Russian is notoriously known as being one of the most difficult languages to learn. You have to take into consideration the fact that the whole Eastern European area has various languages that are very difficult to learn and pronounce for the Western people. Russia is a very multicultural country and you will find many variations of the classical Russian language depending on where you go. In the big cities you will be able to find people who speak English, but if you want to visit more secluded areas, you will definitely need some Russian skills.
Even if you don’t pronounce it like a local, the beauty of the Russian language is that the locals will be able to understand you. We have listed some of the most basic phrases that you should know before visiting this amazing country. We have written them phonetically, so it will be easier for you to learn them.
The Basics
The most basic things to learn are the yes and no. Yes is pronounced da in Russian and no is nyet. Depending on the area, you will hear multiple variations in pronunciation. Please is pozhlusta. Thank you is spasibo. Good morning is dobroye utro. Good evening is pronounced dobroye vecher and good afternoon is dobryi’ den. These can be easily pronounced if you try to tell them fast. You will not hear many Russian saying them slowly, so try to adapt to the pace of the language.
Helpful Expressions
The directions are also very important to learn while in Russia. Gde is where. You have to put this word in the beginning of the sentence in order to make yourself understood. Gde mall will let people know that you are looking for the mall. Eto daleko is the main question you should ask if you want to know how far something is. If you are in Moscow and a local says that it is not very far you should take into consideration that the city is very big. Idite pryamo means go straight. Povernite na pravo means turn right and provenite na levo means turn left. If you are really lost and want to find a map you just have to say kartu, pohzalusta.
In the coffee shops and restaurants things get even more interesting. Na dvhoi, pohzalusta is the first thing you should say when entering a restaurant if you want a table for two. If you get lost in recommendations, you should know these: kurista is chicken, govyadina is beef and riba is fish. Zavtrak is the word for breakfast, obed is for lunch and uzhin is for dinner. If you want the bill, you will have to say mozhno check, pohzalusta.
If you go shopping, you have to learn very few words in order to get along. Skol’ko stoit means how much is it. Mozhno zaplatit means can I pay. The word for cash is nalichnie and card is considered a generally understood word.
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