Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "suddenly" 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.

вдруг

Meaning: suddenly, at once

Pronunciation: [fdrook]

Part of speech: adverb

Rank: #130 (see frequency list)

The light suddenly went out.
Photo by Horia Varlan CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Вдруг вы́ключили све́т.
The light suddenly went out.
literal Suddenly they turned off the light.
Вдруг разда́лся крик, и я оберну́лся.
I heard a sudden shout and turned around.
literal Suddenly there was a shout and I turned around.
Она́ шла по у́лице, как вдруг на неё нае́хала маши́на.
She was going along the street when suddenly a car ran over her.
Нельзя́ измени́ть отноше́ния вдруг.
It's impossible to change a relationship at once.
literal It's impossible to change a relationship suddenly.
Почему́ всe вдруг наки́нулись на меня́?
Why am I being attacked by everyone all of a sudden?
literal Why did you all suddenly pounce on me?
A вдруг нас на тамо́жне не пропу́стят?
What if they don't let us through at the customs?
literal And suddenly they won't let us thorugh at the customs?

Idioms and set expressions:

как вдруг = when suddenly
все вдруг = all at once
а вдруг = suppose that, what if
literal and suddenly

Related words:

внеза́пно = unexpectedly
неожи́данно = unexpectedly
сра́зу = at once

Proverbs and sayings:

Лу́чше век терпе́ть, чем вдруг умере́ть.
It's better suffering a century thay dying at once.
Не бы́ло ни гроша́, да вдруг алты́н.
Yesterday a pauper, today a king
literal I didn't have a half-copeck coin, but I suddenly received a three-copeck piece.
Не вдруг Москва́ стро́илась.
Rome was not built in one day.
literal Moscow wasn't built at once.

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

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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