Russian · Hand Gestures · hand gesture
Средний палец
sredniy palets
Screw you / the finger
4/5 Fighting words
aimed at a person, will start something
The gesture
"Raising the middle finger, back of hand out"
What your hand is actually doing.
How to use it
The imported American middle finger — fully naturalized and fully understood, carrying the same "fuck you" as anywhere. Aggressive and provocative; in a heated street or road moment it can absolutely start a fight. Verbally it maps to "poshyol na khuy." Not a joke gesture with strangers.
Heard in the wild
Он показал мне средний палец из машины.
He flipped me the finger from his car.
Where it lands
Russia (universal); imported, now standard
Quick answers
- What does "Средний палец" mean?
- In Russian, "Средний палец" means "Screw you / the finger". Literally it's "Raising the middle finger, back of hand out". The imported American middle finger — fully naturalized and fully understood, carrying the same "fuck you" as anywhere. Aggressive and provocative; in a heated street or road moment it can absolutely start a fight. Verbally it maps to "poshyol na khuy." Not a joke gesture with strangers.
- Is "Средний палец" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "Средний палец"?
- This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Raising the middle finger, back of hand out.
Related in Russian
Жест от локтя zhest ot loktya gesture Up yours! / a full-arm screw-you Фига / Кукиш figa / kukish gesture You'll get nothing! / Up yours (mild) / no way Щелчок по горлу shchelchok po gorlu gesture Let's drink / he's drunk / booze Крутить у виска krutit' u viska gesture You're crazy / are you nuts? Чёрт возьми! chyort voz'mi CHORT vahz-MEE Damn it! / For God's sake! Остынь! ostyn' ah-STIN Calm down / Chill out
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Screw you".
- French Enculé ! Motherf***er / bastard (one of the hardest personal insults)
- German Verpiss dich! Piss off! / Clear off (with force)!
- Greek άντε γαμήσου Go fuck yourself / get lost / piss off.
- Italian Vaffanculo! Fuck off! / Go to hell!
- Japanese クソ野郎 Piece of shit / shitty bastard
- Korean 개새끼 Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading.
- Polish ty kurwo You whore / you bitch — the aimed kurwa, a different animal entirely.
- Portuguese Filho da puta Son of a bitch / bastard
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.