Signification
Someone who is reluctant to go anywhere.
Contexte culturel
The concept of 'dacha' (summer house) culture often involves this idiom. Some family members are 'тяжёлые на подъём' and hate the effort of packing and driving to the dacha, while others are 'лёгкие' and ready to go every Friday. Ilya Oblomov, the protagonist of Goncharov's novel, is the ultimate 'тяжёлый на подъём' character. His name has become synonymous with a specific type of Russian laziness and soul-searching inertia. In big cities like Moscow, being 'лёгкий на подъём' is highly valued due to the fast pace of life, making 'тяжёлый на подъём' a more common mild criticism among young professionals. The character Ilya Muromets sat on a stove for 33 years before finally getting up to perform heroic deeds—the most extreme historical example of being 'тяжёлый на подъём'.
Gender Matters
Don't forget to change the ending of 'тяжёлый' if you're talking about a woman (тяжёлая) or a group (тяжёлые).
Not about weight
Never use this to comment on someone's physical weight; it's strictly about their energy and initiative.
Signification
Someone who is reluctant to go anywhere.
Gender Matters
Don't forget to change the ending of 'тяжёлый' if you're talking about a woman (тяжёлая) or a group (тяжёлые).
Not about weight
Never use this to comment on someone's physical weight; it's strictly about their energy and initiative.
The Antonym is Key
Learning 'лёгкий на подъём' at the same time will double your expressive power for describing people.
Softening Criticism
Using this phrase is a 'soft' way to call someone lazy without using the harsher word 'ленивый'.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the adjective.
Моя сестра очень ________ на подъём, она никогда не хочет гулять.
The subject 'сестра' is feminine, so the adjective must be 'тяжёлая'.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose the correct usage:
The idiom is used for people's character and uses the preposition 'на' with 'подъём' in the accusative.
Match the person with the description.
Match the opposites:
These are the core relationships between these terms.
Fill in the missing phrase in the dialogue.
— Поехали на море завтра? — Ой, я не знаю... — Ну не будь таким ________!
The speaker is encouraging the other person not to be reluctant.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Тяжёлый vs. Лёгкий на подъём
Where to use it
Social
- • Declining parties
- • Staying home
Travel
- • Hating long trips
- • Slow packing
Work
- • Slow to start projects
- • Resisting change
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesМоя сестра очень ________ на подъём, она никогда не хочет гулять.
The subject 'сестра' is feminine, so the adjective must be 'тяжёлая'.
Choose the correct usage:
The idiom is used for people's character and uses the preposition 'на' with 'подъём' in the accusative.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the core relationships between these terms.
— Поехали на море завтра? — Ой, я не знаю... — Ну не будь таким ________!
The speaker is encouraging the other person not to be reluctant.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot necessarily. It's a neutral observation, though it can be used with mild exasperation among friends.
Yes! It's a very common way to self-deprecate: 'Я сегодня что-то тяжёлый на подъём'.
Mostly, but it can also apply to starting any new activity or project that requires effort.
The short form is 'тяжёл/тяжела/тяжелы на подъём', used mostly in literature.
Yes, it is used daily in both speech and social media.
No, that's not a standard idiom. Stick to 'на подъём'.
'Ленивый' (lazy) is broader. 'Тяжёлый на подъём' specifically refers to the difficulty of *starting* or *leaving*.
Only metaphorically if you're joking about the car being 'lazy' to start.
You can say: 'Я сегодня тяжёлый на подъём, давай в другой раз'.
A slangy way to say this is 'неподъёмный' or 'тормоз' (though 'тормоз' is more about being slow to think).
Expressions liées
лёгкий на подъём
contrastEasygoing, ready to go anywhere at a moment's notice.
раскачиваться
similarTo take a long time to get started.
домосед
similarA homebody.
неповоротливый
similarClumsy or slow-moving.
тянуть кота за хвост
builds onTo procrastinate or take forever to do something.
