Our kittens have inspired another fun Russian vocabulary lesson! 🐱
After learning cat vocabulary and baby animal names, it’s time to discover some of the most common Russian idioms with cats. Native speakers use these expressions all the time, and they are a wonderful way to understand everyday Russian and sound more natural in conversations.
Here are seven popular Russian cat idioms and what they really mean:
Кот наплакал
Кот наплакал literally means “a cat cried.” It describes something that exists in a very small amount.
Meaning: hardly any, next to nothing.
Example:
У меня осталось денег кот наплакал.
I have hardly any money left.
Коту под хвост
Literally: “to the cat’s tail.” Meaning: all effort was wasted.
Example:
Я готовился весь день, но экзамен отменили. Всё коту под хвост.
I studied all day, but the exam was cancelled. All that work was wasted.
Купить кота в мешке
Literally: “to buy a cat in a bag.” Meaning: to buy something without checking it first.
Example:
Не покупай машину без осмотра. Не покупай кота в мешке.
Don’t buy a car without inspection. Don’t buy a cat in a bag.
Тянуть кота за хвост
Literally: “to pull the cat by the tail.” Meaning: to procrastinate or delay something.
Example:
Перестань тянуть кота за хвост и начинай работать.
Stop dragging things out and start working.
Живут как кошка с собакой
Literally: “they live like a cat and a dog.” Meaning: they constantly argue.
Example:
Они живут как кошка с собакой.
They fight all the time.
Знает кошка, чьё мясо съела
Literally: “the cat knows whose meat it ate.” Meaning: guilt shows itself.
Example:
Он сразу занервничал. Знает кошка, чьё мясо съела.
He immediately got nervous. A guilty conscience showed.
Не всё коту Масленица
Literally: “it’s not always Maslenitsa for the cat.” Meaning: life is not always easy or joyful.
Example:
Сейчас трудно, но не всё коту Масленица.
It’s difficult now, but life isn’t always easy.
Кошки скребут на душе
Literally: “cats are scratching at the soul.” Meaning: feeling uneasy or sad for no clear reason.
Example:
Сегодня у меня кошки скребут на душе.
I feel uneasy today.
Learn Russian Online in Eastern Canada
If you’re looking for online Russian classes in Eastern Canada and the United States, you’re welcome to join my lessons.
I work with students across Ontario and nearby provinces, including Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Hamilton, London (ON), Kitchener-Waterloo, Kingston, and surrounding areas, as well as learners from Quebec and other parts of Canada. United States: New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and many other cities.
My online Russian lessons are designed for adults, university students, heritage speakers, and beginners. We focus on speaking, listening, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and real-life communication in Russian.
Many students find me while searching for a Russian tutor in Ontario, online Russian classes in Toronto, or Russian lessons in Canada and the United States. Lessons are always adapted to your level and goals, whether you’re starting from scratch or improving fluency.
If you enjoyed these cat idioms, stay tuned for more Russian vocabulary, expressions, and cultural insights from everyday Russian. 🐾