Everyone who is somehow related to the Russian language or/and culture heard of so-called “the mysterious Russian soul” (зага́дочная ру́сская душа́), but nobody could explain clearly what exactly it is. In 1866, a Russian poet Fyodor Tyutchev (Фёдор Тю́тчев) wrote the classical lines:
Умо́м Росси́ю не поня́ть,
Арши́ном о́бщим не изме́рить,
У ней осо́бенная стать,
В Росси́ю мо́жно то́лько ве́рить.
The general meaning of the poem is as follows: “It is impossible to understand Russia with one’s mind; Russia is special and can’t be measured in the same way as other countries; in Russia one can only believe.” Back then, Tyutchev basically stated that it is hard for foreigners to understand Russia with its mysterious soul just by using simple logic or common sense.
Anyway, the Russian Soul must exist because the word "soul" is used so frequently in the Russian language, and it is literally on top of the tongue of almost every Russian.
душа́ – ду́ши (plural) = soul, spirit
USEFUL VOCABULARY ON TOPIC
There are quite a few idiomatic expressions with this noun.
жить душа́ в ду́шу = (literally) to live soul to soul; to live in harmony, in piece, in perfect unity with someone.
Я ду́маю, что э́ти ба́бушка и де́душка живу́т душа́ в ду́ша. А как вы ду́маете?
Рисунок: Леонид Баранов
по душе́ = to your liking; said about something you like or enjoy
рабо́та по душе ́= a job you like
де́ло по душе́ = something to your liking
Это мне не по душе́. = I do not like this. /It’s not to my liking.
Найди́ себе́ де́ло по душе́! = Find something you like doing.
This philosophical statement by the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius has the idiom «по душе». Can you translate these words of wisdom into English?
по душа́м = frankly; heart-to-heart; without hiding anything
This expression is usually used with the verb “говори́ть /поговори́ть” or the noun “разгово́р” in the following expressions:
говори́ть по душа́м = to talk heart-to-heat, honestly, frankly, openly
разгово́р по душа́м = heart-to-heart; honest, frank, open conversation
Дава́й поговори́м по душа́м! = Let’s talk honestly.
Художник: Алевтина Хабибова
NOTE! Even though the expressions “по душе́” and its plural form “по душа́м” differ only in grammatical number, they have different meanings.
за ми́лую ду́шу = with pleasure, with good appetite
If you try to translate it literally, or have Google Translate do it for you, you will get “for a sweet soul”, which is hard to guess what it could mean. The idiom is commonly used with the verb «есть/съесть».
есть /съесть за ми́лую ду́шу = to eat with pleasure or/and with good appetite (said about eating something tasty).
Де́ти съе́ли все пельме́ни за ми́лую ду́шу! – Kids ate all the pelmeni with great pleasure.
А что бы вы съе́ли за ми́лую ду́шу: борщ, пельме́ни, пирожки́, блины́?
На душе́ ко́шки скребу́т. = (Literally: Cats are scratching my soul.) = to feel worried, concerned, upset, depressed, anxious; anticipating something bad
The synonymous expressions:
душа́ боли́т = Literally: The soul is in pain.
душа́ не на ме́сте = Literally: The soul is not in the right place
Что де́лать е́сли на душе́ кошки скребу́т? = What should I do if I feel sad and anxious?
ду́шенька (ду́шечка) = dear, darling, sweetheart
This is an old-fashioned form of endearment of «душа́». I think it is sweet to call the person you love ‘my soul’ or, even better, ‘little soul’.
Не плачь, ду́шенька, успоко́йся! = Don’t cry, sweetheart. Come down.
ADJECTIVES DESCRIBING PERSONALITY
There are also a few adjectives with the root «душ» describing personality, literally, a person with a certain type of soul:
великоду́шный = (literally: great-souled) = generous, magnanimous
доброду́шный = (literally: kind-souled) = kind-hearted
малоду́шный = (literally: little-souled) = weak-spirited; chicken-hearted
равноду́шный = (literally: a person who doesn’t care – всё равно) = indifferent
(за)душе́вный = soulful, sincere, heartwarming
безду́шный = (literally: without a soul) = heartless, dead-hearted
SOME OTHER IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
от души́ = from all the heart
всей душо́й = with all one’s heart and soul: with enthusiasm
в глубине́ души́ = in the back of one’s mind
душа́ нараспа́шку = to wear one’s heart on the sleeve: (said about honest and sincere person)
душа́ в пя́тки ушла́ = to have one’s heart in the mouth; to have heart in boots (when you got scared)
души́ не ча́ять = to worship; to adore (Он в ней души́ не ча́ет. = He adores her.)
в чём душа́ де́ржится = (Literally: someone’s body and soul are scarcely held together) someone is as weak as could be
ско́лько душе́ уго́дно = to one’s heart’s content; as much as you want
загляну́ть в ду́шу = to search one’s heart
лесть в ду́шу = (Literally: to climb into one’s soul) to inquire in very close detail about someone's personal life; to interfere in someone's private affairs
откры́ть ду́шу = to open one’s heart to someone
криви́ть душо́й = not to tell the truth; to be dishonest; to hypocrite
плева́ть в ду́шу = (Literally: to spit in one’s soul) = to insult what is most dear, sacred to someone
изли́ть ду́шу = to pour one’s heart out
на ду́шу населе́ния = (inf.) per capita of the population
