Academically speaking, words that express how we address other people are called vocatives or addressives. The most common vocatives are names, but what if we want to talk to a complete stranger?

In English, we could say sir or madam. How about Russian? The answer depends on which era we’re talking about. 

Once common, now only in Teremok

Old-time Russian was, dare I say, fancier than modern language. In Medieval Russia, you would hear vocatives like:

  • Милостивый государь / милостивая государыня (milostivy gosudar / milostivaya gosudarynya) – similar to “gracious sir” and “gracious lady,” these words express a high degree of respect;

  • Сударь / сударыня (sudar / sudarynya) – simpler alternatives, but still polite.

Today, these words are completely archaic. However, you may have heard sudar or sudarynya at the popular Russian fast-food chain Teremok, where the staff members use it to create a more traditional vibe. 

A modern way to show a high level of respect would be господин (gospodin – "mister") and госпожа (gospozha – “Miss/Mrs”). These addressives are used in very formal settings and are followed by a surname. 

Soviet equality

In the Soviet Union, ideology was seemingly more important than mundane things like gender. That’s why the classic way to address someone on equal terms was not gender-specific:

  • Товарищ (tovarishch, unisex) – “comrade”.

Tovarishch was used in all kinds of settings, most notably in plural form (товарищи – tovarishchi) to address a group of people, say, during an official party meeting.

You can still use this word today to call someone a friend, but it does sound somewhat old-fashioned. The preferred alternatives would be друг (drug – “a close friend”) or приятель (priyatel – more of an acquaintance).

And what about today?

In modern Russian language, a neutral way to address someone would be to say:

  • Молодой человек / девушка (molodoy chelovek – “young man” / devushka – “young woman”) – like the name implies, for someone young.

  • Мужчина (muzhchina – “man”) / женщина (zhenshchina – “woman”) – for older adults.

However, the distinction is flexible. For one, many adult women would consider it a compliment to be called devushka rather than zhenshchina.

And if you’re not sure which option is the best fit for your situation, don’t forget the universal way to avoid all awkwardness: skip the addressive altogether and start with извините, пожалуйста (izvinite pozhaluista – “excuse me”). It’s pretty universal.

For more stories, tips, and tricks about the Russian language, check out our other materials under this tag.