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Russian vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "what do you do" in Russian?
Что делать
Chto delat'
In Russian, "what do you do" is Что делать (Chto delat').
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Pronunciation
Read it out as Chto delat' — with "del" hit slightly louder than the other syllables, with the final sound often trailing off softly.
Writing and usage
Что делать is written using cyrillic. It's a phrase, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
what do you do
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How to remember Что делать
Imagine someone saying "Chto " while they what do you do — that's the hook for "Chto delat'".
Related words
- congratulations Поздравляю
- how much does this cost Сколько это стоит
- where is the nearest hospital где находится ближайшая больница
- can you help me Ты можешь помочь мне?
- i am lost Я потерялся
- what time is it Который сейчас час
- i would like a table for two Я хотел бы столик на двоих
- the bill please Счёт, пожалуйста
- where is the bathroom где ванная
Browse all Russian words in the glossary.
Questions about Что делать
How do you pronounce Что делать?
Read it out as Chto delat' — with "del" hit slightly louder than the other syllables, with the final sound often trailing off softly.
Is Что делать formal or casual?
Что делать is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is Что делать used in Russian?
Что делать is used the same way as the equivalent English phrase. For example: (what do you do).
Where can I practice Russian words for free?
You can play free Russian minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Russian glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"What do you do" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Russian language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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