Useful Colloquial Expression: ‘Не по себе’

The feeling of anxiety, which can be challenging to express in words, is aptly captured by the Russian expression “Не по себе.” We use it to convey a sense of feeling uneasy, uncomfortable, or not in one’s usual state of mind or well-being. It can describe a variety of emotions or situations where someone feels off or not quite like themselves.

Note that we use ‘не по себе‘ with nouns and pronouns in the Dative case, which is typical when describing feelings and states in Russian. Let’s explore some examples below.

• Ему было не по себе каждый раз, когда она смотрела на него. = He felt uneasy every time she looked at him.
• Обычно мне не по себе, когда я читаю новости. = I usually feel uneasy when reading the news.
• В кабинете врача Ларисе стало не по себе. = In the doctor’s office, Larisa started to feel strange.