aregnersisian Last updated: January 25, 2023

From Russia with Love: 11 Romantic Phrases for Melting Hearts

Love is a universal language—but you still need to know how to express it in Russian.

Plus, there are benefits to learning romantic expressions besides ramping up your dating life.

The romantic phrases presented below won’t just add a few “hot” words and idioms to your vocabulary, but will also help you better understand Russian culture and appreciate the poetic history of the language.

Warm Up with Classic Examples of Romantic Russian
11 Flirty Phrases for Romantic Talk in Russian
Why Learn These Romantic Phrases?

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Warm Up with Classic Examples of Romantic Russian

On the first approach, Russian sounds harsh to English ears. However, as you warm up to the language, begin putting verbs and nouns together, you come to hear the poetry that slips off the tongue.

Russian was made for romancing, which you can see in its deep poetic tradition—and the tragic endings and epic love stories that are a part of this culture.

Perhaps most famous is Alexander Pushkin, who penned verses about love found and lost, lived passionately and died dramatically.

Pushkin married the great beauty Natalia Goncharova. Six years later, he faced rumors of his wife’s alleged love affair. Pushkin fought a duel with her supposed lover and died of wounds sustained during their battle.

Before meeting his tragic end, Pushkin penned one of the most famous poems about, well, love. He wrote (with translation by Genia Gurarie):

Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может, (I loved you, and I probably still do,)

В душе моей угасла не совсем; (And for awhile the feeling may remain…)

Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит; (But let my love no longer trouble you,)

Я не хочу печалить вас ничем. (I do not wish to cause you any pain.)

But Pushkin’s not the only Russian with passion. The poet Mikhail Lermontov said, “Любовь, как огонь, — без пищи гаснет” (As translated by Vladimir Nabokov: Love, like fire, goes out without fuel).

Nobel Prize winner Boris Pasternak penned the phrase, “Пока тебя помнят вгибы локтей моих, пока еще ты на руках и губах моих, я побуду с тобой. (As translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky: As long as the crooks of my arms remember you, as long as you’re still on my hands and lips, I’ll be with you.) You can learn more about literature, romance and Russian-language culture in general while learning Russian in context on FluentU.

Ready to follow in the footsteps of these Russian romantics?

The 14 romantic phrases below will provide you with colorful expressions and phrases both from Russian literature and everyday language to help melt the heart of the Russian you’re eyeing.

11 Flirty Phrases for Romantic Talk in Russian

1. Ты согреваешь мою душу

Translation: You warm my soul

Certainly you can understand, in a country known to get down below -40 °F (a tiny village in Yakutsk has been credited with logging a temperature of -96.2 °F), why telling your significant other that he or she warms the innermost parts of you is a great compliment.

The sentiment translates well to English, but, to really understand it, you need to have survived a Russian winter.

2. Мне нравится чувствовать твоё дыхание на моей щеке

Translation: I like feeling your breath on my cheek

This is a great way to tell someone you like him or her close to you.

You’re looking for someone to be your go-to guy or gal, and if he or she is already close enough for you to feel breath on your face, you can stop looking.

3. Ты разбудил(а) во мне давно забытое

Translation: You have awoken something long forgotten inside of me

Here’s how to let the person you love know that he or she is doing something for you that others haven’t. This phrase communicates that someone is more than just catching your eye—but stirring you in a way that’ll ensure you don’t forget.

4. Любить тебя – это как дышать… я просто не могу остановиться!

Translation: Loving you is like breathing… I just can’t stop!

It sounds a little cheesy in English, but remember, Russians are poetic by nature.

Loving your Russian comes naturally to you—it’s something that doesn’t have an off switch and you want him or her to know that this relationship has a life of its own.

5. Душа моя

Translation: My soul

This is a term of endearment, something you’ll call your Russian significant other. When you call him or her this you’re saying that he or she has become the most important part of you.

6. Притягательной силе твоих бездонных глаз сложно сопротивляться!

Translation: The strength of attraction in your bottomless eyes is difficult to resist!

Could you spend all day staring into that special someone’s eyes? Let him or her know!

7. Ты мой рай, ты моё небо, ты моё солнце

Translation: You are my paradise, my heaven, you are my sun

Let the object of your affections know that he or she is at the place you dream of going.

8. Люблю тебя, как ангел бога, как розу любит соловей

Translation: I love you like an angel loves God, like a nightingale loves the rose.

This phrase will communicate to your Russian that no matter how fabled someone else’s love is, the love you have for him or her is every bit as strong.

9. Ты видишь в небе солнце? Так знай, твоя улыбка светит гораздо ярче!

Translation: Do you see the sun in the sky? Know that your smile shines so much brighter!

Because poetry comes as second nature to the native Russian tongue, you’ll need to get creative with your compliments. Comparing someone to the sun will get you big brownie points, and mentioning his or her smile will ensure you see it a lot more often.

10. О тебе можно написать сказку, про милую принцессу!

Translation: They could write a fairytale about you, about the lovely princess!

Yes, you’ve heard of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” Russians know those, but their fairytales include “Swan Lake,” “The Frog Princess” and “Vasilisa the Beautiful.”

If you’re hoping to charm a Russian woman, know that she’ll be well-acquainted with these tales and will love to hear you say she belongs in the pantheon of famous Russian stories.

11. Ты луч солнца в пасмурный день!

Translation: You are a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day!

This one’s easy in Russian and English. If someone brightens your world, let him or her know!

Why Learn These Romantic Phrases?

When people think of Russia, they commonly think of snow, hockey, vodka, bears…

And while the Russian language can be used to trash talk, to intimidate, or to curse, it’s just as frequently used more intimately to comfort, to compliment and to court.

These romantic phrases will help you see the tender side of a tough (stereotypically, anyway) culture.

Plus, connecting with Russian men and women on a more personal level will definitely make learning this language easier and a much more enjoyable experience. By studying these phrases, you’ll also get a deeper understanding of the language as the “Romantic Era” of Russian literature has contributed a lot to the way Russians speak today.

With these phrases under your belt, you’re well on your way to wooing your Russian man or woman. Hearing (and understanding) some of these phrases repeated back to you will definitely make learning Russian a lot more exciting!