Tongue twisterTricky
Russian
RussianОт топота копыт пыль по полю летит. (Ot topota kopyt pyl po polyu letit.)
Meaning: A 'p/t' hammering that imitates the hoofbeats it describes.
Literally: From the clatter of hooves, dust flies across the field.
Origin: A classic Russian diction exercise, valued because the rhythm mimics its own meaning.
More Russian tongue twisters
- Четыре чёрненьких чумазеньких чертёнка чертили чёрными чернилами чертёж. (Chetyre chyornenkikh chumazenkikh chertyonka chertili chyornymi chernilami chertyozh.) Seven consecutive words built on 'ch' — Russian's ч in every stressed position with barel…
- На дворе трава, на траве дрова. (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.) A short but nasty 'tr/dr' blend — the consonant clusters that trip up every learner of Ru…
- Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку. (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.) A merciless 'sh/s/ss' collision — Sasha walking, sucking, and all those sibilants.
- Карл у Клары украл кораллы, Клара у Карла украла кларнет. (Karl u Klary ukral korally, Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.) A 'kl/kr/r' drama — crime, countercrimes, and consonant clusters all at once.
- Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали. (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) One verb, three inflections, pure 'lav/vir' torture — the word grows with every repetitio…
- Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека — в реке рак. (Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka — v reke rak.) A rolling 'r/k' drill where Greka, reku and rak keep trading the same two consonants.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Делать из мухи слона (Delat' iz mukhi slona) To blow things way out of proportion.
- душа нараспашку (dusha naraspashku) Extremely open, trusting, or emotionally vulnerable with others.
- работать спустя рукава (rabotat' spustya rukava) To work carelessly, half-heartedly, without proper effort or attention.
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