Russian For Dummies

With over 260 million speakers around the world, Russian remains one of the most popular and marketable languages you can learn. And for those who have no idea where to begin, Russian For Dummies is the perfect first step!

In this easy-to-understand resource for Russian language beginners, you'll discover basic grammar and common expressions you might use while shopping, dining out, traveling, or conducting business. You'll also find simplified and generalized conjugation rules and a streamlined approach to grammar based on how you actually understand the language, rather than technical rules and details.

This book offers:

• Supplemental online resources so you can hear how native Russian speakers use the words you're trying to learn
• Guidance on identifying Cyrillic letters from the alphabet used by Russian speakers and writers
• Tons of useful exercise and practice opportunities you can take advantage of to sharpen your skills

Perfect for any newcomer to the Russian language trying to pick up their first few phrases, Russian For Dummies is a fantastic first foray into conversational Russian that will have you ordering meals, going shopping, and navigating other day-to-day situations with ease. Удачи! (That means good luck!)

Andrew D. Kaufman, PhD, is an associate professor, general faculty; lecturer in Slavic Languages and Literatures; and assistant director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia. His work has been featured on Today, NPR, PBS, and Oprah.com, as well as in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Serafima Gettys, PhD, is Director of the Foreign Language Program at Lewis University, where she also teaches Russian.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

What You’re Not to Read 3

Foolish Assumptions 3

How This Book Is Organized 4

Part 1: Getting Started 4

Part 2: Russian in Action 4

Part 3: Russian on the Go 4

Part 4: The Part of Tens 4

Appendixes 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Beyond the Book 6

Where to Go from Here 6

Part 1: Getting Started 7

Chapter 1: Russian in a Nutshell 9

Discovering How Easy the Russian Alphabet Really Is 9

Tackling Basic Grammar 10

Easing into Common Expressions 11

Counting on Numbers, Times, and Measurements 11

Speaking Russian around the House 12

Using Russian in Social Scenarios 13

Starting conversations 13

Finding your way around 13

Eating out and buying food 14

Going shopping 14

Exploring entertainment opportunities 14

Doing business and communicating 15

Enjoying sports, hobbies, recreation, and more 15

Getting a Handle on Travel Topics 15

Chapter 2: Checking Out the Russian Alphabet 17

Recognizing Russian Letters (It’s Easier Than You Think) 18

Introducing the entire alphabet 18

I know you!: Familiar-looking, same-sounding letters 22

Playing tricks: Familiar-looking, different-sounding letters 22

How bizarre: Weird-looking letters 23

Sounding Like a Real Russian with Proper Pronunciation 25

Understanding the one-letter-one-sound principle 25

Giving voice to vowels 26

Enunciating consonants correctly 28

Surveying sticky sounds 30

Chapter 3: Warming Up with Russian Grammar Basics 33

Beginning with Nouns and Pronouns 34

Defining a noun’s gender 34

Making a noun plural 35

Replacing nouns with pronouns 36

The Case of Russian Cases: What Are They For? 37

The nominative case 39

The genitive case 39

The accusative case 40

The dative case 41

The instrumental case 41

The prepositional case 42

Putting Nouns and Pronouns in the Correct Cases 42

Checking out cases for singular nouns 42

Trying your hand at changing the case of a singular noun 44

Putting plurals in proper cases 45

Trying your hand at putting nouns into plural cases 47

Perusing the correct cases of pronouns 48

Decorating Your Speech with Adjectives 49

Making sure that adjectives and nouns agree 49

Adding Action with Verbs 54

Spotting infinitives 54

Living in the present tense 55

Describing action in the present tense 55

Talking about the past tense 56

Planning for the future tense 57

Using the unusual verb “to be” 58

Expressing possession with a special phrase 60

Helping yourself with modal verbs 60

Providing Extra Details with Adverbs 61

Describing how 61

Describing when and how often 62

Constructing Sentences Like a Pro 62

Enjoying the freedom of word order 62

Creating a Russian sentence step by step 63

Connecting with conjunctions 64

Forming questions 64

Chapter 4: Getting Started with Basic Expressions 67

To Whom Am I Speaking?: Being Informal or Formal 67

Comings and Goings: Saying Hello and Goodbye 68

Saying hello to different people 68

Greeting folks at any time of day 69

Handling “How are you?” 69

Taking your leave 70

The Name Game: Deciphering Russian Names 71

Breaking the Ice: Making Introductions 72

Getting acquainted 73

Introducing yourself 73

Introducing your friends, family, and colleagues 74

You Can Say That Again: Using Popular Expressions 76

Speaking courteously 76

Excusing yourself 77

Arming yourself with other handy phrases 77

Talking about Talking: The Verb “To Speak” 78

Chapter 5: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight 81

One by One: Counting in Russian 81

From zero to ten 82

From 11 to 19 82

From 20 to 99 83

From 100 to 999 84

From 1,000 to beyond 84

Special rules for counting things and people 85

Ordinal numbers 86

The Clock’s Ticking: Telling (and Asking About) Time 87

Counting the hours 88

Marking the minutes 88

Distinguishing day and night 89

Understanding the 24-hour clock 90

Asking for the time 90

It’s a Date!: Checking Out the Calendar 92

Naming the days of the week 92

Talking about time relative to the present 93

Mentioning months and seasons 94

Delving into dates 95

Saying years 95

The Long and Short of It: Familiarizing Yourself with Metric Measurements 98

Chapter 6: Speaking Russian at Home 101

Taking a Tour of Your Home 101

The kitchen 102

The dining room 103

The living room 104

The bedroom 105

The bathroom 105

The laundry room 106

The garage 106

Home Is Where the Food Is 109

Get cookin’: The verb “to cook” 109

Eat up: The verb “to eat” 110

Drink up: The verb “to drink” 110

Enjoying different meals 111

Describing your food and drink preferences with the verb “to like” 112

Engaging in Daily Activities 115

Discussing your household chores 115

Talking about all the places you go 115

Bantering about bedtime activities 116

Part 2: Russian in Action 119

Chapter 7: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk 121

Let Me Tell You Something: Talking about Yourself 122

Stating where you’re from 122

Talking about your nationality and ethnicity 123

Giving your age 127

Discussing your family 127

Telling what you do for a living 129

I’m Sorry!: Explaining that You Don’t Understand Something 132

Let’s Get Together: Giving and Receiving Contact Information 132

Chapter 8: Asking for Directions 137

Using “Where” and “How” Questions 137

Asking where a place is 138

Inquiring how to get to a place 139

The Next Step: Understanding Specific Directions 140

Making sense of commands in the imperative mood 140

Listening for prepositions 141

Keeping “right” and “left” straight 141

Going here and there 144

Traveling near and far 146

Chapter 9: Dining Out and Going to the Market 149

Eating Out in Russia 149

Finding a place to eat 149

Making reservations on the phone 150

Ordering a meal 151

Having handy phrases for the wait staff 152

Receiving and paying the bill 153

Going Out for Groceries 155

Meats and fish 155

Fruits and vegetables 156

Dairy products and eggs 157

Baked goods 157

A Russian tradition: Hot cereal 158

Beverages 158

Chapter 10: Shopping Made Easy 163

Shopping with Confidence: The Verb “To Buy” 164

So Many Stores, So Little Time: The Shopping Scene in Russia 165

Looking at different types of stores and merchandise 165

Finding out when a store is open 167

Navigating a department store 168

You Are What You Wear: Shopping for Clothes 170

Seeking specific items of clothing and accessories 170

Describing items in color 172

Finding the right size 172

Trying on clothing 173

This or That? Deciding What You Want 174

Using demonstrative pronouns 174

Comparing two items 175

Talking about what you like most (or least) 176

You Gotta Pay to Play: Buying Items 176

How much does it cost? 176

I’ll take it! How do I pay? 177

Chapter 11: Going Out on the Town 181

Together Wherever We Go: Making Plans to Go Out 181

On the Big Screen: Going to the Movies 183

Picking a particular type of movie 184

Buying tickets 184

Choosing a place to sit and watch 185

It’s Classic: Taking in the Russian Ballet and Theater 188

Culture Club: Visiting a Museum 190

How Was It?: Talking about Entertainment 191

Chapter 12: Taking Care of Business and Telecommunications 195

Looking Around Your Office 195

Indispensable office supplies 196

Rooms around the office 197

Simple office etiquette 197

Ringing Up Telephone Basics 198

Brushing up on phone vocabulary 198

Distinguishing different types of phones 199

Knowing different kinds of phone calls 199

Dialing the Number and Making the Call 200

Arming Yourself with Basic Telephone Etiquette 201

Saving time by not introducing yourself 201

Asking for the person you want to speak to 202

Anticipating different responses 202

Leaving a message with a person 206

Talking to an answering machine 209

Using a Computer 209

Familiarizing yourself with computer terms 210

Sending email 211

Sending Correspondence 211

Chapter 13: Recreation and the Great Outdoors 215

Shootin’ the Breeze about Recreational Plans 215

What did you do last night? 216

What are you doing this weekend? 217

What do you like to do? 218

Surveying the World of Sports 219

Listing a few popular sports 220

Using the verb “to play” 220

Talking about other athletic activities 221

Reading All about It 223

Talking about what you’re reading 223

Discussing genres 224

Sounding Off about Music 227

Taking note of a few popular instruments 227

Asking about instruments that others play 228

Wondering what kinds of music others like 228

Being Crafty 229

Rejoicing in the Lap of Nature 230

Part 3: Russian on the Go 233

Chapter 14: Planning a Trip 235

Where Do You Want to Go?: Picking a Place for Your Trip 235

Checking out continents and countries 236

Visiting Russia 237

How Do We Get There?: Booking a Trip 238

Don’t Leave Home without Them: Dealing with Passports and Visas 241

Taking It with You: Packing Tips 244

Chapter 15: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land 247

Paying Attention to Currency 247

Rubles and kopecks 247

Dollars, euros, and other international currencies 248

Changing Money 249

Using Banks 250

Opening an account at the bank of your choice 251

Making deposits and withdrawals 252

Heading to the ATM 253

Spending Money 254

Using cash 254

Paying with credit cards 256

Chapter 16: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and More 259

Understanding Verbs of Motion 259

Going by foot or vehicle habitually 260

Going by foot or vehicle at the present time 261

Explaining where you’re going 262

Navigating the Airport 263

Using the verb “to fly” 263

Checking in and boarding your flight 263

Handling customs and passport control 264

Conquering Public Transportation 266

Taking a taxi 266

Using minivans 266

Catching buses, trolley buses, and trams 267

Hopping on the subway 267

Embarking on a Railway Adventure 268

Making sense of a train schedule 268

Surveying types of trains and cars 269

Buying tickets 269

Stocking up on essentials for your ride 270

Boarding the train and enjoying your trip 270

Chapter 17: Finding a Place to Stay 273

Finding a Hotel That’s Right for You 273

Types of hotels 273

Making a reservation 274

Checking In 279

Enduring the registration process 279

Taking a tour of your room 283

Familiarizing yourself with the facilities 283

Meeting the staff 284

Resolving Service Problems 284

Reporting a broken item 285

Requesting missing items 285

Asking to change rooms 286

Checking Out and Paying Your Bill 286

Chapter 18: Handling Emergencies 289

Finding Help in Case of Accidents and Other Emergencies 289

Hollering for help 290

Making an emergency phone call 290

Reporting a problem 291

Requesting English-speaking help 293

Receiving Medical Care 294

Knowing parts of the body 295

Describing your symptoms 297

Understanding questions a doctor asks 298

Communicating allergies or special conditions 300

Seeing a specialist 300

Undergoing an examination and getting a diagnosis 301

Visiting a pharmacy 303

Calling the Police When You’re the Victim of a Crime 304

Talking to the police 304

Answering questions from the police 305

Part 4: The Part of Tens 307

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Pick Up Russian Quickly 309

Check Out Russian TV, Movies, and Music 309

Listen to Russian Radio Programs 310

Read Russian Publications 310

Surf the Internet 311

Visit a Russian Restaurant 311

Find a Russian Pen Pal 312

Teach English to a Russian Immigrant 313

Visit a Jewish Community Center 313

Travel to Russia 313

Date or Marry a Russian 314

Chapter 20: Ten Things Never to Say in Russian 315

Use the Right Form of “You” 315

Don’t Rush to Say “Hi!” 316

Don’t Switch to First Names Prematurely 316

Use “How Are You?” with Caution 317

Respond to “How Are You?” in a Culturally Appropriate Manner 317

Choose the Right Form of “Happy” 318

Watch Out When You Talk about Studying 318

Accent a Certain Verb Carefully 318

Know the Difference between a Bathroom and a Restroom 319

Don’t Toast with the Wrong Phrase 319

Chapter 21: Ten Favorite Russian Expressions 321

Showing Strong Feelings 321

Using “Give” in Various Situations 322

Starting a Story 322

Taking “Listen!” to the Next Level 322

Describing Amazement about Food 323

Insisting that the Good Times Continue 323

Noting the Benefit of Silence 323

Saying that Two Heads Are Better Than One 324

Expressing that a Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed 324

Understanding the Importance of Old Friends 324

Chapter 22: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Fluent in Russian 325

Showing Off Your Excellent Manners 325

Paying a Compliment 326

Inviting Someone Over for Tea 326

Saying “Help Yourself” 327

Wishing Someone “Bon Appétit!” 327

Embracing the Tradition of Sitting Down Before Leaving 327

Offering Hospitality 328

Wishing Good Luck 328

Signing Off with Kisses 329

Offering Unusual Congratulations 329

Appendix A: Russian-English Mini-Dictionary 331

Appendix B: Verb Tables 351

Appendix C: Answer Keys 357

Index 361

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