Category: "Vulgarity"

Хрень: Lower that horseradish!

by Don  

My language partner and I went to see «Президент Линкольн: охотник на вампиров» together, and when we sat down I thought he said to me, «Спусти этот хрен», which literally means “Lower that horseradish.” I was confused. I had misheard him. He actually said, «Спусти эту хрень» “Lower that thingamabob,” by which he meant the armrest between the seats. Here's how the word declines.

SgPl
Nomхреньхрени
Acc
Genхренихреней
Preхренях
Datхреням
Insхреньюхренями

The word is what we might call substandard speech. It's very conversational, not suitable for academic reading. It's probably also a euphemism for the vulgar meaning of хрен. But the version with the soft sign you can use in front of your mom and grandma without them getting too upset. Take a look at the entry on the phrase «вот это самое» for a synonym. Here are some examples.

Передай мне эту хрень. Pass me that thingamabob.
Возьми эту хрень, что оставил папа на столе. Get the thing that dad left on the table.

The word is also used to mean a useless thing or junk or worthless comment.

— Что продают в этом магазине?
— Всякую хрень для туристов. Не стоит входить.
“What do they sell in that store?”
“All sorts of junk for tourists. It's not worth going in.”
— Паша сказал, что у него девушка-супермодель.
— Что за хрень он несёт?! Паша даже не расчёсывается, как у него может быть девушка-супермодель?
“Pasha said that he had a supermodel for a girlfriend.”
“What nonsense. Pasha doesn't even comb his hair. How could he have a supermodel for a girlfriend?”

Хрен (часть первая)

by Don  

One spice that Russians really like is хрен horseradish. Many American families never buy horseradish; I don't think my mother ever had it in our household, so it's worth pointing out that the horseradish root looks like this:

The root is then ground into a paste, and it is used as spice or a condiment on the side:

I've never encountered the word in the plural, only the singular:

Sg
Nomхрен
Acc
Genхрена
Preхрене
Datхрену
Insхреном

Horseradish is used with a variety of dishes:

В России часто подают ростбиф с хреном. In Russia they often serve roast beef with horseradish.
Мама приготовила салат из хрена с морковью и яблоками. (recipe) Mom made an apple, carrot and horseradish salad.
Хрен богат калием, кальцием, натрием, серой, фосфором, железом и другими минеральными веществами. (source) Horseradish is rich in potassium, calcium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron and other mineral substances.

Although хрен is a perfectly good word, completely acceptable in polite company, it has another use, too...

Warning! The following paragraphs contain Russian and English vulgarity.

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Сукин сын

by Bella  

Hello readers! I'll be honest with you. Last week was a frustrating and stressful week. Nothing went as planned and that left me grumpy. I even found myself throwing down an expletive or three.

Warning! The following paragraphs contain Russian and English vulgarity.

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