There are a lot of ways to say "a lot" in Russian

While I prepared this article I decided to count all possible ways to say “много” in Russian. Being a native speaker, I was really surprised that there are over 150 words and phraseologisms which mean “a lot.” Of course, I will not give you all of them, but if you want to diversify your Russian to sound like a native speaker, I offer you some of the most common synonyms and idioms to express the same idea instead of repeating this boring and overused word “много.”

Words synonyms

In the first group you can find synonyms which are similar to English “oodles of,” “heaps of,” “a large amount of," etc.

Ку́ча

kúcha

Examples:

  • куча денег - oodles of money
  • куча проблем - a bunch of problems
  • Я не могу пойти в кино сегодня, потому что у меня куча дел. - I cannot go to the cinema today because I have a lot of things to do.


У́йма

Úyma

Examples:

  • уйма времени - lots of time
  • уйма бумаги - lots of paper
  • Он прочитал уйму книг, чтобы начать свой бизнес. - He read lots of books to start his own business.

Полно́

palnó

Examples:
  • Полно людей - lots of people
  • Полно грибов - lots of mushrooms
  • В современных супермаркетах полно разной еды. - There are a lot of different food in modern supermarkets.

Мно́жество

Mnózhestva

Examples:
  • Множество фактов - many facts
  • Множество звёзд - a multitude of stars
  • Этот спортсмен выиграл множество медалей за свою спортивную карьеру. - This athlete has won many medals for his sport career.

Popular phraseologisms are organized in the second group.

Idioms


Ку́ры не клюю́т

Kúry ni klyuyút a dime a dozen

Literally it is translated as “hens do not peck.” It is a humorous expression which means that even gluttonous hens cannot eat something because there is a great amount of it. It is usually used with the word “деньги” in the genitive case.

Example:
  • Он может купить всё - у него денег куры не клюют. - He can buy anything - he has money to burn.

Как соба́к нере́заных

Kak sabák nirézanykh as many of somebody/something as stray dogs

Example:
  • Трудно получить эту должность, так как кандидатов как собак нерезаных. It is difficult to get this position because there are as many candidates as stray dogs.

Непоча́тый край

Nipochátyy kray no end of

Commonly used with the word “дело” in genitive plural case.

Example:
  • У неё непочатый край дел, о которых она хочет поговорить с начальником. She has an unending number of questions to ask her boss.

Ваго́н и ма́ленькая теле́жка

Vagón i málin'kaya tilézhka a wagon and a small truck

Example:
  • После отпуска у неё было новостей вагон и маленькая тележка. After the holidays, she’s got scads of news.

Try to use one of these phrases during your conversation with a native speaker and you will surprise them a lot!

2016년 8월 11일
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Hi! I'm a native Russian speaker from St.Petersburg. I'm NOT a professional teacher, but I'm passionate about teaching my native language. I have been teaching Russian online for over 3.5 years and have 3500+ online lessons taught. The structure of my lessons depends on your level of Russian and your goal. Some students want to read Russian poems and lyrics or just to refresh their knowledge because they studied Russian at school, while other students prefer to study grammar and new vocabulary. So, I'm open to any of your ideas! :) I'm very patient and friendly. I know that studying a foreign language is not easy, so I’ll try to make our lessons in a cosy and friendly atmosphere. ***READ BEFORE BOOKING A SESSION*** 1. WHEN YOU BOOK A FIRST/TRIAL LESSON with me, PLEASE, write about your level of Russian and your goal of learning Russian. This will help me to make the first session more efficient for you. Otherwise, we will just speak during the first lesson. 2. If you are a be...
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Hi! I'm a native Russian speaker from St.Petersburg. I'm NOT a professional teacher, but I'm passionate about teaching my native language. I have been teaching Russian online for over 3.5 years and have 3500+ online lessons taught. The structure of my lessons depends on your level of Russian and your goal. Some students want to read Russian poems and lyrics or just to refresh their knowledge because they studied Russian at school, while other students prefer to study grammar and new vocabulary. So, I'm open to any of your ideas! :) I'm very patient and friendly. I know that studying a foreign language is not easy, so I’ll try to make our lessons in a cosy and friendly atmosphere. ***READ BEFORE BOOKING A SESSION*** 1. WHEN YOU BOOK A FIRST/TRIAL LESSON with me, PLEASE, write about your level of Russian and your goal of learning Russian. This will help me to make the first session more efficient for you. Otherwise, we will just speak during the first lesson. 2. If you are a be...
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