How to Learn Key Phrases in Russian

Learning a second language is always a good idea - whether for travel, business or just plain fun. Romance languages are popular these days, but why not be adventurous and try Russian? Here are a few phrases to get you started.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Foreign Language Phrase Books

1. Greet someone with "privet" for "hello" in casual situations and "zdrahst-vui-tye" in formal situations. When saying "good-bye," "pah-kah" is the casual form, and the more commonly recognized "dahs-vee-dah-nyuh" is the formal word.
2. Attract someone's attention by saying "is-vee-nee-tyuh" for "excuse me." Introduce yourself by saying "Ya" for "I am" and then your name.
3. Use "pah-zahl-sta" for "please" and "spa-see-ba" for "thank you."
4. Agree with someone by saying "dah" for "yes" and "nyet" for "no."
5. Ask "How are you?" or more literally, "How are you feeling?" by saying "Kak dela?"
6. Find the place you're looking for by using "g-dyeh" for "where," and then the name of the place you're seeking. Some popular places include Tverskaya Street ("Tver-sky-ya Oo-li-tsa"), Red Square ("Kras-nah-ya Plo-schad"), and the Intourist or Metropol hotels ("Intourist Gah-sti-ni-tsa").
7. Tell someone you don't understand by saying "Ya nyee puh-nyee-my-you." Then make certain the person you're talking to understands you by asking "Vwee puh-nyee-myee-tya pahn an-glee-ski" or "Vwee guh-vah-ryee-tya pahn an-glee-ski" for "Do you understand?" or "Do you speak English?" respectively.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to a Russian language tape for some tips and tricks on pronunciation. Many sounds in Russian don't exist in other languages.
• Carry a Russian phrase book and phonetic dictionary. Russian is written in Cyrillic, so chances are you won't be able to understand signs and written directions.
• When asking a question use a raised intonation on the question word (who, why, when, what and where) instead of at the end of the question, as in English.