How to Say "Cool!" in Russian
If you're learning Russian, one of the first slang words you'll hear is «круто!». This popular Russian expression means "It's cool!", "Awesome!", or "Great!" depending on the situation.
In this Russian language lesson, you'll learn how native speakers use круто, крутой, and круче in everyday conversations. Understanding these expressions will help you sound more natural and improve your spoken Russian.
How Russians Use «Круто!»
If you've been to Russia, you've probably heard young people saying «Круто!» all the time. Here are some authentic examples:
Если встретишь Ивана, не узнаешь: он стал таким крутым! Ездит на "Бэнтли", ходит с телохранителями.
If you meet Ivan, you won't recognize him. He's become such a cool guy! He drives a Bentley and has bodyguards.
Он приехал на крутой тачке (машине); в нашем городе такую редко увидишь.
He arrived in a really cool car. You rarely see one like that in our city.
Круто было бы попасть на эту тусовку: там соберётся весь местный бомонд.
It would be cool to get into that party. The whole local elite will be there.
Я видел тебя с твоей новой девушкой — круто смотритесь!
I saw you with your new girlfriend. You look great together!
Тибальт — всего лишь подкрученный дядька, а вот Ромео — крутой по-настоящему, почти как Брюс Ли.
Tybalt is just a hot-headed guy, but Romeo is genuinely cool, almost like Bruce Lee.
What Does «Крутой» Mean?
The Russian words крутой ("cool") and крутизна ("coolness") express confidence, strength, determination, and social status. Depending on the context, крутой can describe:
a cool or impressive person;
an expensive car;
a stylish appearance;
a difficult or extreme situation;
someone powerful or influential.
For anyone studying Russian for foreigners, this is one of the most useful slang words to learn because native speakers use it every day.
Read Authentic Russian
Below is an excerpt from the Russian magazine article «Хочешь быть крутым? Будь!» ("Want to Be Cool? Be Cool!"):
«Я хочу быть крутым меном (человеком). Не хочу быть просто интересным мужчиной, начитанным дядей, стильным молодым человеком. Так я решил и начал изучать, что такое "крутость". Это форма и образ жизни. Не хобби, не маска и не имидж. Крутые люди живут и совершают крутые поступки, не задумываясь о том, как это выглядит. Быть уверенным в себе — ещё не значит быть крутым. Самоуверенным быть хорошо, но ещё круче быть крутым. Тот, кто реально крут, имеет право на ошибку.»
мен comes from the English word "man."
Translation:
I want to be a cool man. I don't want to be just an interesting guy, a well-read man, or a stylish young person. So I decided to learn what being "cool" really means. It's a lifestyle, not a hobby, a mask, or an image. Cool people simply live and do cool things without worrying about how they look. Being confident doesn't automatically make you cool. Self-confidence is good, but being truly cool is even better. A person who is genuinely cool has the right to make mistakes.
(Based on the book “Русский “тусовочный” как иностранный” (Russian word “getting together” in foreign languages) T. Shkapenko, F. Khyubner).
Learn More Russian Expressions
Learning everyday words like круто is an excellent way to improve your Russian vocabulary and understand how native speakers communicate. If you're looking for practical Russian language lessons or you're studying Russian as a foreign language, mastering common slang and conversational expressions will help you sound more natural and confident.
Елена Коновалова
