IdiomBody & SensesRussian

сила есть — ума не надо (sila yest — uma ne nado)

Meaning: a person who is physically strong but intellectually weak or stupid.

Literally: Strength exists — mind is not needed

Example: “Он выбил дверь вместо того, чтобы найти ключ: сила есть — ума не надо.” — He broke the door down instead of finding the key: all brawn and no brain.

English equivalent: All brawn and no brain

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: "If you've got strength, you don't need brains": a sarcastic saying about solving a problem by brute force instead of thought. Russian phrase dictionaries list it as a proverb (пословица). No first use is documented.

More Russian idioms

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →