Three patterns for feelings
Each column is one sentence shape. Short adjectives change for the speaker’s gender (рад / ра́да); the мне pattern never changes, because the feeling has no subject; -ся verbs conjugate like any verb.
Emotion verbs and their cases
English says “afraid of”, “proud of”, “angry with”. Russian expresses the same link with a case (the ending that shows a noun’s role), sometimes with a preposition. Learn each verb with its case.
| Verb | Takes | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| боя́тьсяto be afraid of | genitive | Я бою́сь соба́к. ▸ya ba-YUS’ sa-BAKЯIбою́сьfearсоба́кdogs | I’m afraid of dogs. |
| горди́тьсяto be proud of | instrumental | Ма́ма горди́тся сы́ном. ▸MA-ma gar-DEET-sa SY-namМа́маmumгорди́тсяis proudсы́номson | Mum is proud of her son. |
| ра́доватьсяto be glad about | dative | Де́ти ра́дуются сне́гу. ▸DYE-ti RA-du-yut-sa SNYE-guДе́тиchildrenра́дуютсяrejoiceсне́гуsnow | The children are delighted with the snow. |
| зли́ться наto be angry with | на + accusative | Не зли́сь на меня́! ▸ni zlis’ na mi-NYAНеdon’tзли́сьbe angryнаatменя́me | Don’t be angry with me! |
| обижа́ться наto take offence at | на + accusative | Она́ оби́делась на бра́та. ▸a-NA a-BEE-di-las’ na BRA-taОна́sheоби́деласьtook offenceнаatбра́таbrother | She was hurt by her brother. |
| волнова́ться заto worry about | за + accusative | Я волну́юсь за тебя́. ▸ya val-NU-yus’ za ti-BYAЯIволну́юсьworryзаforтебя́you | I’m worried about you. |
| скуча́ть поto miss | по + dative | Я скуча́ю по до́му. ▸ya sku-CHA-yu pa DO-muЯIскуча́юmissпоforдо́муhome | I miss home. |
Character in opposite pairs
Character adjectives are easiest to learn in pairs. They agree with the person: masculine -ый / -ий / -ой, feminine -ая. Tap a pair to hear both.
Describing someone
Asking and answering “what is he like?”, plus the verbs for how people feel about each other.
Words without a one-word translation
Some Russian feeling words have no exact English match. They come up constantly in songs, literature and conversation.
- tas-KAnear: longing, anguish, ennui A deep ache of the spirit, often with no clear cause: a yearning for something unnamed. Nabokov wrote that no English word renders all its shades.
- du-SHEV-nynear: warm-hearted, sincere From душа́ (soul). A душе́вный person or conversation is warm, open and genuine.
- MEE-lynear: sweet, dear, nice One word for sweet, dear, nice and cute together. A favourite way to describe people, places and gestures.
- KHAM-stvanear: boorishness Aggressive rudeness, especially from someone with a little power. Russians name and complain about it often.