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 «спать без задних ног».
With the channel «Russian phrase of the Week» you can learn useful Russian expressions and idioms, as well as practice your listening and reading skills with the audio and transcript.
Description (описание): без за́дних ног
Meaning (значение):
to be drowned in sleep, to sleep soundly, ~ to sleep like a log (lit. – to sleep without hind legs)
Synonyms (синонимы):
– дры́хнуть без за́дних ног [разг.] (to sleep soundly),
– храпе́ть без за́дних ног [разг.] (lit. – to snort without hind legs),
– спать (дры́хнуть, храпе́ть) как уби́тый (lit. – to sleep like killed)
Etymology (этимология):
The expression originated on the basis of observations of animals: a horse falls asleep after work completely relaxing its hind legs; if you try to rouse it up, it will stand on the front legs and its hind legs won’t active.
Initially, the phrase sounded like “to sleep not moving of exhaustion”.
Russian idioms
Examples (примеры):
- Обы́чно в э́то вре́мя он уже́ храпи́т без за́дних ног.
He usually sleeps like a log at this time. - Он так вы́мотался за́ день, что вы́рубился сра́зу, как верну́лся домо́й, и дрых без за́дних ног до са́мого утра́.
He fell asleep as soon as he came home, because he was completely exhausted after the day of work, and he slept like a log till next morning. - Сосе́дские мальчи́шки напои́ли кота́ валерья́нкой, и он уже́ тре́тий час спит без за́дних ног – не добу́дишься.
The boys from the neighborhood gave some valerian to the cat, that’s why he has been fast asleep for three hours, no one can wake him up. - Ребя́та здо́рово погуля́ли накану́не и тепе́рь дры́хли без за́дних ног да́же при зву́ках надрыва́ющегося буди́льника.
The boys had a very good time the night before, now they are fast asleep ignoring the persistent sound of the alarm clock.
Many thanks to Elena El Haddad for the translation of this lesson.
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Kemal Dogan says:
First of all I thank you for preparing this wonderful site. I will try to help improving your works.
Althogh there is a footnote stating that ‘* Stress marks inserted with Grammatica.’ I did not see any stress marks in this page. Indeed during learning Russian stress marks are very very helpful.
Please put stress marks to all Russian words where(headings, examples, texts etc) they exist. For us as foreigners correct reading and pronunciation is almost impossible without stress marks.
Thank you again
Everyday Russian says:
Hello Kemal,
Thanks for your comment and noticing, we’ve inserted stress marks as it should be.
Sohvi says:
Прекрасный материал!
Неоценимая помощь при изучении русского языка!
Большое спасибо всем авторам и создателям!
Best regards!
Everyday Russian says:
Добрый день, Sohvi.
Спасибо за отзыв. Успехов в работе!