Russian · Mat: The Four Roots
Ебать
yebat'
yee-BAHT · /jɪˈbatʲ/
To fuck (and, as an interjection, 'holy shit')
nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended
Literally
"To fuck"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The verbal root of the entire mat system — the engine that generates hundreds of derivatives (zayebal, yebnut', yebanuty, and on and on). Literally the crudest word for the sex act; as a standalone interjection "ebat'!" it's an astonished "holy shit." This is the grammar of mat itself. Pure comprehension: a traveler should recognize the root, never build with it.
Heard in the wild
Ебать, ты это сам сделал?
Holy shit, you made this yourself?
Where it lands
Russia (universal); core mat — do not deploy
Quick answers
- What does "Ебать" mean?
- In Russian, "Ебать" means "To fuck (and, as an interjection, 'holy shit')". Literally it's "To fuck". The verbal root of the entire mat system — the engine that generates hundreds of derivatives (zayebal, yebnut', yebanuty, and on and on). Literally the crudest word for the sex act; as a standalone interjection "ebat'!" it's an astonished "holy shit." This is the grammar of mat itself. Pure comprehension: a traveler should recognize the root, never build with it.
- Is "Ебать" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 5/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Do not deploy). nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "Ебать"?
- Say it "yee-BAHT" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: jɪˈbatʲ.
Related in Russian
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Unbelievable".
- French Oh la vache ! Holy cow! / Wow! / Whoa!
- German Verdammt nochmal! God damn it! / For crying out loud!
- Greek έλα ρε Come on! / No way! / You're kidding — disbelief, protest, or delight depending on tone.
- Italian Minchia! Holy shit! / Wow! / Damn!
- Japanese やばい Insane / crazy / no way — good OR bad, from context
- Korean 헐 Whoa / no way / I can't even — the all-purpose stunned noise.
- Polish masakra A disaster / unbelievable / total carnage — the all-purpose 'this is insane.'
- Portuguese Caramba! Wow! / Geez! / Holy cow!
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