<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the best way to learn to speak Russian? The answer is pretty simple – you need to start using it as soon as possible. Which really means on Day 1. Yes, that first day you decided to learn this idiosyncratic yet beautiful language. But how can you have a meaningful conversation in a foreign language if you literally just started to learn it.<\/p>\n
First, you\u2019ll need a conversation partner. That should be pretty easy. If you can\u2019t find a Russian speaker locally, there\u2019s always Internet and you can find someone willing to help you with your Russian in exchange for a lesson in your language.<\/p>\n
Now, time to learn a few essential phrases. That might be a real stumbler. For the first conversation, I\u2019d suggest something generic that can be used in a variety of situations, such as \u201chello\u201d, \u201chow are you\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m fine\u201d and maybe a few other helpful phrases.<\/p>\n
Hello<\/strong><\/p>\n There are many different ways to greet a person in Russian, but a polite \u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435<\/strong> [zdRAstvoote] is your best choice here. It offers the just right level of formality and is appropriate in most situations.<\/p>\n My name is<\/strong><\/p>\n You won\u2019t need to use this phrase if you are shopping at a Russian grocery store, but in pretty much all other situations it\u2019s a handy phrase to know:<\/p>\n \u041c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u0437\u043e\u0432\u0443<\/span>\u0442 \u0411\u043e\u043d\u0434, \u0414\u0436\u0435\u0439\u043c\u0441 \u0411\u043e\u043d\u0434<\/strong> [MeNYA zaVOOT Bond, James Bond] – My name is Bond, James Bond.<\/p>\n And when your counterpart introduces him- or herself, you can make a great impression by responding with\u00a0\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u043e<\/strong> [Ochen\u2019 preeYAtna] – very nice (to meet you)<\/p>\n How are you today?<\/strong><\/p>\n First, let me just say that, unlike in the US, strangers in Russia don\u2019t ask each other the \u201chow are you today?\u201d question all that often. Instead, it is reserved for a conversation between friends or at least acquaintances. Still, if you would like to ask it, go with<\/p>\n \u041a\u0430\u043a \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430<\/span>?<\/strong> [Kak deLA?] – How\u2019s it going?<\/p>\n In which case be prepared to hear something more detailed than the typical Western \u201cfine, thank you\u201d (see “In case of emergency” section at the end of the post)<\/p>\n I am fine, thank you<\/strong><\/p>\n If, in turn, your conversation partner asks you \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430<\/span>?<\/strong> or \u0430 \u0443 \u0432\u0430\u0441 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430<\/span>?<\/strong> the useful phrase to keep in mind is<\/p>\n \u0412\u0441\u0451 \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e<\/span>, \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043e<\/strong> [Vsyo haraSHO, spaSEEba] – All is well, thank you.<\/p>\n Where are you from? Where do you live?<\/strong><\/p>\n Americans are ridiculously mobile. And by this I mean they move from place to place a lot. Turns out, average Americans move 11-14 times in their life. By contrast, most Russians stay in the same town they were born in or move only a couple of times. For example, most of my childhood friends still live in my hometown of Volgograd, many – in the same neighborhoods and some – in the same apartments.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s why it matters – the \u201cwhere are you from\u201d and \u201cwhere do you live\u201d questions are frequently interchangeable in Russia:<\/p>\n \u041e\u0442\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0430 \u0432\u044b?<\/strong> [atKOOda vi?]<\/p>\n Now, when it\u2019s your turn to answer the \u043e\u0442\u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u0432\u044b question, you might want to go into details like<\/p>\n \u042f – \u0438\u0437 \u041c\u0430\u044f<\/span>\u043c\u0438, \u043d\u043e \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0441 \u0432 \u041d\u044c\u044e-\u0419\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u0435<\/strong> [ya iz Miami, no ya VIras v New Yorke]<\/p>\n \u042f – \u0438\u0437 \u041c\u0430\u044f<\/span>\u043c\u0438, \u043d\u043e \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0430 \u0432 \u041d\u044c\u044e-\u0419\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u0435<\/strong> (ya iz Miami, no ya VIrasla v New Yorke]<\/p>\n Do you see the difference? Russian verbs change their endings depending on the subject\u2019s gender. If the speaker is a man, he will say \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0441<\/strong> (I grew up). A woman will say \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0430<\/strong> (I grew up). And if a tree could talk, it\u2019d say \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/strong> (I grew up) since \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/strong> (tree) is a neuter noun in Russian.<\/p>\n If you do not feel certain that you will be able to juggle the verb endings during your first conversation, avoid them altogether. So you can just use the gender-neutral construct<\/p>\n \u044f \u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0438\u0437 \u041a\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u044b<\/strong> [ya ROdam iz kaNAdi] – I am originally from Canada<\/p>\n So the whole phrase might be<\/p>\n \u042f \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0443<\/span> \u0432\u043e \u0424\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0438, \u043d\u043e \u044f \u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0438\u0437 \u041a\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u044b<\/strong> – I live in France, but I am originally from Canada.<\/p>\n Once the conversation is over, don\u2019t forget to look up the town your partner is from. This will give you something to talk about next time.<\/p>\n Now, since this is your first conversation in Russian, it\u2019ll probably be very short. To wrap it up, here are some handy phrases:<\/p>\n I must go now<\/strong><\/p>\n The simplest and mercifully gender-neutral phrase is \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span><\/strong> [mne paRA] meaning, literally, it\u2019s time for me…<\/em> You don\u2019t really need to add \u201c… to do something\u201d. It\u2019s understood that you have to leave. However, it\u2019s only polite to show your regret at having to leave:<\/p>\n \u041a \u0441\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044e, \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span><\/strong> [k sazhaLEn\u2019yu mne paRA] – Unfortunately I must leave<\/p>\n Thank you and goodbye<\/strong><\/p>\n \u0421\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043e<\/strong> [spaSEEba]. Ok, that\u2019s a must-know one that you will use a lot in the future. If your partner thanks you first for a pleasant conversation, it\u2019s more appropriate to reply with \u044d\u0442\u043e \u0432\u0430\u043c \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043e<\/strong> (Eta vam spaSEEba] (no, thank you) instead of a \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0443\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/strong> [paZHAlsta] (you\u2019re welcome).<\/p>\n Just like with greetings, there are many ways to say \u201cgoodbye\u201d in Russian. But the one that would work in pretty much any situation is the classic \u0434\u043e \u0441\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong> [dasveeDAn\u2019ya]. But you can also say \u0434\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0438<\/strong> [davstREchee] (see you).<\/p>\n So here are all the phrases assembled in a real dialogue:<\/p>\n – \u0417\u0434\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435, \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f \u0437\u043e\u0432\u0443\u0442 \u041c\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043b<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u041e\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u044f\u0442\u043d\u043e. \u041c\u0435\u043d\u044f \u0437\u043e\u0432\u0443\u0442 \u0415\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0430.<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u041e\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u044f\u0442\u043d\u043e. \u041a\u0430\u043a \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430?<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u0425\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e, \u0430 \u0443 \u0432\u0430\u0441, \u041c\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043b?<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u0412\u0441\u0451 \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e, \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e. \u041e\u0442\u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u0432\u044b, \u0415\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0430?<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u042f \u0438\u0437 \u041e\u043c\u0441\u043a\u0430, \u043d\u043e \u0432\u044b\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0430 \u0432 \u0422\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0438. \u0410 \u0432\u044b?<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u042f \u0438\u0437 \u0425\u044c\u044e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043d\u0430, \u043d\u043e \u044f \u0440\u043e\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0438\u0437 \u041b\u043e\u0441-\u0410\u043d\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0430. \u041a \u0441\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044e, \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0440\u0430.<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u0421\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e. \u0414\u043e \u0441\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f.<\/strong><\/p>\n – \u042d\u0442\u043e \u0432\u0430\u043c \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e, \u0415\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0430. \u0414\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0447\u0438.<\/strong><\/p>\n This might not look like much, but even a simple short conversation like this feels awesome on Day 1. It makes you really believe that you can do it, you can learn to speak Russian! Let me know (in the comments) what other phrases would be useful and I’ll add them to the post.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Now, your partner will of course know that you are just learning to speak Russian. So hopefully she will go easy on you, speak slowly and use simple words. But in case you need some help, here are a few emergency phrases:<\/p>\n \u041f\u043e\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435, \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0443\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/strong> [pavtaREEte paZHAlsta] – Please repeat<\/p>\n \u042f \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044e<\/strong> [ya ne paneeMAyu] – I don\u2019t understand<\/p>\n \u041d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435, \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0443\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/strong> [napeSHEEte paZHAlsta] – Please write it<\/p>\n \u041a\u0430\u043a \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c?<\/strong> [Kak Eta skaZAt\u2019] – How do you say this?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about memorizing these phrases. Instead, write them down and keep them nearby just in case. \u0423\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0447\u0438!<\/strong> (Good luck!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What\u2019s the best way to learn to speak Russian? The answer is pretty simple – you need to start using it as soon as possible. Which really means on Day 1. Yes, that first day you decided to learn this idiosyncratic yet beautiful language. But how can you have a meaningful conversation in a…<\/p>\n