Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "to hit" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

попасть

Meaning: to hit, find oneself, to get, enter, step into, touch

Pronunciation: [pah-PAHST']

Part of speech: verb (perfective aspect)

Rank: #480 (see frequency list)

Two arrows hit the archery target.
Photo by Casito, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0

Example sentences:

Стрела́ попа́ла в це́ль.
An arrow hit the target.
Мяч попа́л в гру́дь голки́перу.
The ball hit a goalkeeper's chest.
Как отсю́да попа́сть на пляж?
How can I get to the beach from here?
Возьми́ зонт, что́бы не попа́сть под дождь.
Take an umbrella in order not to be caught in the rain.
Мы попа́ли домо́й к ве́черу.
We got home by the evening.
Он хоте́л уда́рить по мячу́, но не попа́л.
He wanted to hit the ball but missed it.
Му́ха попа́ла в суп.
A fly got into soup.
Я случа́йно попа́л ного́й в лу́жу.
I accidentally walked into the puddle.
Мы́ло попа́ло в глаза́.
The soap got into eyes.
Ему́ попадёт за э́то.
He will catch it hot.
Анна попа́ла в беду́.
Anna got into trouble.
Письмо́ попа́ло не по а́дресу.
The letter came to the wrong address.
попасть пальцем в небо
to find a mare's nest.
literal to hit the sky with a finger
Я кому́ попа́ло но́мер телефо́на не даю́.
I don't give my phone number to just anybody.
Вот попа́л, блин!
Shoot! What a jam I got into! (slang)

Idioms and set expressions:

попасть в беду = to get into trouble; get into hot water
попасть в опалу = to fall into disgrace; to wrong with smb.
попасть в переплёт = to get the works
попасть в яблочко = to hit the bull's eye
куда попало = at random
literal where [it] hit
как попало = helter-skelter; anyhow
попасть в самую точку = to hit the nail on the head
literal to get into the very dot
попасть в переделку = to be caught in bind
попасть в когти кому-либо = to fall into smb's clutches
попасть под машину = to be run over by a car

Related words:

оказаться = to turn out; to find oneself
достаться = to bear, endure (figurative)
попадание = a hit (to the target)
попасться = to be caught

Proverbs and sayings:

Весело время пройдёт, да что в рот попадёт?
If you are wise, be a bee.
literal Time will pass merrily, but what will get into mouth?
Дважды попасться на ту же удочку.
It is a silly fish that is caught twice with the same bait.
Не рой другому яму, сам в неё попадёшь.
Don't dig holes for others for you will fall into one yourself.
Попался, который кусался!
The joker will sing a different tune!
literal Got caught, the one who was biting!

Verb conjugation:

Present Tense

The perfective verb попасть is not used in the Present Tense. Use the imperfective verb попадать instead.

Past Tense

I, you (singular), he	попа́л
she	попа́ла
it	попа́ло
we, you (plural), they	попа́ли

Future Simple Tense

I	попаду́
you (singular)	попадёшь
he, she, it	попадёт
we	попадём
you (plural)	попадёте
they	попаду́т

Future Compound Tense

The perfective verb попасть is not used in the Future Compound Tense. Use the imperfective verb попадать instead.

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

you (singular)	попади́
you (plural)	попади́те

View full conjugation table for the verb pair попадать/попасть

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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