сладость или гадость
sladostʹ ili gadostʹ
The English phrase "trick or treat" is expressed in Russian as сладость или гадость (sladostʹ ili gadostʹ).
This phrase is used as a localized equivalent for Halloween celebrations in Russia and other Russian-speaking countries. It functions as a request for candy tied to an unstated light-hearted threat.
Meaning: request for candy tied to an unstated light-hearted threat (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "sweetness or nastiness".
How do you pronounce it?
sladostʹ ili gadostʹ
Did you know?
- The root of гадость is shared with the word гадюка, meaning 'viper'. This associates the 'trick' part of the phrase with something slithering and venomous.
- The word или is a combination of the conjunction и and the particle ли. This grammatical merger happened centuries ago during the transition from Old Church Slavonic.
- In Russia, Halloween is not a traditional holiday, so you will mostly hear this phrase in urban areas or among Westernized youth rather than in a traditional cultural context.
Examples in context
- Сладость или гадость!Trick or treat.This sentence is useful for hearing how to say сладость или гадость.Tatoeba #10612276 by Ooneykcall, translation #1857544 by Spamster
- Дети кричат у двери: сладость или гадость!Deti krichat u dveri: sladost' ili gadost'!The children are shouting at the door: trick or treat!
Example conversation
Children knock on a neighbor's door on Halloween.
- Александр AleksandrСладость или гадость, Анастасия!Sladost' ili gadost', Anastasiya!Trick or treat, Anastasia!
- Анастасия AnastasiaОй, какие вы нарядные!Oy, kakiye vy naryadnyye!Oh, how fancy you look!
- Александр AleksandrДайте нам конфет, пожалуйста.Dayte nam konfet, pozhaluysta.Please give us some candy.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСейчас я всё принесу.Seychas ya vsyo prinesu.I'll bring it all right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trick or treat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries гадость, или, сладость, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
