| English | Russian |
| play second fiddle | быть на вторых ролях (Tired of playing second fiddle, she resigned and started her own company.) |
| play second fiddle | занять подчинённое положение |
| play second fiddle | занимать второстепенное положение |
| play second fiddle | играть вторую скрипку (One set of winners could be the Chinese fashion industry, which has long played second fiddle to Western brands, to the frustration of many businesses there.) |
| play second fiddle to | находиться в тени (кого-либо • I'm tired of playing second fiddle to John.) |
| play second fiddle to | играть вторую скрипку при (ком-либо В.И.Макаров) |