Bedeutung
Going very well without problems.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Butter (масло) is a symbol of wealth and a 'good life.' The phrase 'кататься как сыр в масле' (to roll like cheese in butter) means to live in luxury. In business, using this phrase shows you are in control. It's a very positive 'green light' signal to partners. Many Russian fairy tales involve 'greasing' someone's palm or wheels to get past an obstacle, reinforcing the idea of oil/butter as a problem-solver. Russian developers often use this phrase in Slack or Jira to report that a deployment or bug fix was successful without unexpected issues.
Use with 'пройти'
If you are talking about something that is already finished (like a meeting or a trip), always use the past tense of 'пройти' (прошло).
Don't over-butter
While it's a great idiom, using it for every single success can sound repetitive. Mix it up with 'успешно' or 'без проблем.'
Bedeutung
Going very well without problems.
Use with 'пройти'
If you are talking about something that is already finished (like a meeting or a trip), always use the past tense of 'пройти' (прошло).
Don't over-butter
While it's a great idiom, using it for every single success can sound repetitive. Mix it up with 'успешно' or 'без проблем.'
The 'Standalone' Reply
In casual texting, if someone asks 'How's it going?', replying with just 'Как по маслу! 👍' makes you sound very native.
Irony Alert
Sometimes Russians use this ironically if something went *too* easily and they suspect a trap. Pay attention to the tone of voice!
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.
Экзамен был лёгким, всё прошло как ___ ___.
The standard form of the idiom is 'как по маслу' (dative case with 'по').
Which verb is most commonly used with this idiom to describe an ongoing process?
Наш проект ___ как по маслу.
'Идти' (to go) is the standard verb for ongoing progress in this idiom.
Match the situation to the most appropriate use of the idiom.
You just finished a difficult presentation and everyone clapped. What do you say to your colleague?
'Прошла' is used for completed events, and the full idiom is required.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
— Как прошёл твой первый день на новой работе? — Спасибо, всё ___ ___ ___!
This is the most natural way to describe a successful first day.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Butter vs. Clockwork
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenЭкзамен был лёгким, всё прошло как ___ ___.
The standard form of the idiom is 'как по маслу' (dative case with 'по').
Наш проект ___ как по маслу.
'Идти' (to go) is the standard verb for ongoing progress in this idiom.
You just finished a difficult presentation and everyone clapped. What do you say to your colleague?
'Прошла' is used for completed events, and the full idiom is required.
— Как прошёл твой первый день на новой работе? — Спасибо, всё ___ ___ ___!
This is the most natural way to describe a successful first day.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenNo, it describes actions or events. To describe a 'smooth' person, you might use 'скользкий тип' (a slippery fellow - negative) or 'обаятельный' (charming).
Yes! It shows you are positive and that you can handle tasks effectively. 'Моя предыдущая работа шла как по маслу.'
In Russian, 'масло' means both. In this idiom, it refers to the general concept of a lubricant, whether it's butter on a pancake or oil on an axle.
No, that would be funny but incorrect. Idioms are fixed; you cannot swap 'butter' for 'margarine.'
Not at all. It is used daily by all generations, from grandmothers to teenagers.
Not necessarily. It means 'without problems.' Something can go slowly but still go 'как по маслу' if there are no obstacles.
The most common opposite is 'через пень-колоду' (clumsily/poorly) or 'всё пошло наперекосяк' (everything went haywire).
Yes, in emails, blogs, and stories. It's a bit informal for a scientific paper, though.
Because it imagines something sliding *over* a surface of butter.
It is always 'маслу' (dative case).
Yes, 'Игра прошла как по маслу' (The game went smoothly).
Similar, but 'piece of cake' describes the *task* as easy, while 'как по маслу' describes the *process* as smooth.
Verwandte Redewendungen
без сучка, без задоринки
synonymWithout a hitch / perfectly smooth
как по нотам
similarAccording to plan / like clockwork
всё путём
informalEverything is fine / on track
кататься как сыр в масле
builds onTo live in the lap of luxury
комом
contrastTo go wrong (like a lumpy pancake)
