дёрнуть

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *dьrnǫti.

• IPA^(key): [ˈdʲɵrnʊtʲ]

• Audio:

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дёрнуть • (djórnutʹ) pf (imperfective дёргать)

1. to pull, to tug

   дёрнуть кого́-либо за рука́в ― djórnutʹ kovó-libo za rukáv ― to pull someone's sleeve; tug at someone's sleeve

   и дёрнуло меня́! ― i djórnulo menjá! ― what (on earth) possessed me! (literally, “and it pulled me!”)

   чёрт меня́ дёрнул! ― čort menjá djórnul! ― what (on earth) possessed me! (literally, “the devil pulled me!”)

2. to pull out

   дёрнуть зуб ― djórnutʹ zub ― to pull out a tooth

3. (impersonal, colloquial) to twitch, to throb, to twinge
4. to move sharply, to jerk

   ло́шади дёрнули ― lóšadi djórnuli ― the horses gave a jerk

5. (colloquial) to disturb
6. (low colloquial) to drink, to knock back

   дёрнем ещё по рю́мочке ― djórnem ješčó po rjúmočke ― let's knock back another one

7. (colloquial) to set out, to go out
   • 1856, Лев Толстой [Leo Tolstoy], “I”, in Два гусара; English translation from Aylmer and Louise Maude, transl., Two Hussars, 1901:

     — Са́шка! дава́й бельё: пое́ду в ба́ню, — сказа́л граф, встава́я. — А отту́да, посмо́трим, мо́жет, и в са́мом де́ле к предводи́телю дёрнуть.

     — Sáška! daváj belʹjó: pojédu v bánju, — skazál graf, vstavája. — A ottúda, posmótrim, móžet, i v sámom déle k predvodítelju djórnutʹ.

     "Sashka, get my clean linen ready. I am going to the bath," said the count, rising, "and from there perhaps I may look in at the Marshal's."

• See дёргать (djórgatʹ) for derived verbs.