Learn basic Russian number vocabulary and how to count to 10
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| один (odin) |
| два (dva) |
| три (tri) |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Russian number vocabulary and how to count to 10. |
| Before we start, did you know some numbers are lucky and others unlucky in Russia? Do you know which ones? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| ноль (nol') |
| "zero" |
| ноль (nol') |
| ноль (nol') |
| In Russian, there are two words for zero: ноль (nol') and нуль (nul’). They mean the same but are used differently. Ноль is common in math and phone numbers, like ноль минут (nol’ minut), "zero minutes." Нуль sounds more formal and technical, like опуститься ниже нуля (opustit'sya nizhe nulya), "dropping below zero." |
| Susan comments on the weather before heading out with Lina. |
| Susan: На улице ноль градусов и идёт снег. (Na ulitse nol' gradusov i idyot sneg.) |
| Lina: Тогда я надену своё самое тёплое пальто. (Togda ya nadenu svoyo samoye tyoploye pal'to.) |
| один (odin) |
| "one" |
| один (odin) |
| один (odin) |
| Один в поле не воин (Odin v pole ne voin) means "One is not a warrior in the field." In other words, you can’t do everything alone—some things just need teamwork and support. |
| Steve and Oscar prepare to pay at a supermarket. |
| Steve: Оскар, у тебя есть один рубль? (Oskar, u tebya yest' odin rubl'?) |
| Oscar: Нет. (Net.) |
| два (dva) |
| "two" |
| два (dva) |
| два (dva) |
| In Russia, два (dva), “two,” is a failing grade, often called двойка (dvoyka). |
| There's a famous painting called "Low Marks Again" by Fedor Reshetnikov which shows a sad student with a двойка, getting disapproving looks from his family. |
| Susan and Lina talk about their favorite number. |
| Susan: Два - моё любимое число. (Dva - moyo lyubimoye chislo.) |
| Lina: Понятно. Моё - семь. (Ponyatno. Moyo - sem'.) |
| три (tri) |
| "three" |
| три (tri) |
| три (tri) |
| Три (tri) has a special place in Russian culture, especially in fairy tales: three bogatyrs, three wishes, three trials, three roads at a crossroads... the magic of three is everywhere! |
| Jack asks Steve if he can borrow a pen. |
| Jack: У тебя есть ручка? (U tebya yest' ruchka?) |
| Steve: Да, у меня их три. Возьми эту! (Da, u menya ikh tri. Voz'mi etu!) |
| четыре (chetyre) |
| "four" |
| четыре (chetyre) |
| четыре (chetyre) |
| The Russian phrase На все четыре стороны (Na vse chetyre storony) means "To all four directions." It's a way of saying you’re free to go anywhere, no limits or restrictions. |
| Susan asks Lina for help while shopping for groceries. |
| Susan: Я хочу испечь пирог. Дай мне четыре яблока, пожалуйста. (Ya khochu ispech' pirog. Day mne chetyre yabloka, pozhaluysta.) |
| Lina: Конечно, я выберу самые лучшие. (Konechno, ya vyberu samyye luchshiye.) |
| пять (pyat') |
| "five" |
| пять (pyat') |
| пять (pyat') |
| In Russian schools, пять (pyat'), "five," is the highest grade, also called пятёрка (pyatyorka). |
| And if you hear дай пять (day pyat’), that’s just a "high five!" |
| Oscar comments on some starfish while at the beach with Tom. |
| Oscar: Посмотри на морскую звезду. У морских звёзд пять ног. (Posmotri na morskuyu zvezdu. U morskikh zvyozd pyat' nog.) |
| Tom: Удивительные существа! (Udivitel'nyye sushchestva!) |
| шесть (shest') |
| "six" |
| шесть (shest') |
| шесть (shest') |
| Шесть (shest') or шестёрка (shestyorka), "six," is not a grade, as the highest is five. |
| Шестёрка (shestyorka) is also the nickname for the VAZ-2106 Zhiguli, one of the most popular Soviet-era cars. |
| Steve asks Jack for the time. |
| Steve: Сколько времени? (Skol'ko vremeni?) |
| Jack: Шесть часов. (Shest' chasov.) |
| семь (sem') |
| "seven" |
| семь (sem') |
| семь (sem') |
| The proverb "Семь раз отмерь, один отрежь" (Sem’ raz otmer’, odin otrezh) means "Measure seven times, cut once." It emphasizes careful planning and preparation to avoid hasty mistakes. |
| Steve asks Oscar about the number of weeks in a year. |
| Steve: В неделе семь дней. А сколько недель в году? (V nedele sem' dney. A skol'ko nedel' v godu?) |
| Oscar: Примерно 52 недели. (Primerno pyat’desyat dve nedeli.) |
| восемь (vosem') |
| "eight" |
| восемь (vosem') |
| восемь (vosem') |
| In Russia, March 8th, International Women's Day, is a beloved holiday. The number восемь (vosem'), "eight," is everywhere, decorated with flowers and ribbons. |
| Jack and Steve talk about lucky numbers over dinner. |
| Jack: В некоторых культурах восемь считается счастливым числом. (V nekotorykh kul'turakh vosem' schitayetsya schastlivym chislom.) |
| Steve: Любопытно. Интересно, почему. (Lyubopytno. Interesno, pochemu.) |
| девять (devyat') |
| "nine" |
| девять (devyat') |
| девять (devyat') |
| In Slavic mythology and Russian folk tales, девять (devyat'), "nine," has a magical meaning. Heroes set off за тридевять земель (za tri devyat’ zemel’), “beyond the distant lands,” a symbol of vast, unexplored worlds they must cross. |
| Susan and Lina reminisce about their friend's wedding. |
| Susan: Когда она вышла замуж? (Kogda ona vyshla zamuzh?) |
| Lina: Она вышла замуж девять лет назад. (Ona vyshla zamuzh devyat' let nazad.) |
| десять (desyat') |
| "ten" |
| десять (desyat') |
| десять (desyat') |
| The phrase в десятку (v desyatku) means hitting the mark—perfect accuracy, success, or just plain good luck! |
| Oscar informs Tom on his flight's arrival time. |
| Oscar: Наш рейс прибывает вовремя. Самолёт приземлится в десять часов. (Nash reys pribyvayet vovremya. Samolyot prizemlitsya v desyat' chasov.) |
| Tom: Отлично. Я тебя встречу. (Otlichno. Ya tebya vstrechu.) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Russian. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "zero"? |
| ноль (nol') |
| ноль (nol') |
| And how to say "one"? |
| один (odin) |
| один (odin) |
| How about "two"? |
| два (dva) |
| два (dva) |
| Do you remember how to say "three"? |
| три (tri) |
| три (tri) |
| And how to say "four"? |
| четыре (chetyre) |
| четыре (chetyre) |
| Let's try "five"! |
| пять (pyat') |
| пять (pyat') |
| What about "six"? |
| шесть (shest') |
| шесть (shest') |
| Now, let's see if you remember how to say "seven"! |
| семь (sem') |
| семь (sem') |
| What about "eight"? |
| восемь (vosem') |
| восемь (vosem') |
| Do you remember how to say "nine"? |
| девять (devyat') |
| девять (devyat') |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "ten"? |
| десять (desyat') |
| десять (desyat') |
| Did you know some numbers are lucky and others unlucky in Russia? Do you know which ones? |
| 7 is a lucky number, often linked to wisdom and fairy tales. 13 is unlucky, just like in many places. 9 has a special meaning too — it’s tied to remembrance and memorial traditions. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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