# Crush (Romance)



## RhoKappa

A crush is romantic slang for intense romantic feelings for another.  It is used as a noun.  

1. I had a crush on Lena for three years before I asked her out. 
2. Lena was unaware that I had a crush on her. 

Is there a Russian equivalent?


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## Maroseika

To have a crush - быть страстно влюбленным (a bit bookish though).
Colloquial and a bit outdated is сохнуть по кому-либо.


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## RhoKappa

Is there a present-day expression?


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## Maroseika

RhoKappa said:


> Is there a present-day expression?


Both are quite present-day, but stylistically coloured as explained below. There are also many others, just explain how colloquial/bookish/teenage/serious/jocular it should be.


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## gvozd

RhoKappa said:


> A crush is romantic slang for intense romantic feelings for another.  It is used as a noun.
> 
> 1. I had a crush on Lena for three years before I asked her out.
> 2. Lena was unaware that I had a crush on her.
> 
> Is there a Russian equivalent?



Я втюхался 
   втюрился
   влип по уши
   врюхался
   запал на неё
...
I think this is an uncomplete list.


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## Maroseika

gvozd said:


> Я втюхался
> втюрился
> влип по уши
> врюхался
> запал на неё
> ...
> I think this is an uncomplete list.



Can we use any of these low colloquial words in the first phrase? Why not just был сильно влюблен?
For number 2 it may work though, but let RhoKappa explain us exact style and extent of the feelings he means.


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## gvozd

Maroseika said:


> Can we use any of these low colloquial words in the first phrase? Why not just был сильно влюблен?
> For number 2 it may work though, but let RhoKappa explain us exact style and extent of the feelings he means.



He was talking about slang, was he not? Я пригласил Лену на первое свидание целых три года спустя после того, как втюхался в неё.


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## Maroseika

gvozd said:


> He was talking about slang, was he not? Я пригласил Лену на первое свидание целых три года спустя после того, как втюхался в неё.


It seems to me he was talking about romantic slang, not just slang. Anyway, he knows better what he wants.


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## gvozd

Maroseika said:


> It seems to me he was talking about romantic slang, not just slang. Anyway, he knows better what he wants.



What is romantic slang? Prison slang, usual slang, maybe scientific, computer, but romantic?


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## Maroseika

gvozd said:


> What is romantic slang? Prison slang, usual slang, maybe scientific, computer, but romantic?



That's a question.


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## Sobakus

I don't see why not use the simple _я был влюблён_.


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## rusita preciosa

A word of caution: быть влюбленным describes a much stronger feeling than "having a crush".
I would simply say *Лена **мне нравилась*...


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## RhoKappa

But doesn't Лена мне нравилась translate simply to I like Lena? A "crush" means to have stronger feelings beyond simple liking. They usually imply feelings of inadequacy or helplessness, like that especially of unrequited love, or love that is forbidden. More examples.

1. I had a big crush on Lena for three years and I could not ask her out because she is in love with my best friend.
2. The schoolgirl had a big crush on her teacher.
3. Lena has a big crush on Sergei, who does not even recognize her.

The second example illustrates "crush" very well: a student who cannot have a relationship with her teacher because such relationship is forbidden. In the third example, Lena likes Sergei, but because Sergei does not even notice her, Lena has feelings of insecurity because she feels that Sergei is not attracted to her.

Crushes are forms of attraction that often hurt people emotionally, either due to an internal struggle with emotion or external circumstances. Lena tells her father how much she likes Sergei, and shares how painful the attraction is, and her father consoles her by saying, "That's why they're called crushes."

A crush is also an attraction that is well-hidden, too. When Lena finally tells Sergei that she has a crush on him, she is confessing her intense desire for him that he was completely unaware of while they were friends.

These are experiences we all went through growing up, and I am sure there must be a Russian expression for this--or is there?


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## igusarov

RhoKappa said:


> Crushes are forms of attraction that often hurt people emotionally, either due to an internal struggle with emotion or external circumstances.
> [...]
> These are experiences we all went through growing up, and I am sure there must be a Russian expression for this--or is there?


Indeed, there are such expressions. But they are based on verbs rather than nouns.
"страдать по кому-то", "вздыхать по кому-то"
If you wanted a noun - then I'm at loss...


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## LilianaB

Sobakus said:


> I don't see why not use the simple _я был влюблён_.



I agree -- this is the closest, without analyzing in more philosophical terms how deep the feelings really were.


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## Maroseika

igusarov said:


> "вздыхать по кому-то"



I agree, this is the closest by sense according to what RioKappa described and irrespective of the style, which is still unclear.


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## LilianaB

Maroseika said:


> I agree, this is the closest by sense according to what RioKappa described and irrespective of the style, which is still unclear.



Not in my opinion.


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## rusita preciosa

RhoKappa said:


> But doesn't Лена мне нравилась translate simply to I like Lena? A "crush" means to have stronger feelings beyond simple liking. They usually imply feelings of inadequacy or helplessness, like that especially of unrequited love, or love that is forbidden. More examples.


Well, there is no direct translation that is neutral register. 
быть влюбленным = to be in love
любить = to love
мне нравилась = I liked (to me personally it is the closest to "I had a crush": not quite in love, but still had romantic feelings)

You got some good options here (втюхался, втюрился, запал, страдать по кому-то, вздыхать по кому-то etc...) but they are all slangy, sometimes even pejorative.


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