Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| како́го чёрта? | kakóvo čórta? | ||
| что за чёрт? | što za čort? | [ʂto zə t͡ɕɵrt] (word by word, narrow) | |
| что за чертовщи́на? | što za čertovščína? | ||
| что за фигня́? | što za fignjá? | ||
| како́го хре́на? | kakóvo xréna? | vulgar | |
| како́го ху́я? | kakóvo xúja? | vulgar | |
| что за хуйня́? | što za xujnjá? | vulgar |
These phrases are intensive forms of the question 'what'. Depending on the form chosen, you may be expressing annoyance at a situation, reacting to a strange phenomenon or using highly offensive profanity.
What does it mean word for word?
The word чёрт in many of these expressions literally means 'devil'.
Which one should you use?
The choice of phrase depends on what you are reacting to. Use како́го чёрта? to express frustration or indignation regarding a specific action or situation, such as 'Why the hell are you doing that?' Use что за чёрт? when reacting to a strange or unexpected phenomenon, such as 'What the hell is that?' Use что за фигня́? to express confusion or annoyance about an object or a specific situation, similar to saying 'what is this crap?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The register varies significantly between these forms. что за фигня́? is colloquial and similar to 'what is this crap?' For slang, Какого фига? is an informal way to say 'what the hell?' There are several vulgar options: како́го хре́на? is a slangy, vulgar way to say 'what the hell' that is inappropriate for polite company, while како́го ху́я? and что за хуйня́? are highly offensive and profane forms.
How do you pronounce it?
kakóvo čórta?
Did you know?
- The word хрен in какого хрена? literally means 'horseradish', but it functions as a polite-slang substitute for much more offensive anatomical terms.
- The phrase что за фигня́? uses a word derived from фи́га, which is the gesture of putting the thumb between the index and middle fingers to signal 'nothing' or 'get lost'.
- While чёрт means 'devil', it is often used in Russian to describe a person who is acting like a 'rascal' or a 'rogue' rather than a literal demonic entity.
Examples in context
- Что за чёрт?What the hell?This sentence shows a basic use of что за чёрт?Tatoeba #790871 by Arkadeko, translation #7790860 by MrSener95
- «Что за чёрт?! Харк, ты что сотворил?» «Пока ничего. …Нет, уже кое-что»."What the hell?! Hark, what have you done?" "Nothing yet. …No, I have."This sentence uses что за чёрт? to react to someone's actions.Tatoeba #2950685 by Ooneykcall, translation #2950684 by Ooneykcall
- "Наверное, нужно быть дураком, чтобы бросить Гермиону…" – "Долго же ты думал… Она у тебя за спиной". – "Что за чёрт?!""I guess you have to be a fool to dump Hermione…" – "Took you long enough… She's behind your back." – "What the hell?!"This sentence uses что за чёрт? as a reaction to a sudden realization.Tatoeba #2905364 by Ooneykcall, translation #2905371 by Ooneykcall
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what the hell” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (что, за, чёрт) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
