I have a set list of phrases you should learn in every language, but there are a few extra explanations and phrases to learn that are specific to Russian. Also please forgive my ridiculous phonetic spellings.
- Yes & No
- I’m sure you already know these ones- Да & нет (Dah & Nyet)
- Hello
- Before coming to Russia I thought hello was priviet. That’s more like hi, and you only say it to your friends or little kids. It’s important in Russia to greet everyone, if you’re in an elevator with someone, before you check out at a store, when walking into a business- you need to say it a lot, which is hard because it’s one of the most difficult words to pronounce.
- Здравствуйте is how it’s written in Cyrillic. The google translate phonetic spelling is Zdravstvuyte, and my own personal spelling is Ztravstvootyay.
- I’m sorry/ Excuse me
- There are two, and I’m still not 100% what the difference is between them. The first is Извините. Google phonetics is Izvinite and mine is Izvenitye. I definitely hear this more than the other one, but the other one seems more intense, like you really did something wrong. It is простите. Google writes prostite and I write prostitye. But it’s okay to just use the first.
- I can’t speak Russian
- My favorite phrase- я не говорю по русски.
- Google writes: ya ne govoryu po russki.
- I write: ya nyeh govoroo po rooski.
- I usually start this phrase with an apology.
- Please & Thank you (and you’re welcome)
- Please and you’re welcome are the same in Russian- пожалуйста. Google phonetics: pozhaluysta, my phonetics: puhzhaloostuh.
- Thank you is Спасибо pronounced spasiba.
- I would like this
- In most languages, the most polite way to ask for something is say I would like this, but it’s not something normal to say in Russian. Luckily the normal thing to say is way easier to pronounce and remember! People just say the equivalent of may I this? можно это? Pronounced mozhnuh eta.
- It’s also what you would say if you were asking permission to enter a building, or pet a dog, or take something. Just say можно.
- This is good.
- This is good, that’s enough, I’m good, everything is fine, alright. хорошо, pronounced kherasho. Super helpful and common word.
Russian Specific Extras:
- I’m finished/that’s all
- One of my favorite words in Russian it also sort of means Ta da! Все, pronounced vsyo or fsyo.
- How much?
- Сколько? Pronounced skolka.
- Where?
- Где? Pronounced G’dey. And a lot of the things you might ask for directions to are cognates- like toilet or restaurant or museum or metro.
- English
- It may be helpful for you to learn the word for English too. You can ask for an English menu, or an English map, or ask if someone knows English instead of just staring at them.
- The word for English is английский, pronounced onglisky.
Finding Eden 