Что угодно: Say Anything at All in Russian

This is the second article on indefinite pronouns in Russian. If -то and -нибудь are new to you, start with the first one — this article picks up where it leaves off. Here we zoom in on уго́дно, and especially on how to choose between -нибудь and уго́дно, which in some contexts can both be translated as "any."

If you've already worked through -то and -нибудь, you've probably met explanations that simply translate -то as "some" and -нибудь as "any." But take the sentence "I can talk about anything." Я могу́ говори́ть о чём-нибудь, you might think — and you'd be wrong. Я могу́ говори́ть о чём-нибудь sounds like there's some one topic you can talk about, not that every subject is open — in English, simply "I can talk about something." The only right way to say "I can talk about anything" is Я могу́ говори́ть о чём уго́дно.

The closest English match for уго́дно is -ever — whatever, however, whenever, wherever. Keep it in mind as we go.

• Возьми́ како́й уго́дно чай. — Take whichever tea you want.
• Позвони́ мне когда́ уго́дно. — Call me whenever you like.
• Сде́лай э́то как уго́дно. — Do it however you like.

I know this can feel confusing, so that's exactly what this article is for: what уго́дно really means, and — more importantly — how to choose between уго́дно and -нибудь.

First, where the word comes from

Уго́дно isn't a particle glued onto a question word. It's a real word with a family, and the family gives away the whole meaning:

• уго́дный — pleasing, agreeable to someone
• угожда́ть / угоди́ть — to please someone, to do what they'd like

You'll meet the relatives in fixed phrases:

• Всем не угоди́шь. — You can't please everyone.
• Что вам уго́дно? — What would you like? (formal — the register of waiters and shop assistants)
• Как вам бу́дет уго́дно. — As you wish. (formal, I would say sounds like someone is talking to the king)

Now put что in front: что уго́дно is literally "whatever is pleasing to you." Whatever you like. And once that's the meaning, everything else follows on its own — if any option pleases you, then nothing is off the table.

The whole set

Уго́дно pairs with question words the way -то and -нибудь do, with one visible difference: it stays a separate word. No hyphen, ever.

• кто уго́дно — anyone / whoever
• что уго́дно — anything / whatever
• где уго́дно — anywhere / wherever
• куда́ уго́дно — anywhere (to) / wherever
• когда́ уго́дно — anytime / whenever
• как уго́дно — any way / however
• како́й уго́дно — any kind of / whichever
• чей уго́дно — anyone's / whosever
• ско́лько уго́дно — as much as you like / however much

Only the first word declines. Уго́дно itself never changes shape:

• Возьми́ каку́ю уго́дно кни́гу. — Take whichever book you want. (accusative, feminine)
• Спроси́ у кого́ уго́дно. — Ask anyone at all. (genitive, after у)

If those endings feel shaky, the case tables in the -то/-нибудь article cover them — the declension here is exactly the same.

One idea: who sets the limit

Here's the entire article in one line:

-Нибудь leaves a limit standing. Уго́дно takes it away.

Watch where the limit sits in each pair:

• Возьми́ что́-нибудь пое́сть, в холоди́льнике есть сыр и я́блоки. — Take something to eat, there's cheese and apples in the fridge. (the limit: what's actually in there)
• Возьми́ что уго́дно из холоди́льника, мне всё равно́. — Take anything from the fridge, I don't mind. (no limit — clear the shelves if you want)
• Позови́ кого́-нибудь из сосе́дей. — Call one of the neighbors. (the limit: the neighbors)
• Позови́ кого́ уго́дно, мне нужна́ по́мощь. — Call anyone, I need help. (no limit — a stranger on the street counts)
• Дава́й встре́тимся где́-нибудь в це́нтре. — Let's meet somewhere downtown. (the limit: downtown)
• Дава́й встре́тимся где уго́дно, я про́сто хочу́ тебя́ уви́деть. — Let's meet anywhere, I just want to see you. (the place doesn't matter — seeing you does)
• Купи́ како́й-нибудь пода́рок для колле́ги, недорого́й. — Buy some gift for a colleague, a cheap one. (the limit: the price)
• Купи́ како́й уго́дно пода́рок, не ва́жно, ско́лько он сто́ит. — Buy any gift, it doesn't matter how much it costs. (no limit — the price stops mattering)

The same machine, four times. Find the limit, then decide whether you're keeping it.

When each word gets used

-Нибудь keeps to four situations you'll remember from the first article — questions, requests, the future, and conditionals:

• Кто́-нибудь звони́л, пока́ меня́ не́ было? — Did anyone call while I was out? (question)
• Возьми́ с собо́й что́-нибудь тёплое. — Take something warm with you. (request)
• Он ка́к-нибудь обяза́тельно зае́дет. — He'll definitely stop by sometime. (future)
• Е́сли тебе́ что́-нибудь понадо́бится, дай знать. — If you need anything, let me know. (conditional)

Уго́дно doesn't sort itself by situation at all — it sorts by whether there's a limit. It slides into requests and the future just as easily as -нибудь does:

• Пиши́ мне когда́ уго́дно. — Write to me whenever you like.

But it also reaches somewhere -нибудь can't go at all: a plain statement, nothing asked or requested, just declared as fact. That's exactly where we're headed next.

Where only угодно works

A plain statement declaring "no limit at all" is the one place -нибудь can't follow уго́дно:

• Здесь мо́жно де́лать что уго́дно. — You can do anything here. (a flat statement, no restrictions whatsoever)
• Спра́шивай меня́ что уго́дно. — Ask me anything. (blanket permission, no topic off-limits)

Try the swap. Здесь мо́жно де́лать что́-нибудь stops meaning "no restrictions" — it now means "you're allowed to do at least one thing here," which is smaller, and a little odd. Спра́шивай что́-нибудь stops being permission and turns into encouragement: "go on, ask something" — not "nothing is off-limits."

This isn't a ban on -нибудь in statements in general — it turns up in plenty of them (Он всегда́ что́-нибудь приду́мает. — He'll always think of something). The rule is narrower than that: when a statement is specifically declaring "no limit, none at all," -нибудь can't make that claim. Only уго́дно can.

And the reverse holds too: a genuine yes/no question is the one place уго́дно can't go at all. Ты ви́дел кого́-нибудь? — Did you see anyone? You're asking whether one particular person crossed your path, not announcing that all people are acceptable. That's -нибудь's job, and уго́дно can't take it.

Сколько угодно is not сколько-нибудь

These two look like a matching pair and aren't one at all:

• Бери́ де́нег ско́лько уго́дно. — Take as much money as you like. (no ceiling on the amount)
• У тебя́ есть ско́лько-нибудь де́нег? — Do you have any money at all? (asking whether even a little exists)

Уго́дно says "no ceiling." -Нибудь says "even a little would do." Not two levels of politeness, not two registers of one idea — they point in opposite directions. One opens the tap; the other checks whether there's a drop left.

The words that travel with угодно

Уго́дно rarely walks alone. Spot these nearby and you're almost certainly in its territory:

• всё равно́ — all the same, I don't mind
• не ва́жно — it doesn't matter
• лишь бы — as long as, if only
  • Кот мо́жет быть како́й уго́дно, лишь бы не бе́лый. — The cat can be any color at all, as long as it's not white. (лишь бы carves out one single exception — everything else stays free)
  • Я могу́ есть каку́ю уго́дно еду́, лишь бы не ры́бу. — I can eat any food at all, as long as it's not fish.

-то, -нибудь, угодно: the English map

Let's look again at three Russian forms and the English they land on.

-то is always some. Something specific exists; it just doesn't get named.

• Кто́-то звони́л. — Someone called.

-нибудь splits — the only one of the three that does:

• in requests, offers and invitations → some
  • Принеси́ что́-нибудь к ча́ю. — Bring something for tea.
  • Хо́чешь чего́-нибудь? — Do you want something?
• in genuine questions and conditionals → any
  • Ты ви́дел кого́-нибудь? — Did you see anyone?
  • Е́сли что́-нибудь случи́тся, звони́. — If anything happens, call me.

Why the split? English some and any quietly track whether the speaker expects a yes. Requests and offers do expect one, so English reaches for some. Neutral questions don't, so it reaches for any. Russian makes no such distinction here — -нибудь only tracks "not decided yet," so one Russian word covers both English ones.

уго́дно is always -ever / any... at all. It's the only one of the three that lands on a single English idea — and that's no accident. "It doesn't matter which" is a separate meaning in its own right, and English marks it separately too.

So next time you're caught between -нибудь and уго́дно, skip the question of which one is stronger. Ask instead: is there a limit in this picture, and am I keeping it? Что́-нибудь hands you one thing off the shelf. Что уго́дно hands you the shelf.

The practice is waiting in the Exercises tab at the top of the page — and yes, you can do them in any order you like :)