хрен

Russian

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [xrʲen]
  • Audio:(file)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old East Slavic хрѣнъ (xrěnŭ)?, from Proto-Slavic *xrěnъ (horseradish).

Noun

хрен • (xrenm inan (genitive хре́на or хрена́*, nominative plural хре́ны, genitive plural хре́нов, relational adjective хрено́вый) (* See usage notes.)

  1. horseradish (plant, condiment)
    • 1842, Николай Гоголь [Nikolai Gogol], “Том I, Глава IV”, in Мёртвые души; English translation from Constance Garnett, transl., Dead Souls, London: Chatto & Windus, 1922:
      Поросё́нок есть? — с таки́м вопро́сом обрати́лся Чи́чиков к стоя́вшей ба́бе.
      — Есть.
      — С хре́ном и со смета́ною?
      — С хре́ном и со смета́ною.
      — Дава́й его́ сюда́!
      Porosjónok jestʹ? — s takím voprósom obratílsja Číčikov k stojávšej bábe.
      — Jestʹ.
      — S xrénom i so smetánoju?
      — S xrénom i so smetánoju.
      — Daváj jevó sjudá!
      'Have you any sucking-pig?' was the question Tchitchikov addressed to the woman.
      'Yes, we have.'
      'With horse-radish and sour cream?'
      'Yes, with horse-radish and sour cream.'
      'Let me have some!'
Declension

Etymology 2

Euphemistic alteration of хуй (xuj, a vulgar curse) or хер (xer, a less vulgar version), influenced by the noun хрен (xren, horseradish).

Noun

хрен • (xrenm inan or m anim (genitive хре́на, nominative plural хре́ны, genitive plural хре́нов, relational adjective хрено́вый)

  1. (inanimate, minced oath, colloquial) prick (penis); used as a general curse and intensifier: crap, hell, nuts
    Synonyms: (vulgar) хуй (xuj), (vulgar) хер (xer), (euphemism) шиш (šiš), (euphemism) фиг (fig)
    Ни хрена́ не понима́ю, как э́то собра́ть. (note the stress)Ni xrená ne ponimáju, kak éto sobrátʹ.I understand bugger-all about how to put this together.
    Како́го хре́на он пришёл? (note the stress)Kakóvo xréna on prišól?What the hell did he come for?
    Хре́н тебе́! (note the stress)Xrén tebé!Nuts to you!
  2. (animate, derogatory, colloquial) prick, asshole (a term of contempt for a man)
  3. (animate, derogatory, colloquial) old fart
    Synonyms: хрыч (xryč), ста́рый хрыч (stáryj xryč)
Usage notes
  • When used in the expressions ни хрена́ (ni xrená) and до хрена́ (do xrená), the last syllable should be stressed.
Declension

Derived terms

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xrěnъ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xrên/

Noun

хре̏н m inan (Latin spelling hrȅn)

  1. horseradish

Declension

Further reading

  • хрен”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025