Computer slang in Russian

The computer vocabulary a large part in Russian was directly borrowed from English, for example, the word user — юзер (пользователь), software — софт (программное обеспечение). However, words a number in Russian computer slang are not related to English names or have been adapted to Russian for euphony.

A computer innards some will be called as follows: components — железо (hardware, literally iron), память — мозги (memory, literally brains). The computer itself (PC) is briefly called комп. Материнская плата (motherboard) in Russian it becomes мать (mother), and клавиатура (keyboard) got a female name Клава. If there is an error in the computer сбой (glitch), in Russian, you will call it глюк, from the word hallucination.

If the computer is running very slowly, then it тормозит (дословно putting on the brakes), and he can зависать (freeze up, дословно hang up). In addition, when you can’t wait for the computer to work itself again, you have to вырубить (shut down). Moreover, when a user deletes a program, the Russians often say that they are her сносят (delete, дословно kill, demolish). The program (программа), there is also the name a shorter version for colloquial speech — прога.

Russian-speaking users usually use the Windows operating system, and in Russian, you can find its sound different versions: винда, виндовс, виндоуз. If the operating system has stopped working adequately, or some program has stopped responding, then we can say that it полетела (break, дословно fly away).

People unfamiliar with computers are called чайниками (дословно teapots). Moreover, these poor dummies are often confused in computer terminology, not to mention computer slang. It is difficult for an uninitiated person to understand that we are talking about e-mail if he hears «мыло» (literally soap). Since we are talking about accessing the Internet via a computer, we need to mention one more term. This is собака (dog) — that’s the icon @ name (at) in the email address.

In addition, if you ask someone to send you an email or copy a file from your computer to флешку (USB flash disk), then you will ask скинуть (put, record) them to you.. When someone uploads information a large amount: files or folders to a computer or cloud storage, data to spreadsheets, they заливает data (upload, literally flood over).  

With the more compact gadgets spread than bulky computers, more and more English words began to come into use, including slang: гаджет, ноут (from notebook), мобильник (from mobile).

We hope that now you will not have a misunderstanding when you are asked to send a letter by soap or say that they are going to the store for brains. You will understand that it’s just about e-mail and computer memory.