Colloquial Russian  (разговорный язык)

First, you learn the rules, grammar and vocabulary (years of work), then you hear a native Russian speaking and don’t understand a single *^&% of it (just an example, let’s say). Theory is always different from practice, and sometimes the differences are significant. This is about spoken and informal language, almost a language in itself.

Previously, this language was characterized as the safe side of Russian slang. Looking forward to the part that must the part that must inevitably follow: vulgarities of varying intensity. But first things first.

How Russians really speak Russian? Slang, Stress, Reductions
(Russian With Max, 2019, 15 min)

From the same channel:

• 11 Russian Slang Words and Phrases | Colloquial Russian (1-11) (2020, 9 min)
• 15 useful Russian Slang words to understand natives | Colloquial Russian (12-26) (2020, 14 min)
• 16 Russian Slang Words With Examples (27-42) (2020, 13 m)
• Why I can’t understand native Russian speakers? (2019, 11 min)

10 Conversational Russian Phrases That You Need to Know
(Boost Your Russian, 2019, 7 min)

Includes поехали and давай, and that should give you an idea of the level. Shame on Kristina for using AI in videos ((here for example) and trying to fool people with it. Instantly disqualified and banned for life.

Basic Russian Vs. Colloquial Russian
(Russian with Yana, 2023, 8 min)

Russian Idioms

Many items on colloquial Russian at Elen Sheff’s русский с носителем. Sometimes they veer towards idioms – Скатертью дорога (2 min), Не все дома (2 min) – other times they’re in the realm of slang, like Уто вы несёте? (2 min), Ты упал что ли? (3 min), Так тебе и надо (4 min). In В Падлу (4 min), it’s noted that this is жаргонные словечки, or street slang, and русский для продвинутых, Russian for advanced learners.

Everyday expressions include Ближе к делу (2 mins), Всякая всячина (2 mins), Ломать голову (4 mins), Забей (2 mins), Мне везёт (5 mins), and Просто так (3 mins). Short phrases and sayings can be found in 15 коротких фраз для ежедневного использования (11 mins), 15 коротких фраз для ежедневного общения (2017, 7 mins), and 100 популярных фраз для общения (23 mins).

In 15 фраз на каждый день (7 mins), phrases include как мило (how sweet) дай пять (give five) and можешь говорить (can you talk). In 15 фраз для разговора (2017, 9 mins), phrases include здорово (great), мне повезло (I’m lucky), and я – за (I’m for it).

Russian Exclamations

Exclamations (восклицания) are the haikus of colloquial language – sweet and short. See some in (again by Elen Sheff) Разговорный русский – о боже, блин, давай (2018, 18 mins), and in Typical Russian Exclamations, by (World With) Nathalie (2018, 7 mins).

With ёпэрэсэтэ; ни фига себе; да иди ты, and then some more.

Phrases to Swear

As a final note and as a bridge to the next item in the modest series on Slang, watch Katya with her 20 Phrases to Swear in Russian (Russian with Katya, 2020, 6 mins). Softer and more fun than the title suggests: these are the polite versions, like “gosh darn” and “heck.” Many with ё.

More colloquial Russian

• 5 Confusing colloquial Russian phrases (A. Romaker, 2020, 8 mins)
• Russian colloquial words | Speak Russian like a Native Speaker (SoRussian, 2019, 4 mins)
• Filler phrases to speak Russian naturally (LRW Alfia, 2019, 5 mins)
• How to Sound Like a Native Speaker (Be Fluent in Russian, 2017, 6 mins)
• Таким макаром // Russian phrases (Natasha speaks Russian, 2016, 6 mins)
• 2 Words To Help You Become Conversational (Russian from Russia, 2016, 5 mins)

Colloquial Russian (Svetlana le Fleming, Susan E. Kay, pdf)