Category: "Vulgarity"
Хрень: Lower that horseradish!
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.
Sg | Pl | |
Nom | хрень | хрени |
Acc | ||
Gen | хрени | хреней |
Pre | хренях | |
Dat | хреням | |
Ins | хренью | хренями |
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)
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 | |
Nom | хрен |
Acc | |
Gen | хрена |
Pre | хрене |
Dat | хрену |
Ins | хреном |
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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