Russian · At the Bar
Бухать
bukhat'
boo-KHAHT · /bʊˈxatʲ/
To drink (heavily) / to get wasted
2/5 Bar-safe
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"To booze / to hit the bottle"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The blunt verb for serious drinking — not a polite glass of wine but a proper session. "Idyom bukhat'" is "let's go get hammered." "Bukhalo" is the booze itself, "bukhoy" is drunk. Casual, a little crude; you'd say it to mates, not your boss.
Heard in the wild
В пятницу идём бухать?
Friday we going drinking?
Where it lands
Russia (universal); casual/coarse
Quick answers
- What does "Бухать" mean?
- In Russian, "Бухать" means "To drink (heavily) / to get wasted". Literally it's "To booze / to hit the bottle". The blunt verb for serious drinking — not a polite glass of wine but a proper session. "Idyom bukhat'" is "let's go get hammered." "Bukhalo" is the booze itself, "bukhoy" is drunk. Casual, a little crude; you'd say it to mates, not your boss.
- Is "Бухать" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "Бухать"?
- Say it "boo-KHAHT" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: bʊˈxatʲ.
Related in Russian
Наливай! nalivay nah-lee-VYE Fill 'em up! / Pour the drinks! За здоровье! za zdorov'e zah zdah-ROH-vye Cheers! / To your health! На посошок! na pososhok nah pah-sah-SHOK One for the road! В стельку v stel'ku f STYEL-koo Blind drunk / hammered / plastered Давай-давай! davai-davai dah-VYE dah-VYE Come on! Let's go! Push! Щелчок по горлу shchelchok po gorlu gesture Let's drink / he's drunk / booze
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