[identity profile] bricoleura.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] learn_russian
Hi all!
So… круто, клёво, и классно all mean basically mean “cool”, right?? Can they be used interchangeably? What are the differences? Doesn’t круто have something to do with money or status?
Thanks!!

ummm...actually on the other end of the spectrum: how would you say "hot" (like good-looking)in Russian??

Thanks for tolerating my silly questions!!;))

Date: 2005-07-26 08:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] -alex-dee-.livejournal.com
> how would you say "hot" (like good-looking)in Russian??
maybe потрясно, потрясающе, сногсшибательно =))

Date: 2005-07-26 08:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] insaint.livejournal.com
Yes, all those can be used interchangeably to mean "cool".

Крутой (the adjective form of круто) can be used to mean "rich, hip, cool". It can, however, have a derogatory, sarcastic tone to it -- it can basically mean "rich, arrogant bastard". And it can also be used to give praise: "ты крутой!" - "Man, you're amazing!"

It varies a little with context.

Date: 2005-07-26 08:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oscar-6.livejournal.com
I would add that "клёво" and "классно" are little outdated.

Date: 2005-07-26 09:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] apredeus.livejournal.com
btw it is thought, AFAIK, that "клёво" was derived from an English word "clever".
Funny, isn't it? =)

Date: 2005-07-26 09:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kart.livejournal.com
how would you say "hot" (like good-looking)

I'd suggest гламурно but it's only slang. Friendly people in online forums told me that it's more of Belarussian dialect (spoken in Babruysk, apparently).

Date: 2005-07-26 10:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] padruka1988.livejournal.com
I wouldn't say they're outdated. All my Russian and Ukrainian friends (all my age, so we're not talking about some 50 year olds trying to say, "Tubular!" and get away with it) say классно frequently (actually, "Класс!")... Клёво is used less frequently, but it's still there!

I've also seen "кул", "коол", and "супер" (but you shouldn't use the first two as adjectives... maybe some people say кулный, but I've never heard it... if someone says, "I just got a brand new Mustang with turbos!" you could say "кул". I guess it just depends who you talk to.

Date: 2005-07-26 10:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oscar-6.livejournal.com
Of course they are still in use. That's why I wrote little outdated :-)

Date: 2005-07-26 10:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zloizloi.livejournal.com
Babruysk dialect, hehhe... (ROTFL) You must be joking, or your friendly people pranked you :)

Date: 2005-07-27 04:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] padruka1988.livejournal.com
I saw the little, and maybe I would have to live in Eastern Europe to tell a difference, but I hear/read those words too frequently for them to seem outdated, even a little outdated, to me.

Date: 2005-07-27 05:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zhp.livejournal.com
Классно is still used a lot; as for клёво, I haven't heard it around much since my school days. I'd say that "это круто!" and "Это классно!" mean basically the same, but "крутой парень" and "классный парень" are different. The former really deals with status and money and arrogance(depending on the context, even with some criminal connotations), and the latter would mean that you simply like the guy.

Date: 2005-07-27 09:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] noser.livejournal.com
The famous Bobruysk, where anemals (жывотные) dwell...

Date: 2005-07-27 03:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] staring-frog.livejournal.com
The word "кульно" is being used sometimes... by somebody...
http://www.google.com/search?q=%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Date: 2005-07-28 09:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ducking.livejournal.com
It's a city in Belarus, but also a half-mythical place in the Russian internet subculture. Try googling to find out more.

Btw, actually there is NO true equivalent of "hot" in contemporary Russian (I'm speaking of a proper translation). It's a shame though... we should think of one.
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