).
Meaning: unconventional language (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| сленг | sleng | [sɫɛnk] (narrow) [s⁽ʲ⁾lʲenk] (narrow) |
masculine |
| жарго́н | žargón | masculine | |
| арго́ | argó | neuter | |
| фе́ня | fénja | feminine | |
| разгово́рная речь | razgovórnaja rečʹ | feminine |
The word is used to refer to unconventional language.
Which one should you use?
While сленг refers to informal social slang, жаргон is often used to describe professional or group-specific jargon. The term фе́ня specifically refers to criminal or underworld slang (cant). арго́ is a more academic or linguistic term for a specialized language used by a particular group.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Moscow, people say тусить to describe going out with friends and фигово means 'bad'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase молодёжный сленг is the standard way to refer to 'youth slang' in Russian.
How do you pronounce it?
sleng
Did you know?
- During the Soviet era, certain types of 'slang' were officially labeled as 'anti-social' and could be cited in official reports to justify a person's lack of moral character.
- The word фе́ня is believed by some linguists to have roots in the language of the 'fenian' rebels or other foreign influences filtered through the criminal class.
- Russian youth slang frequently adopts English words not through translation, but by adding Russian grammatical endings to them, such as turning 'hype' into a Russian verb.
Examples in context
- Он не понимает молодёжный сленг.He doesn't understand the slang used by young people.This sentence shows how to express that someone does not understand youth slang using сленг.Tatoeba #12857112 by marafon, translation #6218102 by Tangobango
- Прикольно учить сленг в иностранных языках.It's fun to learn slang words in foreign languages.This sentence describes the fun of learning slang using сленг.Tatoeba #613160 by shanghainese, translation #475757 by darinmex
- Он не очень хорошо понимает молодёжный сленг.He doesn't understand youth slang very well.This sentence provides another way to say someone does not understand youth slang very well using сленг.Tatoeba #12857092 by marafon, translation #12867793 by rul
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sergey and Ekaterina are talking about learning a new language.
- Сергей SergeyТы учишь только официальный язык?Ty uchish tol'ko ofitsial'nyy yazyk?Are you only learning the official language?
- Екатерина EkaterinaНет, я хочу выучить и местный сленг.Net, ya khochu vyuchit' i mestnyy slang.No, I want to learn the local slang too.
- Сергей SergeyЭто поможет тебе лучше общаться с людьми.Eto pomozhet tebe luchshe obshchat'sya s lyud'mi.That will help you communicate better with people.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДа, так речь звучит более естественно.Da, tak rech' zvuchit bolee estestvenno.Yes, that way the speech sounds more natural.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slang” translations and entries сленг, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
