По полной программе

With the series of Russian lessons «Russian phrases» you can learn useful Russian expressions and idioms, as well as practice your listening and reading skills with the audio and transcript. Today’s phrase is «по полной программе».

The audio for the lesson is recorded at three different speeds: slow, adapted (slower than normal) and normal.

Description (описание):

[разг.] по по́лной (програ́мме)

Meaning (значение):

totally, at full scale, to the maximum degree possible, so that you wouldn’t wish for more
(used often in a negative sense)

Related expressions (cвязанные выражения):

сполна́, в по́лную си́лу, насы́щенно, на всю кату́шку

Examples (примеры):

  1. Они́ полу́чат за свои́ проде́лки по по́лной програ́мме!
    They are going to get it in full for their antics.
  2. Они́ хотя́т устро́ить пра́здник по по́лной, что́бы все как сле́дует повесели́лись.
    They wish to hold the fete in full swing, so that everyone can have a blast.
  3. Им пришло́сь заплати́ть за всё, что они́ натвори́ли, по по́лной програ́мме.
    They had to pay fully for what they had done. (They had to pay for the whole mess they made.)
Russian Pod 101

Many thanks to Hemani Pandya for the translation of this lesson.

3 comments on “По полной программе

  1. Hi,

    Would this phrase also mean “hook, line and sinker” (US) or “log, stock and barrel” (UK) as when someone fully and naivly believes an untrue story, lie etc? Like e.g. “Did he take your story?” – “Hook, line and sinker” (=he completely believed it)

    Gyuri

    • Everyday Russian says:

      Hi Gyuri.

      To answer your question I probably should translate it in Russian:

      – Он поверил в твою историю? (is this translation correct?)
      – По полной программе.

      Well, it doesn’t sound strange. But anyway in this case I’d prefer something like “абсолютно” or “целиком и полностью”.
      I can’t answer definetely yes or no to your question. I think it’s the matter of habit.

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