Although Russia is not considered one of the world’s top food destinations, this country has lots of fantastic traditional dishes to offer. Tourists who come to Russia are often astonished by the diversity and flavors of the local cuisine. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the most famous Russian foods and give you some simple recipes that you can try wherever you are. 

Let’s start our journey into the world of Russian cuisine!

→ By the way, to learn more about the topic, you can visit our lesson titled How is the Russian Food?

Table of Contents

1. Must-Try Dishes in Russian Restaurants
2. Unique Russian Foods
3. Food-Related Vocabulary
4. How to Cook Russian Food at Home
5. Conclusion

1. Must-Try Dishes in Russian Restaurants

If you come to Russia and visit a local restaurant, you’ll probably find some traditional Russian foods on the menu. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to find variations of Russian cuisine in your home country! We highly recommend that you taste the following Russian dishes should you ever have the opportunity:

A- Borscht

Borscht is a beet soup that came to Russia from Ukraine many years ago. The main reason you should try borscht is to enjoy the unusual combination of meat and sauteed vegetables. It’s served either hot or cold, usually with a piece of rye bread and some sour cream on top.

B- Pirogi

Pirogi is just as important in Russian cuisine as pizza is in Italian cuisine. Russian pirogi are usually cooked with unsweetened dough, and they come with different stuffings, from meat to fruits. You’ll find the best version of this traditional Russian food not in a cafe, restaurant, or Russian food store, but rather as a guest in a Russian home.

C- Varenyky

Another Russian food you must try is varenyky, or dumplings filled with potatoes, cabbage, or cherries. You can find them in any Russian food store’s frozen food department. It’s a really cheap yet nourishing Russian dish.

D- Blini

Blini are Russian wheat pancakes. In most Russian restaurants, you can find plain blini, as well as blini with toppings. This dish is such an important part of Russian cuisine, that even the annual spring festival called Maslenitsa is celebrated with blini.

E- Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is a dish made with beef and served in a special delicate sauce. It has a really long history, and there are lots of variations in its cooking. Rice, pasta, or potatoes are usually good side dish options for beef stroganoff.

F- Kvass

Kvass is an ancient Russian drink. Initially, it was served as a light alcoholic drink; over time, Russians started to make it from roasted bread. We advise you to order kvass if you come to Russia in the summer, since it’s really refreshing. This drink is sold in every single Russian food store.

Borscht is one of the most internationally popular Russian foods ever!

2. Unique Russian Foods

There are some unique Russian foods which are extra-popular in Russia, but have no analogues outside of the country. If you’d like to try some really authentic Russian cuisine staples while visiting, look for the following items on the menu:

A- Olivier

This Russian salad was invented by M. Olivier, who owned a luxurious restaurant in Moscow in the 1860s. It consists of meat, peas, eggs, boiled vegetables, and mayonnaise. This is a very popular Russian food for New Year, in particular. 

B- Dressed Herring

This simple but delicious salad is the second-most famous meal in Russia, after Olivier. Its ingredients are layered: first comes the herring, then boiled potatoes, carrots, and red beets. Mayonnaise is used as the dressing.

C- Okroshka

Okroshka is a cold soup with small cubes of vegetables, pickles, meat, or fish. Before serving, Russians fill this dish with kvass and add some sour cream to it. It’s a great summer alternative to other soups.

D- Raznosoli

This is not one particular dish, but a general term for foods eaten during a cold season. Raznosoli include salted cucumbers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Russian people mostly use them for cooking soups and second courses, but sometimes they’re served as separate meals.

Most Russian people love their Olivier and dressed herring enough to cook these dishes for any celebration.

3. Food-Related Vocabulary

Are you good and hungry for some traditional Russian cuisine and can’t wait to get a taste? 

Unfortunately, not all Russian people know English well, so you’d better learn some food-related phrases before going to Russia and visiting local cafes and restaurants. These ten phrases will be really helpful:

Russian	Romanization	English
Где-нибудь поблизости можно попробовать русскую еду?	Gde-nibud’ poblizosti mozhno poprobovat’ russkuyu yedu?	“Is there any Russian food near me?”
Я хочу есть/пить.	Ya hochu yest’/pit’.	“I am hungry/thirsty.”
У вас есть меню на английском?	U vas yest’ menyu na angliyskom?	“Do you have a menu in English?”
Дайте меню, пожалуйста?	Dayte menyu, pozhaluysta?	“Could I have the menu, please?”
Я возьму это.	Ya voz’mu eto.	“I’ll have this.”
Стакан чая/кофе, пожалуйста.	Stakan chaya/kofe, pozhaluysta.	“A cup of tea/coffee, please.”
Больше ничего, спасибо.	Bol’she nichego, spasibo.	“That’s all, thank you.”
Счёт, пожалуйста?	Schyot, pozhaluysta?	“Could I get the check, please?”
Приятного аппетита!	Priyatnogo appetita!	“Enjoy your meal!”
Было очень вкусно, спасибо!	Bylo ochen’ vkusno, spasibo!	“It was delicious, thank you!”

If you’re a RussianPod101 member, you can learn even more useful phrases in our Restaurant lesson series:

★ Restaurant 1
★ Restaurant 2
★ Restaurant 3
★ Restaurant 4

This is how some Russian restaurants serve their borscht—in a bread bowl!

4. How to Cook Russian Food at Home

What if you don’t have access to a Russian restaurant and can’t visit the country anytime soon? You’re still in luck!

Below, we’ve outlined two Russian food recipes that don’t take much time or effort. You can try them at home and have amazing Russian food for dinner!

→ Don’t forget to check out our lesson on Cooking-Related Actions so you can get used to reading recipes in Russian! 

A- Pelmeni

Pelmeni are Russian dumplings which have much in common with varenyky. The main difference is that pelmeni are made from meat or sometimes fish. This dish is quite popular in Russia due to its convenience: large batches of it may be frozen and then swiftly boiled for dinner another day.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of flour

Filling

• 18 ounces of ground beef
• 1 onion
• ½ of a tablespoon of cold water
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 pepper

Directions

1.  Mix the first three ingredients for the dough in a measuring cup. Add water to fill the cup. Pour everything into a bowl and add some flour. Start mixing the dough till it becomes smooth and elastic. Leave it for 30 minutes in a warm place.

2.  Take the bowl and mix ground beef with onion and pepper. Add some water and salt. Mix everything one more time using your hand or a fork.

3.  Flour your table surface and roll the dough thin. Cut it into small circles. While doing this, keep the rest of your dough under the towel, otherwise it will dry out. Put ½ of the teaspoon with filling on one side of the prepared circle and form a crescent. Join the ends.

4.  Flour your baking sheet and put the half-done pelmeni on it. Keep them in your freezer for 30 minutes to keep them from sticking together.

5.  Take a pot, pour water in it, salt it, and then bring it to boil. Put pelmeni into your pot and cook them for 5-10 minutes, depending on their size.

6.  Serve the dish with ketchup, mayonnaise, sour cream, or any other sauce you like.

Russians love pelmeni from early childhood.

B- Shchi

Shchi is a good example of traditional Russian food for lunch. This popular cabbage soup is also known as “green shchi.” It can be cooked with or without meat. The recipe below is meatless, but you can always add your favorite kind of meat into it. By the way, this is one of the easiest Russian food recipes!

Ingredients

• 250 g. of white cabbage
• 150 g. of beans
• 3 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Soak beans. If you do it two hours before cooking, the taste will be amazing.

2.  Cut potatoes and cabbage. Grate carrots and garlic.

3.  Fill a pan with water. Put the soaked beans into it. As soon as the water begins to boil, add potatoes.

4.  In the meantime, heat the pan. Put some vegetable oil in the pan. Fry onions with carrots and tomato paste.

5.  When the fried vegetables are ready, place them into the pan. Add cabbage. Add salt to taste.

6.  Cook the soup for 15-20 minutes. Right before the end of cooking, add garlic and bay leaf.

Shchi is very similar to borscht, but not the same.

5. Conclusion

In this Russian food guide, we’ve introduced you to only the most famous Russian foods. Of course, there are many more Russian recipes worth knowing. 

If you’d like to learn more Russian cooking words or even become an expert in Russian cuisine, create a Premium PLUS account to use RussianPod101’s MyTeacher service. Your native Russian tutor will help you learn more vocabulary and also help you get better acquainted with the cuisine and culture of Russia. 

If this article made your mouth water, then it’s time to taste some traditional Russian dishes yourself. If you could cook any Russian meal right now, what would it be? Share your favorite Russian food in the comments!

Although quotes don’t play a very important part in our everyday lives, there are some situations where knowing them can be really helpful. With quotes, we can express our thoughts in a more vivid and concise way. 

If you’ve been studying Russian for a long period of time, you’re definitely ready to step up your game and learn some Russian quotes. We’ve prepared a list of twenty famous Russian quotes that you can use to enrich your speech, impress native Russian speakers during a conversation, and make yourself look more intelligent in their eyes. Some of these quotes are of Russian origin, while others are quotes from other languages that have gained popularity in Russia. 

Pick your favorites and learn them by heart. We’re sure that these quotes will come in handy someday!

Table of Contents

1. Quotes About Success
2. Quotes About Life
3. Quotes About Time
4. Quotes About Love
5. Quotes About Family
6. Quotes About Friendship
7. Quotes About Food
8. Quotes About Health
9. Quotes About Animals
10. Quotes About Language Learning
11. Conclusion

Quotes About Success

Whether you have big plans for the future or an upcoming project you’re concerned about, reading through these Russian quotes about success is sure to give you the inspiration you need to succeed!

→ If you want to read more motivational words, see our vocabulary list of the Top 11 Quotes About Success!

1. Не важно, как медленно ты продвигаешься, главное, что ты не останавливаешься 

Romanization: Ne vazhno, kak medlenno ty prodvigayesh’sya, glavnoye, chto ty ne ostanavlivayesh’sya
Meaning: “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.”

This is a very old quote from Chinese philosopher Confucius. With these words, he meant that if you don’t give up, then you’ll reach your goal sooner or later. It may take a long time, but it will happen one day.

2. 100% непредпринятых попыток заканчиваются неудачей

Romanization: Sto protsentov nepredprinyatykh popytok zakanchivayutsya neudachey
Meaning: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

This inspirational thought was expressed by the Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky. It motivates us to have no fear in trying, since it’s impossible to succeed in something if we don’t even attempt to do so.

Wayne Gretzky is considered the greatest hockey player of all time. This man can tell us much about success!

Quotes About Life

Are you feeling stuck in life or unsatisfied with how things are going? Here are two insightful Russian quotes on life from a couple of massively popular figures.

3. Жизнь – это то, что случается с нами, пока мы строим планы на будущее

Romanization: Zhizn’ – eto to, chto sluchayetsya s nami, poka my stroim plany na budushcheye
Meaning: “Life is what happens to us while we’re busy making other plans.”

The author of this quote is John Lennon from The Beatles. His words perfectly ascertain the fact that people can become so concerned about their future that they totally forget about their present.

4. Если хочешь изменить мир, начни с себя!

Romanization: Esli khochesh’ izmenit’ mir, nachni s sebya!
Meaning: “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.”

This is one of the most famous quotes from Mahatma Gandhi. By saying it, he meant that everyone should start with his or her own personal development. If everybody did this, many of the world’s problems would disappear and no longer affect us.

Quotes About Time

Managing one’s time is one of the most crucial aspects of living a satisfactory life. Read these Russian language quotes on time to view this concept from a Russian angle. You may be surprised how familiar they are to you!

→ You may also want to check out our vocabulary list of words for Talking About Time in Russian. 

5. Делу – время, потехе – час

Romanization: Delu – vremya, potekhe – chas
Meaning: “Time for business, an hour for fun.”

This Russian quote belongs to the Tsar Alexis of Russia. He wrote it in his falcon hunting manual in the seventeenth century. The main idea is that it’s important to both work and rest. After spending some time as one of the most famous Russian quotes, it finally became a proverb.

6. Счастливые часов не наблюдают

Romanization: Schastlivyye chasov ne nablyudayut
Meaning: “Time flies when you’re having fun.” This phrase is from Alexander Griboyedov’s book Woe from Wit. It expresses the fact that when you’re enjoying something, the time seems to pass unnoticeably.

Woe from Wit is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about Russian culture.

Quotes About Love

Are you madly in love with someone? Or maybe you’re a hopeless romantic? Either way, we think you’ll enjoy these Russian quotes about love!

→ By the way, why not learn these 15 Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day and impress your Russian lover?

7. Любовь – апофеоз жизни

Romanization: Lyubov’ – apofeoz zhizni
Meaning: “Love is the apotheosis of life.”

This Russian love quote came to us from Aleksandr Herzen, a writer and thinker known as the “father of Russian socialism.” Herzen thought that love is the main thing in life, filling it with sense and joy.

The word “apotheosis” has two meanings. On the one hand, it’s “the highest point in the development,” and on the other hand, it’s “the elevation to divine status.” Both of these meanings are applicable in the context of this Russian love quote.

8. Люди должны влюбляться с закрытыми глазами

Romanization: Lyudi dolzhny vlyublyat’sya s zakrytymi glazami
Meaning: “People should fall in love with their eyes closed.”

This beautiful quote by Andy Warhol, known as “the king of pop art,” persuades us to pay more attention to the human soul and heart rather than the outward appearance. Warhol’s statement has become a really well-known Russian love quote.

Quotes About Family

Family is perhaps the most important social construct, no matter where you are in the world. Here are a couple of Russian quotes on family that express the intricacies of familial relationships.

→ Do you want more? Then read through our list of the Top 10 Russian Quotes About Family!

9. Семья – это один из шедевров природы

Romanization: Sem’ya – eto odin iz shedevrov prirody
Meaning: “Family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”

The author of this quote is the American philosopher and essayist George Santayana. Santayana regarded family as one of the things created by nature, just as things like trees and lakes were. For him, family was an outstanding phenomenon. This wonderful quote reminds us that we should cherish our families.

10. Все счастливые семьи похожи; каждая несчастливая семья несчастлива по-своему

Romanization: Vse schastlivyye sem’i pokhozhi; kazhdaya neschastlivaya sem’ya neschastliva po-svoyemu
Meaning: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

This is how Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina begins. Here, Tolstoy meant that there are several factors involved in making a happy family; if even just one is absent, the family will be unhappy.

Quotes About Friendship

Friendship is one of life’s greatest joys and necessities. Here are two poignant Russian quotes on friendship that express this truth.

11. Старый друг лучше новых двух

Romanization: Staryy drug luchshe novykh dvukh
Meaning: “An old friend is better than two new ones.”

This phrase was so popular that it eventually became a proverb. It teaches us not to forget our old friends, because they’re much more reliable and precious than our new acquaintances. This Russian quote is similar in meaning to the Chinese proverb: “Everything is good when new, but friends when old.”

12. Друг познаётся в беде

Romanization: Drug poznayotsya v bede
Meaning: “A friend is known in trouble.”

This quote is from the Greek storyteller Aesop. His words advise us not to rely on superficial friends, because they always leave us in our bad times. This phrase became a well-known proverb and is similar to the English proverb: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Aesop is right, but…don’t forget to enjoy good times with old friends!

Quotes About Food

Who doesn’t enjoy sitting down to a nice meal now and then? Well, even something as simple as food has parallels in life. Here are some Russian sayings that have to do with food!

→ Since you’re here, why not learn about Eating Habits in Russia?

13. Хлеб — всему голова

Romanization: Hleb — vsemu golova
Meaning: “Bread is the staff of life.”

Unfortunately, the author of this saying is unknown. Russian people consider this to be more of a proverb, rather than a quote. Since it’s one of the oldest Russian sayings, let’s take a look at it from a historical perspective. 

There were many battles and wars in the past, as people went in search of fertile lands where wheat and rye could be easily grown. Therefore, bread was a symbol of welfare and a good life all those years ago. Bread is still an essential part of our daily ration; there are many products we can live without, but bread is not one of them.

14. Аппетит приходит во время еды

Romanization: Appetit prikhodit vo vremya yedy
Meaning: “Appetite comes during the meal.”

This phrase first appeared in a novel by François Rabelais. We use it to say that the more we have, the more we’d like to have. By the way, this can also be applied to other areas of life.

Quotes About Health

One should always make good health a priority, because only when one is healthy can they achieve other important goals. Here are a couple of insightful Russian quotes concerning health. 

→ Sometimes, even our best efforts aren’t enough to keep us healthy. See our list of Common Health Problems so you can discuss your concerns with a professional while in Russia.

15. В здоровом теле – здоровый дух

Romanization: V zdorovom tele – zdorovyy dukh
Meaning: “There is a healthy mind in a healthy body.”

This quote first appeared in the ancient Roman era, but became widely spread in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through the efforts of European educators Locke and Russo. As we now know, the body and the mind are closely connected. For this reason, people who are physically healthy also tend to have healthy minds; those who are healthy of mind are less likely to suffer from any physical disease.

16. Здоровье дороже золота

Romanization: Zdorovy’e dorozhe zolota
Meaning: “Health is above wealth.”

This quote is by William Shakespeare, and its meaning is pretty obvious.

Even though Shakespeare’s works were written in the sixteenth century, they are still relevant!

Quotes About Animals

In Russian culture, quotes and sayings about animals are fairly popular. Here are two quotes we think you’ll enjoy!

17. Доброму человеку бывает стыдно даже перед собакой

Romanization: Dobromu cheloveku byvayet stydno dazhe pered sobakoy
Meaning: “A good person sometimes feels ashamed of himself even in front of a dog.”

This idea was expressed by one of the greatest Russian writers, Anton Chekhov. In his opinion, kind-hearted people care about all living creatures, including animals, birds, and insects. A good person is ready to help anyone who needs it. If he doesn’t help, he feels bad—not because of others’ disapproval, but because of his own conscience.

18. О величии нации и её моральном прогрессе можно судить по тому, как она обращается с животными

Romanization: O velichii natsii i yeyo moral’nom progresse mozhno sudit’ po tomu, kak ona obrashchayetsya s zhivotnymi
Meaning: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

This popular statement is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. It expresses the same idea as the previous quote.

“To seek to reduce the suffering of those who are completely under one’s domination, and unable to fight back, is truly a mark of a civilized society.“

Quotes About Language Learning

To close, let’s look at a couple of quotes in Russian about language learning. 

19. Пределы моего языка есть пределы моего мира

Romanization: Predely moyego yazyka yest’ predely moyego mira
Meaning: “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

This quote is from Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophical work The Tractatus. Wittgenstein meant that a language constrains the limits of human expression, and therefore limits human understanding.

20. Чем больше языков вы знаете, тем меньше шансов, что вы станете террористом

Romanization: Chem bol’she yazykov vy znayete, tem men’she shansov, chto vy stanete terroristom
Meaning: “The more languages you know, the less likely you are to become a terrorist.”

This heavy idea was offered by Indian litterateur Suniti Chatterji. He supposed that knowing a foreign language makes you more intelligent, open-minded and, as a consequence, more tolerant toward other people.

Conclusion

You’ve just read some of the most famous Russian quotes. Some of them are truly Russian, while others entered the Russian language from other cultures. Each of them conveys a meaningful idea and can be easily implemented into a conversation. 

We’re sure that you’d like to learn more Russian phrases, their meanings, and their correct pronunciations. We’re ready to provide you with all of these on RussianPod101.com. You can study by going through our free lessons or with the help of our MyTeacher option. The latter gives you your own personalized learning program based on your needs, as well as a personal tutor. 

Before you go, which of the quotes did you like the most? Leave your answer in the comments section below! You can also ask us if there’s an equivalent to any quote that we didn’t mention in this article. We look forward to hearing from you.

In many cultures, the sphere of business is associated not only with money, but also with a specific language style. If you plan to do business with Russian speaking partners or move to Russia for work, knowing some Russian business phrases would be useful, as there are situations when everyday language is just not enough. Well, turning to business, I won’t teach you how to earn millions, but I can help you spare a lot of embarrassment by teaching you some fundamental Russian courtesy rules.

In this guide, you’ll learn some basic Russian business phrases for various occasions, from job interviews and your first days of work to giving presentations, writing business letters, and making phone calls. Also—the icing on the cake—you’ll find out why Russians don’t use “Mr.” and “Mrs.” in business environments, and what you should use instead. Let’s get down to business!

Table of Contents

1. Learning Basic Courtesy
2. Nailing a Job Interview
3. Interacting with Coworkers
4. Speaking in a Meeting
5. Business Emails and Phone Calls
6. What’s Next?

1. Learning Basic Courtesy

The first thing you need to know is how to talk and act to leave a great impression. This includes using appropriate business Russian greetings and knowing the difference between formal and informal “you.” Let’s take a look. 

Greetings

• Здравствуйте. (Zdravstvuyte.) — “Hello.”
• Доброе утро. (Dobroye utro.) — “Good morning.”
• Добрый день. (Dobryy den’.) — “Good afternoon.”
• Привет. (Privet.) — “Hi.” [casual]

To greet your boss, business partners, or colleagues that you don’t know well, use any of the first three options. That said, you can never go wrong with здравствуйте. It’s not locked to a specific time of day (unlike “Good morning”) and it can be used as a respectful greeting toward anyone. Leave привет for your work buddies and friends.

There’s a joke about the Russian language being really unwelcoming to beginners. The first word you learn—здравствуйте—salutes you with an unholy mixture of consonants, so you might need some time to practice this one. 

➢ You can check the pronunciation of this word in our dictionary.

❗️Pay attention to the silent в, which is not pronounced (здравствуйте).

How would you greet your new partner in Russian?

It’s not common in Russia to ask how someone is doing unless you really care about their actual state of things. Here’s a list of phrases you might find useful for these occasions:

[Formal]

• Как ваши дела? (Kak vashi dela?) — “How are you doing?”
• Хорошо. А у вас? (Khorosho. A u vas?) — “Fine. And you?”

[Casual]

• Как дела? (Kak dela?) — “How are you doing?”
• Хорошо. А у тебя? (Khorosho. A u tebya?) — “Fine. And you?”
• В последнее время не очень. (V posledneye vremya ne ochen’.) — “Not so good recently.”

Please keep in mind that nobody expects you to complain in a business environment. Asking “How are you?” is just a matter of courtesy.

➢ You can find other ways to say “Hello” in Russian on our website!

In Russia, it’s notably uncommon to address people using “Mr.” or “Mrs.” If we want to show respect, we use the person’s first name + patronymic name. A patronymic is a special name derived from a person’s father’s name: Здравствуйте, Василий Иванович. (Zdravstvuyte, Vasiliy Ivanovich.) — “Hello, Vasiliy Ivanovich.”  Ivanovich is the patronymic name. It means that Vasiliy’s father’s name is Ivan.

➢ Learn more about male and female patronymic names in our lesson “Introducing Your Boss to a Client.”

Goodbye

• До свидания. (Do svidaniya.) — “Goodbye.”
• Всего доброго. (Vsego dobrogo.) — “Take care.”
• Пока! (Poka!) — “Bye!” [casual]

Formal and Casual “You”

As you might have already noticed, there are distinct ways of addressing people depending on whether the situation is formal or informal. Thus, you should be careful with how you approach a person, as many people are sensitive to this.

There are two ways to address your work partner: вы (vy) [formal] or ты (ty) [casual]. If you’re not sure how to address someone, just remember this table:

Вы	Ты
strangers older people anybody you want to treat with special respect	family members close friends children fellow colleagues that you know well

A safe bet is to follow your partner’s lead. If they’re addressing you politely, you might want to avoid talking to them informally.

➢ It’s not just the pronoun that changes when you switch between the styles. The formality affects the verb endings as well. To see how verbs change in each case, check out our article about Verb Conjugations.

2. Nailing a Job Interview

In the previous section, you learned how to greet a person in the workplace. 

Now, let’s consider some questions that your future employer or an HR representative might ask you during the interview.

• Есть ли у вас опыт работы? — “Do you have any work experience?” 
  (Yest’ li u vas opyt raboty?)

• Где вы раньше работали? — “Where did you work before?”
  (Gde vy ran’she rabotali?)


❖ Я пять лет работал(а)* в компании ABC. — “I’ve worked for ABC for five years.”
(Ya pyat’ let rabotal-a v kompanii ABC.)


❖ Я работал(а) в продажах. — “I worked in sales.”
(Ya rabotal-a v prodazhakh.)


❖ Я работал(а) журналистом. — “I worked as a journalist.”
(Ya rabotal-a zhurnalistom.)

* [The ending -a is added if the speaker is a woman.]

• Какое у вас образование? (Kakoye u vas obrazovaniye?) — “What is your educational background?”


❖ Я закончил(а) Карлов университет в Праге. — “I graduated from Charles University in Prague.”
(Ya zakonchil-a Karlov universitet v Prage.)

❖ Моя специальность — гостиничное дело. — “I have a degree in hospitality.”
(Moya spetsial’nost’ — gostinichnoye delo.)

❖ Я учился [m] / училась [f] в Париже на дизайнера. — “I studied design in Paris.”
(Ya uchilsya / uchilas’ v Parizhe na dizaynera.)

➢ You can find more school-related terms to talk about your degrees on our Education vocabulary list.

• Какие языки вы знаете? (Kakiye yazyki vy znayete?) — “What languages do you speak?”


❖ Я свободно говорю по-испански. — “I speak Spanish fluently.”
(Ya svobodno govoryu po-ispanski.)

❖ Я немного говорю по-русски. — “I speak a bit of Russian.”
(Ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki.)

❖ Я знаю китайский и японский. — “I speak Chinese and Japanese.”
(Ya znayu kitayskiy i yaponskiy.)

➢ There’s a good chance you can find your native tongue on our list of 38 languages spoken worldwide.

An interview is a stressful event for most job-seekers. Especially if it’s not going to be in one’s native language! But believe me, many HR representatives and CEOs are more likely to care about your professional experience and how useful you can be to the company than how you conjugate verbs and use cases. If you don’t understand the interviewer’s question, don’t hesitate to ask them to repeat.

• Не могли бы вы повторить, пожалуйста? — “Could you repeat, please?”
  (Ne mogli by vy povtorit’, pozhaluysta?)

• Простите? — “Pardon me?”
  (Prostite?)

❗️ Keep in mind that Простите? should be said with a rising intonation to make it a question. Otherwise, it will sound like an apology.

If you feel too anxious while sitting in the hall waiting for your interview, just take ten deep breaths to trick your brain into a state of calmness.

➢ Find other job-hunting and interview tips in our article about How to Find Jobs in Russia.

What do you think this person is saying about himself at the interview?
Come up with three sentences in Russian.

3. Interacting with Coworkers

When you receive that finally-I’m-hired call and an invitation to start working on Monday, it’s time to brush up on your introduction lines (if you didn’t before the interview). Your nosy colleagues will be curious about a foreigner on the team! 

Remember to mirror the politeness level your partner is using with you; chances are, your peers will address you informally right away.

Here are some phrases for effective Russian business communication with your new work team! 

Nice to meet you.

First, some questions that you might want to ask your colleague during small talk:

[Casual]

• Извини, как тебя зовут? — “Sorry, what’s your name?”
  (Izvini, kak tebya zovut?)

• В каком отделе работаешь? — “In what department do you work?”
  (V kakom otdele rabotayesh’?)

• Давно ты тут работаешь? — “How long have you been working here?”
  (Davno ty tut rabotayesh’?)

• Где ты раньше работал? — “Where did you work before?”
  (Gde ty ran’she rabotal?)

And a couple of ideas for how you could react:

[Casual]

• Ясно. (Yasno.) — “I see.”
• Понятно. (Ponyatno.) — “I got it.”
• Прикольно! (Prikol’no!) — “Cool!” [familiar]

However, you should be careful with these reactions. They can be real conversation killers if used improperly. Consider them to be a solid full stop, so if you don’t want an awkward silence to interrupt your discussion, use the combination “reaction + follow-up question” to keep the conversation going.

➢ Check out our lesson “Introducing Yourself in a Business Meeting”  to learn how you can introduce yourself in a professional way.

I need help.

[Casual]

• Можешь помочь мне с презентацией? — “Could you help me with the presentation?”
  (Mozhesh’ pomoch’ mne s prezentatsiyey?)

• Можешь объяснить, как это работает? — “Could you explain how it works?”
  (Mozhesh’ ob’yasnit’, kak eto rabotayet?)

• Я не понимаю, что надо делать. — “I don’t understand what I need to do.”
  (Ya ne ponimayu, chto nado delat’.)

• Умеешь пользоваться этой штукой? — “Do you know how to use this thing?”
  (Umeyesh’ pol’zovat’sya etoy shtukoy?)

These phrases are suitable for a conversation with your fellow coworkers. If you need to ask a senior colleague for help, you need to increase your level of politeness. Find an example of a formal dialogue in our “Asking for Help” lesson from the “Business Russian for Beginners” course.

I’m sorry.

The last thing you want to do when you’ve already messed something up is to apologize poorly. You need to be extra-careful with formality here; you don’t want to call your boss “dude” in the heat of the moment.

• Извини(те). — “Sorry.”
  (Izvini-te.)

• Извини(те) за опоздание. — “I’m sorry I’m late.”
  (Izvini-te za opozdaniye.)

• Прости(те), я не видел(а)*, что мне звонили. — “I’m sorry, I didn’t see that you had called.”
  (Prosti-te, ya ne videl-а, chto mne zvonili.)

* [The ending -a is added if the speaker is a woman.]

❗️We add -те to извини and прости if we want to sound polite. 

We’ve written a whole article about How to Say Sorry, with a wide variety of apologies for any occasion. Using these phrases, you’ll be forgiven, guaranteed. 

Thank you!

• Спасибо. — “Thank you!”
  (Spasibo.)

• Спасибо за помощь. — “Thanks for the help.”
  (Spasibo za pomoshch’.)

• Молодец! — “Well done!”
  (Molodets!)

• Так держать! — “Good job!”
  (Tak derzhat’!)

When the Internet suddenly shuts off ten minutes before the report delivery deadline.
Have the phrases for apologizing already popped up in your mind?

4. Speaking in a Meeting

Now let’s go over some useful phrases for Russian business meetings! 

Expressing opinions

• Я согласен. (Ya soglasen.) — “I agree.” [m] / Я согласна. (Ya soglasna.) — “I agree.” [f]

• Всё верно. (Vsyo verno.) — “That’s correct.”

• Извините, я с этим не согласен / не согласна. — “Sorry, I can’t agree with you here.” [m/f]
  (Izvinite, ya s etim ya ne soglasen / ne soglasna.)

• Пожалуй, тут я не соглашусь. — “I’m afraid I must disagree here.”
  (Pozhaluy, tut ya ne soglashus’.)

• Проблема в том, что… — “The problem is that…”
  (Problema v tom, chto…)

• Давайте сделаем так… — “Let’s do this…”
  (Davayte sdelayem tak…)

• Я предлагаю повысить цены. — “I suggest that we increase the prices.”
  (Ya predlagayu povysit’ tseny.)

• Все согласны? — “Can we all agree on that?”
  (Vse soglasny?)

Giving presentations

If you give a presentation in front of new colleagues or partners, it’s worth saying a couple of words about yourself. Speaking about something familiar and trivial will help you relax if you feel anxious, and your new partners will have a better idea of who the speaker is.

• Меня зовут Майк. — “My name is Mike.”
  (Menya zovut Mayk.)

• Я представляю отдел продаж компании ABC. — “I represent the sales department in ABC.”
  (Ya predstavlyayu otdel prodazh kompanii ABC.)

Check out our lesson “Introducing Yourself in a Business Meeting” to gain some cultural insight on the matter!

And here are some basic phrases for the presentation itself.

• Сегодня поговорим о продажах. — “Today we will talk about the sales.”
  (Segodnya pogovorim o prodazhakh.)

• Сегодня мы обсудим новые сделки. — “Today we will discuss the new deals.”
  (Segodnya my obsudim novyye sdelki.)

• Обратите внимание на этот график. — “(Please) take a look at the chart.”
  (Obratite vnimaniye na etot grafik.)

• Посмотрите на эту статистику. — “(Please) have a look at these statistics.”
  (Posmotrite na etu statistiku.)

• Всем спасибо за внимание. — “Thank you all for your attention.”
  (Vsem spasibo za vnimaniye.)
  

• Буду рад(а)* ответить на ваши вопросы. — “I will be glad to answer your questions.”
  (Budu rad-a otvetit’ na vashi voprosy.)
  

• Иван ответит на вопросы после собрания. — “Ivan will answer the questions after the meeting.” 
  (Ivan otvetit na voprosy posle sobraniya) [if you feel insecure about answering the questions yourself]

* [The ending -a is added if the speaker is a woman.]

Все согласны?

5. Business Emails and Phone Calls

Even with the rising popularity of messengers, sending emails is still the most popular way of in-company communication in Russia. The phone is still a thing, as well.

Email etiquette

While casual emails to your colleagues are not going to be much different from a message on a social network, the etiquette of formal emails is much stricter, so this is what we’re going to focus on in this section.

• Уважаемая Екатерина Сергеевна! — “Dear Ekaterina Sergeyevna”
  (Uvazhayemaya Ekaterina Sergeyevna!)

• Уважаемый Александр! — “Dear Alexander”
  (Uvazhayemyy Aleksandr!)

• Здравствуйте, Александр! — “Hello, Alexander”
  (Zdravstvuyte, Aleksandr!)

• Добрый день! — “Hello!” (lit. “Good afternoon”)
  (Dobryy den’!)

The greetings are listed in order of formality, starting with the most formal one. If you know the full name of the person you’re emailing (the first name + the patronymic name), you should address them accordingly.

• Я хотел(а)* бы узнать, готова ли презентация. — “I’d like to know if the presentation is ready.”
  (Ya khotel-a by uznat’, gotova li prezentatsiya.)

• Хотел(а) бы напомнить о завтрашнем дедлайне. — “I’d like to remind you about tomorrow’s deadline.”
  (Khotel-a by napomnit’, o zavtrashnem dedlayne.)

• Хотел(а) поинтересоваться стоимостью курса. — “I was wondering about the price of the course.”
  (Khotel-a pointeresovat’sya stoimost’yu kursa.)

* [The ending -a is added if the speaker is a woman.]

• Спасибо! — “Thank you!”
  ((Spasibo!)

• С уважением, “Faithfully yours,
  Майк Сантос Mike Santos”
  (S uvazheniyem, Mike Santos”

Business calls

Within the company, you’re likely to call your colleagues via Skype or some other video conference software. However, if you’re going to call other companies, you might want to use the phone.

Let’s start with Алло? (Allo?), or “Hello?” Like in English, it’s a versatile word that can be used both when you pick up the phone and when you can’t hear the person well. But only on the phone—not face-to-face, please.

Here are some practical Russian phrases for business phone calls.

Calling

When you call the company, they usually introduce themselves when answering the phone. If you just hear a cold “Алло?”, the strategy would be the following (don’t forget to greet the person!):

• Здравствуйте, это магазин «Шик»? — “Hello, is this the ‘Shik’ shop?”
  (Zdravstvuyte, eto magazin «Shik»?)

• Здравствуйте, это Сергей Иванович? — “Hello, is this Sergey Ivanovich?”
  (Zdravstvuyte, eto Sergey Ivanovich?)

• Я хотел(а)* бы поговорить с Сергеем Ивановичем. — “Could I speak to Sergey Ivanovich, please?”
  (Ya khotel-а by pogovorit’ s Sergeyem Ivanovichem.)
  

• Пожалуйста, соедините меня с отделом продаж? — “Could you put me through to the sales department?”
  (Pozhaluysta, soyedinite menya s otdelom prodazh?)

* [The ending -a is added if the speaker is a woman.]

Receiving calls

• Слушаю. — “Hello?” [lit. “I’m listening.”]
  (Slushayu.)

• Добрый день. Компания ABC. — “Good afternoon. It’s ABC company.”
  (Dobryy den’. Kompaniya ABC.)

• Вас плохо слышно. — “I can’t hear you well.”
  (Vas plokho slyshno.)

• Минутку, пожалуйста. — “One minute, please.”
  (Minutku, pozhaluysta.)

• Я вас с ним соединю. — “I will put him on.”
  (Ya vas s nim soyedinyu.)

• Извините, сейчас он занят. — “I’m sorry, he’s busy at the moment.”
  (Izvinite, seychas on zanyat.)
  

• Может, мне ему что-нибудь передать? — “Would you like to leave a message?”
  (Mozhet, mne emu chto-nibud’ peredat’?)
  

• Можете перезвонить чуть позже, пожалуйста? — “Could you call again a bit later, please?”
  (Mozhete perezvonit’ chut’ pozzhe, pozhaluysta?)
  

• До свидания. — “Goodbye.”
  (Do svidaniya.)
  

• Извините, вы ошиблись номером. — “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number.”
  (Izvinite, vy oshiblis’ nomerom.)

You can listen to a sample phone conversation in one of our lessons from the “Business Russian for Beginners” course.

Who is he calling? Why?
Come up with a simple phone conversation in Russian to practice the new phrases.

6. What’s Next?

I think you’re now ready to do business in Russia and chat with your Russian speaking colleagues! You know how to introduce yourself, interact with your coworkers, write business emails, and how to not make your boss angry if you messed something up! Obviously, these Russian business phrases are just the tip of the iceberg, but they’re a good place to start. 

When you feel comfortable using the phrases listed in this article, you can explore our “Business Russian for Beginners” course to improve your knowledge. If you happen to have any questions about doing business in Russia or the formal style used in the business environment, our teachers on RussianPod101.com will help you dispel any doubts. 

With our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, you get personal one-on-one coaching with a tutor. Feel free to ask any business- or language-related questions. If you want to practice your business phrases, you’ll receive assignments, grammar and vocabulary exercises, and voice recording tasks to improve your pronunciation. Give it a try!

Eager to learn more? The following material will help you gain even more knowledge about business phrases in Russian.

• “Occupations.” A vocabulary list with the most common professions. Is yours there?
• Essential phrases for conducting a meeting in Russian.
• “Workplace.” A basic vocabulary list with new words about your work.

Is there anything we didn’t cover that you still want to know? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll do our best to help! 

Happy learning with RussianPod101!

About the author: Dzhuliia Shipina is a Russian linguist and a language teacher. For the past few years, she’s been traveling around the world and sharing her passion for languages with other inquiring minds. She invites you to explore the beauty of Russian and unravel its mysteries together.

Sometimes learning a foreign language may seem tiring or boring, but that’s not a reason to give up doing it. One of the best ways to make the process of studying more interesting is to add some entertaining materials (like videos) to your normal routine. This is why, when you set out to learn Russian, YouTube can be a great educational tool.

If you’re studying Russian, you may have heard about the RussianPod101 YouTube Channel, which is the number-one destination for improving your language skills online. If you’re going to learn Russian via YouTube, this channel is the best one to start with. 

That said, there are many other good Russian YouTube channels to help you learn the language. We’re excited to share them with you in this article, so let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Foreign Language Dialogues
2. Russian Songs with English Subtitles
3. Russian with Anastasia
4. Antonia Romaker – English and Russian Online
5. Киноконцерн «МосФильм» (Kinokoncern «MosFil’m») – Cinema Concern “Mosfilm”
6. Bridget Barbara
7. «Вечерний Ургант» (Vecherniy Urgant) – “Evening Urgant”
8. Искусство харизмы (Iskusstvo kharizmy) – “Charisma on Command”
9. Varlamov
10. Learn Russian with RussianPod101.com
11. Conclusion

1. Foreign Language Dialogues

Category: Education

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcnakakIRt7Yp5Dsu1YGO7A/featured

Level: Beginner

This channel includes short and simple dialogues, voiced by native Russian speakers and designed to reflect the kinds of conversations you’d hear in real life. If you learn each line of dialogue by heart, you won’t have any difficulties engaging in small talk with Russians. We think that listening to such dialogues is a must when you first start learning Russian.

For each video, the dialogues are accompanied by Russian subtitles so you can read along. But keep in mind that the English translation is not provided, so you’ll have to search for it by yourself. After some time, you won’t even need the dictionary to understand each dialogue, at which point it’ll be time for you to start watching some more advanced YouTube videos for learning Russian.

Knowing how to hold a dialogue is art!

2. Russian Songs with English Subtitles

Category: Songs

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClMkzhRvKZpNCdYa3Efi6YA/feed 

Level: Beginner

Maybe you’ve never thought of it, but you can learn a lot of new words and expressions from Russian songs. Moreover, listening to Russian YouTube music can help you strengthen your sentence-building skills and grammar knowledge. Check out this channel if you want proof.

There aren’t many songs uploaded on this channel, but the ones which are currently on it are really iconic. You could spend a couple of days studying each song word-by-word. Another perk is that this is one of a few Russian YouTube channels with English subtitles, making it perfect for beginners or those who have poor listening skills.

3. Russian with Anastasia

Category: Education

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AnastasiSemina/featured 

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

This is definitely one of the best YouTube channels for learning Russian from scratch. The videos are hosted by Russian speaker Anastasia, who teaches foreigners the language basics: alphabet, vocabulary, spelling, and the most important grammar rules. There’s even a playlist of her videos just for beginners.

People who learn Russian on YouTube love Anastasia for her creativity. She shoots not only typical educational videos, but also other entertaining and enlightening content. For example, in some videos, Anastasia reads Russian poems; in others, she interviews Russian people. Such videos are informative and highly recommended for intermediate level students.

4. Antonia Romaker – English and Russian Online 

Category: Education

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AntoniaRomaker/featured 

Level: Beginner / Intermediate

Antonia’s channel is dedicated to studying languages. Each video on this channel belongs to one of two groups: videos for those who have just started studying Russian and videos for those who have started studying English. If you belong to one of these groups, you can find lots of precious information about grammar and vocabulary on this channel. Antonia loves making videos about Russian idioms, and this distinguishes her from other vloggers teaching Russian on YouTube.

Sometimes, Antonia also talks about Russian cities, food, and culture. Thanks to these kinds of videos, the process of studying becomes much more interesting.

It’s better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times… Come and see Saint Petersburg with your own eyes after watching Antonia’s videos!

5. Киноконцерн «МосФильм» (Kinokoncern «MosFil’m») – Cinema Concern “Mosfilm”

Category: Films

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEK3tT7DcfWGWJpNEDBdWog 

Level: Intermediate

Watching Russian films on YouTube can both teach you the language and introduce you to the cultural background of Russia. All the movies on this channel are divided into categories; you’ll find dramas, comedies, and many other film genres here, so you’ll definitely find something that suits your tastes! 

We highly recommend that you start learning to speak Russian via YouTube by watching iconic Russian films such as: 

• «Любовь и голуби» (Lyubov’ i golubi) – “Love and Pigeons” 
• «Иван Васильевич меняет профессию» (Ivan Vasil’yevich menyayet professiyu) – “Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession”

In these films, you can hear a lot of clear Russian speech without any slang or new-fangled words.

The main advantage of this channel is that some of the films on it have both English and Russian subtitles. At the very beginning, you may want to watch Russian movies with English subtitles. A bit later, though, you’ll be able to switch to the Russian ones without a problem—believe us!

6. Bridget Barbara

Category: Vlog

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqILnGzWyjqnPFqS2e1yVWQ/featured 

Level: Intermediate

What sets Barbara apart from other Russian YouTube vloggers? She’s an American girl who studies Russian and shares her progress on YouTube. 

Her videos are mostly life blogs on various themes, such as traveling, languages, and food. The main thing is that they’re all made in Russian; despite Barbara’s American accent, she sounds nice and fluent.

Barbara’s channel was created not only to help you learn to speak Russian through YouTube, but also to inspire you. If you think that you’ll never be good in Russian, just watch the videos in which she pronounces complicated tongue twisters, and you’ll probably become motivated again!

7. «Вечерний Ургант» (Vecherniy Urgant) – “Evening Urgant”

Category: TV Shows

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzlzGhKI5Y1LIeDJI53cWjQ 

Level: Upper-intermediate

If you want to learn some colloquial Russian and improve your listening skills, this channel will be perfect for you. «Вечерний Ургант» (Vecherniy Urgant), or “Evening Urgant,” is one of the most popular late-night talk shows in Russia. The actual running time of each episode is 30-50 minutes, but here on YouTube, you’re allowed to watch only short snippets of the funniest moments.

You can learn lots of Russian jokes and slang expressions while watching this program, and may become acquainted with many famous Russians. There are also some live singing videos uploaded on this channel; if you’re an upper-intermediate student, you probably won’t have any troubles understanding most of the lyrics.

8. Искусство харизмы (Iskusstvo kharizmy) – “Charisma on Command”

Category: Education

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnXppDx0xzfKqOafJunzcEw 

Level: Upper-intermediate

This is the Russian version of the famous English channel called “Charisma on Command.” Here, you can find high-quality Russian translations of the best videos from the official channel, made by professional translators. 

Unfortunately, watching videos on one of the best YouTube channels for learning Russian is not easy. You have to be at least an upper-intermediate student to understand what the show’s host is talking about. At the same time, if you don’t understand something, you may find the English version of the video and bridge the gaps.

9. Varlamov

Category: Vlog about urbanism

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ilyavarlamov 

Level: Upper-intermediate

Ilya Varlamov is a Russian video blogger who travels the world and comments on the architecture of the cities he visits. He also discusses the latest news, makes reviews on various gadgets, and gives his subscribers helpful life advice. If you’re interested in one of these topics, welcome to Ilya’s channel.

Varlamov’s videos are done fully in Russian. As a foreigner, you need to have a high level of language knowledge and concentration to understand what he’s saying—but it’s worth it. Learning Russian through YouTube with Varlamov can also broaden your mind on other topics, so don’t miss it!

10. Learn Russian with RussianPod101.com 

Category: Education

Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/russianpod101 

Level: All levels

The RussianPod101 YouTube channel is the number-one place for people who want to learn Russian through YouTube on their own. On our channel, you’ll find educational videos prepared by experienced teachers. We post new videos nearly every day, so you can constantly refresh and deepen your knowledge.

The best thing about our channel is that it’s helpful for students of all levels. If you’re beginning your path, watch some simple videos about the alphabet; if you’re at the intermediate level, check out our grammar materials; if you’re pretty advanced, we have plenty of content for you, too.

We’re sure that everyone can learn to speak Russian through YouTube with our channel.

11. Conclusion

We’ve shown you the best YouTube channels for learning Russian in an easy and engaging way. We advise you to pay more attention to video materials like these, because this form of education provides you with lots of new lexicology, teaches you to perceive Russian speech by ear, and—of course—it’s a more pleasurable way to learn.

If you’d like to learn more, check out our website, RussianPod101.com. We have a lesson library with dozens of Russian videos for learners at every level. We’re 100% sure that you’ll find something really precious there, as well as on our YouTube channel. Feel free to check them out right now!

Before you go, let us know which of these YouTube channels you’re most interested in watching. Did we miss any good ones you know about? We look forward to hearing from you!

When you’ve just started studying a foreign language, you may not be able to keep up conversations in it, but you should at least know the basic rules of politeness. Greeting and saying goodbye are the most essential aspects of day-to-day communication, and they can make or break your future encounters with native speakers.

Today, RussianPod101.com will teach you how to say goodbye in Russian for a variety of life situations. After learning the following ten phrases, you’ll be much more confident when meeting and speaking with Russians.

Let’s get started! Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. До свидания (Do svidaniya)
2. Пока (Poka)
3. Прощай (Proshchay)
4. До встречи (Do vstrechi)
5. До скорого (Do skorogo)
6. Увидимся (Uvidimsya)
7. Спокойной ночи (Spokoynoy nochi)
8. Мне пора (Mne pora)
9. Счастливо (Schastlivo)
10. Давай (Davay)
11. Conclusion

1. До свидания (Do svidaniya)

До свидания (Do svidaniya) is the most popular way to say goodbye in Russian. The literal translation of this expression is “Until we meet again.” Its English equivalent is “Goodbye.”

This versatile Russian phrase for goodbye is suitable for any formal situation. Keep in mind that it may sound a little too formal if you’re chatting with good friends or family.

Feel free to implement this expression while talking to someone who is older than you or anyone you’re not very close with. Look at the following example:

• До свидания, Мария Ивановна, спасибо вам за всё!
  Do svidaniya, Mariya Ivanovna, spasibo vam za vsyo!
  “Goodbye, Maria Ivanovna, thank you for everything!”

Here, we put the pronoun Вам (Vam) instead of Тебе (Tebe). Anytime you say До свидания (Do svidaniya), you need to use the polite forms of any other words in that sentence.

You should definitely learn more about Russian forms of address in order to be polite while talking to older people (and to avoid awkward situations)!

2. Пока (Poka)

Пока (Poka) is the most popular informal expression for saying goodbye in Russian. Its literal translation is “For now,” but it’s just like saying “Bye” in English. 

You may use Пока (Poka) in any everyday situation, toward anyone you would address informally as Ты (Ty). This kind of goodbye in Russian is appropriate for ending conversations with friends and close relatives. For instance:

• Пока, дружище!
  Poka, druzhishche!
  “Goodbye, buddy!”

You may also say Пока-пока (Poka-poka). The meaning won’t change at all, but your farewell will be longer, warmer, and friendlier.

3. Прощай (Proshchay)

This Russian word for goodbye isn’t very common, so you probably won’t hear it in everyday conversations. The literal translation of this word is “Forgive me.” By saying it, you mean “Farewell” or “Goodbye forever.”

Прощай (Proshchay) is used when the speaker knows that he or she won’t see the other person again. It’s suitable to use when somebody is moving away, lying on their deathbed, or breaking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend.

This is the perfect parting word to use when you want to say goodbye and ask for the other person’s forgiveness at the same time. This word carries the additional weight of admitting guilt, and it sounds really sad. Here’s an example:

• Прощай, моя любовь.
  Proshchay, moya lyubov’.
  “Farewell, my love.”

You’ve probably noticed that the example above uses informal language. If the situation was formal, you would use the polite form Прощайте (Proshchayte).

Sometimes saying goodbye is heartbreaking… And you need special words for it.

4. До встречи (Do vstrechi)

До встречи (Do vstrechi) is one of the safest expressions for saying goodbye in Russian. We say this because it’s appropriate for both formal and informal conversations with people of different ages.

The literal translation of this phrase is “Until the next meeting,” but it’s more like saying “See you soon” in English. Of course, you should only use this phrase to part ways with people you’ll definitely be seeing again. Check this example:

• Мне нужно идти, до встречи!
  Mne nuzhno idti, do vstrechi!
  “I have to go, see you soon.”

5. До скорого (Do skorogo)

Another phrase you should know for saying goodbye to close friends and family is До скорого (Do skorogo). Its literal meaning is “Until soon,” but it’s really just another way to say “See you soon.”

This is a shortened version of До скорого свидания (Do skorogo svidaniya), which is translated into English as “Until we meet again soon.” For your information, the long version isn’t used in modern Russian.

Here’s an example of how to use this Russian informal goodbye phrase: 

• Ну, мы пойдём, до скорого!
  Nu, my poydyom, do skorogo!
  “We’re going now, see you!”

The most appropriate situation for using this expression is when you know you’ll see the person again very soon. For example, if you’re working, studying, or even living together.

Saying goodbye is not sad when you know that you’ll see the person again soon!

6. Увидимся (Uvidimsya)

This expression means almost the same thing as the previous one. Увидимся (Uvidimsya) is literally translated into English as “See each other.” It’s like saying “See you soon” in English.

This phrase is a good way to say goodbye in Russian in more casual situations. You may say Увидимся (Uvidimsya) to your friends if you know you’ll see them again in the near future, like in the following example:

• Увидимся на неделе.
  Uvidimsya na nedele.
  “See each other again this week.”

You may also say the longer version: Ещё увидимся (Eshchyo uvidimsya). The meaning will stay the same.

7. Спокойной ночи (Spokoynoy nochi)

Спокойной ночи (Spokoynoy nochi) is a good phrase for ending a conversation late in the evening. The literal translation of it is “Have a calm night,” and it’s like saying “Goodnight” in English.

This phrase is very versatile, and you can use it in both formal and informal situations. This language construction is appropriate for when it’s late, and you know that the person whom you’re talking to is going to bed. Look at this simple example:

• Спокойной ночи, выспись хорошенько!
  Spokoynoy nochi, vyspis’ khoroshen’ko!
  “Goodnight, get enough sleep!”

There are some Russian equivalents for this phrase, as well:

• Доброй ночи.
  Dobroy nochi.

This one sounds good in both formal and informal situations.

• Сладких снов.
  Sladkikh snov.

This one sounds very informal and even romantic, so you’d better save it for use with really close friends or your sweetheart.

If someone wishes you goodnight every day, you’re happier than many people.

8. Мне пора (Mne pora)

This is a great example of how to say goodbye in Russian when leaving a formal conversation. Мне пора (Mne pora) may be literally translated as “It’s time for me,” but it actually means “It’s time for me to go.”

Using this phrase implies that you not only need to cut the conversation short, but that you also need to leave your current location. It’s a good idea to elongate it with a more traditional way of saying goodbye in Russian, like in the example below:

• Мне пора, до свидания!
  Mne pora, do svidaniya!
  “It’s time for me to go, goodbye!”

You may also say:

• Боюсь, что мне пора.
  Boyus’, chto mne pora.
  “I’m afraid it’s time for me to go.”

9. Счастливо (Schastlivo)

Счастливо (Schastlivo) is a colloquial phrase for ending everyday conversations. The literal translation of it is “Happily,” and it’s like saying “All the best” in English.

We recommend that you use this phrase with people whom you know pretty well—otherwise, it would sound overly familiar. This is a good example of how it should be used:

• Классно провели время. Счастливо!
  Klassno proveli vremya. Schastlivo!
  “We’ve had a cool time. All the best!”

Pay attention to the stress. In this case, it falls on the vowel И, not on А like in all of the other cases.

10. Давай (Davay)

The literal translation of this word is “give” or “let’s,” but people often use it to mean something like “Bye-bye” in Russian. 

Russians often use this word to say goodbye after a phone call or Skype chat with friends. Here’s an example:

• Давай, ещё созвонимся.
  Davay, eshchyo sozvonimsya.
  “We’ll talk later, byе.”

You should only use this goodbye phrase with your friends, acquaintances of your age, and close relatives.

Most Russian Skype sessions end with the word Давай. Russians really love this way of saying goodbye!

11. Conclusion

All of the words and phrases we covered in this article are used regularly in Russia. If you’re only a beginner, it’ll be sufficient for you to learn one formal, one informal, and one universal phrase from this article. If you’re an intermediate or advanced student, you’d better learn all ten of them (or even more!).

Please remember that if you need more help saying goodbye in Russian—or any other aspect of the Russian language—we have a Premium PLUS service called MyTeacher. One-on-one tutoring with your personal teacher will help you succeed at any point of your language-learning journey.

Do you know any other ways to say bye in Russian that we didn’t mention in this article? If yes, please leave a comment below.

Happy learning with RussianPod101.com!

Psss, psss, you. 

Yes, you. 

RussianPod101 has chosen you for a top-secret mission. Don’t worry, no guns or poisoned apples are required. All you need is to equip yourself with a new portion of the Russian language and learn Russian pronouns with us.

The thing is that we need you to deliver a message with secret information to a Russian spy. He’ll find you in the crowd on the street himself. The only difficulty is that you can’t name things directly in case there are enemy ears around. You’ll need to just drop some hints, and the Russian agent will understand.

How? Well, Russian pronouns will help you. These tiny words replace nouns, and even adjectives, so that only the one who knows what you’re talking about will get the idea. Helpful? Without a doubt!

Study this article and arm yourself with knowledge about Russian pronouns pronunciation, the Russian declension of pronouns, and their usage in a sentence, to successfully perform this mission. We provide you with a comprehensive list of Russian pronouns with examples, useful charts and tables, and other information to help you use them. 

Are you ready? The fun is about to begin.

Table of Contents

1. Russian Personal Pronouns
2. Russian Possessive Pronouns
3. Russian Reflexive Pronouns
4. Russian Demonstrative Pronouns
5. Russian Determinative Pronouns
6. Russian Interrogative-Relative Pronouns
7. Russian Indefinite Pronouns
8. Russian Pronouns Exercises
9. Conclusion

1. Russian Personal Pronouns

First, let’s understand what exactly a pronoun is. In the Russian language, a pronoun is a substitute word used to mention a noun without naming it directly. Before we start, check out our list of the most useful Russian pronouns.

Basically, the most essential pronouns for beginners are personal pronouns. In Russian, they’re called личные местоимения (lichnyye mestoimeniya). 

The Russian personal pronouns are:

• я (ya) — “I”
• ты (ty) — “you” (singular)
• он (on) — “he” 
• она (ona) — “she” 
• оно (ono) — “it” 
• мы (my) — “we” 
• вы (vy) — “you” (plural)
• они (oni) — “they”

Here’s a Russian personal pronouns chart that will help you understand the system of Russian pronoun declension:

	Singular					Plural
	1st	2nd	3rd			1st	2nd	3rd
			Neuter	Masculine	Feminine
English	I	you	it	he	she	we	you	they
Nominative	я (ya)	ты (ty)	оно (ono)	он (on)	она (ona)	мы (my)	вы (vy)	они (oni)
Accusative	меня (menya)	тебя (tebya)	его (yego)		её (yeyo)	нас (nas)	вас (vas)	их (ikh)
Genitive
Dative	мне (mne)	тебе (tebe)	ему (yemu)		ей (yey)	нам (nam)	вам (vam)	им (im)
Instrumental	мной / мною (mnoy / mnoyu)	тобой / тобою (toboy / toboyu)	им (im)		ей / ею (yey / yeyu)	нами (nami)	вами (vami)	ими (imi)
Prepositional	мне (mne)	тебе (tebe)	нём (nyom)		ней (ney)	нас (nas)	вас (vas)	них (nikh)

There are several things that you need to keep in mind:

• Его is pronounced as yevo, not yego.

• If there’s a preposition before the third-person pronoun, the pronoun gets the prefix н- (n-) before е (e) and и (i). For example, К нему кто-то пришёл (K nemu kto-to prishyol), meaning “Somebody came to him.” 

Compare this to Передай ему привет (Pereday yemu privet), meaning “Say hi to him.” 

Because the prepositional case is always used with a preposition, you can see in the Russian personal pronouns chart that only forms starting with н- (n-) are used.

We’ve prepared a special video for you about Russian personal pronouns and the accusative case. Check it out! 

Here are some examples:

• Я ему передам (Ya yemu peredam) — “I will give it to him.” (Or: “I will tell him what you said.”)
• У неё новый парень (U neyo novyy paren’) — “She has a new boyfriend.”
• Как зовут твоего кота? (Kak zovut tvoyego kota?) — “What’s your cat’s name?”
• Мы пойдём к ней в гости (My poydyom k ney v gosti) — “We will go to her place as guests.”

2. Russian Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are called притяжательные местоимения (prityazhatyel’nyye myestoimyeniya) in Russian. The Russian possessive pronouns are: 

• мой (moy) — “my” or “mine” 
• твой (tvoy) — “your” or “yours” (for singular possessor)
• наш (nash) — “our” or “ours” 
• ваш (vash) — “your” or “yours” (for plural possessor)

In Russian, possessive pronouns are called притяжательные местоимения (prityazhatyel’nyye myestoimyeniya). These pronouns answer the question “Whose?” and show to whom an object belongs.

Here are a couple more Russian pronouns declension tables:

	Singular
	1st person				2nd person
	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Plural	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	my; mine				your; yours (singular)
Nominative	моё (moyo)	мой (moy)	моя (moya)	мои (moi)	твоё (tvoyo)	твой (tvoy)	твоя (tvoya)	твои (tvoi)
Accusative	моё (moyo)	мой, моего (moy, moyevo)	мою (moyu)	мои, моих (moi, moikh)	твоё (moyo)	твой, твоего (tvoy, tvoyevo)	твою (tvoyu)	твои, твоих (tvoi, tvoikh)
Genitive	моего (moyevo)		моей (moyey)	моих (moikh)	твоего (tvoyevo)		твоей (tvoyey)	твоих (tvoikh)
Dative	моему (moyemu)			моим (moim)	твоему (tvoyemu)			твоим (tvoim)
Instrumental	моим (moim)			моими (moimi)	твоим (tvoim)			твоими (tvoimi)
Prepositional	моём (moyom)			моих (moikh)	твоём (tvoyom)			твоих (tvoikh)

	Plural
	1st person				2nd person
	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Plural	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	my, mine				your, yours (plural)
Accusative	наше (nashe)	наш, нашего (nashe, nashego)	нашу (nashu)	наши, наших (nashi, nashikh)	ваше (vashe)	ваш, вашего (vash, vashego)	вашу (vashu)	ваши, ваших (vashi, vashikh)
Genitive	нашего (nashego)		нашей (nashey)	наших (nashikh)	вашего (vashego)		вашей (vashey)	ваших (vashikh)
Dative	нашему (nashemu)			нашим (nashim)	вашему (vashemu)			вашим (vashim)
Instrumental	нашим (nashim)			нашими (nashimi)	вашим (vashim)			вашими (vashimi)
Prepositional	нашем (nashem)			наших (nashikh)	вашем (vashem)			ваших (vashikh)

There are two options for the accusative case that depend on the animacy of the noun following the pronoun.

Please note that in the words моего (moyego), твоего (tvoy, tvoyego), нашего (nashe, nashego), вашего (vash, vashego), the letter г (g) is pronounced as v. This is an important rule of Russian pronouns’ pronunciation.

Here are some examples of Russian possessive pronouns in a sentence:

• У моего друга есть машина (U moyego druga yest’ mashina) — “My friend has a car.”
• Как твои дела? (Kak tvoi dela?) — “How are you doing?” (Lit. “How are your doings?”)
• Нашему папе сегодня исполняется 50 лет (Nashemu pape segodnya ispolnyayetsya pyat’desyat let) — “Our dad is becoming fifty years old today.”
• Ваша дочь очень красивая (Vasha doch’ ochen’ krasivaya) — “Your daughter is very beautiful.”

3. Russian Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are called возвратные местоимения (vozvratnyye mestoimeniya) in Russian. The Russian reflexive pronouns are:

 себя (sebya) — “-self” 

свой (svoy) — “one’s own” 

сам (sam) — “myself,” “himself,” “herself,” “itself”
1- The Personal Reflexive Pronoun Себя

English	myself, himself, herself
Nominative	–
Accusative	себя (sebya)
Genitive	себя (sebya)
Dative	себе (sebye)
Instrumental	собой (soboy)
Prepositional	себе (sebe)

Have a look at some examples that show how the information in the Russian pronouns table can be applied:

• Я всегда сам себе готовлю еду (Ya vsegda sam sebe gotovlyu yedu) — “I always cook for myself.”
• После увольнения я хочу немного пожить для себя и только потом начать искать новую работу (Posle uvol’neniya ya khochu nemnogo pozhit’ dlya sebya i tol’ko potom nachat’ iskat’ novuyu rabotu) — “After a resignation, I want to live for myself a little bit, and only after that start searching for a new job.”

2- The Reflexive Possessive Pronoun Свой

	Neutral	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	My own, his own, her own
Nominative	своё (svoyo)	свой (svoy)	своя (svoya)	свои (svoi)
Accusative	своё (svoyo)	свой, своего   (svoy, svoyego)	свою (svoyu)	свои, своих (svoi, svoikh)
Genitive	своего (svoyego)		своей (svoyey)	своих (svoikh)
Dative	своему (svoyemu)			своим (svoim)
Instrumental	своим (svoim)			своими (svoimi)
Prepositional	своём (svoyom)			своих (svoikh)

Ready to have a look at some example sentences? Here they are:

• Заботься о своём здоровье (Zabot’sya o svoyom zdorov’ye) — “Take care of your health.” 
• Он сегодня пойдёт с ней в кино (On segodnya poydyot s ney v kino) — “He will go to the cinema with her today.” 

3- The Emphatic Pronoun Сам

	Neutral	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	Myself, himself, herself
Nominative	само (samo)	сам (sam)	сама (sama)	сами (sami)
Accusative	само (samo)	сам, самого (sam, samogo)	саму (samu)	сами, самих (sami, samikh)
Genitive	самого (samogo)		самой (samoy)	самих (samikh)
Dative	самому (samomu)			самим (samim)
Instrumental	самим (samim)			самими (samimi)
Prepositional	самом (samom)			самих (samikh)

This is how this pronoun can be used in a sentence:

• Он сам так решил (On sam tak reshil) — “He decided it by himself.” 
• Она хочет сделать это задание сама (Ona khochet sdelat’ eto zadaniye sama) — “She wants to do this task by herself.” 

4. Russian Demonstrative Pronouns

The Russian demonstrative pronouns are:

• этот (etot) — “this”
• тот (tot) — “that”

And here’s another Russian pronouns chart for you to review:

	Neutral	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	This
Nominative	это (eto)	это (eto)	эта (eta)	эти (eti)
Accusative	это (eto)	этот, этого   (etot, etogo)	эту (etu)	эти, этих (eti, etikh)
Genitive	этого (etogo)		этой (etoy)	этих (etikh)
Dative	этому (etomu)			этим (etim)
Instrumental	этим (etim)			этими (etimi)
Prepositional	этом (etom)			этих (etikh)

	Neutral	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	That
Nominative	то (to)	тот (tot)	та (ta)	те (te)
Accusative	то (to)	тот, того (tot, tovo)	ту (tu)	те, тех (te, tekh)
Genitive	того (tovo)		той (toy)	тех (tekh)
Dative	тому (tomu)			тем (tem)
Instrumental	тем (tem)			теми (temi)
Prepositional	том (tom)			тех (tekh)

Here are some examples of these Russian language pronouns in a sentence:

• Ты можешь этим гордиться (Ty mozhesh’ etim gordit’sya) — “You can be proud of it.” 
• Я не знаю ту женщину (Ya ne znayu tu zhenshchinu) — “I don’t know that woman.” 

5. Russian Determinative Pronouns

There’s just one Russian determinative pronoun: весь (ves’), meaning “all” or “the whole.”

	Neutral	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
English	all, the whole
Nominative	всё (vsyo)	весь (ves’)	вся (vsya)	все (vse)
Accusative	всё (vsyo)	весь, всего   (ves’, vsego)	всю (vsyu)	все, всех (vse, vsekh)
Genitive	всего (vsego)		всей (vsey)	всех (vsekh)
Dative	всему (vsemu)			всем (vsem)
Instrumental	всем (vsem)			всеми (vsemi)
Prepositional	всём (vsyom)			всех (vsekh)

For example:

• Я весь промок (Ya ves’ promok) — “I’m all wet.” (if a man is talking)
• Ты весь горишь (Ty ves’ gorish’) — “You are burning.” (Meaning: “You have a fever.”)
• Мы все идём гулять в воскресенье, ты с нами? (My vse idyom gulyat’ v voskresen’ye, ty s nami?) — “We all are going out on Sunday, will you go with us?” 

6. Russian Interrogative-Relative Pronouns

The Russian interrogative-relative pronouns are: 

• кто (kto) — “who” 
• что (chto) — “what” 
• какой (kakoy) — “what” 
• который (kotoryy) — “which” 
• каков (kakov) — “how” or “what” 
• сколько (skol’ko) — “how much” 
• чей (chey) — “whose” 
• когда (kogda) — “when” 
• где (gde) — “where” (location) 
• куда (kuda) — “where to” (direction)
• как (kak) — “how” 
• откуда (otkuda) — “from where” 
• почему (pochemu) — “why” 
• зачем (zachem) — “what for”

You may wonder why two groups of pronouns—relative and interrogative—are joined into one. This is because, in the Russian language, in both cases the same pronouns are used while their functions in a sentence differ.

Russian interrogative pronouns are called вопросительные местоимения (voprositel’nyye mestoimeniya). They’re used to ask questions, and can also be called вопросительные слова (voprositel’nyye slova), meaning “question words.” Watch our video lesson about interrogative pronouns to learn more about them.

Russian relative pronouns are called относительные местоимения (otnositel’nyye mestoimeniya). They’re used to connect the parts in a complex sentence.

Only several Russian interrogative-relative pronouns are conjugated (yaaaay!). The following pronouns always stay the same:

• когда (kogda) — “when” 
• где (gde) — “where” (location)
• куда (kuda) — “where to” (direction)
• как (kak) — “how” 
• откуда (otkuda) — “from where” 
• почему (pochemu) — “why” 
• зачем (zachem) — “what for” 

That leaves us with seven pronouns. It’s important to know their conjugations because the same words—and the same rules of conjugation—work for the next group of pronouns, which will be indefinite pronouns. So, here’s a Russian pronoun declension chart:

English	What	Who	How many
Nominative	что (chto)	кто (kto)	сколько (skol’ko)
Accusative	что (chto)	кого (kovo)	сколько, скольких (skol’ko, skol’kikh)
Genitive	чего (chego)	кого (kogo)	скольких (skol’kikh)
Dative	чему (chemu)	кому (komu)	скольким (skol’kim)
Instrumental	чем (chem)	кем (kem)	сколькими (skol’kimi)
Prepositional	чём (chyom)	ком (kom)	скольких (skol’kikh)

The following pronouns are conjugation by the rules of adjective conjugation: 

• какой (kakoy) — “what” 
• который (kotoryy) — “which” 
• каков (kakov) — “how” or “what” 
• чей (chey) — “whose” 

For more information, check out our article about Russian adjectives.

Here are some example sentences of interrogative-relative pronouns in a sentence:

• Я не знаю, где мой телефон (Ya ne znayu gde moy telefon) — “I don’t know where my phone is.” 
• О чём ты думаешь? (O chyom ty dumayesh’?) — “What are you thinking about?” 
• Сколько сейчас времени? (Skol’ko seychas vremeni?) — “What time is it now?” 

By the way, do you know another way to ask about time and how to answer this question correctly? If not, read our exhaustive article on time in Russian.

7. Russian Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are called неопределённые местоимения (neopredelyonnyye mestoimeniya) in Russian. These pronouns are formed from Russian interrogative-relative pronouns with the prefix не- (ne-), meaning “not.” There are also some particles that are used to form the indefinite pronouns: 

• кое- (koye-) — “some-” 
• -либо (-libo) — “any-” or “some-” 
• -то (-to) — “some-” 
• -нибудь (-nibud’) — “any-” 

Keep in mind that these particles are written with a hyphen.

Every particle has a meaning. It will be useful to know it in order to form indefinite pronouns from Russian interrogative-relative pronouns with it:

• не- (ne-) — “not” 

This particle means something indefinite or hard to describe. Also, it’s a negation of the following interrogative-relative pronoun, so sometimes it means that there are no options or solutions.

• кое- (koye-) — “some-” 

This also means something indefinite, but in most cases, the meaning is that the speaker doesn’t want to give exact information.

• -либо (-libo) — “any-” or “some-“

It’s tricky to separate the meaning of this particle from the particle -нибудь (-nibud’), meaning “any-,” because they mean the same thing. The only difference is that -нибудь (-nibud’) is very common and widely used in spoken language; it can also be used in all situations. On the other hand, -либо (-libo) creates bookish and official pronouns which are mostly used in questions.

• -нибудь (-nibud’) — “any-” or “some-” 

So, this particle means “at least something,” “at least someone,” “at least somewhere,” “at least somehow,” etc. It’s not important what you’re talking about exactly; just as long as there’s something, it’s fine.

• -то (-to) — “some-” 

This particle is used when the speaker doesn’t find that it’s important (for his story, claim, message, etc.) to name something directly. It helps keep the focus on the facts that really matter. This particle is very commonly used.

We’ve prepared example sentences with all of the possible variations for the most-used pronouns. Try to memorize sentences instead of learning dry rules. :)

1. кто (kto) — “who”

2. некто (nekto) — “someone” 

This is a very bookish word that refers to an unknown person. 

Некто приходил сюда и оставил окно открытым (Nekto prikhod’il syuda i ostavil okno otkrytym) — “Someone came here and left the window opened.” 

2. кое-кто (koye-kto) — “someone” 

Compared to the previous pronoun, this word is much more frequently used in spoken language. Most of the time, a speaker uses this word when talking about someone he knows, usually an opponent of some sort. The speaker could even jokingly refer to themselves as the opponent to be ironic. 

Кое-кто съел всё мороженое, что у нас было (Koye-kto s’yel vsyo morozhenoye, chto u nas bylo) — “Someone specific ate all the ice-cream we had.” 

2. кто-либо (kto-libo) — “anyone” 

This word is also pretty bookish, and in spoken language, it’s better to use кто-нибудь (kto-nibud’), meaning “anybody.” 

Не желает ли кто-либо из присутствующих чаю? (Ne zhelayet li kto-libo iz prisutstvuyushchikh chayu?) — “Does anyone from the people who are here fancy some tea?” 

2. кто-то (kto-to) — “somebody” 

This is a very common word in speech. 

Кто-то мне звонит (Kto-to mne zvonit) — “Someone calls me (on the phone).” 

2. кто-нибудь (kto-nibud’) — “anybody” 

This word is used a lot in spoken language. 

Кто-нибудь хочет пиццу? (Kto-nibud’ khochet pitsu?) — “Does anybody want a pizza?” 

2. что (chto) — “what”

1. нечто (nechto) — “something” (that a speaker has difficulty describing)

This is a very bookish word. 

В темноте было нечто большое и пугающее (V temnote bylo nechto bol’shoye i pugayushcheye) — “There was something big and scary in the darkness.” 

1. кое-что (koye-chto) — “something specific” (the speaker knows what, but doesn’t want to name it)

This is a very common pronoun in spoken language. 

Мне нужно еще кое-что купить, я вас догоню (Mne nuzhno eshchyo koye-chto kup’it’, ya vas dogonyu) — “I need to buy something else; I’ll come up with you.” 

1. что-либо (chto-libo) — “anything” 

This word is also pretty bookish, and when speaking, it’s better to use что-нибудь (chto-nibud’), which also means “anything.” 

Не имеется возможности что-либо предпринять на текущий момент (Ne imeyetsya vozmozhnosti chto-libo predprinyat’ na tekushchiy moment) — “There is no opportunity to do anything at the current moment.” 

1. что-то (chto-to) — “something” 

This is a very common word in spoken language. 

Кто-то мне звонит (Kto-to mne zvonit) — “Someone calls me (on the phone).” 

1. что-нибудь (chto-nibud’) — “anything” 

This word is used a lot in spoken language. 

Ты хочешь что-нибудь? (Ty khochesh’ chto-nibud’?) — “Do you want anything?” 

Please note that not all of the particles are used with every interrogative-relative pronoun, and some of the words change form. Below is a chart of all possible combinations (we’ve excluded old pronouns that are hardly used in modern language). 

You’ll see that some indefinite pronouns have exactly the same translation—especially with the particles -нибудь (-nibud’) and -либо (-libo). To spot the difference in meaning, check out the explanation about indefinite particles above.

	Variations	Example Sentence
какой (kakoy) “What”	некий (nekiy) With some not very well-known characteristic; little-known Usually followed by a person’s name, surname, or nickname кое-какой (koye-kakoy) With indefinite characteristics; with bad quality какой-либо (kakoy-libo) This or that; any from the group of the same; not worth attention какой-нибудь (kakoy-nibud’) This or that; any from the group of the same; not worth attention какой-то (kakoy-to) Not clear which exactly	Тебя у дверей ждёт какой-то мужчина Tebya u dverey zhdyot kakoy-to muzhchina. “There is a man that waits for you near the door.”
который (kotoryy) “Which”	некоторый (nekotoryy) Not stated definitely; not very significant который-нибудь (kotoryy-nibud’) Any one out of several	Он некоторое время молчал  On nekotoroye vremya molchal. “He didn’t say anything (kept silent) for some time.”
сколько (skol’ko) “How much”	несколько (neskol’ko) Indefinite small amount сколько-либо (skol’ko-libo) Indefinite amount (usually a small one) сколько-то (skol’ko-to) Indefinite amount сколько-нибудь (skol’ko-nibud’) Indefinite amount	Рассказать в нескольких словах Rasskazat’ v neskol’kikh slovakh “To tell in a small amount of words”
чей (chey) “Whose”	чей-либо (chey-libo) Belonging to someone, not known to whom чей-нибудь (chey-nibud’) Belonging to someone, not known to whom чей-то (chey-to) Belonging to someone	Чья-то забытая книга лежит на столе  Ch’ya-to zabytaya kniga lezhit na stole. “Someone’s forgotten the book that lies on the table.”
когда (kogda) “When”	некогда (nekogda) No spare time кое-когда (koye-kogda) Sometimes; seldom когда-либо (kogda-libo) (In) some time когда-нибудь (kogda-nibud’) (In) some time когда-то (kogda-to) Some time ago; in the past; some time in the future	Мне некогда  Mne nekogda. “I don’t have time (I’m busy).”
где (gde) “Where” (location)	негде (negde) No place (where something could be done) кое-где (koye-gde) Somewhere; in some (usually rare) place где-либо (gde-libo) In any possible place где-нибудь (gde-nibud’) In any possible place где-то (gde-to) In some place	Мне негде заниматься  Mne negde zanimat’sya. “I don’t have a place to study.”
куда (kuda) “Where to” (direction)	некуда (nekuda) No place where to куда-либо (kuda-libo) Somewhere to; doesn’t matter where куда-нибудь (kuda-nibud’) Somewhere to; doesn’t matter where куда-то (kuda-to) Somewhere to; unknown where to	Я хочу куда-нибудь в отпуск  Ya khochu kuda-nibud’ v otpusk. “I wanna go on vacation somewhere (not stay at home).”
как (kak) “How”	кое-как (koye-kak) With great difficulty; negligently; anyhow как-либо (kak-libo)  In any possible way как-нибудь (kak-nibud’) In any possible way как-то (kak-to) In an indefinite way, not clear how; to an extent; once upon a time	Он кое-как помыл посуду  On koye-kak pomyl posudu. “He washed the dishes in a slapdash manner.”
откуда (otkuda) “From where”	неоткуда (neotkuda) No place from where откуда-нибудь (otkuda-nibud’) From somewhere откуда-либо (otkuda-libo) From somewhere откуда-то (otkuda-to) From some unknown place or from some source	Он только что откуда-то приехал  On tol’ko chto otkuda-to priyekhal. “He’s just arrived from somewhere.”
почему (pochemu) “Why”	почему-либо (pochemu-libo) According to some indefinite reason почему-нибудь (pochemu-nibud’) According to some indefinite reason почему-то (pochemu-to) Due to an unknown reason	Он почему-то не пришёл  On pochemu-to ne prishyol. “He hasn’t come (due to an unknown reason).”
зачем (zachem) “What for”	незачем (nezachem) No need зачем-либо (zachem-libo) With some, not definitely known reason/goal зачем-нибудь (zachem-nibud’) With some, not definitely known reason/goal зачем-то (zachem-to) For something; for some goal	Тебя зачем-то вызывает начальник  Tebya zachem-to vyzyvayet nachal’nik. “The boss calls you for something.”

8. Russian Pronouns Exercises

Wow, impressive. You’ve mastered all the nuances of Russian pronouns. Seems like you’re a responsible person to trust with such an important mission. Alright, here are the messages that need to be delivered:

1. В доме с красными занавесками есть комната. В комнате лежит книга. Ответ в ней. Скорее!

(V dome s krasnymi zanaveskami yest’ komnata. V komnate lezhit kniga. Otvet v ney. Skoreye!)

There is a room in the house with red curtains. There is a thick book in the room. The answer is in it. Hurry up!

A possible answer: В доме с красными ними есть она. В ней лежит кое-что. Он в нём. Скорее! (V nyom s krasnymi nimi yest’ ona. V ney lezhit koye-chto. On v nyom. Skoreye!)—”There is it in the house with red them. There is something lying inside it. It is in it. Hurry up!”

2. Операция началась. Будь осторожным. Не ходи в бар “Белая лошадь”.

(Operatsiya nachalas’. Bud’ ostorozhnym. Ne khodi v bar “Belaya loshad’”).

The operation has started. Be careful. Don’t go to the bar “White horse.”

A possible answer: Она началась. Будь осторожным. Не ходи в тот бар. (Ona nachalas’. Bud’ ostorozhnym. Ne khodi v tot bar)—”It has started. Be careful. Don’t go to that bar.”

Now practice replacing the nouns with pronouns in the comments below.

To finalize your Russian pronouns journey listen to our special podcast about Russian pronouns. It will also help you to improve your Russian pronouns pronunciation.

9. Conclusion

Well, well, well, that was a wonderful trip through the mysteries of Russian pronouns, wasn’t it? Now, you’ll be able to use Russian pronouns correctly in a sentence—that’s a new, serious step toward language fluency. So, well done!

If you want to continue improving your language skills, think about getting professional help from a language tutor. He or she will help you spot mistakes, improve your pronunciation, and help you start talking in Russian. Like REALLY TALKING. Wanna check how effective that will be for you? Then give RussianPod101’s MyTeacher program for Russian-learners a try. Schedule a trial lesson right now and get ready for a language boost!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if you’ve learned anything new about Russian pronouns today! Did we forget any words in our Russian pronouns list? We look forward to hearing from you!

Have you ever had difficulties with combining Russian words? We’re sure you know what we’re talking about. Russian word order is important because it makes sentences make sense. Without understanding the main principles of combining words, you won’t be able to communicate with native speakers while, let’s say, vacationing in Russia over the holidays or chatting on social media.Russian sentence structure is one of the most significant parts of learning the grammar rules of this language. If you learn how to make sentences word by word now, you probably won’t have problems with more difficult themes in the future. So let’s start studying!

Table of Contents

1. Overview of Word Order in Russian
2. Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object
3. Word Order with Prepositional Phrases
4. Word Order with Modifiers
5. How to Change Your Sentence into a Yes-or-No Question
6. Translation Exercises
7. Conclusion

1. Overview of Word Order in Russian

The Russian language word order is SVO, but the existing grammar rules allow us to change it. So, sometimes, the typical SVO Russian word order can become VSO. That’s why we can say that word order in Russian sentences is quite flexible.

So, does word order matter in Russian? When comparing word order in English and Russian, we can notice one big difference. Russian word order doesn’t matter grammatically as much as English word order does.

Before having Russian sentence structure practice, you should definitely learn the most popular Russian phrases and words. It’s impossible to make sentences without knowing them by heart.

If you’re an advanced speaker, you may read Russian books and learn new words from them.

2. Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object

According to the basic Russian word order, you must start your sentence with the subject. Then comes the verb, followed by the object. If you use this word order in Russian sentences, you’ll never make a mistake. For example:

• Я читаю книгу. (Ya chitayu knigu.) — “I read a book.”

There are also some cases when you can use VSO instead of SVO. It’s appropriate if the sentence contains two verbs, and you want to emphasize the first one. It sounds good if you’re telling a story. For example:

• Читаю я книгу и вдруг… (Chitayu ya knigu i vdrug…) — “I’m reading a book, and suddenly…”

Be careful with VSO in Russian, though. It may sound really weird if you use it while making an order in a restaurant, talking to a stewardess during your flight to Russia, in an emergency, or in other formal situations.

3. Word Order with Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases answer the following questions:

• Where?
• When?
• In what way?

Prepositional phrases that answer the question “Where?” are typically used at the end of the sentence, after the object:

• Я читаю книгу дома. (Ya chitayu knigu doma.) — “I read a book at home.”

In Russian sentence structure, prepositional phrases that answer the question “When?” are put either at the very beginning or at the end of a sentence. The meaning of the phrase will change a bit, though. For example:

• Сегодня я читаю книгу. (Segodnya ya chitayu knigu.) — “Today, I read a book.” 
  • In this case, this sentence answers the question “What did I do today?”
• Я читаю книгу сегодня. (Ya chitayu knigu segodnya.) — “I read a book today.” 
  • This one answers the question “When did I read a book?”

Prepositional phrases that answer the question “In what way?” can be used right after the noun or at the end, after the verb. Both variants are grammatically correct, but the first one sounds more natural:

• Я увлеченно читаю книгу. (Ya uvlechyonno chitayu knigu.) — “I enthusiastically read a book.”
• Я читаю книгу увлеченно. (Ya chitayu knigu uvlechyonno.) — “I read a book enthusiastically.”

When there are two (or even more) prepositional phrases, you should use them in the following order:

• Put the prepositional phrase of time in the first place, before the noun.
• Add the prepositional phrase that answers the question “In what way?“ after the noun.
• Use the prepositional phrase of place after the object, at the end.

Here’s an example:

• Сегодня я увлеченно читаю книгу дома. (Segodnya ya uvlechyonno chitayu knigu doma.) — “Today, I enthusiastically read a book at home.”

If you don’t want to learn all these rules about building sentences in Russian, you may always put the prepositional phrase at the end of the sentence. Of course, doing so is appropriate only for beginners. Advanced students must know and use more complex rules regarding sentence structure in Russian.

4. Word Order with Modifiers

In most cases, the modifier is an adjective which describes something. In Russian word order, adjectives are always used before nouns:

• Я читаю интересную книгу. (Ya chitayu interesnuyu knigu.) — “I read an interesting book.”

If there are two or more adjectives in the sentence, you should:

• Firstly, use the one which expresses your own opinion about the subject or marks something about the subject that’s not very stable.
• Use the adjective which denotes a very stable aspect as close to the noun as possible.

For example:

• Я читаю интересную научную книгу. (Ya chitayu interesnuyu nauchnuyu knigu.) — “I read an interesting scientific book.”

Note that Russian sentence structure with adjectives is more or less flexible. There are no actual Russian word order rules that say you must use one type of adjective before another (e.g. shape before color). Try not to think too hard about how to order words in Russian when it comes to adjectives.

Other modifiers include the determiner, the numeral, and the possessive. According to the most typical word order in Russian, all modifiers like these come before the noun:

• Я читаю эту книгу. (Ya chitayu etu knigu.) — “I read this book.”
• Я читаю одну книгу. (Ya chitayu odnu knigu.) — “I read one book.”
• Я читаю его книгу. (Ya chitayu yego knigu.) — “I read his book.”

5. How to Change Your Sentence into a Yes-or-No Question

Typical Russian sentence structure makes it really easy to change affirmative constructions into yes-or-no-questions. If you want your Russian question word order to be correct, follow our instructions:

• Put the verb at the beginning.
• Add the conjunction ли (li) after the verb.
• Then use the noun and the object.

Here’s an example:

• Читаю ли я книгу? (Chitayu li ya knigu?) — “Do I read a book?”

6. Translation Exercises

We hope that you’ve read the information above thoroughly and understand the basic Russian sentence structures. Now we need to practice a bit with new sentences. We’ll use the most common Russian word order: SVO.

Please, stop comparing Russian sentence structure to that of English. They are both easy and comprehendible, believe us.

First of all, try to translate this phrase using your knowledge about how Russian sentences are structured:

• “I watched a movie.”

You may use the Russian dictionary if you don’t know the translations of some words. 

If it’s difficult for you, think about Russian sentence structure compared to that in English. What do you know about them? They’re both SVOs! That’s why you can translate the simplest sentence word by word without the fear of making mistakes.

The correct Russian translation of the sentence above is:

• Я посмотрел фильм. (Ya posmotrel fil’m.)

Now let’s translate a slightly more difficult variant of this sentence:

• “I watched a good movie.”

If you’re struggling, look at our Russian sentence structure examples. There you’ll see that the adjective always comes before the noun:

• Я посмотрел хороший фильм. (Ya posmotrel khoroshiy fil’m.)

Now it’s time to make our English sentence more difficult. Translate this one:

• “I watched a good movie yesterday.”

Don’t panic! There are two ways to make this sentence:

• Вчера я посмотрел хороший фильм. (Vchera ya posmotrel khoroshiy fil’m.)
• Я посмотрел хороший фильм вчера. (Ya posmotrel khoroshiy fil’m vchera.)

Now try to translate the question:

• Did I watch a good movie yesterday?

There are two correct ways to translate it:

• Посмотрел ли я вчера хороший фильм? (Posmotrel li ya vchera khoroshiy fil’m?)
• Посмотрел ли я хороший фильм вчера? (Posmotrel li ya khoroshiy fil’m vchera?)

Sometimes there’s more than one appropriate way to express your thoughts in Russian.

7. Conclusion 

You’ve learned a lot about Russian sentence structure and word order. We gave you not only the basic rules, but also some advanced techniques to build complex Russian sentences. Of course, it may seem too difficult right now. But don’t forget that Russian people don’t even think about how to combine words while speaking or writing. You only need some practice to do the same.

No one can fully cover the theme of sentence structure in Russian in one article, because this language is too rich. We’re sure you still have some questions: how to structure a sentence in Russian if there are two subjects and two verbs, how to form complex questions, how Russian sentence structure works in sentences with relative clauses, etc.

If you want to know more about this theme and find the answers to the above-mentioned questions, explore RussianPod101.com. Here you’ll find lots of free materials regarding vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. You’ll be able to download some useful information about Russian sentence structure.Do you want to try personal coaching? You can check our Premium PLUS service MyTeacher and take the assessment test to get started.

Sincere compliments are wonderful! Every person loves to hear about his or her merits. Compliments make people happy, increase self-esteem, and smooth out sharp edges in relationships. Of course, they’re not obligatory, but they are helpful in many situations.

That’s why you should know some Russian compliments if you study this language or simply want to fly to Russia in the future. This article will help you learn about giving compliments in the Russian language.

Table of Contents

1. General Information
2. Compliments on Someone’s Look
3. Compliments on Someone’s Skills or Abilities
4. Compliments on Someone’s Personal Traits
5. Compliments on Someone’s Work
6. How to Make Sincere Compliments
7. How to Respond to Compliments
8. Conclusion

1. General Information

First of all, you need to know that Russian people aren’t really enthusiastic about giving compliments. They praise each other from time to time, but not as much as Americans do, for example. Moreover, Russians almost never give compliments to strangers or people they’ve just met.

However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give Russian compliments to people you’re not very close with. Just be relaxed and sincere. Russian people will appreciate your openness.

2. Compliments on Someone’s Look

Do Russian women like compliments? Of course! If you want to compliment a Russian woman, start with her appearance.

Below, we’ll give you the best Russian compliment phrases regarding appearance. Some are suitable only for women, while others are good for men and women.

• Ты прекрасно выглядишь! (Ty prekrasno vyglyadish!) — “You look nice!”

This is one of the most appropriate Russian compliments for your girlfriend when her makeup is particularly well done or she’s wearing a tastefully chosen outfit. You may also use this phrase to compliment the appearance of your friend or close relative.

Always be mentally prepared for your dates!

• Ты так привлекательна! (Ty tak privlekatel’na!) — “You’re so attractive!”

If you aren’t sure how to compliment a Russian woman, use this phrase. Make sure that you say it to a girl you know well enough or who is younger than you. Don’t forget that it’s a flirty compliment in Russian, so try to use it only in informal situations.

• Эта рубашка тебе идёт. (Eta rubashka tebe idyot.) — “This shirt suits you.”

This remark is universal. You may use it to express your thoughts about your friend’s new shirt or about an old shirt that you see on him or her for the first time.

• У тебя хороший вкус. (U tebya khoroshiy vkus.) — “You have good taste.”

This is one of the most widespread Russian compliments. If somebody you know looks particularly good in the clothes they’re wearing, feel free to use this phrase.

• Какие у тебя красивые глаза! (Kakiye u tebya krasivyye glaza!) — “Your eyes are so beautiful!”

While this is one of the best Russian beauty compliments for women, you can also say this to a man. Use this phrase if your male or female friend has charming eyes; for example, if they’re clearly blue or almond-shaped.

• Вы молодо выглядите. (Vy molodo vyglyadite.) — “You look young.”

This useful expression is one of the most common Russian compliments for women who are older than forty. You may use it in both formal and informal situations.

There are many Russian women who look younger than they really are.

• Твоя красота сводит меня с ума. (Tvoya krasota svodit menya s uma.) — “Your beauty drives me crazy.”

You may find this and other beautiful Russian compliments in literature. If you want to compliment a girl in Russian in a unique way, especially if you’re dating, use this phrase.

3. Compliments on Someone’s Skills or Abilities

Knowing Russian beauty compliments isn’t enough. You should also be able to praise a person for his or her abilities. In this section, you’re going to learn about giving compliments in Russian regarding somebody’s skills.

• Вы здорово танцуете! (Vy zdorovo tantsuyete!) — “You’re a good dancer!”

If you’re going to a party, make sure you remember this expression. You may use it to start a new conversation with someone you don’t know while dancing.

• Мне нравится, как ты готовишь. (Mne nravitsya, kak ty gotovish’.) — “I like your cooking.”

If you want to compliment a Russian woman for something other than her appearance, try to remember this phrase. Among all compliments for a Russian woman, this one is the most pleasing. If you like the meals your girlfriend cooks, let her know!

• Ты смешно шутишь. (Ty smeshno shutish’.) — “You’re funny.”

How to compliment a Russian man? This phrase will help you! Russian men adore when women find them funny. This compliment doesn’t sound flirty, so you may use it in conversations with your male or female friends if you really like their jokes.

• Ты умеешь удивить. (Ty umeyesh’ udivit’.) — “You know how to surprise.”

This is the best compliment you can give to Russian people who are creative. If you’re amazed by your girlfriend’s, boyfriend’s, friend’s, or close relative’s success, express your feelings by using this compliment in Russian.

• Ты прекрасно водишь машину. (Ty prekrasno vodish’ mashinu.) — “You’re a good driver.”

Use this phrase to praise somebody’s driving skills. If your friend has just started to drive, cheer him or her on with this positive compliment.

You don’t have to be a professional driver to have good driving skills!

4. Compliments on Someone’s Personal Traits

Some of the best Russian compliments are those that focus not only on appearance and skills, but also personal traits. The phrases below will help you.

• Вы так добры. (Vy tak dobry.) — “You’re so kind.”

This phrase sounds good in conversations with people whom you don’t know very well, when you feel that they’re nice. For example, you can give such a compliment to a stranger who helped you collect your scattered papers.

• Ты такой общительный человек. (Ty takoy obshchitel’nyy chelovek.) — “You’re such a sociable person.”

If your friend or close relative is always surrounded by people and easily gets along with them, praise him for it!

Sociable people like when somebody mentions their openness!

• Ты умён/умна не по годам. (Ty umyon/umna ne po godam.) — “You’re clever beyond your age.”

You may have a friend or a sibling who is young, but has much success in studying and seems wise. Mention his or her mental abilities by using this Russian compliment.

• Ты силён/сильна духом. (Ty silyon/sil’na dukhom.) — “Your spirit is strong.”

You may use this phrase while having a conversation with someone who does well in sports, for example.

5. Compliments on Someone’s Work

If you want to learn about giving compliments in Russian, you can’t do without phrases connected to work. You should definitely master Russian compliments for people with whom you work or study.

• Вы отлично справились! (Vy otlichno spravilis’!) — “You did a good job!”

This is the highest Russian compliment for your co-worker or employee who has done very well in something.

• Не знаю, что бы я без вас делал. (Ne znayu, chto by ya bez vas delal.) — “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

If you really appreciate your colleague or any other person for his or her help, show it by giving compliments like this.

• Я ценю ваш подход к работе. (Ya tsenyu vash podkhod k rabote.) — “I appreciate your approach to work.”

If you like the way a person treats his or her work, say it.

• Фантастическая работа! (Fantasticheskaya rabota!) — “Fantastic work!”

When the work is finished successfully, don’t forget to praise the person who accomplished it using this Russian compliment.

6. How to Make Sincere Compliments

Are you wondering how to say compliments in Russian and sound sincere? It’s easy! Use the following tips:

1. Don’t lie. If someone wears braces, don’t say that he or she has a beautiful smile. It would sound far-fetched. Never compliment the things that you don’t really like in another person.

Honesty is the best policy!

2. Maintain eye contact. If you hide your eyes, the person you’re trying to praise will probably think that you’re not being fully honest with him.

3. Don’t use too many beautiful Russian compliments found in literature. Of course, there are many nice expressions from books, but most of them sound weird in everyday conversations. Let those beautiful Russian compliments stay in literature.

7. How to Respond to Compliments

Now you know how to give compliments in Russian. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough information to communicate with native speakers. Don’t forget to learn how to respond to Russian compliments. There are some easy ways to do it:

• Спасибо. (Spasibo.) — “Thanks.”
• Благодарю. (Blagodaryu.) — “Thank you.”
• Спасибо, вы тоже/ты тоже. (Spasibo, vy tozhe/ty tozhe.) — “Thank you, you too.”
• Я польщён/польщена. (Ya pol’shchyon/pol’shchena.) — “I’m flattered.”

8. Conclusion

We hope this guide will help you make other people happy. If you want to learn more about compliments in Russian culture, check out RussianPod101.com. Here you’ll find not only many useful compliments, but also other phrases for your everyday communication.

You may also want to sign up for our premium service MyTeacher to enjoy one-on-one coaching, personalized exercises and assignments, and much more. We’re sure that it will help you master the Russian language and make you more confident while speaking!

What’s your favorite Russian compliment? What are some common compliments in your language? Let us know in the comments!

Everyone experiences anger, regardless of temperament, strength of character, endurance, or other similar factors.

Anger is a biologically programmed feeling. It was one of the first emotional experiences available to primitive man, and contrary to popular opinion, anger is a useful emotion. It was given to humans in order to survive. We get angry when something violates our inner peace, threatens our lives, or damages our self-esteem. Scholars say that those who don’t let their anger out suffer both psychologically and physically.

Thus, if you study Russian, it’ll be useful for you to learn how to talk about your rage in this language. You need to know angry phrases in Russian by heart so you can put your feelings into words in any situation. Don’t think that it’s too difficult! Memorizing five to ten words and phrases will be more than adequate for letting people know you’re angry in Russian.

We don’t want you to suffer in unspoken anger! That’s why we’ve collected the most popular angry Russian words and phrases that you can use anytime, without fear of being misunderstood by native speakers.

Table of Contents

1. Angry Imperatives
2. Angry Warnings
3. Angry Blames
4. Describing How You Feel
5. Bonus: How to Calm Yourself Down When You’re Angry
6. Conclusion

1. Angry Imperatives

Here are the most common angry Russian phrases you can use to tell people what to do (or not to do!).

Заткнись (Zatknis’)

The literal translation of this word is “Shut up,” and it’s one of the most popular Russian curses in the dictionary. When you use this phrase, you’re asking another person to stop talking. Заткнись (Zatknis’) has a very negative connotation, which is why your Russian teacher probably won’t introduce this word to you.

If you’re having an informal conversation with a person the same age as you and they’re rude to you, you can tell him Заткнись (Zatknis’). If you want to be more polite in your conversation with a native speaker, use the word Замолчи (Zamolchi) instead.

Прекрати (Prekrati)

The literal translation of one of the most common angry Russian words—Прекрати (Prekrati)—is “Stop it” or “Cut it out.” If you say this, it means that you don’t want to listen to another person or see what he’s doing.

For instance, a mother can use this word when her child is naughty. You may also try the construction Прекрати это немедленно (Prekrati eto nemedlenno), meaning “Stop it right now,” in your conversations.

Оставь меня в покое (Ostav’ menya v pokoye)

Оставь меня в покое (Ostav’ menya v pokoye) is an angry Russian phrase that every Russian has used at least once in their life. It literally means “Leave me alone.”

Imagine that somebody is distracting you by giving advice you didn’t ask for or asking too many questions. If you say this phrase to them, you can be almost sure that they won’t take any more of your time.

Проваливай (Provalivay)

This is the literal translation of the English construction “Get lost.” A girl may say Проваливай (Provalivay) to her boyfriend after finding out he’s cheated on her, for example.

There are some other angry phrases in Russian which are synonymous with Проваливай (Provalivai):

• Исчезни (Ischezni) — “Get lost”
• Отвали (Otvali) — “Get off”
• Убирайся с глаз моих долой (Ubiraysya s glaz moikh doloy) — “Get out of my sight”
• Уходи отсюда (Ukhodi otsyuda) — “Get out of here”

2. Angry Warnings

Я больше не хочу тебя видеть (Ya bol’she ne khochu tebya videt’)

Я больше не хочу тебя видеть (Ya bol’she ne khochu tebya videt’) sounds very offensive in Russian, so you’d better not use it in every conflict you have. It’s similar to “I don’t want to see you again,” in English.

This construction is perfect to use when you’re finishing your relationship with someone. For example, a man may tell his girlfriend Я больше не хочу тебя видеть (Ya bol’she ne khochu tebya videt’) while breaking up with her.

Не лезь ко мне (Ne lezʹ ko mne)

Не лезь ко мне (Ne lezʹ ko mne) is the Russian variation of “Don’t mess with me.” You may use it whenever you don’t want to communicate with another person.

Ты нарываешься (Ty naryvayesh’sya)

The literal translation of Ты нарываешься (Ty naryvayesh’sya) is “You’re asking for trouble.” Feel free to use this phrase when somebody behaves too roughly with you.

These angry Russian sayings may also be helpful in critical situations:

• Ты напрашиваешься на неприятности (Ty naprashivayeshʹsya na nepriyatnosti) — “You’re asking for trouble.”
• Ты испытываешь моё терпение (Ty ispytyvayeshʹ moyo terpeniye) — “You’re trying my patience.”

Не заставляй меня повторять это снова (Ne zastavlyay menya povtoryatʹ eto snova)

Не заставляй меня повторять это снова (Ne zastavlyay menya povtoryatʹ eto snova) is one of the best angry phrases to make another person meet your requirement or accept your point of view. The literal English translation of this phrase is “Don’t make me say it again.”

You can use this phrase in the middle—or at the end—of your conversation with a Russian person. Angry Russian parents usually say Не заставляй меня повторять это снова (Ne zastavlyay menya povtoryatʹ eto snova) to their children when they’re not behaving even after many warnings.

Это моё последнее предупреждение (Eto moyo posledneye preduprezhdeniye)

If you’re wondering how to curse in Russian, then you should definitely learn the phrase Это моё последнее предупреждение (Eto moyo posledneye preduprezhdenye). The literal meaning is “This is my last warning.”

For example, when a student doesn’t want to keep quiet, a teacher may say Это моё последнее предупреждение (Eto moyo posledneye preduprezhdeniye). It means that if he doesn’t stop being noisy right now, he’ll be given a bad mark or another punishment.

Among many other Russian angry phrases, I want to mark the phrase Это последняя капля (Eto poslednyaya kaplya), meaning “This is the last straw.” It means almost the same thing as Это моё последнее предупреждение (Eto moyo posledneye preduprezhdeniye).

Я этого не потерплю (Ya etogo ne poterplyu)

Я этого не потерплю (Ya etogo ne poterplyu) is translated into English as “I won’t tolerate that.” It’s one of the best Russian phrases for a conversation with a person who’s not treating you right. You may use this phrase toward someone who has lied to you, betrayed you, etc.

3. Angry Blames

О чём ты думал(а)? (O chyom ty dumal[a])

The literal meaning of this phrase is “What were you thinking?” Angry Russian people love to say this when they know that somebody has done something extremely stupid.

Here are other angry phrases in Russian with almost the same meaning:

• Ты с ума сошёл/сошла? (Ty s uma soshyol/soshla?) — “Are you out of your mind?”
• Что с тобой не так? (Chto s toboy ne tak?) — “What’s wrong with you?”
• Кем ты себя возомнил(а)? (Kem ty sebia vozomnil[a]?) — “Who do you think you are?”

Ты сам во всём виноват (Ty sam vo vsyom vinovat)

The closest English translation of Ты сам во всем виноват (Ty sam vo vsyom vinovat) is “It’s all your fault.” For instance, an offended wife may use this phrase toward her husband while they’re going through a divorce.

Have a look at some similar phrases:

• Ты не прав(а) (Ty ne prav[a]) — “You’re mistaken.”
• Ты всё напутал(а) (Ty vsyo naputal[a]) — “You messed it up.”

Ты меня не слушал(а) (Ty menya ne slushal[a])

Ты меня не слушал(а) (Ty menya ne slushal[a]) is the closest Russian equivalent to “You weren’t listening to me.” You may use it in two situations:

• When a person was inattentive to what you were telling him or he just wasn’t interested in it
• When a person didn’t follow your instructions or advice

You may replace Ты меня не слушал(а) (Ty menya ne slushal[a]) with the following phrases:

• Я же говорил(а) (Ia zhe govoril[a]) — “I told you.”
• Ты пропустил(а) всё мимо ушей (Ty propustil[a] vsyo mimo ushey) — “You ignored everything.”

Ты дурак/дура (Ty durak/dura)

Ты дурак/дура (Ty durak/dura) means “You’re a fool” in English. You can use this one while talking to somebody who has disappointed or annoyed you.

Here are some Russian angry phrases with similar meanings:

• Ты невыносим(а) (Ty nevynosim[a]) — “You’re impossible.”
• Ты глуп(а) (Ty glup[a]) — “You’re silly.”
• Ты туп(а) (Ty tup[a]) — “You’re stupid.”
• Ты ужасный человек (Ty uzhasnyy chelovek) — “You are an awful person.”

Это не твоё дело (Eto ne tvoyo delo)

Это не твоё дело (Eto ne tvoyo delo) translates into English as “It’s none of your business.” This phrase can be helpful in situations when somebody asks you personal questions or gives unsolicited advice. Make sure you remember this one!

4. Describing How You Feel

In addition to knowing angry phrases in Russian, you need to be able to express your emotions. For example, being able to say “I’m angry” in Russian or to clue someone in on your negative emotions will be immensely helpful. Whether you’re sad, frustrated, or just stressed out, the following phrases are really useful for talking about your negative emotions in Russian:

• Я очень расстроен(а) (Ya ochenʹ rasstroyen[a]) — “I’m very upset.”
• Меня это достало (Menya eto dostalo) — “I’m fed up with it.”
• Меня это бесит (Menya eto besit) — “I hate it.”
• Я не в порядке (Ya ne v poryadke) — “I’m not okay.”
• Я в депрессии (Ya v depressii) — “I’m depressed.”
• Я так устал(а) (Ya tak ustal[a]) — “I’m so tired.”
• Мне плохо (Mne plokho) — “I feel bad.”

5. Bonus: How to Calm Yourself Down When You’re Angry

If you’re angry, you may not need to use any of these angry phrases. There are some easy ways to calm yourself down in a matter of seconds or minutes. Just try to:

• Take a deep breath
• Drink a glass of water
• Take a walk or run
• Go to the gym
• Listen to some good music
• Read your favorite book
• Write about your rage or pain
• Reframe your thinking and change your point of view
• Think of something good from your past
• Talk to your friend or relative

6. Conclusion

You’ve just read more than twenty of the best and most versatile Russian angry phrases to help you express your anger. However, don’t forget that this language is a rich one, so this short article can’t give you an entire Russian swear words list. Trust us, there’s a lot more to learn!

If you want to take the first steps toward improving your knowledge of the Russian language, we recommend that you check out RussianPod101.com and study with a variety of lessons for beginners, intermediate learners, and more advanced students. You can also study with a private teacher and get personalized feedback to really expedite your learning journey!

Before you go, let us know in the comments what your favorite Russian angry phrase is! We look forward to hearing from you!

Did you know that there’s a Russian holiday called Крещение (Kreshcheniye), or “Baptism,” when everyone jumps into прорубь (prorub’), or an “ice hole” in just their underwear? This holiday is in January, so it might be -10°C or -20°C, or even -50°C outside. Russian people believe that it washes off their sins and improves health. This holiday salutes the end of Russian winter holidays, each of which contains even more peculiar traditions. (You thought you were just going to learn Happy Birthday in Russian, didn’t you?)

To feel confident in living in Russia and communicating with Russian people, it’s important to know these traditions, especially how people congratulate each other. So, let’s dig into the festive side of life and learn how to become a part of it while in Russia.

Table of Contents

1. Happy Holidays in Russian
2. How to Say Happy Birthday in Russian
3. How to Say Merry Christmas in Russian & A Happy New Year in Russian
4. Russian Congratulations: Baby News & Pregnancy
5. Happy Graduation in Russian
6. Congratulations for a New Job or Promotion
7. Russian Congratulations for Retirement
8. Russian Congratulations: Weddings & Anniversaries
9. Death and Funerals: Russian Condolence Messages
10. Bad News
11. Injured or Sick
12. Other Holidays and Life Events
13. Conclusion

1. Happy Holidays in Russian

No matter what holiday or life event you’re observing, you can always say “I congratulate you,” and most of the time, this is enough. In Russian, it can be said with just one word: Поздравляю! (Pozdravlyayu!). If you’re representing a group of people—or just somebody other than yourself—change the word into Поздравляем! (Pozdravlyayem!).

Make sure to use it instead of the full congratulation when it’s obvious what you’re congratulating someone on. For example, in social networks, when a lot of people are posting congratulations for a birthday or New Year, posting Поздравляю! (Pozdravlyayu!) will be enough; it’s obvious what you’re celebrating.

If it’s not obvious enough, be ready for the person to ask you: С чем? (S chem?), meaning “With what?”

You might also be wondering about greetings and best wishes in Russian. As for greetings, there’s a big article prepared by RussianPod101 for you. As for best wishes, there’s a nice way to say that: Всего наилучшего! (Vsyego nailuchshego!), which simply means “Best wishes!”

2. How to Say Happy Birthday in Russian

Birthdays in Russia are very important. Many people take the day off from work and go on vacation; most people wait until the nearest weekend to gather all their friends and close relatives for a party. Birthday gifts to friends are usually more expensive compared to gifts for the New Year. If you’re wondering what kind of gifts would be most appropriate, here are a few examples for you:

• Chocolate and a cute souvenir to a coworker
• A book, a box of nice candies, and a flower to a girlfriend
• A bottle of expensive alcohol to your boss (just make sure that he actually drinks alcohol beforehand)
• Two tickets to a theatre/reality quest/concert for your friend (ask in advance if that evening or day is free)

The closer your relationship is, the more expensive the present becomes. For example, a wife or girlfriend can congratulate her husband or boyfriend with an expensive watch.

Now, how do you wish someone a happy birthday in Russian?

1- С днём рождения!

• Romanization: S dnyom rozhdeniya!
• English Translation: “Happy Birthday!”

This is a basic congratulation that will sound great both for formal and informal situations, in speaking and in writing. To make it sound more solemn, you can say Поздравляю с днём рождения! (Pozdravlyayu s dnyom rozhdeniya!), which means “I congratulate you on your birthday!”

Besides the main congratulatory phrase, you can also add some wishes. For example, Всего самого наилучшего! (Vsyego samogo nailuchshego!), which means “All the best” in Russian.

2- С прошедшим!

• Romanization: S proshedshim!
• English Translation: “Belated Happy Birthday!”

If you just found out that someone had a birthday during the last week, it would be great to congratulate him even though you’re a little late. The Russian phrase for congratulations С прошедшим! (S proshedshim!), meaning “Belated Happy Birthday!” in Russian, sounds great in informal situations. For formal situations, make it longer: С прошедшим днём рождения! (S proshedshim dnyom rozhdeniya!), or “Belated Happy Birthday!”

3- Ещё раз с днём рождения!

• Romanization: Yeshchyo raz s dnyom rozhdeniya!
• English Translation: “Once again Happy Birthday!”

Usually, Russian people enjoy making congratulations more personal by wishing a lot of different blessings. At the end of such a congratulation, they sum it up by saying Ещё раз с днём рождения! (Yeschyo raz s dnyom rozhdeniya!), which means “Once again Happy Birthday!” in Russian.

These are the most basic birthday congratulations in Russian. If you’re texting it to your friends, you might need text slang modifications to sound more natural. For that, check out our article on Russian Internet slang. Also, we’ve prepared special podcasts on how to ask “When is your birthday?” in Russian and how to make a post on social network about your own birthday.

3. How to Say Merry Christmas in Russian & A Happy New Year in Russian

The New Year in Russia is the biggest and longest holiday. Official holidays last from seven to ten days. People spend time with their families and friends, travel, and enjoy winter sports.

Christmas in Russia is celebrated after the New Year, on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar. It’s a smaller holiday compared to New Year, and is mostly celebrated by religious people.

Let’s see how to say Merry Christmas in Russian and look at some Russian New Year congratulations!

1- С наступающим!

• Romanization: S nastupayushchim!
• English Translation: “With the upcoming New Year!”

So, how do you say “Happy New Year” in Russian? First of all, there’s a very common phrase to congratulate people with before New Year, such as colleagues or friends that you won’t be able to see during the holidays. It’s С наступающим! (S nastupayushchim!), which means “With the upcoming New Year!” This is one of the most popular New Year wishes in Russian for before the New Year holidays.

An interesting fact. One of the meanings of the word наступать (nastupat’) is “to step on (someone’s foot).” That’s why there’s a pretty cheesy Russian joke when a person intentionally steps on your foot and says С наступающим! (S nastupayushchim!), or “With the upcoming New Year!”

2- C новым годом!

• Romanization: S novym godom!
• English Translation: “Happy New Year!”

After the Kremlin clock has tolled twelve times and a new year has begun, you can change your congratulatory words from С наступающим! (S nastupayushchim!), or “With the upcoming New Year!”, to C новым годом! (S novym godom!). That is how to say “Happy New Year!” in Russian. Though literally, it means “With New Year!” You can also say, more solemnly, Поздравляю с новым годом! (Pozdravlyayu s novym godom!), which means “I congratulate you with a happy New Year!” in Russian.

Some older people love to say C новым годом, с новым счастьем! (S novym godom, s novym schast’yem!), which means “With New Year, with new happiness!” That’s one of the old New Year wishes in Russian and may sound a bit cliche.

After saying this phrase, you can add some New Year wishes in Russian. For example: Я желаю тебе здоровья, счастья и удачи в новом году (Ya zhelayu tebe zdorov’ya, schast’ya i udachi v novom godu), meaning “I wish you health, happiness, and good luck in the new year.”

You can also add Всего самого наилучшего! (Vsyego samogo nailuchshego!), which means “All the best” in Russian.

3- C Рождеством!

• Romanization: S Rozhdestvom!
• English Translation: “Merry Christmas!”

In Russian, “Christmas” is Рождество (Rozhdestvo). So, here’s how to say Merry Christmas in Russian: C Рождеством! (S Rozhdestvom!). Don’t worry whether they’re religious or not; it’s still one of the traditional holidays.

To improve your listening skills on this topic, listen to our podcast “How Will You Spend New Year’s in Russia?”.

4. Russian Congratulations: Baby News & Pregnancy

In Russia, baby showers aren’t really common. Usually, people celebrate and give presents to happy parents when the child is already born. So, there are no actual Russian baby shower traditions. If Russians put on a baby shower, they copy traditions from English-speaking countries.

1- Поздравляю с беременностью!

• Romanization: Pozdravlyayu s beremennost’yu!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on the pregnancy!”

This is a basic phrase that you can tell a woman when you see that she is pregnant. It’s more common to omit the word беременность (beremennost’), or “pregnancy,” and just say Поздравляю! (Pozdravlyayu!), meaning “Congratulations!”

2- Поздравляю с рождением ребёнка!

• Romanization: Pozdravlayu s rozhdeniyem rebyonka!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on the baby’s birth!”

This a formal congratulation suitable for writing (e.g. in a card or a message), or for a toast.

3- Поздравляю с рождением мальчика/девочки!

• Romanization: Pozdravlayu s rozhdeniyem mal’chika/devochki!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on the birth of the boy/girl!”

If you want to specify the gender and congratulate upon a gender, then this phrase will suit your needs the best. It’s great both for speaking and writing in formal and informal situations.

To learn the most common phrases to talk about a baby, watch our free educational video lesson.

5. Happy Graduation in Russian

Like everywhere in the world, graduation in Russia is an important occasion, especially if it’s graduation from a school or university. Learn how to give graduation congratulations in Russian to your friends or friends’ kids.

1- Поздравляю с окончанием школы!

• Romanization: Pozdravlyayu s okonchaniyem shkoly!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on (your) school graduation!”

This may sound a bit too official, though. If you want to sound more casual, omit the word Поздравляю (Pozdravlyayu), or “Congratulations.”

2- Поздравляю с окончанием университета!

• Romanization: Pozdravlyayu s okonchaniyem universiteta!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on (your) university graduation!”

Like with the previous congratulation, omitting Поздравляю (Pozdravlyayu), or “Congratulations,” will make the phrase sound more casual.

3- Добро пожаловать во взрослую жизнь!

• Romanization: Dobro pozhalovat’ vo vzrosluyu zhizn’!
• English Translation: “Welcome to an adult life!”

This phrase should come from someone older than the graduate himself. Usually, this congratulatory phrase comes from older relatives.

6. Congratulations for a New Job or Promotion

Promotions aren’t a very common cause for celebration or giving congratulations, but it will be considered very attentive and kind of you if you do congratulate your colleagues or friends on a promotion. Usually, promotions are celebrated by having a family dinner, so if you have a Russian spouse or parents-in-law, the following congratulations in Russian will be a great choice.

1- Поздравляю с новой работой!

• Romanization: Pozdravlyayu s novoy rabotoy!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on a new job!”

This is a general phrase that will sound good whether you’re saying it to your colleague—or wait, ex-colleague—or a friend. Don’t hesitate to use it.

2- Поздравляю с повышением!

• Romanization: Pozdravlyayu s povysheniyem!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on (your) promotion!”

This is another general phrase that can be used in any situation.

3- Успехов на новой работе!

• Romanization: Uspekhov na novoy rabote!
• English Translation: “Have success in your new job!”

This is an addition to the main congratulation. It sounds a bit formal, so it’s better to use it only for toasts or cards.

7. Russian Congratulations for Retirement

Usually, colleagues organize a big celebration when somebody retires. You can write the following congratulations in Russian on a card or just say them personally.

1- С выходом на пенсию!

• Romanization: S vykhodom na pensiyu!
• English Translation: “Congratulations on (your) retirement!”

This is a general congratulation that will sound great in both formal and informal situations.

2- Здоровья и долголетия!

• Romanization: Zdorov’ya i dolgoletiya!
• English Translation: “Have great health and a long life!”

This is a good addition to the previous congratulation. You can also use it for birthday congratulations in Russian if the person who’s birthday is being observed is up there in years.

3- Пусть ваша жизнь будет долгой, счастливой и наполненной самыми добрыми событиями!

• Romanization: Pust’ vasha zhizn’ budet dolgoy, schastlivoy i napolnennoy samymi dobrymi sobytiyami!
• English Translation: “Let your life be long, happy, and filled with the kindest occasions!”

This is a nice and long congratulations phrase suitable for a toast or a card.

8. Russian Congratulations: Weddings & Anniversaries

Russian weddings are full of peculiar traditions. It would be a great experience if you could get to a real Russian wedding to see it with your own eyes. But first, let’s learn some expressions and congratulations that would be useful during a Russian wedding.

1- Совет да любовь!

• Romanization: Sovet da lyubov’!
• English Translation: “May you live happily!”

Literally, these words mean: “Advice and love!” The thing is that, in the past, the word совет (sovet) had another meaning, “friendship,” so basically this phrase is a wish of friendship and love between the newlyweds.

2- Поздравляю с днём вашей свадьбы! От всей души желаю семейного счастья, искреннего взаимопонимания, любви и благополучия!

• Romanization: Pozdravlyayu s dnyom vashey svad’by! Ot vsey dushi zhelayu semeynogo schast’ya, iskrennego vzaimoponimaniya, lyubvi i blagopoluchiya!
• English Translation: “I congratulate you on your wedding day! I wish your family happiness, true understanding, love, and prosperity.”

After you say this, you can also add: Всего самого наилучшего! (Vsyego samogo nailuchshego!), which means “All the best” in Russian.

Usually, Russians give a whole speech when congratulating a marriage. This is a short version of it that you can still use though. And to distract attention from how short it is, once you finish, shout the congratulation below. :)

3- Горько!

• Romanization: Gor’ko!
• English Translation: “Bitter!”

This is a famous phrase that you’ll hear at all Russian weddings. Guests love to finish their congratulations with it. After this word is pronounced, all other guests start chanting it. To stop it, newlyweds need to kiss—that is metaphorically sweet, so the guests don’t feel bitter anymore. :)

Also, listen to our special podcasts on how to give a wedding toast in Russian and what wedding gift to choose for a Russian couple.

9. Death and Funerals: Russian Condolence Messages

If you get invited to a Russian funeral, it’s good to know the most common phrases Russian people say regarding the deceased.

1- Пусть земля ему/ей будет пухом

• Romanization: Pust’ zyemlya yemu/yey budyet pukhom.
• English Translation: “May the earth rest lightly on him/her.”

This is a very famous phrase said during funerals. You can also address it directly to the deceased: Пусть земля тебе будет пухом (Pust’ zyemlya tyebye budyet pukhom), which means “May the earth rest lightly on you.” The etymology of this phrase is very interesting as it’s a translation from Latin: Sit tibi terra levis. It was first used in Roman times. Some historians believe that it was a curse to deceased people, but there is no definite proof for that hypothesis.

2- Помним, любим, скорбим

• Romanization: Pomnim, lyubim, skorbim.
• English Translation: “We remember, love, and mourn.”

This official phrase is great in writing. You can use it for a card.

3- Ты навсегда останешься в моей памяти

• Romanization: Ty navsegda ostanesh’sya v moyey pamyati.
• English Translation: “I will always remember you.”

This phrase sounds really sincere when you’re talking with a deceased person one last time.

10. Bad News

Bad situations can happen suddenly to anyone, and it’s good to know how to react when they do happen. Let’s learn the most-used condolences phrases in Russian.

1- Сочувствую

• Romanization: Sochuvstvuyu.
• English Translation: “I feel for you (for your feelings).”

This is a great phrase to show that you care about the person when something less serious than death happened. It’s great to use in all situations.

2- Сожалею об утрате

• Romanization: Sozhaleyu ob utrate.
• English Translation: “My condolences for your loss.”

This is a good phrase to express your condolences. Nowadays, it’s usually shortened to Я сожалею (Ya sozhaleyu), or “My condolences!”

3- Мои соболезнования

• Romanization: Moi soboleznovaniya.
• English Translation: “My condolences.”

This is an official phrase that will definitely fit any situation when you don’t know people well, or when you are talking with older people. It’s also great for a message or a letter.

11. Injured or Sick

When Russian people know that someone is sick, they usually want to cheer that person up by saying one of the following phrases.

1- Поправляйся!

• Romanization: Popravlyaysya!
• English Translation: “Get better!”

This phrase is good for informal situations. It will make a great message to a friend.

2- Не болей!

• Romanization: Nye boley!
• English Translation: “Don’t be ill!”

This might sound weird, but Russian people actually say that to cheer someone up and show that they care. It’s also an informal phrase.

3- Скорее выздоравливай!

• Romanization: Skoryeye vyzdoravlivay!
• English Translation: “Recover faster!”

This phrase is more formal, but if you want to be very respectful, change it to Скорее выздоравливайте! (Skoreye vyzdoravlivaytye!), which also means “Recover faster!”

Sickness is an important topic in any language. If you want to dig deeper, start with our special podcasts on how to ask for medical assistance and what words and expressions to expect from a Russian doctor.

12. Other Holidays and Life Events

There are many other different national holidays and life events in Russia. Here are the biggest ones.

1- How to Say Happy Mother’s Day in Russian

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of November in Russia. It will be really considerate of you to congratulate women with children on this wonderful holiday. Here’s a common phrase:

• С днём матери! (S dnyom materi!) — “Happy Mother’s Day!”

2- Defender of the Fatherland Day

This day is an official holiday in Russia, celebrated on February 23. Originally, it was a holiday for people who serve, or served, in the military forces, but modern people congratulate all men with it. Girls prepare surprises and give presents to all the men around them. Here is how you can congratulate men around you:

• С 23 февраля! (S dvadtsat’ tret’im fevralya!) — “Congratulations on February 23!”
• С днём Защитника Отечества! (S dnyom Zashchitnika Otechestva!) — “Happy Defender of the Fatherland Day!”

3- Happy International Women’s Day in Russian

A couple of weeks after the Defender of the Fatherland Day, International Women’s Day became a holiday for all women. It’s the men’s turn to prepare surprises and presents. Here are some common congratulations:

• С 8 марта! (S Vos’mym marta!) — “Congratulations on May 8!”
• С Международным женским днём! (S Mezhdunarodnym zhenskim dnyom!) — “Happy Women’s Day!”
• С праздником весны! (S prazdnikom vesny!) — “Congratulations on the spring holiday!”

We’ve prepared a special educational video lesson about International Women’s Day in Russia. Have a look!

4- Happy Anniversary in Russian

It would be nice of you to remember your friends’ wedding anniversary and congratulate them, especially if you attended their wedding. The first wedding anniversary is a big day, and some people even celebrate it with some of their guests from the wedding.

Here’s how you could wish them a happy anniversary in Russian:

• С годовщиной свадьбы! (S godovshchinoy svad’by) — “Happy wedding anniversary!”

5- Happy Valentine’s Day in Russian

Valentine’s Day became a pretty big holiday in Russia. So, it will be useful to learn the most popular phrases for how to say Happy Valentine’s Day in Russian:

• С днём Святого Валентина! (S dnyom Svyatogo Valentina!) — “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
• С днём всех влюблённых! (S dnyom vsekh vlyublyonnykh!) — “Congratulations on the day of all people who are in love!”

These phrases are great both for writing and speaking, and for formal and informal situations.

If you want to know more about Valentine’s Day in Russia, watch our free educational video lesson.

13. Conclusion

So, now you won’t be empty-handed in any life situation—you know how to say Merry Christmas in Russian, Happy New Year in Russian, Happy Birthday in Russian, and loads more. To learn more about national holidays in Russia, listen to our audio lesson.

If you feel excited about the Russian language, or simply need it for work or travel, consider participating in RussianPod101’s MyTeacher program for Russian learners. We have impressively experienced native Russian teachers who will explain all grammar points so that you can understand them easily. They can also help you enrich your vocabulary, overcome a language barrier, and, of course, make sure that you start talking with Russians in Russian in no time. Just try it. ;-)

And before you go, let us know in the comments which of these Russian life event messages you plan on trying out first, or if we missed any. We’d love to hear from you!