Learn Russian Pronunciation
Author: Omar Khan
Date: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: russian; language; learning

The next word is here. The word "here" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

Here are a few examples:

1. "Here" as a location

Здесь (pronounced Zee-des) - This is the most common translation of "here" and means "here" in the sense of a location. The stress is on the first syllable, Zee.

Example sentence:

Здесь очень красиво. (Zee-des oh-chen kra-see-vo)

This means: "It is very beautiful here."

Вот (pronounced vot) - This means "here" in the sense of "this place" and is often used to point to something. The stress is on the first syllable, vot.

Example sentence:

Вот мой дом. (vot moy dom)

This means: "Here is my house."

1. "Here" as an action

Вот (pronounced vot) - This word is also used to mean "here" in the sense of "look at this" or "do this." Again, the stress is on the first syllable, vot.

Example sentence:

Вот как это делается. (vot kak eh-to de-la-yet-sa)

This means: "Here is how it is done."

In general, "здесь" (zee-des) is the most versatile translation and is often used in a more general sense. "Вот" (vot) is more specific and is often used to point to something or to draw attention to something.

English Russian Pronunciation
here здесь zee-des
here вот vot

The next word is fill. The word "fill" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context:

1. To fill a container: заполнить (za-pol-nit')

The verb заполнить (za-pol-nit') means "to fill" in the sense of making something full. It is a perfective verb, meaning it describes a completed action. The stress is on the second syllable, "pol". The н at the end is pronounced as a soft consonant, similar to the 'n' in the English word "sin".

Example:

Пожалуйста, заполните эту форму (Pa-zha-luy-sta, za-pol-nite e-tu for-mu)

Please fill out this form.

1. To fill a space or a role: занять (za-nyat')

The verb занять (za-nyat') means "to occupy" or "to fill" in the sense of taking up a space or position. It is a perfective verb.

Example:

Эта работа занимает много времени (E-ta ra-bo-ta za-ni-ma-et mno-go vre-me-ni)

This job takes up a lot of time.

1. To fill a need: удовлетворять (u-dov-let-va-ryat')

The verb удовлетворять (u-dov-let-va-ryat') means "to satisfy" or "to fill" in the sense of meeting a requirement or desire. It is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing action.

Example:

Эта книга удовлетворяет мою потребность в приключениях (E-ta kni-ga u-dov-let-va-rya-et mo-yu po-treb-nost' v pri-klyu-che-ni-yah)

This book satisfies my need for adventure.

Key Concepts

Perfective vs. Imperfective verbs: Perfective verbs describe a completed action, while imperfective verbs describe an ongoing action.

Stress: In Russian, the stress on a word can change the meaning. Make sure to pay attention to where the stress falls.

Consonant sounds: Russian has a wider range of consonant sounds than English. Make sure to practice the sounds correctly.

English to Russian Translations:

fill - заполнять (za-pol-nyat')

fill - занять (za-nyat')

fill - удовлетворять (u-dov-let-va-ryat')

The next word is round. The word "round" can be translated into Russian as круглый (kruglyy) meaning "round" or округлый (okruglyy) meaning "rounded".

Он сидит на круглом стуле (On sidit na kruglom stule).

Breakdown

Он (On) - He, pronunciation: (ohn)

сидит (sidit) - sits, pronunciation: (see-deet)

на (na) - on, pronunciation: (nah)

круглом (kruglom) - round, pronunciation: (kroog-lom)

стуле (stule) - chair, pronunciation: (stoo-lee)

Translation: He sits on a round chair.

Key concept: The word круглый (kruglyy) is used to describe something that is perfectly round, while the word округлый (okruglyy) is used to describe something that is rounded but not perfectly round.

Pronunciation:

круглый (kruglyy) - The "g" is pronounced like the "g" in "gem".

округлый (okruglyy) - The "g" is pronounced like the "g" in "gem".

стуле (stule) - The "e" at the end is silent.

Memorization: The word круглый (kruglyy) is similar to the English word "circle". The word округлый (okruglyy) is similar to the English word "rounded".

Word: round

Russian: круглый (kruglyy), округлый (okruglyy)

The next word is photograph. The word "photograph" in Russian is фотография (fotografiya). It is pronounced "foh-toh-grah-fee-ya." The stress is on the third syllable, гра. Фотография is a feminine noun. It is often used in the plural form.

Here is a sentence:

Я люблю смотреть фотографии моей семьи. Я люблю смотреть фотографии моей семьи. (Ya lyublyu smotret' fotografii moey sem'i.)

I love to look at photographs of my family.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I, this is the pronoun
люблю (Lyublyu) - love, this is the verb in the present tense, it is conjugated.

смотреть (Smotret') - to look, to watch, this is the infinitive form of the verb
фотографии (Fotografii) - photographs, this is the plural form of the noun, фотография
моей (Moyey) - my, this is the possessive adjective. It is the feminine form of мой (moy)

семьи (sem'i) - family, this is the genitive case of the noun, семья (sem'ya). The genitive case in Russian often describes possession.

Important concepts:

In Russian, the ending of a noun changes depending on its grammatical function in the sentence.

The genitive case in Russian often denotes possession and is used after prepositions like у (u) meaning "at" or "by" and от (ot) meaning "from" or "of".

Key Vocabulary:

фотографии (fotografii) - photographs
люблю (lyublyu) - I love
смотреть (smotret') - to look
семья (sem'ya) - family
мой (moy) - my

The next word is difficult. This task оказалась очень трудной. Оказаться means "to turn out to be", and is a verb that takes the infinitive form быть (to be) in the past tense. Очень means "very" and трудной means "difficult", the feminine form of the adjective трудный In this sentence, the adjective is in the instrumental case, which is used to modify the noun and show how the noun acts or appears. The sentence is in the past tense, and the verb оказалась is conjugated in the feminine, singular form to agree with the noun задача (task) which is understood, but not explicitly stated. This is a common way to express that something was more difficult than anticipated.

English Translation: This task turned out to be very difficult.

оказалась - ah-kah-zah-lahs - turned out to be
очень - oh-chen - very
трудной - trood-noy - difficult

The next word is until. ## До сих пор, я не знал, что она уехала.

Breakdown:

До сих пор - This is a common phrase meaning "until now" or "up to this point". До (pronounced [doh]) is the preposition "until" or "up to", сих (pronounced [sih]) is the genitive plural of the pronoun "these" and пор (pronounced [por]) is plural for "times" or "moments" This phrase is invariable. It can be used to express that something has not happened up to a certain point in time.

я - This is the personal pronoun "I" in the nominative case, it is pronounced [ya].

не - This is the negation particle "not" pronounced [nyet].

знал - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to know" - знать. The "л" at the end is pronounced as a soft "l" sound, almost like a "w".

что - This is the conjunction "that" pronounced [chto].

она - This is the personal pronoun "she" in the nominative case, pronounced [ah-na].

уехала - This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb "to leave" - уехать. Pronunciation is [oo-yeh-ha-la].

Translation: Until now, I did not know that she had left.

Key Concept: The phrase " до сих пор" is a common way to express that something has not happened up to a certain point in time.

Variations: This phrase can be used in a variety of contexts to express the idea of "until now" or "up to this point". For example, you could say:

До сих пор, я не видел этого фильма. (Until now, I haven't seen this film).

До сих пор, я не знал, что она может петь. (Until now, I didn't know that she could sing).

Pronunciation:

до - [doh]

сих - [sih]

пор - [por]

я - [ya]

не - [nyet]

знал - [znal]

что - [chto]

она - [ah-na]

уехала - [oo-yeh-ha-la]

English Translation: Until

Russian Translation: до

The next word is style. This sentence demonstrates the use of the noun стиль (pronounced [s'teel'] - the 's' is soft, similar to the 'sh' in 'ship'), which can be translated as "style".

Sentence: У неё стиль очень элегантный.

U nye[e] [s'teel'] ochen' eh-leh-gant-nuy.

Breakdown:

У неё U nye[e] - "She has" - у (pronounced [oo]) is a preposition meaning "at, by, near, with" but here acts as a possessive pronoun "her", не[е] (pronounced [nyeh]) is the pronoun "she" in the genitive case.

стиль s'teel'] - "style"

очень ochen'] - "very" (pronounced [o-chen'] - similar to "ocean" with a slight "n" sound at the end)

элегантный eh-leh-gant-nuy - "elegant" (pronounced [eh-leh-gant-nuy] - the 'g' is soft like a 'j' and the 'y' is pronounced like a 'ee' )

Translation: She has a very elegant style.

Note:

The word стиль is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form of the adjective элегантный. The masculine form of the adjective ends in -ый.

Memorization Tip: Think of a stylish woman and you will remember that the word стиль has the 's' sound at the beginning.

The next word is number. The word "number" in English translates to число in Russian. The Russian word число is pronounced "chee-slo," with the "ch" sound like the "ch" in "chair."

Here is a sentence using the word число:

Я не знаю точного числа студентов в этом университете.

Breakdown:

Я - "I" (pronounced "ya")

не - "not" (pronounced "nye")

знаю - "know" (pronounced "z-na-yu")

точное - "exact" (pronounced "toch-noe")

число - "number" (pronounced "chee-slo")

студентов - "students" (pronounced "stoo-den-tov")

в - "in" (pronounced "v")

этом - "this" (pronounced "eh-tom")

университете - "university" (pronounced "oo-nee-ver-see-teh-te")

The sentence translates to "I don't know the exact number of students at this university."

Key Concepts:

In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), and this impacts the ending of the word. Here, число is neuter, and so the adjective точное ends with -ое, rather than -ая or -ый for feminine and masculine nouns, respectively.

The word order in Russian is more flexible than English, so you could also say Я не знаю в этом университете точное число студентов.

Variations:

число can also be used to refer to a date. For example: Сегодня 15 число. ("Today is the 15th.")

Pronunciation:

Remember to stress the first syllable in число and точное.

When saying студентов, pay attention to the soft consonant sound at the end, similar to "y" in "yes".

English Translation:

Number: число - "chee-slo"

The next word is lay. The word "lay" in English can have multiple meanings and grammatical functions. Let's focus on one of its most common meanings: to place something down.

Here's a Russian sentence using "lay" in this sense:

Он положил книгу на стол.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, subject of the sentence) - он - (pronounced like "ohn")

положил - laid (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - положИл - (pronounced like "pah-lah-zheel")

книгу - book (noun, accusative case, object of the verb) - книгу - (pronounced like "k-nee-goo")

на - on (preposition) - на - (pronounced like "nah")

стол - table (noun, accusative case, object of the preposition) - стол - (pronounced like "st-ohl")

Translation: He laid the book on the table.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb положить (pah-lah-zheet' - to lay) changes its form depending on the subject and tense. Here, it's in the past tense, masculine singular form.

Accusative Case: The nouns книгу (book) and стол (table) are in the accusative case because they are direct objects of the verb and preposition, respectively.

Variations:

Present Tense: Он кладёт книгу на стол. - He is laying the book on the table. (кладёт - lays)

Plural Subject: Они положили книги на стол. - They laid the books on the table. (они - they, положили - laid (plural))

Memorization Tip:

Think of положить as "to place" or "to put" something down. It's a versatile verb, so practicing its different forms will help you master it.

English and Russian Translations:

lay - класть (k-last')

laid - положил (pah-lah-zheel')

book - книга (k-nee-goo)

on - на (nah)

table - стол (st-ohl)

The next word is oppose. Я ya (I) oppose protivlyus' (oppose, present tense, 1st person singular) этому etomu (this, dative case) плану planu (plan, dative case).

This sentence demonstrates the verb protivlyus' in its present tense, first person singular form. The verb can be conjugated to reflect different tenses, persons, and numbers. The phrase etomu planu uses the dative case to indicate the object of the preposition protiv, meaning "against".

Breakdown:

ya (I) - pronoun, nominative case, pronounced "ya"

protivlyus' (oppose) - verb, present tense, 1st person singular, pronounced "protivlyus'"

etomu (this) - pronoun, dative case, pronounced "etomu"

planu (plan) - noun, dative case, pronounced "planu"

Translation:

"I oppose this plan."

Variations:

On protivitsya etomu planu (He opposes this plan) - present tense, 3rd person singular

My protivilis' etomu planu (We opposed this plan) - past tense, 1st person plural

Oni budut protivitsya etomu planu (They will oppose this plan) - future tense, 3rd person plural

Key concepts:

Verb conjugation: The verb protivlyus' changes form depending on tense, person, and number.

Dative case: The noun plan and the pronoun etomu are in the dative case, which is used to indicate the object of certain prepositions like protiv.

Pronunciation:

ya - "ya"

protivlyus' - "protivlyus'"

etomu - "etomu"

planu - "planu"

The next word is issue. The English word "issue" is a versatile word with multiple meanings. Let's explore a few examples and how it translates into Russian:

Sentence 1: The issue of climate change is a pressing concern for many.

Проблема (pronounced: pra-BLE-ma) climate change is a pressing concern for many.

This sentence uses проблема to convey the idea of a "problem" or "issue" that needs to be addressed. It is a common and versatile word for expressing a topic of concern.

Sentence 2: The magazine will issue a special edition this month.

Выпустить (pronounced: vi-POO-stit) the magazine will выпустить a special edition this month.

Here, выпустить means to "publish" or "release" something. This is a more specific meaning of "issue" that emphasizes the act of making something available to the public.

Sentence 3: The judge issued a warrant for the suspect's arrest.

Выдать (pronounced: VI-dat) The judge выдать a warrant for the suspect's arrest.

The verb выдать means to "issue" something officially. This is often used in legal contexts to describe the act of giving out a document or order.

Key Concepts:

Проблема is the most common translation for "issue" when it refers to a problem or concern.

Выпустить translates "issue" in the context of publishing or releasing something.

Выдать is used for "issue" in legal contexts where an official document is given out.

Vocabulary and Pronunciation:

Issue: проблема (pra-BLE-ma), выпустить (vi-POO-stit), выдать (VI-dat)

The next word is may. The word "may" in English has a number of different uses, including expressing possibility, permission, and polite requests. In Russian, we can express these meanings using the verb мочь (pronounced "moch"). It is an irregular verb which can be tricky to learn but it will make you look like a pro if you get it right.

Here is a sentence that uses мочь to express possibility:

Он может быть дома.

Он (pronunciation: "on") - He
может (pronunciation: "mo-zhet") - may
быть (pronunciation: "bit") - to be
дома (pronunciation: "do-ma") - at home

Translation: He may be at home.

This sentence uses the present tense of the verb мочь, which is может. The present tense is used to express actions that are happening now or that are habitual.

Important note: The verb мочь is irregular. This means that it does not follow the usual conjugation patterns of other Russian verbs. You will need to learn the present tense forms of мочь by heart. They are as follows:

я могу (ya mogu) - I can
ты можешь (ty mozhesh) - you can
он/она/оно может (on/ona/ono mozhet) - he/she/it can
мы можем (my mozhem) - we can
вы можете (vy mozhete) - you can
они могут (oni mogut) - they can

Keep practicing and you will get it!

English: may

Russian: мочь (moch)

The next word is civil. The word "civil" in English can translate to several different Russian words depending on the context. It can be used to describe a person who is polite and respectful, a situation that is orderly and peaceful, or a type of law.

Here is an example of a sentence using "civil" in the context of being polite:

Он был очень вежлив со мной.

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - on
был - was (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - beel
очень - very (adverb) - ochen
вежлив - polite (adjective, masculine, nominative case) - vezhliv
со - with (preposition) - so
мной - me (pronoun, masculine, instrumental case) - mnoy

Translation: He was very polite to me.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. This is called declension. In this sentence, the pronoun "он" is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence, while the pronoun "мной" is in the instrumental case because it is the object of the preposition "со."

Gender: Russian nouns have gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. This influences the endings of adjectives and other words that modify the noun. In this sentence, the noun "он" and the adjective "вежлив" are both masculine.

The word "вежлив" has several variations depending on gender and case:

вежливый (masculine, nominative) - vezhlivyy
вежливая (feminine, nominative) - vezhlivaya
вежливое (neuter, nominative) - vezhlivoe

Pronunciation:

Он - on (like the English word "on")

был - beel (like "be" with a short "i" at the end)

очень - ochen (like "o-chen" with a short "e")

вежлив - vezhliv (like "vezh-liv" with a short "i")

со - so (like the English word "so")

мной - mnoy (like "mnoy" with a short "o")

This is just one example of how the English word "civil" can be translated into Russian. Other translations, such as "гражданский" grazhdanskiy (civil in the sense of belonging to a state or nation) or "мирный" mirnyy (peaceful, calm), may be more appropriate depending on the context.

The next word is include. The word "include" in Russian is включать (vključat'). This verb is irregular, so it's important to memorize its forms.

Sentence:

В эту цену включается завтрак. V etu cenu vključaetsja zavtrak.

Breakdown:

В эту цену - V etu cenu - This price, (literally, "in this price")

включается - vključaetsja - is included (The -sya at the end of the verb indicates that the action is performed on the subject, in this case, the price)

завтрак - zavtrak - breakfast

Key concepts:

The -sya suffix: The -sya suffix in Russian verbs adds a reflexive meaning, meaning the action is done by the subject on itself. In this sentence, the breakfast is not actively doing anything, but rather it is being included in the price.

Irregular verbs: включать (vključat') is an irregular verb in Russian, meaning it does not follow the standard rules of conjugation. It's important to learn its forms.

Pronunciation:

в - [v]

эту - [eh-too]

цену - [tse-noo]

включается - [vklju-cha-yet-sya]

завтрак - [zav-trak]

Translation:

Include: включать (vključat')

Included: включено (vključeno) (masculine), включена (vključena) (feminine), включено (vključeno) (neuter)

The next word is noise. The street is very шумный (pronounced: SHOOM-nuh).

Breakdown:

шумный (shoom-nuh) is an adjective meaning "noisy."

It's a common adjective, and it's easy to remember because it sounds similar to the English word "noise."

Улица (oo-lee-tsa) means "street."

очень (oh-chen) means "very."

The full sentence translates to: "The street is very noisy."

Variations:

шум (shoom) is the noun for "noise."

You can also use громкий (гром-kee) which also means "noisy."

Key concept:

Adjectives in Russian change their endings depending on the noun they modify. шумный is in the masculine form because it's describing the masculine noun улица.

English Translation:

noise - шум (shoom)

noisy - шумный (shoom-nuh)

The next word is proper. The word "proper" in English can have several meanings, but in the context of this exercise, we'll focus on its meaning as "suitable" or "appropriate."

Here is a Russian sentence using "proper" in this sense:

Это правильное решение.

Breakdown:

Это - This is (pronoun + nominative case) - eh-to
правильное - proper, suitable, correct (adjective in nominative case) - pra-veeľ-nə-ye
решение - decision, solution (noun in nominative case) - ri-she-ni-ye

English Translation: This is the proper decision.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here, the adjective правильное is in the neuter gender, singular, and nominative case to agree with the noun решение .

Nominative Case: This is the basic case of nouns and adjectives, used for the subject of a sentence.

Variations:

Правильный - Proper (masculine) - pra-veeľ-nıy

Правильная - Proper (feminine) - pra-veeľ-nə-ya

Pronunciation:

правильное - pra-veeľ-nə-ye
решение - ri-she-ni-ye

English: proper - правильное

The next word is requirement. The requirement for a visa is proof of employment.

Требование для визы - это доказательство трудоустройства.

Breakdown:

Требование [tre'bovan'ije] - requirement, the noun is требование - a requirement, request, demand
для [dlja] - for
визы [vi'zy] - visa
это [e'ta] - this, that, it
доказательство [daka'zat'ilstva] - proof, evidence
трудоустройства [tru'dau'strojstva] - employment

Key concepts:

Требование - is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence
это - is a pronoun which means 'it' in this context and is in the nominative case
доказательство - is in the nominative case as it is the predicate nominative ( it is the subject complement that renames the subject)

трудоустройства - is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition для

This sentence is in the present tense

Remember to pay attention to the ending of the nouns in the genitive case, it changes depending on the gender of the word. In this case, трудоустройство is a neuter noun, which means the ending of the noun in the genitive case is -я .

English Translation:

requirement - требование [tre'bovan'ije]

for - для [dlja]

visa - виза [vi'za]

this - это [e'ta]

proof - доказательство [daka'zat'ilstva]

employment - трудоустройство [tru'dau'strojstva]

The next word is chapter. The word "chapter" in English translates to глава (pronounced "glah-vah") in Russian. It's a feminine noun, meaning it takes feminine grammatical endings, which are quite important in Russian.

Here is a sample sentence:

В этой главе мы узнаем о жизни великого русского писателя.

Breakdown:

В (pronounced "v") is a preposition meaning "in" or "within."

этой (pronounced "eh-toy") is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this."

главе (pronounced "glah-ve") is the feminine form of the noun "chapter," using the prepositional case.

мы (pronounced "my") is the first-person plural pronoun, meaning "we."

узнаем (pronounced "ooz-nah-yem") is the first-person plural present tense form of the verb "to learn."

о (pronounced "o") is a preposition meaning "about."

жизни (pronounced "zhyz-ni") is the feminine form of the noun "life," using the prepositional case.

великого (pronounced "ve-li-ko-vo") is the masculine form of the adjective "great."

русского (pronounced "roo-ssk-o-vo") is the masculine form of the adjective "Russian."

писателя (pronounced "pee-sah-te-lya") is the masculine form of the noun "writer," using the prepositional case.

Translation: "In this chapter, we learn about the life of a great Russian writer."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have gender, which affects the agreement of adjectives and other related words. "Chapter" is feminine.

Cases: Russian nouns change their form depending on their role in a sentence. This is called case. The prepositional case is used after prepositions.

Word order: The word order in Russian is more flexible than in English, but the subject generally comes before the verb, and the object usually comes after.

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress: The stress is on the first syllable in "глава" (glah-vah).

Vowels: Russian has a more complex vowel system than English. The "a" in глава is a bit different from the English "a." Pay attention to the vowel sounds.

Consonants: The consonant sounds in Russian are often different from English. For example, the "г" in глава is a voiced velar stop, which is a bit different from the English "g."

Soft Sign: The soft sign (ь) at the end of глава does not have its own sound but makes the preceding consonant soft.

English: chapter /ˈtʃæptər/

Russian: глава /ˈɡlɑːvə/

The next word is clothes. ## Одежда очень дорогая.

Одежда очень дорогая.

This sentence translates to: "The clothes are very expensive."

Breakdown:

Одежда (pronounced "ah-dye-zha") - This is the noun for "clothes" in Russian. It's a feminine noun, so the adjective дорогая agrees with it in gender.

очень (pronounced "oh-ch-en") - This is the adverb meaning "very".

дорогая (pronounced "da-ra-ga-ya") - This is the feminine form of the adjective "expensive".

Variations:

You can use different adjectives to describe the clothes, for example:

красивая (pronounced "kra-si-va-ya") - beautiful
модная (pronounced "mo-dna-ya") - fashionable
комфортная (pronounced "kam-fort-na-ya") - comfortable

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender with the noun they describe. This means you have to learn the different forms of adjectives depending on the gender of the noun.

Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, adding information about how, when, where, or to what extent something happens.

English Translation:

Clothes: Одежда (ah-dye-zha)

Expensive: дорогая (da-ra-ga-ya)

The next word is okay. Okay, let's begin! I am ready to teach you about the beautiful and complex Russian language.

The next word is minister. The министр встретился с послом.

Breakdown:

министр (mee-nee-str) - This is the noun meaning "minister".

министра (mee-nee-stra) - This is the feminine form of the noun meaning "minister", used for a female minister.

министры (mee-nee-stree) - This is the plural form meaning "ministers".

встретился (vstre-tee-lsya) - This is the past tense of the verb "to meet" in the masculine singular form. This is used because the noun "министр" is masculine.

встретилась (vstre-tee-las) - This is the past tense of the verb "to meet" in the feminine singular form. This is used because the noun "министр" is feminine.

встретились (vstre-tee-lis) - This is the past tense of the verb "to meet" in the plural form. This is used because the noun "министр" is plural.

с (s) - This is the preposition "with". It is used to indicate the person or thing the action is directed towards.

послом (pa-slo-mom) - This is the noun meaning "ambassador" in the instrumental case.

Sentence meaning: The minister met with the ambassador.

English: minister - министр (mee-nee-str)

Russian: министр (mee-nee-str)

The next word is guess. ## Угадай, что я думаю!

Breakdown:

Угадай (ooga-day) - Imperative verb meaning "Guess" (the "y" at the end is silent).

что (chto) - Pronoun meaning "what".

я (ya) - Pronoun meaning "I"

думаю (doo-ma-yoo) - Verb meaning "think".

Sentence Meaning: Guess what I'm thinking!

Variations:

The sentence can also be phrased as Попробуй угадать, что я думаю! (pa-pro-booy oog-a-dat, chto ya doo-ma-yoo) - Try to guess what I'm thinking.

Key Concepts:

Imperative mood: Used to give commands or make requests.

Pronoun declension: The pronoun что changes form depending on its function in the sentence. Here, it is in the nominative case, acting as the subject.

Translation:

Guess: угадай (ooga-day)

Think: думаю (doo-ma-yoo)

The next word is appreciate. ## Я ценю твою помощь. Ya tsenu tvoyu pomoshch.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronoun, nominative case, subject of the sentence). Pronunciation: Ya (like "ya" in "yard")

ценю tsenu - I appreciate (verb, present tense, 1st person singular). Pronunciation: Tsen-yoo (like "sen" in "sense" + "yoo" in "you")

твою tvoyu - your (possessive pronoun, accusative case). Pronunciation: Tvo-yoo (like "two" in "two" + "yoo" in "you")

помощь pomoshch - help (noun, feminine, accusative case, object of the verb). Pronunciation: Po-moshch (like "po" in "pot" + "mosh" in "mosquito" + "ch" in "church")

Meaning: I appreciate your help.

Variations:

Я ценю Ya tsenu - I appreciate (general statement)

Я ценю твоё Ya tsenu tvoye - I appreciate your (masculine noun)

Я ценю вашу Ya tsenu vashu - I appreciate your (plural noun or formal "you")

Key Concept: The verb "ценю" tsenu is often used to express appreciation, gratitude, or value for something. The accusative case is used to show the object of the verb (the thing that is appreciated).

English: Appreciate / əˈpriːʃieɪt/

Russian: Ценю tsenu / tsɛˈnjuː /

The next word is medical. The Russian sentence is:

Я изучаю медицинский английский.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I
изучаю изучаю (izuchаyu) - I am studying
медицинский медицинский (meditsinsky) - medical
английский английский (angliyskiy) - English

This sentence is in the present tense and uses the verb "to study" изучать (izuchat'). This verb is irregular and the ending changes depending on the subject and tense.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, adjectives like "medical" медицинский (meditsinsky) change their ending to agree with the noun they describe. In this sentence, the noun "English" английский (angliyskiy) is masculine.

Pronunciation: "Medical" медицинский (meditsinsky) is pronounced with a stress on the third syllable - "me-di-tsin-skiy".

Translation:

I am studying medical English.

English Pronunciation:

medical - med-i-kul

English - ing-glish

The next word is balance. The Russian sentence is:

Ему нужно найти баланс между работой и личной жизнью.

Breakdown:

Ему - emu - (to) him, The dative case of the pronoun он - on - he.

This case is used when the noun or pronoun is the indirect object of the verb. Indirect objects are usually the recipient of the action. For example, in the English sentence "Give me the book," "me" is the indirect object of the verb "give."

нужно - nuzhno - it is necessary.

This is an impersonal form of the verb нуждаться - nuzhdatsya - to need.

The impersonal form of the verb can only be used in the third person singular. It is often used to express obligation or necessity.

найти - naiti - to find

This is an infinitive verb (the base form of the verb). Infinitives are often used after modal verbs like нужно - nuzhno - it is necessary.

баланс - balans - balance

This is a masculine noun.

Masculine nouns in Russian often end in the letter с - s

между - mezhdu - between.

This is a preposition that means "between." It is followed by the instrumental case.

работой - rabotoy - work, job.

This is a feminine noun in the instrumental case. Feminine nouns ending in а - a in the nominative case often change to ой - oy in the instrumental case.

и - i - and.

This is a conjunction that joins words, phrases, or clauses.

личной - lichnoy - personal

This is an adjective in the feminine, instrumental case modifying the noun жизнью - zhiznyu - life.

This is the feminine form of the adjective личный - lichnyy - personal.

жизнью - zhiznyu - life.

This is a feminine noun in the instrumental case.

The instrumental case is used after prepositions that denote movement or direction, such as между - mezhdu - between.

The noun жизнь - zhizn - life, takes the ending ю - yu in the instrumental case.

Translation: He needs to find a balance between work and personal life.

Pronunciation:

Ему - ye-moo - (to) him
нужно - noozh-no - it is necessary
найти - na-ee-tee - to find
баланс - ba-lanss - balance
между - mezh-doo - between
работой - ra-bo-toy - work
и - ee - and
личной - lee-ch-noy - personal
жизнью - zhee-znyoo - life

Key Concepts:

Indirect Objects: In Russian, the indirect object is usually in the dative case.

Impersonal Verbs: Impersonal verbs express necessity, obligation, or possibility.

Instrumental Case: The instrumental case is used after prepositions that denote movement or direction.

Noun Declension: Nouns in Russian change their endings depending on their case.

Variations:

The sentence can be made more informal by using the pronoun он - on - he, instead of ему - emu - (to) him. For example, Он должен найти баланс между работой и личной жизнью. - On dolzhen naiti balans mezhdu rabotoy i lichnoy zhiznyu. - He needs to find a balance between work and personal life.

Word Translations:

баланс - balans - balance (masculine noun)

работа - rabota - work (feminine noun)

жизнь - zhizn - life (feminine noun)

The next word is strange. The word "strange" in Russian is странный (strannyy).

This sentence uses the word:

Это странно! (Eta stranno!)

Breakdown:

Это (Eta) - This (pronoun, nominative case)

странно (stranno) - strange (adjective, neuter gender, nominative case)

! - exclamation mark

Translation: This is strange!

Pronunciation guide:

Это (Eta) - Eh-tuh
странно (stranno) - Strahn-nuh

Key concept:

- The adjective странный (strannyy) is used here to describe something that is unusual, unexpected, or peculiar.

Variations:

Странная (strannaya) - strange (feminine)

Странный (strannyy) - strange (masculine)

Странное (strannoe) - strange (neuter)

English: strange

Russian: странный (strannyy)

The next word is payment. The student платит за обучение.

Breakdown:

платит (pronounced: pla-teet) is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb платить (to pay).

за (pronounced: za) is a preposition meaning "for".

обучение (pronounced: obu-cheniye) is a noun meaning "education" or "training".

Translation:

The student pays for education.

Key Concepts:

Present tense conjugation: The verb платить conjugates differently depending on the subject. In this sentence, the subject is "the student" (singular, 3rd person), so the verb is платит.

Prepositions: Prepositions like за show the relationship between words in the sentence.

Nouns: Nouns like обучение refer to people, places, or things.

Variations of the word платить:

плачу (I pay)

платишь (you pay)

платит (he/she/it pays)

платим (we pay)

платите (you all pay)

платят (they pay)

Pronunciation:

платить: pla-tee-t'

платит: pla-teet
за: za
обучение: obu-cheniye

English and Russian Translation of the word:

Payment - плата (pla-ta)

To pay - платить (pla-tee-t')

The next word is percent. The price of the product increased by пять процентов (pyat' protsentov).

Breakdown:

пять (pyat') - five (pronounced like "pyat" but with a short 'i' at the end)

процентов (protsentov) - percent (pronounced like "pro-tsen-tov" with a short 'o' at the end).

Key concept:

процент (protsent) is a noun in Russian, meaning "percent". It is used in the genitive plural form процентов (protsentov) because it is modifying the noun цена (tsena) (price), which is implied in the sentence. You can learn more about grammatical cases in Russian if you'd like.

English translation: The price of the product increased by five percent.

Helpful hints on pronunciation:

Remember that the stress in the word процентов (protsentov) is on the third syllable (cen).

The soft sign ь (y) at the end of the word пять (pyat') makes the preceding consonant sound softer, like a "t" rather than a hard "d".

English word: percent

Russian word: процент (protsent)

The next word is accord. ## Соглашение было достигнуто в соответствии с международными нормами.

Breakdown:

Соглашение - (Agreement) This is the noun in the sentence and is in the nominative case, acting as the subject. Pronunciation: [suh-gluh-SHEN-ee-ye]

было - (was) This is the past tense of the verb "to be" conjugated in the neuter gender, agreeing with the neuter noun "соглашение". Pronunciation: [buh-loh]

достигнуто - (reached) This is the past participle of the verb "to reach" and is in the neuter gender, agreeing with the subject "соглашение". Pronunciation: [duh-STEE-gnu-tuh]

в - (in) This is a preposition indicating location. Pronunciation: [v]

соответствии - (accordance) This is a noun in the prepositional case, governed by the preposition "в". Pronunciation: [suh-uh-TVET-stvee-ee]

с - (with) This is a preposition indicating association. Pronunciation: [s]

международными - (international) This is an adjective in the instrumental case, modifying the noun "нормами". Pronunciation: [mee-zh-duh-nar-OD-nuh-mee]

нормами - (norms) This is a noun in the instrumental case, governed by the preposition "с". Pronunciation: [NOR-muh-mee]

Translation: The agreement was reached in accordance with international norms.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian nouns have grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and adjectives and verbs must agree in gender.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here we see the nominative, prepositional, and instrumental cases.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English, but the basic structure of subject-verb-object is maintained.

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress: The stress in Russian is not always predictable and needs to be learned.

Vowels: Russian vowels are pronounced differently than English vowels.

Consonants: Some Russian consonants are not found in English and may require practice.

Word and Pronunciation:

Accord - соглашение [suh-gluh-SHEN-ee-ye]

The next word is camp. Мы часто ходим в кемпинг летом.

Breakdown:

Мы мы - We (pronoun, nominative case, plural) - Pronounced like "my" but with a short "y" sound.

часто часто - often (adverb) - Pronounced like "cha-stuh"

ходим ходим - go (verb, present tense, 1st person plural) - Pronounced like "ho-deem"

в в - to, in (preposition) - Pronounced like "v"

кемпинг - camping (noun) - Pronounced like "kem-ping" - The word itself is derived from English.

летом летом - in summer (adverbial case of the noun лето лето - summer) - Pronounced like "le-tuhm"

Meaning: We often go camping in the summer.

Variations:

You can use the verb ездить ездить (to travel/go) instead of ходить ходить to emphasize the travel aspect of going camping.

Кемпинг can also be a noun for a camping site or campsite. For example, "Мы любим этот кемпинг" (We love this campsite).

Pronunciation:

кемпинг - "kem-ping"

летом - "le-tuhm"

часто - "cha-stuh"

ходим - "ho-deem"

Translation:

кемпинг - camping
летом - in the summer
часто - often
ходим - go

The next word is present. The word "present" can be translated in Russian in a few different ways depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. "Present" as a noun (gift):

подарок (pronounced poh-DA-rak) - This is the most common word for "present" as a gift.

This word has a few variations based on gender:

подарок (poh-DA-rak) - masculine

подарочка (poh-DA-rach-ka) - diminutive, meaning "little gift"

подарочек (poh-DA-rach-ek) - also diminutive, "small gift"

подарочки (poh-DA-rach-ki) - plural, "gifts"

презент (pronounced pree-ZENT) - This word is less common than подарок but still used, and it's a bit more formal.

This word also has variations based on gender:

презент (pree-ZENT) - masculine

презенту (pree-ZEN-too) - feminine

презенты (pree-ZEN-ty) - plural

Sentence Example:

Я хочу подарить ей подарок на день рождения. (Ya kha-CHOO pa-da-REET' ee pa-DA-rak na den' razh-DE-ni-ya)

This translates to "I want to give her a gift for her birthday."

подарить (pa-da-REET') is the verb "to give as a gift".

ей (ee) means "her"

день рождения (den' razh-DE-ni-ya) means "birthday"

1. "Present" as an adjective (currently existing):

настоящий (pronounced na-sto-ya-shchiy) - "present", "real", "true", "genuine"

нынешний (pronounced ny-ne-shniy) - "current", "present"

текущий (pronounced te-ku-shchiy) - "current", "present"

Sentence Example:

Настоящий момент — это все, что у нас есть. (Na-sto-ya-shchiy ma-MENT - e-to vsyo, chto u nas YEST')

This translates to "The present moment is all we have."

момент (ma-MENT) is "moment"

все (vsyo) is "everything"

у нас (u nas) means "we have"

1. "Present" as a verb (to give):

презентовать (pronounced pree-zen-TO-vat') - "to present", "to give formally"

Sentence Example:

Президент представил новую политику. (Pree-zi-DENT pree-zen-TO-val no-vu-yu pa-LI-ti-ku)

This translates to "The president presented a new policy."

президент (pree-zi-DENT) is "president"

представить (pree-d-sta-VIT') is "to present"

политика (pa-LI-ti-ka) is "policy"

Remember:

present (pree-ZENT) is a borrowed word from English. It is not as common as the other words mentioned above.

подарок (poh-DA-rak) is the most common word for "gift" in Russian.

Russian has different endings for words depending on their gender.

Word Pronunciation (English) :

Present (pree-ZENT)

подарок (poh-DA-rak)

презентовать (pree-zen-TO-vat')

The next word is reflect. The word "reflect" can be used in Russian as a verb, отражать (pronounced: ut-ra-zhaat). It means "to reflect" in the sense of mirroring or throwing back an image, sound, or light.

Here is a sentence example:

Зеркало отражает свет.

This sentence means "The mirror reflects the light."

Let's break it down:

Зеркало (pronounced: zer-ka-lo) means "mirror".

отражает (pronounced: ut-ra-zha-yet) means "reflects". This is the third person singular present tense form of the verb отражать.

свет (pronounced: svet) means "light".

This is a simple sentence with a subject (зеркало), verb (отражает), and object (свет).

Helpful Pronunciation Tips:

Зеркало: "зер" is pronounced like "zero" but with a slightly softer "r".

отражает: The "ж" sounds like a French "j" or a soft "zh" in English. The "а" at the end is unstressed and short.

свет: "свет" is pronounced with a soft "т" sound, almost like an "s".

Variations of the word "reflect":

The verb отражать can be used in other tenses as well:

отражал (pronounced: ut-ra-zhal) - past tense, singular masculine

отражали (pronounced: ut-ra-zha-li) - past tense, plural

будет отражать (pronounced: boo-det ut-ra-zhaat) - future tense, singular

"Reflect" can also be used in the sense of thinking deeply or contemplating. In this case, the Russian verb would be размышлять (pronounced: raz-mish-lyat).

English: Reflect (ri-flekt)

Russian: отражать (ut-ra-zhaat)

The next word is instance. В этом случае, я не могу использовать слово «инстанция» в обычном смысле, поскольку оно чаще используется в правовой сфере, где оно обозначает организацию или орган, наделенный определенными полномочиями.

В этом случае я не могу использовать слово «инстанция» в обычном смысле, поскольку оно чаще используется в правовой сфере, где оно обозначает организацию или орган, наделенный определенными полномочиями.

Translation:

In this instance, I cannot use the word "instance" in its ordinary sense, because it is more often used in the legal sphere, where it refers to an organization or body endowed with certain powers.

Breakdown:

В этом случае (v eh-tom slu-cha-ye) - In this case. The preposition в (v) is used before the noun случае (slu-cha-ye) to indicate a situation or context.

я (ya) - I. This is the personal pronoun in the nominative case.

не (ne) - not. It negates the verb могу (mo-gu).

могу (mo-gu) - can. This is the verb "to be able to" in the present tense, 1st person singular.

использовать (is-pol-zo-vat) - use. This is a verb in the infinitive form.

слово (slo-vo) - word.

«инстанция» (in-stan-tsi-ya) - instance.

в (v) - in. The preposition в (v) is used again before the noun смысле (smy-sle) to indicate a meaning or sense.

обычном (o-bych-nom) - ordinary. The adjective обычный (o-bych-nyy) is in the masculine nominative singular form.

смысле (smy-sle) - sense. The noun смысл (smy-sl) is in the prepositional case.

поскольку (po-skol-ku) - because. This is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause.

оно (o-no) - it. This is the personal pronoun in the nominative case, referring to the word «инстанция» (in-stan-tsi-ya).

чаще (cha-shche) - more often. This is an adverb of frequency.

используется (is-pol-zu-et-sya) - is used. This is the passive voice form of the verb использовать (is-pol-zo-vat) in the present tense, 3rd person singular.

в (v) - in. The preposition в (v) is used before the noun сфере (sfe-re) to indicate a field or area.

правовой (pra-vo-voy) - legal. The adjective правовой (pra-vo-voy) is in the feminine nominative singular form.

сфере (sfe-re) - sphere. The noun сфера (sfe-ra) is in the prepositional case.

где (gde) - where. This is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause.

оно (o-no) - it. This is the personal pronoun in the nominative case, again referring to the word «инстанция» (in-stan-tsi-ya).

обозначает (o-bo-zna-cha-et) - refers to. This is a verb in the present tense, 3rd person singular.

организацию (or-ga-ni-za-tsi-yu) - organization. The noun организация (or-ga-ni-za-tsi-ya) is in the accusative case.

или (i-li) - or. This is a coordinating conjunction.

орган (or-gan) - body. The noun орган (or-gan) is in the accusative case.

наделенный (na-de-len-nyy) - endowed. The participle наделенный (na-de-len-nyy) is in the masculine nominative singular form.

определенными (o-pre-de-len-ny-mi) - certain. The adjective определенный (o-pre-de-len-nyy) is in the plural instrumental case.

полномочиями (pol-no-mo-chi-ya-mi) - powers. The noun полномочия (pol-no-mo-chi-ya) is in the plural instrumental case.

Pronunciation Guide:

В (v) - like the "v" in "van"

этом (eh-tom) - like "eh-tom"

случае (slu-cha-ye) - like "sloo-cha-ye"

я (ya) - like "ya"

не (ne) - like "nyeh"

могу (mo-gu) - like "mo-goo"

использовать (is-pol-zo-vat) - like "is-pol-zo-vat"

слово (slo-vo) - like "slo-vo"

«инстанция» (in-stan-tsi-ya) - like "in-stan-tsi-ya"

в (v) - like the "v" in "van"

обычном (o-bych-nom) - like "o-bych-nom"

смысле (smy-sle) - like "smy-sleh"

поскольку (po-skol-ku) - like "po-skol-koo"

оно (o-no) - like "o-no"

чаще (cha-shche) - like "cha-shche"

используется (is-pol-zu-et-sya) - like "is-pol-zu-yet-sya"

в (v) - like the "v" in "van"

правовой (pra-vo-voy) - like "pra-vo-voy"

сфере (sfe-re) - like "sfe-re"

где (gde) - like "gdeh"

оно (o-no) - like "o-no"

обозначает (o-bo-zna-cha-et) - like "o-bo-zna-cha-yet"

организацию (or-ga-ni-za-tsi-yu) - like "or-ga-ni-za-tsi-yu"

или (i-li) - like "i-li"

орган (or-gan) - like "or-gan"

наделенный (na-de-len-nyy) - like "na-de-len-nyy"

определенными (o-pre-de-len-ny-mi) - like "o-pre-de-len-ny-mi"

полномочиями (pol-no-mo-chi-ya-mi) - like "pol-no-mo-chi-ya-mi"

The next word is eat. The word "eat" in Russian is есть (pronounced "Yest"). It's a verb and in this example it is in the infinitive form.

The sentence below uses the verb есть in the present tense, third person singular form:

Он ест суп.

Он - "He" - pronounced "ohn"

ест - "eats" - pronounced "yest" - this is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb есть
суп - "soup" - pronounced "soup"

Translation: He eats soup.

Key concept: The verb есть is an irregular verb in Russian. In present tense it has different forms for each person. It's important to memorize these forms.

Pronunciation Guide:

е - pronounced like the "e" in "bed"

ст - pronounced like the "st" in "rest"

у - pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

п - pronounced like the "p" in "pepper"

English: eat - есть (pronounced "Yest")

Russian: есть - eat (pronounced "Yest")

The next word is product. ## Продукт этого завода очень популярен.

Breakdown:

Продукт (produkt) - This is the noun "product" in the nominative case. Pronunciation: pro-DUKT.

этого (etogo) - This is the genitive case of the demonstrative pronoun "это" (eto) meaning "this". Pronunciation: eh-TOH-go.

завода (zavoda) - This is the genitive case of the noun "завод" (zavod) meaning "factory". Pronunciation: za-VO-da.

очень (ochen') - This is the adverb "very". Pronunciation: OH-chen'.

популярен (populyaren) - This is the adjective "popular" in the masculine singular nominative case. Pronunciation: po-pu-LYAR-en.

Translation: The product of this factory is very popular.

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging.

Adjectives: Russian adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Word order: In Russian, the word order is more flexible than in English.

Variations:

продукты (produkty) - the plural of "product"

популярна (populyarna) - the feminine singular nominative form of "popular"

популярно (populyarno) - the neuter singular nominative form of "popular"

популярны (populyarny) - the plural form of "popular"

English & Russian Translation:

Product: Продукт (produkt)

Popular: Популярный (populyarny)

The next word is course. Курс лекций по русскому языку начинается в следующий понедельник.

Breakdown:

Курс (koors) - This is the noun for "course" and refers to a series of lessons or classes on a particular subject.

лекций (lektsiy) - This is the plural form of the noun лекция (lektsiya), which means "lecture." This word is often used to describe a course of study where lectures are the main method of teaching.

по (pa) - This preposition means "about" or "on" and is used to indicate the subject of the course.

русскому (russkomu) - This is the dative case of the adjective русский (russkiy), meaning "Russian." The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb or preposition.

языку (yaziku) - This is the dative case of the noun язык (yazik), meaning "language."

начинается (nachinayetsya) - This is the third person singular present tense form of the verb начинаться (nachinatsya), meaning "to begin."

в (v) - This preposition means "in" and is used to indicate the time of the course's beginning.

следующий (sleduyushchiy) - This adjective means "following" or "next."

понедельник (ponedel'nik) - This is the noun for "Monday."

Translation: The course of lectures on the Russian language begins next Monday.

Key Concepts:

Dative Case: This grammatical case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb or preposition. It is often used with prepositions like по (pa) and в (v).

Present Tense: The present tense is used to describe actions or states that are happening now. In Russian, the present tense often has different forms depending on the subject of the verb.

Noun Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. These changes are called cases. The dative case is one of the most common cases.

Pronunciation:

Курс (koors) - The "k" is pronounced like the "k" in "kick." The "oo" sound is like the "oo" in "moon." The "s" is pronounced like the "s" in "sun."

лекций (lektsiy) - The "l" is pronounced like the "l" in "light." The "e" sounds like the "e" in "get." The "k" sound is like the "k" in "kick." The "ts" sound is like the "ts" in "hats."

по (pa) - The "p" is pronounced like the "p" in "pen." The "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot."

русскому (russkomu) - The "r" is pronounced like the "r" in "run." The "u" is pronounced like the "u" in "put." The "s" is pronounced like the "s" in "sun." The "k" sound is like the "k" in "kick." The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot." The "m" is pronounced like the "m" in "man." The "u" sound is like the "oo" in "moon."

языку (yaziku) - The "ya" sound is like the "ya" in "yard." The "z" sound is like the "z" in "zebra." The "i" is pronounced like the "i" in "machine." The "k" sound is like the "k" in "kick." The "u" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon."

начинается (nachinayetsya) - The "n" is pronounced like the "n" in "no." The "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The "ch" is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair." The "i" is pronounced like the "i" in "machine." The "n" is pronounced like the "n" in "no." The "ay" sound is like the "a" in "say." The "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "get." The "ts" sound is like the "ts" in "hats." The "ya" sound is like the "ya" in "yard."

в (v) - The "v" is pronounced like the "v" in "voice."

следующий (sleduyushchiy) - The "sl" is pronounced like the "sl" in "sleep." The "e" sounds like the "e" in "get." The "d" is pronounced like the "d" in "dog." The "u" is pronounced like the "u" in "put." The "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes." The "ush" sound is like the "sh" in "ship." The "ch" is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair." The "i" is pronounced like the "i" in "machine." The "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."

понедельник (ponedel'nik) - The "p" is pronounced like the "p" in "pen." The "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot." The "n" is pronounced like the "n" in "no." The "e" sounds like the "e" in "get." The "d" is pronounced like the "d" in "dog." The "el'n" sound is like the "l" in "light" combined with the "n" in "no." The "ik" sound is like the "ik" in "kick."

English translation: Course koors, lectures lektsiy, on pa, Russian russkomu, language yaziku, begins nachinayetsya, in v, following sleduyushchiy, Monday ponedel'nik.

The next word is foreign. The word "foreign" in Russian is иностранный (pronounced ee-nah-STRAN-niy).

Here is an example sentence using иностранный:

Я изучаю иностранные языки.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
изучаю (iz-oo-CHAY-oo) - I study
иностранные (ee-nah-STRAN-niy-e) - foreign (plural adjective form)

языки (ya-zi-KI) - languages

The sentence means: "I study foreign languages."

Key points:

The adjective иностранный is used in the plural form in this sentence, because the noun it modifies, языки, is plural.

This sentence uses the present tense of the verb изучать (to study).

Variations:

Иностранный can also be used as a noun. In this case, it refers to a person from another country, also known as a "foreigner".

Pronunciation Notes:

Be sure to pronounce the "y" sound at the end of иностранный, as in "sky" or "my".

English - Foreign (for-in)

Russian - иностранный (ee-nah-STRAN-niy)

The next word is fund. The Russian sentence is:

Он финансирует свою компанию.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He - Pronoun, nominative case

финансирует финансирует - finances, funds - verb, present tense, 3rd person singular
свою свою - his, her, its, their - possessive adjective
компанию компанию - company - noun, accusative case

Meaning: He funds his company.

Key Concepts:

The verb "финансировать" финансировать (to finance, to fund) is used to describe the act of providing money for a project or business.

The possessive adjective "свою" свою (his, her, its, their) agrees in gender and number with the noun "компанию" компанию (company).

The noun "компанию" компанию (company) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "финансирует" финансирует (finances).

Variations:

Он финансирует свой бизнес. - He funds his business.

Она финансирует свою поездку. - She funds her trip.

Они финансируют свой проект. - They fund their project.

Pronunciation:

финансировать финансировать - fee-nan-see-ro-vat'

свою свою - svoy-oo

компанию компанию - kom-pa-ni-yoo

English-Russian Translations:

fund - финансировать (fee-nan-see-ro-vat')

company - компания (kom-pa-ni-ya)

The next word is above. The word "above" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

Here's an example using the preposition "над" над meaning "above," "over," or "on top of":

Солнце светит над городом.

Breakdown:

Солнце [sohl-ntse] - sun (nominative case)

светит [sveh-tit] - shines (present tense, third-person singular)

над [nat] - above

городом [goh-rah-dam] - city (instrumental case)

Meaning: The sun shines above the city.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: Prepositions like над show the relationship between nouns. They often require a specific case of the noun, here it is the instrumental case.

Cases: Russian nouns have six cases, each with a different ending depending on their function in the sentence. Here, городом is in the instrumental case, indicating that the sun is shining "on top of" the city.

Pronunciation Notes:

The "о" sound in Солнце and городом is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

The "е" sound in светит is pronounced like the "e" in "bet."

Word Translation:

above: над [nat]

sun: Солнце [sohl-ntse]

shines: светит [sveh-tit]

city: город [goh-rad]

Variations of "above":

Over: над [nat]

On top of: на [na]

Higher than: выше [vyi-she]

Remember that the best translation depends on the specific context and nuances of the English sentence.

The next word is observe. The Russian word for "observe" is наблюдать (nablyudat'). It is a verb and means to watch or pay attention to something. Here is a simple sentence using the word:

Я наблюдал за птицами в небе. (Ya nablyudal za ptitsami v nebe.)

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, subject of the sentence) - pronounced like "ya"

наблюдал наблюдал (nablyudal) - observed (past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced like "na-blyoo-dahl"

за за (za) - for, after, behind (preposition) - pronounced like "zah"

птицами птицами (ptitsami) - birds (plural, instrumental case) - pronounced like "ptee-tsa-mee"

в в (v) - in (preposition) - pronounced like "v"

небе небе (nebe) - sky (singular, prepositional case) - pronounced like "neh-bye"

Translation: I was observing the birds in the sky.

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change form depending on the subject, tense, and gender. In this sentence, the verb "nablyudat" is in the past tense, masculine singular form to agree with the subject "ya" (I).

Cases: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. The words "ptitsami" (birds) and "nebe" (sky) are in the instrumental and prepositional cases respectively, because of the prepositions "za" and "v".

Variations:

The verb "nablyudat'" can also be used in the present tense, future tense, and other forms. For example:

Я наблюдаю за птицами. (Ya nablyudayu za ptitsami.) - I am observing the birds.

Я буду наблюдать за птицами. (Ya budu nablyudat' za ptitsami.) - I will observe the birds.

"nablyudat'" can also be used with other prepositions, such as "nad" (over), "s" (from), or "po" (according to).

English: observe

Russian: наблюдать (nablyudat')

The next word is pause. The word "pause" can be used as a noun or a verb in Russian.

Here's an example sentence using it as a noun:

Сделайте паузу, пожалуйста.

Translation: Please make a pause.

Breakdown:

Сделайте (Sdel'ayte) - Imperative plural form of the verb "to make" (делать [pronounced "dye-laht"])

паузу (pauzu) - pause (noun) [pronounced "pow-zoo"]

пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - please (polite request) [pronounced "po-zha-loo-y-sta"]

Key Concept: Russian verbs conjugate differently depending on who is performing the action, and if it is a command or request. The imperative form (Сделайте) is used for a polite command directed at a group of people.

Variations:

You can also say: Сделайте перерыв. (Sdel'ayte pereryv). Перерыв (pereryv) means "break" or "interval," so it would be translated as "Please take a break."

Pronunciation guide:

Сделайте - [s-dye-la-y-te]

паузу - [paw-zoo]

пожалуйста - [po-zha-loo-y-sta]

перерыв - [pe-re-riv]

English to Russian translation of the word "pause":

Pause (noun): пауза (pauza)

Pause (verb): делать паузу (dyelat' pauzu)

The next word is view. The English word "view" can be translated in Russian in a couple of ways depending on the context:

вид (pronounced [veet]) is the most common translation of "view" and refers to a visual perception or what you can see from a specific point.

Sentence:

С этой горы открывается потрясающий вид на город. (pronounced [s eh-tay goh-ree ot-krы-vah-et-sya pat-rya-sa-yu-shchy veet na go-rat])

Breakdown:

С (pronounced [s]) - from (preposition)

этой (pronounced [eh-toy]) - this (feminine, genitive case)

горы (pronounced [goh-ree]) - mountains (feminine, genitive case)

открывается (pronounced [ot-krы-vah-et-sya]) - opens up (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense)

потрясающий (pronounced [pat-rya-sa-yu-shchy]) - breathtaking (adjective, masculine, nominative case)

вид (pronounced [veet]) - view (masculine, nominative case)

на (pronounced [na]) - on (preposition)

город (pronounced [go-rat]) - city (masculine, accusative case)

Translation: From this mountain, a breathtaking view of the city opens up.

Key Concept: The sentence highlights the use of the preposition на (na) for indicating location. Also, notice the use of the nominative case for the subject (view) and accusative case for the object (city).

взгляд (pronounced [vz-glyat]) can also be used for "view" in the sense of an opinion or perspective.

Sentence:

У него был очень интересный взгляд на жизнь. (pronounced [oo ny-vo byl oh-chen in-te-res-ny vz-glyat na zhizn])

Breakdown:

У (pronounced [oo]) - at (preposition)

него (pronounced [ny-vo]) - he (pronoun, genitive case)

был (pronounced [byl]) - was (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

очень (pronounced [oh-chen]) - very (adverb)

интересный (pronounced [in-te-res-ny]) - interesting (adjective, masculine, nominative case)

взгляд (pronounced [vz-glyat]) - view/perspective (masculine, nominative case)

на (pronounced [na]) - on (preposition)

жизнь (pronounced [zhizn]) - life (feminine, accusative case)

Translation: He had a very interesting perspective on life.

Key Concept: This sentence illustrates the use of the preposition на (na) to describe an opinion or perspective on something. Also, the masculine noun взгляд (vz-glyat) takes the singular masculine past tense form of the verb "to be" – был (byl).

English: view, view, view

Russian: вид, взгляд, вид

Pronunciation: [veet], [vz-glyat], [veet]

The next word is bar. The word "bar" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

Let's look at an example:

"The bar is open."

This would be translated as:

Бар открыт.

Breakdown:

Бар - pronounced "bar" - This is the most common translation for "bar" and refers to a place where you can buy and drink alcoholic beverages. It's important to note that there is no plural form of this word, as it is used in a generic sense.

открыт - pronounced "ot-kryt" - The word "открыт" is the masculine past participle of the verb "открыть" (to open). It means "open" and agrees in gender with the noun "бар".

In addition to this example, here are some other variations of the word "bar" and their Russian translations:

ба́р (pronounced "bar") - This is a more formal, literary version of the word "бар", often used in specific contexts like a bar in a hotel or restaurant.

стойка бара (pronounced "stoyka bara") - This literally means "bar counter" and is used when referring to the physical structure of a bar.

за́л бара (pronounced "zal bara") - This means "bar hall" and is used when referring to the entire space of a bar.

Overall, the word "бар" is a versatile and commonly used word in Russian. You can use it in a variety of contexts, as long as you remember the correct translation for each specific situation.

The next word is poor. The Russian word for "poor" is бедный (pronounced "bed-niy"). It can be used to describe someone who is financially poor or someone who is experiencing hardship.

Here is a sample sentence:

Он был бедный, но счастливый.

Breakdown:

Он (on) - he
был (byl) - was
бедный (bed-niy) - poor
но (no) - but
счастливый (schastlivyy) - happy

Translation: He was poor, but happy.

Key Concepts:

The word бедный is an adjective, so it changes its ending depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

It can also be used as a noun to refer to a poor person, in which case it would be бедняк (bednyak) for a man or беднячка (bednyachka) for a woman.

Pronunciation Guide:

бедный (bed-niy)

счастливый (schastlivyy)

English Translation: Poor, needy

Russian Translation: бедный (bed-niy)

The next word is credit. The word credit can be used in Russian in a few different ways. Here’s an example sentence:

У меня есть кредит на машину.

Breakdown:

У (oo) is a preposition that means "at" or "with" in this case.

меня (my-nya) is a personal pronoun meaning "me" or "I" but in this case is acting as a possessive pronoun meaning "my"

есть (yest') is a verb meaning "to be" or "to have"

кредит (kre-deet) is a noun meaning "credit", "loan" or "mortgage"

на (na) is a preposition meaning "on" or "for"

машину (ma-shee-noo) is a noun meaning "car"

Translation: I have a car loan.

Pronunciation:

У (oo)

меня (my-nya)

есть (yest')

кредит (kre-deet)

на (na)

машину (ma-shee-noo)

Important Notes:

This sentence is in the present tense. To say “I had a car loan” you would change the verb есть (yest') to был (beel) and the noun кредит (kre-deet) to кредит (kre-deet).

Кредит (kre-deet) can also mean "credit" as in "credit card" or "credit history".

У меня есть кредитная карта.

(oo my-nya yest' kre-dee-t-naya kar-ta) I have a credit card.

У него хорошая кредитная история.

(oo nye-vo ho-ro-sha-ya kre-dee-t-naya is-to-ri-ya) He has good credit history.

English: credit /ˈkrɛdɪt/

Russian: кредит /kre-deet/

The next word is finally. The word "finally" can be translated into Russian as наконец (nakanets) meaning "at last" or "наконец-то (nakanets-to) meaning "finally, at long last". It is an adverb.

Here is a sentence with "наконец":

Наконец я (ya) дождался (dozhdalsya) тебя (tebya).

Breakdown:

Наконец (nakanets) - finally
я (ya) - I
дождался (dozhdalsya) - waited for (masculine past tense, perfective aspect)

тебя (tebya) - you (accusative case)

Translation: Finally I waited for you.

Pronunciation Guide:

наконец (nakanets): The "a" in наконец sounds like the "a" in "father" and the "e" in наконец sounds like the "e" in "bed".

я (ya): The "я" sounds like the "ya" in "yard".

дождался (dozhdalsya): The "д" sounds like a "d" and the "ж" sounds like a "zh" in "pleasure". The "а" is like the "a" in "father" and the "я" sounds like the "ya" in "yard".

тебя (tebya): The "е" sounds like the "e" in "bed" and the "я" sounds like the "ya" in "yard".

Key Concepts:

Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They provide information about how, when, where, or to what extent something happens.

Perfective vs. Imperfective Aspect: In Russian verbs, the perfective aspect is used to express completed actions, while the imperfective aspect is used to express ongoing or habitual actions.

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. In this case, "тебя" is in the accusative case, indicating that it is the direct object of the verb.

Translation:

finally: наконец (nakanets)

I: я (ya)

waited for: дождался (dozhdalsya)

you: тебя (tebya)

The next word is during. ## During

The English word "during" translates to во время (vo vremя) in Russian. It is used to indicate that something happens within a specific period of time.

Sentence:

Я читал книгу во время поездки на поезде. (Ya chital knigu vo vremя poezdki na poezde.)

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case, subject of the sentence)

читал читал (chital) - read (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

книгу книгу (knigu) - book (noun, accusative case, direct object of the verb)

во время во время (vo vremя) - during (preposition + noun)

поездки поездки (poezdki) - journey (noun, genitive case, object of the preposition)

на на (na) - on (preposition)

поезде поезде (poezde) - train (noun, prepositional case, object of the preposition)

Translation: I was reading a book during the train journey.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: во время (vo vremя) - during, на (na) - on

Cases: Accusative case for direct objects (книгу knigu), Genitive case after prepositions (поездки poezdki), Prepositional case for object of preposition (поезде poezde)

Pronunciation:

во время (vo vremя) - "vo vrem'ya" (the 'я' is pronounced like the 'ya' in "yard")

читал (chital) - "chee-tal"

книгу (knigu) - "knee-goo"

поездки (poezdki) - "poy-ezd-ki"

на (na) - "na"

поезде (poezde) - "poy-ez-de"

Variations:

The preposition во время (vo vremя) can be replaced with в течение (v techeniye) which means "during" or "throughout" and implies a longer duration.

в течение дня (v techeniye dnya) - during the day
во время урока (vo vremя uroka) - during the lesson

Remember: Practice makes perfect! Try to use во время (vo vremя) in different sentences to strengthen your understanding.

The next word is upon. The word "upon" can be translated into Russian in a few ways depending on the context.

Here's an example using the preposition на (na) which means "on" or "upon" and is used when something is resting on a surface:

Книга лежит на столе.

Breakdown:

Книга (kniga) - book (feminine noun) - pronounced: [KEE-gah]

лежит (lezhit) - lies, is lying (present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb лежать (lezhat) - to lie) - pronounced: [leh-ZHEET]

на (na) - on, upon - pronounced: [nah]

столе (stole) - table (masculine noun) - pronounced: [STOH-leh]

Translation: The book is lying on the table.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: In Russian, prepositions are very important and often determine the case of the noun that follows. In this case, на (na) takes the accusative case, so the noun стол (stol) changes to столе (stole).

Gender of Nouns: In Russian, nouns have gender, which affects the form of adjectives and verbs that agree with them. In this sentence, книга (kniga) is feminine, so the verb лежит (lezhit) agrees with it in gender and number.

Other ways to translate "upon":

по (po) - upon, on (used for actions or movements) - pronounced: [poh]

над (nad) - over, above - pronounced: [naht]

Example using по (po):

По ступенькам (po stupen'kam) - Upon the steps - pronounced: [poh stoo-PEN-kahm]

Example using над (nad):

Над головой (nad golovoy) - Above the head - pronounced: [naht goh-loh-VOY]

Remember: The choice of preposition depends on the context and meaning you want to convey.

The next word is tradition. Традиция - traditsiya - (tra-dee-tsee-ya) - tradition

This sentence demonstrates the use of the feminine noun традиция in the nominative case.

Традиция (tradition) is a feminine noun. The ending -ия (-iya) indicates that it is feminine.

In the nominative case (the subject of the sentence), it is used without any declension.

The word традиция is pronounced "tra-dee-tsee-ya". "Tra" and "dee" are pronounced as in the English words "tray" and "dee." The "tsee" is pronounced similar to "tsi" in the word "tsunami" and the "ya" is pronounced like "ya" in "yard."

Translation: Tradition.

The next word is progress. The Russian word for progress is прогресс (pronounced prah-GRehs).

Here is an example of how to use the word in a sentence:

За последние десять лет в России был значительный прогресс в области технологий.

За последние десять лет (za poslednie desyat' let) - In the last ten years.

в России (v Rossii) - in Russia
был (byl) - was
значительный (znachitel'nyi) - significant
прогресс (progress) - progress
в области (v oblasti) - in the area of
технологий (tekhnologii) - technologies

This sentence translates to: "In the last ten years, there has been significant progress in the field of technology in Russia."

This sentence is in the past tense, and the subject is прогресс (progress).

Key Concepts:

Прогресс (progress) is a masculine noun.

When talking about progress in a specific area, you can use the preposition в области (in the area of).

Pronunciation:

прогресс (progress) - prah-GRehs - The stress is on the second syllable. The "e" at the end of the word is silent.

значительный (significant) - znah-chih-tel'ny - The stress is on the third syllable. The "y" at the end of the word is silent.

технологий (technologies) - tekh-noh-loh-gii - The stress is on the second syllable. The "i" at the end of the word is silent.

Variations of прогресс (progress):

прогрессивный (progressive) - prah-greh-siv-ny
прогрессировать (to progress) - prah-greh-si-roh-vat'

Remember, practice makes perfect!

The next word is know. ## Я знаю, что ты говоришь по-русски. Я знаю, что ты говоришь по-русски.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronoun, nominative case, singular) - pronounced as "Ya"

знаю знаю - know (verb, present tense, 1st person singular) - pronounced as "z-na-yu"

что что - that (conjunction introducing a subordinate clause) - pronounced as "ch-to"

ты ты - you (pronoun, nominative case, singular, informal) - pronounced as "ti"

говоришь говоришь - speak (verb, present tense, 2nd person singular) - pronounced as "ga-vo-ri-sh"

по-русски по-русски - in Russian (prepositional case, used with verbs of speaking) - pronounced as "po-ru-s-ki"

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb "знать" знать (to know) is conjugated in the present tense as follows:

Я знаю Я знаю - I know

Ты знаешь Ты знаешь - You know

Он/Она/Оно знает Он/Она/Оно знает - He/She/It knows

Мы знаем Мы знаем - We know

Вы знаете Вы знаете - You know

Они знают Они знают - They know

Prepositional Case: The preposition "по" по (in, by, according to) is often used with verbs like "говорить" говорить (to speak) and "писать" писать (to write) to indicate the language or method used.

Informal "You": The pronoun "ты" ты (you) is the informal form used when addressing someone you know well. The formal form is "Вы" Вы.

Translation: I know that you speak Russian.

Pronunciation Notes:

"Я" Я is pronounced with a slightly drawn-out "a" sound.

"знать" знать has a soft "n" sound at the end.

"по-русски" по-русски is pronounced with a slight emphasis on the "ru" syllable.

Variations:

"Я знаю, что ты хорошо говоришь по-русски." Я знаю, что ты хорошо говоришь по-русски. (I know that you speak Russian well.)

"Я знаю, что ты изучаешь русский язык." Я знаю, что ты изучаешь русский язык. (I know that you are studying the Russian language.)

English Word and Pronunciation: know - /noʊ/

Russian Word and Pronunciation: знать знать - /znat'/

The next word is responsibility. The English word "responsibility" translates to ответственность (otvetstvennost') in Russian. The word is pronounced ot-VET-stven-nast'] and is a feminine noun. It can be used in various contexts. Here is an example:

У каждого человека есть ответственность перед своей семьей.

У (u) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with." It can be used in various contexts. For instance, it can be used to refer to location, У реки (At the river). The preposition У is also used to indicate possession. For example, У меня есть книга (I have a book). The у can also mean "at" when you are referring to a person's home. For example, У меня (at my place).

каждого (kazhdogo) - means "each" or "every." It's a masculine, singular, nominative form of the word, and it's used when referring to a singular, masculine noun. It is an adjective and its ending changes depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. For example:

каждой (kazhdogo) - when modifying a feminine noun
каждое (kazhdogo) - when modifying a neuter noun
человека (cheloveka)- is a noun that means "person." In this sentence, it's in the nominative case, meaning it is the subject of the sentence. The ending of the noun "человек" (chelovek) changes depending on the grammatical case. For example, it can be человека (cheloveka) in the genitive case, человеку (cheloveku) in the dative case, and so on.

есть (est')- is the present tense of the verb "to be." It is a very common verb in the Russian language and can be used in various contexts.

ответственность (otvetstvennost') - responsibility. The ending "-сть" is the feminine ending for this noun.

перед (pered)- is a preposition that means "in front of" or "before."

своей (svoey) - means "one's own." It is a possessive adjective, indicating that the family belongs to the person. The word своей changes endings depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. It can also change its ending depending on the case.

семьей (sem'ey) - is a noun meaning "family." The ending of the word "семья" (sem'ya) changes depending on the grammatical case.

Translation: Each person has a responsibility to their family.

Responsibility - ответственность (otvetstvennost') - ot-VET-stven-nast']

The next word is plus. ## Plus

The word "plus" can be used in Russian to mean "plus" in mathematics or "and" when listing things. Here is an example:

Sentence: Два плюс два равно четыре.

Breakdown:

Два (pronounced "Dva") - two. This is the masculine nominative form of the number.

плюс (pronounced "plyus") - plus, meaning addition in math
два (pronounced "Dva") - two. This is the masculine nominative form of the number.

равно (pronounced "ravno") - equals
четыре (pronounced "chetyre") - four. This is the masculine nominative form of the number.

Translation: Two plus two equals four.

Key Concepts:

Numbers in Russian: Russian numbers are gendered. The number "two" is masculine, so we use the masculine nominative form of "two" (два).

Mathematical expressions: The Russian word for "plus" (плюс) is used to express addition in mathematical equations.

Grammar: In Russian, the sentence structure is usually Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). The subject is "two plus two," and the object is "four".

Word Pronunciation:

плюс - pronounced like "plyus" with the "y" as in "my"

два - pronounced like "Dva"

равно - pronounced like "ravno" with the "o" as in "go"

четыре - pronounced like "chetyre" with the "e" at the end like "the" in "mother"

Variations:

The word плюс can also be used in a more informal way to mean "and" when listing things, as in: "There's a lot to do: cleaning, cooking, and, plus, I need to go to the store".

In the example sentence, we used the masculine nominative form of "two" and "four" because "two" and "four" are masculine in Russian. If the sentence involved feminine numbers like "three" or "five", we would use the feminine nominative forms of those numbers.

Key takeaway: The word плюс is a versatile word that can be used in both mathematical and conversational settings. Learning its different uses will help you better understand the Russian language.

The next word is not. The word "not" in Russian is не (pronounced "nyet"). It is a negative particle that precedes a verb to negate it, and it is often used with other words and phrases.

Here is a simple sentence using не:

Я не ем яблоки.

Я - I (pronounced "ya")

не - not (pronounced "nyet")

ем - eat (pronounced "yem")

яблоки - apples (pronounced "yabloki")

Translation: I do not eat apples.

Key Concepts:

Не can be used in both present and past tense.

In the past tense не precedes the verb, but in the present tense it is used before the verb or after the subject.

To say "do not" use не before the verb. For example, Я не хожу - I do not walk.

To say "did not" use не before the verb. For example, Я не ходил - I did not walk.

Pronunciation:

не - nyet

Я - ya
ем - yem
яблоки - yabloki

Variations:

The word не is also used with adjectives, adverbs, and other parts of speech to create a negative.

When не is used with an adjective it can mean "not" or "no". For example, Это не красная машина. - This is not a red car, or this is no red car.

Note: The pronunciation of "nyet" in the English language sounds almost identical to the Russian pronunciation of the word, making it easy to learn.

The next word is directly. ## Directly

The word "directly" can be used in Russian in a few ways, with slightly different meanings:

1. Directly (as in "directly opposite")

Прямо (Pryamo) - directly, straight ahead (pronounced "prya-mo")

Sentence:

Дом находится прямо напротив школы. (Dom nakhoditsya pryamo naprotiv shkoly)

Breakdown:

Дом (Dom) - House (pronounced "dom")

находится (nakhoditsya) - is located (pronounced "na-kho-di-tsa")

прямо (pryamo) - directly (pronounced "prya-mo")

напротив (naprotiv) - opposite (pronounced "na-pro-tiv")

школы (shkoly) - school (pronounced "shko-ly")

Translation: The house is located directly opposite the school.

1. Directly (as in "directly related")

Непосредственно (Neprisedstvenno) - directly, immediately (pronounced "nye-pri-sed-stven-no")

Sentence:

Это решение непосредственно связано с предыдущими событиями. (Eto resheniye neprisedstvenno svyazano s predydushchimi sobytiyami)

Breakdown:

Это (Eto) - This (pronounced "e-to")

решение (resheniye) - decision (pronounced "ri-she-ni-ye")

непосредственно (neprisedstvenno) - directly (pronounced "nye-pri-sed-stven-no")

связано (svyazano) - related (pronounced "svyaz-a-no")

с (s) - with (pronounced "s")

предыдущими (predydushchimi) - previous (pronounced "pre-dy-du-shchi-mi")

событиями (sobytiyami) - events (pronounced "so-by-ti-ya-mi")

Translation: This decision is directly related to previous events.

1. Directly (as in "speak directly to someone")

Непосредственно (Neprisedstvenno) - directly, immediately (pronounced "nye-pri-sed-stven-no")

Sentence:

Я хотел бы поговорить с вами непосредственно. (Ya khotel by pogovorit' s vami neprisedstvenno.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced "ya")

хотел (khotel) - wanted (pronounced "kho-tel")

бы (by) - would (pronounced "by")

поговорить (pogovorit') - talk (pronounced "po-go-vo-rit'")

с (s) - with (pronounced "s")

вами (vami) - you (pronounced "va-mi")

непосредственно (neprisedstvenno) - directly (pronounced "nye-pri-sed-stven-no")

Translation: I would like to speak to you directly.

Helpful Tip:

Прямо is the most common and straightforward translation.

Непосредственно is more formal and emphasizes the direct connection or interaction.

English Word: directly

Russian Translation: прямо (pryamo) / непосредственно (neprisedstvenno)

The next word is aware. The Russian word for "aware" is осведомлённый (osve-dom-lyon-nyy) which is an adjective that means "informed" or "having knowledge of something".

Here is a sentence using the word:

Я осведомлён (ya osve-dom-lyon) о том, что ты приедешь завтра.

Breakdown:

Я я (ya) is the subject pronoun meaning "I".

осведомлён (osve-dom-lyon) is the masculine past participle of the verb осведомлять (osve-dom-lyat') which means "to inform". It means "informed" or "aware". It is used as a predicate adjective in this sentence, describing the subject "I".

о том, что (o tom, chto) means "about the fact that" or "about the thing that".

ты ты (ty) is the subject pronoun meaning "you".

приедешь приедешь (pri-ye-desh) is the future tense of the verb приехать (pri-ye-hat') meaning "to arrive" or "to come".

The full meaning of the sentence is: "I am aware that you will arrive tomorrow".

Here are some variations of the adjective осведомлённый (osve-dom-lyon-nyy):

Feminine: осведомлённая (osve-dom-lyon-naya)

Plural: осведомлённые (osve-dom-lyon-nye)

English: aware, aware

Russian: осведомлённый, осведомлённый

Pronunciation: osve-dom-lyon-nyy, osve-dom-lyon-nyy

The next word is pressure. The word "pressure" in English has a few different meanings and can be translated into Russian in several ways. Let's look at an example where "pressure" refers to a force applied to a surface.

Sentence: The давление воды на плотину было очень сильным.

Breakdown:

давление [pronunciation: dah-vleh-nee-yeh] means "pressure" in the sense of a force.

воды [pronunciation: vah-dee] is the genitive plural of the noun вода (water) and means "of water"

на [pronunciation: nah] is a preposition meaning "on"

плотину [pronunciation: pla-tee-noo] is the accusative singular of the noun плотина (dam)

было [pronunciation: bee-loh] is the past tense of the verb "to be"

очень [pronunciation: oh-chen] means "very"

сильным [pronunciation: see-leem] is an adjective meaning "strong"

Translation: The pressure of the water on the dam was very strong.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the ending of the word in different grammatical cases. Давление is a neuter noun.

Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this sentence, давление is in the nominative case (subject of the verb), воды is in the genitive case (possessive), and плотину is in the accusative case (direct object).

Variations:

The word давление can also refer to other types of pressure, such as psychological pressure or pressure in a tire.

Word Pronunciation:

давление [pronunciation: dah-vleh-nee-yeh]

вода [pronunciation: vah-dah]

плотина [pronunciation: pla-tee-nah]

The next word is power. The word "power" in English has many different meanings and is quite versatile. In Russian, we often use the word сила (pronounced "see-la") to convey a similar meaning.

Here is an example sentence:

У него есть сила убеждать людей. (oo nyeyo yest see-la oo-by-zh-dat lu-dey)

Breakdown:

У (oo) - preposition, "at" or "with"

него (nyeyo) - pronoun, "him" (possessive)

есть (yest) - verb "to be" or "to have"

сила (see-la) - noun, "strength" or "power" (in this case, power of persuasion)

убеждать (oo-by-zh-dat) - verb, "to convince" or "to persuade"

людей (lu-dey) - noun, "people"

Translation: He has the power to convince people.

Variations:

сила (see-la) can also mean "force" or "energy"

мощь (mosht) - means "power" or "might" and is often used to describe something physically strong.

власть (vlast) - means "power" or "authority" and refers to the power to control or govern.

Pronunciation Tips:

сила - stress is on the first syllable
убеждать - stress is on the first syllable

Word Translations:

Power - сила (see-la)

Strength - сила (see-la)

Force - сила (see-la)

Energy - сила (see-la)

Might - мощь (mosht)

Authority - власть (vlast)

The next word is miss. Я ya (I) скучаю skuchayu (miss) по po (for) тебе tebye (you).

Breakdown:

Я ya (I) - This is the subject pronoun "I" in the nominative case. The "Я" is pronounced like "ya" in "yard".

скучаю skuchayu (miss) - This is the verb "to miss" in the present tense. The "ч" is pronounced like the "ch" in "church". The "ю" is pronounced like "you" in "you".

по po (for) - This is the preposition "for" used with the verb "скучать" skuchat' (to miss). The "о" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

тебе tebye (you) - This is the object pronoun "you" in the dative case. The "е" at the end is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes".

Key Concepts:

The verb "скучать" skuchat' (to miss) is used with the preposition "по" po (for) followed by the object of the missing.

The dative case is used to express the indirect object. It is very common in Russian.

Translation:

I miss you.

Pronunciation:

Я ya (I) - yah
скучаю skuchayu (miss) - skoo-cha-yoo
по po (for) - po
тебе tebye (you) - te-bye

Variations:

скучаю skuchayu (miss) can be used for missing people, places, or things.

The dative case of the pronoun "you" can change depending on the gender of the person. For example, if you were talking to a man you would use тебе tebye. If you were talking to a woman you would use тебе tebye. If you were talking to a group of people you would use вам vam (to you).

English: miss

Russian: скучать skuchat' (to miss)

The next word is central. The word "central" in Russian can be translated as центральный (tsentral'nyy). This word can be used as an adjective, describing something that is located in the center, most important, or main. It can also be used as a noun, describing the center of something. Here is a sentence using the word in this way.

Sentence:

Центральная площадь города очень красивая. (Tsentral'naya ploschad' goroda ochen' krasivaya.)

Breakdown:

Центральная (tsentral'naya) - adjective, feminine form of "central" - pronounced like "tsen-tral-naya" with the "a" at the end being similar to "ah" in "father."

площадь (ploschad') - noun, meaning "square" - pronounced like "plos-chahd" with the "d" at the end being a soft "d" like in "road."

города (goroda) - noun, meaning "city" - pronounced like "gor-ah-da" with the "a" at the end being similar to "ah" in "father."

очень (ochen') - adverb, meaning "very" - pronounced like "o-chen'"

красивая (krasivaya) - adjective, feminine form of "beautiful" - pronounced like "kra-si-va-ya" with the "a" at the end being similar to "ah" in "father."

Translation:

The central square of the city is very beautiful.

Key Concept:

The feminine form of adjectives in Russian must match the gender of the noun they are describing. The word площадь (ploschad') is feminine, so we use the feminine form of the adjective центральная (tsentral'naya).

Variations:

The word центральный (tsentral'nyy) can also be used in the masculine and neuter forms, центральный (tsentral'nyy) and центральное (tsentral'noe), respectively. The choice of the form depends on the gender of the noun being described.

Pronunciation:

центральный (tsentral'nyy) - pronounced like "tsen-tral-ny" with the "y" at the end being similar to the "y" in "my."

центральное (tsentral'noe) - pronounced like "tsen-tral-noe" with the "e" at the end being similar to the "e" in "the."

English: central (sen-tral)

Russian: центральный (tsentral'nyy)

The next word is factor. The word factor has several meanings in English, and we can use it in Russian in different ways too.

Here's a sentence using factor in the sense of something that contributes to a result:

Важным фактором в успехе проекта была хорошая команда.

Breakdown:

Важным (pronounced: vahzh-nim) - This is the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective важный (pronounced: vahzh-niy), meaning "important".

фактором (pronounced: fak-ta-ram) - This is the masculine instrumental singular form of the noun фактор (pronounced: fak-tar) meaning "factor". This form is used to indicate the instrument or means by which something happens.

в (pronounced: v) - This preposition means "in" and is used here to show location or inclusion.

успехе (pronounced: us-peh-hee) - This is the masculine prepositional singular form of the noun успех (pronounced: us-peh) meaning "success".

проекта (pronounced: pro-yek-ta) - This is the masculine genitive singular form of the noun проект (pronounced: pro-yeekt) meaning "project". This form is used to show possession or belonging.

была (pronounced: bi-la) - This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb быть (pronounced: bit') meaning "to be".

хорошая (pronounced: ho-ro-sha-ya) - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective хороший (pronounced: ho-ro-shiy) meaning "good".

команда (pronounced: ka-man-da) - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the noun команда (pronounced: ka-man-da) meaning "team".

Translation: An important factor in the project's success was a good team.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their forms depending on their function in a sentence. In this example, we see the nominative, instrumental, genitive, and prepositional cases.

Gender: Russian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), and adjectives agree with them in gender.

Number: Nouns and adjectives have singular and plural forms.

Tense: Verbs change their forms to indicate past, present, or future tense.

Variations of "factor":

фактор (pronounced: fak-tar) - noun, meaning "factor".

факторы (pronounced: fak-ta-ry) - plural of фактор
факторный (pronounced: fak-tar-niy) - adjective, meaning "factorial".

English and Russian translation:

factor - фактор (pronounced: fak-tar)

important - важный (pronounced: vahzh-niy)

The next word is collect. The word "collect" can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context. Here is a sentence using the verb собирать (so-bi-rat'), which is the most common translation of "collect" and means to gather or bring together.

Sentence:

Я люблю собирать марки. (Ya lyublyu sobirat' marki.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I - (Pronounced Ya)

люблю (lyublyu) - I love - (Pronounced lyublyu)

собирать (sobirat') - to collect - (Pronounced so-bi-rat') - This is the infinitive form of the verb, which means it's the base form of the verb. To use the verb in a sentence, you need to conjugate it, which means changing the ending of the verb to match the subject of the sentence.

марки (marki) - stamps - (Pronounced marki)

Translation: I love to collect stamps.

Variations:

Собирать can also be used to mean "to assemble" or "to put together." For example, you could say Я собираю модель самолета (Ya sobirayu model' samoleta) which means "I am assembling a model airplane."

The verb сбирать (sbirat') can also be used to mean "to collect" in the sense of gathering something together. For example, you could say Он собирал вещи (On sbiral veshchi) which means "He was packing his things."

Pronunciation Notes:

The р (r) sound in Russian is similar to the English "r" sound, but it is often pronounced with a slight trill.

The ь (soft sign) at the end of собирать (sobirat') indicates that the preceding consonant is palatalized, meaning it is pronounced with a slight "y" sound.

The stress in собирать (sobirat') is on the second syllable.

English and Russian Translation of Word:

Collect: собирать (so-bi-rat') - to collect

The next word is whatever. The word "whatever" is a little tricky to translate into Russian because it can have many different meanings depending on the context. Here are some examples of how it can be used in Russian:

1. "Whatever" as "anything" or "anything at all"

Что угодно - Chto ugodno - "Whatever" (meaning anything at all)

Pronunciation: Chto sounds like "shto"

Pronunciation: ugodno sounds like "oo-god-no"

1. "Whatever" as a way to express indifference

Как угодно - Kak ugodno - "Whatever" (meaning I don't care)

Pronunciation: Kak sounds like "kak"

Pronunciation: ugodno sounds like "oo-god-no"

1. "Whatever" as a way to dismiss someone's opinion or argument

Ладно - Ladno - "Whatever" (meaning I'm not going to argue with you)

Pronunciation: Ladno sounds like "lad-no"

1. "Whatever" as a response to a question or request

Ну, хорошо - Nu, horosho - "Okay, whatever" (meaning I'll do it, but I'm not happy about it)

Pronunciation: Nu sounds like "noo"

Pronunciation: horosho sounds like "ho-ro-sho"

Key Concept: The Russian language, unlike English, often relies on context to determine the specific meaning of a word or phrase. So, understanding the context of the sentence is important when choosing the best Russian translation.

English: Whatever

Russian: Что угодно (chto ugodno) or Как угодно (kak ugodno) or Ладно (ladno) or Ну, хорошо (nu, horosho)

The next word is university. Я учусь в университете. Ya uchus' v universitete.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronunciation: ya)

учусь uchus' - I study (present tense, verb "учиться" uchit'sya - to study)

в v - in (preposition)

университете universitete - university (masculine noun, prepositional case)

Meaning: I study at a university.

Variations:

университет universitet - university (nominative case)

университету universitetu - university (dative case, used with verbs that require the indirect object)

университетский universitetskiy - university (adjective)

Pronunciation:

Я Ya - ya (like "ya" in "yacht")

учусь uchus' - oo-chooss' (the "s" at the end is soft and barely audible)

в v - v (like "v" in "very")

университет universitet - oo-ni-ver-si-tet

English Translation: university - universitet (oo-ni-ver-si-tet)

The next word is fight. The Russian word for "fight" is бой (pronounced boy). This word can be used in several different ways, including:

1. A physical fight: Он вступил в бой с хулиганами. (On vstu[p]il v boy s khuliganami.) This translates to "He got into a fight with the hooligans." Here, бой refers to a physical altercation.

2. A battle or war: Вторая мировая война была самой страшной войной в истории человечества. (Vtoraia mirovaia voina byla samo[i] strashno[i] voino[i] v istorii chelovechestva.) This translates to "World War II was the most terrible war in human history." Here, война (pronounced vo[i]na) means "war" and is a synonym for бой in this context.

3. A competition or contest: Спортсмены готовятся к бою за медали. (Sportsmeny gotoviatsia k bo[i]u za medali.) This translates to "The athletes are preparing for the fight for medals." Here, бой refers to a competition where athletes strive for victory.

Key Concepts

The word бой is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine ending in the sentence. For example, бой is used with the masculine prepositions в (v), which means "in," and за (za), which means "for."

The stress on бой is on the first syllable.

The letter й at the end of the word бой is pronounced like the й in the English word "boy."

Pronunciation Guide:

бой (boy) - The о is pronounced like the o in the English word "hot" and the й is pronounced like the y in the English word "boy."

в (v) - The в is pronounced like the v in the English word "very."

за (za) - The за is pronounced like the za in the English word "zebra."

с (s) - The с is pronounced like the s in the English word "see."

хулиганы (khuligany) - The х is pronounced like the kh in the English word "Bach."

вторая (vtoraia) - The я is pronounced like the ya in the English word "father."

мировая (mirovaia) - The я is pronounced like the ya in the English word "father."

война (vo[i]na) - The о is pronounced like the o in the English word "hot" and the й is pronounced like the y in the English word "boy."

самая (samaia) - The я is pronounced like the ya in the English word "father."

страшная (strashnaia) - The я is pronounced like the ya in the English word "father."

истории (istorii) - The и is pronounced like the i in the English word "machine."

человечества (chelovechestva) - The е is pronounced like the e in the English word "bed."

спортсмены (sportsmeny) - The е is pronounced like the e in the English word "bed."

готовятся (gotoviatsia) - The я is pronounced like the ya in the English word "father."

к (k) - The к is pronounced like the k in the English word "kick."

бою (bo[i]u) - The о is pronounced like the o in the English word "hot" and the й is pronounced like the y in the English word "boy."

за (za) - The за is pronounced like the za in the English word "zebra."

медали (medali) - The и is pronounced like the i in the English word "machine."

English to Russian:

fight - бой (boy)

The next word is welcome. Sentence: Добро пожаловать в наш университет!

Breakdown:

Добро (pronounced doh-broh) means "good" or "welcome".

пожаловать (pronounced po-zha-lo-vat) means "to welcome" or "to be welcome". It is an imperative verb, which means it is commanding or suggesting an action.

в (pronounced v) means "in" or "to".

наш (pronounced nash) means "our"

университет (pronounced oo-ni-ver-si-tet) means "university".

Translation: Welcome to our university!

Variations:

This phrase can be used in many situations, such as when greeting someone at a university, a store, a home, or any other place.

Key concepts:

Imperative verb: This sentence uses the imperative form of the verb "пожаловать". This form is used to give commands or make suggestions.

Prepositions: The preposition "в" is used to show location. It is similar to the English preposition "in".

Pronunciation:

The stress in the phrase is on the second syllable of each word except for "в".

The sounds "б" and "в" in Russian are similar to the English sounds "b" and "v".

The sound "ж" in Russian is similar to the English sound "zh" as in "vision".

The sound "ч" in Russian is similar to the English sound "ch" as in "chair".

The sound "ш" in Russian is similar to the English sound "sh" as in "ship".

Word translations:

Добро (doh-broh) - good, welcome
пожаловать (po-zha-lo-vat) - to welcome
в (v) - in, to
наш (nash) - our
университет (oo-ni-ver-si-tet) - university

The next word is lot. The word "lot" in English can have many meanings. Let's focus on its use as a noun meaning a large quantity or number.

In Russian, we would use the word много (мно́го). It's pronounced mnoh-guh - 'mno' like 'no' in 'know' and 'guh' like 'go' in 'go.'

Here is an example sentence:

У меня много книг.

Translation: I have a lot of books.

Breakdown:

У (oo) - at, by, near

меня (mih-nya) - me

много (mno-guh) - a lot, many

книг (knee-k) - books (genitive plural)

This sentence uses the genitive plural form of the noun книга (knee-guh - book) to show possession. Remember, the genitive case is used to show possession in Russian, similar to the English 'of.'

Key takeaway:

много (mno-guh) is your go-to word for "a lot" in Russian.

Pay attention to the case of nouns. For example, with много (mno-guh), you'll often use the genitive case.

English - Russian:

lot - много
many - много
book - книга
books - книги

The next word is art. Искусство является важной частью человеческой культуры.

Breakdown:

Искусство (pronounced [ee-skooss-tvuh]) - noun, "art"

является (pronounced [yav-ly-ay-et-syah]) - verb, "is" (in the present tense, 3rd person singular)

важной (pronounced [vazh-noy]) - adjective, "important"

частью (pronounced [chas-tyoo]) - noun, "part"

человеческой (pronounced [che-lah-veh-chyes-kay]) - adjective, "human"

культуры (pronounced [kul-too-ry]) - noun, "culture"

Translation: "Art is an important part of human culture."

Key Concept: This sentence illustrates the use of the present tense, which is formed with the verb "to be" (in this case, является). The adjective "important" (важной) is used in the feminine form to agree with the noun "art" (Искусство), which is also feminine in Russian.

Variation: The word искусство can also be used in the plural form, искусства (ee-skooss-tva), to refer to multiple forms of art.

The next word is case. This is a good example of a word that can be used in many different ways in Russian. It has multiple meanings and can be a noun, adjective, or even a preposition depending on the context.

Here is a sentence in Russian using the word случай (sloo-chai) which translates to "case" as a noun.

В этом случае, я не могу вам помочь. (V eh-tom sloo-cha-ye, ya ne mogu vam pa-moch.)

В (v) - in, at
этом (eh-tom) - this
случае (sloo-cha-ye) - case
я (ya) - I
не (ne) - not
могу (mogu) - can
вам (vam) - you
помочь (pa-moch) - help.

This translates to "In this case, I cannot help you."

Another way to use the word случай (sloo-chai) is to use it as an adjective.

Случайная встреча (Sloo-chai-naya vstre-cha)

Случайная (sloo-chai-naya) - random
встреча (vstre-cha) - meeting

This translates to "a random meeting."

You can also use случай (sloo-chai) as a preposition, but this is less common.

Случайно (sloo-chai-no) - by chance, accidentally
случай (sloo-chai) - case (this word is the base of the preposition)

Pronunciation:

случай (sloo-chai) - pronounced like "sloo-chai"

случайная (sloo-chai-naya) - pronounced like "sloo-chai-naya"

случайно (sloo-chai-no) - pronounced like "sloo-chai-no"

Translation:

случай (sloo-chai) - case, instance, occasion, event
случайная (sloo-chai-naya) - random, accidental, occasional
случайно (sloo-chai-no) - by chance, accidentally

The next word is but. The word "but" in English can be translated into Russian with several words depending on context. Here is an example of how "but" can be used in a sentence and its Russian translation.

English: He is handsome, but he is rude.

Russian: Он красивый, но он грубый.

Breakdown:

Он - "he" (pronounced: [ohn] as in "on"). The word он is in the nominative case (subject of the sentence).

красивый - "handsome" (pronounced: [kra-see-vee] as in "cray" + "see" + "vee") This is the masculine form of the adjective красивый, meaning "beautiful" or "handsome."

но - "but" (pronounced: [no] as in "no"). This word is a conjunction and connects two opposing ideas.

он - "he" (pronounced: [ohn] as in "on").

грубый - "rude" (pronounced: [groo-bee] as in "groo" + "bee") This is the masculine form of the adjective грубый meaning "rude."

Key Concepts:

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English, but the typical order is subject-verb-object.

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Variations of "but" in Russian:

а (pronounced: [ah] as in "father") - this can be used instead of но in some situations, but it is less common.

зато (pronounced: [za-toh] as in "zah" + "toe") - this is often used to emphasize a contrast between two things.

English: But

Russian: но (pronounced: [no] as in "no")

The next word is concert. The Russian sentence is:

Я люблю ходить на концерты.

This translates to: "I love going to concerts."

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - This is the personal pronoun "I" in the nominative case.

люблю (lyublyu) - This is the present tense, first person singular form of the verb "to love" (любить [lyubit']). This verb is irregular in the present tense.

Pay attention to the ending -ю (yu) - this indicates that it's the first person singular form of the verb. Remember this, it is quite common.

ходить (khodit') - This is the infinitive of the verb "to go." It is also the base form, which means it can be modified by adding endings.

Here it is used with the preposition на (na) - "on, to". "to go to" - "ходить на" (khodit' na)

концерты (kontserty) - This is the plural form of the noun концерт (kontsert) - "concert".

The ending -ы (y) indicates the plural form. It is important to note that the noun концерт is masculine. This is important because it dictates the ending on the adjective that might describe it.

Key Concepts:

Word order: In Russian, the typical word order is subject-verb-object. This makes it easier for English speakers to understand, because the word order is similar to English.

Verb conjugations: Russian verbs are conjugated according to person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural), and tense (present, past, future).

Noun declension: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence.

Prepositions: Prepositions in Russian are essential for conveying relationships between words in a sentence.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - pronounced like the English "Ya"

люблю (lyublyu) - the "ю" (yu) is pronounced like the "u" in "flute"

ходить (khodit') - the "х" (kh) is pronounced like the "ch" in "loch" The "д' " is soft, almost like a "d" followed by a "y".

на (na) - pronounced like the English "na"

концерты (kontserty) - the "ц" (ts) is pronounced like the "ts" in "cats"

English Translation:

Я (Ya) - I
люблю (lyublyu) - love
ходить (khodit') - to go
на (na) - to, on
концерты (kontserty) - concerts

English and Russian Pronunciation:

Concert - концерт (kontsert)

The next word is convince. The word "convince" in Russian is убедить (pronounced oo-bye-DEET'). It is a verb and it can be used in many contexts, including:

To convince someone to do something: Я убедил его пойти в кино (Ya oo-bye-DEEL ye-vo pa-Y-tee v ki-NO). This translates to "I convinced him to go to the movies." Notice the masculine singular form of the verb убедить (убедил) agrees with the masculine singular subject он (he).

To convince someone of something: Она убедила меня в своей правоте (A-na oo-bye-DE-la me-nya v svoy-oy pra-VO-te). This means "She convinced me of her rightness." The feminine singular form of the verb убедить (убедила) agrees with the feminine singular subject она (she).

It is important to note that the verb убедить is often used with the preposition в (v) meaning "in" when expressing the idea of convincing someone of something.

English: Convince /kənˈvɪns/

Russian: убедить /oo-bye-DEET'/

The next word is firm. The word "firm" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here is an example:

English: The company has a firm reputation.

Russian: Компания имеет твёрдую репутацию. Kompaniya imeet tyorduyu reputatsiyu

Breakdown:

твёрдую tyorduyu - This is the adjective form of the word "firm" and translates to "strong" or "solid." You can think of it like "hard" and it's pronounced like "tyor-doo-yoo"

репутацию reputatsiyu - This is the noun form of "reputation" and is pronounced like "re-poo-ta-tsi-yoo".

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives need to agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. In this case, the noun "company" is feminine and singular. So we use the feminine singular form of the adjective "твердую" to agree with it.

Other forms:

The word "firm" can also be translated as фирма firma - This is a noun meaning "company" or "firm." It is pronounced like "fir-ma"

You can also use прочный prochny to describe a firm object. Pronounced like "proch-ny"

English: firm - твёрдый tyordy - pronounced "tyor-dy"

Russian: firm - фирма firma - pronounced "fir-ma"

The next word is although. English Sentence: Although he is very wealthy, he is not happy.

Russian Sentence: Хотя он очень богат, он не счастлив.

Breakdown:

Хотя (pronounced: ha-tya) is a conjunction meaning "although" or "even though." It is used to introduce a clause that contrasts with the main clause.

он (pronounced: on) is a pronoun meaning "he."

очень (pronounced: o-chen) is an adverb meaning "very."

богат (pronounced: ba-gat) is an adjective meaning "rich" or "wealthy."

он (pronounced: on) is a pronoun meaning "he."

не (pronounced: nye) is an adverb meaning "not."

счастлив (pronounced: shchas-tlv) is an adjective meaning "happy."

Variations:

Несмотря на то, что (pronounced: nye-smo-trya na to, chto) is a more formal way to say "although" or "despite the fact that."

Однако (pronounced: od-na-ko) means "however" and can be used in place of хотя in some contexts.

Translation:

Although - Хотя (pronounced: ha-tya)

He - он (pronounced: on)

Very - очень (pronounced: o-chen)

Wealthy - богат (pronounced: ba-gat)

Not - не (pronounced: nye)

Happy - счастлив (pronounced: shchas-tlv)

The next word is management. ## Управление компанией требует опыта и знаний. Управление - is a key word here. It means "management" in Russian. It's pronounced like "oo-prahv-leh-nee-ye".

Управление (oo-prahv-leh-nee-ye) is a noun, and it's in the nominative case. You can use the word управление (oo-prahv-leh-nee-ye) in other cases: управлением (oo-prahv-leh-nee-em), управлению (oo-prahv-leh-nee-yu), управление (oo-prahv-leh-nee-ye), управлением (oo-prahv-leh-nee-em), управлении (oo-prahv-leh-nee-ee). Learning these cases helps you master the grammar of the language.

The sentence translates as "Managing a company requires experience and knowledge."

Компания (kom-pa-nee-ya) - company

Требует (tre-boo-yet) - requires

Опыт (oh-pyt) - experience

Знания (zna-nee-ya) - knowledge

Remember, the key to mastering a language is repetition and practice. Don't be afraid to make mistakes - they're part of the learning process. Good luck!

The next word is annual. The word ежегодный (pronounced: ye-zhe-god-nyy) means "annual" in Russian. It is an adjective, meaning it describes a noun. The word literally translates to "every year" and is a common word in Russian. Here is an example sentence:

У нас ежегодный фестиваль музыки. (pronounced: u nas ye-zhe-god-nyy fes-ti-val mu-zy-ki)

Breakdown:

У (pronounced: u) - This is the preposition "at" or "with" and is used as a possessive here.

нас (pronounced: nas) - This is the pronoun "us" in the genitive case (think of it like "of us").

ежегодный (pronounced: ye-zhe-god-nyy) - This is the adjective "annual" modifying the noun "festival".

фестиваль (pronounced: fes-ti-val) - This is the noun "festival".

музыки (pronounced: mu-zy-ki) - This is the noun "music" in the genitive case (think of it like "of music").

Translation: We have an annual music festival.

Key concept: This sentence demonstrates the use of the genitive case in Russian.

Helpful hints for pronunciation:

The "y" at the end of the word ежегодный is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

The "g" in the word ежегодный is pronounced like the "g" in "gem".

The "i" at the end of the word музыки is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

English to Russian: annual - ежегодный (pronounced: ye-zhe-god-nyy)

The next word is care. The word "care" in English can be used in many ways, so I will provide an example of a Russian sentence that uses the word "care" in a general sense.

Russian sentence: Он заботится о своей семье.

Breakdown:

Он [pronounced 'on'] - He (subject pronoun)

заботится [pronounced 'zah-BOH-ti-tsa'] - cares (verb in the present tense)

о [pronounced 'ah'] - about (preposition)

своей [pronounced 'sva-YEY'] - his/her (possessive adjective)

семье [pronounced 'si-MYE'] - family (noun)

Translation: He cares about his family.

Key Concepts:

Заботиться is a verb that means "to care for" or "to take care of". It is a common verb and is often used to express love and concern for someone.

The word семья (family) is a common noun and is often used with the possessive adjective своей (his/her) to indicate that the family belongs to someone.

Memorization:

Try to remember the phrase заботиться о своей семье as a whole. This will help you to learn the verb заботиться and the preposition о in context.

Pronunciation:

Он - 'on'

заботится - 'zah-BOH-ti-tsa'

о - 'ah'

своей - 'sva-YEY'

семье - 'si-MYE'

English & Russian words:

care - забота [pronounced 'zah-BOH-ta']

family - семья [pronounced 'si-MYE']

The next word is plant. The English word "plant" can be used as a noun or a verb in Russian. We will explore both options here.

Noun

The Russian word for "plant" is растение (rasteniye). This word is pronounced like "ra-STEH-nee-yeh". It is a noun, so it can be used as the subject of a sentence.

Here is an example:

Это красивое растение. (Eto krasivoye rasteniye.)

Breakdown:

Это (Eto) - This (pronoun) - This word is pronounced like "EH-toh". It is used to introduce the subject of the sentence.

красивое (krasivoye) - beautiful (adjective) - pronounced like "kra-SEE-voe-yeh". This is an adjective describing the растение.

растение (rasteniye) - plant (noun) - pronounced like "ra-STEH-nee-yeh". This is the subject of the sentence.

This sentence can be translated as "This is a beautiful plant."

Verb

The Russian verb for "plant" is сажать (sazhat). This word is pronounced like "sa-ZHAHT". This verb is used when you are putting a plant in the ground.

Here is an example:

Я сажаю цветы в саду. (Ya sazhayu tsveti v sadu.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun) - This word is pronounced like "YA". This is the subject of the sentence.

сажаю (sazhayu) - plant (verb) - pronounced like "sa-ZHA-yu". This is the present tense, first person singular of the verb, meaning "I am planting".

цветы (tsveti) - flowers (noun) - pronounced like "tsveh-TEE". This is the direct object of the sentence.

в (v) - in (preposition) - pronounced like "v". This is a preposition that shows where the flowers are being planted.

саду (sadu) - garden (noun) - pronounced like "SAH-doo".

This sentence can be translated as "I am planting flowers in the garden."

Key Concepts

Gender - Russian nouns have gender. The word растение (rasteniye) is neuter, so we use the neuter form of the adjective красивое (krasivoye).

Case - Russian nouns change form depending on their role in the sentence. In our first example, растение (rasteniye) is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence. In our second example, цветы (tsveti) is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the verb.

Pronunciation Hints

"e" at the end of a word is pronounced like "yeh"

"o" at the end of a word is pronounced like "oh"

The stress in Russian words is marked by an accent.

Word Translations and Pronunciations
plant - растение (rasteniye) - "ra-STEH-nee-yeh" (noun)

plant - сажать (sazhat) - "sa-ZHAHT" (verb)

The next word is expert. ## Expert

Sentence: Он эксперт в области искусственного интеллекта.

Breakdown:

Он он - he (pronoun, masculine nominative case)

эксперт - expert (masculine nominative case, singular)

в в - in (preposition)

области области - area, field (feminine nominative case, singular)

искусственного искусственного - artificial (adjective, masculine genitive case)

интеллекта интеллекта - intelligence (masculine genitive case, singular)

Translation: He is an expert in the field of artificial intelligence.

Key Concepts:

Case: The Russian language has six grammatical cases that indicate the function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. In this sentence, the nouns "эксперт" and "интеллекта" are in the nominative case because they are the subject of the sentence. The noun "области" is in the feminine nominative case because it is the object of the preposition "в".

Gender: In Russian, nouns are assigned a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of adjectives and other words that modify the noun. Here, the adjective "искусственного" is in the masculine genitive case to agree with "интеллекта".

Pronunciation:

эксперт - ehk-SPERT
области - OH-blast-ee
искусственного - is-KOOS-stven-noh-go
интеллекта - in-tel-LEK-ta

Variations:

экспертка - expert (feminine) - ehk-SPERT-ka
эксперты - experts (plural) - ehk-SPERT-ee
экспертный - expert (adjective) - ehk-SPERT-nee

English and Russian translation:

Expert: эксперт - ehk-SPERT

The next word is advance. The word "advance" can be used as a noun or a verb in Russian.

Here is an example using the noun form:

Прогресс в науке сделал огромный шаг вперёд.

Прогресс [prah-grehs] - progress (noun)

в [v] - in (preposition)

науке [nah-oo-kee] - science (noun)

сделал [s-dye-lahl] - made (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

огромный [ah-grohm-ny] - huge (adjective)

шаг [shah-k] - step (noun)

вперёд [v-pyo-ryod] - forward (adverb)

Translation: Progress in science has made a huge step forward.

Key Concept: Notice how the adjective огромный ([ah-grohm-ny]) agrees in gender and number with the noun шаг ([shah-k]). This is important for grammar!

Here is an example using the verb form:

Мы должны продвигать наши идеи.

Мы [m-uh] - we (pronoun)

должны [dol-zh-nuh] - must (modal verb)

продвигать [prah-dv-ee-gaht] - to advance (verb, infinitive)

наши [nah-sh-ee] - our (possessive adjective)

идеи [ee-dye-ee] - ideas (noun, plural)

Translation: We must advance our ideas.

Key Concept: In Russian, the infinitive form of the verb продвигать ([prah-dv-ee-gaht]) is used after modal verbs like должны ([dol-zh-nuh]).

English: Advance (noun) / Advance (verb)

Russian: прогресс / продвигать

The next word is possibly. The word "possibly" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways depending on the context.

1. возможно (vozmozhno) - This is the most common and direct translation of "possibly." It is used to express a possibility or a chance that something might happen.

Pronunciation: voh-mohz-noh

Example: Возможно, завтра будет дождь (Vozmozhno, zavtra budet dozhdy). Translation: Possibly it will rain tomorrow.

Breakdown:

возможно (vozmozhno) - possibly
завтра (zavtra) - tomorrow
будет (budet) - will be
дождь (dozhdy) - rain

1. вероятно (veroyatno) - This is a slightly more formal translation of "possibly." It conveys a higher degree of likelihood than "vozmozhno."

Pronunciation: vye-roh-yat-noh

Example: Вероятно, он уже уехал (Veroyatno, on uzhe uekhal). Translation: He probably already left.

Breakdown:

вероятно (veroyatno) - probably
он (on) - he
уже (uzhe) - already
уехал (uekhal) - left

1. может быть (mozhet byt') - This is a more informal and colloquial translation of "possibly." It is often used in everyday conversation.

Pronunciation: moh-zhet beet

Example: Может быть, мы пойдем в кино? (Mozhet byt, my poydyom v kino?). Translation: Maybe we'll go to the movies?

Breakdown:

может быть (mozhet byt') - maybe
мы (my) - we
пойдем (poydyom) - will go
в (v) - to
кино (kino) - cinema

Key concept: It's important to consider the context and tone of the sentence when choosing the best translation of "possibly." The most suitable word for a given situation will be based on the desired level of formality and certainty.

Possible vs Probable:

Possibly suggests a lower degree of likelihood than probably.

Possibly could be used when there is an equal chance of something happening or not.

Probably suggests a higher degree of likelihood, making it more likely that something will happen.

English Word and Pronunciation:

Possibly - poss-uh-buh-lee

Russian Word and Pronunciation:

возможно - voh-mohz-noh
вероятно - vye-roh-yat-noh
может быть - moh-zhet beet

The next word is slightly. The word "slightly" in Russian can be translated as немного (nemnogo). This word means "a little" or "a bit" and is often used to indicate a small degree or amount. It is also used to describe something that is not completely or fully something else.

Example Sentence:

Эта книга немного скучная. (Eta kniga nemnogo skuchnaya)

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine, singular)

книга (kniga) - book
немного (nemnogo) - slightly, a little
скучная (skuchnaya) - boring (feminine, singular)

Translation: This book is slightly boring.

Pronunciation:

немного (nemnogo) - nehm-NOH-guh (The "o" at the end is very short and almost silent)

Variations:

немножко (nemnogko) - also means "a little" or "slightly", but is slightly more informal than немного (nemnogo).

чуть-чуть (chut'-chut') - means "a tiny bit" or "very slightly" and is used for extremely small degrees.

Key Concepts:

The word немного (nemnogo) is an adverb and can modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs.

It is often used with adjectives to indicate a degree of quality, for example, немного красивая (nemnogo krasivaya) - slightly beautiful.

It can also be used with verbs to indicate a small amount of action, for example, я немного устал (ya nemnogo ustal) - I'm slightly tired.

English: slightly

Russian: немного (nemnogo)

The next word is adopt. The word "adopt" in English means to take another person's child into your family and legally raise them as your own. Here's how you might express that idea in Russian:

Они удочерили девочку.

Они - they
удочерили - adopted (past tense, feminine form of verb)

девочку - a girl

Translation: They adopted a girl.

Key concept: The Russian word удочерить specifically means to adopt a girl. To adopt a boy, the verb is усыновить.

Pronunciation:

Они - [a-nee]

удочерили - [oo-doh-che-ree-lee]

девочку - [dye-vach-koo]

Important note: Russian verbs are conjugated to match the gender of the person or thing being acted upon. Here, since the word девочку (girl) is feminine, the verb удочерили is also in the feminine form.

The next word is theory. ## Теория эволюции Чарльза Дарвина является одной из самых важных научных концепций в истории.

Breakdown:

Теория эволюции Чарльза Дарвина - "Charles Darwin's theory of evolution".

Теория (te-oh-ri-ya) - theory. This is a feminine noun, so the ending of the word changes to и to agree with the feminine noun эволюции.

эволюции (eh-vo-lyu-tsii) - evolution. This is a feminine noun.

Чарльза (Charl'za) - Charles. This is the genitive case of the proper noun Charles, indicating possession.

Дарвина (Darvina) - Darwin. This is the genitive case of the proper noun Darwin.

является (ya-vly-a-et-sya) - is, serves as. This is the present tense of the verb "to be" in the third person singular, It's a linking verb, connecting the subject to the complement.

одной (od-noy) - one. This is a feminine noun.

из (iz) - of, from. This is a preposition.

самых (sa-mikh) - most, very. This is a superlative adjective.

важных (vazh-nykh) - important. This is a plural adjective that agrees in gender and number with the feminine noun концепций.

научных (na-uch-nykh) - scientific. This is a plural adjective that agrees in gender and number with the feminine noun концепций.

концепций (kon-tsep-tsiy) - concepts. This is a feminine noun.

в (v) - in. This is a preposition.

истории (is-to-ri-i) - history. This is a feminine noun.

Translation: "Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific concepts in history".

Helpful Hints on Pronunciation:

The stress in Russian words can be tricky. In this sentence, the stress falls on the first syllable of each word.

The sounds Ч and Ш are pronounced like the English "ch" in "chair" and "sh" in "ship".

The sound Ж is pronounced like the French "j" in "je" or the English "s" in "measure".

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian nouns and adjectives have genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Cases: Nouns in Russian have six cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional). The case of a noun is determined by its function in the sentence.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English, but subject-verb-object is the most common order.

Word and Pronunciation:

Теория (te-oh-ri-ya) - theory
эволюции (eh-vo-lyu-tsii) - evolution

Чарльза (Charl'za) - Charles

Дарвина (Darvina) - Darwin
является (ya-vly-a-et-sya) - is, serves as
одной (od-noy) - one
из (iz) - of, from
самых (sa-mikh) - most, very
важных (vazh-nykh) - important
научных (na-uch-nykh) - scientific
концепций (kon-tsep-tsiy) - concepts
в (v) - in
истории (is-to-ri-i) - history

The next word is claim. The word "claim" in English can be used as a verb or a noun. Here is a sentence using the noun form, "claim," and the verb form "claim."

Sentence: Её претензия была отклонена потому что она не смогла доказать свой случай .

Breakdown:

Её - Her (pronounced: ee-yo )

претензия - claim (pronounced: pre-ten-zi-ya ) - The noun form of the word.

была - was (pronounced: bi-la )

отклонена - rejected/denied (pronounced: at-kla-ni-na ) - past tense of the verb отклонить (pronounced: at-kla-nit' ) meaning to reject, to deny
потому - because (pronounced: pa-to-mu )

что - that (pronounced: chto )

она - she (pronounced: a-na )

не - not (pronounced: nye )

смогла - was able (pronounced: smoh-gla ) - past tense of the verb смочь (pronounced: smoch' ) meaning to be able to
доказать - to prove (pronounced: da-ka-zat' ) - the verb form
свой - her/his/its (pronounced: svoy ) - possessive adjective
случай - case (pronounced: slu-chay )

Translation: Her claim was rejected because she was unable to prove her case.

Key Concept: The verb доказать (pronounced: da-ka-zat' ) is in the infinitive form. The verb смочь (pronounced: smoch' ) is conjugated in the past tense. It is important to note that смочь (pronounced: smoch' ) is an irregular verb. Many of the Russian verbs are irregular and it is important to learn them.

Pronunciation of "claim" as a noun:

претензия (pronounced: pre-ten-zi-ya )

Pronunciation of "claim" as a verb:

претендовать (pronounced: pre-ten-da-vat' )

English - Claim

Russian - претензия / претендовать

The next word is everybody. Sentence: Все знают его.

Breakdown:

Все (v-sy-eh) is the subject of the sentence and means “everyone” or “everybody.” It is the nominative plural form of the pronoun “все” which means “all” or “everything.”

знают (zna-yut) is the verb “to know” in the present tense, third person plural.

его (ye-vo) is the object of the verb, meaning “him.” It is the accusative form of the pronoun он which means “he.”

Translation: Everybody knows him.

Key Concepts:

Subject-Verb Agreement: The verb must agree with its subject in number and person.

Case: The form of a noun or pronoun changes depending on its grammatical function in the sentence. The accusative case is used for direct objects.

Gender: Russian nouns and pronouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and this affects their form.

Pronunciation:

Все: v-sy-eh
знают: zna-yut
его: ye-vo

English to Russian word translations:

everybody: Все (v-sy-eh)

know: знают (zna-yut)

him: его (ye-vo)

The next word is difficulty. This task представляет представляет (pre-dsta-vly-ayet) [ presents ] a difficulty for me. This sentence is in the present tense and uses the verb представлять (pre-dsta-vly-at') [ to present ] in the 3rd person singular form.

It uses the dative case, which is used to indicate the person or thing that is affected by the action. Для (dlya) [ for ] me, is the dative case. The word затруднение (za-trud-ne-niye) [ difficulty ] can also be used in the plural form, затруднения (za-trud-ne-ni-ya). The noun затруднение is in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence. This sentence implies that the task is challenging for the speaker, and it's a useful way to express that something is difficult.

English: This task presents a difficulty for me.

Russian: Эта задача представляет затруднение для меня. Эта задача представляет затруднение для меня.

The next word is body. The word "body" in English can be translated into Russian as тело (pronounced "tye-loh").

Here is an example sentence:

У него сильное тело. (pronounced "oo nyey-goh see-l'n'yeh tyey-loh")

This translates to: "He has a strong body."

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") means "at" or "with" and is part of a prepositional phrase.

него (pronounced "nyey-goh") means "him." It is a possessive pronoun that indicates that the body belongs to a male person.

сильное (pronounced "see-l'n'yeh") means "strong" and is an adjective describing the body.

тело (pronounced "tye-loh") means "body" and is a noun.

Variations:

тело (pronounced "tye-loh") is the most common way to translate "body" in Russian. It can refer to the physical body or to a corpse.

туловище (pronounced "too-loh-vee-shchyeh") is a more specific term that refers to the torso or trunk of the body.

корпус (pronounced "kor-poos") is used in more formal contexts and can refer to a body, a physical structure, or a group of people.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are assigned genders. тело is a neuter noun, which means it does not have a gender. This is important when using adjectives and pronouns.

Adjectives: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. In this sentence, сильное is in the neuter, singular, nominative case to agree with тело.

English Translation:

Body - тело (pronounced "tye-loh")

The next word is religious. The word "religious" in Russian is религиозный (pronounced: ri-li-GYOZ-niy). It is an adjective that describes something related to religion. Let's look at an example:

Он очень религиозный человек. (Ohn ochen' ri-li-GYOZ-niy che-la-vek.)

Он (ohn) - he
очень (ochen') - very
религиозный (ri-li-GYOZ-niy) - religious
человек (che-la-vek) - person/human

Translation: He is a very religious person.

Key Concept: The adjective религиозный (ri-li-GYOZ-niy) can also be used in the feminine form религиозная (ri-li-GYOZ-naya) and the neuter form религиозное (ri-li-GYOZ-noe).

Example:

Религиозная книга (ri-li-GYOZ-naya kni-ga) - Religious book

Pronunciation Guide:

религиозный (ri-li-GYOZ-niy):

ре (re) - like "ray" in "ray of sunshine"

ли (li) - like "lee" in "believe"

ги (gi) - like "gee" in "gee whiz"

оз (oz) - like "oze" in "ooze"

ный (niy) - like "knee" in "knee-high"

English: religious /riˈlɪdʒəs/

Russian: религиозный /ri-li-GYOZ-niy/

The next word is below. The word "below" can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context. Here is an example sentence using the word "below" in the context of location.

Sentence: The cat is sitting below the table.

Кот сидит под столом.

Breakdown:

Кот [kot] - "cat" (masculine noun)

сидит [sidit] - "is sitting" (present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb "сидеть" [sidet'] to sit)

под [pod] - "under, below" (preposition)

столом [stolom] - "table" (instrumental case of the noun "стол" [stol] - table)

Key Concepts:

Prepositional Phrases: The preposition под [pod] "under, below" is used with the instrumental case of the noun "столом" [stolom] - "table" to indicate the cat's location.

Gender of Nouns: The noun кот [kot] - "cat" is masculine, so the verb сидит [sidit] - "is sitting" agrees in gender.

Pronunciation Notes:

Кот [kot] - The "o" sounds like the "o" in "cot"

сидит [sidit] - The "i" sounds like the "i" in "machine"

под [pod] - The "o" sounds like the "o" in "cot"

столом [stolom] - The "o" sounds like the "o" in "cot"

English Translation: below - под [pod]

Russian Translation: below - под [pod]

The next word is international. The Russian sentence is: Эта книга рассказывает об международных отношениях.

Breakdown:

Эта (pronounced: eh-ta) - This (feminine singular)

книга (pronounced: k-nee-ga) - book
рассказывает (pronounced: ras-ska-zy-va-yet) - tells (3rd person singular present tense of the verb рассказывать (ras-ska-zy-vat') - to tell)

об (pronounced: ob) - about
международных (pronounced: mezhduna-rod-nykh) - international (plural, genitive case)

отношениях (pronounced: at-na-she-ni-yakh) - relations (plural, prepositional case)

Meaning:

This book tells about international relations.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: The adjective международных (mezhduna-rod-nykh) agrees in gender with the noun отношениях (at-na-she-ni-yakh) which is feminine plural.

Prepositional Case: отношениях (at-na-she-ni-yakh) is in the prepositional case because it follows the preposition об (ob) - about.

Variations:

международный (mezhduna-rod-ny) - international (masculine singular)

международная (mezhduna-rod-naya) - international (feminine singular)

международные (mezhduna-rod-nye) - international (plural)

English Translation of Words:

Эта (eh-ta) - This
книга (k-nee-ga) - book
рассказывает (ras-ska-zy-va-yet) - tells
об (ob) - about
международных (mezhduna-rod-nykh) - international
отношениях (at-na-she-ni-yakh) - relations

The next word is keep. English Word: Keep

Russian Sentence: Я сохраняю фотографию на компьютере.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I. This is the subject pronoun in the sentence, meaning "I"

сохраняю (sokhranyayu) - keep. This is the verb, meaning "to keep" or "to save", in the present tense. The ending [-ю] [-yu] shows it's in the first person singular form (I)

фотографию (fotografiyu) - photograph. This is the direct object of the verb, meaning "photograph".

на на (na) - on, at, in. This is a preposition showing location, meaning "on".

компьютере (kompyutere) - computer. This is a noun, the object of the preposition "на" на (na), meaning "computer".

Key Concepts:

The verb conjugation in Russian can be tricky, as the ending varies depending on the person and tense.

The preposition "на" на (na) is versatile and often used to express location.

The word order in Russian sentences can be more flexible than in English.

Variations:

The verb "сохранять" sokhranyat can also be used in other tenses, such as the past tense (сохранил sokhranil) or the future tense (сохраню sokhranyu).

The object of the verb can change depending on what you are keeping. For example, you could say: "Я сохраняю файл на флешке." (I'm keeping the file on the flash drive)

Pronunciation:

сохраняю (sokhranyayu) - "soh-krah-nyah-yu"

фотографию (fotografiyu) - "foh-toh-grah-fi-yu"

компьютере (kompyutere) - "kom-pyoo-teh-reh"

Translation:

Keep: сохранять (sokhranyat) - "soh-krah-nyat"

Photograph: фотография (fotografiya) - "foh-toh-grah-fi-ya"

Computer: компьютер (kompyuter) - "kom-pyoo-ter"

The next word is limit. ## Ограничение скорости на этом участке дороги составляет 60 километров в час.

Breakdown:

Ограничение (ograni-che-ni-ye) - This is the noun form of the verb "to limit" and means "limit". It is in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

скорости (sko-ros-ti) - this is the genitive case of the word for "speed" (скорость, sko-rost) and functions as the object of the preposition "на" (on).

на (na) - preposition meaning "on"

этом (e-tom) - this is the masculine form of the demonstrative adjective "this" in the nominative case and modifies the noun "участке".

участке (u-chas-tke) - this is the masculine form of the noun "section" in the locative case.

дороги (da-ro-gi) - this is the genitive case of the noun "road".

составляет (sa-stav-ly-a-yet) - this is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb "to make up".

60 (pronounced as "shest'desyat") - the number 60
километров (ki-lo-me-trov) - this is the genitive plural form of the noun "kilometer".

в (v) - preposition meaning "in"

час (chas) - the masculine form of the noun "hour".

Translation:

"The speed limit on this section of road is 60 kilometers per hour."

Key Concepts:

Declension of nouns: Notice how the noun "speed" (скорость) changes form to скорости in the genitive case, and how the noun "kilometer" (километр) changes to километров in the genitive plural form.

Prepositional phrases: The preposition "на" (na) introduces a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun "ограничение" (ograni-che-ni-ye).

Variations of "limit":

ограничивать (ograni-chi-vat) - to limit (verb)

ограниченный (ograni-chen-nyy) - limited (adjective)

Pronunciation:

Ограничение (ograni-che-ni-ye) - [oh-gra-ni-CHE-ni-ye]

скорость (sko-rost) - [sko-rost]

километр (ki-lo-me-tr) - [ki-lo-ME-tr]

час (chas) - [chas]

English and Russian Translations:

Limit: ограничение (ograni-che-ni-ye)

Speed: скорость (sko-rost)

Kilometer: километр (ki-lo-me-tr)

Hour: час (chas)

The next word is allow. The word "allow" in Russian is позволять (pozvoljat'). It is a verb, and like most verbs in Russian, it has several forms depending on the tense, person, and number.

Here is a sentence using позволять (pozvoljat'):

Учитель позволяет ученикам читать книги на уроке. (Uchitel' pozvoljaet uchenikam chitat' knigi na uroke.)

Let's break it down:

Учитель (Uchitel') - Teacher. The stress is on the first syllable. You can think of it as "oo-chi-tel", like "hotel" but with an "oo" sound like in "moon".

позволяет (pozvoljaet) - The 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb позволять (pozvoljat'). This means "allows" or "lets". The stress is on the first syllable. The "j" sound at the end of the word is similar to the "j" in "jump". The "ya" at the end makes it sound like "et", like "pet" but with a little bit more of an "a" sound at the end.

ученикам (uchenikam) - Students. This is the dative case of ученик (uchenik) meaning "student". The stress is on the first syllable.

читать (chitat') - To read. The stress is on the first syllable.

книги (knigi) - Books. The stress is on the first syllable.

на уроке (na uroke) - In the lesson or during the class. The stress is on the first syllable.

The sentence translates to: The teacher allows the students to read books in class.

Here are some other variations of the verb позволять (pozvoljat') to help you memorize it:

Я позволю тебе пойти. (Ya pozvolyu tebe poyti.) - I will allow you to go.

Мы не позволим им сделать это. (My ne pozvolim im sdelat' eto.) - We won't allow them to do this.

English: Allow

Russian: позволять (pozvoljat')

Remember that Russian verbs have different endings depending on the tense, person, and number. Practice using the verb позволять (pozvoljat') in different contexts!

The next word is pool. English: The children are playing in the pool.

Russian: Дети играют в бассейне.

Breakdown:

Дети (pronounced: dye-ti) - Children (plural noun, nominative case) - This is the subject of the sentence.

играют (pronounced: ig-ra-yut) - are playing (verb, present tense, 3rd person plural) - This is the verb in the sentence. The ending -ют is used for plural subjects and indicates the present tense. The verb играть (ig-rat') means to play.

в (pronounced: v) - in, inside (preposition)

бассейне (pronounced: bas-sey-ni) - pool (noun, prepositional case) - This is the object of the preposition в. The prepositional case is used when a noun follows a preposition.

Key Concepts:

Noun Cases: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence. The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence. The prepositional case is used when a noun follows a preposition.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings based on the person and number of the subject. The ending -ют is used for plural subjects in the present tense.

English to Russian Translation:

pool - бассейн (bas-sey-n)

The next word is free. The word "free" in Russian is свободный (svobodnyy). It is an adjective, meaning "unbound," "unrestricted," or "not subject to control." Here's a sentence using the word:

Эта книга доступна бесплатно в библиотеке.

English: This book is available free of charge at the library.

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine singular) - Pronounced like "eh-ta"

книга (kniga) - Book (feminine singular) - Pronounced like "knee-ga"

доступна (dostupna) - Available (feminine singular) - Pronounced like "da-stoop-na"

бесплатно (besplatno) - Free of charge - Pronounced like "behs-plat-no"

в (v) - in - Pronounced like "v"

библиотеке (biblioteke) - Library (feminine singular) - Pronounced like "bee-blee-ah-teh-keh"

Key concept: The adjective свободный (svobodnyy) can also be used as a noun, meaning "freedom." In that case, it would be masculine singular: свобода (svoboda) - "freedom."

English: free - свободный (svobodnyy)

The next word is finance. ## Финансы играют ключевую роль в успехе любого бизнеса.

Breakdown:

Финансы (Fi-NAN-sy) - This is the noun "finances" and is the subject of the sentence.

играют (i-GRAH-yut) - This is the third-person plural present tense of the verb "играть" (to play). It is the conjugated form of the verb for the subject "финансы."

ключевую (kli-chuh-VAH-yoo) - This is the feminine accusative case of the adjective "ключевой" (key). It modifies the noun "роль."

роль (ROL') - This is the noun "role." This noun is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "играют."

в (v) - This is the preposition "in."

успехе (us-PEH-khe) - This is the masculine singular prepositional case of the noun "успех" (success).

любого (lyu-BOH-voh) - This is the masculine singular genitive case of the adjective "любой" (any). It modifies the noun "бизнес."

бизнеса (BIZ-neh-sa) - This is the masculine singular genitive case of the noun "бизнес" (business).

Meaning: Finances play a key role in the success of any business.

Key Concept: This sentence demonstrates the use of the accusative case for direct objects and prepositional case for objects of prepositions. The adjective "ключевой" agrees in gender and number with the noun "роль" and the adjective "любой" agrees in gender and number with the noun "бизнес."

Variations:

Финансы важны для успеха бизнеса. - This sentence uses the adjective "важны" (important) instead of the verb "играют."

Финансы необходимо управлять эффективно для успеха бизнеса. - This sentence adds the adverb "эффективно" (effectively) to emphasize how finances should be managed.

Translation:

Финансы - finances (fi-NAN-seez)

играют - play (ee-GRAH-yoot)

ключевую - key (kli-chuh-VAH-yoo)

роль - role (ROHL)

в - in (v)

успехе - success (us-PEH-kheh)

любого - any (lyu-BOH-voh)

бизнеса - business (BIZ-neh-sa)

The next word is huge. The word огромный (ogromnyy) means "huge" in Russian. It is an adjective that describes something of great size or extent.

The sentence:

Эта книга просто огромная! (Eta kniga prosto ogromnaya!)

This sentence is in the present tense and uses the nominative case of the adjective, as it is describing the subject of the sentence, the book.

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine singular)

книга (kniga) - book (feminine singular)

просто (prosto) - simply
огромная (ogromnaya) - huge (feminine singular)

! - exclamation mark

Translation: This book is simply huge!

Pronunciation:

огромный (ogromnyy) - sounds like "oh-GROHM-nuh"

Variations:

огромный (ogromnyy) - masculine singular
огромная (ogromnaya) - feminine singular
огромное (ogromnoe) - neuter singular
огромные (ogromnye) - plural

This variation is key because adjectives must agree with the noun they are modifying in Russian.

English: Huge

Russian: огромный (ogromnyy)

The next word is load. The English word "load" can have many meanings in Russian, depending on the context. Here is a sentence using the word "load" in the context of loading a truck:

Russian: Грузовик загружен товарами

Breakdown:

Грузовик - [groo-zoh-veek] - truck
загружен - [zah-groo-zhen] - loaded (past participle of the verb загрузить [zah-groo-zee-t'] - to load)

товарами - [toh-vah-rah-mee] - goods (plural of товар [toh-var] - goods)

English translation: The truck is loaded with goods.

Key concepts:

Past participle: The past participle загружен is used to describe the state of the truck. This is a common way to express the result of an action in Russian.

Plural noun: The word товарами is the plural form of товар. The ending "-и" is used to make nouns plural in Russian.

Prepositional case: The noun товарами is in the instrumental case, which is used with prepositions like с (with) or без (without) and in this case is used with the preposition implied by the verb загружен.

Memorization hints:

You can remember the word грузовик as "gru-zoh-veek" by associating the first part "gru" with "goods" and "veek" with "vehicle".

The word загружен is similar to the English word "loaded", so it might be easier to remember that way.

Pronunciation:

грузовик - [groo-zoh-veek]

загружен - [zah-groo-zhen]

товарами - [toh-vah-rah-mee]

English: load

Russian: груз - [grooz]

The next word is matter. This дело (pronounced: dye-loh) is very important to me. Дело is a neuter noun, and it means "matter", "affair", or "case". It can also be used in the context of business or work. For example, if you are talking about your job, you could say Я занимаюсь своим делом (pronounced: Ya zani-mayus' svoyim dye-lom) which translates to "I am engaged in my work/affair". This word can be used in a variety of contexts, but it always refers to something that is important or requires attention.

English Translation: This matter is very important to me.

Word and Pronunciation:

matter - дело (dye-loh)

The next word is fashion. English: She is a trendsetter in the world of fashion.

Russian: Она – законодательница моды

Breakdown:

Она (Она) - She (pronoun, nominative case). Pronounced like "ah-na"

– (–) - This is a dash, used to connect the subject of the sentence to the predicate.

законодательница (законодательница) - A trendsetter, law-giver (feminine noun, nominative case). Pronounced "zah-kah-nah-da-tel-ni-tsa"

моды (моды) - Fashion (feminine noun, genitive case). Pronounced "moh-dee"

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, all nouns have a gender, either masculine, feminine, or neuter. Knowing the gender of a noun is essential for choosing the correct grammatical forms.

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. There are six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional. In this case, "моды" is in the genitive case, which signifies possession or belonging.

English to Russian Translation of the Word:

Fashion - мода (pronounced "moh-da")

The next word is cycle. The word "cycle" has several meanings in English, which can be reflected in Russian. Let's focus on the most common:

The act of moving in a circle or repeating a series of events

Этот велосипед очень быстро едет по кругу, создавая ощущение бесконечного цикла.

Let's break this down:

Этот - This (masculine singular) / Pronunciation: eh-tut
велосипед - bicycle / Pronunciation: ve-la-see-pehd
очень - very / Pronunciation: oh-chen
быстро - quickly / Pronunciation: by-stro
едет - rides / Pronunciation: ye-dyet
по - around / Pronunciation: pah
кругу - circle / Pronunciation: kroo-goo
создавая - creating / Pronunciation: saz-da-va-ya
ощущение - feeling / Pronunciation: ash-choo-shche-ni-ye
бесконечного - endless / Pronunciation: behs-kah-nech-nah-gah
цикла - cycle / Pronunciation: tseek-lah

The sentence translates as: "This bicycle rides very fast in a circle, creating a feeling of an endless cycle."

This sentence uses the word цикл (tseek-lah), which is a noun. It is a gendered noun, so it changes form slightly depending on the context, but it is mostly used in the singular form.

English: Cycle

Russian: цикл (tseek-lah)

The next word is rule. ## Правило (Pra-vi-lo)

Sentence: Это правило очень важно для понимания русского языка. (Eh-to pra-vi-lo o-chen vazh-no dlya po-ni-ma-ni-ya ru-ss-ko-go ya-zy-ka)

Breakdown:

Правило (Pra-vi-lo) - This is the noun form of "rule." The word is pronounced like "pra-vee-lo," with the emphasis on the second syllable.

Это (Eh-to) - This is the neuter form of "this" and is used when referring to a rule or a concept.

очень (o-chen) - This means "very." It is pronounced like "o-chen."

важно (vazh-no) - This is an adjective meaning "important." It is pronounced like "vahzh-no."

для (dlya) - This means "for." It is pronounced like "dlya."

понимания (po-ni-ma-ni-ya) - This is the genitive case of the noun понимание (po-ni-ma-ni-ye) which means "understanding." It is pronounced like "po-ni-ma-ni-ya."

русского (ru-ss-ko-go) - This is the genitive case of the adjective русский (ru-ss-kiy), meaning "Russian." It is pronounced like "ru-ss-kee-go."

языка (ya-zy-ka) - This is the genitive case of the noun язык (ya-zyk), which means "language." It is pronounced like "ya-zy-ka."

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the genitive case, which is essential for showing possession or a relationship between two nouns.

It also demonstrates the use of adjectives that agree with the nouns in gender and number.

Translation: This rule is very important for understanding the Russian language.

Variations:

Правило (Pra-vi-lo) - can also be used as a plural noun: правила (pra-vi-la) - rules.

Pronunciation:

Правило (Pra-vi-lo) - "pra-vee-lo"

Это (Eh-to) - "eh-to"

очень (o-chen) - "o-chen"

важно (vazh-no) - "vahzh-no"

для (dlya) - "dlya"

понимания (po-ni-ma-ni-ya) - "po-ni-ma-ni-ya"

русского (ru-ss-ko-go) - "ru-ss-kee-go"

языка (ya-zy-ka) - "ya-zy-ka"

English: rule

Russian: правило (pra-vi-lo)

The next word is complete. The word "complete" can be translated into Russian as полный (pronounced "pol-niy") which means "full" or "complete".

Example sentence:

Он закончил свою работу, и она была полной

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronounced "on")

закончил - finished (pronounced "za-kon-chil")

свою - his (pronounced "svo-yu")

работу - work (pronounced "ra-bo-tu")

и - and (pronounced "i")

она - it (pronounced "a-na")

была - was (pronounced "bi-la")

полной - complete (pronounced "pol-noy")

Meaning: He finished his work, and it was complete.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives (like полный) must agree in gender with the noun they modify. Since работа (work) is feminine, we use the feminine form of полный which is полная.

Case Agreement: Adjectives must also agree in case with the noun they modify. In this case, работа is in the nominative case, so the adjective полная is also in the nominative case.

Variations of the word "complete":

полностью (pronounced "pol-nost-yu") - completely
завершить (pronounced "za-ver-shit") - to complete

Pronunciation Tips:

"о" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot"

"ы" is pronounced like the "i" in "bit"

"е" is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes"

"у" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

"а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

English Translation of the Word and its Pronunciation:

полный (pronounced "pol-niy") - complete

The next word is once. ## Однажды я встретил своего друга на улице.

Breakdown:

Однажды (pronounced: ahd-nah-zh-dee) means "once" or "one day" and acts as an adverb. It describes when the action of the sentence happened.

я (pronounced: ya) means "I" and is the subject of the sentence.

встретил (pronounced: vstre-teel) means "met" and is the past tense verb of the sentence.

своего (pronounced: svoy-e-vo) means "my" and is the possessive adjective describing the friend.

друга (pronounced: droo-ga) means "friend" and is the object of the verb.

на (pronounced: nah) means "on" and is a preposition indicating location.

улице (pronounced: oo-lee-tse) means "street" and is the object of the preposition.

Translation:

Once I met my friend on the street.

Variations of the word "once":

один раз (ah-deen rahz) - literally means "one time"

когда-то (kag-dah-tah) - more poetic, means "once upon a time"

Helpful hints:

The "d" in Однажды is very soft, almost like a "th" sound.

"g" in друга is pronounced as in "gem".

The stress is on the first syllable in all the words.

English: once - Однажды (ahd-nah-zh-dee)

Russian: Однажды (ahd-nah-zh-dee) - once

The next word is duty. English Word: duty

Russian Sentence:

Он чувствовал долг перед своей семьёй.

Breakdown:

Он - [ahn] - He
чувствовал - [chuvstvoval] - felt
долг - [dolg] - duty
перед - [pered] - before, in front of
своей - [svoey] - his/her/their own
семьёй - [sem'yoy] - family

Meaning: He felt a duty towards his family.

Variations:

обязанность - [obyazannosť] - obligation, responsibility. Обязанность is a more formal word for duty.

должен - [dolzhen] - must, have to, be obligated to. Должен is often used to express a sense of obligation or duty.

Pronunciation:

долг - Say "dolg" with the "g" sound like the "g" in "gem".

чувствовать - Say "chuvstvovat" with the "v" sound like the "v" in "vet".

семьёй - Say "sem'yoy" with the "y" sound like the "y" in "yes".

English: duty

Russian: долг - [dolg]

The next word is short. The word "short" in English can be translated into Russian as короткий (korotkiy) meaning "short" or коротко (korotko) meaning "briefly".

Let's look at an example using the word короткий (korotkiy):

Эта книга очень короткая. (Eta kniga ochen' korotkaya.)

This sentence uses the nominative case for the noun "книга" (kniga) "book" and the adjective "короткая" (korotkaya) "short". The adjective is in the feminine gender to agree with the noun "книга" (kniga) "book" which is feminine in Russian.

Эта (eta) is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this"

книга (kniga) means "book" and is in the nominative case.

очень (ochen') means "very"

короткая (korotkaya) means "short" and is in the feminine gender and nominative case.

The sentence translates to: "This book is very short."

Helpful pronunciation hints:

Эта (eta) - stress on the first syllable, sounds like "eh-ta"

книга (kniga) - stress on the first syllable, sounds like "knee-ga"

очень (ochen') - stress on the second syllable, sounds like "oh-chen"

короткая (korotkaya) - stress on the second syllable, sounds like "ko-rot-ka-ya"

Here is a variation using the word коротко (korotko):

Он говорил коротко. (On govoril korotko.)

This sentence uses the masculine form of the pronoun "он" (on) meaning "he" and the adverb "коротко" (korotko) meaning "briefly". The verb "говорил" (govoril) is in the past tense, masculine gender, singular form, which agrees with the subject pronoun "он" (on) meaning "he".

Он (on) means "he"

говорил (govoril) means "he spoke" or "he said"

коротко (korotko) means "briefly"

The sentence translates to: "He spoke briefly."

Helpful pronunciation hints:

Он (on) - stress on the first syllable, sounds like "ohn"

говорил (govoril) - stress on the third syllable, sounds like "go-vo-ril"

коротко (korotko) - stress on the second syllable, sounds like "ko-rot-ko"

To make the sentence more complex, you can add more details. For example, you could say "Он говорил коротко о своих планах." (On govoril korotko o svoikh planakh.) which translates to "He spoke briefly about his plans."

Keep practicing! You will get better with time.

English: short

Russian: короткий (korotkiy) meaning "short", коротко (korotko) meaning "briefly"

The next word is troop. The Russian word for "troop" is отряд (pronounced ot-ryad). The word отряд can also be used for other military units like a squad or platoon.

Here is an example sentence using отряд:

Отряд солдат шел по лесу.

Breakdown:

Отряд - troop (pronounced ot-ryad)

солдат - soldiers (pronounced sol-dat)

шел - walked, was going (pronounced shel)

по - along, through, by (pronounced pa)

лесу - forest, woods (pronounced les-u)

Translation: The troop of soldiers was going through the forest.

Helpful hints:

The ending of the word отряд changes depending on the case of the noun.

Remember that the stress in отряд is on the first syllable.

The stress in солдат is on the second syllable.

Pronunciation guide:

отряд - ot-ryad
солдат - sol-dat
шел - shel
по - pa
лесу - les-u

English to Russian:

troop - отряд (ot-ryad)

The next word is gun. The word "gun" can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. Here's an example using the most common translation, "пистолет" pistolet.

Sentence:

Он держал пистолет в руке.

On derzhal pistolet v ruke.

Breakdown:

Он On - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - Pronounced like the English "on" but with the "n" slightly softer.

держал derzhal - held (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - Pronounced like "der-zhal"

пистолет pistolet - gun, pistol (noun, masculine, accusative case) - Pronounced like "pee-stah-let"

в v - in (preposition) - Pronounced like "v"

руке ruke - hand (noun, feminine, prepositional case) - Pronounced like "roo-kay"

Translation: He held the gun in his hand.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence (subject, direct object, etc.). This is called "case" and is an important concept to understand in Russian grammar.

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the endings of adjectives and other words that modify the noun.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change form based on the person, tense, and number of the subject.

Variations of "Gun":

ружье ruzhye - rifle (noun, neuter) - Pronounced like "roo-zh'ye"

винтовка vintovka - rifle (noun, feminine) - Pronounced like "vin-tohv-ka"

Pronunciation Guide:

о o - like "o" in "hot"

е e - like "e" in "bet"

а a - like "a" in "father"

и i - like "ee" in "see"

у u - like "oo" in "moon"

ы y - like "y" in "my"

э e - like "e" in "get"

English: gun

Russian: пистолет pistolet

The next word is topic. The word "topic" in Russian is тема (tema).

Here is a sample sentence using the word тема:

Эта тема очень интересна для меня. (Eta tema ochen' interesna dlya menya.)

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine nominative singular)

тема (tema) - Topic (feminine nominative singular)

очень (ochen') - Very
интересна (interesna) - Interesting (feminine singular, nominative case)

для (dlya) - For
меня (menya) - Me

This sentence translates to: "This topic is very interesting for me."

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This influences the form of adjectives and other words that modify them. Тема is a feminine noun.

Case: Russian nouns have six cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional). The case of a noun depends on its function in a sentence. In this example, тема is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Pronunciation:

Эта (Eta) - Pronounced as "Eh-ta"

тема (tema) - Pronounced as "Teh-ma"

очень (ochen') - Pronounced as "Oh-chen'"

интересна (interesna) - Pronounced as "In-teh-res-na"

для (dlya) - Pronounced as "Dlya"

меня (menya) - Pronounced as "Men-ya"

Variations of the word тема:

Те́мы (Temy) - Topics (feminine plural nominative)

Темы (Temy) - Topics (feminine plural genitive)

English: topic /ˈtɑːpɪk/

Russian: тема (tema) /ˈtɛmɐ/

The next word is college. I will teach you about колледж [kolledzh] (college) which means 'college' in Russian.

Here is a sentence:

Я учусь в колледже [kolledzhe] (ya uchus' v kolledzhe) - I am studying at college.

Breakdown

Я [ya] - I
учусь [uchus'] - this is the present tense of the verb учиться [uchit'sya] (to learn/study)

в [v] - in
колледже [kolledzhe] - this is the prepositional case of колледж [kolledzh] (college)

This is a very common phrase to use in Russian!

Variations

The word колледж [kolledzh] (college) can be used in many ways. It can be a noun, like in our sentence above. It can also be an adjective when it means 'collegiate', such as in колледжский [kolledzhskiy] (collegiate).

Pronunciation
колледж [kolledzh] - "kol-led-zh"

колледжский [kolledzhskiy] - "kol-led-zh-skiy"

Translation
колледж [kolledzh] - college
колледжский [kolledzhskiy] - collegiate

The next word is capacity. This auditorium has a вместимость of 500 people.

Вместимость is a noun and means capacity. It is pronounced vmye'stimast'. The ending -ость is a common suffix in Russian that is used to form nouns from adjectives, verbs, or other nouns. In this case, the adjective would be вместительный, meaning capacious or roomy.

The sentence can be broken down as follows:

Этот - This
аудитория - auditorium
имеет - has
вместимость - capacity
в - in

500 - 500
человек - people (plural)

Key concepts to note:

вместимость is a feminine noun, so the adjective вместительный is in its feminine form. This is a crucial concept in Russian grammar.

имеет is the third-person singular form of the verb иметь, meaning "to have."

In English, the sentence is "This auditorium has a capacity of 500 people."

Word breakdown:

вместимость - capacity - vmye'stimast'

аудитория - auditorium - aw-dee-toh'ree-ya
имеет - has - ee'myeet
человек - person (singular) - chye-lo-vyek
человек - people (plural) - chye-lo-vyek

The next word is too. The word "too" in English can be used in a variety of ways, often as an adverb. In Russian, there are two primary ways to translate "too":

Слишком слишком (pronounced s-lee-sh-kum) This word is used to express an excessive amount of something.

Также также (pronounced tak-zheh) This word is used to express something in addition to something else.

Here are two sentences that use both translations of "too" in Russian:

Sentence 1

"The soup is too salty."

Russian: Суп слишком соленый (pronounced "soup s-lee-sh-kum sa-lyo-ny)

Breakdown:

Суп (pronounced "soup") - Soup

слишком (pronounced "s-lee-sh-kum") - Too

соленый (pronounced "sa-lyo-ny") - Salty

Sentence 2

"I like to eat apples, and I like to eat pears too."

Russian: Я люблю есть яблоки, и также я люблю есть груши (pronounced "ya lyublyu yest yabloki, i tak-zheh ya lyublyu yest grushi")

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") - I

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") - love

есть (pronounced "yest") - to eat

яблоки (pronounced "yabloki") - apples

и (pronounced "i") - and

также (pronounced "tak-zheh") - Also

я (pronounced "ya") - I

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") - love

есть (pronounced "yest") - to eat

груши (pronounced "grushi") - pears

Key Concepts:

The word слишком (pronounced "s-lee-sh-kum") is an adverb that modifies the adjective "salty".

The word также (pronounced "tak-zheh") is an adverb that connects the two clauses of the sentence.

Both sentences use the Russian word for "to eat" which is есть (pronounced "yest") which can be confusing since it's spelled and pronounced the same as "to be" in the present tense. You have to pay attention to context!

Translation of Words:

Too: слишком (s-lee-sh-kum) or также (tak-zheh)

Salty: соленый (sa-lyo-ny)

Soup: Суп (soup)

Apple: яблоко (yabloko)

Pear: груша (grusha)

The next word is of. The word "of" in English can translate to several different prepositions in Russian, depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. "Из" из (pronounced "eez") - meaning "from" or "out of"

Sentence: Он пришёл из школы. (Ohn prishol iz shkoli.)

Translation: He came from school.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - he

пришёл (prishol) - came

из (eez) - from

школы (shkoli) - school

1. "От" от (pronounced "ot") - meaning "from" or "away from"

Sentence: Я уехал от родителей. (Ya uekhal ot roditeley.)

Translation: I left from my parents.

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I

уехал (uekhal) - left

от (ot) - from

родителей (roditeley) - parents

1. "С" с (pronounced "s") - meaning "with" or "from" (used with dates or times)

Sentence: Он родился с 1980 года. (On rodilsya s 1980 goda.)

Translation: He was born in 1980.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - he

родился (rodilsya) - was born

с (s) - from

1980 (1980) - nineteen eighty

года (goda) - year

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: These words show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in the sentence.

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence (e.g., subject, object, etc.). These changes are called cases.

Word Pronunciation:

из (pronounced "eez")

от (pronounced "ot")

с (pronounced "s")

Translation:

of: из, от, с

The next word is sure. Okay, I'm ready to help you learn Russian! Please give me an English word and I'll provide you with a Russian sentence using that word, along with a detailed breakdown.

The next word is consumer. The Russian word for "consumer" is потребитель (potrebitel'). It can be used in the singular or plural forms.

The word потребитель (potrebitel') is a noun and is in the nominative case. The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence or the noun being described.

Here is an example sentence:

Потребители (potrebiteli) часто (chasto) ищут (ishchut) лучшие (luchshie) цены (tseny).

Breakdown

Потребители (potrebiteli) - Consumers (plural nominative case) - pronounced pa-tre-bi-te-li
часто (chasto) - often - pronounced cha-sta
ищут (ishchut) - look for - pronounced ish-chut
лучшие (luchshie) - best - pronounced luch-shi-ye
цены (tseny) - prices - pronounced tsen-y

Translation: Consumers often look for the best prices.

Key concept: This sentence demonstrates how the word потребитель (potrebitel') can be used in a plural form. The plural form is created by adding the ending -и to the end of the singular noun потребитель (potrebitel').

Word and Pronunciation: Consumer - потребитель (potrebitel') - pronounced pa-tre-bi-tel'

The next word is officer. The Russian word for officer is офицер (ofitser). It is a masculine noun, meaning it will change depending on the gender of the person being referred to. For example, "офицер" (ofitser) refers to a male officer, and "офицерша" (ofitserša) refers to a female officer.

The word is pronounced ah-fih-tser. Notice that the stress is on the second syllable, фи (fi).

Here is a simple sentence using the word офицер:

Офицер стоял на посту.

ofitser stoyal na postu.

The officer stood at the post.

Here is a breakdown:

офицер (ofitser) - officer (masculine) - pronounced ah-fih-tser
стоял (stoyal) - stood (past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced stah-yal
на (na) - on (preposition) - pronounced nah
посту (postu) - post - pronounced pos-too

Key concept: The past tense of the verb "to stand" стоять (stoyat') is formed by adding the ending -л [-l] to the verb stem.

English: officer

Russian: офицер (ofitser) - pronounced ah-fih-tser

The next word is function. ## Function

The word "function" in Russian is функция (funktsiya). Let's break down a sentence using this word:

Sentence: Эта функция позволяет нам создавать красивые картинки.

Breakdown:

Эта (eta) - this (feminine, singular)

функция (funktsiya) - function
позволяет (pozvolyaet) - allows (present tense, 3rd person singular)

нам (nam) - us (dative case, object of the verb "allow")

создавать (sozdavat) - to create (infinitive)

красивые (krasivye) - beautiful (plural, nominative case)

картинки (kartinki) - pictures (plural, nominative case)

Translation: This function allows us to create beautiful pictures.

Key Concepts:

Noun Declension: Notice how the noun "function" (функция) changes its form depending on its grammatical role in the sentence. Here, it is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Verb Conjugation: The verb "allows" (позволяет) is conjugated in the present tense and agrees in number and gender with the subject.

Infinitive: The infinitive "to create" (создавать) is used after the verb "allows" (позволяет) to indicate the action that the function makes possible.

Plural Nouns: Both "beautiful pictures" (красивые картинки) are plural nouns in the nominative case, as they are the direct object of the verb "create" (создавать).

Pronunciation:

функция (funktsiya) - "funk-tsee-ya"

позволяет (pozvolyaet) - "poz-vol-ya-et"

нам (nam) - "nahm"

создавать (sozdavat) - "soz-da-vat"

красивые (krasivye) - "kra-see-vye"

картинки (kartinki) - "kar-teen-kee"

Word Variations:

Function (noun): функция (funktsiya)

Functional (adjective): функциональный (funktsional'nyy)

To function (verb): функционировать (funktsionirovat')

English-Russian translation:

Function - функция

Function - funktsiya

The next word is available. The word available in Russian is доступный (pronounced dah-STOOP-nuh).

The sentence is: Эта книга доступна в библиотеке. (pronounced eh-ta k-nee-ga dah-STOOP-nuh v bee-b-lee-ah-TEE-kee)

Эта (eh-ta) is the feminine nominative form of the demonstrative pronoun этот (eh-tot) which means this.

книга (k-nee-ga) is the feminine nominative form of the noun книга (k-nee-ga) which means book.

доступна (dah-STOOP-nuh) is the feminine nominative form of the adjective доступный (dah-STOOP-nuh) which means available.

в (v) is the preposition в (v) which means in.

библиотеке (bee-b-lee-ah-TEE-kee) is the feminine locative form of the noun библиотека (bee-b-lee-ah-TEE-kah) which means library.

The sentence means: This book is available in the library.

The adjective доступный (dah-STOOP-nuh) can also be used as a masculine form and neuter form as well, and has other forms of adjective declension (e.g. доступного (dah-STOOP-nuh-guh), доступному (dah-STOOP-nuh-mu) доступным (dah-STOOP-nuhm), etc.)

Available (English) = Доступный (dah-STOOP-nuh) (Russian)

The next word is promise. I will give you my обещание (обеща́ние) /uh-bee-shcha-nee-yeh/ that I will help you understand the Russian language.

The word обещание is a noun and means "promise".

This sentence is in the future tense, the verb is дам (да́ть) /dat/ which means "to give".

The sentence uses the dative case of the pronoun тебе (тебя́) /tye-bya/ which means "to you". The dative case is used to show indirect objects in Russian.

The word обещание is in the nominative case, because it is the direct object of the verb дам.

English: I will give you my promise.

Russian: Я тебе дам обещание.

Pronunciation: Ya tibye dam uh-bee-shcha-nee-yeh.

Key Concept: The dative case in Russian is often used with verbs that express giving, telling, or showing.

The next word is bag. У меня в сумке лежат книги.

U menya v sumke lezhat knigi.

This means "I have books in my bag."

сумка - sumka - bag (pronounced like "soom-ka"). It is a feminine noun, so it takes a feminine ending in the prepositional case в - v - in. The feminine ending is е - e.

лежат - lezhat - are lying (pronounced like "le-zhat"). This is the plural form of the present tense of the verb лежать - lezhat - to lie down.

книги - knigi - books (pronounced like "knee-gee"). This is the plural form of the noun книга - kniga - book.

The word сумка - sumka - bag is a very common word, so be sure to learn it. There are other variations of the word сумка - sumka depending on what is inside the bag, such as портфель - portfel - briefcase.

The next word is appear. The Russian word for "appear" is появляться (po-ya-vlyat-sa). This verb is irregular in that it has several different forms depending on the tense and person. This particular form is the infinitive, which is the base form of the verb.

Here is an example sentence:

На небе появляются звёзды (Na nebe poyavlyayutsya zvyozdy).

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at, in - This preposition is used here to indicate location.

небе (nebe) - sky - the genitive case of небо (nebo)

появляются (poyavlyayutsya) - appear - the 3rd person plural present tense form of появляться (po-ya-vlyat-sa)

звёзды (zvyozdy) - stars - the nominative plural form of звезда (zvezda)

The sentence means "Stars appear in the sky".

Here are some other forms of появляться (po-ya-vlyat-sa):

появился (poyavilsya) - appeared - masculine singular past tense
появилась (poyavilas) - appeared - feminine singular past tense
появились (poyavilis) - appeared - plural past tense

Pronunciation Guide:

появляться (po-ya-vlyat-sa) - "po-ya-vlyat-sa"

На (na) - "na"

небе (nebe) - "ne-be"

звёзды (zvyozdy) - "zvyoz-dy"

English: appear - əˈpɪər

Russian: появляться (po-ya-vlyat-sa) - pəjəˈvljatːsə

The next word is head. The word голова (pronounced [goh-loh-vah]) can refer to the head itself or, figuratively, to the mind or intellect. This is a great example of a noun that can have both literal and metaphorical meanings.

Sentence:

У него (pronounced [ni-guh] – he) большая голова (pronounced [goh-loh-vah] – head).

Breakdown:

У (pronounced [oo] - at, near) – This is a preposition that indicates location.

него (pronounced [ni-guh] - he) – This is a personal pronoun that refers to the male subject of the sentence.

большая (pronounced [bol-sha-ya] – big, large) – This is an adjective that describes the size of the head.

голова (pronounced [goh-loh-vah] – head) – This is the noun that is the subject of the sentence.

Translation:

He has a big head.

Other forms of голова:

головы (pronounced [goh-loh-vuh] – head – genitive singular, used after prepositions like “of”)

головы (pronounced [goh-loh-vuh] – heads – nominative plural)

голов (pronounced [goh-lov] – heads – genitive plural, used after prepositions like “of”)

Pronunciation:

голова (pronounced [goh-loh-vah]) - 'goh' as in 'go', 'loh' as in 'low', 'vah' as in 'va'

него (pronounced [ni-guh]) - 'ni' as in 'knee', 'guh' as in 'goo'

большая (pronounced [bol-sha-ya]) - 'bol' as in 'bowl', 'sha' as in 'sha', 'ya' as in 'ya'

У (pronounced [oo]) - 'oo' as in 'moon'

The next word is region. This регион (ree-gee-OHN) is known for its beautiful scenery.

Breakdown:

регион (ree-gee-OHN) - This word means "region" in English. It refers to a geographical area with shared characteristics.

известен (ee-Z-VEH-sten) - This is the masculine past participle of the verb знать (znat’) meaning "to know." It acts as an adjective here.

за (za) - This preposition means "for" in English. It indicates the reason for something.

свои (svoi) - This is the plural possessive adjective meaning "its" or "his/her" in English. It refers to the region's beautiful scenery.

красивые (kra-SEE-vee-ye) - This is the plural adjective meaning "beautiful" in English. It modifies the noun пейзажи (pay-ZA-zhee).

пейзажи (pay-ZA-zhee) - This word means "scenery" or "landscape" in English. It refers to the natural features of a place.

Key Concepts:

Masculine Past Participles: The past participle of verbs in Russian can act as adjectives, especially in phrases like "known for..." or "famous for..."

Possessive Adjectives: These adjectives show ownership or possession. In this sentence, "свои" indicates that the scenery belongs to the region.

Prepositions: Prepositions like "за" are essential for showing relationships between words and ideas. They are crucial for understanding the meaning of a sentence.

Translation:

регион (ree-gee-OHN) - region
известен (ee-Z-VEH-sten) - known
за (za) - for
свои (svoi) - its
красивые (kra-SEE-vee-ye) - beautiful
пейзажи (pay-ZA-zhee) - scenery

The next word is block. The word "block" has many different meanings in English, and in Russian, there are several different words that can be used to translate it. Here is an example of a Russian sentence using one of the most common meanings of "block":

Строители заблокировали дорогу.

Breakdown:

Строители (Stroiteli) - means "builders" or "construction workers."

заблокировали (zablockirovali) - is the past tense of the verb "to block." It is a perfective verb, which means it describes a completed action. The verb is in the third person plural, which means it refers to a group of people. The ending "ли" indicates that the action was completed.

дорогу (dorogu) - means "road." It is an accusative case noun.

Translation:

The builders blocked the road.

Key concepts:

Russian verbs: Russian verbs are conjugated, meaning they change form depending on the person, number, tense, and mood.

Perfective verbs: Perfective verbs describe completed actions.

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. In this case, "дорогу" is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the verb.

Pronunciation:

Строители (Stroiteli) - "stroy-i-te-li"

заблокировали (zablockirovali) - "za-blo-ki-ro-va-li"

дорогу (dorogu) - "do-ro-gu"

Variations of the word "block":

Блок (Blok) - means "block" as in a building block or a section of a city.

Блокировать (Blokirovat) - means "to block" as in to prevent something from happening.

Блокада (Blokada) - means "blockade."

English to Russian translation:

Block - Блок, Блокировать

The next word is consequence. The word последствие (posledstvie) means consequence. It is a noun and can be used in both singular and plural forms. It is pronounced like "pah-sled-stvee-yeh" with a slight stress on the second syllable.

Here's a sentence:

Негативные последствия изменения климата уже ощущаются во всем мире.

Негативные (negativnye) means negative (stress on the second syllable)

последствия (posledstviya) means consequences (stress on the second syllable)

изменения (izmeneniya) means changes (stress on the second syllable)

климата (klimata) means climate (stress on the first syllable)

уже (uzhe) means already (stress on the first syllable)

ощущаются (oshchushchayutsya) means are felt (stress on the second syllable)

во (vo) means in (stress on the first syllable)

всем (vsem) means all (stress on the first syllable)

мире (mire) means world (stress on the first syllable)

Translation: The negative consequences of climate change are already being felt around the world.

Key Concept: The word последствие (posledstvie) is a common noun in Russian, and it is essential for understanding the consequences of actions or events. The plural form is последствия (posledstviya).

Memorization Tip: Remember that последствие (posledstvie) means consequence by associating it with the English word "post," which also implies a result or outcome.

The next word is right. The word "right" in English can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context.

Here are a few examples:

1. Right as a synonym for correct

Правильно (Pra-veeľ-nə)

This is the most common translation for "right" when it means something is correct.

Example:

Ты правильно сделал (Ты pra-veeľ-nə sde-lal) - You did the right thing.

Here, правильно (pra-veeľ-nə) is an adverb, modifying the verb сделал (sde-lal).

1. Right as a synonym for "okay" or "alright"

Хорошо (Ha-ra-sho)

This is often used as an affirmation or agreement.

Example:

Хорошо, я пойду (Ha-ra-sho, ya pa-y-du) - Okay, I will go.

Here, хорошо (ha-ra-sho) is an adverb and functions as a filler word, much like "okay" in English.

1. Right as an adjective describing a direction

Правый (Pra-vый) - This is used to describe the right side of something.

Example:

Правый поворот (Pra-vый pa-va-rot) - Right turn.

Here, правый (pra-vый) is an adjective modifying the noun поворот (pa-va-rot).

1. Right as an adjective describing something that is fair or just

Справедливый (Spra-ved-li-vый) - This refers to something that is fair or morally correct.

Example:

Это несправедливо! (E-ta ne-spra-ved-li-və!) - It's not right!

Here, справедливый (spra-ved-li-vый) is an adjective, but it is used in a negated form несправедливо (ne-spra-ved-li-və) to express the opposite of being right.

Pronounciation:

Right: rahyt

Правильно: pra-veeľ-nə

Хорошо: ha-ra-sho

Правый: pra-vый

Справедливый: spra-ved-li-vый

The next word is email. ## Почта пришла вчера.

Breakdown:

Почта (pochta) - This is the noun meaning "mail" or "post."

Pronunciation: "POCH-ta" (the "ch" sound is like the "ch" in "chair")

пришла (prishla) - This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb "to come" приходить (prikhodit').

Pronunciation: "pri-SHLA"

вчера (vchera) - This is the adverb meaning "yesterday."

Pronunciation: "vche-RA"

Meaning: The mail arrived yesterday.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of the noun determines the form of adjectives and verbs that agree with it. "Mail" почта is feminine, hence the verb "came" is also in the feminine form.

Past Tense: Russian verbs conjugate in the past tense, and the form changes depending on the subject. Here, the past tense form of the verb is пришла because the subject is почта, which is feminine.

Variations:

Почта can also be used as the plural form of the word.

The verb приходить (prikhodit') can be used in different tenses and forms. For example, the present tense is приходит (prikhodit).

English Translation: Mail / post (pochta) / почта

Russian Translation: Came / arrived (prishla) / пришла

Russian Translation: Yesterday (vchera) / вчера

The next word is away. The word "away" can be used in many different ways in English. In Russian, it will often be translated with a preposition, such as от [ot] which means "from" or в сторону [v storonu] meaning "in the direction of". There is no direct Russian translation for "away" as an adverb, but the meaning can be conveyed by using a preposition and an adverb like далеко [daleko] meaning "far" or прочь [proch] which means "away".

Here is a simple example of a sentence using от [ot]:

Он ушел от дома. [On ušel ot doma.]

Он [on] - He, Pronoun, Nominative case. This is pronounced like the English word "on" but with a slightly softer "n" sound.

ушел [ushel] - Past tense of the verb уходить [ukhodit] meaning "to leave", "to go away" or "to depart". It is pronounced like "oo-shel".

от [ot] - Preposition, meaning "from" or "away from". It is pronounced "ot".

дома [doma] - Genitive case of the noun дом [dom] meaning "house". The genitive case is used with prepositions that show possession or location. It is pronounced like the English word "dome" with an "a" sound added at the end.

Translation: He left home.

Memorization tip: Think of the word от [ot] like the English word "off", it can be used in a similar way.

Pronunciation: The stress is always on the last syllable of the word in Russian.

English: Away /əˈweɪ/

Russian: От /at/ and В сторону /v storonu/

The next word is rise. The sun восходит in the east.

Breakdown:

восходит - the third person singular present tense form of the verb восходить (to rise)

Grammar: Subject (sun) + verb (rises) + prepositional phrase (in the east)

Key Concepts:

The verb восходить is a reflexive verb, meaning it uses the reflexive pronoun ся to indicate that the action is performed on or by the subject. In this case, the sun "rises" on itself. The pronoun is included in the verb, so it is not listed separately.

восходить is used for things that come up naturally, like the sun, the moon, or a balloon. For something like a person getting out of bed, you would use a different verb, such as вставать (to get up).

Variations:

восходит - present tense, third person singular

восходило - past tense, neuter singular

восходила - past tense, feminine singular

восходило - past tense, neuter singular

восходишь - present tense, second person singular

восхожу - present tense, first person singular

Pronunciation:

восходит - [vuhs-khoh-diht]

восходить - [vuhs-khoh-deeht']

Translation:

восходит - rises

восходить - to rise

English: The sun rises in the east.

Russian: Солнце восходит на востоке.

The next word is start. Let's begin our journey into the Russian language!

English: "Start"

Russian: Начинать (nachinat')

Breakdown:

Начинать is the infinitive form of the verb "to start." It is pronounced like "na-chee-nat'".

The "а" at the end of Начинать is pronounced as a short "a" sound, similar to the "a" in "father."

The "ч" in Начинать is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair."

The "т" in Начинать is pronounced like the "t" in "table."

The "ь" at the end of Начинать is a soft sign. It does not have its own pronunciation but softens the preceding consonant.

Example Sentence:

Я начинаю понимать русский язык. (Ya nachinayu ponimat' russkiy yazyk.)

Translation: I am starting to understand the Russian language.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I

начинаю (nachinayu) - present tense, I am starting

понимать (ponimat') - to understand

русский (russkiy) - Russian

язык (yazyk) - language

Variations:

The verb начинать can be conjugated into different tenses, such as the past tense (начал, начала, начало - "started"), future tense (начну, начнем, начнете - "will start"), etc.

Key Concepts:

Russian verbs are conjugated to indicate tense, person, and number.

The infinitive form of a verb ends in "ть".

Pronunciation:

Start: Начинать (na-chee-nat')

Translation:

Start: Начинать (na-chee-nat')

The next word is select. The word "select" in English is a verb that means "to choose something from a group". In Russian, we can express this concept using the verb выбирать (vi-bi-rat').

Here is a sentence using this verb:

Я выбрал красное вино (ya vi-bral kra-sna-ye vi-no).

Breakdown:

Я я (ya) - I (personal pronoun, nominative case)

выбрал выбрал (vi-bral) - past tense, masculine singular form of the verb выбирать (vi-bi-rat') - "to choose"

красное красное (kra-sna-ye) - red (adjective, nominative case, neuter gender, singular form)

вино вино (vi-no) - wine (noun, nominative case, neuter gender, singular form)

The sentence translates to: "I chose red wine".

This sentence uses the verb выбирать (vi-bi-rat') in the past tense, masculine singular form. This form is used because the subject of the sentence ("I") is masculine. The verb can be used in various tenses and forms depending on the context.

Here are some other examples:

Он выбрал синий костюм (on vi-bral si-niy kos-tyum) - He chose a blue suit.

Мы выбрали новый автомобиль (mi vi-bra-li no-viy av-ta-ma-bil') - We chose a new car.

Remember to pay attention to the gender of the noun when choosing the correct form of the adjective and verb. In this case, "вино" (wine) is neuter gender, so we used the neuter form of the adjective "красное" (red).

Key Concepts
выбирать (vi-bi-rat') - to choose, select

Masculine, feminine, and neuter genders in Russian nouns and adjectives.

Past tense, present tense, and future tense verb conjugations.

Pronunciation:

выбирать (vi-bi-rat') - The "ы" sound is similar to the "i" in "bit" or "fit".

красное (kra-sna-ye) - The "а" sound is similar to the "a" in "father" or "car".

вино (vi-no) - The "о" sound is similar to the "o" in "go" or "no".

Translation:

select - выбирать (vi-bi-rat')

chose - выбрал (vi-bral)

red - красное (kra-sna-ye)

wine - вино (vi-no)

The next word is ability. The English word "ability" is translated into Russian as способность (pronounced "sposobnost").

Here is a sample sentence:

У него есть способность к языкам. У (u) - means "he" in this sentence, него (nevo) - means "him" есть (yest) - means "has" способность (sposobnost) - means "ability" к (k) - means "to" языкам (yazikam) - means "languages"

Translation: He has the ability for languages.

Breakdown:

Способность (sposobnost) is a noun, meaning "ability" or "capacity." It is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine singular form of the adjective (есть, "to have").

К (k) is a preposition, meaning "to" or "towards." It is used before nouns to indicate direction or purpose.

Языкам (yazikam) is the dative plural form of the noun язык (yazik), meaning "language." The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb.

The sentence uses the present tense of the verb иметь (imet), which means "to have."

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of a noun determines the form of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with it.

Cases: Russian nouns have six grammatical cases. The case of a noun determines its function in a sentence and its form.

Prepositions: Russian prepositions are used to show the relationship between a noun and another word in a sentence.

Pronunciation:

Способность (sposobnost): [spuh-SOB-nuhst]

К (k): [k]

Языкам (yazikam): [yah-zih-KAHM]

English: ability [uh-BIL-uh-tee]

Russian: способность [spuh-SOB-nuhst]

The next word is make. The word "make" is a very versatile verb in English, and it has several equivalents in Russian depending on the context. Here's an example sentence using the verb "сделать" sdelat which means "to do" or "to make":

Sentence: Я сделал ya sdelal домашнее задание domashnee zadanie вчера. vchera

Breakdown:

Я ya - I (pronoun, pronounced "ya")

сделал sdelal - made, did (past tense masculine singular form of the verb "сделать" sdelat, pronounced "sdelal")

домашнее задание domashnee zadanie - homework (pronounced "duh-mash-nee za-dah-nee-eh")

вчера vchera - yesterday (pronounced "vchera")

Translation: I did my homework yesterday.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings depending on the person, number, and tense. "Сделать" sdelat is a perfective verb, which means it describes a completed action.

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and nouns often agree in gender. "Домашнее" domashnee is the neuter form of the adjective "домашний" domashniy to agree with the neuter noun "задание" zadanie.

Variations:

"Делать" delat (to do, to make) is the imperfective form of the verb, used for ongoing or repeated actions.

"Сделаю" sdelayu (I will make) is the future tense of "сделать" sdelat.

"Сделала" sdelala (she made) is the past tense feminine singular form of "сделать" sdelat.

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress the last syllable of most Russian words.

Pay attention to the vowel sounds:

"а" a is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

"е" e is pronounced like the "e" in "bed"

"и" i is pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

English Translation: make

Russian Translation: сделать sdelat (pronounced "sdelat")

The next word is than. The word "than" is used for comparison. In Russian, the word for "than" is чем (pronounced "chem").

Example:

English: The cat is bigger than the dog.

Russian: Кот больше, чем собака. (pronounced "Kot bolshe, chem sobaka")

Breakdown:

Кот (pronounced "kot") - cat (masculine noun)

больше (pronounced "bolshe") - bigger (comparative adjective)

чем (pronounced "chem") - than
собака (pronounced "sobaka") - dog (feminine noun)

Key Concept: The comparative adjective больше is used to compare the size of the cat and the dog. чем is used to indicate that the cat is bigger than the dog.

Variations:

меньше, чем - smaller than (pronounced "menshe, chem")

лучше, чем - better than (pronounced "luchshe, chem")

хуже, чем - worse than (pronounced "huzhe, chem")

Translation:

Than: чем (pronounced "chem")

The next word is flower. The word цветок (pronounced tsve-tok) means "flower." It's a masculine noun, so you'll need to use the masculine form of the adjective if you're describing it. The plural form of this word is цветы (pronounced tsve-ty).

Here is a sentence:

Я люблю смотреть на красивые цветы в саду. (Ya lyublyu smotret' na krasivye tsvety v sadu.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

люблю (lyublyu) - I love (verb, present tense)

смотреть (smotret') - to look (verb, infinitive, but here it's in the present tense)

на (na) - on (preposition)

красивые (krasivye) - beautiful (adjective, plural, feminine) - the word красивый (krasivy) is the masculine form of this adjective
цветы (tsvety) - flowers (noun, plural)

в (v) - in (preposition)

саду (sadu) - garden (noun, masculine)

Translation: I love to look at beautiful flowers in the garden.

Pronunciation:

цветок (tsve-tok) - The "ц" sounds like "ts" in "cats" and "к" is like the "k" in "kick."

цветы (tsve-ty) - The "ы" sounds like "ee" in "see."

Remember to pay attention to the gender of nouns and adjectives in Russian. Also, practice saying these words aloud to get used to the sounds of Russian.

The next word is month. The word "month" is месяц pronounced [mee-syets] in Russian. You can see that it is very similar to the English word.

Here is a Russian sentence:

Я уехал на месяц в отпуск

This translates to "I left for a month on vacation".

Let's break it down:

Я [ya] - I
уехал [oo-ye-khal] - past tense of уехать [oo-ye-hat'] - to leave
на [na] - on
месяц [mee-syets] - month
в [v] - in
отпуск [ot-poosk] - vacation

The word месяц is masculine, meaning the adjective describing it will change depending on the gender. For example, if you wanted to say "long month" you would use длинный (long) and it would become длинный месяц because длинный is masculine.

A great way to remember these words is to break it down, for example уехать you can think of it as "to go away" and then you can remember ехать which means "to go" or "to drive" and у which means "away"

English: month - месяц [mee-syets]

Russian: месяц - month - [mee-syets]

The next word is way. The word "way" can be translated in several ways in Russian, depending on the context.

Here is one example using the word "way" to mean "method":

Есть много способов сделать это.

Есть [Yest'] - "there is"

много [mnogo] - "many"

способов [sposobov] - "ways" (plural, genitive case)

сделать [sdelat'] - "to do"

это [eto] - "this"

Translation: There are many ways to do this.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. Here, the word способов [sposobov] is in the genitive case because it follows the preposition много [mnogo] ("many").

Word order: Russian word order is more flexible than English. You could also say: Сделать это можно многими способами.

Tense: The verb сделать [sdelat'] is in the infinitive form, which is used to express possibility or a general statement.

Pronunciation:

Есть [Yest'] - sounds similar to "yes" but with a slightly shorter "e" sound.

много [mnogo] - sounds similar to "mno-go"

способов [sposobov] - sounds similar to "spo-so-bov"

сделать [sdelat'] - sounds similar to "s-de-lat' "

это [eto] - sounds similar to "eh-to"

Other ways to translate "way" in Russian:

путь [put'] - "path", "route"

дорога [doroga] - "road"

способ [sposob] - "method", "way"

манера [manera] - "manner", "way"

The best translation for "way" will depend on the specific context of your sentence.

The next word is reality. Реальность real'nost' часто бывает сурова, но она всегда справедлива. chasto byvaet surova, no ona vsegda spravedliva.

Breakdown:

Реальность real'nost': This is the noun "reality" in Russian. The stress is on the second syllable.

часто chasto: This means "often" or "frequently". The stress is on the first syllable.

бывает byvaet: This is a conjugation of the verb "быть byt'" (to be). It means "happens" or "is". The stress is on the first syllable.

сурова surova: This is the feminine form of the adjective "суровый surovyj" (harsh, severe). The stress is on the second syllable.

но no: This means "but".

она ona: This is the third-person singular feminine pronoun, meaning "she" or "it". The stress is on the first syllable.

всегда vsegda: This means "always". The stress is on the first syllable.

справедлива spravedliva: This is the feminine form of the adjective "справедливый spravedlivyj" (fair, just). The stress is on the second syllable.

Meaning: Reality is often harsh, but it is always fair.

Variations:

You can change the gender of the sentence to make it more general: Реальность real'nost' часто бывает сурова, но она всегда справедлива. chasto byvaet surova, no ona vsegda spravedliva. The pronoun changes to "она" (she) in this case, but it is understood to be the reality.

Pronunciation:

Реальность real'nost': re-AL-nost
часто chasto: CHA-sto
бывает byvaet: by-VA-yet
сурова surova: su-RO-va
но no: no
она ona: a-NA
всегда vsegda: vseg-DA
справедлива spravedliva: spra-ved-LI-va

English translation: Reality is often harsh, but it is always fair.

The next word is society. ## Общество is a very important word in the Russian language. It's a noun, meaning society. The stress falls on the first syllable. Общество is pronounced "ahb-she-stv-o", which is similar to the English "ob-see-v-o". Let's take a look at the following sentence:

В современном обществе большую роль играют социальные сети.

В (v) - in - pronounced "v"

современном (sahv-re-men-n-om) - modern - pronounced "sov-reh-men-nom"

обществе (ahb-she-stv-e) - society - pronounced "ob-she-stv-e"

большую (bol-shoo-yu) - big, large - pronounced "bol-shoo-yu"

роль (rol) - role - pronounced "rol"

играют (i-gra-yut) - play - pronounced "i-gra-yut"

социальные (sah-tsi-al-nye) - social - pronounced "sah-tsi-al-nye"

сети (se-ti) - networks - pronounced "se-ti"

Translation: In modern society, social networks play a large role.

Общество (ahb-she-stv-o) - society (noun)

Общественный (ahb-she-stv-en-ny) - public, social (adjective) - pronounced "ahb-she-stv-en-ny"

Общественность (ahb-she-stv-en-nast) - the public, society (noun) - pronounced "ahb-she-stv-en-nast"

You can use these words in a variety of contexts!

The next word is sell. The word "sell" in Russian is продавать (pro-da-vat'). This is a verb that means "to sell". It can be used in many different contexts and tenses. Here is an example:

Я продаю машину. (Ya prodayu mashinu.)

Я (Ya) - I
продаю (prodayu) - I sell (present tense)

машину (mashinu) - car (accusative case)

Translation: I am selling the car.

продавать (pro-da-vat') - to sell
продаю (pro-da-yu) - I sell
машина (ma-shi-na) - car

This sentence is in the present tense. The verb продавать (pro-da-vat') is conjugated to agree with the subject я (Ya) - I.

Key Concepts

Present Tense: This tense is used to describe actions that are happening now.

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb. In this sentence, the direct object is машину (mashinu).

Conjugation: Verbs are conjugated to agree with the subject in terms of person and number.

Variations of the Verb
продаю (pro-da-yu) - I sell
продаёшь (pro-da-yosh') - you sell
продаёт (pro-da-yot) - he/she/it sells
продаём (pro-da-yom) - we sell
продаёте (pro-da-yote) - you all sell
продают (pro-da-yut) - they sell

This is just a basic example. The verb продавать (pro-da-vat') can be used in many other tenses and contexts.

The next word is advantage. This sentence uses the noun form of "advantage" in the nominative case. The sentence structure is simple: subject + verb + object.

У него есть преимущество перед другими.

U nego est' preimushchestvo pered drugimi.

У u - is a preposition meaning "at," "by" or "with" in this context and is pronounced "oo".

него nego - is a pronoun meaning "he" or "him" and pronounced "nye-go"

есть est' - is a verb meaning "to have" and pronounced "yest'"

преимущество preimushchestvo - is a noun meaning "advantage" and pronounced "pre-ee-moo-shche-stvuh"

перед pered - is a preposition meaning "before" or "in front of" and pronounced "pye-red"

другими drugimi - is a plural pronoun meaning "others" and pronounced "droo-gi-mee"

Translation: He has an advantage over others.

Variations:

У нее есть преимущество перед другими.

U nee est' preimushchestvo pered drugimi. (She has an advantage over others)

У нас есть преимущество перед ними.

U nas est' preimushchestvo pered nimi. (We have an advantage over them)

The word "advantage" can be used as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it is pronounced as "ad-van-tij" and as a verb as "ad-van-tayj".

The next word is create. The word "create" in Russian is создавать (sozdavat').

Here is an example sentence:

Художник создаёт красивую картину. ( Художник создаёт красивую картину.)

Художник (Hudozhnik) - artist (pronounced: hoo-DOJ-nik)

создаёт (sozdaet) - creates (pronounced: soz-DA-yet)

красивую (krasivuyu) - beautiful (pronounced: kra-SI-vyu)

картину (kartinu) - picture (pronounced: kar-TI-nu)

Translation: The artist creates a beautiful picture.

Key concept: The verb создавать (sozdavat') is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing action. It is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence, in this case the artist. The word картину (kartinu) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb.

Helpful Hints:

создавать (sozdavat') is a common verb that can be used in many different contexts.

создать (sozdat') is the perfective form of the verb and means "to create" in the sense of a completed action.

Pay attention to the stress in Russian words. The stress is often on a different syllable than in English, so it is important to listen carefully and practice pronunciation.

English: create / создавать (sozdavat') - pronounced: soz-DA-vat'

The next word is great. This is a great opportunity to learn about the Russian language! Let's start with the word "great."

In Russian, the word "great" is великий (pronounced vye-lee-kee) .

Here's a simple sentence using this word:

Это великое достижение. (pronounced E-ta vye-lee-ka-ye das-tee-zhe-ni-ye.)

This translates to: "This is a great achievement."

Let's break it down:

Это (pronounced E-ta) means "this".

великое (pronounced vye-lee-ka-ye) is the nominative case of великий (pronounced vye-lee-kee) which means "great". Nominative means that the word is the subject of the sentence, the one performing the action.

достижение (pronounced das-tee-zhe-ni-ye) means "achievement".

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns have different endings (called cases) depending on their function in the sentence. For example, великий (pronounced vye-lee-kee) becomes великое (pronounced vye-lee-ka-ye) when it's the subject of a sentence.

Gender: Russian nouns have genders, so the endings change depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. великий (pronounced vye-lee-kee) is masculine.

Remember: The sound of е (pronounced ye) is like the e in the English word "yes" and the sound of и (pronounced ee) is like the ee in the English word "see".

English: great, великий (pronounced vye-lee-kee)

Russian: великий (pronounced vye-lee-kee)

The next word is risk. ## Риск не всегда оправдывает себя. (risk ne vsegda opravdyvaet sebja)

Breakdown:

Риск (risk) - This is the noun form of the word "risk" and is pronounced like "Reesk." It is in the nominative case, making it the subject of the sentence.

не (not) - This is the negative particle, pronounced as "nyeh".

всегда (always) - This word signifies that something happens consistently. It is pronounced as "vsegda."

оправдывает (justifies) - This is the third person singular present tense form of the verb "оправдать" (to justify), pronounced as "opravdvyvaet."

себя (itself) - This is the reflexive pronoun in the accusative case, meaning "itself." It is pronounced as "sebja."

Meaning: The sentence means "Risk does not always justify itself."

Key Concept: This sentence uses a simple present tense form of the verb "to justify." The sentence also includes a reflexive pronoun, which is used to indicate that the action of the verb affects the subject itself.

Variations:

Рисковать (to risk) - this is the verb form of the word "risk," pronounced as "riskavaat."

Рискованный (risky) - this is the adjective form of the word "risk," pronounced as "riskavany."

Translation:

Risk: Риск (Reesk)

Justify: Оправдывать (opravdvyvaat)

The next word is moment. The English word "moment" can be translated in Russian as момент (pronounced "mo-ment"). It can also be translated as мгновение (pronounced "mguh-nuh-vye-niye") which is more poetic and means a very short moment, almost a blink of an eye. This sentence uses момент in a simple context:

В этот момент я понял, что ошибся. (pronounced "v eh-tuht mo-ment ya po-nyal, chto a-shib-sya")

Breakdown:

В (pronounced "v") - In, at
этот (pronounced "eh-tuht") - this
момент (pronounced "mo-ment") - moment
я (pronounced "ya") - I
понял (pronounced "po-nyal") - understood
что (pronounced "chto") - that
ошибся (pronounced "a-shib-sya") - made a mistake

Translation: At this moment I realized that I made a mistake.

Key Concepts:

The Russian word момент has two genders, masculine and feminine. Этот момент (this moment) is masculine, but if you wanted to say Эта минута (this minute) then the word минута would be feminine.

Pay attention to the Russian word order, which is often different from English. In this sentence, the verb понял comes after the subject я.

Pronunciation:

момент - "mo-ment"

мгновение - "mguh-nuh-vye-niye"

минута - "mi-noo-ta"

The next word is different. The word "different" in Russian is разный (pronounced "raz-niy"). It can be used as an adjective or an adverb. Here are some examples:

Sentence: Эти книги очень разные. (pronounced "Ee-ti k-ni-gi o-chen raz-ni-ye")

Breakdown:

Эти (pronounced "ee-ti") means "these"

книги (pronounced "k-ni-gi") means "books"

очень (pronounced "o-chen") means "very"

разные (pronounced "raz-ni-ye") means "different"

Meaning: These books are very different.

Key Concept: The word разный ("raz-niy") is a key adjective for describing differences. It can be used with singular or plural nouns and can be modified by adverbs like "очень" ("o-chen").

Variations:

разный (pronounced "raz-niy") is the masculine form of the adjective.

разная (pronounced "raz-na-ya") is the feminine form of the adjective.

разное (pronounced "raz-no-ye") is the neuter form of the adjective.

English Translation:

different - разный ("raz-niy")

The next word is patient. The word "patient" can be used as an adjective, a noun, or a verb, but we'll focus on the noun form here.

The Russian sentence will be: "Пациент был очень терпелив." Пациент был очень терпелив.

Breakdown:

Пациент (pah-tsee-ent) - patient

This is the noun form of the word, meaning a person receiving medical treatment.

It's a masculine noun, meaning it would need a different ending if it were female ( пациентка (pah-tsee-ent-ka)).

Hint: It sounds similar to the English word but the "t" is silent.

был (beel) - was

This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the masculine singular form.

The past tense form varies based on gender and number.

очень (oh-chen) - very

This is an adverb that modifies the adjective терпелив.

Hint: This is a very common adverb.

терпелив (tyer-pye-leev) - patient (adjective)

This is an adjective meaning "patient".

It has a masculine ending.

There are variations based on gender and case. For example, the feminine form is терпелива (tyer-pye-lee-va).

Hint: This word is similar to the English "patient" but with a different sound.

Translation: The patient was very patient.

Key Concepts:

Gender and number: In Russian, nouns and adjectives have different forms based on their gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural). This affects the endings of words.

Adjectives and adverbs: Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

Past tense: The past tense in Russian is formed differently from English. There are different forms for different genders and numbers.

The next word is catch. The word "catch" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

1. "Ловить" lovit' (to catch)

This is the most common and general translation of "catch".

Example:

Я ловлю рыбу. (Ya lovlyu rybu.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
ловлю (lovlyu) - present tense of ловить (lovit'), meaning "to catch"

рыбу (rybu) - fish (accusative case)

Translation: I am catching fish.

Pronunciation:

ловлю (lovlyu) - "lov-lyu"

рыбу (rybu) - "ry-boo"

1. "Поймать" poymat' (to catch)

This is another common translation of "catch", often used for catching a moving object, such as a ball or a thief.

Example:

Он поймал мяч. (On poymal myach.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He
поймал (poymal) - past tense of поймать (poymat'), meaning "to catch"

мяч (myach) - ball (accusative case)

Translation: He caught the ball.

Pronunciation:

поймал (poymal) - "poy-mal"

мяч (myach) - "myach"

1. "Схватить" sхватит' (to grab, to catch)

This translation is often used for grabbing something quickly or forcefully, like catching someone by the arm.

Example:

Он схватил меня за руку. (On sхватил menya za ruku.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He
схватил (sхватил) - past tense of схватить (sхватит'), meaning "to grab"

меня (menya) - me (accusative case)

за (za) - for
руку (ruku) - hand (accusative case)

Translation: He grabbed my hand.

Pronunciation:

схватил (sхватил) - "sхva-til"

руку (ruku) - "roo-koo"

Key Concepts:

The choice of the word depends on the context and nuance you want to express.

Pay attention to the case of the noun following the verb.

Learn the different tenses of the verb "to catch" in Russian.

English Translation: catch - ловить (lovit') - "lov-it'"

The next word is rock. The word "rock" in Russian is камень (pronounced [kah-myen' ]), which is a masculine noun. We can use it in a sentence like this:

На берегу реки лежал большой камень.

Breakdown:

На (pronounced [nah]) - on, at, to
берегу (pronounced [bye-ryeh-goo]) - shore, bank (of a river)

реки (pronounced [rye-kee]) - river, feminine noun
лежал (pronounced [lye-zhal]) - lay, past tense of the verb лежать (to lie down)

большой (pronounced [bal-shoy]) - big, large
камень (pronounced [kah-myen']) - rock, stone

Meaning: On the bank of the river lay a large rock.

Variations:

Камни (pronounced [kahm-nee]) - rocks, stones (plural of камень)

Каменный (pronounced [kah-mye-nuh-ee]) - stony, made of stone (adjective)

Каменщик (pronounced [kah-myen-shchik]) - stone mason (noun)

Pronunciation guide:

к - k sound, like in "kick"

а - a sound, like in "father"

м - m sound, like in "man"

е - ye sound, like in "yes"

н - n sound, like in "no"

ь - this is a soft sign, it softens the preceding consonant
й - y sound, like in "yes"

г - g sound, like in "gate"

у - oo sound, like in "moon"

English: rock / Russian: камень (pronounced [kah-myen'])

The next word is war. The word "war" in Russian is война (pronounced "voy-na"). It's a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine form of adjectives and pronouns.

Here is an example sentence:

Война была страшной и принесла много страданий.

Breakdown:

Война (voy-na) - war (feminine noun)

была (by-la) - was (past tense of "to be")

страшной (strash-noy) - terrible, awful (feminine form of the adjective)

и (i) - and
принесла (pri-nes-la) - brought (past tense of "to bring")

много (mnogo) - many
страданий (stra-da-niy) - suffering (plural noun)

Translation: The war was terrible and brought a lot of suffering.

Key Concepts:

Gender in Russian nouns: War is feminine, so the adjectives and pronouns used with it must reflect that (like "страшной").

Past Tense: The verb "to be" in past tense changes depending on the gender and number of the subject, here it is "была" because the subject is "война" (feminine).

Plural forms: Nouns have different forms for singular and plural. Here "suffering" is plural, so it's "страданий".

Memorization Tip: To help you remember the gender of "война”, think of the English word “warfare”. It has the same root, and warfare is also a feminine concept.

Word Pronunciation:

война (voy-na) - Focus on the "oy" sound, similar to "boy"

была (by-la) - The "y" is soft and almost like a "j" sound.

страшной (strash-noy) - The "sh" sound is like "sh" in "ship".

принесла (pri-nes-la) - The "e" in the middle is pronounced like the "e" in "pet".

много (mnogo) - The "o" sounds like the "o" in "go".

страданий (stra-da-niy) - The "i" at the end is almost silent.

This sentence provides a good starting point for understanding the basic grammar related to the noun "война". You can use this as a base to create more complex sentences.

The next word is wrong. ## Неправильно - Nepravil'no

Breakdown

Не (Ne) - means "not" and it is placed before the word правильно.

правильно (pravil'no) - means "correctly" or "right".

This is a simple example of a negative construction in Russian. You are basically saying "not correctly."

Pronunciation Notes

Не - Ne (Say it like "neh" with the "e" sounding like the "e" in "the")

правильно - pravil'no (Say "pra-veel-no" with a slight emphasis on the first syllable)

Variations

Неправильный (nepravil'nyy) - is the adjective form meaning "wrong" or "incorrect"

Неправильность (nepravil'nost') - is the noun form meaning "incorrectness" or "wrongness"

English Translation: Wrong

Russian Translation: Неправильно (Nepravil'no)

The next word is tonight. ## Сегодня вечером я буду читать книгу.

Breakdown:

Сегодня (pronounced: see-voh-dnya) - This word means "today," but in this sentence, it functions as a part of the larger phrase Сегодня вечером (pronounced: see-voh-dnya ve-che-rom), which translates to "tonight." The word вечером (pronounced: ve-che-rom) is the instrumental case of вечер (pronounced: ve-cher) meaning "evening."

The combination of сегодня (today) and вечером (evening) creates the specific time frame of "tonight."

буду (pronounced: boo-doo) - This is the future tense of the verb быть (pronounced: bit') which means "to be." It acts as a helping verb, making the main verb "to read" in the future tense.

читать (pronounced: chit-at') - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to read" and it is in the future tense, making the sentence grammatically correct.

книгу (pronounced: k-nee-goo) - This word is the accusative case of the word книга (pronounced: k-nee-ga), which means "book."

Key concept: In this example, the word order is Subject-Verb-Object, which is the typical word order in Russian.

Translation:

Сегодня вечером (tonight)

я (I)

буду (will be)

читать (reading)

книгу (a book)

Complete sentence translation: Tonight I will be reading a book.

The next word is security. The word "security" in English can translate to several different words in Russian, depending on the context.

Here is an example sentence with the word безопасность (pronounced be-zo-pas-nost') used in the context of physical safety:

Безопасность в городе очень важна.

Breakdown

Безопасность (be-zo-pas-nost') - This is the noun "security" in the nominative case.

в (v) - This is the preposition "in".

городе (gor-o-dye) - This is the noun "city" in the prepositional case. Notice the ending on the word changed, it is now е. Remember that the prepositional case is used when talking about location or position, and is used with prepositions like в (v), на (na), and о (o).

очень (o-chen') - This is the adverb "very".

важна (vazh-na) - This is the adjective "important" in the feminine singular form. The adjective is agreeing in gender and number with the noun безопасность (be-zo-pas-nost').

Translation

Security in the city is very important.

Important points

Pay attention to the ending of the noun город (gor-od) to indicate the case.

Also, pay attention to the gender and number of the adjective важна (vazh-na).

Word variations

The noun безопасность (be-zo-pas-nost') is a feminine noun.

English - Russian
security - безопасность (be-zo-pas-nost')

The next word is guide. The word "guide" in Russian can be гид (pronounced geed) or руководство (pronounced roo-koh-vod-stvo).

Гид is a noun, meaning "guide" in the sense of a person who leads or shows a place to others. It is used for both male and female guides, and can be used with or without the gendered ending "а" (гида for male, гиду for female).

Руководство is also a noun, meaning "guide" in the sense of a book or set of instructions that provides information or directions. This word is neutral in terms of gender.

Here is a sentence using гид:

Наш гид показал нам все главные достопримечательности города. (pronounced nish geed pah-kah-zal nam v-se glavn-ye das-ta-pri-me-cha-tel-nas-ti gor-ah-da)

Наш (pronounced nish) - our
гид (pronounced geed) - guide
показал (pronounced pah-kah-zal) - showed (masculine past tense of the verb показать (pronounced pah-kah-zat') - to show)

нам (pronounced nam) - us (dative case)

все (pronounced v-se) - all
главные (pronounced glavn-ye) - main
достопримечательности (pronounced das-ta-pri-me-cha-tel-nas-ti) - sights, attractions
города (pronounced gor-ah-da) - city (genitive case, as it follows the preposition в)

Translation: Our guide showed us all the main sights of the city.

This sentence demonstrates the use of the preposition в (pronounced v) which is used to indicate location. Here, it is combined with the genitive case of город, becoming города.

Remember that гид can be used in other grammatical cases too:

гида (pronounced gee-da) - guide (genitive case)

гиду (pronounced gee-doo) - guide (dative case)

гидом (pronounced gee-dom) - guide (instrumental case)

гиде (pronounced gee-de) - guide (prepositional case)

The correct grammatical case depends on the context of the sentence.

Guide - гид (pronounced geed)

Guide - руководство (pronounced roo-koh-vod-stvo)

The next word is basic. English: This is a basic базовый [ba-zo-vyj] sentence.

Russian: Это базовый [e-ta ba-zo-vyj] предложение. predlozhenie [prid-la-zhe-ni-ye]

Breakdown:

базовый [ba-zo-vyj] is an adjective that means “basic.” It is a masculine singular adjective, because it modifies the masculine noun предложение [prid-la-zhe-ni-ye] "sentence."

The adjective ends in [-ый] [y] after a consonant, which is the masculine singular form of the adjective.

The о [o] in the root баз [baz] is stressed and pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

Это [e-ta] is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "that."

предложение [prid-la-zhe-ni-ye] means "sentence," and ends in a soft sign ь ['] that signals that the preceding consonant is palatalized.

This is a very common word, and it is good to memorize because it is used often in every day speech.

Key Concept: Russian adjectives change their form to agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. This is a key concept in Russian grammar.

Variations:

Feminine: базовая [ba-zo-va-ya]

Plural: базовые [ba-zo-vy-ye]

English Translation: basic базовый [ba-zo-vyj]

Russian Translation: sentence предложение [prid-la-zhe-ni-ye]

The next word is culture. Культура играет важную роль в жизни любого человека.

Breakdown:

Культура (pronounced "kul-TOO-ra") - Culture.

This is the noun, in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

играет (pronounced "ee-GRAH-yet") - Plays.

This is the verb in the present tense, third person singular, agreeing with the subject, "culture."

важную (pronounced "VAHZH-noo-yoo") - Important.

This is an adjective in the accusative case, modifying "role."

роль (pronounced "ROHL") - Role.

This is the noun, in the accusative case, the direct object of the verb "plays."

в (pronounced "f") - In.

This is a preposition, followed by the noun phrase "life of any person."

жизни (pronounced "ZHI-zni") - Life.

This is the noun, in the prepositional case, after the preposition "in."

любого (pronounced "lyu-BOH-voh") - Any.

This is an adjective in the genitive case, modifying "person."

человека (pronounced "che-la-VEH-ka") - Person.

This is a noun in the genitive case, after the adjective "any."

Translation:

Culture plays an important role in the life of any person.

Key Concepts:

Nominative Case: The subject of the sentence.

Accusative Case: The direct object of a verb.

Genitive Case: Shows possession or belonging.

Prepositional Case: Used after prepositions like "in," "on," "at," "with," etc.

Variations:

Культурный (pronounced "kul-TOO-rny") - Cultural.

Культуролог (pronounced "kul-too-ROH-log") - Cultural anthropologist.

Культурный центр (pronounced "kul-TOO-rny tsentr") - Cultural center.

Pronunciation Tips:

о is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

е is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

и is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

ы is pronounced like the "i" in "machine."

а is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

у is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon."

я is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard."

The next word is generally. ## Generally

Sentence: Обычно я хожу в университет пешком.

Breakdown:

Обычно (ah-BOo-b-nuh) - means "generally" or "usually" and is an adverb. It modifies the verb хожу (kho-zhoo).

я (ya) - means "I" and is a personal pronoun, the subject of the sentence.

хожу (kho-zhoo) - means "walk" or "go" and is a verb in the present tense.

в (f) - means "to" or "in" and is a preposition.

университет (oo-nee-ver-see-TEHT) - means "university" and is a noun.

пешком (pyesh-KOHM) - means "on foot" or "by walking" and is an adverb.

Translation: Generally I walk to the university.

Variations:

обычно (ah-BOo-ch-nuh) - can be used interchangeably with Обычно

Key Concepts:

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

The preposition в can indicate location or direction.

Pronunciation:

Обычно (ah-BOo-b-nuh) - The 'b' sound is almost silent, like the 'b' in 'doubt'.

хожу (kho-zhoo) - The 'ж' (zh) sound is like the 's' in 'vision'.

пешком (pyesh-KOHM) - The 'к' (k) sound is similar to the English 'k' but pronounced with a slight back-of-the-throat 'h' sound.

The next word is season. The Russian word for season is сезон (sezon). This word is masculine and is used in the nominative case.

Here is a sentence using this word:

В России четыре сезона: весна, лето, осень и зима.

This translates to: "In Russia, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter."

Let's break down the sentence:

- В (v) - this is a preposition meaning "in" and it's used here to indicate location.

- России (Rossii) - this is the genitive case of the word Russia. "Genitive" is a grammatical case that shows possession. The word Россия (Rossiya) means "Russia" but it is feminine. Feminine words in Russian have different forms depending on case, number and gender. This is in the genitive case, singular and feminine.

- четыре (chetyre) - this is the word for "four" and it is used with masculine nouns.

- сезона (sezona) - this is the genitive case, plural of the word season, сезон (sezon).

- весна (vesna) - this is the word for "spring" and it is feminine.

- лето (leto) - this is the word for "summer" and it is neuter.

- осень (osen) - this is the word for "autumn" and it is feminine.

- зима (zima) - this is the word for "winter" and it is feminine.

Notice that the ending of the word for season changes depending on the case.

Here is a table to help you remember the basic cases and their endings for masculine nouns:

| Case | Ending | Example |

|------------|-------------|--------------------|

| Nominative | - | сезон |

| Genitive | -а, -я | сезона |

| Dative | -у, -ю | сезону |

| Accusative | -а, -я | сезон |

| Instrumental| -ом, -ем | сезоном |

| Prepositional| -е, -и | сезоне |

Key Concepts:

- Case: Russian has six cases which change the ending of the word. Knowing the different cases will help you learn how to use Russian words in sentences.

- Gender: Nouns in Russian have a gender. It is important to know the gender of the noun so that you can use the correct case and number endings.

Don't forget to practice the pronunciation:

- сезон (sezon) - "se-zon" with the stress on the second syllable.

- весна (vesna) - "ves-na" with the stress on the second syllable.

- лето (leto) - "le-to" with the stress on the second syllable.

- осень (osen) - "o-sen'" with the stress on the first syllable.

- зима (zima) - "zi-ma" with the stress on the first syllable.

Good luck learning Russian!

The next word is cent. The word "cent" in English can translate to several different words in Russian depending on context. This example will focus on the meaning of "cent" as in one-hundredth of a dollar.

Here is an example sentence:

The price of the coffee is one цент (tsent) - Цена (tse-na) кофе - один цент (tsent).

Breakdown:

Цена (tse-na) - this is the Russian word for "price."

кофе (ko-fe) - this is the Russian word for "coffee."

один (a-din) - this is the Russian word for "one."

цент (tsent) - this is the Russian word for "cent."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Цена (tse-na) is a feminine noun, which means that the adjective modifying it will also be feminine. This is why we use the feminine form of "one," which is один (a-din) in this case.

Plural: The word "cent" is usually singular. However, you can make it plural by adding the ending -ы (-i). So "cents" in Russian would be "центы (tsen-ti)."

Pronunciation:

цент (tsent) - The "c" in this word sounds like the "ts" in the English word "cats."

Цена (tse-na) - The "c" in this word sounds like the "ts" in the English word "cats."

кофе (ko-fe) - The "o" is similar to the English "o."

один (a-din) - The first "i" in this word is similar to the English "i" and the second one is similar to the "ee" in "bee."

English Translation: The price of the coffee is one cent.

Russian Translation: Цена (tse-na) кофе - один цент (tsent).

The next word is quote. Он процитировал строчку из известного стихотворения.

Breakdown:

Он [on] - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

процитировал [pro-tsee-tee-ro-val] - quoted (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

строчку [stroch-koo] - line (noun, feminine, accusative case)

из [iz] - from (preposition)

известного [ee-z-veest-no-vo] - famous, well-known (adjective, masculine, genitive case)

стихотворения [s-tee-ho-tvore-nee-ya] - poem (noun, neuter, genitive case)

Key Concepts:

Word order: The basic word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object, but it can be flexible. In this sentence, the object ("строчку") comes before the verb ("процитировал") because the sentence is emphasizing the object.

Case endings: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this sentence, "строчку" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "процитировал," and "известного" is in the genitive case because it modifies the noun "стихотворения."

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), which affect the endings of adjectives and pronouns that modify them. In this sentence, "строчку" is feminine, and "известного" agrees with it in gender.

Translation:

He quoted a line from a famous poem.

Pronunciation:

Он [on] - "on"

процитировал [pro-tsee-tee-ro-val] - "pro-tsee-tee-ro-val"

строчку [stroch-koo] - "stroch-koo"

из [iz] - "iz"

известного [ee-z-veest-no-vo] - "ee-z-veest-no-vo"

стихотворения [s-tee-ho-tvore-nee-ya] - "s-tee-ho-tvore-nee-ya"

Variations:

Она процитировала строчку из известного стихотворения. - She quoted a line from a famous poem.

Они процитировали строчку из известного стихотворения. - They quoted a line from a famous poem.

Remember:

The key to understanding Russian grammar is to pay attention to the endings of words, as they carry a lot of grammatical information.

The next word is possibility. There is a possibility that it will rain today.

Есть возможность, что сегодня пойдет дождь.

Breakdown:

Есть (pronounced "Yest") - This is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb "to be" (быть byt'). It means "there is" or "there are."

возможность (pronounced "vozmozhnost'") - This is the noun "possibility" and is in the nominative case.

что (pronounced "chto") - This is the conjunction "that."

сегодня (pronounced "sevodnya") - This is the adverb "today."

пойдёт (pronounced "poydot") - This is the 3rd person singular future tense of the verb "to go" (идти idti). It is used in the context of weather, meaning "it will go" or "it will be."

дождь (pronounced "dozhd'") - This is the noun "rain."

Key concepts:

Word order: The basic word order in Russian is subject-verb-object. However, in this sentence, the subject is implied, making the word order verb-object.

Tenses: Russian verbs have a complex system of tenses. This sentence uses the present tense for "есть" and the future tense for "пойдёт".

Nominative Case: The noun "возможность" is in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence.

Variations:

"возможно" - This is an adjective meaning "possible" which can be used as a predicate adjective, like "It is possible that it will rain today."

Translation:

Possibility - возможность (pronounced "vozmozhnost'")

There is - есть (pronounced "Yest")

The next word is pair. The word "pair" in English can translate to several words in Russian, depending on the context.

Here's a Russian sentence using the word "pair" in the context of a pair of shoes:

У меня есть пара новых ботинок.

У меня - This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun "I" - я. It is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. This is similar to saying "I" in English
есть - This is the present tense of the verb "to have" - иметь. It means "I have". This is similar to saying "have" in English
пара - This is the noun "pair". This is similar to saying "pair" in English
новых - This is the adjective "new", in the genitive case. The genitive case is used to indicate possession, which in this case is "of" the shoes. This is similar to saying "new" in English
ботинок - This is the noun "shoes" in the genitive plural. The genitive plural case is used when referring to a pair of shoes, which has two parts. This is similar to saying "shoes" in English

Translation: I have a pair of new shoes.

Pronunciation:

У - Oo
меня - Mye-nya
есть - Yest
пара - Pah-rah
новых - Noh-vikh
ботинок - Bah-tee-nahk

Here's another example using "pair" in a different context.

Я купил пару перчаток.

Я - This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun "I" - я. This is similar to saying "I" in English
купил - This is the past tense of the verb "to buy" - купить. It means "I bought". This is similar to saying "bought" in English
пару - This is the noun "pair" in the accusative case. This is similar to saying "pair" in English
перчаток - This is the noun "gloves" in the genitive plural case. The genitive plural case is used when referring to a pair of gloves. This is similar to saying "gloves" in English

Translation: I bought a pair of gloves.

Pronunciation:

Я - Ya
купил - Koo-peel
пару - Pah-roo
перчаток - Per-cha-tok

In Russian, "pair" can be used with many nouns that come in two parts, such as:

пара туфель (a pair of shoes)

пара носков (a pair of socks)

пара рукавиц (a pair of mittens)

пара ваз (a pair of vases)

пара чашек (a pair of cups)

You can use the noun пара to refer to two things that are paired together, whether they are literally a "pair" or not. Here are some examples:

Мы встретились с парой друзей. (We met up with a couple of friends.)

Он взял с собой пару книг. (He took a couple of books with him.)

Pronunciation:

пара - Pah-rah
туфель - Too-fel
носков - Noh-sok
рукавиц - Roo-ka-vits
ваз - Vahz
чашек - Cha-shek
друзей - Dru-zey
книг - K-neek

Remember that "pair" in Russian is usually translated as пара, but there are some other words that can be used depending on the context. The word пара is also used to mean "couple" or "two".

The next word is comfortable. The Russian sentence is:

Я чувствую себя комфортно в этой комнате.

Breakdown:

Я - This is the subject pronoun, meaning "I." Pronounced [yah].

чувствую - This is the present tense verb "to feel." It is in the first person singular form, so it is conjugated to agree with the subject "I". It is pronounced [chuvstvuyu].

себя - This is the reflexive pronoun "myself". This is important to include as the verb "чувствовать" (to feel) is a reflexive verb in Russian. Pronounced [syebya].

комфортно - This is the adverb meaning "comfortably". It is a derivative of the adjective "комфортный" (comfortable). Pronounced [komforntno].

в - This is the preposition "in". Pronounced [v].

этой - This is the demonstrative adjective "this." It is feminine to agree with the noun "комната". Pronounced [ehtoy].

комнате - This is the noun "room" in the feminine, locative case. It is in the locative case to be used with the preposition "в" (in). Pronounced [komnate].

Translation: I feel comfortable in this room.

Key concept: Russian uses a lot of case endings, which makes it a highly inflected language.

This is in contrast to English, which tends to use prepositions to indicate relationships between words.

Word: comfortable - комфортный (pronounced [komforntniy])

Word: comfortably - комфортно (pronounced [komforntno])

The next word is particular. ## A Sentence Using "Particular"

English: This particular book is very interesting.

Russian: Эта конкретная книга очень интересная.

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine, singular, nominative case). It's the subject of the sentence.

конкретная (kan-kreht-naya) - Particular (feminine, singular, nominative case). It describes the book. This word is from the Latin "concretus" and is commonly used in Russian when you want to emphasize something is specific.

книга (k-ni-ga) - Book (feminine, singular, nominative case).

очень (oh-chen) - Very. This is an adverb modifying the adjective "interesting" and emphasizes the degree of interest.

интересная (in-te-res-naya) - Interesting (feminine, singular, nominative case).

Key Concepts:

Case: The word "книга" is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Gender: Russian nouns have gender. "книга" is feminine.

Adjectives agree: The adjectives "конкретная" and "интересная" are in the feminine gender and singular form to agree with the noun they are describing.

Variations:

You can change the word "книга" to a masculine or neuter noun and the adjectives would change to agree:

Этот конкретный фильм очень интересный. (This particular film is very interesting)

Это конкретное событие очень интересное. (This particular event is very interesting)

Pronunciation:

конкретная (kan-kreht-naya) - "kon" like "con" in "cone," "kreht" like "krate," "naya" like "nay" in "say"

English Translation:

particular: конкретный (kan-kreht-nyy) (masculine), конкретная (kan-kreht-naya) (feminine), конкретное (kan-kreht-noe) (neuter)

interesting: интересный (in-te-res-nyy) (masculine), интересная (in-te-res-naya) (feminine), интересное (in-te-res-noe) (neuter)

The next word is modern. The word "modern" in Russian is современный (so-vray-men-nый). This is an adjective meaning something new, up-to-date or belonging to the present time.

Here is a sentence example:

Это современный фильм (Eh-to so-vray-men-nый fil'm).

This translates as, "This is a modern film".

The word фильм (fil'm) means film in English and is pronounced "fil'm".

Breakdown:

Это (Eh-to) - This. It is a pronoun meaning "this"

современный (so-vray-men-nый) - Modern. It is an adjective meaning "new", "current", or "belonging to the present time"

фильм (fil'm) - Film. It is a noun referring to a movie
фильм is in the nominative case as the subject of the sentence. The sentence is in the present tense and uses the neutral form of "to be".

Key Concepts:

The adjective современный (so-vray-men-nый) is in the masculine singular form, agreeing with the masculine singular noun фильм (fil'm).

The word order is subject-verb-adjective-noun, which is the common order for basic Russian sentences.

Variations:

The adjective современный (so-vray-men-nый) can also be used in the feminine singular form современная (so-vray-men-naya) or the plural forms современные (so-vray-men-nye) for masculine or feminine nouns.

Pronunciation Guide:

современный (so-vray-men-nый) - The stress is on the second syllable, "vray"

фильм (fil'm) - The stress is on the first syllable, "fil"

Translation:

Modern - современный (so-vray-men-nый)

Film - фильм (fil'm)

The next word is respond. Please provide an English word so I can create a Russian sentence for you, along with a breakdown of the grammar, meaning, variations, and translation. I will also include pronunciation hints using the markers for easier translation with eSpeak. 😊

The next word is single. The word "single" in Russian can be expressed in several ways, depending on the context. Here's an example using the word одинокий (odinokiĭ) which implies loneliness and can refer to a person or a state of being.

Sentence:

Он был одинокий, но сильный. (On byl odinokiĭ, no sil'nyĭ.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (pronoun, nominative case, masculine) - pronounced like "ohn"

был (byl) - was (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced like "beel"

одинокий (odinokiĭ) - lonely (adjective, masculine singular) - pronounced like "ah-dee-no-kee"

но (no) - but (conjunction) - pronounced like "noh"

сильный (sil'nyĭ) - strong (adjective, masculine singular) - pronounced like "seel-nee"

Translation:

He was lonely, but strong.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Word Order: Russian is a more flexible language than English in terms of word order, but the basic order in this sentence is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

Variations of "single": Other ways to say "single" in Russian include один (odin) - one (for a single item), неженатый (nezhenatyĭ) - unmarried (for a man), and незамужняя (nezamuzhniaya) - unmarried (for a woman).

Pronunciation Guide:

о (o) - like the "o" in "hot"

и (i) - like the "ee" in "see"

н (n) - like the "n" in "no"

к (k) - like the "k" in "kite"

й (ĭ) - a soft "y" sound
л (l) - like the "l" in "lake"

ь (') - a soft sign, does not have a sound but affects the sound of the preceding consonant
с (s) - like the "s" in "sun"

English - Russian Translation of the Word:

Single - одинокий (odinokiĭ)

The next word is access. The word доступ (pronounced: dah-STOO-p) means "access" in Russian. It's a noun, and it can refer to both physical access (like entering a building) and digital access (like logging into an account). In this sentence, we're using the genitive case of доступ (доступа (pronounced: dah-STOO-pa) to show possession.

Here's an example sentence:

У меня нет доступа к этой информации.

У меня нет доступа к этой информации.

Let's break it down:

У меня (oo MYE-nya) - This means "I have" and is the possessive form of the pronoun я (ya) "I".

нет (nyet) - This means "no" or "not"

доступа (dah-STOO-pa) - This is the genitive case of the noun доступ, which means "access."

к (k) - This preposition means "to" or "towards"

этой (eh-TOY) - This means "this" and is the dative case of the demonstrative pronoun это (eh-ta)

информации (in-for-MA-tsii) - This is the dative case of the noun информация (in-for-MA-tsiya), which means "information"

Translation: I do not have access to this information.

Remember, the key to understanding this sentence is to recognize the genitive case of the noun доступ, which is доступа.

Word Breakdown:

Access (English) - доступ (dah-STOO-p) (Russian)

Information (English) - информация (in-for-MA-tsiya) (Russian)

The next word is primary. The word primary can be translated into Russian as первичный (pronounced per-VICH-niy) or основной (pronounced os-NOV-noy).

Let's break down a sentence using первичный:

Первичная задача - это обеспечить безопасность.

Первичная (per-VICH-naya) - primary (feminine form of первичный to agree with задача).

задача (za-DA-cha) - task.

это (e-to) - this.

обеспечить (o-be-spe-CHIT') - to ensure.

безопасность (be-zo-PAS-nost') - safety.

Translation: The primary task is to ensure safety.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives (like первичный) must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here, задача is feminine, so we use the feminine form of the adjective.

обеспечить: This verb is often used to express ensuring or guaranteeing something.

Variations of первичный:

первичные (per-VICH-nye) - primary (plural)

первичного (per-VICH-no-go) - primary (genitive singular masculine)

English and Russian translation with pronunciation:

primary - первичный (per-VICH-niy)

The next word is measure. The Russian sentence is:

Измерьте температуру воды.

Breakdown:

Измерьте - Imperative verb, meaning "measure" (pronounced: iz-MEH-ree-tye)

температуру - Noun, meaning "temperature" (pronounced: tem-peh-rah-TOO-roo)

воды - Noun, meaning "water" (pronounced: vah-DEE)

The sentence means "Measure the temperature of the water."

Key concepts:

The imperative verb "Измерьте" is used to give a command. It is formed by adding the ending "-ьте" to the stem of the verb.

The noun "температуру" is in the accusative case, which is used for the direct object of a verb.

The noun "воды" is in the genitive case, which is used to show possession or belonging.

Variations of the word "измерить":

Измерил - past tense, masculine singular (pronounced: iz-MEH-reel)

Измерила - past tense, feminine singular (pronounced: iz-MEH-ree-la)

Измерили - past tense, plural (pronounced: iz-MEH-ree-lee)

Измеряю - present tense, singular (pronounced: iz-meh-RYA-yu)

Translation of words:

Измерьте - measure
температуру - temperature
воды - water

The next word is argument. The word аргумент (argument) in Russian can be used as both a noun and an adjective.

As a noun:

The sentence: У него был хороший аргумент в свою защиту. (u nego byl horoshiy argument v svoyu zashchitu)

у него (u nego) - means "he had" - pronounced "oo nyego"

был (byl) - means "was" - pronounced "beel"

хороший (horoshiy) - means "good" - pronounced "horoshiy"

аргумент (argument) - means "argument" - pronounced "ar-goo-ment"

в свою защиту (v svoyu zashchitu) - means "in his defense" - pronounced "v svoyoo za-shchi-too"

Translation: He had a good argument in his defense.

As an adjective:

The sentence: Он представил аргументированное мнение. (on predstavil argumentyirovannoe mnenie)

он (on) - means "he" - pronounced "on"

представил (predstavil) - means "presented" - pronounced "pred-sta-veel"

аргументированное (argumentyirovannoe) - means "well-argued, reasoned" - pronounced "ar-goo-men-tee-ro-van-noe"

мнение (mnenie) - means "opinion" - pronounced "mnye-niye"

Translation: He presented a well-argued opinion.

Note:

The adjective form of аргумент (argument) is аргументированный (argumentyirovannyy), which is derived from the noun. The ending "-ный" (-nyy) is often used to form adjectives from nouns.

Pronunciation:

аргумент (argument) - pronounced "ar-goo-ment"

аргументированный (argumentyirovannyy) - pronounced "ar-goo-men-tee-ro-van-nyy"

English Translation: argument

Russian Translation: аргумент (argument)

The next word is healthy. The word здоровый (pronounced zdo-ro-vy) is an adjective that means "healthy."

Here is an example sentence using the word здоровый:

Я стараюсь вести здоровый образ жизни. (pronounced Ya sta-ra-yus ve-sti zdo-ro-vy obraz zhi-zni)

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced Ya) - I
стараюсь (pronounced sta-ra-yus) - I try (present tense, 1st person singular)

вести (pronounced ve-sti) - to lead (infinitive verb)

здоровый (pronounced zdo-ro-vy) - healthy
образ (pronounced o-braz) - way, manner, style
жизни (pronounced zhi-zni) - life (genitive case, plural)

Translation: I try to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Key Concept: The word образ (pronounced o-braz) is often used in combination with an adjective to describe a specific way of life or behavior. For example, здоровый образ жизни (pronounced zdo-ro-vy obraz zhi-zni) means "healthy lifestyle" and активный образ жизни (pronounced ak-tiv-ny obraz zhi-zni) means "active lifestyle."

Variations:

The word здоровый (pronounced zdo-ro-vy) can also be used as a noun meaning "healthy person." For example: Он всегда был здоровым. (pronounced On vseg-da byl zdo-ro-vym) - He was always a healthy person.

Pronunciation:

здоровый (pronounced zdo-ro-vy)

образ (pronounced o-braz)

жизни (pronounced zhi-zni)

English Translation: healthy, healthy person

Russian Translation: здоровый (pronounced zdo-ro-vy)

The next word is profit. The company made a significant прибыль this quarter.

Breakdown:

прибыль (pronounced pree-bil') means "profit" in Russian. It is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine form of the adjective "significant" - значительная (pronounced zna-chi-tel'-naya).

The sentence structure is straightforward: "The company" (компания) + "made" (получила) + "a significant" (значительную) + "profit" (прибыль) + "this quarter" (в этом квартале).

The sentence demonstrates the use of the accusative case with the feminine noun, прибыль. This is because the verb получила (pronounced pa-loo-chee-la) takes the accusative case of its direct object.

Translation:

Company: компания (pronounced kom-pa-ni-ya)

Made: получила (pronounced pa-loo-chee-la)

Significant: значительную (pronounced zna-chi-tel'-nuyu)

Profit: прибыль (pronounced pree-bil')

This quarter: в этом квартале (pronounced v eh-tom kvahr-ta-le)

English: The company made a significant profit this quarter.

Russian: Компания получила значительную прибыль в этом квартале.

The next word is fit. This dress платье (plat'ye) сидит (si-dit) on you perfectly.

Breakdown:

платье (plat'ye) - dress, noun, feminine gender, pronounced like "plat-yeh"

сидит (si-dit) - sits, 3rd person singular present tense of the verb сидеть (si-det') - to sit.

на (na) - on, preposition. Pronounced like "nah".

Grammar: This sentence uses the present tense and is a simple statement. The word сидит (si-dit) implies that the dress fits well.

Variations:

You can use the verb идти (i-dee-t') - to go, to suit to make a similar sentence about how something fits someone. For example, Тебе (te-bye) идёт (i-dyot) этот (eh-toht) цвет (tsvet) - This color suits you.

You can use the verb подходить (pod-kha-dee-t') - to fit, to be suitable to make similar sentences. For example, Эта (eh-ta) обувь (oh-boov') подходит (pod-kha-dee-t') к (k) твоему (tva-ye-mu) платью (plat'yu) - These shoes fit your dress.

English Translation: This dress sits on you perfectly.

English & Russian Translation of the word:

fit - сидит (si-dit)

The next word is carry. The word "carry" can be used in Russian in many ways. Let's look at an example using a direct translation of the word.

Несите ведро с водой к дому.

Несите - (nesite) This is the imperative form of the verb нести (нести) meaning "to carry". It is the command form of the verb. You can use this form for multiple people as a command.

ведро - (vedro) - bucket, pail
с - (s) - with (used to indicate what is inside or attached to something).

водой - (vodoy) - water
к - (k) - to (used to indicate direction, towards something).

дому - (domu) - house

Translation: Carry the bucket of water to the house.

This demonstrates one of the ways that нести is used.

Pronunciation Guide

Несите - (nesite) - Nes-ee-tay
ведро - (vedro) - Vehd-roh
с - (s) - S
водой - (vodoy) - Voh-doh-ee
к - (k) - K
дому - (domu) - Doh-moo

The pronunciation of the 'о' in Russian is like the 'o' in 'hot'. The 'е' at the end of words is a softer, more drawn out sound.

The next word is open. The door is open.

Дверь открыта.

Breakdown:

Дверь - [dvyer] (d-vy-er) - door - Nominative case (subject of the sentence)

открыта - [otkryta] (ot-kry-ta) - open (feminine, singular, past tense, passive participle)

Key Concepts:

This sentence uses the passive voice. The subject, the door, is acted upon by an unknown force.

The word "open" is translated using the past participle of the verb "to open" (открывать - [otkryvat'] - to open) which agrees in gender and number with the noun "door."

This type of construction is common in Russian to express a state of being, and is often used with adjectives and participles.

Variations:

You can also say Дверь открыта настежь ([dvyer' otkryta nastezh']) which means "The door is wide open."

You can use this same structure with other nouns: Окно открыто ([akno otkryto]) - the window is open.

Pronunciation Notes:

The stress in Дверь is on the second syllable.

The stress in открыта is on the second syllable.

English: open

Russian: открытый - [otkrytyy] (ot-kry-tyy)

The next word is budget. The Russian word for budget is бюджет (byud-zhet).

Here is an example sentence using the word "budget":

У нас ограниченный бюджет на эту поездку.

Translation: We have a limited budget for this trip.

Breakdown:

У нас - у is a preposition meaning "at" or "with," but in this case is part of the possessive pronoun "у нас" meaning "we have". Pronounced: [oo nas].

ограниченный - means "limited" or "restricted". Pronounced: [ah-gra-nee-chen-nyi]

бюджет - budget. Pronounced: [byud-zhet]

на - a preposition meaning "on" or "for". Pronounced: [na]

эту - means "this" and is the accusative case of the demonstrative adjective этот. Pronounced: [eh-too]

поездку - means "trip" or "journey." Pronounced: [pa-yezd-koo]

Important Note: бюджет is a masculine noun.

Variations:

бюджетный (byud-zhet-nyi) is the adjective form of budget. Meaning: budgetary.

бюджетировать (byud-zhe-ti-ro-vat') is the verb form of budget meaning to budget.

English/Russian words and pronunciations:

Budget/ бюджет (byud-zhet)

Limited/ограниченный (ah-gra-nee-chen-nyi)

Trip/поездка (pa-yezd-koo)

The next word is sometimes. Sentence: Иногда я хожу в кино.

Breakdown:

Иногда (ee-na-GDA) sometimes - This is an adverb of frequency, meaning that the action happens occasionally, not always. It is very similar to "sometimes" in English. You can use it with different verbs, depending on what you want to say. For example, "Иногда я читаю книги" (Sometimes I read books).

я (ya) I - This is the subject of the sentence, the person doing the action.

хожу (ho-zhu) go - This is the verb, the action of the sentence. Here, it's in the present tense, meaning that this happens regularly.

в (v) in, to - This is a preposition, which shows the relationship between the noun "кино" and the verb "хожу".

кино (kee-NO) cinema, movies - This is the object of the sentence, the place where the action happens.

English Translation: Sometimes I go to the cinema.

Key Concepts:

Adverb of Frequency: Words like иногда tell us how often something happens.

Present Tense: Verbs in the present tense describe actions that happen regularly.

Prepositions: Words like в connect nouns and verbs to give context.

Object: The noun that receives the action of the verb.

Pronunciation:

Иногда: ee-na-GDA
я: ya
хожу: ho-zhu
в: v
кино: kee-NO

The next word is connect. The word "connect" in English has many possible meanings in Russian. Here is an example using the meaning "to connect" as in to join two things together:

Он соединил два провода

On soedininil dva provoda

Breakdown:

Он - On is the masculine singular pronoun "he" pronounced as "ohn"

соединил - soedininil - is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb соединить - soedinit' which means "to connect, to join" pronounced as "suh-yi-dee-neel"

два - dva - is the masculine singular form of the number "two" pronounced "dva"

провода - provoda - is the masculine plural form of the noun "wire" pronounced as "pruh-vuh-da"

Translation: "He connected two wires"

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender, masculine, feminine or neuter. The gender of a noun impacts the form of adjectives, pronouns and verbs that agree with the noun.

Number: Russian nouns have singular and plural forms. The form of the noun will affect the form of adjectives, pronouns and verbs that agree with the noun.

Case: Russian nouns have six cases. The case of a noun determines its role in the sentence and affects the form of the noun and any adjectives that modify it.

Pronunciation:

Он On - "ohn"

соединил soedininil - "suh-yi-dee-neel"

два - dva - "dva"

провода - provoda - "pruh-vuh-da"

Variations:

The word соединить - soedinit' - "to connect, to join" has several variations depending on the tense, person, and number of the verb. Here are a few examples:

Я соединяю два провода Ya soedinyayu dva provoda - "I am connecting two wires" (present tense)

Мы соединим два провода My soedinim dva provoda - "We will connect two wires" (future tense)

Она соединила два провода Ona soedinila dva provoda - "She connected two wires" (past tense)

Learning the different forms of соединить - soedinit' - "to connect, to join" will improve your ability to use the verb in different contexts.

The next word is investigation. ## Расследование дела оказалось очень сложным.

Breakdown:

Расследование ([rassledovanye] - investigation): This is the noun form of the verb расследовать ([rassledovat'] - to investigate). The ending [-ie] indicates a noun.

дела ([dyela] - case/affair): This is the genitive plural form of the noun дело ([dyelo] - case/affair) which is used after the preposition о ([o] - about)

оказалось ([okazalos'] - turned out to be): This is the past tense, neuter form of the verb оказаться ([okazatsya] - to turn out to be). It is used in impersonal sentences where the subject is not a person, in this case, the investigation.

очень ([ochen'] - very): This is an adverb that modifies the adjective сложным ([slozhnym] - complex).

сложным ([slozhnym] - complex): This is the instrumental case singular form of the adjective сложный ([slozhnyy] - complex). The ending [-ym] indicates the instrumental case.

Translation:

The investigation of the case turned out to be very complex.

Key Concept:

This sentence illustrates the use of the impersonal verb оказаться ([okazatsya] - to turn out to be) and its past tense form оказалось ([okazalos']).

Helpful Hints:

Pronounce Расследование ([rassledovanye]) as "rass-le-do-va-ni-ye".

Pronounce дела ([dyela]) as "dye-la".

Pronounce оказалось ([okazalos']) as "o-ka-za-los'".

Pronounce очень ([ochen']) as "o-chen'".

Pronounce сложным ([slozhnym]) as "slozh-nym".

English: investigation

Russian: расследование ([rassledovanye])

The next word is arm. The word "arm" in English can be used as a noun or verb. As a noun it refers to the upper limb of a human or animal. As a verb, "arm" means to provide someone with weapons.

Here is a sentence using "arm" as a noun:

У него сильные руки.

U nego sil'nye ruki.

Breakdown:

У - u - This is the preposition "at" or "with" in this case. It is pronounced like the English "oo" sound.

него - nego - This is the pronoun "him". It is pronounced like "nyeh-go".

сильные - sil'nye - This is the adjective "strong" and is pronounced "seel-nye".

руки - ruki - This is the plural noun "hands" pronounced "roo-ki"

The sentence translates to: He has strong arms.

Variations:

You can replace "strong" with other adjectives like "weak", "thin" or "long", depending on the context.

You can change the gender and number of the pronoun. For example, "She has strong arms" would be У неё сильные руки..

You can replace "arms" with other body parts, like ноги (legs), голова (head) or спина (back).

Pronunciation Notes:

Remember that the Russian letter ь (soft sign) does not have a sound of its own. It simply indicates that the preceding consonant is soft.

Pay attention to the stress in the words. The stress is marked with the accent mark.

English: arm - [arm]

Russian: рука - ruka

The next word is visit. ## Я собираюсь посетить музей завтра.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced like "ya"

собираюсь - I am going to (verb, present tense, imperfective aspect, 1st person singular) - pronounced like "suh-bee-ray-us"

посетить - to visit (verb, infinitive) - pronounced like "puh-see-tee-t"

музей - museum (noun, masculine, nominative case) - pronounced like "moo-zay"

завтра - tomorrow (adverb) - pronounced like "zav-tra"

Meaning: I am going to visit the museum tomorrow.

Key Concepts:

Imperfective Aspect: In Russian, verbs have two aspects: perfective and imperfective. The imperfective aspect describes an ongoing action, while the perfective aspect describes a completed action. The verb собираюсь is in the imperfective aspect because it describes an ongoing plan or intention.

Infinitive: The infinitive form of the verb is used after the verb собираюсь to express an intended action.

Nominative Case: The noun музей is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Variations of посетить:

посещу - I will visit (future tense, perfective aspect, 1st person singular)

посетил - I visited (past tense, perfective aspect, 1st person singular)

Translation:

Я - I
собираюсь - am going to
посетить - visit
музей - museum
завтра - tomorrow

Pronunciation Guide:

посетить - puh-see-tee-t
музей - moo-zay

The next word is receive. The student получил a good grade on the exam.

Breakdown:

получил is the masculine past tense singular form of the verb получать (to receive). This word is pronounced pah-loo-cheel.

получить (to receive) is a perfective verb, meaning it describes a completed action. This is the most common form of получать and is used for most instances of the verb.

The verb conjugation in this sentence is in the masculine singular form since the subject is студент (student).

Other forms of the verb are:

получила (feminine past tense singular, pronounced pah-loo-chee-la)

получили (plural past tense, pronounced pah-loo-chee-lee)

получил (masculine past tense singular, pronounced pah-loo-cheel)

хорошую (good) is a feminine adjective that agrees in gender with оценку (grade).

оценку (grade) is a feminine noun.

на (on) is a preposition.

экзамене (exam) is a masculine noun.

Sentence Translation:

The student received a good grade on the exam.

English and Russian Word Pronunciations:

receive - получать (pah-loo-chaat')

receive (past tense singular) - получил (pah-loo-cheel)

grade - оценка (ah-tsen-ka)

exam - экзамен (ek-zah-men)

The next word is begin. The word "begin" in English translates to "начинать" (na-chi-nat') in Russian.

Here's an example sentence:

"Он начал писать письмо своей маме" (On nachal pisat' pismo svoey mame).

Let's break this down:

Он (on) - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) pronounced like "ohn"

начал (nachal) - began (verb, past tense, masculine singular, pronunciation is "na-chal")

писать (pisat') - to write (verb, infinitive, pronounced "pi-sat'")

письмо (pis'mo) - letter (noun, neuter, pronounced "pis'-mo")

своей (svoey) - his/her (possessive adjective, feminine singular) pronounced "svo-ey"

маме (mame) - mom/mother (noun, feminine, dative case) pronounced "ma-me"

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change form based on tense, person, and number. The verb "начинать" (nachinat') in the past tense takes the form "начал" (nachal) for the masculine singular.

Noun Cases: Russian nouns have six cases. The case of a noun determines its function in a sentence. In the sentence above, "маме" (mame) is in the dative case because it is the indirect object of the verb "писать" (pisat').

Variations:

The verb "начинать" (nachinat') can also be used in the present tense (начинает - nachinaet, he/she begins) or future tense (начнет - nachnet, he/she will begin).

The word "начало" (nachalo) is the neuter singular noun form of "начинать" (nachinat') and means "beginning."

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in Russian words is always on a specific syllable. For example, the stress in "начинать" (nachinat') falls on the second syllable ("na-chi-nat').

Pay attention to the soft sign (ь - ' ) at the end of words like "письмо" (pis'mo) and "начал" (nachal). It signifies a softening of the preceding consonant.

English-Russian Translation:

begin - начинать (na-chi-nat')

The next word is probably. The word "probably" can be translated into Russian in a couple of ways.

вероятно (pronounced: vye-ro-yat-no) - most likely, it is the most common translation of "probably." It is an adverb and functions similar to "likely" or "most likely" in English.

This word is based on the adjective вероятный (pronounced: vye-ro-yat-ny), meaning "probable."

Example: Он, вероятно, придёт завтра. (pronounced: On, vye-ro-yat-no, pri-dyot, zav-tra) - He will probably come tomorrow.

возможно (pronounced: voz-mozh-no) - is also used as a translation of "probably," but it implies a greater possibility or chance. It can also be translated as "possibly."

This word is based on the adjective возможный (pronounced: voz-mozh-ny), meaning "possible."

Example: Возможно, она уже ушла. (pronounced: Voz-mozh-no, ona, uzhe, u-shla) - She may already have left (or it is possible she already left).

скорее всего (pronounced: ska-ree-ye vsyo-go) - this phrase is used for greater emphasis and means "most likely" or "very likely."

скорее (pronounced: ska-ree-ye) means "faster" or "sooner" but when used in the phrase скорее всего, it means "most likely."

Example: Скорее всего, он уже уехал. (pronounced: Ska-ree-ye vsyo-go, on, uzhe, u-ye-hal) - He most likely already left.

Remember: The best translation of "probably" depends on the context and the level of certainty you want to convey.

English: probably / Russian: вероятно (pronounced: vye-ro-yat-no)

The next word is book. The sentence is: "Я люблю читать книги." Я люблю читать книги.

Breakdown:

Я Я means "I" in Russian. The "Я" is pronounced like "ya". It is the subject of the sentence.

люблю люблю means "love" in Russian. It is a verb in the present tense and is conjugated for the first person singular, meaning "I love". The "ю" is pronounced like "yoo".

читать читать means "to read" in Russian. It is an infinitive verb. The "а" is pronounced like "ah".

книги книги means "books" in Russian. It is a noun, plural form of "книга" книга (book). The "и" is pronounced like "ee".

This sentence is a simple declarative sentence that states a fact about the speaker's love for reading books.

Variations:

You can replace the word "книги" книги (books) with any other noun that you love to read such as "журналы" журналы (magazines), "газеты" газеты (newspapers), or "поэзию" поэзию (poetry). The verb "читать" читать is always used when talking about reading.

Pronunciation:

Я Я - "ya"

люблю люблю - "lyoo-blyoo"

читать читать - "chi-tat'"

книги книги - "k-nee-gee"

Translation:

book - книга - "k-nee-gah"

This sentence demonstrates the use of the present tense in Russian. You can also use the past tense to say "I loved to read books" - "Я любил читать книги" Я любил читать книги. The verb changes from люблю люблю to любил любил ("loved") in the past tense.

The next word is artist. The word "artist" in Russian is художник (pronounced "hoo-dozh-nik"). It's a masculine noun, so if you're talking about a female artist, you would use the feminine form художница (pronounced "hoo-dozh-ni-tsa").

Here is a sentence:

Этот художник рисует красивые картины. (eh-tot hoo-dozh-nik ri-soo-yet kra-si-vye kar-ti-ny)

This sentence means "This artist paints beautiful pictures."

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-tot) - This (masculine singular)

художник (hoo-dozh-nik) - artist
рисует (ri-soo-yet) - paints (present tense, 3rd person singular)

красивые (kra-si-vye) - beautiful (plural, feminine)

картины (kar-ti-ny) - pictures

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender. "Artist" is masculine.

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, художник (hoo-dozh-nik) is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

Plural: The word for "pictures" (картины (kar-ti-ny)) is in the plural, so the adjective красивые (kra-si-vye) also changes to agree in number and gender.

Pronunciation guide:

х (kh) is a voiceless velar fricative, like the "ch" in "Bach"

ж (zh) is a voiced postalveolar fricative, like the "s" in "pleasure"

щ (shch) is a voiceless postalveolar affricate, like the "sh" in "ship" but with a slight "ch" sound at the end.

ц (ts) is a voiceless postalveolar affricate, like the "ts" in "cats"

ч (ch) is a voiceless palatal affricate, like the "ch" in "chair"

ш (sh) is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, like the "sh" in "ship"

English translation: artist - artist (hoo-dozh-nik)

The next word is interview. The word "interview" in Russian is интервью (pronounced "in-ter-vyu"). This word is a noun and is used in the same context as in English. Here is an example:

Я прошел интервью на работу. (Ya proshel intervyu na rabotu.)

This translates to: I passed the job interview.

Я (Ya) - This is the subject pronoun, "I".

прошел (proshel) - Past tense of the verb "to pass" or "to go through".

интервью (intervyu) - "interview"

на (na) - preposition that means "on" or "for" (in this case "for").

работу (rabotu) - "job" - This is the accusative case of работа (rabota). The accusative case is used when the noun is the direct object of the verb.

Key concept: In Russian, nouns change forms depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. These forms are called cases. The accusative case is one of the most common cases and is used to indicate that the noun is the direct object of the verb.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - "Ya" - Like the English "ya" but with the "a" as in "father".

прошел (proshel) - "pro-shel" - The "o" is as in "hot" and the "e" is a short, unstressed vowel.

интервью (intervyu) - "in-ter-vyu" - The "i" is as in "machine" and the "u" is as in "flute".

на (na) - "na" - Like the English word "na".

работу (rabotu) - "ra-bo-tu" - The "o" is as in "hot" and the "u" is as in "flute".

English: interview /in-ter-vyu/

Russian: интервью /in-ter-vyu/

The next word is notice. ## Заме́тил это.

Breakdown:

Заме́тил (zamétil) - "noticed" - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb заме́тить (zamétit’), which means "to notice." The stress is on the second syllable.

это (eto) - "this" - This is the neuter singular form of the pronoun это (eto)

The sentence structure is simple, subject-verb-object: "He/She/It noticed this."

Variations:

Заме́тила (zamétila) - "noticed" - Feminine singular form

Заме́тили (zamétili) - "noticed" - Plural form

Заме́чу (zaméchu) - "will notice" - Future tense, singular form

Pronunciation:

Заме́тил (zamétil) - "za-MEH-teel"

это (eto) - "EH-toh"

Translation:

Заме́тил (zamétil) - "noticed"

это (eto) - "this"

The next word is key. The word "key" in Russian is ключ (pronounced klyuch). It is masculine and is used for many things, not just literal keys! It is also a noun of action, which means the noun is derived from a verb and describes the action itself. Here is an example sentence using it:

У меня есть ключ от квартиры. (oo myenya yest' klyuch ot kva'rtyry)

Translation: I have a key to the apartment.

The word от (ot) means "from" or "of" and is a preposition, so it takes the accusative case. The word квартира (kva'rtyra) is feminine and in the genitive case. This is an example of how we can use the key noun to describe the action of unlocking.

Key ключ (klyuch)

To к (k)

Apartment квартира (kva'rtyra)

The next word is order. The word "order" in English can be expressed in several ways in Russian, depending on the context. Let's look at a few:

1. Order as a noun:

порядок - (pah-ryad-ak) - This means "order" in the sense of arrangement, sequence, or regularity.

Example: В библиотеке царил порядок. (V biblioteke tsaril poryadok.) - "There was order in the library."

The word порядок is a masculine noun, meaning it takes masculine endings in declension. It's pronounced similarly to the English word "po-ryad-ok", but with the emphasis on the first syllable.

1. Order as a verb:

заказать - (za-ka-zat') - This means "to order" as in to request something (e.g., food, a product). It is a verb and is conjugated to match the subject.

Example: Я заказал пиццу. (Ya zakazal pitsu) - "I ordered a pizza."

заказать is a verb, so it changes depending on the subject and tense.

The vowel "a" in заказать is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

"z" is always "z" like the "z" in "zoo"

1. Order as a command:

Приказ - (pri-kaz) - This means "order" as in a command or instruction. It is a masculine noun.

Example: Солдаты получили приказ идти в наступление. (Soldaty poluchili prikaz idti v nastuplenie.) - "The soldiers received an order to go on the offensive."

The "k" sound in приказ is a hard "k" like the "k" in "kite"

These are just a few examples, and the specific Russian translation of "order" will depend on the context in which it is used.

The next word is rain. The Russian word for rain is дождь (pronounced "dozhd").

Here is a sample sentence:

Сегодня идёт дождь. (Segodnya idet dozhdt.)

Breakdown:

Сегодня (Segodnya) - Today (pronounced "se-god-nya")

идёт (idet) - is going, is raining (pronounced "ee-dyot")

дождь (dozhdt) - rain (pronounced "dozhd")

This sentence translates to "It is raining today."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Дождь (dozhdt) is a masculine noun. This means that the adjective сегодня (segodnya) must agree with it in gender.

Present Tense: The verb идёт (idet) is in the present tense, third person singular. This indicates that the rain is happening at the moment of speaking.

Word Order: The basic word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object.

Variations:

You can use the word дождь (dozhdt) in many other contexts. For example, you could say Сильный дождь (Sil'nyy dozhdt) to mean "heavy rain."

Pronunciation:

дождь - "dozhd"

идёт - "ee-dyot"

сегодня - "se-god-nya"

English Translation:

Rain - дождь (dozhdt)

The next word is technique. The word техника (tekhnika) can be used to mean "technique" or "technology" depending on the context. The word is feminine and uses the same declension pattern as the word книга (kniga) (book).

Here is a sentence using the word техника (tekhnika):

Эта техника рисования очень сложная, но она позволяет создавать удивительные картины. (Eta tekhnika risovaniya ochen' slozhnaya, no ona pozvolyaet sozdavat' udivitel'nye kartiny.)

English Translation: This painting technique is very complex, but it allows you to create amazing paintings.

Breakdown of Sentence:

Эта (Eta) - This, feminine nominative singular
техника (tekhnika) - Technique, feminine nominative singular
рисования (risovaniya) - Painting, genitive singular of рисунок (risunok)

очень (ochen') - Very
сложная (slozhnaya) - Complex, feminine nominative singular of сложный (slozhnyy)

но (no) - But
она (ona) - She, feminine nominative singular
позволяет (pozvolyaet) - Allows, 3rd person singular present tense of позволять (pozvolyat')

создавать (sozdavat') - To create, infinitive
удивительные (udivitel'nye) - Amazing, plural nominative of удивительный (udivitel'nyy)

картины (kartiny) - Paintings, feminine nominative plural of картина (kartina)

Key Concepts:

Feminine Gender: The word техника (tekhnika) is feminine. This means that it will change its form depending on its grammatical role within the sentence. The word она (ona) (she) is used to refer to the feminine noun техника (tekhnika) in the sentence.

Nominative Case: The word техника (tekhnika) is in the nominative case in this sentence, which means it is the subject of the verb.

Genitive Case: The word рисования (risovaniya) is in the genitive case because it is modifying the noun техника (tekhnika) and acting as an adjective.

Present Tense: The verb позволяет (pozvolyaet) (allows) is in the present tense.

Infinitive: The verb создавать (sozdavat') (to create) is in the infinitive form.

Pronunciation:

техника (tekhnika) - pronounced as "tekh-nee-ka"

рисования (risovaniya) - pronounced as "ri-so-va-ni-ya"

сложная (slozhnaya) - pronounced as "slozh-na-ya"

позволяет (pozvolyaet) - pronounced as "poz-vol-ya-et"

создавать (sozdavat') - pronounced as "soz-da-vat'"

удивительные (udivitel'nye) - pronounced as "oo-di-vi-tel-nye"

картины (kartiny) - pronounced as "kar-ti-ny"

English and Russian Translation of Word:

Technique - техника (tekhnika)

The next word is capital. The word столица (pronounced "sta-lee-tsa") means "capital" in Russian.

Here's a sentence using it:

Москва является столицей России. (pronounced "Maskva ya-vly-ay-et-sya sta-lee-tsey Ras-sii")

Breakdown:

Москва (pronounced "Maskva") - Moscow
является (pronounced "ya-vly-ay-et-sya") - is
столицей (pronounced "sta-lee-tsey") - capital

России (pronounced "Ras-sii") - of Russia

Translation: Moscow is the capital of Russia.

Key Concept:

The word столица is feminine, so it requires the feminine form of the adjective является (is)

Variations:

The word столица can also be used to refer to the capital city of any country, not just Russia.

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in столица falls on the second syllable ("li").

The "c" in столица sounds like a "ts."

The "s" in Россия is pronounced like a "sh" sound.

English and Russian Translation:

Capital: столица (pronounced "sta-lee-tsa")

Moscow: Москва (pronounced "Maskva")

Russia: Россия (pronounced "Ras-sii")

The next word is talk. The word "talk" in Russian is говорить (pronounced "guh-vuh-REET").

Here is an example sentence:

Он любит говорить о политике. Он любит говорить о политике.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (masculine singular pronoun)

любит любит - loves (present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb любить любить)

говорить говорить - to talk, to speak (infinitive verb)

о о - about (preposition)

политике политике - politics (feminine noun in the prepositional case)

Translation: He loves to talk about politics.

Key concepts:

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs have different forms depending on the person, number, and tense. In this sentence, the verb "говорить" говорить is in the present tense, 3rd person singular (he/she/it).

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. The noun "политика" политика is in the prepositional case because it is preceded by the preposition "о" о.

Variations:

Говорить говорить can also be used with other prepositions to express different meanings, such as:

говорить с кем-то говорить с кем-то - to talk to someone

говорить на тему говорить на тему - to talk on a topic

говорить по телефону говорить по телефону - to talk on the phone

English/Russian word pairs:

talk - говорить (guh-vuh-REET)

The next word is tour. The English word "tour" has several variations in Russian, depending on the context. Here is an example of a sentence using one of these variations, тур (pronounced "toor").

The sentence is: Мы совершили тур по стране.

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Мы (pronounced "my") is the nominative plural pronoun, meaning "we".

совершили (pronounced "suver-shee-lee") is the past tense, masculine plural form of the verb совершить (pronounced "suver-sheet"). This means "to perform" or "to complete".

тур (pronounced "toor") is a noun meaning "tour."

по (pronounced "pa") is a preposition meaning "through", "along", "over", or "around."

стране (pronounced "stra-nee") is the dative singular form of the noun страна (pronounced "stra-na") meaning "country."

This sentence translates as: "We completed a tour through the country".

Another variation for "tour" is экскурсия (pronounced "eks-kur-see-ya"), which is used when referring to guided tours. The sentence would then be: Мы совершили экскурсию по стране.

Variations of "tour" in Russian:

тур (pronounced "toor") - used for general tours, trips, or journeys.

экскурсия (pronounced "eks-kur-see-ya") - used for guided tours.

круиз (pronounced "kroo-eez") - used for tours that involve a cruise.

путешествие (pronounced "poo-tye-shestv-ee-ye") - used for a longer, more extensive trip or journey.

English and Russian Translation:

Tour - тур

Tour - экскурсия

The next word is opposite. The word "opposite" in Russian is противоположный (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny). The word is an adjective and is used to describe something that is the complete opposite of something else.

Here is a sentence using the word:

Дом напротив – противоположный моему. (pronounced dom na-pro-tiv pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny mo-e-mu)

Breakdown:

Дом (pronounced dom) - house
напротив (pronounced na-pro-tiv) - opposite (preposition)

– (pronounced -) - dash, indicates a pause
противоположный (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny) - opposite
мой (pronounced moy) - my
ему (pronounced ye-mu) - to it

Translation:

The house opposite is the opposite of mine.

Variations:

противоположный (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny) can be used with a noun, like противоположная сторона (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-naya sto-ro-na) (the opposite side).

Key Concept: The key concept is that the word противоположный (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny) means opposite, and can be used to describe any noun.

Helpful hint on pronunciation: Pay attention to the stress in each word. The stress in противоположный (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny) is on the fourth syllable, and in напротив (pronounced na-pro-tiv) on the second syllable.

English and Russian Translation:

English: opposite

Russian: противоположный (pronounced pro-tee-vo-po-lozh-ny)

The next word is prison. The word тюрьма (pronounced "tyur'ma") means "prison". It is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine ending, -а, in the nominative singular form. It is also used for the building itself.

Here is a sample sentence:

Он провёл пять лет в тюрьме за кражу.

[English: He spent five years in prison for theft.]

Let's break it down:

Он (pronounced "on") is a personal pronoun that means "he". It is in the nominative case, so it is the subject of the sentence.

провёл (pronounced "pravyol") is a past tense verb, "to spend" (in the masculine singular form).

пять (pronounced "pyat'") is a numeral that means "five".

лет (pronounced "lyet") is a noun, "years", in the genitive plural case.

в (pronounced "v") is a preposition meaning "in"

тюрьме (pronounced "tyur'me") is the noun "prison" in the prepositional case. Note the addition of the ending -е.

за (pronounced "za") is a preposition meaning "for" or "because of".

кражу (pronounced "krazhu") is a noun, "theft", in the accusative case.

You will hear this word frequently, but note there are other words that can translate to "prison" in English, depending on the context.

тюрьма (pronounced "tyur'ma") - prison
камера (pronounced "kamera") - cell
зона (pronounced "zona") - prison camp or penal colony

[English: prison] - тюрьма (pronounced "tyur'ma")

The next word is delay. The word "delay" can be translated into Russian as задержка (pronounced za-derzh-ka) or отсрочка (pronounced at-sroch-ka), depending on the context.

Here is an example sentence using задержка:

Из-за задержки рейса мы опоздали на встречу. (pronounced iz-za za-derzh-ki reysa my a-paz-da-li na vstrechu).

Breakdown:

Из-за (pronounced iz-za) - because of, due to (prepositional phrase)

задержка (pronounced za-derzh-ka) - delay (noun)

рейса (pronounced reysa) - flight (genitive case of рейс)

мы (pronounced my) - we (nominative case)

опоздали (pronounced a-paz-da-li) - were late (past tense, perfective aspect)

на (pronounced na) - on, to (prepositional phrase)

встречу (pronounced vstrechu) - meeting (accusative case)

This sentence translates to: "Due to the flight delay, we were late for the meeting."

Key concepts:

Prepositional phrases: Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition (e.g., из-за, на). They modify nouns or verbs and provide additional information about location, time, reason, etc.

Cases: Russian nouns and pronouns have different forms depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. These forms are called cases. In the above sentence, рейса is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition из-за, and встречу is in the accusative case because it is the object of the verb опоздали.

Pronunciation notes:

The stress in задержка falls on the second syllable.

The letter "е" at the end of рейса is pronounced as a soft "e" sound.

The "ч" in встречу is pronounced as a voiceless "ch" sound.

Translation of words:

задержка (pronounced za-derzh-ka) - delay
рейс (pronounced reys) - flight
мы (pronounced my) - we
опоздали (pronounced a-paz-da-li) - were late
встреча (pronounced vstrecha) - meeting

The next word is manufacture. This factory завод (pronounced [zah-vut]) manufactures производит (pronounced [pri-iz-voh-dit]) cars машины (pronounced [ma-shee-ni]).

Breakdown:

завод (pronounced [zah-vut]) means "factory" and is masculine.

производит (pronounced [pri-iz-voh-dit]) means "manufactures" and is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb производить (pronounced [pri-iz-va-di-t'] - to manufacture).

машины (pronounced [ma-shee-ni]) means "cars" and is the plural form of the noun машина (pronounced [ma-shee-na]) which means "car".

Key Concepts:

Masculine nouns: In Russian, nouns have gender. The noun завод is masculine, so the verb производит is also in the masculine form.

Present tense: The verb производит is in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now.

Variations:

Other verbs for "manufacture": You can also use the verbs изготавливать (pronounced [iz-ga-ta-vli-vat'] - to manufacture) or создавать (pronounced [sa-zda-vat'] - to create) for a more general meaning of "manufacture".

Plural forms: If the factory manufactures more than one type of vehicle, you can use the plural form of машины such as автомобили (pronounced [av-ta-ma-bee-li] - automobiles).

Translation:

manufacture: производить (pronounced [pri-iz-voh-dit])

factory: завод (pronounced [zah-vut])

cars: машины (pronounced [ma-shee-ni])

The next word is baby. The word "baby" in Russian is ребенок (pronounced [ree-byo-nok]). This word is masculine, so it will be used with masculine articles and adjectives. It is also commonly used to refer to babies of both genders.

Here is a sentence using the word "baby":

Маленький ребенок спит в своей кроватке.

[mah-lyen-kiy ree-byo-nok speet v svoy-oy kro-vat-ke]

This sentence means "The little baby is sleeping in his/her crib."

Let's break this sentence down:

Маленький (pronounced [mah-lyen-kiy]) means "little". It is an adjective that modifies the noun ребенок and agrees in gender and number.

ребенок (pronounced [ree-byo-nok]) means "baby" and is the subject of the sentence.

спит (pronounced [speet]) means "is sleeping" and is the verb in the present tense.

в (pronounced [v]) means "in" and is a preposition.

своей (pronounced [svoy-oy]) means "his/her" and is a possessive adjective.

кроватке (pronounced [kro-vat-ke]) means "crib".

Key Concepts

Gender: Russian nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. You need to pay close attention to this as it will determine the form of other words in the sentence, like adjectives and verbs.

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their function in a sentence. This is called case. Here, ребенок is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Agreement: Adjectives and verbs need to agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify.

Pronunciation Tips

Pay close attention to the stress in Russian words. For example, ребенок is stressed on the second syllable.

The е sound is like the "e" in "bed" and the о sound is like the "o" in "hot".

The "g" at the end of кроватке is silent.

Word Translations
ребенок - baby (pronounced [ree-byo-nok])

Маленький - little (pronounced [mah-lyen-kiy])

спит - is sleeping (pronounced [speet])

в - in (pronounced [v])

своей - his/her (pronounced [svoy-oy])

кроватке - crib (pronounced [kro-vat-ke])

The next word is would. ## Хотел бы я пойти в кино, но у меня нет времени.

Breakdown:

Хотел бы - This is a conditional phrase meaning "would like" or "would want". It's in the past tense, but it refers to the present. The phrase implies a desire or wish that is not necessarily being fulfilled. It can also be used to express a polite request.

я - This is the personal pronoun "I".

пойти - This is the verb "to go" in the infinitive form. It is used with the preposition в (in) to indicate the destination, in this case, кино (cinema).

но - This is the conjunction "but".

у - This is the preposition "at" or "with", used here to indicate possession.

меня - This is the personal pronoun "me" in the genitive case.

нет - This is the negation "no" or "not".

времени - This is the noun "time" in the genitive case.

Meaning: "I would like to go to the cinema, but I don't have time."

Variations:

This phrase can be changed to express a different level of politeness by using different forms of the verb "to want":

Хотелось бы - A more formal and polite way to say "would like".

Я бы хотел - A more emphatic and personal way to say "would like".

Pronunciation:

Хотел бы - [hoh-tyel bee]

я - [ya]

пойти - [pa-ee-tee]

в - [v]

кино - [kee-noh]

но - [noh]

у - [oo]

меня - [mih-nya]

нет - [nyet]

времени - [vray-mih-ni]

English/Russian Translation:

would - бы - [bee]

to go - пойти - [pa-ee-tee]

The next word is separate. The word отдельный (pronounced ot-dye-l'-ny) means 'separate'. It is an adjective and describes something that is distinct and on its own. It's often used in the context of things being apart, individually, or not connected.

Here's a sentence example:

В библиотеке есть отдельный зал для детей. (pronounced: V bee-b-lee-ah-tee-kye yest ot-dye-l'-ny zaal dlya dye-tey)

Breakdown

В (pronounced v) - in (preposition)

библиотеке (pronounced bee-b-lee-ah-tee-kye) - library (feminine noun in the locative case)

есть (pronounced yest) - there is/are (verb 'to be' in the present tense)

отдельный (pronounced ot-dye-l'-ny) - separate (adjective in the nominative case)

зал (pronounced zaal) - hall/room (masculine noun in the nominative case)

для (pronounced dlya) - for (preposition)

детей (pronounced dye-tey) - children (plural noun in the genitive case)

Translation: "In the library there is a separate room for children."

Key Concepts

Gender of Nouns: Russian nouns have grammatical gender, and it impacts their endings in various grammatical cases. In this sentence, библиотека (library) is feminine, while зал (hall) is masculine.

Cases: Nouns change form depending on their role in the sentence. In this example, библиотеке is in the locative case (indicating location), and детей is in the genitive case (indicating possession).

Adjectives: Adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. Here, отдельный agrees with зал in being masculine and singular.

Pronunciation Tips
о (pronounced o) is similar to the 'o' in 'hot'

е (pronounced ye) is similar to the 'ye' in 'yes'

ы (pronounced i) is similar to the 'i' in 'machine'

й (pronounced y) is similar to the 'y' in 'yes'

ь (pronounced soft sign) is not pronounced, but it softens the consonant before it.

English - Russian

Separate - отдельный (pronounced ot-dye-l'-ny)

The next word is minute. The word "minute" in English can refer to a unit of time or a very small amount. In Russian, the word for "minute" as a unit of time is минута (pronounced mee-NOO-ta).

Here is a simple sentence using минута:

У меня есть одна минута. У меня есть одна минута.

Breakdown:

У меня У меня - This means "I have". "У" У is a preposition that means "at" or "by". It is used here in the possessive sense, "at me". "Меня" меня is the object form of "я" я (I).

есть есть - This means "to have". This is a verb that does not need to be conjugated in the present tense.

одна одна - This means "one". It is the feminine form of the number one.

минута минута - This means "minute". It is a feminine noun.

Translation: I have one minute.

Note: The feminine form of the word одна is used because the noun "минута" минута is feminine.

Variations:

две минуты две минуты - two minutes
пять минут пять минут - five minutes
десять минут десять минут - ten minutes

Pronounciation:

минута - mee-NOO-ta
одна - ahd-NA

У - oo
меня - meh-NYAH
есть - YEST'

English: minute - минута (mee-NOO-ta)

The next word is normal. The word "normal" in Russian is нормальный (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh"). It is an adjective meaning "normal", "usual" or "typical". You can use it to describe a person, a situation or an object. For example, you can say Это нормальный человек (pronounced "Eh-tuh nor-mahl-nuh che-la-vek"), meaning "This is a normal person".

Here is an example sentence:

Погода сегодня нормальная. (pronounced "pa-go-da sih-vo-d-nya nor-mahl-nuh-ya").

Breakdown:

Погода (pronounced "pa-go-da") - This word means "weather". It is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine ending of the adjective, нормальная (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh-ya").

сегодня (pronounced "sih-vo-d-nya") - This word means "today".

нормальная (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh-ya") - This word means "normal". It is the feminine form of the adjective, because it modifies the feminine noun погода.

Translation: The weather today is normal.

Variations:

The masculine form of the adjective is нормальный (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh-y").

The neuter form of the adjective is нормальное (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh-ye").

The plural form of the adjective is нормальные (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh-ye").

English: normal / Russian: нормальный (pronounced "nor-mahl-nuh")

The next word is recommend. Я Я (Ya) recommend рекомендую (rekomenduju) this этот (etot) book книгу (knigu) to you. Я рекомендую эту книгу тебе. (Ya rekomenduju etu knigu tebe.)

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I (Pronoun, Nominative case)

рекомендую рекомендую (rekomenduju) - recommend (Verb, 1st person singular, present tense)

этот этот (etot) - this (Adjective, masculine singular, nominative case)

книгу книгу (knigu) - book (Noun, feminine singular, accusative case)

тебе тебе (tebe) - to you (Pronoun, dative case)

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb рекомендую рекомендую (rekomenduju) changes depending on who is recommending. For example, You recommend would be рекомендуешь рекомендуешь (rekomenduju) and He/She recommends would be рекомендует рекомендует (rekomenduet).

Case: Nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence. The word книгу книгу (knigu) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb рекомендую рекомендую (rekomenduju).

Pronunciation:

Я Я (Ya) - Pronounced like "Ya"

рекомендую рекомендую (rekomenduju) - Pronounced like "re-ka-men-du-yu"

этот этот (etot) - Pronounced like "eh-tot"

книгу книгу (knigu) - Pronounced like "knee-goo"

тебе тебе (tebe) - Pronounced like "te-bye"

Translation: I recommend this book to you.

Variations of 'recommend':

рекомендовать рекомендовать (rekomendovat) - to recommend (infinitive)

рекомендации рекомендации (rekomendatsii) - recommendations (plural noun)

рекомендованный рекомендованный (rekomendovannyy) - recommended (adjective)

English: recommend

Russian: рекомендовать (rekomendovat)

The next word is sentence. The word "sentence" in Russian is предложение (pronounced pre-dlah-zheh-nee-ye). The ending -е is unstressed and the emphasis is on the first syllable, "pre".

The word предложение can also mean "proposal" or "offer". The context will usually make it clear which meaning is intended.

Here is an example sentence:

Это предложение очень интересное. (pronounced eh-to pre-dlah-zheh-nee-ye oh-chen in-te-res-no-ye)

Breakdown

Это (eh-to) - this
предложение (pre-dlah-zheh-nee-ye) - sentence / proposal / offer
очень (oh-chen) - very
интересное (in-te-res-no-ye) - interesting

Translation

This sentence is very interesting.

Key concept: The word order in Russian is more flexible than in English. You can move the words around to emphasize different parts of the sentence. For example, you could also say Очень интересное предложение это. (Oh-chen in-te-res-no-ye pre-dlah-zheh-nee-ye eh-to).

Sentence: предложение (pre-dlah-zheh-nee-ye) - sentence

Pronounciation: pre-dlah-zheh-nee-ye

The next word is gain. ## Gain

The sentence is:

Он получил большой опыт, работая в этой компании.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) on
получил - received, gained (verb, past tense, masculine singular) poluchil
большой - big, great (adjective, masculine singular) bolshoy
опыт - experience (noun, masculine, accusative case) opyt
работая - working (verb, gerund, present tense) rabotaya
в - in (preposition) v
этой - this (adjective, feminine singular, genitive case) etoy
компании - company (noun, feminine, genitive case) kompanii

Meaning: He gained a lot of experience working at this company.

Key Concepts:

получить is a very common verb meaning "to receive" or "to get." It can also be used to mean "to gain" as in this case.

опыт is a noun meaning "experience." It is masculine and often used in the accusative case after verbs like получить, meaning "to receive."

работая is a gerund, which is a verbal noun that describes an action. It is often used to show the circumstances surrounding an action, as in this case.

Pronunciation:

Он - [ohn]

получил - [poluchil]

большой - [bolshoy]

опыт - [opyt]

работая - [rabotaya]

в - [v]

этой - [etoy]

компании - [kompanii]

English Translation of the word "gain": to get, to obtain, to acquire

Russian Translation of the word "gain": получить, приобрести, заработать

The next word is park. The word "park" can refer to a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves outdoors. In Russian, it is парк (pronounced: park).

Here is an example sentence using the word парк:

Я люблю гулять в парке.

Я (ya) - I
люблю (lyublyu) - I love
гулять (guljat') - to walk
в (v) - in
парке (parke) - park

Translation: I love walking in the park.

The word парк can also be used to refer to a specific location, like a national park. For example, Национальный парк (Natsional'nyy park) would be "National park." The preposition в (v) can be used for places, which is why it is used here. You can also use в for objects as well.

Important to note:

The word парк (park) is a masculine noun, so you need to use the masculine form of the preposition в (v) – в (v) not в (v).

You can also use по (po) for places, but this means "along," like walking along a path in the park.

The noun парк is often used with the verb гулять (guljat'), which means "to walk" or "to stroll."

The verb любить (lyubit') means "to love," and you can use it with many different nouns.

Pronunciation Tips:

парк (park) - like the English word "park"

гулять (guljat') - the "g" is a soft "g" like the "g" in the word "gem."

люблю (lyublyu) - the "u" is a "oo" sound, similar to the "oo" in the word "moon."

в (v) - this is a soft "v" sound like in "victory."

English: Park

Russian: парк (park)

The next word is relationship. The word "relationship" in Russian is отношение (otnosheniye). It is a noun, and is in the nominative case, singular form. It has several variations based on case:

| Case | Singular | Plural |

|---|---|---|

| Nominative | отношение (otnosheniye) | отношения (otnosheniya) |

| Genitive | отношения (otnosheniya) | отношений (otnosheniy) |

| Dative | отношению (otnosheniyu) | отношениям (otnosheniyam) |

| Accusative | отношение (otnosheniye) | отношения (otnosheniya) |

| Instrumental | отношением (otnosheniyem) | отношениями (otnosheniyami) |

| Prepositional | отношении (otnoshenii) | отношениях (otnosheniyakh) |

Here is an example sentence using the word "relationship":

У меня хорошие отношения с моей семьей.

У меня хорошие отношения с моей семьей.

(U menya khoroshie otnosheniya s moyey seme'yey.)

Here's a breakdown of the sentence:

У меня - У меня (u menya) - This means "I have" or "with me" in this context, which is the equivalent to the English "I have a good relationship with..."

хорошие - хорошие ( khoroshie) - means "good"

отношения - отношения (otnosheniya) - is the word "relationship" in the plural nominative form. It is plural here because it is the relationships "with my family"

с - с (s) - means "with"

моей - моей (moyey) - means "my"

семьей - семьей (seme'yey) - means "family"

Pronounciation:

отношение отношение (otnosheniye) - The stress is on the first syllable "ot"

хорошие хорошие ( khoroshie) - The stress is on the second syllable "ro"

отношения отношения (otnosheniya) - The stress is on the first syllable "ot"

с с (s) - This is the same sound as the "s" in "see."

моей моей (moyey) - The stress is on the first syllable "mo"

семьей семьей (seme'yey) - The stress is on the second syllable "me"

У У (u) - This is the same sound as the "oo" in "too"

меня меня (menya) - The stress is on the second syllable "nya"

English Translation:

I have a good relationship with my family.

Word Breakdown:

relationship: отношение (otnosheniye)

good: хороший ( khoroshiy)

with: с (s)

my: мой (moy)

family: семья (seme'ya)

The next word is under. The English word "under" can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context.

Here is a sentence with the word под (pronounced pod), meaning "under," in the context of location:

Книга лежит под столом.

Breakdown:

Книга (pronounced kníga) - book (feminine noun)

лежит (pronounced liZHIt) - lies (present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb лежать (pronounced liZhAt'), to lie)

под (pronounced pod) - under (preposition)

столом (pronounced stólom) - table (instrumental case of the noun стол (pronounced stol), table)

Translation: The book lies under the table.

Key Concept: The preposition под (pronounced pod) is used to indicate something is located beneath something else.

Variations:

под (pronounced pod) - can also be used to express something that is less than a certain amount, for example, цена под сто рублей (pronounced tséna pod sto rublÉy) - the price is under one hundred rubles.

Pronunciation Guide:

к (pronounced k)

н (pronounced n)

и (pronounced i)

г (pronounced g)

а (pronounced a)

л (pronounced l)

е (pronounced ye)

ж (pronounced zh)

и (pronounced i)

т (pronounced t)

с (pronounced s)

о (pronounced o)

л (pronounced l)

о (pronounced o)

м (pronounced m)

English Translation: under - under

Russian Translation: под - pod

The next word is mile. Мы прошли мы прашли (We walked) милю милю (mile) по лесу па лясу (through the forest).

Breakdown:

Мы мы (we) is the subject of the sentence, in the nominative case.

прошли прашли (walked) is the past tense verb, agreeing with the subject in number and gender.

милю милю (mile) is the direct object of the verb, in the accusative case.

по лесу па лясу (through the forest) is a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the walking.

Key Concepts:

Gender and Case: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and are declined (change form) depending on their grammatical case. In this sentence, миля миля (mile) is feminine and in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb.

Prepositional Phrases: Prepositional phrases are common in Russian and can be used to indicate location, time, reason, etc.

Past Tense: The past tense of verbs in Russian is formed by adding a suffix to the verb stem, and the suffix varies depending on the gender and number of the subject.

Pronunciation:

миля миля (mile): me-lya, with the stress on the first syllable
прошли прашли (walked): pra-shli, with the stress on the second syllable
лесу лясу (forest): ly-su, with the stress on the second syllable

Translation:

mile: миля (me-lya)

walked: прошли (pra-shli)

forest: лес (lyes)

The next word is office. ## Он работает в офисе.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

работает работает - works (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense)

в в - in (preposition)

офисе офисе - office (noun, masculine, prepositional case)

Meaning: He works in the office.

Key Concepts:

Prepositional case: Used after prepositions like в (in), на (on), с (with), etc.

Gender agreement: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and adjectives, pronouns, and verbs must agree in gender with the noun.

Word variations: The word офис can change depending on the case and number. For example:

офис (nominative singular) - office

офиса (genitive singular) - of the office

офису (dative singular) - to the office

офисом (instrumental singular) - with the office

офисе (prepositional singular) - in the office

офисы (nominative plural) - offices

Pronunciation:

Он Он - "Ahn"

работает работает - "ra-bo-ta-yet"

в в - "v"

офисе офисе - "o-fi-se"

Translation:

office - офис (o-fees)

The next word is as. The English word "as" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here's an example using the word "as" as a conjunction:

Sentence: The cat is as big as a dog.

Russian: Кот такой же большой, как собака.

Breakdown:

Кот - [kot] - cat (masculine noun)

такой же - [takoy zhe] - the same, as
большой - [bolshoy] - big, large (masculine adjective)

как - [kak] - as, like (conjunction)

собака - [sobaka] - dog (feminine noun)

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. So, the adjective большой (big) is masculine to match the masculine noun кот (cat).

Word Order: Russian word order can be more flexible than English, but typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure.

как (as): In this sentence, как functions as a conjunction introducing a comparison. It is used with the comparative adjective такой же (the same) to express a comparison of size.

Variations:

так же (tak zhe) - also, as well
как будто (kak budto) - as if, as though
в качестве (v kachestve) - as, in the role of

Pronunciation:

Кот - [kot] - Pronounced like "kot"

такой же - [takoy zhe] - Pronounced like "tuh-koy zhe"

большой - [bolshoy] - Pronounced like "bol-shoy"

как - [kak] - Pronounced like "kak"

собака - [sobaka] - Pronounced like "suh-bah-ka"

English Translation: The cat is as big as a dog.

The next word is perspective. ## Sentence:

Из этой перспективы, ситуация выглядит иначе. Iz etoy perspektivy, situatsiya vyglyadit inache.

Breakdown:

Из etoy perspektivy: This is the prepositional phrase "from this perspective". Из (iz) means "from" and is a preposition that governs the genitive case. etoy (etoy) is the genitive case of the demonstrative pronoun эта (eta) which means "this". перспективы (perspektivy) is the genitive case of the noun перспектива (perspektiva) meaning "perspective". You can think of the genitive case as indicating possession or belonging, so here the "perspective" belongs to "this".

ситуация выглядит иначе: This is the main clause meaning "the situation looks different". ситуация (situatsiya) means "situation" and is the subject of the sentence. выглядит (vyglyadit) means "looks" and is the third person singular present tense form of the verb выглядеть (vyglyadet) meaning "to look". иначе (inache) means "differently" or "otherwise" and is an adverb.

Key Concepts:

Prepositional Phrases: In Russian, prepositional phrases are common and are used to modify nouns, verbs, and adjectives. These phrases consist of a preposition and a noun or pronoun in a particular case.

Genitive Case: The genitive case is a grammatical case in Russian that indicates possession, belonging, or the object of a preposition. Many prepositions govern the genitive case in Russian.

Demonstrative Pronouns: Demonstrative pronouns like эта (eta) indicate which item is being referred to.

Variations:

You could also use с (s) meaning "from" instead of из (iz) in this sentence. с (s) is more colloquial.

The sentence could also be more specific by adding more information about the perspective, for example: "Из точки зрения этого писателя, ситуация выглядит иначе" (From the point of view of this writer, the situation looks different).

Pronunciation:

Из (iz): [ihz]

этой (etoy): [eh-toy]

перспективы (perspektivy): [per-spek-tee-vee]

ситуация (situatsiya): [si-too-ah-tsiy-ah]

выглядит (vyglyadit): [vuh-glyah-deet]

иначе (inache): [ee-nah-che]

English Translation:

Из (iz): from
этой (etoy): this
перспективы (perspektivy): perspective
ситуация (situatsiya): situation
выглядит (vyglyadit): looks
иначе (inache): differently

The next word is sound. The word "sound" can be used in Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

Here's an example sentence using the word in the context of a noise:

Звук музыки был очень громкий.

Breakdown:

Звук - This is the noun "sound" in Russian. It is pronounced [z-vook].

музыки - This is the genitive case of the noun "music" музыка (pronounced [moo-zy-ka]). In this case, it translates to "of music."

был - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" быть (pronounced [bit]).

очень - This is the word "very" in Russian. It is pronounced [oh-chen].

громкий - This is the adjective "loud" in Russian. It is pronounced [гром-кий] (pronounced [гром-кий]).

Translation: The sound of the music was very loud.

Important Note: The genitive case is used after words that indicate possession, like "sound" in this example.

Variations of "Sound":

звучать (pronounced [z-voo-chat]) - This is the verb "to sound".

звукозапись (pronounced [z-voo-ko-zap-is]) - This is the noun "sound recording".

English Translation of Words:

Sound - Звук (pronounced [z-vook])

Music - Музыка (pronounced [moo-zy-ka])

Very - очень (pronounced [oh-chen])

Loud - громкий (pronounced [гром-кий])

The next word is necessary. This is a great word to start with as it is one of those essential words that shows up a lot in different contexts and has a few different meanings and usages in Russian. We will look at a few of these variations below.

The Russian word for "necessary" is необходимый (pronounced ne-ahb-hoh-dee-muh). It is an adjective that means something is required or essential.

Here is a simple sentence using необходимый (ne-ahb-hoh-dee-muh):

Мне необходима помощь. (Mnye neobhodimaa pomoshch.)

Мне (Mnye) is the dative case of the personal pronoun "я" (ya) meaning "I" and it is the direct object of the verb in this sentence
необходима (neobhodimaa) is the feminine form of the adjective необходимый (neobhodimyy) and agrees with the feminine noun помощь (pomoshch) meaning "help"

помощь (pomoshch) means "help" and is the direct object of the verb "нужна" (nuzhna)

помощь (pomoshch) is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the verb

This sentence translates to: I need help.

There is a very similar word нужный (nuzhnyy) that means "necessary" but is used more often to describe something that is needed or helpful.

You could say:

Мне нужна помощь. (Mnye nuzhna pomoshch.)

This sentence also translates to: I need help.

The main difference between the two sentences is the connotation.

Мне необходима помощь. (Mnye neobhodimaa pomoshch.) implies that help is essential or required.

Мне нужна помощь. (Mnye nuzhna pomoshch.) implies that help is needed or helpful, but not necessarily essential.

You can also say:

Это необходимо. (Eto neobhodimo.)

This sentence translates to: This is necessary.

The pronoun это (eto) means "this" and is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the verb. The adjective необходимый (neobhodimyy) is used here in its neuter form необходимо (neobhodimo) to agree with the neuter noun это (eto).

Words and pronunciation
necessary - необходимый (ne-ahb-hoh-dee-muh)

needed - нужный (nuzh-nyy)

help - помощь (poh-moshch)

this - это (eh-toh)

The next word is development. The word "development" in Russian is развитие (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye). It is a noun, and it is used to describe the process of growth and change, both physical and mental. It is a very common word in Russian and is used in many different contexts.

Here is an example sentence using развитие:

Развитие ребенка (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye rye-byon-ka) зависит (pronounced: za-vee-seet) от (pronounced: ot) многих (pronounced: m-no-gih) факторов (pronounced: fak-ta-rav).

Breakdown:

Развитие (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye) - development. This is the noun we are focusing on.

ребенка (pronounced: rye-byon-ka) - child. This is the genitive case of ребенок (pronounced: rye-byo-nak), which means "child".

зависит (pronounced: za-vee-seet) - depends. This is the third-person singular present tense of the verb зависеть (pronounced: za-vee-set').

от (pronounced: ot) - from. This is a preposition that is used to indicate the source of something.

многих (pronounced: m-no-gih) - many. This is the genitive plural of много (pronounced: m-no-ga), which means "much" or "many".

факторов (pronounced: fak-ta-rav) - factors. This is the genitive plural of фактор (pronounced: fak-tar), which means "factor".

Translation: The development of a child depends on many factors.

Variations:

The word развитие can be used in a variety of contexts, such as:

Развитие города (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye go-ra-da) - the development of the city.

Развитие технологий (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye tekh-no-lo-giy) - the development of technology.

Развитие личности (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye lee-ch-nas-tee) - the development of personality.

Pronunciation Notes:

The stress in развитие is on the second syllable (ви).

The stress in ребенок is on the second syllable (бе).

The stress in зависит is on the second syllable (зи).

The stress in многих is on the second syllable (ни).

The stress in факторов is on the second syllable (то).

English - Russian
development - развитие (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-ye)

The next word is environment. ## Окружающая среда окружающая среда is the Russian phrase for environment.

Окружающая [oh-kru-zha-yu-shcha-ya] means surrounding
среда [sree-da] means environment or medium.

The phrase окружающая среда is literally translated as surrounding environment. It is used to describe the natural world around us. It can also be used to describe the social or cultural environment in which someone lives.

For example, you might say:

Мы должны заботиться об окружающей среде [my dol-zh-ny za-bo-ti-tsya ob ok-ru-zha-yu-shchey sree-de] - We must take care of the environment.

В этой стране очень дружелюбная окружающая среда [v eh-toy stra-nee o-chen dru-zhe-lyub-naya ok-ru-zha-yu-shcha-ya sree-da] - This country has a very friendly environment.

Key Concepts

Окружающая is a feminine adjective, meaning it changes form depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. The feminine form is окружающая.

Среда is a feminine noun.

среда is a common noun that refers to a general concept, not a specific individual or place. The plural form is среды.

Word Translation and Pronunciation
environment - среда [sree-da]

surrounding - окружающая [oh-kru-zha-yu-shcha-ya]

The next word is cash. ## У меня нет наличных.

Breakdown:

У - This is the preposition "at" or "with" and is used in the genitive case. It is pronounced "oo" as in "moon".

меня - This is the personal pronoun "me" in the genitive case. It is pronounced "mye-nya".

нет - This is the verb "to be" in the negative form. It is pronounced "nyet".

наличных - This is the noun "cash" and is in the plural form of the genitive case. Pronounced "nah-leech-nykh".

This sentence means "I do not have any cash."

Key concepts:

Genitive Case: This case is used to express possession or belonging. It often translates to the English possessive 's or "of" and is used after prepositions like "у" which means "at" or "with".

Plural Form: This indicates more than one and uses a different ending in the genitive case depending on the word.

Variations of the word наличные:

наличный (nah-leech-ny) - singular form of "cash"

наличными (nah-leech-nymi) - instrumental case which means "with cash"

Translation:

У - at, with
меня - me
нет - is not
наличных - cash

The next word is affair. У него был роман с женщиной из другого города. U nego byl roman s zhenshchinoy iz drugogo goroda.

This sentence means "He had an affair with a woman from another city." Let's break it down:

у [oo] - This is the preposition "with" which we use for people. You will often see this word with the verb быть [bıt'] "to be".

него [ni-go] - This is the genitive case of the pronoun "he" - он [on]. Genitive case is used after prepositions that refer to possession, belonging or association.

был [bıl] - This is the past tense of the verb быть [bıt'] "to be".

роман [ra-man] - This means "affair, romance".

с [s] - This is another preposition, "with".

женщиной [zhen-shchi-noy] - This is the instrumental case of the word "woman" - женщина [zhen-shchi-na]. The instrumental case is used to show the means or instrument by which something is done. Here, the woman is the means by which he had an affair.

из [iz] - This is the preposition "from", which is used to indicate origin or location.

другого [dru-go-vo] - This is the genitive case of the adjective "other" - другой [dru-goi]. The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

города [go-ro-da] - This is the genitive case of the word "city" - город [go-rat].

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: у [oo] and с [s] are very important and frequently used prepositions. The preposition у [oo] is followed by the genitive case of the noun, and the preposition с [s] is followed by the instrumental case.

Cases: Russian nouns and adjectives are declined, meaning they change their form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. You must learn the different cases and how to use them properly.

Word order: Russian word order is quite flexible, but there are some general rules. The basic word order is subject-verb-object. However, the object can often come before the verb.

Variations:

You could use the word любовница [lyu-bov-ni-tsa] - "mistress" instead of женщина [zhen-shchi-na] to create a stronger connotation of an illicit relationship.

You could also say У него была интрижка с женщиной из другого города. U nego byla intrigka s zhenshchinoy iz drugogo goroda. This sentence means "He had an intrigue with a woman from another city". Интрижка [in-trig-ka] is similar to роман [ra-man], but often implies a shorter, more passionate affair.

Pronunciation:

у [oo]

него [ni-go]

был [bıl]

роман [ra-man]

с [s]

женщиной [zhen-shchi-noy]

из [iz]

другого [dru-go-vo]

города [go-ro-da]

English-Russian Translation:

Affair: роман [ra-man]

Woman: женщина [zhen-shchi-na]

From: из [iz]

City: город [go-rat]

The next word is health. Здоровье is the noun for health. It's pronounced like "zdrah-vye".

The sentence is:

У меня хорошее здоровье. This translates to "I have good health".

У (oo) means "at", "with" or "by".

меня (minya) means "me".

хорошее (ha-roh-shee) means "good" (adjective).

здоровье (zdrah-vye) means "health".

Key concept:

The sentence uses the genitive case of the noun здоровье (zdrah-vye), which is used to show possession.

The genitive case is formed by adding the ending -я (-ya) to the noun.

In this example, the genitive case of здоровье (zdrah-vye) is здоровья (zdrah-vya).

Variations of the word:

здоров (zdorov) - healthy (masculine)

здоровая (zdorovaya) - healthy (feminine)

здоровое (zdorovye) - healthy (neuter)

English: Health

Russian: здоровье (zdrah-vye)

The next word is pull. The word "pull" can be translated into Russian as тянуть (tyanut').

Sentence:

Он тянул за веревку, чтобы открыть дверь. (On tyanut' za verevku, chtoby otkryt' dver').

Breakdown:

Он (On) - he
тянул (tyanut') - pulled (masculine past tense of тянуть (tyanut'))

за (za) - for
веревку (verevku) - rope (accusative case)

чтобы (chtoby) - in order to
открыть (otkryt') - to open (infinitive)

дверь (dver') - door (accusative case)

Meaning: He pulled on the rope to open the door.

Key concepts:

Past tense: The verb тянуть (tyanut') is in the past tense, which is formed by adding the ending -л (-l) for masculine singular subjects.

Accusative case: The nouns веревку (verevku) and дверь (dver') are in the accusative case because they are the direct objects of the verb.

Infinitive: The verb открыть (otkryt') is in the infinitive form, which is used after the conjunction чтобы (chtoby) to express purpose.

Pronunciation:

тянуть (tyanut') - "tyah-noot'"

веревку (verevku) - "ve-rev-koo"

открыть (otkryt') - "ot-kryet'"

дверь (dver') - "dver'"

Variations of тянуть (tyanut'):

тянуть (tyanut') - to pull (general)

потянуть (potyanut') - to pull (once)

вытягивать (vytyagivat') - to pull out, to extract
тащить (taschit') - to drag, to haul
волочить (volochit') - to drag, to trail

English translation: pull - тянуть (tyanut')

The next word is refer. ## Ссылаться на статью – это хороший способ подкрепить свои аргументы.

Breakdown:

Ссылаться (ssylatsya) - To refer (verb, infinitive form). Remember that the 'c' sounds like an 's'.

на (na) - on, to, at, onto (preposition) Always pay attention to this preposition, it can take on many different meanings.

статью (stat'yu) - article (noun, feminine) The 'y' in the end makes the word feminine in the singular.

это (eto) - this (pronoun) This is a very important pronoun, try to memorize it and its other forms like "that," "those," and "these."

хороший (horoshiy) - good (adjective, masculine) Note the 'y' ending. In Russian, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

способ (sposob) - way, method (noun, masculine)

подкрепить (podkrepit') - to support, to strengthen (verb, infinitive form) Pay attention to the 'i' at the end and the 't' sound.

свои (svoi) - one's own (pronoun) This word is very common and means something like "belonging to you/me."

аргументы (argumenty) - arguments (noun, plural) This is a plural noun, so it ends in a 'y'.

Translation:

To refer to an article is a good way to support your arguments.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and nouns must agree in gender and number.

Prepositions: Russian uses prepositions extensively, and they can significantly alter the meaning of a phrase.

Infinitive Form: The infinitive form of verbs ends in '-ть' (-t').

Pronunciation Guide:

Ссылаться - [ssylatsya]

статью - [stat'yu]

хороший - [horoshiy]

способ - [sposob]

подкрепить - [podkrepit']

English - Russian Translation:

Refer: Ссылаться (ssylatsya)

Article: статья (stat'yu)

The next word is mass. The word масса (massa) means "mass" in English. It can refer to the amount of matter in an object, as well as a large quantity of something.

Here is a sentence using масса (massa) in a context that highlights the quantity of something:

В этой книге масса информации о древней истории России. (V etoy knige massa informatsii o drevney istorii Rossii.)

Breakdown

В (v) - In (preposition) - The в (v) is a preposition that indicates location. It is pronounced like the English "v".

этой (etoy) - This (feminine, singular, genitive case) - The этой (etoy) is an adjective in the feminine form that means "this" and is in the genitive case. The ой (oy) ending on the adjective is part of the genitive case ending. It is pronounced like the English "e-toy".

книге (knige) - Book (feminine, singular, dative case) - The книге (knige) is a noun in the feminine form that means "book" and is in the dative case. It is pronounced like the English "k-ni-geh".

масса (massa) - Mass (feminine, singular, nominative case) - The масса (massa) is a noun in the feminine form that means "mass" and is in the nominative case. It is pronounced like the English "mas-sa".

информации (informatsii) - Information (feminine, singular, genitive case) - The информации (informatsii) is a noun in the feminine form that means "information" and is in the genitive case. The и (i) is pronounced like the English "ee" and the и (i) ending is part of the genitive case.

о (o) - About (preposition) - The о (o) is a preposition that means "about". It is pronounced like the English "o".

древней (drevney) - Ancient (feminine, singular, genitive case) - The древней (drevney) is an adjective in the feminine form that means "ancient" and is in the genitive case. It is pronounced like the English "drev-ney".

истории (istorii) - History (feminine, singular, genitive case) - The истории (istorii) is a noun in the feminine form that means "history" and is in the genitive case. The и (i) ending is part of the genitive case. It is pronounced like the English "is-tor-ee".

России (Rossii) - Russia (feminine, singular, genitive case) - The России (Rossii) is a noun in the feminine form that means "Russia" and is in the genitive case. It is pronounced like the English "Ros-see-ee".

Translation: This book has a lot of information about the ancient history of Russia.

Variations of масса (massa)

массовый (massovy) - Massive, mass, bulk (adjective) - This word can also mean "popular" or "widespread". It is pronounced like the English "mas-so-vi".

массивно (massivno) - Massively (adverb) - It is pronounced like the English "mas-siv-no".

массовая культура (massovaya kul'tura) - Mass culture - It is pronounced like the English "mas-so-va-ya kul-too-ra".

Pronunciation Tips:

The letter а (a) is pronounced like the English "a" in "father".

The letter е (e) is pronounced like the English "e" in "bed".

The letter и (i) is pronounced like the English "ee" in "see".

The letter о (o) is pronounced like the English "o" in "hot".

The letter у (u) is pronounced like the English "oo" in "moon".

The letter ы (y) is pronounced like the English "y" in "my".

The letter р (r) is pronounced like the English "r" in "red".

The letter с (s) is pronounced like the English "s" in "sun".

The letter т (t) is pronounced like the English "t" in "tea".

Remember that Russian pronunciation can be tricky. The best way to learn is to listen to native speakers and practice speaking yourself. Practice these words and phrases out loud to help you learn.

The next word is why. The word "why" in Russian is почему (pa-che-moo) and is used to ask a question about the reason for something.

Here is an example of a sentence using почему:

Почему ты не пришёл вчера?

Breakdown:

Почему (pa-che-moo): Why, the interrogative pronoun that asks for a reason.

ты (ty): You (informal singular) - the subject of the sentence
не (nye): Not - This word is placed before the verb to make it negative
пришёл (pri-shool): Came - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to come" (прийти).

вчера (vche-ra): Yesterday - This is an adverb of time.

Translation: Why didn’t you come yesterday?

Important Note: In Russian, the word order is quite flexible. You could also say: Вчера почему ты не пришёл?

Вчера (vche-ra): Yesterday
почему (pa-che-moo): Why
ты (ty): You (informal singular)

не (nye): Not
пришёл (pri-shool): Came

Pronunciation: The stress in почему falls on the second syllable: pa-CHE-moo.

почему (pa-che-moo) - why
ты (ty) - you (informal singular)

не (nye) - not
пришёл (pri-shool) - came
вчера (vche-ra) - yesterday

The next word is every. ## Every

Sentence: Каждое утро я пью кофе.

Breakdown:

Каждое (pronounced: kahzh-doe) means "every" and refers to a singular noun. It's a neuter form of the adjective каждый (pronounced: kahzh-dy). Каждый (masculine) and каждая (feminine) are also used depending on the gender of the noun.

утро (pronounced: oo-tro) means "morning". It's a noun and it's in the nominative case because it's the subject of the sentence.

я (pronounced: ya) means "I". It's a personal pronoun in the nominative case.

пью (pronounced: p'yu) means "drink". It's a verb in the present tense, first person singular.

кофе (pronounced: koh-fe) means "coffee". It's a noun and it's in the accusative case because it's the direct object of the verb "drink".

Translation: Every morning I drink coffee.

Variations:

Каждый день (pronounced: kahzh-dy den) - Every day

Каждое воскресенье (pronounced: kahzh-doe vas-kres-en'ye) - Every Sunday

Каждая неделя (pronounced: kahzh-daya ne-de-lya) - Every week

Key concept: Remember that the form of каждый changes depending on the gender of the noun it modifies.

The next word is trouble. У меня были неприятности с этим заданием.

Breakdown:

У меня были неприятности: This translates to "I had trouble". The sentence uses the genitive case (the 'of' case). This case is frequently used in Russian to indicate possession, but also with certain verbs and prepositions. Here, we use "у" with "меня" to show that the trouble belongs to the speaker. "были" is the past tense of the verb "быть" (to be) conjugated for the plural, as "неприятности" is a plural noun.

с этим заданием: This means "with this task." The preposition "с" means "with" and is followed by the instrumental case of the noun заданием. The instrumental case in Russian is often used to indicate how an action is done or what tools are used to complete it. Here, it shows how the speaker was having trouble.

Key Concepts:

Genitive case: This is a grammatical case that shows possession, or a part of something, and is often translated as "of".

Instrumental case: This grammatical case shows how an action is performed or what tools are used to perform it.

The verb "быть" (to be): This is a very common verb in Russian and can have many different uses. In this case, it's used in its past tense form.

Pronunciation
у - oo
меня - myenya
были - byli
неприятности - ne-pri-yat-nosti
с - s
этим - e-tim
заданием - za-da-ni-em

Translation:

Trouble - неприятность (nepriyatnost) - trouble

The next word is prefer. ## Я предпочитаю чай кофе.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I - Subject pronoun, Nominative case. [yah]

предпочитаю (predpochitayu) - I prefer - Verb, 1st person singular, present tense. [prehd-puh-chee-tay-yoo]

чай (chay) - tea - Noun, Masculine, Nominative case. [chahy]

кофе (kofe) - coffee - Noun, Masculine, Nominative case. [koh-fyeh]

Sentence Meaning: I prefer tea to coffee.

Key Concepts:

Word order: Subject - Verb - Object

Direct Object: чай (chay) is the direct object of the verb предпочитаю (predpochitayu).

Prepositions: The sentence does not use a preposition like "to" or "over". The meaning of preference is implied by the verb предпочитаю (predpochitayu).

Variations:

Я предпочитаю читать книги смотреть телевизор. (Ya predpochitayu chitat' knigi smotret' televizor.) - I prefer to read books to watching TV. [yah prehd-puh-chee-tay-yoo chee-taht' knee-gee sma-treht' te-leh-vee-zor]

Он предпочитает работать дома. (On predpochitayet rabotat' doma.) - He prefers to work at home. [ohn prehd-puh-chee-tay-et ra-boh-taht' doh-ma]

Pronunciation:

предпочитаю (predpochitayu): The stress is on the second syllable, "prehd-puh-chee-tay-yoo". Focus on pronouncing the "ch" sound as in "chair" and the "ya" sound at the end as in "ya"

чай (chay): The stress is on the first syllable, "chahy". The "y" sound is similar to the "i" sound in "bit".

кофе (kofe): The stress is on the first syllable, "koh-fyeh". The "e" at the end is pronounced similar to "eh".

English: prefer /prɪˈfɜːr/

Russian: предпочитаю (predpochitayu) /prɪdˈpɐt͡ʃɪtɐju/

The next word is settle. The word "settle" in English has many meanings, but for this example we will look at the meaning "to reach an agreement."

Мы должны уладить этот спор.

Let's break down the sentence.

Мы (pronounced [mi] - like "me" but with an "ee" sound at the end) means "we."

должны (pronounced [dolzhni] - like "dolzh-nee") means "must" or "have to". This is a modal verb and is followed by an infinitive.

уладить (pronounced [oo-lah-deet'] - like "oo-lad-eet" with the emphasis on the last syllable) means "to settle" or "to resolve." It is an infinitive.

этот (pronounced [eh-tot] - like "eh-toht" with the emphasis on the first syllable) means "this" and is an adjective which agrees in gender and number with the noun "dispute"

спор (pronounced [spor] - like "spor" with the emphasis on the first syllable) means "dispute" or "argument."

Translation: We must settle this dispute.

It is important to note that the word уладить can also be used in other contexts, such as "to settle down" or "to settle in."

Here are some variations of the sentence:

Попытайтесь уладить этот спор. (Try to settle this dispute.)

Они уладили этот спор мирным путем. (They settled this dispute peacefully.)

Мы должны уладить все разногласия. (We must settle all differences.)

English: settle - [ˈsɛtl]

Russian: уладить - [oo-lah-deet']

The next word is eye. У меня болят глаза.

This sentence means "My eyes hurt."

Breakdown

У меня u menya - This means "I have" or "My" - pronounced [oo menya].

болят bolyat - This means "hurt". This is the third person plural of the verb болеть bolet' (to hurt). You can use this for the eyes, head, legs, etc. - pronounced [bolyat].

глаза glaza - This means "eyes" - pronounced [glaza].

This sentence is in the present tense. The ending of the verb болят bolyat is the key to this.

Key Concept: The present tense in Russian is formed by adding endings to the verb stem. The endings vary depending on the person and number of the subject.

Variations
глаз glaz - This is the singular form of "eye" - pronounced [glaz]

болит bolit - This means "hurts" - pronounced [bolit]

глазу glazu - This is the dative case of "eye" - pronounced [glazu]

Translation
eye - глаз - pronounced [glaz]

eyes - глаза - pronounced [glaza]

hurt - болит - pronounced [bolit]

hurts - болит - pronounced [bolit]

hurt - болят - pronounced [bolyat]

The next word is useful. This полезный книга может быть очень полезной для вашего исследования.

Breakdown:

полезный книга (poleznyy kniga) This translates to "useful book,"

полезный (poleznyy) is an adjective meaning "useful," "helpful" or "advantageous," the word can be declined, it has masculine, feminine, and neuter genders and various declensions, it is also used as a short form adjective,
книга (kniga) is the feminine noun for "book," it declines, changing forms depending on its role in the sentence.

может быть (mozhet byt') is a phrase meaning "could be" or "might be". This is a modal verb that is used to express possibility, and it does not change in form.

очень (ochen') is an adverb meaning "very". It can be used with adjectives, verbs and other adverbs.

полезной (poleznоy) is the feminine form of the short-form adjective полезный. This form is usually used predicatively, meaning it comes after a linking verb.

для (dlya) is a preposition meaning "for" in this case it is used to describe the purpose of something.

вашего (vashego) is the possessive adjective meaning "your" in this case it modifies исследования
исследования (issledovaniya) is a noun meaning "research" in this case it is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition для.

Key Concepts:

Adjectives: полезный (poleznyy) is an adjective meaning "useful," "helpful" or "advantageous." Adjectives in Russian must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number and case, so we change its ending depending on the noun it modifies.

Nouns: книга (kniga) is the feminine noun for "book." All Russian nouns have a gender: masculine, feminine or neuter, and they decline. The gender and case of a noun determines what ending the adjective that modifies it will have.

Prepositions: Russian uses prepositions a lot. Pay attention to which preposition is used and how it changes the meaning of the sentence.

Possessive adjectives: Russian possessive adjectives are used to show ownership. In this case вашего (vashego) means "your" and it agrees with the noun исследования (issledovaniya) in gender and number.

Translation:

полезный (poleznyy) - useful
книга (kniga) - book
может быть (mozhet byt') - could be
очень (ochen') - very
полезной (poleznоy) - useful (feminine, short form)

для (dlya) - for
вашего (vashego) - your
исследования (issledovaniya) - research

Pronunciation:

полезный (poleznyy) - poh-LEHZ-nuh
книга (kniga) - KNEE-gah
может быть (mozhet byt') - MO-zhet BYT'

очень (ochen') - O-chen'

полезной (poleznоy) - poh-LEHZ-nuh
для (dlya) - DLYA
вашего (vashego) - VAH-she-go
исследования (issledovaniya) - is-SLEH-doh-vah-nee-yah

The next word is current. The current situation in the country is very volatile.

Текущая ситуация в стране очень нестабильна.

Breakdown:

Текущая (pronounced: tyekoo-shcha-ya) is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective текущий (pronounced: tyekoo-shchiy), meaning "current" or "present". In this sentence, it modifies the noun ситуация (pronounced: see-too-ah-tsee-ya), meaning "situation".

ситуация (pronounced: see-too-ah-tsee-ya) is a feminine noun in the nominative singular case and is used here to refer to the situation.

в (pronounced: v) is a preposition meaning "in".

стране (pronounced: stra-nyeh) is the feminine dative singular form of the noun страна (pronounced: stra-nah) meaning "country".

очень (pronounced: oh-chyen) is an adverb meaning "very".

нестабильна (pronounced: nye-stah-bee-l'na) is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective нестабильный (pronounced: nye-stah-bee-l'nyy) meaning "unstable".

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns and adjectives have grammatical genders, which affect their endings. ситуация and страна are feminine, while текущий and нестабильный are masculine.

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, текущая and нестабильна are in the nominative singular case because they are the subject of the sentence, while стране is in the dative singular case because it is the object of the preposition в.

Variations of the word "current":

текущий (masculine singular nominative)

текущая (feminine singular nominative)

текущее (neuter singular nominative)

текущие (plural nominative)

текущем (masculine singular instrumental)

Translation:

текущая (pronounced: tyekoo-shcha-ya) - current
ситуация (pronounced: see-too-ah-tsee-ya) - situation
в (pronounced: v) - in
стране (pronounced: stra-nyeh) - country
очень (pronounced: oh-chyen) - very
нестабильна (pronounced: nye-stah-bee-l'na) - unstable

The next word is fair. This is a fair deal.

Это справедливая сделка.

Breakdown

Это (pronounced eh-to) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "that."

справедливая (pronounced spra-ved-li-vaya) is an adjective meaning "fair" or "just."

сделка (pronounced sdel-ka) is a noun meaning "deal" or "agreement."

Key Concepts

The adjective справедливый (spra-ved-li-vy) can be masculine, feminine, or neuter, depending on the noun it modifies. In this case, the noun сделка is feminine, so the adjective must also be feminine.

In Russian, the adjective usually comes after the noun it modifies.

Variations of "fair"

Fair can also be translated as честный (pronounced ches-tny) when referring to a person's character.

Fair can also be translated as честный (pronounced ches-tny) when referring to a person's character.

Pronunciation Guide
справедливый (spra-ved-li-vy) – The "в" sound is like the "v" in "very."

сделка (sdel-ka) – The "д" sound is like the "d" in "day."

English Translation: This is a fair deal.

Russian Translation: Это справедливая сделка.

The next word is mix. ## Смешайте все ингредиенты вместе.

Breakdown:

Смешайте ([smyeSHAYte]) - Imperative verb, second person plural (you all). It means "mix". This is the command form of the verb, telling someone to mix something.

все ([vsyE]) - Pronoun meaning "all" or "everything".

ингредиенты ([in-gre-dee-EN-ty]) - Noun, plural, meaning "ingredients".

вместе ([vME-ste]) - Adverb meaning "together".

Translation: Mix all the ingredients together.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Verbs: Commands, telling someone to do something.

Pronouns: Words that replace nouns, like "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," "they," and "all".

Plural Forms: Nouns that represent more than one item.

Variations:

смешивать ([smyeSH-ee-vat]) - Infinitive verb, meaning "to mix"

смешал ([smyeSH-al]) - Past tense, masculine singular, meaning "mixed"

смешала ([smyeSH-a-la]) - Past tense, feminine singular, meaning "mixed"

Pronunciation Notes:

е ([ye]) - This sound is like the "e" in "bed" or "pen".

и ([ee]) - This sound is like the "ee" in "see" or "tree".

ы ([i]) - This sound is like the "i" in "bit" or "sit".

English Translation: Mix / all / ingredients / together.

The next word is code. The word "code" in Russian is код (pronounced "kod").

Here is an example sentence:

Я не знаю код доступа к компьютеру.

Я я (pronounced "ya") - I
не не (pronounced "nye") - not
знаю знаю (pronounced "znayu") - know
код код (pronounced "kod") - code
доступ доступ (pronounced "dostup") - access
к к (pronounced "k") - to
компьютеру компьютеру (pronounced "kompyuteru") - computer

Translation: I don't know the access code to the computer.

Key Concepts

Case: The word "компьютеру" is in the dative case. It indicates the indirect object of the verb "знаю".

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. "Код" is masculine, so it agrees with the masculine adjective "доступ".

Variations

The word "код" can also be used as a verb, meaning "to encode". For example:

Он закодировал сообщение. (He encoded the message.)

Pronounciation
код код - The "о" sounds like the "o" in "hot" and the "д" sounds like the "d" in "dog".

компьютер компьютер - The "е" sounds like the "e" in "bed", the "о" sounds like the "o" in "hot", the "у" sounds like the "oo" in "moon".

English: code [kohd]

Russian: код [kod]

The next word is generate. The word "generate" in Russian is генерировать (pronounced: ge-ne-ri-ro-vat').

Here's an example sentence:

Этот генератор может генерировать электричество для всего города.

Этот (eh-tot) - This
генератор (ge-ne-ra-tor) - Generator
может (mo-zhet) - can
генерировать (ge-ne-ri-ro-vat') - generate
электричество (eh-lek-tri-ches-tvo) - electricity
для (dlya) - for
всего (vse-go) - all
города (go-ro-da) - city

This sentence translates to: "This generator can generate electricity for the entire city."

Key Concepts:

генерировать (ge-ne-ri-ro-vat') is a verb and it means "to generate." You can use this verb with many different subjects, like electricity, heat, ideas, etc.

генератор (ge-ne-ra-tor) is a noun and it means "generator." This word is often used in the context of things that generate power.

Variations:

The verb "generate" can be conjugated in different tenses and moods. For example, the past tense of "generate" would be сгенерировал (sge-ne-ri-ro-val).

Pronunciation:

Remember to stress the first syllable in генерировать (ge-ne-ri-ro-vat') and генератор (ge-ne-ra-tor).

In Russian, the letter "е" at the end of a word can be pronounced like the "e" in "bed" or like the "ye" in "yes." In this case, it is closer to the "ye" sound.

Translation:

generate - генерировать (ge-ne-ri-ro-vat')

generator - генератор (ge-ne-ra-tor)

The next word is neighbor. The English word "neighbor" translates to сосед (sosed) in Russian. This word is a noun and can be either masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the person.

The sentence:

Мой сосед очень дружелюбный. (Moy sosed ochen druzhelyubnyy.)

Means: My neighbor is very friendly.

Breakdown:

Мой (moy) - means "my" and is a possessive adjective. It agrees in gender with the noun that follows, in this case, сосед (sosed).

сосед (sosed) - means "neighbor" and is a noun. It is masculine in this case.

очень (ochen) - means "very" and is an adverb.

дружелюбный (druzhelyubnyy) - means "friendly" and is an adjective. It agrees in gender with the noun сосед (sosed).

Pronunciation:

Мой (moy) - pronounced like "moy"

сосед (sosed) - pronounced like "so-sed"

очень (ochen) - pronounced like "o-chen"

дружелюбный (druzhelyubnyy) - pronounced like "dru-zhe-lyub-ny"

Variations:

Feminine form: соседка (sosedka) - pronounced like "so-sed-ka"

Plural form: соседи (sosedi) - pronounced like "so-se-di"

English: Neighbor

Russian: сосед (sosed)

The next word is happy. The word "happy" in Russian is счастливый (schastlivyy). It is an adjective, meaning "fortunate" or "lucky," and it is used to describe a state of feeling joy or contentment. You can also use it to describe things that bring happiness.

Here is a sentence using счастливый:

Я очень счастлива, что ты приехал (Ya ochen' schastliva, chto ty priekhal).

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
очень (ochen') - very
счастлива (schastliva) - the feminine form of the adjective "happy"

что (chto) - that
ты (ty) - you
приехал (priekhal) - arrived

Translation: I am very happy that you came.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - pronounced like the English "ya"

очень (ochen') - pronounced like "o-chen"

счастлива (schastliva) - pronounced like "schas-lee-vah"

что (chto) - pronounced like "chto"

ты (ty) - pronounced like "ty"

приехал (priekhal) - pronounced like "pree-ye-khal"

Key Concept: The adjective счастливый (schastlivyy) declines by gender, meaning it has different forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns. For example:

счастливый (schastlivyy) - masculine
счастливая (schastlivaya) - feminine
счастливое (schastlivoe) - neuter

Happy - счастливый (schastlivyy)

The next word is therefore. English: Therefore, the student went to the library to study.

Russian: Поэтому студент пошёл в библиотеку учиться. Поэтому studént pa-shol v bibliyateku uchit'sya.

Breakdown:

Поэтому (pa-EH-ta-mu) - therefore

This word is an adverb that introduces a consequence or result of something stated previously.

Remember: "по" is like a "for" or "because" "этому" is like "this" or "that" - so it's "for this reason" or "because of this"

студент (stu-DYENT) - student

The masculine form of the word student, but both men and women are students in this context. The feminine form is студентка (stu-DYENT-ka)

пошёл (pa-SHOL) - went

This is the masculine past tense of the verb идти (eeT-tee) to go. There is no masculine, feminine, or neuter in English.

в (v) - in or to

This preposition is used when you are moving toward something or into something.

библиотеку (bib-lee-AH-te-ku) - library

This word is feminine so it has the "у" ending

учиться (oo-CHIT-sa) - to study

The infinitive is учить (oo-CHIT) which means to teach.

Therefore: Поэтому (pa-EH-ta-mu)

Student: студент (stu-DYENT)

Went: пошёл (pa-SHOL)

To: в (v)

Library: библиотеку (bib-lee-AH-te-ku)

Study: учиться (oo-CHIT-sa)

The next word is very. The word "very" can be translated in several ways in Russian, depending on the context. Here's a sentence using the word "very" in Russian:

Он очень красивый. He is very handsome.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He. The pronoun "he" in Russian is gender-specific.

очень (ochen') - very. This word is very common and used often.

красивый (krasivyy) - handsome. "Красив" is the masculine form of beautiful.

Variations:

очень can be used with adjectives, adverbs, and sometimes even verbs to emphasize a quality or degree.

"Very" can also be translated as сильно (sil'no) which means strongly or intensely.

Pronunciation:

Он ohn
очень ochen'

красивый krasivyy

Translation:

Он - He
очень - very
красивый - handsome

The next word is area. This площадь [ploshadt'] is very large.

Площадь [ploshadt'] is a feminine noun, meaning "area," "square," or "plaza."

The word площадь [ploshadt'] can also be used to refer to a specific square or plaza.

площадь [ploshadt'] is pronounced with a soft [d] sound, like the 'd' in the English word "bad."

The word for "very" is очень [óchen'] which is pronounced with a soft [ch] sound, like the 'ch' in the English word "chair."

The word for "large" is большая [bòlshaya], a feminine adjective which means "big" or "large."

Notice the ending of the adjective большая [bòlshaya] agrees with the gender of the noun площадь [ploshadt'] which is feminine.

English Translation: This area is very large.

Word Breakdown:

площадь [ploshadt'] - area
очень [óchen'] - very
большая [bòlshaya] - large

The next word is prove. The word "prove" can be translated into Russian as доказать (pronounced: da-ka-zat') which means "to prove" or "to demonstrate." It's an irregular verb, meaning that its conjugation follows a different pattern than most verbs.

Here is an example sentence using the verb доказать:

Он пытался доказать свою невиновность, но никто ему не верил. (pronounced: On pytal'sya da-ka-zat' svoyu ne-vi-nov-nost', no nikto emu ne ver-il).

Here is a breakdown:

Он (pronounced: On) - He (nominative case)

пытался (pronounced: pytal'sya) - was trying (past tense, masculine singular, imperfective aspect)

доказать (pronounced: da-ka-zat') - to prove (infinitive)

свою (pronounced: svoyu) - his/her/its (accusative case, feminine singular)

невиновность (pronounced: ne-vi-nov-nost') - innocence (accusative case)

но (pronounced: no) - but
никто (pronounced: nikto) - nobody (nominative case)

ему (pronounced: emu) - to him (dative case)

не верил (pronounced: ne ver-il) - didn't believe (past tense, masculine singular, perfective aspect)

The sentence means: "He was trying to prove his innocence, but nobody believed him."

To remember this verb, you can associate it with the word "evidence" which also has a similar root.

Here are some other common variations of the verb доказать:

доказательство (pronounced: da-ka-zat'el'stvo) - proof (noun)

доказывать (pronounced: da-ka-zy-vat') - to prove (present tense)

It's important to note that the verb доказать is often used in a formal setting, such as in legal proceedings. In everyday conversation, you might hear other verbs used to express the same idea, such as показать (pronounced: pa-ka-zat') - to show.

English: prove - доказать (da-ka-zat')

The next word is give. The word "give" in English can be translated into Russian as давать (pronounced da-vat).

Here is an example sentence:

Он даёт мне книгу. (pronounced On da-yot mne kni-gu)

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced on) - he, subject pronoun
даёт (pronounced da-yot) - gives, present tense, 3rd person singular
мне (pronounced mne) - me, dative case pronoun
книгу (pronounced kni-gu) - book, accusative case

Key Concepts:

Давать is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing or repeated action.

Давать can also be used in the perfect tense, дать (pronounced dat), which indicates a completed action.

Давать is an example of a verb of motion, meaning it involves movement of something.

Мне is in the dative case because it indicates the indirect object, the person who receives the book.

Книгу is in the accusative case because it indicates the direct object, the thing being given.

Translation: He gives me a book.

Word Pronunciation:

давать - da-vat
он - on
мне - mne
книгу - kni-gu

The next word is into. The word "into" in English can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

Here is an example using "into" as a preposition:

English: The cat jumped into the box.

Russian: Кот запрыгнул в коробку.

Breakdown:

Кот (kot) - The word for "cat". The "k" sound is a hard "k" sound like the "k" in "kite."

запрыгнул (zaprygnul) - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to jump." The "g" sound is a soft "g" sound like the "g" in "gem."

в (v) - The preposition "in" or "into" (depending on context)

коробку (korobku) - This is the accusative case of the word for "box." The "o" sound is a short "o" sound like the "o" in "hot."

Key Concepts

Prepositions: Prepositions in Russian are similar to English prepositions, but they have different forms depending on the case of the noun they modify.

Case: Russian nouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence. The accusative case is used for direct objects.

English Translation: Kот (kot) - cat; запрыгнул (zaprygnul) - jumped; в (v) - into; коробку (korobku) - box

Pronunciation: kot - [kot]

zaprygnul - [zaprygnul]

v - [v]

korobku - [korobku]

The next word is manner. The word "manner" in English can translate to several different words in Russian depending on context. In this sentence we will use the word манера (pronounced [ma-ne-ra]) which means "manner" in the sense of style, approach, or way of doing something.

Sentence:

У него манера речи очень интересная.

U nego manera rechi ochen interesnaya.

Breakdown:

У него U nego - "He has" - [oo] [nye] [go]

манера manera - "manner" (in this context, style) - [ma-ne-ra]

речи rechi - "speech" - [re-chi]

очень ochen - "very" - [o-chen]

интересная interesnaya - "interesting" - [in-te-res-na-ya]

Meaning: He has a very interesting way of speaking.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Манера is feminine.

Case: Nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. Манера is in the nominative case in this sentence because it is the subject.

Adjectives: Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. So, because манера is feminine, the adjective интересная must also be feminine.

Variations:

The word манера can also mean "custom" or "habit." For example: У него плохая манера приходить поздно - "He has a bad habit of arriving late."

You can also use the phrase в манере (in the manner of) to describe someone's style. For example: Он говорил в манере учителя - "He spoke in the manner of a teacher."

English to Russian:

Manner: манера - [ma-ne-ra]

The next word is indeed. The word "indeed" in English can express agreement, emphasis, or confirmation. In Russian, the word действительно (pronounced day-stv-ee-tel-no) often conveys these same meanings. It is an adverb meaning "truly" or "really." Let's look at an example:

Sentence: Действительно, это очень красивый город. (day-stv-ee-tel-no, eh-to oh-chen kra-si-vy gor-od)

Breakdown:

Действительно (day-stv-ee-tel-no) - This is the adverb "indeed" or "truly"

это (eh-to) - This is the pronoun "this" or "it"

очень (oh-chen) - This is the adverb "very"

красивый (kra-si-vy) - This is the adjective "beautiful"

город (gor-od) - This is the noun "city"

Translation: "Indeed, this is a very beautiful city."

Variations:

В самом деле (v sa-mom de-le) - "In fact" or "actually"

Конечно (ka-nech-no) - "Of course" or "certainly"

Pronunciation Tips:

The letter "д" (д) is pronounced like the "d" in "dog."

The letter "е" (е) is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

The letter "и" (и) is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

The letter "о" (о) is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

The letter "а" (а) is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

The letter "у" (у) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon."

The letter "ы" (ы) is pronounced like the "y" in "my."

English: indeed

Russian: действительно (day-stv-ee-tel-no)

The next word is release. ## Освобождение заключенного было неожиданным.

Breakdown:

Освобождение (osvobozhdenie) - This is the noun form of "release," meaning the act of being set free. The stress is on the second syllable, оsvoбоzhdenie.

заключенного (zaklyuchennogo) - This is the genitive case of the noun заключенный (zaklyuchennyy) meaning "prisoner," so it literally means "of the prisoner". The stress is on the third syllable, zaklyuchennogo.

было (bylo) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" (byt'). The stress is on the first syllable, быlo.

неожиданным (neozhidannyim) - This is the instrumental case of the adjective неожиданный (neozhidannyy) meaning "unexpected." The stress is on the third syllable, neozhidannyim.

Translation: The release of the prisoner was unexpected.

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: This case is used to show possession or a relationship between nouns, like "of the prisoner."

Instrumental Case: This case is used to show the means or instrument by which an action is performed, in this case, "unexpectedly."

Pronunciation Guide:

Освобождение (osvobozhdenie) - Stress on the second syllable: osvobozhdenie
заключенного (zaklyuchennogo) - Stress on the third syllable: zaklyuchennogo
было (bylo) - Stress on the first syllable: быlo
неожиданным (neozhidannyim) - Stress on the third syllable: neozhidannyim

Word Translation and Pronunciation:

Release: освобождение (osvobozhdenie) - Stress on the second syllable: osvobozhdenie

The next word is late. The word "late" can be used in a variety of ways in Russian. It can be used to describe something that happened after the expected or scheduled time, or it can be used to describe someone who has passed away.

Here is an example of a sentence using "late" in Russian:

Он пришёл поздно на встречу.

On prishël pozdno na vstrechu.

Он - On (he) - pronounced like "ohn"

пришёл - prishël (came) - pronounced like "pree-shool"

поздно - pozdno (late) - pronounced like "pozd-no"

на - na (on, to, at) - pronounced like "na"

встречу - vstrechu (meeting) - pronounced like "vstre-choo"

Translation: He came late to the meeting.

This sentence uses the word поздно pozdno to describe the time at which he arrived. This is an example of using "late" to describe something that happened after the expected or scheduled time.

Other ways to use "late" in Russian:

поздний pozdniy (late, belated) - pronounced like "pozd-nee" - This adjective can be used to describe something that is late, such as a late payment or a late train. For example, поздний завтрак pozdniy zavtrak (late breakfast).

покойный pokoiny (late, deceased) - pronounced like "po-koi-niy" - This adjective is used to refer to someone who has passed away. For example, покойный дедушка pokoiny dedushka (late grandfather).

As you can see, the word "late" can be translated into Russian in a variety of ways, depending on the context. It is important to choose the correct translation based on the meaning of the sentence.

English: late

Russian: поздно pozdno (pronounced like "pozd-no")

The next word is battle. The Russian word for battle is битва (pronounced: [bee]tva).

Here's an example sentence:

В битве при Сталинграде советские войска одержали победу над немецкими войсками.

В битве при Сталинграде советские войска одержали победу над немецкими войсками.

Breakdown:

В ([v] in this case is pronounced like "v" in "very") means "in" or "at" and is a preposition.

битве ([bee]tve) is the dative case of the word битва and means "battle".

при ([pree]) is another preposition meaning "at" or "near."

Сталинграде ([sta]lin'gra'de) is a proper noun referring to the city of Stalingrad. This is in the locative case.

советские ([sa]vyet'skiye) means "Soviet" and is an adjective.

войска ([voi]ska) means "troops" or "forces" in the nominative plural form.

одержали ([a]derzhali) is a past tense verb meaning "won" or "achieved"

победу ([pa]byedu) means "victory" and is in the accusative case.

над ([nad]) means "over" and is a preposition.

немецкими ([nye]metskimi) means "German" and is an adjective.

войсками ([voi]skami) is the instrumental case of войска and means "troops" or "forces".

Translation: In the Battle of Stalingrad, Soviet troops won a victory over German troops.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: These are words that introduce a phrase and show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.

Cases: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. These changes are called cases.

Word Order: While the Russian sentence structure is subject-verb-object like English, there are differences in word order, especially when prepositions are used.

Pronunciation:

битва ([bee]tva)

Сталинград ([sta]lin'grad)

советские ([sa]vyet'skiye)

войска ([voi]ska)

одержали ([a]derzhali)

победу ([pa]byedu)

немецкими ([nye]metskimi)

Variations:

The word битва can also be used to refer to a fight or a struggle, not just a military battle.

бой ([boi]) is another word for battle.

война ([voi]na) means "war".

The next word is son. The English word "son" translates to сын (pronounced "sin") in Russian. It is a masculine noun. The sentence, "He has a son." is translated as:

У него есть сын.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") is a preposition that means "at, by, with, near, to, etc." but in this case, it indicates possession, much like "has."

него (pronounced "nyeh-voh") is a personal pronoun meaning "him" or "he". It is a genitive case of the pronoun он (pronounced "ohn") which means "he" and is used to indicate possession.

есть (pronounced "yest") is the verb "to be" in the present tense, meaning "there is" or "there are."

сын (pronounced "sin") is the masculine noun meaning "son."

Translation: "He has a son."

Variations:

The word сын (pronounced "sin") can be used in other contexts such as, "My son is a doctor." (Мой сын – врач.) "The son of the king was brave." (Сын короля был храбрый.)

Pronunciation Guide:

У - "oo"

него - "nyeh-voh"

есть - "yest"

сын - "sin"

The next word is class. ## Урок начинается в девять часов.

Breakdown:

Урок ([oo]rok[/oo]) - Lesson, Class - The word урок is a masculine noun and can refer to a single lesson or a class period.

начинается ([na]chinayetsya[/na]) - Starts, Begins - This is the third-person singular present tense of the verb начинаться ([na]chinatsya[/na]). The "e" at the end is added for the third person singular, meaning "it". The "ся" ending is used for reflexive verbs which denote an action directed toward the subject. We are talking about the lesson "beginning" itself, not someone "beginning" the lesson.

в ([v]) - In - This is a preposition that indicates a location.

девять ([dyev]yat[/dyev]) - Nine - This is the number nine.

часов ([cha]sov[/cha]) - Hours - This is the genitive plural of the word час ([chas]) - hour. The genitive case is used after prepositions such as в and with numbers.

Translation:

The lesson starts at nine o'clock.

Variations of урок:

Уроки ([oo]roki[/oo]) - Lessons (plural)

Урочная ([oo]rochnaya[/oo]) - Lesson-related (feminine adjective)

Урочный ([oo]rochnyy[/oo]) - Lesson-related (masculine adjective)

Pronunciation Hints:

Урок - The "о" sound is like the "o" in "lot". The "к" is like the "k" in "kite"

начинается - The "и" at the beginning sounds like the "ee" in "see", the "а" sounds like the "a" in "father", the "е" at the end sounds like the "e" in "get", the "я" at the end sounds like the "ya" in "yacht"

девять - The "я" at the end sounds like the "ya" in "yacht"

часов - The "о" sounds like the "o" in "lot" The "в" sounds like the "v" in "van"

The next word is absolutely. The word "absolutely" in Russian can be translated in a few ways, depending on the context. Here is one way to use it in a sentence:

Sentence: Это абсолютно верно

Breakdown:

Это (pronounced 'eh-to') is the nominative case of the pronoun 'this', in this case referring to the previous statement.

абсолютно (pronounced 'ab-sa-lyoot-no') is the adverb meaning 'absolutely' or 'completely'. This is a common adverb and often used to emphasize a statement, like 'totally' or 'completely'.

верно (pronounced 'ver-no') is the neuter form of the adjective meaning 'true' or 'correct', in this case acting as a predicate adjective.

Translation: This is absolutely true.

Variations:

совершенно (pronounced 'sa-ver-shen-no') - meaning 'completely' or 'perfectly', can be used in place of абсолютно

English word and pronounciation: absolutely [ab-suh-loot-lee]

Russian word and pronounciation: абсолютно [ab-sa-lyoot-no]

The next word is on. The word "on" can be translated in Russian in several ways depending on the context.

На (na) - This is the most common translation of "on" and is used for both literal and figurative meanings.

Example sentence: Книга лежит на столе. (Kniga lezhit na stole.)

Книга (kniga) - book (pronounced: KNEE-ga)

лежит (lezhit) - lies (pronounced: le-ZHIT)

на (na) - on (pronounced: nah)

столе (stole) - table (pronounced: STOH-le)

Translation: The book lies on the table.

Other common translations of "on" include:

О (o) - This is used for talking about topics or subjects. (Example: Я хочу поговорить о погоде. (Ya khochu pogovorit' o pogode.) - I want to talk about the weather.)

В (v) - This is used for being inside something, especially for transportation. (Example: Я еду на машине. (Ya edu na mashine.) - I am riding in a car.)

По (po) - This is used for movement across a surface. (Example: Я иду по улице. (Ya idu po ulitse.) - I am walking down the street.)

Key concepts:

Prepositions: In Russian, prepositions like на, о, в, and по are very important for understanding the meaning of a sentence.

Case endings: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on the preposition used. For example, стол (stol) becomes столе (stole) when used with the preposition на (na).

Pronunciation: Pay attention to the stress in words. In the example sentence, the stress is on the second syllable of лежит (lezhit), на (na), and столе (stole).

English: On

Russian: На (na)

The next word is near. The word "near" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. In this example, we will use the word близко (pronounced bleez-kuh).

Here is a sentence using the word близко (bleez-kuh) which translates to "near."

Дом (pronounced dom, meaning house) близко (bleez-kuh, meaning near) к (pronounced k, meaning to) лесу (pronounced les-oo, meaning forest).

This translates to "The house is near the forest."

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: The word к (k) is a preposition meaning "to" or "toward," and it is used to indicate direction.

Gender Agreement: The word лес (pronounced les) is masculine, so the preposition к (k) must agree in gender. In this case, the ending of лес changes to лесу (les-oo) to agree with the preposition к (k).

Breakdown:

Дом - дом (pronounced dom), meaning "house"

близко - близко (pronounced bleez-kuh), meaning "near"

к - к (pronounced k), meaning "to" or "towards"

лесу - лесу (pronounced les-oo), meaning "forest"

Variations of близко (bleez-kuh):

The word близко (bleez-kuh) is an adverb, so it does not change based on gender, number, or case. However, you can also use the adjective ближний (pronounced bleezh-niy), which means "near" or "nearby." The adjective will change depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Example:

Ближний (bleezh-niy, meaning nearby) дом (dom, meaning house) красив (kra-siv, meaning beautiful).

This translates to "The nearby house is beautiful."

Pronounciation:

близко: bleez-kuh
ближний: bleezh-niy

The next word is to. The word "to" in English can have many uses, but in Russian, it's often expressed through prepositions like к (k) or в (v).

Here's an example sentence:

Я иду к магазину. Я (ya) - I, иду (idu) - I am going, к (k) - to, магазину (magazinu) - the store.

Translation: I am going to the store.

Key Concept: к (k) is used when moving toward a specific place or object.

Pronunciation Notes:

к (k) is pronounced like the "k" in "kick".

в (v) is pronounced like the "v" in "very".

Variations:

в (v) is used when entering a place, like в (v) комнату (komnatu) - into the room.

на (na) can also be used, like на (na) улицу (ulitsu) - onto the street.

English to Russian:

to = к (k), в (v), на (na)

The next word is pattern. ## Шаблон (Shablon) - pattern

Sentence: Этот шаблон отлично подходит для создания презентаций. (Etot shablon otlichno podkhodít dl'a sozdaniâ prezentatsiy).

Breakdown:

Этот (Etot) - this, masculine singular, (sounds like "eh-toht")

шаблон (shablon) - pattern, template, (sounds like "shah-blohn")

отлично (otlichno) - perfectly, excellently (sounds like "ot-lee-ch-no")

подходит (podkhodít) - suits, is suitable, (sounds like "pod-hoh-deet")

для (dl'a) - for, (sounds like "dlya")

создания (sozdaniâ) - creation, (sounds like "soz-da-ni-ya")

презентаций (prezentatsiy) - presentations, (sounds like "pre-zen-ta-tsiy")

Key Concepts:

The sentence uses the masculine singular form of the word "шаблон" (шаблон - shablon).

The adjective отличный (otlichnyy) is used in its short form отлично (otlichno) because it precedes the noun шаблон (shablon).

The verb подходит (podkhodít) is in the present tense and agrees with the subject шаблон (shablon) in gender and number.

The preposition для (dl'a) is used to indicate purpose.

Translation: This pattern is perfectly suitable for creating presentations.

Variations:

Шаблоны (shablony) - patterns (plural)

Шаблонный (shablonnyy) - patterned, stereotypical (adjective)

Pronunciation Guide:

Шаблон (shablon): stress on the first syllable, "sha" like "shah" in "Shah Jahan"

отлично (otlichno): stress on the second syllable, "li" like "lee" in "believe"

Helpful hint: Remember that the stress in Russian words can change the meaning. The word шаблон (shablon) is stressed on the first syllable, while the word шаблонный (shablonnyy) is stressed on the second syllable.

The next word is thank. The word "thank" in English translates to спасибо (spasibo) in Russian.

Here's a sentence using it:

Спасибо за ваш интерес к моему курсу. (spasibo za vash interes k moemu kursu)

Let's break this sentence down:

Спасибо (spasibo) - This is the word for "thank you" and it is always used in the nominative case.

за (za) - This is the preposition "for."

ваш (vash) - This is the possessive adjective meaning "your." In this case, it's masculine, as the noun it's modifying, "interest," is masculine.

интерес (interes) - This is the noun "interest," also in the masculine gender.

к (k) - This is the preposition "to," used for indicating direction.

моему (moemu) - This is the possessive adjective meaning "my," in this case, modifying the noun "course." It is masculine and singular, just like the noun it modifies.

курсу (kursu) - This is the noun "course," also in the masculine gender.

This sentence means "Thank you for your interest in my course."

Pronunciation tips:

Спасибо (spasibo) - The "s" at the beginning is soft, almost like a "th."

за (za) - The "a" is like the "a" in "father."

ваш (vash) - The "v" is like the "v" in "vine."

интерес (interes) - The "e" is like the "e" in "bed."

к (k) - This sounds like the "k" in "kit."

моему (moemu) - The "e" is like the "e" in "bed."

курсу (kursu) - The "u" is like the "u" in "flute."

Key concepts:

Declension: The sentence showcases the declension of nouns and adjectives, changing their endings depending on their grammatical role within the sentence.

Gender: Russian nouns and adjectives have grammatical gender, which affects their endings. Here, "interest" and "course" are masculine nouns, so the adjectives modifying them (your and my) are also masculine.

Prepositions: The sentence uses several prepositions like за (za) and к (k) that are essential for understanding the meaning and grammatical structure of the sentence.

English Translation: Thank you

Russian Translation: спасибо (spasibo)

The next word is use. The word "use" in English translates to использовать (pronounced "is-pol-zo-vat") in Russian.

Here's an example sentence:

Я использую компьютер для работы.

This sentence translates to "I use the computer for work" in English.

Я ("Ya") means "I".

использую ("is-pol-zo-vu") is the present tense, first-person singular form of the verb "to use" (the verb is использовать - "is-pol-zo-vat").

компьютер ("kom-pyu-ter") means "computer".

для ("dlya") means "for".

работы ("ra-bo-ty") means "work".

This sentence illustrates the direct object (computer) and the prepositional phrase (for work) which adds more information to the action of using the computer.

The infinitive form of the verb "to use" in Russian is использовать ("is-pol-zo-vat").

Here are some other variations of the verb "to use" in Russian:

использовал (is-pol-zo-val) - past tense, masculine singular form.

использовала (is-pol-zo-va-la) - past tense, feminine singular form.

использовали (is-pol-zo-va-li) - past tense, plural form.

используешь (is-pol-zu-yesh) - present tense, second person singular form.

Remember, the verb "to use" can be used in various ways, depending on the context.

English: Use

Russian: использовать (is-pol-zo-vat)

The next word is remind. ## Напомни мне, пожалуйста, о встрече в понедельник.

Breakdown:

Напомни (Na-pom-ni) - Imperative verb, meaning "remind" (you)

мне (mnye) - Dative case pronoun, meaning "to me" or "me"

пожалуйста (pa-zhal-sta) - Polite word meaning "please"

о (o) - Preposition meaning "about"

встрече (vstre-che) - Noun, feminine, meaning "meeting"

в (v) - Preposition meaning "in"

понедельник (pa-nyed-yel-nik) - Noun, masculine, meaning "Monday"

Translation: Remind me, please, about the meeting on Monday.

Key concepts:

Imperative verb: Used to give commands or make requests.

Dative case: Indicates the indirect object of the verb, the person or thing receiving the action.

Prepositions: Words that connect a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence, showing the relationship between them.

Pronunciation:

Напомни: Na-pom-ni (stress on the second syllable)

мне: mnye (stress on the first syllable)

пожалуйста: pa-zhal-sta (stress on the first syllable)

о: o (stress on the only syllable)

встрече: vstre-che (stress on the second syllable)

в: v (stress on the only syllable)

понедельник: pa-nyed-yel-nik (stress on the first syllable)

English-Russian Translation:

Remind - Напомнить (na-pom-nit')

Meeting - Встреча (vstre-cha)

Monday - Понедельник (pa-nyed-yel-nik)

The next word is survive. The Russian sentence is:

Ему удалось выжить после этой аварии.

Breakdown:

Ему - This is the dative case of the pronoun "he" (он). The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of the verb. In English we'd say "to him". Pronunciation: [ye-moo]

удалось - This is the past tense of the verb "удаваться" (to succeed). It is used to express that something was successful. Pronunciation: [oo-dah-loss']

выжить - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to survive". It is used in the construction "удалось + infinitive" to express that someone was successful in doing something. Pronunciation: [vi-zhit']

после - This is a preposition meaning "after". Pronunciation: [po-slay]

этой - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this". Pronunciation: [eh-toy]

аварии - This is the genitive case of the noun "accident". The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a verb. Pronunciation: [ah-vah-ree-ee]

Meaning:

This sentence means: "He managed to survive after the accident".

Variations:

There are many different ways to express the idea of "surviving" in Russian, depending on the context. For example, you could say:

Он остался в живых после аварии. - "He remained alive after the accident." [on osta-lsya v zhi-vykh po-slay ah-vah-ree-ee]

Он выжил после этой трагедии. - "He survived after this tragedy." [on vi-zhyl po-slay eh-toy tra-geh-dee-ee]

Он был спасен во время землетрясения. - "He was saved during the earthquake." [on byl spa-sen va vrem-ya zem-le-trya-sen-ya]

Key concepts:

Case endings: Russian nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. This is called declension.

Tense: Russian verbs have different forms depending on the time of the action.

Word order: The order of words in Russian sentences can be more flexible than in English.

English and Russian word and pronunciation:

Survive - выжить [vi-zhit']

The next word is strength. The Russian word for strength is сила (pronounced "see-la"). It is a feminine noun and is often used in the singular form. In the sentence below, it is used in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence. The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb.

Sentence: У неё большая сила.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") is a preposition that means "at, by, near, with." It is used with the genitive case, which indicates possession or belonging.

неё (pronounced "nyo") is the genitive case of the pronoun она (pronounced "ah-na"), which means "she."

большая (pronounced "bol'shaya") is an adjective that means "big" or "large." It is used in the feminine singular form to agree with the noun сила.

сила (pronounced "see-la") is the noun meaning "strength."

The sentence translates to "She has great strength."

Variations:

сильный (pronounced "see-l'ny") is the masculine adjective for "strong."

сильная (pronounced "see-l'naya") is the feminine adjective for "strong."

сильное (pronounced "see-l'noye") is the neuter adjective for "strong."

Pronunciation:

сила (pronounced "see-la")

сильный (pronounced "see-l'ny")

сильная (pronounced "see-l'naya")

сильное (pronounced "see-l'noye")

English Translation:

Strength - сила

Strong - сильный, сильная, сильное

The next word is military. The Russian sentence is:

Он служил в армии.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - pronounced like "ohn"

служил - served (past tense, masculine, singular) - pronounced like "sloo-zheel" - Note the "l" sound at the end, it is a soft "l"

в - in (preposition) - pronounced like "v"

армии - army (noun, feminine, prepositional case) - pronounced like "arm-ee-ee" - The "i" at the end is a soft "i"

This sentence means: "He served in the army."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender, and this influences the form of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with them. In this case, the noun "армия" is feminine, which is why the past tense verb "служил" is in the masculine singular form.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence (subject, object, etc.) These changes are called cases. The noun "армия" is in the prepositional case here, because it follows the preposition "в".

Variations:

Военная служба - military service (noun, feminine) - pronounced like "vo-yen-na-ya sloo-zh-ba"

Военный - military (adjective, masculine) - pronounced like "vo-yen-ny"

Военные - military personnel (noun, plural) - pronounced like "vo-yen-ny-ye"

English to Russian:

military - военный (adjective) - pronounced like "vo-yen-ny"

military - военные (noun, plural) - pronounced like "vo-yen-ny-ye"

The next word is determine. The word "determine" can be used in the Russian sentence:

Он решил определить местоположение своего дома.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (masculine pronoun, pronounced like "ohn")

решил решил - decided (past tense masculine singular, pronounced like "ree-sheel")

определить определить - to determine (infinitive verb, pronounced like "uh-pri-dee-leet")

местоположение местоположение - location (noun, pronounced like "myes-tah-pah-lah-zheh-nee-yeh")

своего своего - his own (possessive adjective, pronounced like "svah-yeh-voh")

дома дома - home (noun, pronounced like "doh-mah")

The sentence means: He decided to determine the location of his home.

The key concept here is the use of the verb определить определить, which can be used in a variety of contexts to mean "determine," "define," or "establish." It is a versatile verb that can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Here are some other examples of how to use определить определить:

Мы должны определить, кто виноват. - We must determine who is guilty. (pronounced like "Mee duh-zh-li uh-pri-dee-leet' ktoh vee-nah-vat.")

Эта книга поможет вам определить свой стиль. - This book will help you determine your style. (pronounced like "Eh-tah k-nee-gah pah-moh-zhet vam uh-pri-dee-leet' svoy styl.")

Я определился с выбором. - I have determined my choice. (pronounced like "Ya uh-pri-dee-leels-ya s vy-bah-rom.")

Translation of words:

Determine: определить (uh-pri-dee-leet')

Location: местоположение (myes-tah-pah-lah-zheh-nee-yeh)

The next word is really. The word "really" can be used to express emphasis, surprise, or disbelief. It can be translated to Russian as действительно (pronounced: day-stv-it-el-no) or на самом деле (pronounced: nah sa-mom dye-lee) depending on the context.

Here's an example sentence:

Он действительно талантливый художник. (Pronounced: On day-stv-it-el-no ta-lan-tli-viy hoo-dozh-nik.)

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced: on) - He. This is the masculine pronoun.

действительно (pronounced: day-stv-it-el-no) - Really. This emphasizes the truth of the statement. You can substitute на самом деле (pronounced: nah sa-mom dye-lee) for a more emphatic tone.

талантливый (pronounced: ta-lan-tli-viy) - Talented. This is the masculine adjective form.

художник (pronounced: hoo-dozh-nik) - Artist.

Translation: He is really a talented artist.

Key Concept:

The word действительно (pronounced: day-stv-it-el-no) is a very common and versatile word in Russian. It can be used in many different contexts, similar to the English word "really."

English: really /ˈriːəli/

Russian: действительно /ˈdʲeɪstvɪtɪlʹnə/ or на самом деле /nɐ ˈsaməm ˈdʲelɪ/

The next word is famous. The Russian sentence is:

Он был знаменит своим талантом.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, nominative case)

Pronunciation: [ahn]

был - was (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

Pronunciation: [beel]

знаменит - famous (adjective, masculine singular)

Pronunciation: [znah-mee-nit]

своим - his/her/its (possessive adjective, masculine singular)

Pronunciation: [svoy-im]

талантом - talent (noun, instrumental case)

Pronunciation: [tah-lahn-tom]

Translation: He was famous for his talent.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns and adjectives have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter).

Case: Nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English. The sentence could also be: Своим талантом он был знаменит.

Variations:

Знаменитый - famous (adjective, masculine singular, nominative case)

Знаменитая - famous (adjective, feminine singular, nominative case)

Знаменитое - famous (adjective, neuter singular, nominative case)

Знаменитые - famous (adjective, plural, nominative case)

Pronunciation Hints:

Знаменит - the "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "bet"

Своим - the "и" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

English-Russian Word Translation and Pronunciation:

Famous: знаменит [znah-mee-nit]

The next word is community. ## Сообщество студентов влияет на их учебный процесс.

Breakdown:

Сообщество - soo-bsh-eh-stv-oh (Community) This is a noun, meaning a group of people who live in the same place or have something in common.

студентов - stoo-den-tov (students) This is the genitive plural of студент (student) and means "of the students"

влияет - vli-ya-yet (influences) This is the third person singular present tense of the verb влиять (to influence).

на - na (on) This is a preposition indicating direction.

их - ikh (their) This is a possessive pronoun referring to the students.

учебный - oo-cheb-niy (educational) This is an adjective describing the process.

процесс - pro-tsehss (process) This is a noun referring to the learning process.

Translation: The community of students influences their learning process.

Key Concepts:

Genitive Plural: The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging. The genitive plural of nouns ending in -нт, -д, -т often ends in -ов.

Present Tense: Russian verbs in the present tense change based on the subject of the sentence.

Prepositions: Prepositions like на (on) are essential for showing relationships between words in a sentence.

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember that the stress in Russian words can be tricky and is not always predictable.

Pay attention to the soft and hard signs (ь and ъ) as they often affect the pronunciation of the preceding consonant.

The vowel е is often pronounced like the "ye" in "yes."

The letter щ is pronounced like the "sh" in "ship."

English and Russian Word Translations:

| English | Russian | Pronunciation |

|---|---|---|

| community | сообщество | soo-bsh-eh-stv-oh |

| student | студент | stoo-dent |

| influences | влияет | vli-ya-yet |

| on | на | na |

| their | их | ikh |

| educational | учебный | oo-cheb-niy |

| process | процесс | pro-tsehss |

The next word is student. The word "student" in Russian is студент (pronounced stu-DENT). It is a noun and it is masculine in gender. To make it feminine, you simply add the ending -ка so it becomes студентка (pronounced stu-DENT-ka). It is important to remember that gender is very important in Russian grammar, so paying close attention to whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter will help you understand the structure of the sentence.

Here's a sample sentence using студент:

Студент (stu-DENT) учится (oo-chi-tsa) в университете (v uni-ver-si-te-te).

Breakdown:

Студент (stu-DENT) - student (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

учится (oo-chi-tsa) - is studying (3rd person singular, present tense of the verb учиться (oo-chi-tsa) - to study)

в (v) - in
университете (uni-ver-si-te-te) - university (prepositional case)

Translation: The student is studying at the university.

Key Concepts:

Gender: The noun студент (stu-DENT) is masculine.

Case: The noun студент (stu-DENT) is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Verb conjugation: The verb учится (oo-chi-tsa) is in the 3rd person singular present tense.

Prepositional case: The noun университете (uni-ver-si-te-te) is in the prepositional case because it is preceded by the preposition в (v) - in.

Pronunciation:

студент (stu-DENT) - the 'e' at the end is very short and almost silent. The 't' is pronounced like the 't' in "table".

учится (oo-chi-tsa) - the 'ч' (ch) sounds like the 'ch' in "chair".

в (v) - the 'в' is pronounced like the 'v' in "victory".

университете (uni-ver-si-te-te) - the 'е' (e) sounds like the 'e' in "bet". The 'т' (t) at the end is almost silent.

The next word is kitchen. The word "kitchen" in Russian is кухня (pronounced kooh-hnya). It is a feminine noun, which means it takes a feminine ending in the nominative case, like "кухни" (kooh-hni).

Let's try an example sentence:

"The kitchen is clean."

Кухня чистая (pronounced kooh-hnya chi-staya).

Breakdown:

Кухня (kooh-hnya) - Kitchen. The word is in the nominative case, so it ends in "-я" (-ya).

чистая (chi-staya) - Clean. This is the feminine form of the adjective "чистый" (chi-styi). Remember that adjectives in Russian agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Variations:

Plural: кухни (kooh-hni) - kitchens

Genitive case: кухни (kooh-hni) - of the kitchen

Dative case: кухне (kooh-hne) - to the kitchen

Accusative case: кухню (kooh-nyu) - the kitchen

Instrumental case: кухней (kooh-ney) - with the kitchen

Prepositional case: кухне (kooh-hne) - about the kitchen

Key concepts:

Russian nouns have genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on the case (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, prepositional).

The gender, number, and case of adjectives must agree with the noun they modify.

Translation:

Kitchen - кухня (kooh-hnya)

Clean - чистая (chi-staya)

The next word is or. The word "or" is a conjunction that connects two or more options. In Russian, it is translated as или (pronounced "ee-lee").

Here is an example sentence:

English: You can choose the red shirt or the blue one.

Russian: Ты можешь выбрать красную рубашку или синюю. Ты можешь выбрать красную рубашку или синюю.

Let's break it down:

Ты ты (pronounced "ty") means "you"

можешь можешь (pronounced "mo-zhesh") means "can" or "may"

выбрать выбрать (pronounced "vy-brat") means "to choose"

красную красную (pronounced "kras-noo-yoo") means "red"

рубашку рубашку (pronounced "roo-bash-koo") means "shirt"

синюю синюю (pronounced "see-nyoo-yoo") means "blue"

Key Concept: In Russian, the conjunction или is used to connect two or more options, just like "or" in English.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "ы" sound in ты is similar to the "i" in "bit" or "sit."

The "е" sound in можешь and выбрать is similar to the "e" in "bed" or "set."

The "а" sound in красную is similar to the "a" in "father" or "car."

The "у" sound in рубашку is similar to the "oo" in "moon" or "food."

The "ю" sound in синюю is similar to the "oo" in "moon" or "food" followed by a "y" sound.

English: or - или (ee-lee)

The next word is itself. The word "itself" in English is a reflexive pronoun. Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence.

In Russian, the reflexive pronoun is себя (pronounced seh-byah). It is used in all genders, numbers, and cases and is not declined. It is often used with verbs, especially verbs of motion.

Here is a Russian sentence that uses the reflexive pronoun себя:

Кошка сама помыла себя.

Translation: The cat washed itself.

Breakdown:

Кошка (kosh-ka) - The cat (feminine noun, nominative case, singular)

сама (sa-ma) - itself (feminine pronoun, nominative case, singular)

помыла (pa-my-la) - washed (past tense, feminine, singular)

себя (seh-byah) - itself (reflexive pronoun)

Key Concepts

Reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that the action of the verb is performed by the subject on itself.

себя is the reflexive pronoun in Russian and is used in all genders, numbers, and cases.

Word Pronunciation
себя (seh-byah)

сама (sa-ma)

помыла (pa-my-la)

кошка (kosh-ka)

English Translation: itself - себя (seh-byah)

The next word is crisis. The Russian word for "crisis" is кризис (krizis). The pronunciation is kree-zees. The "i" in кризис sounds similar to the "ee" in "see." The "s" at the end sounds like the "s" in "kiss" - not the "s" in "bus."

Here is a sentence using the word:

Этот кризис затронул все сферы жизни.

This sentence means "This crisis affected all spheres of life."

Let's break down the sentence:

Этот (etot) - this (pronunciation: eh-toht - "t" is almost silent at the end)

кризис (krizis) - crisis (pronunciation: kree-zees)

затронул (zatronul) - affected (pronunciation: za-troh-nool)

все (vse) - all (pronunciation: vseh)

сферы (sfery) - spheres (pronunciation: sfay-ree)

жизни (zhizni) - life (pronunciation: zhee-zni)

Key Concepts

Gender: Кризис is a masculine noun. This is important because it affects the agreement of other words in the sentence. For example, you can see that the adjective Этот agrees with the noun кризис in gender.

Case: The noun кризис is in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

Verb: Затронул is a past tense verb. It is conjugated to agree with the subject (кризис).

The word кризис is a very common word in Russian and is often used in the news. The plural form of кризис is кризисы (krizisy).

English: Crisis [krahy-sis]

Russian: кризис (kree-zees)

The next word is introduction. Введение is the Russian word for introduction. The в at the beginning of the word введение means "in" and ведение means "leading." The е at the end of the word ведение is pronounced like the English word "ye" in "yes". The stress in the word введение is on the first syllable.

The word can be used in many different ways. Here is an example:

Введение в русский язык

Translation: Introduction to the Russian language.

Breakdown:

Введение - Introduction
в - In
русский - Russian (adjective)

язык - Language

Pronunciation guide:

Введение - [v-ve-dye-ni-ye]

в - [v]

русский - [roo-ski]

язык - [ya-zık]

Key Concepts
в is a preposition that means "in".

русский is an adjective that means "Russian".

язык is a noun that means "language".

Variations

Введение can also be used as a noun meaning "introduction" or "preface" . For example: Введение к книге - Introduction to the book.

Введение в действие - Introduction to action or implementation.

The next word is aid. This sentence uses the word помощь (pronounced pah-mohshch) meaning "aid" or "help". It is a feminine noun, so it takes feminine endings.

The sentence:

Ему нужна помощь с домашним заданием.

Emu nuzhna pomoshch' s domashnim zadaniem.

Breakdown:

Ему (pronounced ye-moo) - to him, dative case pronoun
нужна (pronounced noozh-na) - is needed, feminine singular form of the verb "нужен" (nuzhen)

помощь (pronounced pah-mohshch) - aid, help, feminine noun
с (pronounced s) - with
домашним (pronounced da-mash-nim) - homework, masculine noun in instrumental case
заданием (pronounced za-da-ni-em) - assignment, neuter noun in instrumental case

This sentence means "He needs help with his homework."

Key concept: The instrumental case is used to indicate the tool or means by which an action is performed. It is often translated as "with" in English.

Helpful hint: The ending "ем" (pronounced -em) is a common ending for the instrumental case of nouns.

Word and pronounciation:

Aid - помощь (pronounced pah-mohshch)

The next word is unclear. The situation is неясно (pronounced nye-yas-no).

Breakdown:

не (pronounced nye) means "not."

ясно (pronounced yas-no) means "clear."

Together, they create the meaning of "unclear" or "not clear."

Grammatical Notes:

Неясно is an adjective in the neuter form, which is used for situations.

You can use this word in many ways. It can be part of a phrase like Ситуация неясна (The situation is unclear) or Мне неясно, что ты хочешь сказать (It's unclear to me what you want to say).

Key Concept: The prefix не is frequently used to negate words, making it essential for understanding many Russian words.

English Translation: unclear - неясно (pronounced nye-yas-no)

The next word is happen. Sentence: Это может случиться с кем угодно.

Breakdown:

Это (pronounced "eh-to") is the neuter form of the demonstrative pronoun "this." It functions as the subject of the sentence.

может (pronounced "moh-zhet") is the third-person singular form of the verb "мочь" (pronounced "mohch") which means "to be able" or "to can." "Мочь" is an irregular verb in the present tense, and it's important to learn the conjugations.

случиться (pronounced "slu-chee-tsya") is the infinitive form of the verb "случаться" (pronounced "slu-cha-tsya") meaning "to happen." This verb is also irregular in the present tense.

с (pronounced "s") is a preposition meaning "with."

кем (pronounced "kem") is the instrumental case of the interrogative pronoun "кто" (pronounced "kto") meaning "who." It's used to ask who something happens to.

угодно (pronounced "oo-god-no") is an adjective meaning "any" or "whatever." It often functions as a kind of "catch-all" to refer to anyone or anything.

Meaning: This can happen to anyone.

Translation:

Это - this
может - can
случиться - happen
с - with
кем - who
угодно - anyone

Key Concepts:

Demonstrative Pronouns: "Это" is a demonstrative pronoun that points to something specific. There are three forms: это (neuter), этот (masculine), and эта (feminine).

Irregular Verbs: "Мочь" and "случаться" are irregular verbs, meaning they don't follow the standard conjugation patterns. It's important to learn their forms in the present tense.

Instrumental Case: The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or by what means. In this sentence, the instrumental case of "кто" is used to indicate who the action of "случиться" happens to.

The next word is police. The police are investigating the crime scene.

Полиция расследует место преступления.

Poli͡t͡si͡ja rassleduet mesto prestuplenija.

Breakdown:

Полиция Poli͡t͡si͡ja - This is the noun, meaning "police". It is pronounced "pah-lee-t͡si-ya."

расследует rassleduet - This is the verb, meaning "investigates". It is pronounced "rass-le-doo-yet"

место mesto - This is a noun meaning "place". It is pronounced "myes-toh."

преступления prestuplenija - This is a noun meaning "crime". It is pronounced "pre-stup-le-ni-ya".

Key Concepts:

Gender: The word полиция Poli͡t͡si͡ja is feminine, so the verb расследует rassleduet is conjugated to agree with the gender of the subject.

Word order: The basic word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object.

Variations:

The word полиция Poli͡t͡si͡ja can be used in the singular or plural:

Полиция Poli͡t͡si͡ja (singular - the police)

Полицейские Poli͡t͡sei͡skie (plural - policemen, police officers)

The verb расследует rassleduet can also be used in the past tense or future tense:

Полиция расследовала место преступления. Poli͡t͡si͡ja rassledovala mesto prestuplenija (The police investigated the crime scene)

Полиция будет расследовать место преступления. Poli͡t͡si͡ja budet rassledovat' mesto prestuplenija (The police will investigate the crime scene)

Translation: "Police" - полиция Poli͡t͡si͡ja

The next word is significant. This event was значимый for the entire country.

Breakdown:

значимый (zna-chi-my) is an adjective meaning "significant."

значимый is formed from the noun значение (zna-che-ni-ye), meaning "meaning," "importance," or "significance."

The sentence uses the nominative case of the adjective, as it modifies the noun событие (so-by-ti-ye), meaning "event."

Translation: This event was significant for the entire country.

Key Concept: The use of adjectives to describe nouns is a fundamental aspect of Russian grammar. The case of the adjective must agree with the case of the noun it modifies.

Variations:

значительность (zna-chi-tel-nost') is the noun form of the adjective, meaning "significance" or "importance."

значительно (zna-chi-tel-no) is the adverb form of the adjective, meaning "significantly."

English: significant (sig-nif-i-cant)

Russian: значимый (zna-chi-my)

The next word is alone. The sentence:

Он был один в комнате.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case, sounds like "on")

был - was (verb, past tense, masculine singular, sounds like "beel")

один - alone (adjective, masculine singular, nominative case, sounds like "ah-deen")

в - in (preposition, sounds like "v")

комнате - room (noun, feminine singular, prepositional case, sounds like "kom-nah-tye")

The sentence literally translates to: "He was alone in the room."

This sentence uses the adjective один (alone) in its masculine singular form, which agrees with the subject он (he). It is important to remember that Russian adjectives must agree in gender, number and case with the noun they describe.

The word один (alone) can also be used as a numeral, meaning "one." When used as a numeral, it changes its ending depending on the case. Here are a few examples:

одна (one) - feminine singular nominative
одно (one) - neuter singular nominative
одного (one) - masculine singular accusative
одной (one) - feminine singular accusative

English: alone

Russian: один (ah-deen)

The next word is hour. The word "hour" in Russian is час (pronounced "chas"). It is a masculine noun and can be used in singular or plural forms. Let's create a sentence that uses this noun:

У меня есть час, чтобы сделать домашнее задание. (oo mya-nya yest chas, chto-by s-dy-lat da-mash-nye za-da-nye)

This translates to "I have an hour to do my homework".

Breakdown:

У (oo) is a preposition that means "at" or "by", but here it is part of the phrase у меня (oo mya-nya) which means "I have".

меня (mya-nya) is the pronoun "me".

есть (yest) means "to be" or "to have" and is used in the present tense.

час (chas) is the noun "hour".

чтобы (chto-by) is a conjunction that means "in order to" or "so that".

сделать (s-dy-lat) is the verb "to do".

домашнее (da-mash-nye) is the adjective "homework".

задание (za-da-nye) is the noun "assignment".

This sentence demonstrates the usage of час (chas) in a simple but effective way.

Let's look at some variations of the word "hour" in Russian:

часов (cha-sof) - is the genitive plural form which means "of hours".

часам (cha-sam) - is the dative plural form meaning "to hours".

часами (cha-sa-mi) - is the instrumental plural form meaning "by hours".

Remember, mastering the cases and declensions of Russian nouns is crucial for understanding the language's grammar.

English - Hour (pronounced "our")

Russian - час (pronounced "chas")

The next word is author. The author of this book is a famous writer.

Автор этой книги - знаменитый писатель. avtor etoy knihi - znametnity pisatel.

The word автор (avtor) is a noun meaning "author". The ending "ор" is typical of masculine nouns in the nominative case.

Эта (eta) means "this" and is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective этот (etot). This is the nominative case.

Книга (kniga) means "book" and is a feminine noun in the nominative case. The word знаменитый (znametnity) is an adjective that means "famous". It is in the nominative case and agrees in gender with писатель (pisatel). Писатель (pisatel) is the masculine noun "writer".

Key Concept: The noun "author" (автор avtor) is in the nominative case and is the subject of the sentence, which is in the present tense.

The ending "ор" on the word автор (avtor) is typical of masculine nouns in the nominative case. The ending "а" on the word эта (eta) is typical of feminine nouns in the nominative case.

Pronunciation:

автор (avtor) - the "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father", the "в" is like the "v" in "vet", and the "о" is like the "o" in "hot"

эта (eta) - the "е" is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes"

книга (kniga) - the "к" is pronounced like the "k" in "kit", the "н" is pronounced like the "n" in "net", the "и" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see", the "г" is pronounced like the "g" in "gate", and the "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

знаменитый (znametnity) - the "з" is pronounced like the "z" in "zoo", the "н" is pronounced like the "n" in "net", the "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father", the "м" is pronounced like the "m" in "met", the "е" is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes", the "н" is pronounced like the "n" in "net", the "и" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see", the "т" is pronounced like the "t" in "tea", the "ы" is pronounced like the "y" in "my"

писатель (pisatel) - the "п" is pronounced like the "p" in "pet", the "и" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see", the "с" is pronounced like the "s" in "see", the "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father", the "т" is pronounced like the "t" in "tea", the "е" is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes", the "л" is pronounced like the "l" in "let"

English Translation:

The author of this book is a famous writer.

The next word is explain. The Russian word for "explain" is объяснить. This word means "to explain" and is a verb. The ending ть is common for verbs in the infinitive form. In its basic form, it is conjugated as follows:

Объясни (explain - singular, imperative)

Объясните (explain - plural, imperative)

Объясняю (I explain)

Объясняешь (You explain)

Объясняет (He/She/It explains)

Объясняем (We explain)

Объясняете (You all explain)

Объясняют (They explain)

You can use объяснить to ask someone to explain something. For example:

Объясните, пожалуйста, что это такое?

Объясните - explain (imperative, plural)

пожалуйста - please
что - what
это - this
такое - such

Please explain what this is.

объяснить can be used to explain something to someone. For example:

Я могу объяснить тебе, как работает этот механизм.

Я - I
могу - can
объяснить - explain
тебе - to you
как - how
работает - works
этот - this
механизм - mechanism

I can explain to you how this mechanism works.

объяснить can be used to ask for an explanation. For example:

Объясни, пожалуйста, почему ты так решил?

Объясни - explain (imperative, singular)

пожалуйста - please
почему - why
ты - you
так - so
решил - decided

Please explain why you decided that.

Pronunciation:

объяснить is pronounced like "ob-yas-neet". Be sure to stress the first syllable. The vowel sounds are like the “o” in "hot", “ya” like "ya" in "yard" and "ee" like "ee" in "see."

English: explain

Russian: объяснить

The next word is bus. ## Автобус уже отъехал.

Breakdown:

Автобус (avtobus) - The word for "bus" in Russian. Pronunciation: av-toh-bus
уже (uzhe) - This means "already." Pronunciation: oo-zhe
отъехал (ot'ekhal) - This is the past tense, masculine form of the verb "to leave." Pronunciation: ot-ye-khal

Meaning: The bus has already left.

Key Concept:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender. Автобус is masculine, so the verb отъехал (to leave) has to agree in gender and number with the noun.

Variations:

Автобусы (avtobusy) - This is the plural form for "buses."

отъехала (ot'ekhala) - This is the past tense, feminine form of the verb "to leave."

English and Russian Translation:

Bus - Автобус (avtobus)

Already - уже (uzhe)

Left - отъехал (ot'ekhal)

The next word is model. Okay, I understand. I'm ready to begin. Please provide an English word and I will create a Russian sentence using it with a full breakdown. Let's learn some Russian!

The next word is statement. The Russian word for "statement" is заявление (zayavleniye).

Here is a sentence using it:

Студент сделал заявление о том, что он не сдавал экзамен. Студент (student) сделал (made) заявление (statement) о том, что (about the fact that) он (he) не сдавал (did not take) экзамен (exam).

The sentence translates to: The student made a statement that he didn't take the exam.

Key Concepts

The word заявление (zayavleniye) is a noun and is pronounced with a stress on the second syllable (za-ya-v-le-ni-ye). The ending "е" (е) is stressed, and it sounds like the "e" in "bet." The first "а" (а) sounds like the "a" in "father." The "я" (я) sounds like the "ya" in "yard." The "и" (и) sound like the "ee" in "see."

The preposition о (o) is used before the noun phrase "том, что" (tom, chto), which means "about the fact that." The "о" (о) is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

The verb сделал (sdelal) is in the past tense and agrees with the subject студент (student). It's pronounced with a stress on the second syllable (s-de-lal). The first "е" (е) sound like the "e" in "bet."

Variations of the Word

The word заявление (zayavleniye) can be used in many contexts. It can be used for a formal statement, like a written document, a statement in court, or a statement of intent. It can also be used for a more casual statement, like a comment or an opinion.

English: Statement, Pronunciation: steyt-ment

Russian: Заявление (zayavleniye), Pronunciation: za-ya-v-le-ni-ye

The next word is fun. ## Весело проводить время с друзьями - это весело.

Breakdown:

Весело проводить время с друзьями - To spend time with friends in a fun way

Весело (pronounced: ve-se-lo) - This is an adjective meaning "fun," "joyful," or "enjoyable." You can also use the adverb form весело (ve-se-lo) to mean "fun," "joyfully," or "enjoyably."

проводить (pronounced: pra-va-deet) - Means "to spend" or "to pass" (time). This is a verb in the infinitive form.

время (pronounced: vre-mya) - Means "time"

с (pronounced: s) - Means "with"

друзьями (pronounced: druz-ya-mi) - Means "friends"

это весело. - This is fun.

это (pronounced: e-ta) - Means "this" or "it"

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of an adjective to describe an action.

Весело can be used as an adjective or adverb depending on the context.

English Translation of the sentence: Spending time with friends is fun.

Word Translations:

fun - весело (pronounced: ve-se-lo)

fun - весело (pronounced: ve-se-lo)

The next word is people. The word люди (pronounced lyoo-dee) is a plural noun meaning people. It is a very common word, you will find it used often. The singular form of the noun is человек (pronounced che-lo-vek). This word is a little more formal and can also mean "human being" as well as "person". The word народ (pronounced na-rod) can also mean "people" but it refers to the people of a nation.

Here is a sentence using люди:

Эти люди очень дружелюбны. (pronounced eh-tee lyoo-dee o-chen dru-zhe-lyub-ny)

This sentence means "These people are very friendly."

Breakdown

Эти (pronounced eh-tee) means "These"

люди (pronounced lyoo-dee) means "people"

очень (pronounced o-chen) means "very"

дружелюбны (pronounced dru-zhe-lyub-ny) means "friendly"

Key Concept

You can use эти (pronounced eh-tee) to refer to people or things that are near you.

This sentence is in the present tense. The ending ны (pronounced ny) on the adjective дружелюбны (pronounced dru-zhe-lyub-ny) indicates that the people are friendly now.

English Translation
people - люди (pronounced lyoo-dee)

friendly - дружелюбный (pronounced dru-zhe-lyub-ny)

The next word is scene. The word "scene" can be translated into Russian as сцена (pronounced "s'tse-na").

Here is a sentence using сцена:

На сцене играли актёры.

Breakdown:

На (pronounced "na") - means "on" or "at." This is a preposition that is used to indicate location.

сцене (pronounced "s'tse-ne") - is the prepositional case of сцена and it means "on stage" or "on the scene."

играли (pronounced "ig-ra-li") - is the past tense of the verb играть (pronounced "ig-rat'") which means "to play."

актёры (pronounced "ak-tyo-ry") - means "actors."

Translation: The actors were playing on stage.

Key Concepts:

Prepositional case: This is one of the six cases in Russian that indicate the function of a noun in a sentence.

Past tense: Russian verbs have a past tense that is formed by adding a suffix to the verb stem.

Variations:

сцена can also be used to mean "scene" in the sense of a "part of a play," "a setting," or "an event."

English/Russian word and pronunciation:

Scene: сцена - (s'tse-na)

The next word is cry. The word "cry" in English can be used as a verb or a noun. In Russian, the verb "to cry" is плакать (pronounced "pla-kat"). This verb is conjugated in the present tense like this:

я плачу ya plachu - I cry
ты плачешь ty plachyesh - You cry
он/она/оно плачет on/ona/ono plachet - He/She/It cries
мы плачем my plachem - We cry
вы плачете vy plachete - You cry
они плачут oni plachut - They cry.

Let's use the verb in a sentence:

Маленький мальчик плачет, потому что потерял свою игрушку. Malenkiy mal'chik plachet, potomu chto poteryal svoyu igrushku.

This sentence means "The little boy is crying because he lost his toy."

Breakdown of the sentence:

Маленький (pronounced "malen'kiy") - Little.

мальчик (pronounced "mal'chik") - Boy
плачет (pronounced "plachet") - Cry (present tense, 3rd person singular)

потому что (pronounced "potomu chto") - because
потерял (pronounced "poteryal") - lost. (Past tense of терять - to lose)

свою (pronounced "svoyu") - his/her/its
игрушку (pronounced "igrushku") - toy.

Let's look at the noun form. The Russian noun for "cry" is плач (pronounced "plach"). It is masculine.

Here is an example of the noun used in a sentence:

Ее плач был очень грустным. Eye plach byl ochen' grustnym.

This sentence means "Her cry was very sad."

Breakdown of the sentence:

Ее (pronounced "eye") - Her
плач (pronounced "plach") - Cry
был (pronounced "byl") - was (masculine, past tense)

очень (pronounced "ochen'") - very
грустным (pronounced "grustnym") - sad

English: cry (verb) - плакать (plakat)

English: cry (noun) - плач (plach)

The next word is island. ## Остров о́стров (óstrov) is the Russian word for "island."

The sentence:

На острове растут пальмы. На острове растут пальмы.

Breakdown:

На (на́) - This is the preposition "on" or "in" and it indicates location. Pronunciation: [na]

острове (о́строве) - This is the prepositional case form of остров (island). Pronunciation: [óstrove]

растут (расту́т) - This is the present tense 3rd person plural form of the verb расти (to grow). It implies that the palm trees are growing on the island. Pronunciation: [rastút]

пальмы (па́льмы) - This is the plural form of пальма (palm tree). Pronunciation: [pál'my]

Translation:

Palm trees grow on the island.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: Prepositions are crucial for indicating relationships between words in a sentence. На is a common preposition that indicates location.

Case: Russian nouns have different forms depending on their role in a sentence. The prepositional case is used after prepositions.

Plural Forms: Nouns in Russian have singular and plural forms.

Variations:

The word остров can be used in other grammatical cases as well: острова (islands), острову (to the island), etc.

English to Russian:

island - остров (óstrov)

The next word is level. The word "level" in English can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context.

Here is an example sentence using the word "level" as a noun:

English: The difficulty level of this exam is high.

Russian: Уровень сложности этого экзамена высокий.

Breakdown:

Уровень (oo-roh-ven) is the noun meaning "level." This is the most common word for "level" in Russian and it functions as a noun. The ending - ен (-en) denotes the masculine gender in this case.

сложности (slozh-nos-tee) is the genitive case of the noun сложность (slozh-nost) which means "difficulty," "complexity." The ending -и (-i) indicates the genitive case of the noun which functions as an adjective in this case.

этого (eh-toh-voh) is the genitive case of the pronoun это (eh-toh) which means "this" and functions as an adjective.

экзамена (ek-zah-me-nah) is the genitive case of the noun экзамен (ek-zah-men) which means "exam." The ending -а (-ah) indicates the genitive case of the noun in this case.

высокий (vi-so-kee) is the adjective meaning "high." The ending -ий (-ee) indicates the masculine gender in this case.

Translation: The level of difficulty of this exam is high.

Here are some other words that could be used to translate "level" in different contexts:

Level (as a verb): уравнивать (oo-rav-ni-vat)

Level (as an adjective): ровный (rov-niy)

Level (as a measure): уровень (oo-roh-ven)

English: level

Russian: уровень (oo-roh-ven)

The next word is can. ## Can - мочь (moch')

Sentence: Я могу говорить по-русски. (Ya mogu govorit' po-russki.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
могу (mogu) - This is the present tense, first person singular form of the verb мочь (moch') meaning "to be able to," "to can" or "to be capable."

говорить (govorit') - to speak
по-русски (po-russki) - in Russian. This is a prepositional phrase with the preposition по (po) meaning "in" or "by" and русски (russki) meaning "Russian"

Translation: I can speak Russian.

Key Concepts:

мочь (moch') is an irregular verb and has different forms in the present tense for each person.

по- (po-) is a prefix commonly used to indicate "by means of" or "in the manner of."

Pronunciation Guide:

мочь (moch') - The "ch" sound is similar to the "ch" in the word "chair". The "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot."

говорить (govorit') - The "g" is a soft "g" like in the word "gem." The "o" is similar to the "o" in "hot." The "i" is like the "ee" in "see."

по-русски (po-russki) - The "o" is like the "o" in "hot." The "u" is like the "oo" in "moon."

English: Can

Russian: мочь (moch')

The next word is several. The sentence is:

"На столе лежало несколько книг." На столе лежало несколько книг.

Breakdown:

На [na] (on, upon) - This is a preposition. It is pronounced "nah"

столе [stole] (table) - This is a noun in the locative case. It is pronounced "sto-leh"

лежало [lezhalo] (lay) - This is a verb in the past tense, neuter gender, singular. It is pronounced "lyeh-zhah-loh"

несколько [neskol'ko] (several) - This is an indeclinable adjective. It is pronounced "nyes-kol'kah"

книг [knik] (books) - This is a noun in the genitive case. It is pronounced "knih"

Meaning:

Several books were lying on the table.

Variations:

The word несколько [neskol'ko] (several) can be used with both singular and plural nouns.

The sentence can be rephrased as: На столе лежали несколько книг. [na stole lezheli neskol'ko knik] ("Several books were lying on the table.") This is the plural form of the verb.

Pronunciation:

Remember that the stress in Russian words is always on a particular syllable. In this case, the stress is on the first syllable in несколько [neskol'ko] (several). The stress in лежало [lezhalo] (lay) is on the second syllable, and the stress in столе [stole] (table) is on the last syllable.

English Translation of Words:

several - несколько [neskol'ko]

books - книг [knik]

The next word is now. ## Сейчас я изучаю русский язык.

Breakdown:

Сейчас (pronounced "see-chas") is an adverb that means "now" or "at this moment." It can be used in both present and future contexts, making it versatile. You can also use теперь (pronounced "tye-pyer") which also means "now". It is a more general "now", while сейчас emphasizes the immediacy of the moment.

я (pronounced "ya") is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I."

изучаю (pronounced "ee-zoo-cha-yu") is the present tense, first-person singular form of the verb изучать (pronounced "ee-zoo-chat") which means "to study" or "to learn". It can also mean "to examine" or "to research".

русский (pronounced "roo-skee") is an adjective meaning "Russian," referring to the language. It is the masculine form. If referring to a female noun, you would use the feminine form русская (pronounced "roo-sska-ya").

язык (pronounced "ya-zыk") means "language."

Translation: "Now I am studying the Russian language."

Key concepts:

Adverbs: сейчас and теперь are examples of adverbs, which modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Pronouns: я is an example of a pronoun, which replaces a noun.

Verb Conjugation: изучаю is the present tense, first-person singular form of the verb изучать. You will need to learn verb conjugation to speak Russian fluently.

Pronunciation Notes:

с sounds like "s" in "see."

ч sounds like "ch" in "chair"

щ sounds like "sh" in "she"

я sounds like "ya" in "yard"

ы sounds like "ee" in "bee"

ю sounds like "yoo" in "you"

е sounds like "ye" in "yes"

Word Translation & Pronunciation:

Now: сейчас (pronounced "see-chas")

Russian: русский (pronounced "roo-skee")

The next word is just. The word "just" in English has a few different meanings and can be used in various ways. In Russian, the closest equivalent is просто (pronounced "pro-sto").

Here is a simple sentence using просто:

Я просто хочу пойти домой.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") - I
просто (pronounced "pro-sto") - just
хочу (pronounced "kho-chu") - want
пойти (pronounced "pay-tee") - to go
домой (pronounced "da-moy") - home

Translation: I just want to go home.

Key Concepts:

просто is a versatile word that can be used to express simple ideas, emphasize something, or even show a lack of importance.

In this sentence, просто is used to emphasize the speaker's desire to go home.

Variations:

просто can also be used in phrases like просто так (pronounced "pro-sto tak"), meaning "just like that," or просто замечательно (pronounced "pro-sto za-me-cha-tel-no"), meaning "simply wonderful."

Pronunciation:

просто (pro-sto)

Я (ya)

хочу (kho-chu)

пойти (pay-tee)

домой (da-moy)

English: just

Russian: просто (pro-sto)

The next word is operate. The doctor will оперировать пациента tomorrow. Оперировать means "to operate" and it is a verb. Пациент means "patient." The word оперировать is pronounced like "ah-peer-ee-rah-vat". It is important to remember that оперировать is used in the context of surgery. In Russian, we say "to operate" when referring to a medical operation. "The doctor will operate the patient tomorrow."

оперировать - operate / ah-peer-ee-rah-vat
пациент - patient / pah-tsee-ent

The next word is crime. The Russian word for "crime" is преступление (pronounced "pre-stoop-len-ee").

Here is a sample sentence:

Преступление было раскрыто полицией.

Prestuplenie bylo raskryto politsei.

Breakdown:

Преступление (prestuplenie) - crime (pronounced "pre-stoop-len-ee")

было (bylo) - was (pronounced "bi-lo") -- Past tense of "to be" (быть [byt'])

раскрыто (raskryto) - revealed, uncovered (pronounced "ras-kri-to") -- Past participle of "to reveal" (раскрывать [raskryvat'])

полицией (politsei) - by the police (pronounced "pah-lee-tsee-ay")

Translation:

The crime was uncovered by the police.

Key Concepts:

The sentence uses the past tense of the verb "to be" (быть [byt']). This is a very common verb and essential to learn.

It uses the past participle of the verb "to reveal" (раскрывать [raskryvat']). The past participle acts as an adjective in this sentence, modifying the noun "преступление" (prestuplenie).

The noun "полицией" (politsei) is in the instrumental case, which is used to show the agent or instrument by which an action is performed.

Variations:

The word "преступление" (prestuplenie) can also be used in a more general sense to refer to any act that is illegal. For example:

Он совершил преступление. (On sovershil prestuplenie) - He committed a crime.

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in преступление (prestuplenie) is on the second syllable (сту [stu]).

The "e" at the end of the word is pronounced as a soft "e" sound.

The "y" at the end of полицией (politsei) is not pronounced.

English: crime /kraɪm/

Russian: преступление /pre-stoop-len-ee/

The next word is chief. The word "chief" in English can translate to several different words in Russian, depending on the context.

In the context of a leader or head of an organization: главный (pronounced [glav-niy])

Sentence: Он был главным инженером этого проекта. (On byl glavnym inzhenerom etoy proyekta.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He
был (byl) - was
главным (glavnym) - chief, main
инженером (inzhenerom) - engineer (in the instrumental case)

этого (etoy) - this, of this (genitive case)

проекта (proyekta) - project (genitive case)

Translation: He was the chief engineer of this project.

Key Concept: The word главный (glavnyy) is an adjective that means "main" or "chief." It often modifies nouns, as in this sentence, where it describes the engineer as being "chief."

In the context of a head chef in a restaurant: шеф-повар (pronounced [shef-povar])

Sentence: Шеф-повар готовил новое блюдо. (Shef-povar gotovyl novoye blyudo.)

Breakdown:

Шеф-повар (Shef-povar) - the chief, head chef
готовил (gotovil) - was cooking
новое (novoye) - new
блюдо (blyudo) - dish

Translation: The chef was cooking a new dish.

Key Concept: The word шеф-повар (shef-povar) is a noun meaning "chef" or "head chef." It combines the French word "chef" with the Russian word повар (povar) for "cook." This is a common way to combine words in Russian.

English: Chief / Russian: главный (glavnyy) or шеф-повар (shef-povar)

The next word is do. ## Делать (delat') - To do

Sentence: Я делаю уроки (Ya delаyu urokі)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
делаю (delyayu) - present tense, 1st person singular of делать (delat') - to do
уроки (uroki) - homework, lessons. This is the plural form of the noun урок (urok)

Key Concepts:

Present Tense: The verb делать (delat') is conjugated in the present tense. The present tense is used to describe an action happening now.

1st Person Singular: The verb is conjugated in the 1st person singular, meaning it refers to the speaker.

Plural Form: уроки is the plural form of урок. This is because we are referring to more than one lesson.

Pronunciation:

Делать - deh-laht'

Я - ya
делаю - de-la-yu
уроки - u-ro-ki

English Translation: I am doing my homework.

Variations:

You can use the verb делать (delat') in other tenses as well. For example, Я сделал уроки (Ya sdelal urokі) means "I did my homework" (past tense).

You can use делать (delat') with different objects. For example, Я делаю кофе (Ya delyayu kofe) means "I am making coffee".

Remember: You can use the verb делать (delat') in many different situations to describe doing something.

The next word is guy. The word "guy" in English can have several meanings, so I will provide you with a sentence using the meaning of "man" or "male person."

Парень сидит на скамейке. Он читает книгу.

Breakdown:

Парень (pronounced "par-en") is the Russian word for "guy," "man," or "young man." It is masculine.

сидит (pronounced "see-dit") is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb "to sit" (сидеть).

на (pronounced "na") is a preposition meaning "on."

скамейке (pronounced "ska-may-kay") is the feminine form of the noun "bench" (скамейка). The ending "-ке" indicates that the bench is feminine.

Он (pronounced "on") is the third person masculine pronoun meaning "he."

читает (pronounced "chee-tay-et") is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb "to read" (читать).

книгу (pronounced "knee-goo") is the feminine form of the noun "book" (книга).

Translation:

The guy is sitting on the bench. He is reading a book.

Key Concept:

The sentence uses the masculine form of the noun "guy" (Парень) and the masculine pronoun "he" (Он). Notice how the Russian language uses gender agreement. The ending of the noun "bench" (скамейке) changes to match the gender of the bench.

Variations of the word "guy":

мужчина (pronounced "mooj-chee-na") is a more formal word for "man" and can refer to any man, regardless of age.

молодой человек (pronounced "mo-lo-doy che-la-vek") translates to "young man" or "young person."

парнишка (pronounced "par-nee-shka") is a more informal word for "guy" or "young man."

Pronunciation Guide:

Парень "par-en"

сидит "see-dit"

на "na"

скамейке "ska-may-kay"

Он "on"

читает "chee-tay-et"

книгу "knee-goo"

The next word is taxi. Я Ya (I) ехала yekhala (past tense of ездить yezd'it' - to travel, to go by vehicle) на na (on) такси taksi (taxi).

This sentence is in the past tense and uses the feminine singular form of the verb "ехать" yekhat', because the subject "Я" Ya (I) is feminine. "На" na is a preposition meaning "on" and is used before the word "такси" taksi.

The word "такси" taksi is borrowed from French and is pronounced the same way as in English.

Я Ya (I) - pronounced like "Ya"

ехала yekhala (past tense of ездить yezd'it' - to travel, to go by vehicle) - pronounced like "yeh-huh-la"

на na (on) - pronounced like "nah"

такси taksi (taxi) - pronounced like "tak-see"

English Translation: I went by taxi.

The next word is suit. This suit костюм (kostyum) fits me perfectly.

Breakdown:

Костюм (kostyum) means "suit" in Russian. The stress is on the first syllable, ко (ko). You can pronounce it like "kost-yoom" where "yoom" sounds like "yoom" in "boom".

подходит (podhodit) means "fits" or "suits" and is a verb in the present tense, third person singular. The stress is on the first syllable, по (po). You can pronounce it as "pod-ho-deet" where "deet" sounds like "deet" in "beet".

мне (mne) means "me" and is a pronoun. The stress is on the first syllable, мн (mn). You can pronounce it as "m-nye" like "my" with a "ye" sound at the end.

идеально (ideal'no) means "perfectly" and is an adverb. The stress is on the last syllable. You can pronounce it as "i-dee-al-no" where "al" sounds like "al" in "ball".

Full sentence: Этот костюм идеально мне подходит (etot kostyum ideal'no mne podhodit) - This suit fits me perfectly.

Variations of "suit":

костюм (kostyum) - formal and general, like "suit" in English.

костю́м (kostyum) - formal and general, like "suit" in English.

комбинезо́н (kombinezón) - a one-piece suit, like a jumpsuit.

пиджа́к (pidzhak) - a jacket, especially one worn as part of a suit.

брю́ки (bryuki) - trousers, pants, part of a suit.

English: suit

Russian: костюм (kostyum)

The next word is bedroom. The sentence is: "У меня в спальне есть большой шкаф." U menya v spal'ne est' bol'shoy shkaf.

Breakdown:

У меня U menya (means "I have") - Here, "у" u is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and "меня" menya is the "me" form of the pronoun "я" ya (I). It is used with verbs of possession.

в спальне v spal'ne (means "in the bedroom") - "в" v is the preposition "in". "спальня" spal'nya (bedroom) is a feminine noun so it takes the feminine form of the preposition "в" v which is "в" v.

есть est' (means "there is/are") - This is the present tense of the verb "быть" byt' (to be). It is used to show existence or possession.

большой шкаф bol'shoy shkaf (means "big closet") - "большой" bol'shoy (big) is an adjective that agrees in gender with "шкаф" shkaf (closet) which is a masculine noun.

Helpful Hints:

Pronunciation:

У u as in "oo" in "food"

меня menya as in "men-ya"

в v as in "v" in "very"

спальне spal'ne as in "spahl-nye"

есть est' as in "est"

большой bol'shoy as in "bol-shoy"

шкаф shkaf as in "shkaf"

Variations:

You can change the size of the closet: "маленький" malen'kiy (small), "средний" sredniy (medium)

You can replace "шкаф" shkaf with other furniture like: "кровать" krovat' (bed), "стол" stol (table), "стул" stul (chair)

Translation: "I have a big closet in my bedroom."

English and Russian translation:

| English | Russian |

|---|---|

| bedroom | спальня spal'nya |

The next word is down. The word "down" can be used as an adverb, preposition, adjective, or noun.

Here is an example sentence using "down" as an adverb:

Он спустился вниз по лестнице.

Breakdown:

Он - on - He
спустился - spustilsya - past tense of the verb "to go down"

вниз - vniz - down (adverb)

по - po - along, down (preposition)

лестнице - lestnitse - stairs (feminine, singular)

Translation: He went down the stairs.

Key concepts:

The verb спустился is in the past tense, masculine singular form. This form is used when the subject of the sentence is a masculine noun.

The adverb вниз modifies the verb спустился, indicating the direction of the action.

The preposition по connects the verb спустился with the noun лестнице, indicating that the action of going down takes place along the stairs.

Pronunciation guide:

Он - on - Pronounced like "own"

спустился - spustilsya - Pronounced like "spoo-steel-syah"

вниз - vniz - Pronounced like "v-neez"

по - po - Pronounced like "po"

лестнице - lestnitse - Pronounced like "lest-neet-say"

Variations:

Спускаться - spuskatsya - to go down (verb)

Вниз - vniz - down (adverb)

По - po - along, down (preposition)

Лестница - lestnitsa - stairs (feminine, singular)

English: down

Russian: вниз - vniz

The next word is program. The word "program" in Russian is программа (pronounced "proh-GRAH-muh").

Here is an example sentence:

У нас есть интересная программа на сегодня.

Breakdown:

У (oo) - means "at" or "with" and is used as a preposition

нас (nahs) - means "us" and is the genitive case of the pronoun "мы" (we)

есть (yest) - means "there is" or "there are" - it is a verb which is used with the word "program" to indicate that there is something called a program

интересная (in-tye-REH-sna-ya) - means "interesting" - the ending "-ая" indicates the feminine gender of the noun.

программа (proh-GRAH-muh) - means "program" - it is a noun

на (nah) - means "on" or "for" and is used as a preposition

сегодня (see-VO-dnya) - means "today"

Translation: We have an interesting program for today.

Key Concept: This sentence demonstrates how to use the word "program" in Russian. Note how the word программа (proh-GRAH-muh) is used as a noun. This example highlights how to use prepositions in a sentence.

Variations:

Программу (proh-GRAH-moo) - this is the accusative case of the noun программа (proh-GRAH-muh). It is used when the noun is the direct object of a verb.

Программе (proh-GRAH-m-ye) - this is the dative case of the noun программа (proh-GRAH-muh). It is used when the noun is the indirect object of a verb.

English: program, proh-GRAHM

Russian: программа, proh-GRAH-muh

The next word is develop. The Russian sentence is: Этот проект разрабатывается уже несколько лет.

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-toht) - This

проект (pra-YEKT) - Project

разрабатывается (ra-zra-BA-ty-va-yet-sya) - Is being developed

уже (oo-zheh) - Already

несколько (ne-skohl-ko) - Several

лет (lyet) - Years

Key concepts:

Passive voice: The sentence is in the passive voice, indicating that the project is being developed by someone or something else.

Present tense: The verb разрабатывается is in the present tense, indicating that the development is ongoing.

уже: The word уже indicates that the development has been going on for a while, and is not just starting.

Meaning: This project has been under development for several years.

Variations:

The word разрабатывается can be changed to разработан (ra-zra-BO-tan) - developed to indicate that the project is finished.

несколько can be replaced with a specific number like три (tree) - three, пять (pyat) - five, etc.

Pronunciation:

разрабатывается - The stress is on the third syllable: ra-zra-BA-ty-va-yet-sya

English Translation:

Develop - Развивать (raz-vi-VAT) - to develop

The next word is couple. ## A Couple of Friends

Sentence: У меня есть пара друзей, с которыми я люблю проводить время.

Breakdown:

У меня (oo m'en'ya) - This means "I have". It is the genitive case of the pronoun "я" ya (ya), meaning "I."

есть (yest') - This is the verb "to have" or "to be" and is used in the present tense.

пара (pa-ra) - This means "a couple" or "a pair".

друзей (dru-zey) - This is the plural genitive form of the word "друг" (drook) meaning "friend."

с (s) - This is a preposition meaning "with".

которыми (ka-to-ry-mi) - This is the instrumental case of the relative pronoun "которые" (ka-to-ry-ye) which means "who" or "that".

я (ya) - This is the personal pronoun "I" in the nominative case.

люблю (lyu-blyu) - This is the verb "to love" in the present tense.

проводить (pra-va-di-t') - This is the verb "to spend" in the infinitive form.

время (vrem'ya) - This means "time".

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: This case indicates possession or belonging and is often used with prepositions like "у" or "с".

Instrumental Case: This case is used to express the means or instrument by which an action is performed.

Relative Pronoun: This pronoun connects a dependent clause to a main clause.

Variations of the word "couple":

пара (pa-ra) - This is the most common word for "couple" and can be used for two people, two things, or a pair of something.

двое (dvoy-e) - This word is used for two people, usually a romantic couple.

несколько (nes-kol'ko) - This means "a few" and could be used for a small group of people.

Pronunciation Guide:

у (oo) - Similar to the English "oo" in "moon"

меня (m'en'ya) - The "m" is soft like the "m" in "me"

есть (yest') - The "e" is short like the "e" in "pet"

пара (pa-ra) - The "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

друзей (dru-zey) - The "u" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

с (s) - The "s" is pronounced like the English "s"

которыми (ka-to-ry-mi) - The "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

я (ya) - The "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

люблю (lyu-blyu) - The "u" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

проводить (pra-va-di-t') - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot"

время (vrem'ya) - The "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "pet"

English Translation: I have a couple of friends with whom I like to spend time.

The next word is everyone. Все любят хорошую музыку.

Breakdown

Все (vsyé) - This is the subject of the sentence and means "everyone". It is in the nominative case. Pronounced like "vsyeh"

любят (lyúbyat) - This is the verb meaning "love" in the present tense, 3rd person plural (they love). Pronounced like "lyoobyat"

хорошую (horóshuyu) - This is an adjective meaning "good" in the feminine singular accusative case. The accusative case is used here because it modifies the direct object of the sentence, the noun "music". Pronounced like "horosh-oo-yoo"

музыку (múzyku) - This is the direct object of the sentence, meaning "music". It is in the accusative case because it is the object of the verb "love". Pronounced like "moozy-koo"

Translation: Everyone loves good music.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their function in the sentence. This is called "case".

Subject-Verb Agreement: The verb must agree in number and gender with its subject.

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used for direct objects.

Adjectives: Adjectives must agree with the noun they are modifying in case, number, and gender.

Pronunciation Help:

Все (vsyé): The "е" at the end of Все is pronounced like the "e" in "the"

любят (lyúbyat): The "я" at the end of любят is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard"

хорошую (horóshuyu): The "ю" in хорошую is pronounced like the "u" in "flute"

музыку (múzyku): The "ы" in музыку is pronounced like the "y" in "my"

Everyone (vsyé) - everyone / Music (múzyka) - music

The next word is week. The Russian word for "week" is неделя (pronounced ne-dye-lya). The sentence:

На этой неделе у нас много уроков.

Breakdown:

На (na) - This is a preposition that means "on" or "at". It's used to indicate a specific time, location, or occasion. Think of it like "on this" or "at this".

этой (eh-toy) - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this". It's used to refer to something that is close to the speaker or something that has been previously mentioned. It modifies "week".

неделе (ne-dye-le) - This is the dative case of the noun неделя (week). It indicates the object of the preposition на.

у (oo) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with". Here, it means "we have".

нас (nas) - This is the genitive case of the personal pronoun "we". It means "our".

много (mnogo) - This is an adjective meaning "a lot" or "many". It modifies "lessons".

уроков (oo-ro-kov) - This is the genitive case of the noun урок (lesson).

Meaning: "This week we have a lot of lessons".

Key Concept: The Russian language uses different cases of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns to indicate their grammatical function in a sentence. You need to learn the different cases and their functions. You can think of the dative case as indicating the object of an action. The genitive case is often used to indicate possession, or in this case, to indicate what something has "a lot of".

Pronunciation:

неделя (ne-dye-lya) - The "e" sound is similar to the "e" in "bed", and the "ya" is like the "ya" in "yacht".

на (na) - The "a" is like the "a" in "father".

этой (eh-toy) - The "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot".

у (oo) - The "u" sound is similar to the "oo" in "moon".

нас (nas) - The "a" sound is like the "a" in "father".

много (mnogo) - The "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot".

уроков (oo-ro-kov) - The "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot". The "k" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "k" in "kick".

Variations:

The word неделя can also be used to refer to a specific day of the week. For example, в понедельник (v pa-nye-de-l'nik) means "on Monday".

You can use the plural form of the noun неделя, which is недели (ne-dye-li), to refer to multiple weeks. For example, в течение двух недель (v te-che-ni-ye dvukh ne-del) means "for two weeks".

English Translation: week - неделя (ne-dye-lya)

The next word is coffee. ## Я люблю пить кофе по утрам.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced like "ya"

люблю - I love (verb, present tense, 1st person singular) - pronounced like "lyublyu"

пить - to drink (verb, infinitive) - pronounced like "pit' "

кофе - coffee (noun, accusative case) - pronounced like "koh-feh"

по - by, according to (preposition) - pronounced like "po"

утрам - mornings (noun, plural, dative case) - pronounced like "oot-ram"

Meaning: I love to drink coffee in the mornings.

Key Concepts:

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used for direct objects of verbs. In this case, кофе is the direct object of the verb пить.

Dative Case: The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb or the recipient of an action. In this case, утрам indicates the time of the action, "in the mornings."

Infinitive: The infinitive is the base form of a verb. In this case, пить is the infinitive form of the verb "to drink".

Variations of кофе:

кофейный (adjective) - coffee (relating to coffee) - pronounced like "koh-feyn-ee"

кофейник (noun) - coffee pot - pronounced like "koh-feyn-ik"

English Translation of Words:

Я - I
люблю - I love
пить - to drink
кофе - coffee
по - by, according to
утрам - mornings

The next word is option. The word "option" in Russian is вариант (pronounced: vah-ree-ant) and it is a noun. It is a very versatile word and can be used in many contexts, from talking about choices to describing different possibilities. This sentence is a good example of how it can be used in a conversational context.

Sentence:

У тебя есть несколько вариантов (oo-tye-bya yest neskol'ko vah-ree-an-tov), чтобы решить эту проблему (chto-by re-shit' e-tu pro-ble-mu).

Breakdown:

У тебя - You have
есть - There are / To have / Exist (to be)

несколько - Several
вариантов - Options / Variants / Possibilities
чтобы - in order to
решить - to solve
эту - this
проблему - problem

Translation: You have several options to solve this problem.

Key Concept: The Russian word вариант (vah-ree-ant) is a noun that can be used in a variety of ways to express a choice, possibility or alternative. It is similar in meaning to the English word "option". However, it can also have a broader meaning that is closer to "variant" or "possibility".

Pronunciation:

вариант (vah-ree-ant)

вариантов (vah-ree-an-tov)

несколько (neskol'ko) - Stress is on the second syllable
решить (re-shit') - Stress is on the second syllable
проблему (pro-ble-mu) - Stress is on the second syllable

English: option

Russian: вариант (vah-ree-ant)

The next word is subject. Предмет predmet - This is the noun form of "subject" in Russian. You can think of it as a "topic" or "theme". It is pronounced like "pred-met"

The word предмет predmet can also be used as an adjective. For example, "предметный predmetnyy catalog" - "a subject catalog".

The pronunciation is similar to "pred-met-nyy"

Here is an example sentence:

Этот предмет интересен для меня. Etot predmet interesen dlya menya. - "This subject is interesting to me."

Here is a breakdown:

Этот etot - this (pronunciation is like "eh-tot")

предмет predmet - subject
интересен interesen - interesting
для dlya - for (pronunciation is like "dlya")

меня menya - me (pronunciation is like "men-ya")

English: subject - предмет predmet (pronounced like "pred-met")

Russian: предмет - subject (pronounced like "pred-met")

The next word is new. The word "new" in Russian is новый (novyy). It is an adjective and can be used in many ways. For example, you can say новая книга (novaya kniga), which means "new book". The word новый (novyy) changes form based on gender and number.

Here's a breakdown of the sentence:

новая (novaya) is the feminine form of the adjective новый (novyy). It is used because книга (kniga) is feminine.

книга (kniga) means "book".

Here is an example of a sentence using the masculine form of the word:

новый телефон (novyy telefon), which means "new phone". Телефон (telefon) is masculine, so we use the masculine form of новый (novyy).

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Number: Nouns can be singular or plural. Adjectives must agree in number with the noun they modify.

Pronunciation:

новый (novyy) - "NOH-vuh"

новая (novaya) - "NOH-vuh-ya"

книга (kniga) - "KNEE-gah"

телефон (telefon) - "teh-leh-FOHN"

English: new

Russian: новый (novyy)

The next word is show. The word "show" can be used in many different ways in Russian. Here is an example:

Покажи мне, как это работает. Pokaži mne, kak eto rabotaet.

Breakdown:

Покажи Pokaži - This is the imperative form of the verb "to show" This is the polite form of the verb You might say this to a friend, an acquaintance, or someone older than you.

мне mne - This is the dative form of the pronoun "I." This word is used to indicate that something is being done to or for the person.

как kak - This is the word "how".

это eto - This is the pronoun "this".

работает rabotaet - This is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb "to work".

Translation:

"Show me how this works."

Pronunciation:

Покажи Pokaži - pah-kah-jee
мне mne - mnye
как kak - kak
это eto - eh-toh
работает rabotaet - rah-boh-tay-et

Key Concepts:

Imperative: The imperative mood is used to give commands.

Dative Case: This case is used to show the indirect object of a verb.

Pronouns: Pronouns are words that can be used to replace nouns.

Variations:

Покажите Pokažite - This is the polite form of the imperative used for one person you want to show respect or to multiple people. pah-kah-jee-tye

Показывать Pokazyvat´ - This is the infinitive form of the verb. pah-kah-zy-vat

Показываю Pokažuyu - This is the present tense first person singular form of the verb. pah-kah-zhu-you

Показывал Pokažyval - This is the past tense masculine form of the verb. pah-kah-zy-val

English/Russian Translation and Pronunciation:

Show - показать (pah-kah-zat´ )

To show - показывать (pah-kah-zy-vat´ )

The next word is match. The word "match" can be used in many different ways in English, so I will give you a sentence in Russian with the word "соответствовать" (pronounced: [so-ot-vet-stv-ovat]). This word means "to correspond" or "to match" in the sense of being similar or compatible. Here is an example:

Эти цвета идеально соответствуют друг другу. (pronounced: [Eh-ti tsve-ta i-de-al-no so-ot-vet-stvuy-ut drug dru-gu])

This means "These colors match each other perfectly." The grammatical breakdown of this sentence is:

Эти (eh-ti) - These
цвета (tsve-ta) - colors
идеально (i-de-al-no) - perfectly
соответствуют (so-ot-vet-stvuy-ut) - match (plural, present tense)

друг (drug) - each other
другу (dru-gu) - each other (dative case)

Key Concept: The dative case in Russian is used to show the indirect object of a verb. It is used when the verb is showing an action directed toward something or someone. In this case, the action of matching is directed toward each other, so the word "другу" is in the dative case.

Pronunciation Tips:

соответствовать (so-ot-vet-stv-ovat) - The "т" (t) is silent, and the stress is on the third syllable.

цвета (tsve-ta) - The "ц" (ts) is pronounced like the "ts" in "cats."

идеально (i-de-al-no) - The stress is on the third syllable, and the "а" (a) is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

Word Translations:

соответствовать (so-ot-vet-stv-ovat) - to correspond, to match
цвета (tsve-ta) - colors
идеально (i-de-al-no) - perfectly

Word Pronunciation:

соответствовать (so-ot-vet-stv-ovat)

цвета (tsve-ta)

идеально (i-de-al-no)

The next word is club. The word "club" in English can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context.

In the context of a social club, the word клуб (klub) is used. This word is pronounced kloob.

Here is an example sentence:

Я люблю ходить в клуб по пятницам. (Ya lyublyu khodit' v klub po pyatnitsam.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced ya)

люблю (lyublyu) - love (pronounced lyublyoo)

ходить (khodit') - to go (pronounced khodeet)

в (v) - in (pronounced v)

клуб (klub) - club (pronounced kloob)

по (po) - by (pronounced po)

пятницам (pyatnitsam) - Fridays (pronounced pyatneetsam)

Translation: I love to go to the club on Fridays.

Key concepts:

The word клуб (klub) can refer to a social club, a sports club, or a nightclub.

The preposition в (v) is used before places and can be translated as "in" or "to."

The preposition по (po) is used before days of the week and can be translated as "on" or "by."

Let me know if you would like to explore other uses of "club" in Russian!

The next word is intend. I намереваюсь поехать в отпуск следующей неделей.

Breakdown:

намереваюсь (namerivaius') - This is the first-person singular present tense form of the verb намереваться (namerivat'sia) which means "to intend" or "to plan."

поехать (poehat') - This is the infinitive form of the verb ехать (ekhat') which means "to go" or "to travel." This word is in the infinitive form because it follows the verb намереваюсь (namerivaius').

в (v) - This preposition means "in" or "to" and is used before the word отпуск (otpusk).

отпуск (otpusk) - This word means "vacation" or "leave."

следующей (sleduyushchey) - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective следующий (sleduyushchiy) which means "next" or "following." It is feminine because it modifies неделей (nedele) which is feminine.

неделей (nedele) - This is the feminine instrumental singular form of the word неделя (nedel'ia) which means "week." The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or with what something is done.

Translation: I intend to go on vacation next week.

Key Concept: The verb намереваться (namerivat'sia) is followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

Pronunciation Hints:

намереваюсь (namerivaius') - The stress is on the second syllable, "me."

поехать (poehat') - The stress is on the first syllable, "po."

отпуск (otpusk) - The stress is on the second syllable, "pus."

следующей (sleduyushchey) - The stress is on the second syllable, "du."

неделей (nedele) - The stress is on the second syllable, "de."

Word and Pronunciation:

Intend: намереваться (namerivat'sia)

Vacation: отпуск (otpusk)

The next word is waste. ## Тратить время впустую

Tratit' vremya vpustuyu

Breakdown:

Тратить (Tratit') - This is the verb "to waste" (time, money, etc.)

The verb is in the infinitive form, which means it's not conjugated yet.

The stress is on the first syllable: TRA-tit'.

время (vremya) - This means "time." The stress is on the second syllable: vre-MYA.

впустую (vpustuyu) - This means "in vain" or "uselessly." The stress is on the second syllable: vpustuyu.

Sentence Meaning: "To waste time."

Variations:

Тратить деньги впустую (Tratit' dengi vpustuyu) - "To waste money."

Тратить усилия впустую (Tratit' usilia vpustuyu) - "To waste effort."

Translation:

Тратить (Tratit') - To waste
время (vremya) - Time
впустую (vpustuyu) - In vain, uselessly

Pronunciation Guide:

Тратить (Tratit') - TRA-tit'

время (vremya) - vre-MYA
впустую (vpustuyu) - vpustuyu

The next word is driver. The word "driver" in Russian is водитель (pronounced "vo-di-tel"). Let's construct a simple sentence using it:

Водитель ведет машину.

Водитель (vo-di-tel) - driver
ведет (ve-dyot) - drives
машину (ma-shi-nu) - car

Translation: The driver is driving the car.

Breakdown:

This sentence uses the present tense of the verb "to drive" (вести - ve-sti). The present tense conjugation of вести is:

я веду (ya ve-du) - I drive
ты ведешь (ty ve-dyosh) - you drive
он/она/оно ведет (on/ona/ono ve-dyot) - he/she/it drives
мы ведем (my ve-dyom) - we drive
вы ведете (vy ve-dyo-te) - you (plural) drive
они ведут (o-ni ve-dut) - they drive

Memorization Tip:

Notice that the verb endings change depending on the person and number of the subject. Focus on the endings to help you remember the conjugations.

Pronunciation Guide:

водитель (vo-di-tel) - stress on the second syllable, the "i" sounds like the "ee" in "see"

ведет (ve-dyot) - stress on the second syllable, the "e" sounds like the "e" in "bed"

машину (ma-shi-nu) - stress on the first syllable, the "i" sounds like the "ee" in "see"

The next word is winter. ## Зима уже наступила. Zima uzhe nastupila.

Breakdown:

Зима Zima - Winter. The "i" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see", "ma" is pronounced like the "ma" in "mama".

уже uzhe - already. The "u" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon". The "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "get".

наступила nastupila - past tense of the verb "наступать" nastupat', which means "to arrive", "to come", or "to set in". The "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father". The "u" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon". The "pi" is pronounced like the "pee" in "keep". The "la" is pronounced like the "la" in "la".

Meaning: Winter has already arrived.

Key Concepts:

Gender: "Зима" Zima is a feminine noun, which is important for declension and agreement in Russian.

Tense: The verb "наступила" nastupila is in the past tense, indicating that the event of winter arriving has already happened.

Variations:

"Зима Zima" can also be used as a season in a general sense. For example, "В зиму V zimu холодно" kholodno - It is cold in winter.

"Наступает зима Nastupaet zima" - Winter is coming.

Translation:

Winter: Зима Zima

Already: уже uzhe

Has arrived: наступила nastupila

The next word is enjoy. ## Наслаждаться жизнью - это великое удовольствие.

Breakdown:

Наслаждаться - (naslazhdat'sya) - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to enjoy". It's the verb we want to use to form the sentence, so we need to conjugate it. It is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing action, rather than a completed action.

жизнью (zhiznyu) - This is the instrumental case of the noun жизнь (zhizn') which means "life". The instrumental case is used to indicate the means or instrument by which something is done. Here, we are enjoying "by means of life".

это (eto) - This is the pronoun "this" or "it".

великое (velikoe) - This is the adjective "great" in its neuter form, agreeing with the neuter noun удовольствие.

удовольствие (udovol'stvie) - This is the noun "pleasure" or "enjoyment".

Meaning: To enjoy life is a great pleasure.

Variations of the verb наслаждаться:

Present tense: Наслаждаюсь (naslazhdayus') - I enjoy. Наслаждаешься (naslazhdaesh'sya) - You enjoy (singular). Наслаждаетесь (naslazhdaetes') - You enjoy (plural). Наслаждается (naslazhdaetsya) - He/She/It enjoys.

Past tense: Наслаждался (naslazh dalsya) - I enjoyed. Наслаждалась (naslazh dalsya) - I (female) enjoyed. Наслаждались (naslazh dalis') - We enjoyed. Наслаждался (naslazh dalsya) - He/She/It enjoyed.

Pronunciation Tips:

Наслаждаться (naslazhdat'sya) - Focus on the soft "d" sound and the ending "sya" - На (na) is like "nah" but with the emphasis on the "a".

жизнью (zhiznyu) - The "zh" sound is like "zh" in "treasure". The "n" in жизнью is soft, as if you are making the sound "ny"

English Translation: Enjoy life it is a great pleasure.

The next word is news. The word "news" in English is a bit tricky, as it is a noun but it is used as a singular in English. We need to remember that "news" is an uncountable noun, which means it has no plural form. In Russian, новости novosti is the word for "news" and it is a plural form. It is also an uncountable noun in Russian.

Here is a Russian sentence using the word "news":

Я прочитал новости в газете. Ya prochital novosti v gazete.

Let's break down the sentence:

Я Ya - I (subject pronoun)

прочитал prochital - read (past tense, masculine singular)

новости novosti - news (plural noun)

в v - in (preposition)

газете gazete - newspaper (feminine singular)

English translation: I read the news in the newspaper.

Breakdown:

The subject of the sentence is "I" Я Ya which is in the nominative case (subject case). "Read" is a past tense verb in the masculine singular form. The object of the sentence is "news" which is a plural noun. "In" is a preposition, and the object of the preposition is "newspaper."

Key concepts:

Uncountable nouns in English and Russian.

The past tense in Russian.

The masculine singular form of verbs in Russian.

The nominative case.

Pronunciation

Я Ya - Pronounced like the English word "Ya"

прочитал prochital - Pronounced like "proh-chee-tal"

новости novosti - Pronounced like "no-vos-tee"

в v - Pronounced like the English "v"

газете gazete - Pronounced like "gah-zeh-teh"

Variations

There are many variations of the word "news" in Russian, depending on the context. Some examples include:

Новости дня Novosti dnya - News of the day

Последние новости Poslednie novosti - Latest news

Хорошие новости Horoshiye novosti - Good news

Плохие новости Plohie novosti - Bad news

Remember, "news" is an uncountable noun in English and Russian, so we don't use the plural form. Новость Novost would refer to one specific news story. Новости Novosti refers to news in general.

English translation: news - новости novosti

The next word is instead. ## Instead

English: The professor gave us a quiz instead of a test.

Russian: Профессор дал нам контрольную работу вместо экзамена.

Breakdown:

Профессор: pra-feh-sor (professor) - The subject of the sentence, the person who gave the assignment.

дал: dal (gave) - Past tense verb, masculine singular, in agreement with the subject Профессор.

нам: nam (to us) - Dative case pronoun, indicates the indirect object (who received the assignment).

контрольную работу: kan-trol'-noo yoo ra-bo-too (quiz) - Accusative case, indicates the direct object (what was given).

вместо: v-myes-ta (instead of) - Preposition, introduces the alternative.

экзамена: ek-zah-mye-na (exam) - Genitive case, indicates the object being replaced.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change form depending on their function in the sentence.

Prepositions: Words like вместо (instead of) show the relationship between different parts of the sentence.

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change based on person, number, tense, and gender.

Variations:

Вместо can be used with the genitive case of any noun or pronoun to indicate a replacement.

The word вместо can also be replaced with взамен (in exchange for).

Pronunciation Tips:

The letter 'е' at the end of words like экзамена is pronounced as a soft 'e' sound.

The letter 'а' is pronounced as a broad 'ah' sound.

The letter 'о' is pronounced as a short 'o' sound.

English Translation of the words:

Instead: вместо v-myes-ta

Professor: Профессор pra-feh-sor

Quiz: контрольная работа kan-trol'-noo yoo ra-bo-too

Exam: экзамен ek-zah-mye-na

The next word is human. The word "human" in Russian is человек (pronounced che-lo-vek).

Here is a sentence:

Этот человек очень умный. (eh-tot che-lo-vek o-chen' um-nyy)

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-tot) - This (masculine singular) - The word это (eh-to) is a demonstrative pronoun. It means "this" or "that." It has three forms depending on the gender of the noun it refers to. The masculine form is этот (eh-tot), the feminine form is эта (eh-ta), and the neuter form is это (eh-to).

человек (che-lo-vek) - Human, person
очень (o-chen') - very
умный (um-nyy) - smart, intelligent

Translation: This person is very smart.

Variations:

человечество (che-lo-ve-che-stvo) - humanity, humankind
человеческий (che-lo-ve-che-skiy) - human (adjective)

Pronunciation Guide:

ч (ch) - like the "ch" in "chair"

е (e) - like the "e" in "bet"

о (o) - like the "o" in "hot"

у (u) - like the "oo" in "moon"

ы (y) - like the "i" in "bird"

й (y) - like the "y" in "yes"

ь (') - a soft sign, it doesn't have a sound of its own but affects the pronunciation of the preceding consonant

English: human / человек (che-lo-vek)

The next word is discuss. Let's discuss the word обсуждать (obsúzhdat').

The sentence:

Мы должны обсуждать этот вопрос. Мы должны обсуждать этот вопрос.

Мы Мы (my) - We
должны должны (dolzhny) - must
обсуждать (obsúzhdat') - discuss
этот этот (etot) - this (masculine)

вопрос вопрос (vopros) - question

Breakdown

The verb обсуждать (obsúzhdat') means "to discuss" and is in the infinitive form. It is conjugated in the sentence to agree with the subject, мы (we), which is plural. The conjugation in this sentence is должны обсуждать (dolzhny obsúzhdat'), which is the present tense of the verb "to discuss" in the plural form. This signifies that the action of discussion is happening now.

Key Concepts

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change form depending on the person, number, and tense. Here, the verb обсуждать (obsúzhdat') changes to должны обсуждать (dolzhny obsúzhdat') because it needs to agree with the subject "we".

Gender Agreement: The adjective этот (etot) must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. "Вопрос" (vopros) is masculine, so the adjective is also masculine.

Translation: We must discuss this question.

Pronunciation
обсуждать (obsúzhdat') - The "ж" ж (zh) makes a "zh" sound similar to the English "j" in "jump".

должны (dolzhny) - The "ж" ж (zh) makes a "zh" sound similar to the English "j" in "jump". The "ы" ы (y) makes a short "i" sound as in "bit".

вопрос (vopros) - The "о" о (o) is pronounced like the "o" in "go".

Variations of the word "discuss"

дискуссия (diskussiya) - Discussion, a formal conversation.

обсуждение (obsúzhdenie) - Discussion, a process of talking about something.

Remember, practicing these phrases and words aloud will help you understand and learn the language faster.

The next word is computer. The word "computer" in Russian is компьютер (pronounced kom-pyoo-ter). This word is used in the same way as English.

Here is a sentence you can use to practice:

Я купил компьютер в магазине электроники.

Ya kupil kompyuter v magazine elektroniki.

Breakdown of the sentence:

Я - Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

купил - купил (kupil) - bought (past tense, masculine singular) - This is a verb, which means "to buy". It changes form depending on the subject and tense.

компьютер - kompyuter (kom-pyoo-ter) - computer (masculine)

в - в (v) - in (preposition)

магазине - магазине (magazine) - store (masculine, prepositional case)

электроники - электроники (elektroniki) - electronics (feminine, genitive case)

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have genders. "Computer" is masculine.

Cases: Russian nouns have six cases, which affect their endings. In this sentence, "store" is in the prepositional case because it is preceded by the preposition "in". "Electronics" is in the genitive case because it follows the word "store".

English translation:

I bought a computer in an electronics store.

Pronunciation:

компьютер (kom-pyoo-ter) - stress on the second syllable
купил (kupil) - stress on the first syllable

Word variations:

The word "computer" in Russian is gender-neutral and can be used in both masculine and feminine contexts.

There are also some other related words: компьютеризация (kompyuterizatsiya) - computerization; компьютерный (kompyuternyy) - computer (adjective)

The next word is tree. The sentence: На лугу росло большое дерево

Breakdown:

На - on (preposition, pronounced "na")

лугу - meadow (noun, pronounced "loo-goo")

росло - grew (verb, past tense, pronounced "ros-lo")

большое - large (adjective, pronounced "bol-sho-ye")

дерево - tree (noun, pronounced "dye-re-vo")

This sentence translates to "On the meadow, there grew a large tree."

This sentence demonstrates a few concepts:

Prepositions: На is a preposition and introduces the location where the tree grew.

Nouns: лугу and дерево are nouns. Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas.

Adjectives: большое is an adjective and describes the tree.

Verbs: росло is a verb and tells us what the tree did.

Gender Agreement: The adjective большое and the verb росло agree with the gender of the noun дерево, which is neuter.

Variations:

Дерево can be used in the plural form деревья (pronounced "dye-rev-ya"). The plural form is used when there are multiple trees.

The adjective большое can be replaced with other adjectives to describe the tree differently. For example, you could say старое дерево (pronounced "sta-ro-ye dye-re-vo") to describe an old tree, or высокое дерево (pronounced "vi-so-ko-ye dye-re-vo") to describe a tall tree.

Translation:

дерево = tree (pronounced "dye-re-vo")

деревья = trees (pronounced "dye-rev-ya")

The next word is judge. The judge is a very important person in the legal system. Судья является очень важным человеком в правовой системе.

Судья [suhd'ya] - judge
является [yavlyayetsya] - is
очень [ochen'] - very
важным [vazhnym] - important
человеком [chelovekom] - person
в [v] - in
правовой [pravovoy] - legal
системе [sisteme] - system

Key concept: The word является is a common verb meaning "is" or "is being" and is used in many contexts, this is a good word to learn.

Translation: The judge is a very important person in the legal system.

The next word is dinner. We will use the word ужин (oo-zhin) which means "dinner" in Russian. The sentence will be:

"Мы обычно едим ужин в семь часов вечера" Мы обычно едим ужин в семь часов вечера (Mee мы (m-uh) ob-ich-no ye-dim ужин (oo-zhin) v sem' chasov ve-che-ra (ve-che-ra))

Breakdown:

Мы (m-uh) is the pronoun "we" in the nominative case.

обычно (ob-ich-no) is an adverb meaning "usually" or "normally".

едим (ye-dim) is the verb "to eat" in the present tense, 1st person plural.

ужин (oo-zhin) is the noun "dinner"

в (v) is a preposition meaning "in" or "at".

семь (sem') is the number "seven".

часов (cha-sov) is the genitive plural of the noun час (chas) which means "hour".

вечера (ve-che-ra) is the genitive singular of the noun вечер (ve-cher) meaning "evening"

Translation: "We usually eat dinner at seven o’clock in the evening."

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian have grammatical cases. For example, the noun час (chas) changes depending on how it is used in the sentence. In this sentence it is in the genitive plural, часов (cha-sov) to indicate "of hours".

Verbs are also conjugated in Russian, meaning they change form depending on the subject and tense. In this case, the verb есть (yest) meaning "to eat" is conjugated in the present tense 1st person plural as едим (ye-dim).

Pronunciation:

ужин (oo-zhin)

вечера (ve-che-ra)

English translation: dinner, evening

The next word is same. The word "same" in Russian can be translated in a few ways, depending on the context. Here is one common example:

Sentence: Мы живем в том же доме.

Translation: We live in the same house.

Breakdown:

Мы (pronounced "my") means "we". This is the nominative case of the pronoun.

живем (pronounced "jee-vem") means "live" and is the present tense, first person plural form of the verb жить (pronounced "zhit").

в (pronounced "v") means "in". This is a preposition.

том (pronounced "tom") means "that" and is in the nominative case.

же (pronounced "zheh") means "same" and is a particle. It follows the pronoun or noun it modifies.

доме (pronounced "doh-me") means "house" and is in the prepositional case, which is used after the preposition в.

Key Concepts:

же is a particle that usually follows a pronoun or noun to indicate the same or similar item. It is used to show that something is the same as something else previously mentioned.

Russian nouns are declined into cases, depending on their function in the sentence.

Russian verbs are conjugated in different tenses and forms.

Russian prepositions are essential to convey relationships between words.

Pronunciations:

Мы - "my"

живем - "jee-vem"

в - "v"

том - "tom"

же - "zheh"

доме - "doh-me"

English to Russian:

same - же
live - жить
house - дом

The next word is network. The word "network" in Russian is сеть (pronounced "set").

Here is an example sentence:

Интернет — это глобальная сеть, которая соединяет миллионы компьютеров по всему миру.

Breakdown

Интернет (pronounced "in-ter-net") - Internet
это (pronounced "eh-to") - this is
глобальная (pronounced "glo-bal-na-ya") - global
сеть (pronounced "set") - network
которая (pronounced "ko-to-ra-ya") - which
соединяет (pronounced "so-ye-di-na-yet") - connects
миллионы (pronounced "mil-li-o-ny") - millions
компьютеров (pronounced "kom-pyu-ter-ov") - computers
по (pronounced "po") - by
всему (pronounced "vse-mu") - the whole
миру (pronounced "mi-ru") - world

This sentence means "The Internet is a global network that connects millions of computers around the world."

Key Concepts
сеть is a feminine noun and takes the feminine form of the adjective глобальная.

которая is a relative pronoun that introduces the relative clause, "which connects millions of computers around the world."

по всему миру is a prepositional phrase that means "around the world."

Variations of сеть
сети (pronounced "se-ti") - networks (plural)

сетевой (pronounced "se-te-voy") - network (adjective)

English translation
network - сеть (pronounced "set")

networks - сети (pronounced "se-ti")

network (adjective) - сетевой (pronounced "se-te-voy")

The next word is none. The word "none" in English can be expressed in Russian using the word ни один (pronounced "nee ah-deen").

This sentence structure is used to express the idea that "not a single one" of something exists. It translates to "not one."

Here is an example sentence using this word:

У меня нет ни одного яблока.

This sentence translates to: "I don't have a single apple."

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

У меня (pronounced "oo myen-ya") - This means "I have".

нет (pronounced "nyet") - This means "no" or "don't have."

ни одного (pronounced "nee ah-dee-nuh") - This means "not a single one" or "none".

яблока (pronounced "yah-blah-kuh") - This means "apple".

Important Note: When using the phrase "ни один" you must use the singular form of the noun. In the example above, "apple" is singular.

Key Concept: The use of the phrase "ни один" to express the concept of "none" is an important distinction in Russian grammar.

Pronunciation Guide:

ни (pronounced "nee")

один (pronounced "ah-deen")

яблоко (pronounced "yah-blah-kuh")

English Translation: None.

Russian Translation: ни один (pronounced "nee ah-deen").

The next word is cover. ## Покрытие покрытия покрытий

Покрытие (pa-KRIH-tee-ye) is a noun in the nominative singular case. It means "covering" in this context.

покрытия (pa-KRIH-tee-ya) is the genitive singular case, meaning "of the covering".

покрытий (pa-KRIH-teev) is the genitive plural case, meaning "of the coverings".

You can use покрытие to refer to things like:

A layer of material over something else, for example, a coat of paint.

Something that serves as a shield or protection, for example, a blanket.

An area or surface that is covered, for example, the floor of a room.

Here is an example sentence using покрытие:

На полу было мягкое покрытие из ковра.

(nah pah-LOO bee-loh myag-kay-ye pa-KRIH-tee-ye eez ka-vrah)

Translation: The floor had a soft carpet covering.

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian have different forms depending on their grammatical function in a sentence.

The genitive singular case is used to indicate possession or ownership.

The genitive plural case is used to indicate that there are multiple things being possessed or owned.

The word покрытие can be used in a variety of contexts and has a range of meanings.

Pronunciation Hints:

к is pronounced like the "k" in "kick"

р is pronounced like the "r" in "red"

т is pronounced like the "t" in "time"

и is pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

е is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes"

English: cover /ˈkʌvər/

Russian: покрытие /pa-KRIH-tee-ye/

The next word is essential. ## Необходимый (neobkhodimyy) - Essential

This word is an adjective, meaning something is "necessary," "crucial," or "indispensable."

Sentence: Эта книга необходима для понимания русской культуры. (Eta kniga neobkhodima dlya ponimaniya russkoi kul'tury.)

Эта (Eta) - This, Nominative Feminine singular, sounds like "eh-ta"

книга (kniga) - Book, Nominative Feminine singular, sounds like "knee-gah"

необходима (neobkhodima) - Essential, Nominative Feminine Singular, sounds like "neh-ahb-hoh-dee-ma"

для (dlya) - For, Preposition, sounds like "dlya"

понимания (ponimaniya) - Understanding, Genitive neuter singular, sounds like "pah-nee-mah-nee-ya"

русской (russkoi) - Russian, Genitive Feminine singular, sounds like "roo-skoy"

культуры (kul'tury) - Culture, Genitive Feminine singular, sounds like "kul-too-ry"

Translation: This book is essential for understanding Russian culture.

This sentence uses the Nominative case for the subject (книга - book) and the object (эта - this). The Genitive case is used for "понимания - understanding" (which is the object of the preposition для - for) and "русской - Russian" and "культуры - culture."

Variations:

необходимый (neobkhodimyy) - Masculine singular
необходимая (neobkhodimaya) - Feminine singular
необходимое (neobkhodimoe) - Neuter singular
необходимые (neobkhodimye) - Plural

Remember, the gender and number of the adjective must match the noun it modifies.

Pronunciation Tips:

The 'y' at the end of "необходимый" is very soft, like the "y" in "baby."

The stress in this word falls on the second syllable, "neob-kho-dimyy."

Good luck with learning!

The next word is trial. The word "trial" in English can translate to several different Russian words depending on the context.

In this example, we will use the Russian word суд /sood/ which means "court" or "trial" and is used to refer to a legal proceeding. The sentence will be in the past tense.

Суд /sood/ - court, trial (masculine noun, pronounced like "sood")

над /nad/ - over, above (preposition, pronounced like "nahd")

ним /nim/ - him, it (pronoun, pronounced like "neem")

прошёл /prah-shohl/ - passed, went by, took place (verb, past tense, masculine singular, pronounced like "prah-shohl")

успешно /us-peh-sh-nuh/ - successfully (adverb, pronounced like "us-peh-sh-nuh")

Example Sentence:

Суд над ним прошёл успешно. /sood nad nim prah-shohl us-peh-sh-nuh/

English Translation: The trial against him was successful.

Key Concept: The Russian language uses different grammatical cases for nouns and pronouns depending on their role in the sentence. In this example, ним /nim/ is in the instrumental case because it is the object of the preposition над /nad/.

Helpful Hints on Pronunciation:

Remember that the letter с is pronounced like an "s" in English. The letter д is pronounced like a "d" in English. ш sounds like "sh."

The stress in Russian words is usually marked with an accent. The pronunciation of the word над /nad/ is similar to the English word "nod".

Word Breakdown and Translation:

Суд /sood/ - court, trial
над /nad/ - over, above
ним /nim/ - him, it
прошёл /prah-shohl/ - passed, went by, took place
успешно /us-peh-sh-nuh/ - successfully

The next word is complex. This sentence demonstrates the use of the adjective сложный (slozhnyy), meaning "complex." It's used to describe something intricate or difficult to understand.

Эта задача очень сложная. (Eta zadacha ochen' slozhnaya.)

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine nominative singular)

задача (zadacha) - task (feminine nominative singular)

очень (ochen') - very
сложная (slozhnaya) - complex (feminine nominative singular)

Pronunciation Guide:

Эта (Eh-ta)

задача (za-da-cha)

очень (o-chen')

сложная (slozh-na-ya)

Variations:

Masculine: сложный (slozhnyy) - complex

Neuter: сложное (slozhnoe) - complex

Plural: сложные (slozhnye) - complex

Translation: This task is very complex.

English: complex /ˈkɒmplɛks/

Russian: сложный (slozhnyy) /ˈsloʒnɨj/

The next word is specific. ## Конкретный (konkrétnyy) - specific

Sentence: У вас есть конкретный план на выходные? (U vas est' konkrétnýy plan na vyhodnyye?)

Breakdown:

У (u) - you (formal)

вас (vas) - you (formal)

есть (est') - have (present tense, 3rd person singular)

конкретный (konkrétnýy) - specific (masculine singular, nominative case)

план (plan) - plan (masculine singular, nominative case)

на (na) - on (preposition)

выходные (vyhodnyye) - weekend (plural, nominative case)

Meaning: Do you have a specific plan for the weekend?

Variations:

конкретная (konkrétnaya) - specific (feminine singular, nominative case)

конкретное (konkrétnое) - specific (neuter singular, nominative case)

конкретные (konkrétnyye) - specific (plural, nominative case)

Pronunciation:

konkrétnýy - (kon-KREHT-nuh)

plan - (plan)

vyhodnyye - (vih-OD-nuh-ye)

Translation:

specific - конкретный (konkrétnýy)

The next word is reduce. The sentence:

Нам нужно сократить расходы

Breakdown:

Нам - This is the dative case of the pronoun мы (we). It means "to us" or "for us". It is pronounced like "nahm".

нужно - This is the neuter form of the adjective нужный (necessary) in the present tense of the verb быть (to be). It means "it is necessary". Pronunciation is "noozhno"

сократить - This is the infinitive form of the verb сокращать (to reduce). It can be used in various tenses and forms depending on the context. The pronunciation is "sakratiti".

расходы - This is the plural noun расход (expense) in the accusative case, indicating the object of the verb сократить. The pronunciation is "rashody"

English Translation: We need to reduce expenses.

Key concepts:

Dative case: The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb or the recipient of an action.

Infinitive: The infinitive is the base form of a verb, often used after modal verbs like нужно (need) or можно (can).

Accusative case: The accusative case is used to indicate the direct object of a verb.

Variations of the word "reduce":

The word сократить can also be used as a noun, meaning "reduction." For example, сокращение расходов (reduction of expenses).

Another word for "reduce" is уменьшить (to decrease). This word is often used when talking about size or quantity.

English and Russian translation of the word "reduce":

English: Reduce

Russian: сокращать (sakratyat')

The next word is average. The average temperature in Moscow is around 10 degrees Celsius.

Средняя температура в Москве около 10 градусов Цельсия.

Breakdown:

Средняя - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective средний (pronounced sree-dnyee). It means “average” and can be used in many contexts.

средний (pronounced sree-dnyee) - average
средняя (pronounced sree-dnyah) - average (feminine)

среднее (pronounced sree-dnyeh) - average (neuter)

средние (pronounced sree-dnyee) - average (plural)

температура (pronounced tem-per-ah-too-rah) - temperature
в (pronounced v) - in

Москве (pronounced mask-vye) - Moscow
около (pronounced oh-ko-loh) - around

10 (pronounced dyes-yat) - 10
градусов (pronounced gra-doo-sov) - degrees (plural)

Цельсия (pronounced tsel-si-ya) - Celsius

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective средний - средняя. The sentence also introduces the noun температура, which is used to describe temperature.

Translation:

Average temperature in Moscow is about 10 degrees Celsius.

The next word is article. The word article in Russian is статья, pronounced [sta-tya]. This word is feminine in gender and has a few variations depending on the case and number. Let's create a sentence to show you how this works:

Я прочитал интересную статью о истории России.

Breakdown:

Я ([ya]) - I (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

прочитал ([pra-chi-tal]) - I read (masculine past tense, agrees with the subject)

интересную ([in-te-res-nu-yu]) - interesting (feminine accusative case, modifying the noun статью)

статью ([sta-tyu]) - article (feminine accusative case, direct object of the verb прочитал)

о ([o]) - about (preposition)

истории ([is-to-rii]) - history (feminine prepositional case, object of the preposition о)

России ([ra-sii]) - Russia (feminine prepositional case, modifying the noun истории)

Translation: I read an interesting article about the history of Russia.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender, which affects the endings of adjectives, pronouns, and other words that modify them. Статья is feminine.

Case: Russian grammar employs different cases to show the function of nouns and pronouns within a sentence. In this sentence, we have the nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), and prepositional (object of a preposition) cases.

Agreement: The endings of verbs and adjectives must agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify.

Variations:

Статьи ([sta-tyi]) - articles (plural nominative)

Статей ([sta-tey]) - articles (plural genitive)

Статьям ([sta-tyam]) - articles (plural dative)

Статьи ([sta-tyi]) - articles (plural accusative)

Статьях ([sta-tyah]) - articles (plural prepositional)

Pronunciation Hints:

Стать is pronounced with a soft "t" at the end, similar to the "t" in "taught"

Я is pronounced as "ya"

Россия is pronounced as "ra-sii-ya" with emphasis on the first syllable.

English: article [sta-tya] статья

Russian: статья [sta-tya] article

The next word is age. The Russian word for age is возраст (pronounced voh-zrast).

Here is a simple sentence using this word:

У него большой возраст. (oo ny-voh bal-shoy voh-zrast)

This sentence literally translates to: "He has a big age."

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "with". It is used to indicate possession.

него (ny-voh) - This is the pronoun "he".

большой (bal-shoy) - This is the adjective "big" or "large". It is used to describe the noun "age."

возраст (voh-zrast) - This is the noun "age"

Key concept:

This sentence implies that the person is old, but it's more formal than saying "He's old."

Variations:

Instead of saying большой возраст (bal-shoy voh-zrast), you can say он стар (ohn star) which means "he is old".

If you want to be more specific, you can use a number with the word лет (lyet). For example, Ему 50 лет (ye-moo pya-ty-des-yat lyet) means "He is 50 years old."

Pronunciation:

возраст - voh-zrast
большой - bal-shoy
него - ny-voh

У - oo
он - ohn
стар - star
лет - lyet

English/Russian Translation:

age - возраст (voh-zrast)

The next word is link. This is an interesting word to explore!

Sentence:

Эта статья ссылается на важный исторический документ.

Breakdown:

Эта - [eh-ta] - This
статья - [sta-tyah] - Article
ссылается - [ssi-la-yet-sa] - refers (third person singular, present tense, reflexive verb)

на - [na] - on, to
важный - [vazh-niy] - important
исторический - [is-to-ri-ches-kiy] - historical
документ - [da-ku-ment] - document

Key Concept:

The verb ссылаться is a reflexive verb, meaning it is always used with the reflexive pronoun ся. This makes the action of referring to something happen to the subject itself. So the article itself is referring to the document.

Variations:

ссылаться can be used in different tenses and with different subjects:

Я ссылаюсь - I refer

Он ссылался - He referred

Она будет ссылаться - She will refer

Translation: This article refers to an important historical document.

English: link / ссылка - [ssi-lka]

The next word is try. Let's try this one together. The word "try" is very versatile in English. It can be used as a verb, noun, and even an adjective. In Russian, the word for "try" is пытаться pronounced [pıˈtat͡sːə]. It's a verb in Russian. The ending is "ться" which is the "to" form of the verb. In Russian, you would say:

Я пытаюсь говорить по-русски. [ya pıˈtat͡sːə gəvɐˈrɪtʹ pɐ-ˈruskɪ]

Translation: I am trying to speak Russian.

Breakdown:

Я [ya] - I. This is the personal pronoun "I".

пытаюсь [pıˈtat͡sːə] - trying. This is the present tense conjugation of the verb "пытаться" ([pıˈtat͡sːə]) in the first person singular.

говорить [gəvɐˈrɪtʹ] - to speak. This is the infinitive form of the verb "to speak".

по-русски [pɐ-ˈruskɪ] - in Russian. This is a prepositional phrase that specifies the language being spoken.

Let me know if you have any questions, and we will continue to explore the Russian language together.

English/Russian Translation and Pronunciation:

try: пытаться [pıˈtat͡sːə]

The next word is address. The Russian word for address is адрес (pronounced ahd-ress). Here is a sentence using this word:

Я живу по адресу улица Пушкина, дом 5.

This sentence means: "I live at the address, Pushkin Street, house number 5."

Я (ya) - I

живу (zhy-voo) - I live

по (pa) - by, according to

адрес (ahd-ress) - address

улица (ool-i-tsa) - street

Пушкина (poosh-kin-a) - Pushkin (a proper noun, referring to the famous Russian writer)

дом (dom) - house

5 (pyat') - five

The preposition по is used here to express the idea of "according to" or "by". We use the dative case with this preposition. The dative case of адрес is адресу (ahd-res-oo), but the ending is dropped because it is followed by a noun, улица in this case.

Notice that улица (street) is in the genitive case. It is modified by the proper noun Пушкина, which is also in the genitive case. This is because we say "дом (house) на (on) улице (street) (Пушкина)"

Another important grammatical concept here is the declension of nouns.

The noun улица is feminine, and is declined according to the pattern of first declension nouns. This means that the ending changes based on the grammatical case, in this sentence, it is in the genitive case.

You will often encounter улица in the nominative case (улица) when talking about a specific street, or in the prepositional case (на улице) after the preposition на.

Пушкина is also in the genitive case to agree with улица.

The noun дом is masculine and does not decline in the singular form.

It is always helpful to study the various cases of nouns in Russian. You will notice that nouns in the nominative case are used as the subject of a sentence, in the accusative case they are the direct object of a verb. The genitive case is often used to express possession or to modify nouns.

And for extra practice, you can use the word адрес to ask someone their address in Russian:

Каков ваш адрес? (kakov vash ad-ress?) - What is your address?

Как ваш адрес? (kak vash ad-ress?) - How is your address?

Knowing a few common prepositions, like по and на will help you understand many different Russian sentences.

English - address (ah-dress)

Russian - адрес (ahd-ress)

The next word is candidate. The word "candidate" in Russian is кандидат (kan-di-dat). This word is masculine, so you'll need to adjust the ending for feminine or plural forms. For example, the feminine form is кандидатка (kan-di-dat-ka).

Here is a sentence using the word кандидат (kan-di-dat):

Этот кандидат на пост президента очень популярен. (eh-tot kan-di-dat na post pre-zi-den-ta o-chen po-pu-lyar-en).

Here is a breakdown:

Этот (eh-tot) - This (masculine, singular nominative case)

кандидат (kan-di-dat) - candidate (masculine, singular nominative case)

на (na) - on (preposition)

пост (post) - position (masculine, singular accusative case)

президента (pre-zi-den-ta) - president (masculine, singular genitive case)

очень (o-chen) - very
популярен (po-pu-lyar-en) - popular (masculine, singular nominative case)

This sentence translates to: "This candidate for the position of president is very popular."

кандидат (kan-di-dat) - candidate
популярен (po-pu-lyar-en) - popular

The next word is dry. The word "dry" in Russian is сухой (pronounced "soo-khoy"). This word can be used as an adjective to describe something that lacks moisture, or as a verb to describe the process of removing moisture.

Here is an example sentence using the adjective form:

Погода сегодня сухая. (pah-goh-da si-voh-dnya soo-khah-ya)

This sentence means "The weather today is dry." It uses the nominative case of the noun погода (pah-goh-da) "weather" and the feminine singular form of the adjective сухой (soo-khoy) "dry".

Here's how to break down the grammar:

Погода (pah-goh-da) is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

сегодня (si-voh-dnya) is an adverb meaning "today."

сухая (soo-khah-ya) is the adjective describing the weather. It agrees in gender and number with the noun погода (pah-goh-da), which is feminine singular.

Variations:

сухой (soo-khoy) is the masculine singular form of the adjective.

сухое (soo-khoy-ye) is the neuter singular form of the adjective.

сухие (soo-hee-ye) is the plural form of the adjective.

Translation:

сухой (soo-khoy) = dry
погода (pah-goh-da) = weather
сегодня (si-voh-dnya) = today

The next word is break. The word "break" can be used in a variety of ways in Russian. Here's an example of how to use it in a sentence:

Sentence: Я сделал перерыв, чтобы выпить чаю.

Translation: I took a break to drink tea.

Breakdown:

Я - ya - I (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced like "ya" as in "yard"

сделал - sdelal - made, did, (past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced like "sdelal" as in "saddle"

перерыв - pereryv - break, pause (masculine noun) - pronounced like "pereryv" as in "perry" but with a "v" sound at the end
чтобы - chtoby - in order to (conjunction) - pronounced like "chtoby" as in "chubby" but with a "y" at the end
выпить - vypit - to drink (infinitive verb) - pronounced like "vypit" as in "vi" as in "victory" but with a "t" at the end
чаю - chayu - tea (genitive case of чай - chai) - pronounced like "chayu" as in "cha" in "chair" but with a "yu" at the end

Key Concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their role in a sentence (e.g., subject, object). In this sentence, "перерыв" is in the accusative case because it is the object of the verb "сделал."

Tense and Gender: Verbs change form to indicate tense (past, present, future) and gender. "сделал" is in the past tense, masculine singular form.

Infinitive Verbs: In Russian, verbs in their base form end in "-ть" (e.g., выпить).

Variations:

The word "break" can be translated in a variety of ways in Russian depending on the context. "Перерыв" is a general term for a break. There are also other ways to say "break" such as "отдых" (otdykh) - which means rest or relaxation or "пауза" (pauza) which means pause.

The sentence could also be written: Я сделал паузу, чтобы выпить чаю. which translates as: "I took a pause to drink tea".

Pronunciation:

It's crucial to practice the pronunciation of Russian sounds, particularly the vowels and consonants. Be sure to focus on the stress in each word, as it can affect the meaning and understanding of the sentence.

English-Russian Word Translations:

break - перерыв (pereryv)

tea - чай (chai)

The next word is reaction. The word "reaction" in Russian is реакция (pronounced "re-AK-tsiya"). It's a feminine noun and is used to describe a response to something. Here is a sentence:

Её реакция на его слова была очень эмоциональной.

Let's break it down:

Её (pronounced "ye-YO") is the genitive case of the pronoun "она" (she), meaning "her."

реакция (pronounced "re-AK-tsiya") is the noun "reaction."

на (pronounced "na") is the preposition "on," meaning "on" or "to."

его (pronounced "ye-VO") is the genitive case of the pronoun "он" (he), meaning "his."

слова (pronounced "slo-VA") is the plural form of the noun "слово" (word), meaning "words."

была (pronounced "bi-LA") is the past tense of the verb "быть" (to be) in the feminine singular form.

очень (pronounced "o-chen") is the adverb "very."

эмоциональной (pronounced "e-mo-tsi-ON-al'noy") is the feminine singular form of the adjective "эмоциональный" (emotional).

Translation: Her reaction to his words was very emotional.

Key concept: The sentence uses the genitive case of pronouns to indicate possession. The adjective "эмоциональный" (emotional) is used in the feminine singular form to agree with the noun "реакция" (reaction) in gender and number.

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in Russian words is usually on the last syllable.

The letter "й" at the end of a word is silent.

The letter "ь" at the end of a word softens the preceding consonant.

English-Russian word translation:

reaction - реакция (re-AK-tsiya)

The next word is last. The word "last" in English can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

Here are a few examples:

1. As an adjective:

Sentence: The последний (pa-sled-nee) train left the station at midnight.

Meaning: The final train departed at midnight.

Breakdown:

последний (pa-sled-nee) means "last" and functions as an adjective. This is the most common way to translate "last" in this context. It is a masculine singular adjective, but its form changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

поезд (poy-ezd) means "train"

уехал (oo-ye-hal) means "left" (past tense, masculine singular)

станция (stan-tsiya) means "station"

в полночь (v pol-noch) means "at midnight"

1. As an adverb:

Sentence: He последний (pa-sled-nee) arrived at the party.

Meaning: He was the last one to arrive at the party.

Breakdown:

последний (pa-sled-nee) functions as an adverb in this case.

пришел (pri-shohl) means "arrived" (past tense, masculine singular)

на вечеринку (na ve-che-rin-ku) means "to the party"

1. To indicate the most recent action:

Sentence: I последний (pa-sled-nee) saw him yesterday.

Meaning: The most recent time I saw him was yesterday.

Breakdown:

последний (pa-sled-nee) functions as an adverb in this case, indicating the most recent action.

видел (vi-dyel) means "saw" (past tense, masculine singular)

его (ye-vo) means "him"

вчера (vche-ra) means "yesterday"

Note:

"Last" has several variations in Russian, depending on the grammatical context. These include: последний (pa-sled-nee), последняя (pa-sled-nya-ya), последнее (pa-sled-nye-ye), and последние (pa-sled-ni-ye). The choice of variation depends on the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

The pronunciation of последний (pa-sled-nee) is similar to the English pronunciation of "pa-sled-nee", with a soft 'd' sound at the end.

English: Last

Russian: последний (pa-sled-nee)

The next word is legal. This is a very important word in any language, and Russian is no exception. Let's look at a sentence using this word:

Это законно. This translates to "This is legal."

Это is the word for "this". It is pronounced "eh-to"

законно is the word for "legal". It is pronounced "za-KON-no" with the stress on the third syllable.

Important Concepts
законно is an adjective, which means it describes a noun. It is a neutral adjective, meaning that it is not positive or negative.

Note the use of the nominative case in this sentence. The noun Это is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence, the thing that is being described.

Variations

There are a few variations of this word:

законный is the masculine form of the adjective, pronounced "za-KON-ny" and it means "legal" as well.

законная is the feminine form of the adjective, pronounced "za-KON-na-ya" and it means "legal" as well.

законное is the neuter form of the adjective, pronounced "za-KON-no-ye" and it means "legal" as well.

It is essential to remember that the adjective must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. So, for example, if you were talking about a legal document, you would use the neuter form законное.

Translation: legal законный (za-KON-ny)

The next word is bill. The word "bill" in English has several meanings, but in this context, we will focus on the meaning of a "bill" as a restaurant invoice.

Sentence: Я получил счёт в ресторане.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronoun, nominative case) Pronounced: ya
получил получил - received (verb, masculine past tense, singular) Pronounced: poluchil
счёт счёт - bill (noun, masculine, singular) Pronounced: schyot
в в - in (preposition) Pronounced: v
ресторане ресторане - restaurant (noun, masculine, prepositional case) Pronounced: restorane

Translation: I received the bill at the restaurant.

Key Concept: The word "счёт" счёт is a masculine noun, so the verb "получил" получил agrees with it in gender and number.

Pronunciation: The "ч" ч sound is a palatalized "ch" sound, similar to the "ch" in the English word "chair". The "щ" щ sound is a softer, more hissing "sh" sound. The "т" т sound at the end of the word "счёт" счёт is a voiceless alveolar stop, similar to the "t" sound in the English word "top".

Variations of the word "bill":

счет счет (variant spelling, more common in some regions of Russia)

English - Russian Translation:

bill - счёт счёт (pronounced: schyot)

The next word is launch. The word "launch" in English has a few different meanings, but the most common is the beginning of a project or the act of sending something into the air or space.

In Russian, this would be best translated as запускать (za-poo-skat'), which means "to launch" or "to start" and is a verb. It is used for both physical launches, like rockets, and metaphorical launches, like starting a project.

Let's make a simple sentence:

Они запускают новый проект. (A-nee za-poo-ska-yut no-vy pro-ekt.)

Они они (a-nee) - They (nominative plural pronoun)

запускают запускают (za-poo-ska-yut) - are launching (present tense, 3rd person plural)

новый новый (no-vy) - new (adjective, masculine singular)

проект проект (pro-ekt) - project (masculine noun, singular)

This sentence means "They are launching a new project". This is a straightforward sentence that shows the basic use of the verb.

Here are some other related words and phrases:

Запуск запуск (za-pusk) - launch (noun)

Запускать ракету запускать ракету (za-poo-skat' ra-ke-tu) - to launch a rocket

Запускать программу запускать программу (za-poo-skat' pro-gram-mu) - to launch a program

Pronunciation guide:

За за (za) - Like "zah"

Пуск пуск (pusk) - Like "poosk" with the "oo" sound being longer

Ракета ракета (ra-ke-ta) - Like "ra-kay-ta" with a hard "k" sound

Программа программа (pro-gram-ma) - Like "pro-gram-ma" with a soft "g" sound

English: Launch

Russian: запускать (za-poo-skat')

The next word is clearly. ## Clearly - ясно (pronounced: yas-no)

Sentence: Всё ясно, я понимаю. (Vsyo yasno, ya ponimayu.)

Breakdown:

Всё (pronounced: vsyo) means "everything". It is in the nominative case, which functions as the subject of the sentence.

ясно (pronounced: yasno) means "clear". This is an adjective, and it is in the nominative case, acting as a predicate nominative (a word that renames the subject).

я (pronounced: ya) means "I". This is a personal pronoun in the nominative case, acting as the subject of the second verb in the sentence.

понимаю (pronounced: ponimayu) means "understand". This is a verb in the present tense, first person singular, and it is conjugated to agree with the subject, я.

Translation: Everything is clear, I understand.

Key Concepts:

Nominative Case: In Russian, nouns and pronouns change their endings to indicate their role in the sentence. The nominative case is used for subjects and predicate nominatives.

Predicate Nominative: A predicate nominative renames the subject. In this sentence, the predicate nominative ясно clarifies what "everything" is.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs have different endings depending on the person, number, and tense.

Variations:

Ясно can also be used as an adverb, meaning "clearly". For example, Ясно видно, что он был здесь. (Yasno vidno, chto on byl zdes.) - It's clearly visible that he was here.

Pronunciation:

ясно (pronounced: yas-no)

Всё (pronounced: vsyo)

я (pronounced: ya)

понимаю (pronounced: ponimayu)

English Translation: Clearly

Russian Translation: ясно

The next word is anyway. ## Anyway, in Russian

Вообще-то voobshche-to (pronounced: vohb-shuh-tuh) is a great way to change the subject or to introduce an idea that is only tangentially related to the previous one. It's used in a similar way to "anyway" in English. It literally translates to "generally speaking" or "in general."

Example Sentence:

Мы должны были пойти в кино, но потом решили поесть дома. Вообще-то, мы и не хотели в кино.

My dolzhny byli poyti v kino, no potom reshili poest' doma. Voobshche-to, my i ne khoteli v kino.

Translation: We were supposed to go to the movies, but then we decided to eat at home. Anyway, we didn't really want to go to the movies.

Breakdown:

Мы my (we)

должны dolzhny (should, must)

были byli (past tense of "to be")

пойти poyti (to go)

в v (in)

кино kino (cinema, movies)

но no (but)

потом potom (then, afterwards)

решили reshili (decided)

поесть poest' (to eat)

дома doma (at home)

Вообще-то voobshche-to (anyway, in general)

мы my (we)

и i (and)

не ne (not)

хотели khoteli (wanted)

в v (in)

кино kino (cinema, movies)

Key Concepts:

Past Tense: The verb были byli (to be) is in the past tense, indicating that the action took place in the past.

Infinitives: The verbs пойти poyti (to go) and поесть poest' (to eat) are in the infinitive form.

Prepositions: The preposition в v (in) is used before both кино kino (cinema, movies) and дома doma (at home).

Variations:

You can also use вообще voobshche (generally, in general) instead of вообще-то voobshche-to (anyway, in general), but вообще-то voobshche-to is more colloquial.

English Translation: anyway - вообще-то voobshche-to (pronounced: vohb-shuh-tuh)

The next word is sign. The word "sign" in English has several meanings, so let's explore a few Russian sentences using this word, focusing on the meaning of "a symbol or indication" and "to make a mark."

1. "The sign on the door said 'Closed.'"

На двери была вывеска с надписью "Закрыто."

На [na] - preposition meaning "on" or "at"

двери [dveri] - feminine noun meaning "door" (plural)

была [byla] - past tense of the verb "to be" in the feminine singular form
вывеска [vyveska] - feminine noun meaning "sign" (in the sense of a signboard, notice, or poster)

с [s] - preposition meaning "with"

надписью [nadpisyu] - feminine noun meaning "inscription" or "writing" (in the sense of words on a sign)

Закрыто [zakryto] - past participle of the verb "to close" in the neuter singular form, meaning "closed"

This sentence is in the past tense, describing a sign that was present. The word вывеска [vyveska] is a good choice for "sign" in this case, as it specifically refers to a physical sign, like a signboard or poster.

1. "He signed his name on the contract."

Он подписал свое имя на договоре.

Он [on] - pronoun meaning "he"

подписал [podpisal] - past tense of the verb "to sign"

свое [svoye] - possessive adjective meaning "his" or "her" own
имя [imya] - neuter noun meaning "name"

на [na] - preposition meaning "on"

договоре [dogovore] - masculine noun meaning "contract"

This sentence is in the past tense and uses the verb подписал [podpisal] which specifically means "to sign" in the sense of putting your name on a document.

Pronunciation Tips:

вывеска [vyveska] - "vee-ves-ka"

подписал [podpisal] - "pod-pee-sal"

имя [imya] - "ee-mya"

English: sign /saɪn/

Russian: знак [znak] /znak/

The next word is system. The word system is translated into Russian as система, pronounced [see-STEH-ma].

Here's an example sentence:

Эта система работает отлично.

Эта [eh-ta] - This

система [see-STEH-ma] - system
работает [ra-BOH-tay-et] - works
отлично [at-LEECH-no] - perfectly/excellently

This sentence translates as "This system works perfectly" and highlights the use of the система in the context of a functioning mechanism.

Key Concepts:

система [see-STEH-ma] is a feminine noun and will take feminine declensions.

Variations:

The word система is a common word used in various contexts, such as computer systems, political systems, and biological systems. It can also be used to refer to a set of rules or procedures.

The next word is experience. The Russian sentence is: У меня богатый опыт работы с детьми.

опыт (opyt) is pronounced "oh-peet"

The English translation is: I have a rich experience working with children.

Breakdown of the sentence:

У меня у меня (u menya) means "I have". у (u) means "at" or "with". меня (menya) means "me"

богатый богатый (bogaty) means "rich" or "abundant", this is the masculine form of the adjective, and it agrees in gender with the noun "experience",
опыт (opyt) means "experience"

работы работы (raboty) means "work" this is the genitive case of the noun "work"

с с (s) means "with"

детьми детьми (det'mi) means "children"

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. This is called case. The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate a part of something.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that link a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. с (s) is the preposition "with" in this sentence.

Variations of the word "experience"

опытный (opytny) means "experienced"

опытность (opytnost') means "experience" - a more abstract notion

Pronunciation Notes:

опыт (opyt) The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot". The "ы" (y) is a stressed "i" sound as in "machine".

с (s) The "c" is pronounced as "s"

детьми (det'mi) The "и" (i) in this word is not stressed, and makes an "ee" sound.

The next word is serious. The word "serious" in Russian is серьёзный (pronounced "syer-Yoz-nuh"). It is an adjective, meaning that it describes a noun. Here is an example sentence:

Он был серьёзным студентом. (awn byl syer-Yoz-nuhm stu-den-tom)

This sentence means "He was a serious student."

Here are some variations:

серьёзная (pronounced "syer-Yoz-nuh-ya") - serious (feminine)

серьёзное (pronounced "syer-Yoz-nuh-ye") - serious (neuter)

серьёзные (pronounced "syer-Yoz-nuh-ye") - serious (plural)

Key concepts

In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

The word "student" is masculine, so we use the masculine form of "serious."

If the student had been female, we would use the feminine form "серьёзная."

"Он" is a masculine pronoun, meaning "he."

Translation of words

Он (awn) - he
был (byl) - was
серьёзным (syer-Yoz-nuhm) - serious
студентом (stu-den-tom) - student

Pronunciation notes

"ё" sounds like the "yo" in "yo-yo."

The "ы" in серьёзный sounds similar to the "ee" in "see."

English to Russian Translation
serious - серьёзный (syer-Yoz-nuh)

The next word is sister. У меня есть сестра. U menya est' sestra.

This sentence means, "I have a sister."

Breakdown:

У U - This is the preposition "at" or "with" in this context, and is pronounced like the English "oo" in "moon."

меня menya - This is the object pronoun "me," pronounced "men-ya."

есть est' - This is the verb "to have," pronounced like "yest' " with a very soft "t" at the end.

сестра sestra - This is the noun "sister," pronounced "se-stra."

Variations:

Моя сестра Moya sestra - "My sister" (Literally, "my sister")

У него есть сестра U nego est' sestra - "He has a sister." (Literally, "at him is a sister.")

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. "Сестра" sestra is feminine.

Word Order: The basic word order in Russian sentences is Subject - Verb - Object.

Pronunciation:

У U - "oo" as in "moon"

меня menya - "men-ya"

есть est' - "yest'"

сестра sestra - "se-stra"

English: sister / Russian: сестра sestra

The next word is highly. The word "highly" in English can be used to express a strong degree of something. In Russian, we have several ways to express this, but the most common is the adverb очень (pronounced "oh-chen"). Let's look at an example:

Sentence: Эта книга очень интересная.

Breakdown:

Эта (pronounced "eh-ta") means "this" and is the feminine nominative singular form of the demonstrative adjective.

книга (pronounced "k-nee-gah") means "book" and is a feminine noun in the nominative singular.

очень (pronounced "oh-chen") means "highly" or "very" and is an adverb.

интересная (pronounced "in-ter-yes-nah-yah") means "interesting" and is a feminine adjective in the nominative singular.

Translation: This book is highly interesting.

Key Concepts:

Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They tell us how, when, where, or to what extent something happens.

Adjectives: Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They tell us what kind, how many, or which ones.

Gender: Russian nouns and adjectives have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The choice of adjective ending depends on the gender of the noun it modifies.

Variations:

очень can be used to modify adjectives, adverbs, and verbs to express a strong degree.

You can also use the adverb крайне (pronounced "kray-nee") to express "extremely" or "highly."

For an even stronger emphasis, you can use чрезвычайно (pronounced "chrez-vy-chay-no") which translates to "extraordinarily" or "highly."

Pronunciation:

очень (pronounced "oh-chen")

крайне (pronounced "kray-nee")

чрезвычайно (pronounced "chrez-vy-chay-no")

Remember: Practice saying these words and phrases out loud! The more you use them, the better you will remember them.

The next word is potential. The word "potential" in Russian is потенциал (pronounced: pah-ten-thee-AHL). It's a noun, and it can be used in a variety of contexts to describe the possibility or capacity for something to develop or grow.

Here's an example sentence:

У него большой потенциал как писателя. (pronounced: oo ny-voh bol-shoy pah-ten-thee-AHL kak pee-sah-te-lya)

Breakdown:

У (pronounced: oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "with," and it indicates possession.

него (pronounced: ny-voh) - This is the pronoun "he," in the genitive case, indicating that the potential belongs to him.

большой (pronounced: bol-shoy) - This is the adjective "big" or "large," modifying "potential."

потенциал (pronounced: pah-ten-thee-AHL) - This is the noun "potential."

как (pronounced: kak) - This is the conjunction "as," indicating a role or function.

писателя (pronounced: pee-sah-te-lya) - This is the noun "writer," in the genitive case.

Translation: "He has great potential as a writer."

Key Concept: The genitive case is often used after prepositions like у (at, with), and it indicates possession. For example, "у меня есть книга" (I have a book) - меня is the genitive case of the pronoun "I."

Variations:

The adjective большой (big) can be replaced with other adjectives to describe the potential, such as огромный (huge), значительный (significant), or небольшой (small).

The word потенциал can also be used figuratively, such as in the phrase "потенциал для роста" (potential for growth).

English and Russian Translation:

Potential - потенциал (pah-ten-thee-AHL)

The next word is contact. The English word "contact" can be used as a noun or a verb in Russian. Here are some examples.

Noun:

Контакты контакта контакту контактом контакте (pronounced [kahntak-tee] [kahntak-ta] [kahntak-too] [kahntak-tam] [kahntak-tye])

The noun "contact" in Russian is контакт (pronounced [kahntak-t]). Like many nouns, it can have different endings depending on its function in the sentence.

The endings of the word контакт change depending on the grammatical case. The nominative case is контакт ([kahntak-t]) and it indicates the subject of the sentence.

The genitive case (контакта - [kahntak-ta]) indicates possession. For example, "the contact of the employee".

The dative case (контакту - [kahntak-too]) indicates the indirect object. For example, "I give the contact to you."

The accusative case (контакт - [kahntak-t]) is used for the direct object. For example, "I know the contact."

The instrumental case (контактом - [kahntak-tam]) is used to indicate the instrument of an action. For example, "I contacted them by email."

The prepositional case (контакте - [kahntak-tye]) is used with prepositions. For example, "I found the contact in the database."

Example sentence:

У меня есть контакт директора компании. (pronounced [oo myen-ya yest' kan-tak-t dee-rek-ta-ra kam-pah-nee-ee])

Translation: I have the contact of the company director.

Key concepts: у - (pronounced [oo]) is a preposition meaning "at", "near", "by", "with", or "of". меня (pronounced [myen-ya]) means "me" and is in the genitive case. есть (pronounced [yest']) means "there is" or "there are".

Verb:

Контакты (pronounced [kahntak-tee]) is the plural of the verb контактировать (pronounced [kahntak-tee-ra-vat']) meaning "to contact."

контактировать is the verb in the infinitive form.

Контакты is the plural verb in the present tense form.

Я контактирую (pronounced [ya kan-tak-tee-roo-yu]) means "I am contacting"

Ты контактируешь (pronounced [tee kan-tak-tee-roo-yesh]) means "you are contacting".

Он контактирует (pronounced [on kan-tak-tee-roo-yet]) means "he is contacting".

Мы контактируем (pronounced [mee kan-tak-tee-roo-yem]) means "we are contacting."

Вы контактируете (pronounced [vee kan-tak-tee-roo-ye-te]) means "you are contacting".

Они контактируют (pronounced [a-nee kan-tak-tee-roo-yut]) means "they are contacting".

Example sentence:

Я контактирую с клиентами по телефону. (pronounced [ya kan-tak-tee-roo-yu s klee-yen-ta-mee pa te-le-fo-noo])

Translation: I am contacting the clients by phone.

Key concepts: с (pronounced [s]) means "with" and is a preposition. телефону (pronounced [te-le-fo-noo]) means "by phone" and is in the prepositional case.

Contact - контакт (pronounced [kahntak-t])

Contacts - Контакты (pronounced [kahntak-tee])

To contact - контактировать (pronounced [kahntak-tee-ra-vat'])

The next word is exactly. ## Exactly

Sentence: Он пришёл точно в восемь часов.

Breakdown:

Он - on - He - Pronounced like "ohn"

пришёл - prishol - came - pronounced like "pri-shohl"

точно - tochno - exactly - pronounced like "toch-no"

в - v - in - pronounced like "v"

восемь - vosem - eight - pronounced like "voh-sem"

часов - chasov - hours - pronounced like "cha-sohv"

Meaning: He came exactly at eight o'clock.

Key Concepts:

точно is a key word here, meaning "exactly" or "precisely." It emphasizes the specific time of arrival.

в is a preposition meaning "in" and is used to indicate the time.

Variations:

Точно can also be used as an adverb meaning "certainly" or "definitely." For example: Точно, я это сделаю. (Certainly, I will do it.)

Точный is the adjective form of точно meaning "exact" or "precise." For example: У него был точный план. (He had an exact plan.)

Pronunciation:

точно - "toch-no"

Точно - "Toch-no"

Точный - "Toch-niy"

English & Russian Translations:

exactly - точно

The next word is associate. The English word "associate" can be used as a noun or a verb.

Here is an example of the word "associate" used as a noun:

Sentence: Он был ассоциированным профессором в университете.

Breakdown:

Он - He
был - was
ассоциированным - associated (masculine nominative singular)

профессором - professor (masculine instrumental singular)

в - in
университете - university (masculine prepositional singular)

Translation: He was an associate professor at the university.

Word Variations:

The word ассоциированный (associated) is an adjective and will change its ending based on gender and grammatical case.

Masculine: ассоциированный (nominative singular), ассоциированного (genitive singular), ассоциированному (dative singular), ассоциированного (accusative singular), ассоциированным (instrumental singular), ассоциированном (prepositional singular)

Feminine: ассоциированная (nominative singular), ассоциированной (genitive singular), ассоциированной (dative singular), ассоциированную (accusative singular), ассоциированной (instrumental singular), ассоциированной (prepositional singular)

Neuter: ассоциированное (nominative singular), ассоциированного (genitive singular), ассоциированному (dative singular), ассоциированное (accusative singular), ассоциированным (instrumental singular), ассоциированном (prepositional singular)

Plural: ассоциированные (nominative, accusative, and vocative singular)

Pronunciation:

ассоциированный - ah-soh-tsee-oh-vah-nuh-ee
профессор - pra-fye-sor
университет - oo-nee-ver-see-tyet

English: associate

Russian: ассоциировать - ah-soh-tsee-oh-vah-tee

The next word is watch. ## Смотри! (Смотри!)

Breakdown:

Смотри! (Смотри!) - This is an imperative sentence, meaning it is a command. In this case, it means "Watch!" or "Look!"

Смотри (Смотри) - This is the imperative form of the verb смотреть (смотреть) which means "to watch" or "to look."

The ending "и" in the imperative form is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

The "o" in смотреть (смотреть) is pronounced like the "o" in "go."

Смотри! (Смотри!) - The exclamation point at the end indicates that this is a command given with some urgency or emphasis.

Pronunciation:

Смотри (Смо-tree) - "Смо" is pronounced like "Smo" in "smooth," and "три" is pronounced like "tree"

смотреть (smo-treet') - The "e" in "treet" is a soft "e" sound.

Variations:

You can also use the verb видеть (видеть) which means "to see" in the imperative form to mean "Watch!" Видь! (Видь!). This is less common and more formal.

English to Russian translation:

watch - смотреть (smo-treet')

to watch - смотреть (smo-treet')

to see - видеть (vee-deet')

see - видеть (vee-deet')

Key concept:

The imperative form of verbs in Russian is used to give commands or make requests. You can usually recognize the imperative form by the ending "-и."

The next word is still. The word "still" in English can have a variety of meanings, and we'll explore some of them in the context of Russian.

1. "Still" expressing continued action:

Он всё ещё спит.

Breakdown:

Он - [on] - he (pronoun)

всё - [vsyo] - all, everything (pronoun)

ещё - [yeshcho] - still, yet (adverb)

спит - [spit] - sleeps (verb in present tense)

Meaning: He is still sleeping.

Key concept: The adverb ещё emphasizes that the action of sleeping continues.

1. "Still" as a synonym for "quiet":

Будьте тише, дети, она всё ещё спит.

Breakdown:

Будьте - [bud'te] - be (imperative, plural)

тише - [tishe] - quieter (comparative adjective)

дети - [dyeti] - children (noun, plural)

она - [ana] - she (pronoun)

всё - [vsyo] - all, everything (pronoun)

ещё - [yeshcho] - still, yet (adverb)

спит - [spit] - sleeps (verb in present tense)

Meaning: Be quiet, children, she is still sleeping.

Key concept: ещё indicates the continued state of sleeping, implying quietness.

1. "Still" as a synonym for "however"

Я устал, но всё ещё хочу гулять.

Breakdown:

Я - [ya] - I (pronoun)

устал - [ustal] - tired (adjective)

но - [no] - but (conjunction)

всё - [vsyo] - all, everything (pronoun)

ещё - [yeshcho] - still, yet (adverb)

хочу - [khachu] - want (verb in present tense)

гулять - [gulyaat'] - to walk (verb in infinitive)

Meaning: I am tired, but I still want to walk.

Key concept: ещё connects two contrasting ideas, showing a persisting desire despite tiredness.

Pronunciation
ещё - [yeshcho] - The "е" at the beginning of the word is pronounced similar to the "e" in the English word "bed". The "ч" is a soft "ch" sound, similar to the "ch" in the English word "chair".

Translation
still - ещё - [yeshcho]

The next word is charge. The word "charge" has several meanings in English and can be translated into Russian in several ways depending on the context.

Here is an example of how to use "charge" in a Russian sentence:

Зарядить (pronounced za-rya-dit) is the verb to charge something, typically an electronic device. The word itself is quite versatile and can be used to describe many kinds of "charging".

батарея (pronounced ba-ta-re-ya) is the Russian word for battery.

Я зарядил батарею. (pronounced ya za-rya-dil ba-ta-re-yu).

This translates to: "I charged the battery."

This is a simple sentence in the past tense. Let's look at the structure:

1. Я (pronounced ya) is the Russian word for "I" and functions as the subject of the sentence.

2. зарядил (pronounced za-rya-dil) is the past tense of the verb зарядить (pronounced za-rya-dit) which means "to charge". In this case, it is conjugated to agree with the subject "I" (я).

3. батарею (pronounced ba-ta-re-yu) is the accusative case of the noun батарея (pronounced ba-ta-re-ya) meaning "battery". It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb. The accusative case is used for direct objects in Russian, and the ending of the word will change depending on the gender and number of the noun.

This is a basic example of how to use the word "charge" in a Russian sentence. There are many other ways to use the word depending on the context, such as charging someone with a crime or charging a price for a service.

Key concepts to remember:

The accusative case is used for direct objects in Russian.

The endings of words in Russian change depending on their grammatical function in the sentence.

Here are some other examples of the word "charge" in Russian:

Обвинение (pronounced ob-vi-ne-ni-ye) - accusation, charge (in the sense of a legal accusation)

Заряжать (pronounced za-rya-zhat) - to charge (an electronic device)

Стоимость (pronounced sto-im-ost) - cost, charge (in the sense of a price)

English to Russian translation:

Charge - Заряд (pronounced za-ryad) (noun) or Зарядить (pronounced za-rya-dit) (verb)

Battery - Батарея (pronounced ba-ta-re-ya)

The next word is meet. ## Встретиться с друзьями в кафе - отличная идея.

Breakdown:

Встретиться - to meet (infinitive). It is a verb of motion that means "to go to someone or something." You can also say встречаться to mean "to meet" but that is for more frequent meetings and is used in the present tense. This would be more like "to date" or "to hang out."

с друзьями - with friends - the preposition с is used with people.

в кафе - at a cafe. в is used for places and кафе is pronounced "kah-FEH."

отличная идея - great idea - идея is pronounced "ee-DEH-ya."

Translation: To meet friends at a cafe is a great idea.

Pronunciation:

Встретиться - vstreh-tee-tsya
с - s
друзьями - druz-ya-mi
в - v
кафе - kah-FEH
отличная - at-leech-naya
идея - ee-DEH-ya

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: Prepositions like с and в are important because they indicate the relationship between nouns.

Verbs of Motion: Встретиться is a verb of motion that expresses movement toward a person, place, or thing. Many verbs of motion require specific prepositions.

Infinitives: The infinitive form of verbs is often used to express purpose. For example, in the sentence above, Встретиться is the infinitive form.

Variations:

Встреча - meeting

Встречать - to greet/meet (someone)

Встречный - oncoming

English: meet

Russian: встретиться - vstreh-tee-tsya

The next word is warm. The weather is warm today.

Сегодня теплая погода.

Breakdown:

Сегодня (pronounced: see-VO-dnya) - Today, a noun and an adverb of time.

теплая (pronounced: TYEH-plah-ya) - warm. The feminine form of the adjective теплый (pronounced: TYEH-p-ly). The adjective changes form to agree with the noun погода (pronounced: pa-GO-da) - weather.

погода (pronounced: pa-GO-da) - weather, a feminine noun.

Key Concept: The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes. Since погода (weather) is feminine, we must use the feminine form of теплый, which is теплая.

Translation:

Today - Сегодня (see-VO-dnya)

Warm - теплая (TYEH-plah-ya)

Weather - погода (pa-GO-da)

The next word is note. The word "note" in Russian can take on several meanings depending on context, much like in English. Here is an example of how it can be used:

Sentence:

Я записал заметку о встрече.

Ya zapisal zametku o vstreche.

Breakdown:

Я Ya (I) - personal pronoun, subject of the sentence, pronounced as "ya"

записал zapisal (wrote down) - past tense, masculine singular, pronounced as "za-pee-sal"

заметку zametku (note) - accusative case, feminine singular, pronounced as "za-met-ku"

о o (about) - preposition, pronounced as "o"

встрече vstreche (meeting) - prepositional case, feminine singular, pronounced as "vstre-che"

Meaning: I wrote down a note about the meeting.

Key concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. The noun "заметка" zametku (note) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "записал" zapisal (wrote down).

Gender: Russian nouns have gender, which affects their endings. "Заметка" zametku (note) is feminine.

Tenses: Russian verbs have different forms for different tenses. "Записал" zapisal (wrote down) is in the past tense.

Variations:

заметка zametku (note) can also be used in the nominative case (subject of the sentence) as "заметка" zametka.

"записал" zapisal (wrote down) can be changed to other tenses, such as "записываю" zapisyvayu (writing down) or "запишу" zapishu (will write down).

Note pronunciation:

"note" in English is pronounced as "noht"

"заметка" zametku in Russian is pronounced as "za-met-ku"

The next word is plane. The word "plane" can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. It can be самолет (samolet) for an aircraft, плоскость (ploskost) for a flat surface, or плоскость (ploskost) again for a plane in geometry.

Here is a sentence using the word самолет (samolet):

Я лечу на самолете в Москву. (Ya lechu na samolete v Moskvu.)

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case)

лечу (lechu) - I fly (verb, present tense, first person singular)

на (na) - on (preposition)

самолете (samolete) - plane (noun, prepositional case)

в (v) - to (preposition)

Москву (Moskvu) - Moscow (noun, accusative case)

Translation: I am flying to Moscow on a plane.

Breakdown:

The sentence is in the present tense, indicating an action happening now.

The preposition на (na) is used to show location on a plane.

The preposition в (v) is used to indicate the destination, Moscow.

The word самолет (samolet) is in the prepositional case, governed by the preposition на (na).

The noun Москву (Moskvu) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb лечу (lechu).

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - Pronounced like "ya"

лечу (lechu) - Pronounced like "le-choo"

на (na) - Pronounced like "nah"

самолете (samolete) - Pronounced like "sa-mo-le-tye"

в (v) - Pronounced like "v"

Москву (Moskvu) - Pronounced like "Mos-k-voo"

Variations:

Я еду на самолете в Москву. (Ya edu na samolete v Moskvu) - This variation uses the verb ехать (ekhat) which means "to travel" or "to go" and is used more frequently than лететь (letet) when speaking about air travel.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: Russian uses prepositions to indicate location, direction, time, and other relationships.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. This is called case. There are six cases in Russian.

Tenses: Russian verbs are conjugated to indicate tense (present, past, future) and other grammatical features.

English Translation: plane - самолет (samolet) - pronounced like "sa-mo-let"

The next word is critical. This is a great word to learn because it has several meanings in Russian, and therefore, several possible translations!

Sentence: Критика фильма была очень острой и детальной — все недостатки были разобраны по косточкам.

Translation: The film's critique was very sharp and detailed - all its flaws were analyzed in great detail.

Breakdown:

Критика [kritika] / [kri'tika] – This word is the noun for "critique" or "criticism." It can refer to the act of criticizing, a critical analysis of something, or a body of critical opinions. It is feminine.

была [byla] / [bə'la] – This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb "быть" [byt'] / [bɪt'] "to be."

очень [ochen'] / [ˈotʃɪn'] – this is an adverb meaning "very".

острой [ostroy] / [ɐˈstroj] – adjective meaning "sharp" or "acute" (in the sense of being very critical). It is feminine, agreeing with the noun критика.

и [i] / [i] – "and."

детальной [detal'noy] / [dɪˈtalʹnɐj] – meaning "detailed". It is feminine, agreeing with the noun критика.

— – This is a dash, used to indicate a pause.

все [vse] / [vsʲe] – means "all" or "everything" and is a pronoun.

недостатки [nedostatki] / [nɪdɐˈstatkɪ] – means "flaws" or "shortcomings". This is plural.

были [byli] / [bɪˈlɪ] – This is the past tense plural form of the verb "быть" [byt'] / [bɪt'] "to be."

разобраны [razobrany] / [rɐzɐˈbranɪ] – the past participle meaning "analyzed" or "taken apart." It agrees in number and gender with the noun недостатки.

по [po] / [pɐ] – preposition meaning "according to," "by," or "in."

косточкам [kostochkam] / [ˈkostətʃkəm] – dative plural form of косточка [kostochka] / [ˈkostətʃkə] which means "bone" or "seed". Here it has the meaning "in detail."

Important note: When критика [kritika] / [kri'tika] is used in the sense of a critical analysis, it is usually followed by the preposition к [k] / [k] (to).

Example: Критика к фильму [kritika k filmu] / [kri'tika k fɪl'mu] "Criticism of the film."

Extra notes:

The word острый [ostryy] / [ɐˈstri] is masculine and means "sharp". It can be used figuratively to describe something that is very critical or biting, for example: "острый язык" [ostryy jazyk] / [ɐˈstri ˈjɪzɪk] meaning "sharp tongue."

The adjective детальный [detal'nyy] / [dɪˈtalʹnɪj] is masculine.

Pronunciation tips:

Focus on the stress. The stress is always on the first syllable in Russian.

к [k] / [k] is like the English "k" sound.

The ч [ch] / [tʃ] is like the "ch" in "church".

The ш [sh] / [ʃ] is like the "sh" in "ship."

ж [zh] / [ʒ] is like the "s" in "pleasure."

Translation:

critical - критический [kriticheskiy] / [krɪˈtɪtʃɪskɪj]

The next word is goal. Моя моя (my) goal цель (tsel') is to become a fluent speaker of Russian.

This sentence uses the nominative case of the noun цель (tsel') which means "goal" or "aim". The nominative case is used when the noun is the subject of the sentence. The verb быть (byt') meaning "to be" is used in the infinitive form. The adjective русский (russkiy) is used in the nominative case because it is modifying the noun язык (yazyk) which is also in the nominative case.

Breakdown of sentence

Моя (my) is the possessive adjective modifying the noun цель (tsel').

цель (tsel') is the noun, in the nominative case, functioning as the subject of the sentence.

быть (byt') is the verb, "to be". It is in the infinitive form.

говорящий (govoryashchiy) is a present participle meaning "speaking" or "talking". It modifies the noun язык (yazyk).

по-русски (po-russki) is a prepositional phrase meaning "in Russian". It modifies the verb говорить (govorit')

на (na) is a preposition meaning "on" or "in". It is followed by the noun уровень (uroven') meaning "level".

уровень (uroven') is a noun meaning "level". It is in the accusative case, because it is the object of the preposition на (na).

Variations of the word
цель (tsel') can also be used as a verb meaning "to aim" or "to target".

Pronunciation
цель (tsel') - pronounced "tsel" with a short "e" sound.

быть (byt') - pronounced "bit" with a short "i" sound.

говорить (govorit') - pronounced "guh-vuh-reet".

русский (russkiy) - pronounced "roos-skee"

по-русски (po-russki) - pronounced "puh-roos-skee"

English Translation

My goal is to become a fluent Russian speaker.

Key concepts

Nominative case

Infinitive form of the verb

Present participle

Prepositional phrase

Accusative case

The next word is camera. ## Камера съёмки уже установлена. Мы можем начинать!

Translation: The camera crew is already set up. We can start!

Breakdown:

Камера (ка́мера) - Camera, pronounced "ka-meh-rah". This is a noun in the nominative case and the subject of the sentence. It could also be used in the accusative case (камеру - "ka-meh-roo") if it was the direct object of the sentence.

съёмки (с'ёмки) - Filming, pronounced "syom-kee" . This is a noun in the genitive case and refers to the camera crew.

уже (уже́) - Already, pronounced "oo-zhe", an adverb.

установлена (устано́влена) - Set up, pronounced "oo-stah-nov-le-nah", a past participle. This indicates a completed action in the past.

Мы (мы́) - We, pronounced "mı". The pronoun is in the nominative case and acts as the subject of the sentence.

можем (мо́жем) - Can, pronounced "moh-zhem", a verb in the present tense.

начинать (начина́ть) - To start, pronounced "na-chi-nat'", a verb in the infinitive form.

Key Concepts:

Noun cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence (subject, object, etc.). In this sentence, the word камера is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Past Participles: Past participles are used to indicate a completed action in the past. They often function as adjectives in a sentence.

Infinitives: Infinitives are the base form of verbs, often used after verbs like можем.

Helpful Hints:

Stress is marked in this breakdown. Remember, the stress in Russian words is usually on the first syllable.

Don't be intimidated by the endings, focus on the root of the words.

The word съёмки is derived from the verb снимать (сни́мать) meaning to film.

English Translation of Words:

Camera: Камера (ка́мера)

Filming: съёмки (с'ёмки)

Already: уже (уже́)

Set up: установлена (устано́влена)

We: Мы (мы́)

Can: можем (мо́жем)

To start: начинать (начина́ть)

The next word is girl. The word "girl" in Russian is девочка (pronounced "dje-vuhch-ka"). It is a noun and is used to refer to a young female.

Here is a sentence:

Девочка играет на улице. (pronounced "dje-vuhch-ka ee-gra-yet nah oo-lee-tse")

Breakdown:

Девочка - girl (subject of the sentence)

играет - plays (present tense, 3rd person singular verb)

на - on (preposition)

улице - street (noun, object of the preposition)

Translation: The girl plays on the street.

Important Note: Russian is a gendered language, so nouns have genders. The word девочка is feminine.

Variations:

девушки (pronounced "dje-vuhsh-kee") is the plural form of "girl"

English: girl / pronounced "gur-l"

Russian: девочка / pronounced "dje-vuhch-ka"

The next word is regulation. English: The government implemented new regulations to improve safety standards in the workplace.

Russian: Правительство ввело новые правила, чтобы повысить стандарты безопасности на рабочем месте.

Breakdown:

Правительство (Pra-vee-tel-stv-o) - government. The stress is on the second syllable. The 'o' at the end of the word is pronounced like the 'o' in the word 'go'.

ввело (vve-lo) - past tense of the verb ввести (vve-sti) - to introduce, to implement. It's the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb. The stress is on the first syllable.

новые (no-vye) - new. Plural, feminine form of the adjective новый (no-vyy). The 'y' at the end of the word is pronounced like the 'i' in the word 'bit'.

правила (pra-vi-la) - rules, regulations. Plural form of the word. The stress is on the first syllable.

чтобы (chto-by) - in order to, so that.

повысить (pa-vy-sit') - to raise, to increase. This is the infinitive form of the verb. The stress is on the second syllable.

стандарты (stan-dar-ty) - standards. Plural form of the noun. The stress is on the first syllable.

безопасности (be-za-pas-nas-ti) - safety. This is the genitive singular form of the noun безопасность (be-za-pas-nast') - safety. The stress is on the third syllable.

на (na) - on.

рабочем (ra-bo-chem) - working, workplace. This is the masculine singular form of the adjective рабочий (ra-bo-chii) - working. The stress is on the second syllable.

месте (mes-te) - place. The stress is on the first syllable.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns have gender. This affects their endings.

Case: Russian nouns, adjectives, and pronouns also have case. The case of a word depends on its function in the sentence.

Word Order: While Russian word order is more flexible than English, the basic structure of the sentence remains subject-verb-object.

Variations of the Word:

регулирование (re-gu-li-ro-va-niye) - regulation, the act of regulating. This is a noun. The stress is on the third syllable.

регулировать (re-gu-li-ro-vat') - to regulate. This is a verb. The stress is on the third syllable.

English Translation:

regulation - регулирование (re-gu-li-ro-va-niye)

The next word is surprise. ## У меня был сюрприз для тебя!

Breakdown:

У - This is the preposition "at" or "by" but in this case, it means "I have."

Pronunciation: [oo]

меня - This is the personal pronoun "me."

Pronunciation: [mye-nya]

был - This is the past tense of the verb "to be"

Pronunciation: [b'l]

сюрприз - This is the noun "surprise"

Pronunciation: [syur-preez]

для - This is the preposition "for"

Pronunciation: [dlya]

тебя - This is the personal pronoun "you"

Pronunciation: [tye-bya]

!</hi] - This is the exclamation mark.

Translation: I had a surprise for you!

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the preposition "для" ("for") which is frequently used in Russian.

The word "сюрприз" ("surprise") is a masculine noun and follows the typical declension pattern for masculine nouns in Russian.

Variations of the word "surprise":

сюрпри́зы (Plural form of сюрприз - surprises)

сюрпри́зить (To surprise)

сюрпри́зный (Surprising)

English to Russian Translation:

Surprise - сюрприз (syur-preez)

The next word is file. ## Файл (fayl) is a very important word in the modern world. It can mean the physical object, like a folder, or the digital file on your computer.

Here's an example sentence using the word файл:

Я сохранил файл на рабочем столе. (Ya sohranil fayl na rabochim stole.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
сохранил (sohranil) - past tense of сохранить (sohranit') - to save (verb)

файл (fayl) - file
на (na) - on
рабочем (rabochim) - adjective meaning "working" or "work" related
столе (stole) - table

Key Concept:

The word файл (fayl) is a borrowed word from English and is pronounced very similarly. It is used extensively in Russian, so it is important to learn. The word сохранить (sohranit') can be used in many different situations and is a very important verb to know.

Translation:

I saved the file on the desktop.

Pronunciation:

файл (fayl) - "file"

сохранил (sohranil) - "soh-hra-neel" (like "so" in "so far" and "knee" in "knee-cap")

рабочем (rabochim) - "rah-buh-cheem"

столе (stole) - "stoh-leh"

Variations:

файлы (fayly) - plural form
сохраняю (sohranyayu) - present tense - I am saving
сохраняйте (sohranyayte) - imperative - Save (you all)

The next word is ship. The word корабль (pronounced kah-rah-byl) means "ship" in Russian. It's a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form of adjectives and pronouns. Here's a sentence:

Большой корабль плывет по морю. (pronounced bal-shoy ka-rah-byl p-li-vet pa mo-ryu)

Breakdown:

Большой (pronounced bal-shoy) means "big" or "large". It's an adjective modifying the noun корабль.

корабль (pronounced kah-rah-byl) means "ship."

плывет (pronounced p-li-vet) is the third-person singular present tense of the verb плыть (pronounced p-lit) which means "to sail" or "to float."

по (pronounced pa) is a preposition meaning "on" or "along."

морю (pronounced mo-ryu) is the dative case of the noun море (pronounced mo-rye) meaning "sea."

Translation:

The big ship sails on the sea.

Key Concepts:

Russian has grammatical genders for nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. Корабль is masculine, so it takes the masculine form of the adjective большой.

The preposition по is used with dative case for motion "on" or "along" something.

Variations:

You can use different adjectives to describe the ship, such as маленький (pronounced ma-len-kiy) meaning "small."

You can replace море with other nouns to change the location of the ship, for example река (pronounced ri-ka) meaning "river."

Pronunciation Tips:

Russian "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot"

Russian "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed"

Russian "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

English and Russian Translation of words:

Ship: корабль (pronounced kah-rah-byl)

The next word is leader. The Russian word for leader is лидер (pronounced LEE-der). Let's use it in a sentence:

Он — лидер нашей команды. Он — лидер нашей команды.

Он Он (pronoun: AHN) means "He."

— — (dash) indicates a pause or separation between clauses in a sentence.

лидер лидер (noun, masculine) means "leader".

нашей нашей (adjective, feminine) means "our".

команды команды (noun, feminine) means "team".

Translation: He is the leader of our team.

Key Concept: This sentence uses a simple subject-verb-object structure, common in both English and Russian. The noun "лидер" is in the nominative case, which is the standard case for the subject of a sentence.

Variations:

лидерство лидерство (noun, neuter) means "leadership".

лидерский лидерский (adjective) means "leadership", "leading".

Pronunciation:

лидер лидер (LEE-der)

лидерство лидерство (LEE-der-stvuh)

лидерский лидерский (LEE-der-skee)

English: leader [LEE-der]

Russian: лидер лидер [LEE-der]

The next word is struggle. The English word "struggle" can be translated into Russian as бороться (pronounced "buh-ROT-suh").

Sentence: Он боролся со своими страхами. (pronounced "On buh-ROT-suh s svo-ee-mee stra-ha-mee.")

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced "On") - He
боролся (pronounced "buh-ROT-suh") - struggled (past tense, masculine singular)

со (pronounced "so") - with
своими (pronounced "svo-ee-mee") - his/her/its own
страхами (pronounced "stra-ha-mee") - fears (plural)

Meaning: He struggled with his fears.

Variations:

бороться can be used in different tenses and forms:

борись (pronounced "buh-REES") - struggle (imperative, singular)

борются (pronounced "buh-ROT-suh-tsu") - struggle (present tense, plural)

боролся (pronounced "buh-ROT-suh") - struggled (past tense, masculine singular)

боролась (pronounced "buh-ROT-suh-luh") - struggled (past tense, feminine singular)

Pronunciation Guide:

о - pronounced like "o" in "hot"

е - pronounced like "ye" in "yes"

и - pronounced like "ee" in "see"

а - pronounced like "a" in "father"

ы - pronounced like "y" in "my"

у - pronounced like "oo" in "moon"

Translation of key words:

struggle - бороться (buh-ROT-suh)

fears - страхи (stra-ha-mee)

The next word is schedule. The word расписание (raspisanie) means schedule and is a noun in Russian. You can pronounce it like [ras-pee-sah-nee-yeh].

Here is a sentence using the word schedule.

У меня очень плотное расписание. (U menya ochen' plotnoe raspisanie.)

У (U) means "at" or "with" in this case and is pronounced like [oo].

меня (menya) means "me" and is pronounced like [mye-nya].

очень (ochen') means "very" and is pronounced like [oh-chen'].

плотное (plotnoe) means "tight" or "packed" and is pronounced like [plot-noy-eh].

расписание (raspisanie) means "schedule" and is pronounced like [ras-pee-sah-nee-yeh].

Translation: I have a very packed schedule.

Расписание (raspisanie) can be used in a variety of contexts. You can also use the word график (grafik) which translates to "schedule", but is more often used in reference to a work schedule, for example, a doctor's schedule.

English: Schedule

Russian: расписание (raspisanie)

Pronunciation: [ras-pee-sah-nee-yeh]

The next word is physical. The word "physical" in Russian is физический (fizicheskiy).

Here is a sentence using the word:

Этот музей посвящён физическим наукам.

Breakdown:

Этот (etot) - This (masculine singular) - Pronounced like "eh-toht"

музей (muzey) - Museum - Pronounced like "moo-zay"

посвящён (posvyashchen) - Dedicated, devoted to - Pronounced like "pa-svya-shyon"

физическим (fizicheskim) - Physical - Pronounced like "fi-zi-che-skim"

наукам (naukam) - Sciences - Pronounced like "now-kam"

Translation: This museum is dedicated to the physical sciences.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). In this case, музей (muzey) is masculine, so we use the masculine form of the adjective физический (fizicheskiy).

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. In this sentence, физический (fizicheskiy) is in the dative case, which is used to indicate the indirect object.

Pronunciation: Pay attention to the stress in the words, particularly in физический (fizicheskiy) which is on the third syllable.

Variations:

Физический (fizicheskiy) is the masculine form of the adjective.

The feminine form is физическая (fizicheskaya)

The neuter form is физическое (fizicheskoye)

The plural form is физические (fizicheskiye)

English: physical - /ˈfɪzɪkəl/

Russian: физический - /fiˈziʧɪskij/

The next word is objective. The word objective can be translated into Russian as цель (pronounced "tsel"). This word signifies a goal, aim, or purpose.

Here is an example sentence:

Наша главная цель - добиться успеха в этом проекте.

Translation: Our main цель (tsel) is to achieve success in this project.

Breakdown:

Наша (pronounced "nasha") is the possessive adjective meaning "our" and declines according to the noun it modifies.

главная (pronounced "glavnaya") is the feminine singular form of the adjective "main" and also declines according to the noun it modifies.

цель (pronounced "tsel") is the noun meaning "goal" or "objective."

- is the dash used to separate the subject and predicate.

добиться (pronounced "dobit'sya") is the infinitive form of the verb "to achieve" or "to attain."

успеха (pronounced "uspekha") is the genitive case of the noun "success."

в (pronounced "v") is the preposition meaning "in" or "at."

этом (pronounced "etom") is the masculine singular form of the demonstrative adjective "this."

проекте (pronounced "proekte") is the prepositional case of the noun "project."

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of a prepositional phrase в этом проекте (in this project).

добиться успеха (to achieve success) is a common collocation in Russian.

Variations:

Цель (tsel) can also be used as a singular noun in the nominative case, meaning "the objective."

The plural form of цель is цели (pronounced "tseli")

Цель can also be used as a singular noun in the nominative case, meaning "the objective."

Pronunciation:

цель (pronounced "tsel")

главная (pronounced "glavnaya")

добиться (pronounced "dobit'sya")

успеха (pronounced "uspekha")

в (pronounced "v")

этом (pronounced "etom")

проекте (pronounced "proekte")

English: objective /əbˈdʒektɪv/

Russian: цель /tsel/

The next word is heavy. This тяжёлый (tyazholy) рюкзак (ryukzak) слишком (sliskom) тяжёлый (tyazholy) для меня (menya).

Breakdown:

This тяжёлый (tyazholy) рюкзак (ryukzak) is too тяжёлый (tyazholy) for me.

тяжёлый (tyazholy): This is the adjective meaning "heavy". The ending changes depending on the noun it modifies.

тяжёлая (tyazholyaya) - feminine (used to describe a heavy female person, thing)

тяжёлое (tyazholyoe) - neuter (used to describe a heavy non-gendered object)

тяжёлые (tyazholyye) - plural (used to describe more than one heavy item)

рюкзак (ryukzak): This is the noun meaning "backpack".

слишком (sliskom): This means "too", and it is an adverb that modifies the adjective.

для (dlya): This means "for", and is used to indicate who or what something is intended for.

меня (menya): This means "me", and is a personal pronoun in the accusative case. It is used when someone is the object of a verb or preposition.

Pronunciation:

тяжёлый (tyazholy): The "o" in the first syllable sounds like the "o" in "hot". The "e" in the second syllable is silent.

рюкзак (ryukzak): The "y" sounds like the "y" in "yes". The "u" sounds like the "oo" in "moon".

слишком (sliskom): The "i" sounds like the "ee" in "see". The "o" sounds like the "o" in "hot".

для (dlya): The "a" sounds like the "a" in "father".

меня (menya): The "e" sounds like the "e" in "bet". The "ya" at the end sounds like the "ya" in "yacht".

Translation:

This heavy backpack is too heavy for me.

The next word is condition. The Russian word for condition is условие (pronounced oo-SLO-vee-ye). It is a noun and is used in a variety of contexts to describe a state of being or a requirement.

Example Sentence:

Для получения визы необходимо выполнить определенные условия.

Breakdown:

Для (dlya) - for, to, in order to (preposition)

получения (polucheniya) - receiving, getting (gerund)

визы (vizi) - visa (noun)

необходимо (neobkhodimo) - necessary, required (adjective)

выполнить (vypolnit') - to fulfill, to carry out (verb)

определенные (opredelennye) - certain, specific (adjective)

условия (usloviya) - conditions (noun, plural)

Translation:

In order to receive a visa, you must fulfill certain conditions.

Key Concepts:

The word условие is a noun and can be used in the singular (условие) or plural (условия).

The plural form of условие is often used to refer to a set of requirements or rules.

The word условие is related to the verb условить (uslovit'), which means "to agree" or "to stipulate."

Pronunciation:

условие (oo-SLO-vee-ye)

визы (VEE-zi)

необходимо (nyeh-ahb-kha-DEE-moh)

выполнить (vi-POL-neet')

определенные (ah-preh-deh-LYE-nuh-yeh)

условия (oo-SLO-vee-ya)

English: condition - условие (oo-SLO-vee-ye)

The next word is few. The word "few" in English can be tricky because it has two meanings in Russian, depending on whether it's used with countable or uncountable nouns.

Here's an example using "few" with a countable noun:

English: There are a few students in the class today.

Russian: Сегодня на уроке несколько студентов.

Breakdown:

Сегодня [see-voh-dnya] - Today.

на [na] - on (indicates location)

уроке [oo-roh-kee] - in the lesson, in the class
несколько [nye-skohl-ko] - few (countable noun), a few
студентов [stoo-den-tov] - students (plural, masculine)

Key Concept: The word несколько [nye-skohl-ko] is used for countable nouns, such as students, books, or apples. We can also say мало [mah-loh] which means "few" as well but мало [mah-loh] is used with uncountable nouns.

Pronunciation: Remember to pronounce несколько [nye-skohl-ko] with a slight emphasis on the second syllable, "skohl".

English: few

Russian: несколько [nye-skohl-ko]

The next word is check. English word: check

Russian sentence: Проверьте, пожалуйста, вашу почту.

Breakdown:

Проверьте (Pra-ver'-tye) - This is the imperative form of the verb "to check," meaning "check" or "verify." The "te" ending makes it plural, meaning it's addressed to more than one person.

пожалуйста (pa-zhal'-sta) - This is a polite word for "please." It's added to soften the command.

вашу (va-shu) - This is the possessive adjective meaning "your" and refers to the person's email.

почту (poch'-too) - This means "email" or "mail".

Translation: Please check your email.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Verbs: These are verbs that express commands or requests. They are often used in situations where you want someone to do something. The imperative form of the verb usually ends in "-te" for plural subjects (you all).

Possessive Adjectives: These adjectives are used to show ownership or possession. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Variations:

Проверь (pra-ver') - singular imperative, meaning "check" (addressed to one person).

Проверить (pra-ver'-it') - infinitive form of the verb, meaning "to check."

проверка (pra-ver'-ka) - noun meaning "check" or "verification."

Pronunciation Guide:

ч (ch) - like the "ch" in "chair"

ш (sh) - like the "sh" in "ship"

щ (shch) - like the "sh" in "ship" with a slight "ch" sound added at the end.

ж (zh) - like the "s" in "measure"

English: check /tʃɛk/

Russian: проверка /praˈvɛrkə/

The next word is income. Её ежемесячный доход составляет около пятидесяти тысяч рублей.

Ee ezhemesyachnyy dohod sostavlyaet okolo pyatidesyati tysyach rubley.

Breakdown:

Её ee - Her (possessive pronoun).

ежемесячный ezhemesyachnyy - monthly (adjective).

доход dohod - income, revenue (noun).

составляет sostavlyaet - makes up, comprises, constitutes (verb).

около okolo - about, around (preposition).

пятьдесяти pyatidesyati - fifty (adjective).

тысяч tysyach - thousand (noun).

рублей rubley - rubles (noun).

Variations:

доход dohod - can also be used for profit or earnings.

ежемесячный ezhemesyachnyy - can be used for any monthly thing, such as a monthly payment or a monthly subscription.

Pronunciation:

её ee - Pronounced like "ye-yo".

ежемесячный ezhemesyachnyy - Pronounced like "ye-zhe-myes-yach-nyy"

доход dohod - Pronounced like "doh-hod".

составляет sostavlyaet - Pronounced like "so-stav-ly-a-yet".

около okolo - Pronounced like "oh-ko-lo".

пятьдесяти pyatidesyati - Pronounced like "pyat-dee-sy-a-tee".

тысяч tysyach - Pronounced like "ty-syach".

рублей rubley - Pronounced like "roo-blay".

English Translation: Her monthly income is about fifty thousand rubles.

Key Concept: This sentence demonstrates the use of the possessive pronoun "её" ee, the adjective "ежемесячный" ezhemesyachnyy, and the noun "доход" dohod to express the concept of income.

The next word is sorry. ## Извини

Breakdown:

Извини (Iz-vee-nee) - This is the most common way to say "sorry" in Russian. It is used in situations where you have done something wrong, or if you need to apologize for something.

Grammar:

Извини is an imperative verb, meaning it is a command or request.

Variations:

Прости (Pro-stee) - This is another way to say "sorry," but it is more informal and often used between friends or family members.

Простите (Pro-stee-te) - This is the formal version of Прости, used for people you don't know well.

Translation:

Извини - Sorry

Прости - Sorry (informal)

Простите - Sorry (formal)

Pronunciation:

Извини - "Iz-vee-nee" - The "i" in "Iz" is pronounced like the "i" in "bit." The "i" in "vee" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see." The "nee" is pronounced like the "knee" in "knee."

Прости - "Pro-stee" - The "o" in "Pro" is pronounced like the "o" in "go." The "stee" is pronounced like the "stee" in "steely."

Простите - "Pro-stee-te" - The "o" in "Pro" is pronounced like the "o" in "go." The "stee" is pronounced like the "stee" in "steely." The "te" is pronounced like the "te" in "tea."

The next word is repeat. English Sentence: Please repeat the question.

Russian Sentence: Пожалуйста, повторите вопрос.

Пожалуйста - Please (sounds like: pa-zhal-sta)

повторите - repeat (sounds like: pa-vta-ree-tee)

вопрос - question (sounds like va-pross)

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (pa-zhal-sta) is a polite word used for requests. It is the Russian equivalent of "please".

повторите (pa-vta-ree-tee) is the imperative form of the verb повторять (pa-vta-ryat) which means "to repeat".

The imperative form is used to give commands or requests.

The "-те" ending makes the verb imperative and indicates that it is directed at "you" (plural or formal singular).

вопрос (va-pross) means "question".

Variations:

Повтори (pa-vta-ree) is the imperative form of "repeat" directed at "you" (informal singular).

Повторяйте (pa-vta-ryay-tee) is the imperative form of "repeat" directed at "you" (plural or formal singular). It is more formal than повторите.

Pronunciation Notes:

The stress in Russian words is always on a particular syllable. It is not like English where the stress shifts.

The "о" in повторите is pronounced like the "o" in "go". The "е" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "e" in "the".

The "р" sound is rolled in Russian.

English Translation of the Russian Sentence: Please, repeat the question.

The next word is net. The word "net" can be translated into Russian as нет (pronounced "nyet"). This is a very common word used to express negation or refusal, similar to "no" in English.

Here is a simple sentence using нет:

У меня нет времени.

У (pronounced "oo") is a preposition meaning "at" or "with", but here it indicates possession, similar to "I have".

меня (pronounced "menya") is the personal pronoun "me" in the genitive case.

нет (pronounced "nyet") means "no".

времени (pronounced "vremeni") is the genitive case of the word время (pronounced "vremя"), which means "time".

Translation: I do not have time.

Key concept: The genitive case is used to express possession in Russian. So, "I do not have time" is literally "I have no time".

Pronunciation tips:

нет - The "e" in нет is pronounced like the "e" in "bet", but slightly shorter.

времени - The "e" at the end of времени is pronounced like the "e" in "bet".

Variations: нет can also be used in other contexts, such as in response to a question, for example:

Есть ли у вас время? - Do you have time?

Нет. - No.

English: net - нет (nyet)

Russian: нет - нет (nyet)

The next word is yourself. The word "yourself" in English translates to себя (sebya) in Russian.

Here is an example:

Я люблю себя. (Ya lyublyu sebya.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) = I
люблю (lyublyu) = love
себя (sebya) = myself

Sentence meaning: I love myself.

Key Concepts:

In Russian, the word for "yourself" is себя (sebya), and it is used in the accusative case.

Note that the word order in Russian is more flexible than in English, but the basic structure of the sentence is the same: subject (I), verb (love), object (myself).

Pronunciation:

себя (sebya) - the "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed", the "я" is pronounced like "ya" in "yard", the "б" is pronounced like the "b" in "boy"

Variations:

The word себя (sebya) can also be used in the genitive case (себя (sebya) = of yourself) or the dative case (себе (sebe) = to yourself).

English: yourself (pronoun)

Russian: себя (sebya) (pronoun)

The next word is conclusion. ## Заключение (Zaklyucheniye)

Breakdown:

Заключение (Zaklyucheniye) is a noun, meaning "conclusion" in English.

The ending "е" (ye) is a typical ending for nouns in Russian.

The word is pronounced as Zak-lyoo-cheh-nee-yeh. Pay attention to the soft "ch" sound at the end, like the "ch" in "church".

Example sentence:

В заключение, хотелось бы добавить, что... (V zaklyuchenii, khotelos' by dobavit', chto...)

В (V) means "in"

заключении (zaklyuchenii) is the prepositional case of the noun заключение (zaklyucheniye). It means "in conclusion".

хотелось бы (khotelos' by) means "I would like to" (polite and indirect form)

добавить (dobavit') is the verb "to add"

что (chto) means "that"

Translation: In conclusion, I would like to add that...

Variations:

The word заключение (zaklyucheniye) can be used in different grammatical contexts (e.g., nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, prepositional)

Заключить (zaklyuchit') means "to conclude".

Pronunciation:

Заключение (Zak-lyoo-cheh-nee-yeh)

В заключении (V zak-lyoo-cheh-nee-yeh)

хотелось бы (hoh-teh-lohs' by)

добавить (doh-bah-veet')

что (ch-toh)

English: Conclusion

Russian: Заключение (Zaklyucheniye)

The next word is policy. ## Policy in Russian:

Sentence: Правительство объявило новую политику в отношении иммиграции .

Breakdown:

Правительство : prav-ee-tel-stv-o - Government. This word is a noun, and it is in the nominative case. The stress falls on the second syllable, pra-vi-tel-stv-o. You can think of it as "government" in English.

объявило : ob-ya-vi-lo - declared. This word is the past tense, masculine form of the verb объявлять ob-ya-vlyat - to announce. The stress is on the second syllable ob-ya-vi-lo.

новую : no-vu-yu - new. This word is an adjective in the accusative case, feminine form. The stress falls on the first syllable no-vu-yu.

политику : pa-li-ti-ku - policy. This word is a noun in the accusative case. The stress is on the third syllable pa-li-ti-ku.

в : v - in. This is a preposition. This is pronounced the same as the English "v".

отношении : ot-no-she-nii - relation, regard, respect. This is a noun in the prepositional case. The stress falls on the third syllable ot-no-she-nii.

иммиграции : im-mi-gra-tsii - immigration. This is a noun in the prepositional case. The stress falls on the third syllable im-mi-gra-tsii.

Translation: The government declared a new policy regarding immigration.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. This is called case. In this sentence, we see the accusative and prepositional cases.

Gender: Russian nouns have gender, and this can affect the agreement of other words in a sentence. In this example, the word политику (policy) is feminine, which is why the adjective новую (new) is also feminine.

Stress: Russian words have stress, and the placement of stress can change the meaning or pronunciation of a word. Be sure to pay attention to stress marks in dictionaries and textbooks.

Pronunciation Tips:

The Russian letter и is pronounced like the English "ee" in "see".

The Russian letter о is pronounced like the English "o" in "hot".

The Russian letter я is pronounced like the English "ya" in "yard".

The Russian letter е is pronounced like the English "ye" in "yet".

Word and Pronunciation:

политика : pa-li-ti-ka - policy
правительство : prav-ee-tel-stv-o - government

The next word is score. The student получил хороший балл за экзамен.

This sentence means, "The student received a good score on the exam."

Breakdown:

получил [pronounced: pah-loo-cheel] - means "received" in the past tense. It is the masculine past tense singular form of the verb получить (to receive). The verb form changes depending on the gender and number of the noun that it is describing. There are a total of 3 genders in Russian, masculine, feminine and neuter. For example, to describe a female student receiving a score, the verb would need to be in the feminine form: получила (pronounced pah-loo-cheela).

хороший [pronounced: horo-shee] - means "good" in Russian, it is an adjective and its form changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. For example: хорошая (good) хорошие (good) etc.

балл [pronounced: ball] - means "score" or "point" in Russian. This is the masculine singular form of the word. There are other forms of this word such as баллы which is the plural form of the word (scores, points), and балла which is the feminine form (for example, a female student received one score).

за [pronounced: za] - means "for" in Russian and is a preposition. Prepositions are used to show the relationship between a noun and another word in a sentence.

экзамен [pronounced: ek-za-men] - means "exam" in Russian.

English to Russian:

Score - балл (ball)

Good - хороший (horoshee)

Received - получил (pah-loo-cheel)

Exam - экзамен (ek-za-men)

The next word is request. The sentence is: "Я хочу попросить вас об услуге."

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced "Ya") - subject pronoun
хочу - want (pronounced "ho-choo") - verb in the present tense
попросить - to ask (pronounced "pa-pra-seet") - infinitive verb
вас - you (pronounced "vas") - object pronoun
об - about (pronounced "ob") - preposition
услуге - favor (pronounced "oo-slu-ge") - noun in the prepositional case

The word "попросить" is a verb meaning "to ask" or "to request". Its pronunciation is important as it is irregular.

English translation: "I want to ask you a favor."

Variations:

You could change the pronoun to be more formal, saying "Я хочу попросить вас об услуге" (Ya hochu paprosit vas ob usluge) - "I want to ask you for a favor".

You could also make the verb more formal, using the past tense of "попросить" ( попросил or попросила - "asked" ), or the future tense ( попрошу - "will ask").

Key concepts:

The verb "хочу" (hochu) is an example of a verb that is conjugated according to the person and number of the subject. It is in the present tense and first person singular (I).

The verb "попросить" is an example of a verb that is conjugated according to the person and number of the subject and object. It is in the infinitive form.

The noun "услуга" (usluga) is in the prepositional case. This is a case that is used after prepositions.

Word and pronounciation:

Request - просьба - (pros-ba)

Ask - спросить - (spra-seet)

The next word is introduce. ## Представьте меня, пожалуйста

Breakdown:

Представьте (pred-stav-te) - Imperative plural form of the verb "представить" (to introduce). This is used when addressing multiple people.

меня (me-nya) - Accusative case of the personal pronoun "я" (I)

пожалуйста (pa-zhal-sta) - Polite expression, roughly equivalent to "please".

Translation: Please introduce me.

Key Concept: In Russian, verbs are often conjugated to match the subject of the sentence in both number (singular/plural) and grammatical person (first, second, third).

Variations:

Представьте его, пожалуйста. (pred-stav-te ye-vo, pa-zhal-sta) - Please introduce him.

Представьте ее, пожалуйста. (pred-stav-te ye-yo, pa-zhal-sta) - Please introduce her.

Pronunciation Guide:

Представьте (pred-stav-te) - "pred" is pronounced like "pred" in "predatory". The "stav" is pronounced like "stav" in "stav" (a made-up word, but the "stav" is pronounced correctly) - "te" is pronounced like "tay" in "stay".

меня (me-nya) - "me" is pronounced as in "me". "nya" is pronounced like "nya" in "nya" (again, a made-up word).

пожалуйста (pa-zhal-sta) - "po" is pronounced like "po" in "poem". "zhal" is pronounced as "zhal" in "zhal" (again, a made-up word). "sta" is pronounced like "sta" in "star".

English - Russian:

Introduce - представлять (pred-stav-lyat')

The next word is avoid. ## Избегайте этого магазина.

Breakdown:

Избегайте (Izbegayte) - Imperative plural form of the verb избегать (izbegát') meaning "to avoid." This verb is irregular and has a number of forms. Remember to emphasize the 'g' in избегать (izbegát').

этого (etogo) - This is the genitive case of the pronoun это (eto) meaning "this" which is used to indicate the object of avoidance.

магазина (magazína) - The genitive case of the noun магазин (magazin) meaning "store." It's helpful to remember that the "g" is pronounced like a hard "g" as in "gate."

Translation: Avoid this store.

Pronunciation:

Избегайте (Izbegayte) - EEZ-beh-gay-teh
этого (etogo) - Eh-toh-goh
магазина (magazína) - mah-gah-ZEE-nah

Key Concepts:

The verb избегать (izbegát') is an irregular verb.

The genitive case is used to indicate the object of the action in this sentence.

Variations:

Избегай (Izbegay) - Imperative singular form of the verb избегать (izbegát') meaning "avoid."

Избегаем (Izbegáem) - First person plural form of the verb избегать (izbegát') meaning "we avoid."

Избегала (Izbegála) - Past tense feminine singular form of the verb избегать (izbegát') meaning "she avoided."

The next word is handle. The word "handle" in English can have many meanings. In Russian, the word ручка (pronounced [roo-ch-ka]) is often used to mean "handle" as in the handle of a door or a suitcase.

Here is an example sentence:

Я взял ручку двери и открыл её.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced [ya]) - I
взял (pronounced [vzyal]) - took, past tense, masculine singular
ручку (pronounced [roo-ch-ka]) - handle
двери (pronounced [dveri]) - door, genitive case
и (pronounced [i]) - and
открыл (pronounced [ot-kryl]) - opened, past tense, masculine singular
её (pronounced [ee-yo]) - it (referring to the door)

Translation: I took the door handle and opened it.

Variations of ручка ([roo-ch-ka]):

ручка can also mean "pen" or "writing implement".

ручка can also be used as a diminutive form of the word рука (pronounced [roo-ka]), which means "hand".

Key concepts:

The word ручка is a feminine noun.

The noun ручка is in the accusative case in the sentence because it is the direct object of the verb взял ([vzyal]).

The word двери ([dveri]) is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition из ([iz]), which means "from". Although not in this sentence, the preposition is often used in relation to handles. For example: ручка из дерева (pronounced [roo-ch-ka iz dye-re-va]) meaning "handle of wood"

Pronunciation:

ручка (pronounced [roo-ch-ka]) - handle
дверь (pronounced [dver]) - door

English/Russian translation:

handle - ручка ([roo-ch-ka])

The next word is operation. The Russian word for "operation" is операция (pronounced: uh-peh-RAH-tsee-ya). It is a feminine noun and can be used in many contexts: a surgical procedure, a military mission, or even a business transaction.

Here is an example sentence:

Врач провёл сложную операцию на сердце. (Vrach proveol slozhnuyu operatsiyu na serdtse.)

This translates to: "The doctor performed a complex heart operation."

Breakdown:

Врач (Vrach) - Doctor (masculine noun)

провел (proveol) - past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to conduct" (provodit')

сложную (slozhnuyu) - complex (adjective, feminine singular form)

операцию (operatsiyu) - operation (feminine noun, accusative case)

на (na) - on, at (preposition)

сердце (serdtse) - heart (neuter noun, prepositional case)

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). The gender of a noun determines the form of adjectives and verbs that agree with it.

Cases: Russian nouns have six cases that indicate their function in a sentence. The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb.

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change form depending on the person, number, and tense.

Pronunciation:

операция (uh-peh-RAH-tsee-ya)

Врач (Vrach)

провел (proveol)

сложную (slozhnuyu)

на (na)

сердце (serdtse)

English and Russian translation:

Operation: операция (uh-peh-RAH-tsee-ya)

The next word is murder. The word "murder" in Russian is убийство (ubiystvo). It is a noun, and it is an example of a noun that does not change its ending based on gender, number, or case. It is always убийство. The sentence below is in the nominative case, which means the word is acting as the subject of the sentence. The sentence is in the past tense.

Убийство произошло вчера. (ubiystvo proizoshlo vchera).

Breakdown:

Убийство (ubiystvo) - Murder (noun, nominative case)

произошло (proizoshlo) - happened (verb, past tense, neuter gender)

вчера (vchera) - yesterday (adverb)

Translation: The murder happened yesterday.

Pronunciation Guide:

убийство - (ubiystvo) - oo-bee-ystv-o
произошло - (proizoshlo) - pro-ee-zosh-lo
вчера - (vchera) - vche-ra

Key Concept: Russian nouns can be feminine, masculine, or neuter, and they usually change form depending on the role they play in a sentence. However, some nouns do not change and this is the case with убийство (ubiystvo).

English: murder / убийство (ubiystvo)

The next word is enter. The English word "enter" can be translated into Russian using the verb входить (v-ho-dee-t') or the verb вступать (v-stu-pat').

Here's an example using входить (v-ho-dee-t'):

Студенты входят в аудиторию (stu-den-ty v-ho-dyat v au-di-to-ri-yu).

Студенты (stu-den-ty) - students
входят (v-ho-dyat) - they enter, this is the 3rd person plural present tense of the verb входить (v-ho-dee-t'). This is the most common verb to use for entering a building or room.

в (v) - into, preposition
аудиторию (au-di-to-ri-yu) - lecture hall, classroom

This sentence means "The students enter the classroom."

Important Note:

The verb входить (v-ho-dee-t') is a perfective verb, meaning it focuses on the completion of the action. For an action that is ongoing, you would use the imperfective verb входить (v-ho-zhu, v-ho-dish, v-ho-dit, etc.).

Let's look at an example with вступать (v-stu-pat')

Россия вступает в новую эру (Ros-si-ya v-stu-pa-et v no-vu-yu e-ru).

Россия (Ros-si-ya) - Russia
вступает (v-stu-pa-et) - enters, this is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb вступать (v-stu-pat'). This verb is more often used for entering a new phase or period, like a new era.

в (v) - into, preposition
новую (no-vu-yu) - new
эру (e-ru) - era

This sentence means "Russia enters a new era."

Remember:

Входить (v-ho-dee-t') is generally used for entering a physical space.

Вступать (v-stu-pat') is generally used for entering a new phase or period.

Pronunciation:

входить (v-ho-dee-t') - "v-ho-dee-t'"

вступать (v-stu-pat') - "v-stu-pat'"

Translation:

Enter - входить (v-ho-dee-t') or вступать (v-stu-pat')

The next word is emerge. The sun emerged from behind the clouds.

Солнце вышло из-за туч

Breakdown:

Солнце solntse (the sun) - This is a noun, so it will always be in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence. It is pronounced as [soln-tse]

вышло vyshlo (emerged) - This is a verb in the past tense, singular, neuter gender. The pronunciation is [vish-lo]. The verb "выходить" vyhodit (to emerge) can be used in many different forms, such as:

выйдет vyidet (will emerge) - future tense

выходит vyhodit (emerges) - present tense.

выходи vyhodi (emerge) - imperative form, informal.

выходите vyhodite (emerge) - imperative form, formal.

выходя vyhodyа (emerging) - present participle.

вышедший vyshedshiy (having emerged) - past participle.

из-за iz-za (from behind) - this is a preposition that means "from behind" - The pronunciation is [iz-za].

туч tuch (clouds) - this is a noun in the genitive case, which is required by the preposition "из-за" - The pronunciation is [toosh]

Translation:

Солнце solntse - sun - [soln-tse]

вышло vyshlo - emerged - [vish-lo]

из-за iz-za - from behind - [iz-za]

туч tuch - clouds - [toosh]

The next word is get. ## Я получил(а) письмо от друга.

Breakdown:

Я - Ya - I (Nominative case, subject of the sentence)

получил(а) - poluchil(a) - received (past tense, masculine/feminine form depending on the speaker's gender)

письмо - pis'mo - letter (Nominative case, direct object)

от - ot - from (preposition)

друга - druga - friend (Genitive case, object of the preposition "от")

Meaning: I received a letter from a friend.

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: The past tense verb получил(а) poluchil(a) changes depending on the gender of the speaker (masculine: получил poluchil, feminine: получила poluchila).

Cases: The nouns in the sentence are in different cases depending on their grammatical function:

Я - Nominative case (subject)

письмо - Nominative case (direct object)

друга - Genitive case (object of the preposition "от")

Pronunciation:

Я - Ya - like "ya" in "yard"

получил(а) - poluchil(a) - like "po-loo-cheel(a)"

письмо - pis'mo - like "pees-moh"

от - ot - like "ot"

друга - druga - like "droo-ga"

Variations:

Я получил письмо - Ya poluchil pis'mo - I received a letter (masculine speaker)

Я получила письмо - Ya poluchila pis'mo - I received a letter (feminine speaker)

Он получил письмо - On poluchil pis'mo - He received a letter

Она получила письмо - Ona poluchila pis'mo - She received a letter

English: Get /ɡɛt/

Russian: получить poluchit' - to receive

The next word is manage. The word "manage" is a verb that implies control or direction. In Russian, this is often expressed with the verb управлять (pronounced "oo-prav-lyat"). Here's how it's used in a sentence:

Sentence:

Она умеет управлять людьми.

Breakdown:

Она (ah-na) - she
умеет (oo-mee-yet) - she knows how to (this is a present tense verb form of the verb "уметь" (oo-met') which means "to know how to")

управлять (oo-prav-lyat) - to manage, to control, to direct
людьми (lyud-mi) - people (this is the instrumental case of the noun люди (lyu-di) which means "people")

Translation:

She knows how to manage people.

Key Concept:

управлять is a verb that is often used in the context of managing or controlling people or resources. It is often followed by the preposition с (s) which means "with" or the instrumental case of a noun.

Variations:

управление (oo-prav-le-ni-ye) - management
управляющий (oo-prav-lyay-u-shchiy) - manager
неуправляемый (ne-oo-prav-lyay-e-my) - uncontrollable

Pronunciation:

управлять (oo-prav-lyat) - The stress is on the first syllable of the word, у.

людьми (lyud-mi) - The stress is on the first syllable of the word, лю.

English: manage

Russian: управлять (oo-prav-lyat)

The next word is total. The word "total" in Russian can be translated as общий (pronounced "obshchiy") meaning "general" or "overall," or всего (pronounced "vsego") meaning "in total" or "altogether." The choice of word depends on the context.

Example Sentence:

The total cost of the trip was около (approximately) две тысячи долларов (two thousand dollars).

Общая (pronounced "obshchaya") cost of the trip was около (approximately) две тысячи долларов (two thousand dollars).

Breakdown:

Общая (pronounced "obshchaya") is the feminine form of the adjective "obshchiy" (general) and is used here to agree with the feminine noun "стоимость" (cost).

около (pronounced "okollo") means "approximately" or "around."

две тысячи долларов (pronounced "dve tysyachi dollarov") means "two thousand dollars."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English. However, the sentence structure in this example follows the Subject-Verb-Object pattern, which is a common pattern in Russian.

Pronunciation:

общий (pronounced "obshchiy")

всего (pronounced "vsego")

около (pronounced "okollo")

две тысячи долларов (pronounced "dve tysyachi dollarov")

English Translation:

Total: общий (pronounced "obshchiy")

Total: всего (pronounced "vsego")

The next word is corporate. The word "corporate" can be used in Russian in a variety of ways, but the most common is as an adjective meaning "relating to a corporation," as in "corporate culture."

Here is an example sentence, "Corporate culture plays a significant role in the success of a company."

Корпоративная культура играет значительную роль в успехе компании.

Here is the breakdown:

Корпоративная - [kor-por-ah-teev-nuh-yah] - corporate, adjective
культура - [kul-too-ruh] - culture, noun
играет - [ee-grah-yet] - plays, verb, 3rd person singular present tense
значительную - [znah-chee-tel-noo-yoo] - significant, adjective, feminine
роль - [rol] - role, noun
в - [v] - in, preposition
успехе - [oo-spyeh-khee] - success, noun, prepositional case
компании - [kom-pah-nee-ee] - company, noun, genitive case

Key Concept: Russian uses different endings (case markers) on nouns depending on their function in the sentence. For example, "company" in nominative case is компания but in genitive case is компании.

Variations:

корпорация - [kor-por-ah-tsee-yah] - corporation, noun
корпоративный - [kor-por-ah-teev-nuh-yi] - corporate, adjective, masculine
корпоративное - [kor-por-ah-teev-nuh-ye] - corporate, adjective, neuter

Translation:

Corporate: корпоративный - [kor-por-ah-teev-nuh-yi]

The next word is bed. The word "bed" in Russian is кровать (pronounced "kra-vat").

Sentence:

Я люблю спать на мягкой кровати.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I".

люблю (pronounced "lyu-blyu") means "love".

спать (pronounced "spat") means "to sleep" (infinitive).

на (pronounced "na") means "on".

мягкой (pronounced "myag-koy") means "soft" (feminine, nominative singular).

кровати (pronounced "kra-vati") means "bed" (feminine, nominative singular).

Translation: I love to sleep on a soft bed.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns are assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of adjectives and other words that agree with the noun. In this sentence, the noun "bed" (кровать) is feminine, so the adjective "soft" (мягкой) also takes a feminine form.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence (subject, object, etc.). This is called "case" and there are six different cases in Russian. In this sentence, "bed" (кровати) is in the nominative case, the most basic form of a noun.

Variations:

The word кровать can also be used in the plural form кровати (pronounced "kra-vati"), which means "beds".

Other words for "bed" in Russian include постель (pronounced "pas-tel") and ложе (pronounced "lo-zhe"). These words are often used in a more formal or poetic context.

Pronunciation:

кровать (kra-vat)

Я (ya)

люблю (lyu-blyu)

спать (spat)

на (na)

мягкой (myag-koy)

кровати (kra-vati)

The next word is somebody. The word "somebody" in Russian is кто-то (pronounced ktoh-toh) and it is used to refer to an unspecified person.

Here is a sentence:

Кто-то пришёл к нам в гости. (Kto-to prishol k nam v gosti)

Breakdown:

Кто-то (pronounced ktoh-toh) - somebody
пришёл (pronounced prishol) - came, past tense masculine singular
к (pronounced k) - to
нам (pronounced nam) - us
в (pronounced v) - in
гости (pronounced gosti) - guests, in the capacity of visiting

The sentence means, Somebody came to visit us.

Important Note: кто-то is a singular noun and takes the singular form of the verb. Also, note that the preposition к (to) is used before the word нам (us).

English to Russian Pronunciation Guide:

кто-то - ktoh-toh
пришёл - prishol
к - k
нам - nam
в - v
гости - gosti

Translation:

Somebody - кто-то

Came - пришёл

To - к

Us - нам

In - в

Guests - гости

The next word is exchange. The English word "exchange" can be translated into Russian as обмен (pronounced "ob-myen").

Here's an example sentence using the word:

Я обменял доллары на рубли. (Ya obmyenal dolary na rubli.)

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

обменял (obmyenal) - exchanged (past tense, masculine singular form of the verb обменять (obmenyat')

доллары (dolary) - dollars (plural noun)

на (na) - on, to, for (preposition)

рубли (rubli) - rubles (plural noun)

This sentence means "I exchanged dollars for rubles."

Key concepts:

The verb обменять (obmenyat') is an irregular verb that means "to exchange." It changes forms depending on the gender and number of the subject and the tense of the verb.

The preposition на (na) is used to indicate what something is exchanged for.

Helpful pronunciation hints:

обмен (ob-myen) - stress the first syllable
доллары (dolary) - stress the first syllable
рубли (rubli) - stress the first syllable

Variations of обмен (obmen) include:

обменник (obmennik) - exchange office
обменный (obmennyy) - exchangeable

English: Exchange /ɪkˈstʃeɪndʒ/

Russian: обмен /ɐbˈmʲɛn/

The next word is private. The word "private" can be translated into Russian as "частный" (pronounced chast-nui). The word is an adjective, which means it describes a noun. It can also be used as a noun, meaning "private person."

Here is a sentence using the word "частный":

"У меня есть частная коллекция марок". (Pronounced: oo myen-ya yest chast-naya kal-lek-tsia mar-ak).

Breakdown:

"У" (oo) is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and is often used with the genitive case.

"меня" (myen-ya) is the genitive case of the pronoun "I", meaning "of me" or "mine".

"есть" (yest) is the verb "to be" in the present tense.

"частная" (chast-naya) is the feminine singular form of the adjective "частный". In this case, it describes the noun "коллекция".

"коллекция" (kal-lek-tsia) is a noun that means "collection."

"марок" (mar-ak) is the genitive plural of the noun "марка", which means "stamp".

This sentence translates to "I have a private collection of stamps."

The adjective "частный" can also have other meanings depending on the context, such as "personal", "secret", or "exclusive."

Pronunciation guide:

ч (ch) is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair".

а (a) is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

с (s) is pronounced like the "s" in "sun".

т (t) is pronounced like the "t" in "table".

н (n) is pronounced like the "n" in "now".

ы (i) is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

й (y) is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

English: Private

Russian: частный (chast-nui)

The next word is connection. The word "connection" can be translated in Russian as связь (pronounced "svyaaz").

Here is a sample sentence:

У меня есть связь с этим человеком.

У меня (pronounced "oo menya") means "I have"

есть (pronounced "yest") means "there is"

связь (pronounced "svyaaz") means "connection"

с (pronounced "s") means "with"

этим (pronounced "etim") means "this"

человеком (pronounced "chelovekom") means "person"

The sentence translates to: "I have a connection with this person."

This sentence uses the nominative case of связь, since it is the subject of the sentence. It could also be used in other cases depending on the context. For instance:

Я чувствую связь с этим местом. (pronounced "ya chuvstvuyu svyaaz s etim mestom") - "I feel a connection with this place." This uses the accusative case of связь as it is the object of the verb чувствую (pronounced "chuvstvuyu").

Other ways to express "connection" in Russian include:

отношение (pronounced "otnosheniye") - "relationship"

контакт (pronounced "kontakt") - "contact"

сообщение (pronounced "soobshcheniye") - "message"

The choice of word depends on the specific context of your sentence.

English - Russian word translations:

Connection - связь (pronounced "svyaaz")

The next word is throughout. ## На протяжении всего фильма, зрители наблюдали за развитием главных героев.

Breakdown:

На протяжении (pronounced: nah pro-tee-zha-nee) - Throughout. This preposition is used to indicate the duration of an action or process. It is followed by the genitive case of a noun. It's like saying "during the course of."

всего (pronounced: vsy-vo) - all, whole. This word modifies the noun "фильм" (film).

фильма (pronounced: fil'ma) - film, movie. In this case, it is in the genitive case, because it is the object of the preposition "На протяжении".

зрители (pronounced: zree-tee-li) - audience, spectators.

наблюдали (pronounced: nab-lyoo-da-li) - observed, watched.

за (pronounced: za) - for, after. This preposition is used here to show the object of the watching.

развитием (pronounced: raz-vee-tee-em) - development, evolution. This word is in the instrumental case, because it is the object of the verb "наблюдали."

главных (pronounced: glahv-nykh) - main, principal.

героев (pronounced: gye-roy-ev) - heroes, characters.

Translation: Throughout the whole film, the audience watched the development of the main characters.

Variations:

"На протяжении времени" - Throughout time (lit: during the course of time).

"На протяжении всего дня" - Throughout the whole day.

Key Concept:

Prepositions: Pay close attention to prepositions as they often dictate the case of the noun that follows. In this example, "На протяжении" requires the genitive case of the noun.

English and Russian Translation:

Throughout - На протяжении (nah pro-tee-zha-nee)

The next word is ignore. The word "ignore" can be translated into Russian as игнорировать (pronounced: ig-no-ree-ro-vat'). It is a verb meaning "to disregard" or "to pay no attention to."

Here is a sentence using "ignore" in Russian:

Он решил игнорировать ее просьбу. (pronounced: On ree-sheel ig-no-ree-ro-vat' ee-yo pro-syeb-oo.)

Breakdown of the sentence:

Он (pronounced: On) - He
решил (pronounced: ree-sheel) - decided
игнорировать (pronounced: ig-no-ree-ro-vat') - to ignore
ее (pronounced: ee-yo) - her
просьбу (pronounced: pro-syeb-oo) - request

The sentence translates as: "He decided to ignore her request."

Key Concepts:

The verb игнорировать (pronounced: ig-no-ree-ro-vat') is conjugated in the infinitive form. In this sentence, it is used in the past tense.

The word ее (pronounced: ee-yo) is a possessive pronoun meaning "her".

The noun просьба (pronounced: pro-syeb-oo) is in the accusative case, which is used for direct objects.

Variations of the Word:

The noun form of the word is игнорирование (pronounced: ig-no-ree-ro-va-niye), which means "ignoring" or "disregarding."

The adjective form is игнорируемый (pronounced: ig-no-ree-roo-ye-my), which means "ignored."

Word and Pronunciation:

Ignore - игнорировать (pronounced: ig-no-ree-ro-vat')

The next word is leave. The word "leave" in English has many different meanings and can be used in a variety of ways. This makes it a little tricky when we translate it into Russian. The verb "leave" is often translated in Russian as оставлять /ah-stahv-LYAT/.

Example:

Я оставил книгу на столе. /Ya a-stav-il kni-gu na sta-lee/ I left the book on the table.

Here we are using the verb оставлять /ah-stahv-LYAT/, which is the most common translation for "leave". We can also use the verb уходить /oo-ho-DEET/ if we are talking about leaving a place.

Example:

Я ухожу из дома. /Ya oo-ho-zhu iz do-ma/. I am leaving home.

Key concept: The different prepositions used with the verbs change the meaning of the sentence. For instance, оставлять /ah-stahv-LYAT/ can be used with the preposition на /na/ (on) and в /v/ (in).

Example:

Я оставил книгу на столе. /Ya a-stav-il kni-gu na sta-lee/ I left the book on the table.

Я оставил ключи в машине. /Ya a-stav-il klyu-chi v ma-shi-nee/ I left the keys in the car.

Learning the different prepositions is very important in Russian grammar because they help you to understand the meaning of the sentence.

English: leave

Russian: оставлять /ah-stahv-LYAT/

English: leave

Russian: уходить /oo-ho-DEET/

The next word is advertise. The word "advertise" in Russian is рекламировать (reklamírovat').

Here is a sentence using the word:

Эта компания рекламирует свои товары по телевидению. (Eta kompaniya reklamíruet svoí tovary po televideniyu.)

Breakdown:

Эта Эта (éta) - this, feminine nominative singular
компания компания (kompaniya) - company, feminine nominative singular
рекламирует рекламирует (reklamíruet) - 3rd person singular present tense of рекламировать (reklamírovat') - to advertise
свои свои (svoí) - her/his/its/their, possessive pronoun, plural
товары товары (tovary) - goods, masculine nominative plural
по по (po) - by, through, preposition
телевидению телевидению (televideniyu) - television, dative singular

Meaning: This company advertises its goods on television.

Variations of the verb:

рекламировать (reklamírovat') - to advertise (infinitive)

рекламирую (reklamíruyu) - I advertise (1st person singular present tense)

рекламируешь (reklamíruesh') - you advertise (2nd person singular present tense)

рекламирует (reklamíruet) - he/she/it advertises (3rd person singular present tense)

рекламируем (reklamíruem) - we advertise (1st person plural present tense)

рекламируете (reklamíruете) - you (plural) advertise (2nd person plural present tense)

рекламируют (reklamíruyut) - they advertise (3rd person plural present tense)

Pronunciation:

рекламировать рекламировать (reklamírovat') - [rek-lah-mee-roh-vat']

рекламирует рекламирует (reklamíruet) - [rek-lah-mee-roo-yet]

компания компания (kompaniya) - [kom-pah-nee-ya]

товары товары (tovary) - [toh-vah-ree]

телевидению телевидению (televideniyu) - [te-le-vee-de-nee-yoo]

English translation: to advertise

Russian translation: рекламировать (reklamírovat')

The next word is crowd. ## На площади собралась большая толпа людей.

Breakdown:

На площади (na ploshchadi) - This phrase means "in the square". Площадь (ploshchad') is a noun and means "square" or "plaza". The preposition на (na) indicates location and is used with nouns that refer to surfaces. You can pronounce площадь (ploshchad') as "plosht-chadt."

собралась (sobralas') - This is the past tense, feminine form of the verb собраться (sobrat'sya) which means "to gather" or "to assemble." The ending "-лась" (las') denotes the feminine gender and past tense.

большая (bolshaya) - This means "big" or "large". It's an adjective and in this case is used to describe the noun толпа (tolpa).

толпа (tolpa) - This noun means "crowd" or "mob".

людей (lyudey) - This is the genitive plural of the noun человек (chelovek), which means "person". The genitive case is used to express possession or to show the object of a verb.

Translation: A large crowd of people gathered in the square.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: на (na) - on, in, at (for surfaces)

Gender and Number: The verb собралась (sobralas') is in the feminine singular form to agree with the noun толпа (tolpa).

Genitive Case: людей (lyudey) is in the genitive plural to show the object of the verb "gathered".

Pronunciation:

площадь (ploshchad') - "plosht-chadt"

собралась (sobralas') - "so-bra-las'"

большая (bolshaya) - "bol-sha-ya"

толпа (tolpa) - "tol-pa"

людей (lyudey) - "lyu-dey"

Variations:

You could replace толпа (tolpa) with множество (mnozhestvo) to make the sentence more formal, meaning "a lot of". Множество (mnozhestvo) is a noun that means "a lot" or "a multitude".

You could use different adjectives to describe the crowd, such as шумная (shumnaya) "noisy" or радостная (radostnaya) "joyful".

You could change the preposition на (na) to в (v) if you are talking about being inside a building or a place that is not a surface.

The next word is foot. The word "foot" in English can translate to a few different Russian words depending on the context. Here is one example:

Sentence: У меня болит нога.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") is the preposition "at" or "with".

меня (pronounced "menya") is the personal pronoun "me".

болит (pronounced "boleet") is the verb "to ache" in the third-person singular present tense.

нога (pronounced "naga") is the noun "foot" or "leg".

Translation: My foot hurts.

Variations:

The word "foot" can also be translated as стопа (pronounced "stohpa"), but this is more often used when referring specifically to the sole of the foot.

If talking about the plural form of "foot", you would use ноги (pronounced "no-gi").

When talking about the measurement "foot" you would use фут (pronounced "foot").

Key Concept:

Russian nouns have grammatical gender, meaning they are either masculine, feminine or neuter. In this case, нога (pronounced "naga") is feminine.

English/Russian Word and Pronunciation:

foot/нога (pronounced "naga")

The next word is by. ## Книгу написал известный писатель, но она была написана не для всех.

Breakdown:

Книга - kniga (pronounced KNEE-gah) - book
написал - napisal (pronounced nah-pee-SAHL) - past tense masculine singular of the verb "to write"

известный - izvestnyy (pronounced iz-VYEHST-nuh) - well-known, famous
писатель - pisatel (pronounced pee-SAH-tyel) - writer
но - no (pronounced NOH) - but
она - ona (pronounced ah-NAH) - she, it (referring to the book)

была - byla (pronounced buh-LAH) - past tense feminine singular of the verb "to be"

написана - napisana (pronounced nah-pee-SAH-nah) - past tense feminine singular of the verb "to be written"

не - ne (pronounced nye) - not
для - dlya (pronounced dlyah) - for
всех - vsekh (pronounced fsyekh) - everyone

Meaning: The book was written by a famous writer, but it wasn't written for everyone.

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and verbs change their endings to agree with the gender of the noun they modify. Here, "известный" (masculine) agrees with "писатель" (masculine), while "написана" (feminine) agrees with "книга" (feminine).

Prepositions: The preposition "для" (for) is used to indicate the intended audience of the book.

Word order: While the sentence structure is similar to English, Russian allows for more flexibility in word order, which can be used for emphasis or clarity.

Variations:

Instead of "писатель" (writer), you could use "автор" (author).

The sentence could also be written as: "Известный писатель написал книгу, но она была написана не для всех."

English Translation of the Russian words:

книга - book
написал - wrote
известный - famous
писатель - writer
но - but
она - it
была - was
написана - written
не - not
для - for
всех - everyone

The next word is arrangement. The English word "arrangement" can be translated into Russian in a few ways depending on the context.

Here's a common translation:

Расположение (ras-pa-la-zhe-ni-ye)

This word literally means "location" or "placement." It is a noun and can be used to describe the way things are arranged in space.

Example: Расположение мебели (me-be-li) в (v) комнате (kom-na-te) было (by-lo) неудобным (ne-u-dob-nym).

This sentence translates to "The arrangement of the furniture in the room was uncomfortable."

Breakdown:

Расположение: arrangement (ras-pa-la-zhe-ni-ye)

мебели: furniture (me-be-li)

в: in (v)

комнате: room (kom-na-te)

было: was (by-lo)

неудобным: uncomfortable (ne-u-dob-nym)

Key Concepts:

Расположение (ras-pa-la-zhe-ni-ye) is a noun meaning "location" or "placement."

It's important to pay attention to the endings of Russian nouns and adjectives as they change depending on the case and gender. In the example, мебели (furniture) is in the genitive case, and неудобным (uncomfortable) is an adjective in the instrumental case.

Pay attention to the pronunciation. The Russian letter е (ye) is pronounced like the "e" in "get."

Variations:

Other Russian words for "arrangement" include:

Устройство (us-troy-stvo) - This word is more general and can be used to describe the way something is organized.

Композиция (kom-pa-zi-tsi-ya) - This word is used specifically for the arrangement of elements in art, music, or literature.

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember that the stress in Russian words is always on a specific syllable. In the example, the stress is on the second syllable of Расположение (ras-pa-la-zhe-ni-ye).

Be careful with the letter г (g) which is pronounced as a hard "g" sound in Russian.

Translation:

arrangement - Расположение (ras-pa-la-zhe-ni-ye)

The next word is dollar. ## Dollar

The word "dollar" is доллар (pronounced "dol-lar") in Russian. It's a masculine noun, so we use the masculine form of the adjective "American" which is американский (pronounced "ah-me-ri-kan-skiy"). The sentence will be:

"У меня есть американский доллар."

This translates to: "I have an American dollar."

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") - preposition meaning "at" or "with"

меня (pronounced "mi-nya") - pronoun meaning "me"

есть (pronounced "yest") - verb meaning "to have" or "there is"

американский (pronounced "ah-me-ri-kan-skiy") - adjective meaning "American"

доллар (pronounced "dol-lar") - noun meaning "dollar"

Key concepts:

Word order: The sentence structure is very similar to English, with the subject (меня) followed by the verb (есть) followed by the object (американский доллар).

Gender agreement: Russian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neuter). Adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. Here, доллар is masculine, so we use the masculine form of the adjective американский.

Variations:

You can use the plural form of доллар, which is доллары (pronounced "dol-la-ry") to say "I have American dollars" - У меня есть американские доллары.

Other currencies can be used in this sentence. For example: У меня есть евро (pronounced "oo mi-nya yest ye-v-ro") - "I have euros". Or У меня есть рубли (pronounced "oo mi-nya yest roo-bli") - "I have rubles".

Pronunciation tips:

The "a" in американский is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

The "y" in доллары is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

English translation of words:

доллар - dollar
американский - American

The next word is suddenly. Внезапно Vnezapno she fell asleep.

Breakdown:

Внезапно Vnezapno (suddenly) is an adverb modifying the verb "fell asleep" and is in the nominative case.

Pronunciation: Vnezapno - [vnyeh-zap-no] with the emphasis on the second syllable.

она ona (she) is the subject of the sentence.

Pronunciation: ona - [ah-na] with the emphasis on the first syllable.

заснула zasnula (fell asleep) is a perfective verb in the past tense. The perfective verbs indicate an action that was completed in the past.

Pronunciation: zasnula - [zah-snu-lah] with the emphasis on the second syllable.

The sentence literally translates as: Suddenly she fell asleep.

Helpful hint:

There are two main types of verbs in the Russian language - perfective and imperfective. The perfective verbs generally refer to actions that have a clear beginning and end, while imperfective verbs refer to ongoing actions. In general, the perfective verbs are formed by adding a prefix to the imperfective verb. So, "to sleep" is spat' ([spaht]) which is an imperfective verb. By adding the prefix "за-" we get "заснуть" zasnut' ([zah-snuht]) which is a perfective verb.

English: suddenly

Russian: внезапно [vnyeh-zap-no]

The next word is mostly. ## Mostly in Russian

The word "mostly" in Russian is по большей части.

Breakdown:

по (po) - This preposition translates to "by," "according to," or "in accordance with."

Pronunciation: [poh] (like the "po" in "poem" but with a slightly shorter "o" sound)

большей (bolshey) - This is the feminine dative form of the adjective "больший" (bolshiy), meaning "bigger" or "greater."

Pronunciation: [bol'sh-eh] ("bol" like the start of "bolt", "sh" like the "sh" in "ship", and the "eh" like the "ay" in "day")

части (chasti) - This is the feminine dative form of the noun "часть" (chast'), meaning "part."

Pronunciation: [chas-tee] ("chas" like the "cha" in "chat", "tee" like the "tea" in "team")

The entire phrase translates to "for the most part," "mostly," or "in the main."

Variations:

в основном (v osnovnom) - This is another common way to say "mostly" and translates to "primarily" or "essentially."

Pronunciation: [v ah-snohv-nahm] ( "v" like the "v" in "very", "ah" like the "a" in "father", "snohv" like "snow" but with a softer "v" sound, "nahm" like the "nahm" in "name")

преимущественно (preimuschestvenno) - This is a more formal way to say "mostly" and translates to "predominantly" or "chiefly."

Pronunciation: [pri-ee-moo-shyes-tvuhn-uh] ( "pri" like "pri" in "prince", "ee" like "ee" in "see", "moo" like "moo" in "moon", "shyes" like "she" in "sheep", "tvuhn" like "tv" in "television", "uh" like the "uh" in "sun")

Memorization Tip:

Think of "mostly" as a "greater part" of something, and the "greater part" is always большая часть (bolshaya chast').

English: mostly

Russian: по большей части

The next word is live. The word "live" in English can mean several things, so I will provide you with a few sentences in Russian:

1. To reside in a place:

Я живу в Москве. Ya zhivu v Moskve. (Ya [yah] - I, zhivu [zhee-voo] - live, v [v] - in, Moskve [Mos-k-vay] - Moscow).

This sentence means "I live in Moscow." The verb "жить" zhit (to live, to reside) is an irregular verb, meaning that it has irregular forms, but the present tense conjugation is simple: я живу, ты живешь vy zhivesh (you live), он/она/оно живет on/ona/ono zhivet (he/she/it lives), мы живем my zhivem (we live), вы живете vy zhivete (you all live), они живут oni zhivut (they live). You can see the "e" at the end of the verb changes depending on the personal pronoun.

1. To be alive:

Моя бабушка живёт уже 90 лет. Moya babushka zhivet uzhe 90 let. (Moya [moy-ya] - my, babushka [bah-boo-shka] - grandmother, zhivet [zhee-vet] - lives, uzhe [oo-zhe] - already, 90 [dee-vyah-noh-stah] - 90, let [let] - years).

This sentence means "My grandmother has been alive for 90 years".

1. To broadcast live:

Концерт будет транслироваться в прямом эфире. Kontsert budet translirovatsya v pryamom efire. (Kontsert [kon-tsert] - concert, budet [boo-det] - will, translirovatsya [tran-slee-roh-vah-tsya] - to be broadcasted, v [v] - in, pryamom [prya-mom] - direct, efire [ee-fee-reh] - air).

This sentence means "The concert will be broadcast live".

1. To experience something directly:

Я видел это вживую! Ya videl eto v zhivuju! (Ya [yah] - I, videl [vee-dyel] - saw, eto [eh-toh] - it, v zhivuju [v zhee-voo-yoo] - in person, literally "in the living").

This sentence means "I saw this live!" or "I saw this in person!".

English: Live/ Pronunciation: Liv/ Russian: живой/ Pronunciation: zhee-voy

English: Live/ Pronunciation: Liv/ Russian: жить/ Pronunciation: zhit

The next word is cook. The word "cook" in Russian is повар (povar), which means "chef". It is a masculine noun and is pronounced like pah-var.

Here is an example sentence:

Я хочу стать поваром (Ya khochu stat povarom).

This sentence translates to "I want to become a chef".

Я (ya) means "I" and is pronounced as ya. It is the nominative case of the personal pronoun "I".

хочу (khochu) means "want" and is pronounced as hoh-choo. It is the first person singular present tense form of the verb "хотеть" (khotet'), meaning "to want".

стать (stat') means "to become" and is pronounced as stat. It is the infinitive form of the verb "стать" (stat').

поваром (povarom) means "a chef" and is pronounced as pah-vah-rom. It is the instrumental case of the noun "повар" (povar). The instrumental case is used to indicate the means or instrument used to perform an action.

Variations:

The noun "повар" (povar) has both masculine and feminine forms. The feminine form is повариха (povarikha) and is pronounced like pah-vah-ree-kha. This is used to refer to a female chef.

English and Russian translations of the word and pronunciation:

English: cook

Russian: повар (povar) pronounced as pah-var

The next word is country. ## Я люблю свою страну.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronoun, nominative case) - Pronounced: ya
люблю люблю - I love (verb, present tense, 1st person singular) - Pronounced: lyublyu
свою свою - my (possessive adjective, feminine singular) - Pronounced: svoyu
страну страну - country (noun, accusative case) - Pronounced: stranoo

Meaning: I love my country.

Variations:

страна страна (feminine noun, nominative case) - country - Pronounced: strana
страны страны (feminine noun, genitive case) - of the country - Pronounced: strany
стране стране (feminine noun, dative case) - to the country - Pronounced: strane

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence. The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb.

Possessive Adjectives: Russian possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs are conjugated to agree with the subject in person and number.

English Translation of Words:

country: страна (pronounced: strana)

I: Я (pronounced: ya)

love: люблю (pronounced: lyublyu)

my: свою (pronounced: svoyu)

The next word is challenge. ## Вызов vyzov - challenge (pronounced vee-zov)

This sentence uses the noun form of the word вызов vyzov. It means "challenge" in the sense of a difficult task or a test of one's abilities.

Example:

Этот проект представляет собой серьезный вызов. Etot proekt predstavlyaet soboy sereznyy vyzov.

Translation: This project presents a serious challenge.

Breakdown:

Этот etot - this (masculine nominative singular)

проект proekt - project (masculine nominative singular)

представляет predstavlyaet - presents (present tense, 3rd person singular)

собой soboy - itself (reflexive pronoun)

серьезный ser'eznyy - serious (masculine nominative singular)

вызов vyzov - challenge (masculine nominative singular)

Key concepts:

Noun declension: The word вызов vyzov is a masculine noun and changes form depending on its grammatical function in the sentence. In this example, it is in the nominative singular case.

Reflexive pronoun: The word собой soboy is a reflexive pronoun and is used to emphasize that the action is performed by the subject itself.

Present tense: The verb представляет predstavlyaet is in the present tense and indicates an ongoing action.

Variations:

The word вызов vyzov can also be used as a verb, meaning "to challenge".

Example:

Он бросил мне вызов на дуэль. On brosil mne vyzov na duel'.

Translation: He challenged me to a duel.

Breakdown:

Он on - He (masculine nominative singular)

бросил brosil - threw (past tense, masculine singular)

мне mne - me (dative singular)

вызов vyzov - challenge (accusative singular)

на na - on (preposition)

дуэль duel' - duel (feminine nominative singular)

Pronunciation:

вызов vyzov - vee-zov
бросил brosil - bro-sil
дуэль duel' - du-el'

The next word is solve. ## Решить проблему не так просто.

Breakdown:

Решить: This is the infinitive form of the verb "to solve" (решить - reshit') The 'sh' sound is similar to the "sh" in "ship"

проблему: This is the accusative case of the noun "problem" (проблема - problema) The 'o' sound in 'problema' is pronounced like the 'o' in 'hot'.

не: This is the negation particle "not" (ne). You can say this word just as it is.

так: This is the adverb "so" or "that way" (tak). Pronounced as 'tak'.

просто: This is the adjective "simple" or "easy" (prosto). The 'o' in 'prosto' sounds like the 'o' in 'hot'.

Meaning: It is not so simple to solve the problem.

Variations:

You can use решить with other objects, like задачу (zadachu - problem), уравнение (uravnenie - equation), вопрос (vopros - question), тайну (tainu - mystery), etc.

Translation:

Решить: To solve (resheet')

проблему: Problem (problemu)

не: Not (ne)

так: So (tak)

просто: Simple (prosto)

The next word is effective. The word "effective" can be translated into Russian as эффективный (effektivnyy).

Here is a sentence using the word:

Эта стратегия оказалась очень эффективной.

This sentence translates to:

This strategy proved to be very effective.

Let's break down the sentence:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine, singular nominative case)

стратегия (strategiya) - Strategy (feminine, singular nominative case)

оказалась (okazalas') - Turned out to be (past tense, feminine, singular)

очень (ochen') - Very
эффективной (effektivnoy) - Effective (feminine, singular instrumental case)

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender, which impacts the agreement of adjectives and other words. "Strategy" is feminine, so the adjective "effective" and the past tense verb ending must agree.

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this sentence, "strategy" is the subject (nominative case), while "effective" modifies "strategy" and is in the instrumental case.

Pronunciation:

Эта (Ee-ta) - Emphasize the first syllable.

стратегия (stra-te-gi-ya) - Stress the third syllable.

оказалась (a-ka-za-las') - Stress the third syllable.

очень (o-chen') - Stress the first syllable.

эффективной (effek-tiv-noy) - Stress the second syllable.

Word and Pronunciation

Effective - эффективный (effektivnyy)

Strategy - стратегия (stra-te-gi-ya)

The next word is treat. The word "treat" can have several different meanings in English, but we will focus on the meaning of "to treat someone kindly" or "to treat someone well".

The Russian word for "to treat" in this context is относиться (pronounced "ot-no-si-tsya").

Here's an example sentence:

Он всегда относился к ней с уважением.

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced "on") - he

всегда (pronounced "vseg-da") - always

относился (pronounced "ot-no-si-lsya") - treated

к (pronounced "k") - to (preposition)

ней (pronounced "ney") - her

с (pronounced "s") - with (preposition)

уважением (pronounced "uvazheniyem") - respect

Translation: He always treated her with respect.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb относиться (otnositsya) changes its ending based on the subject and tense. In this example, the verb is in the past tense, third-person singular, which is why it ends in ся (sya).

Prepositions: The prepositions к (k) and с (s) are essential to understand the grammatical structure of the sentence. They indicate direction and manner, respectively.

Nouns: The nouns он (on) and ней (ney) are the subject and object of the sentence.

Variations:

Относиться (otnositsya) can also be used to express how one feels towards something or someone, like: "I relate to her." Я отношусь к ней с пониманием. (Ya otnoshus' k ney s ponimaniem.)

Pronunciation Guide:

относиться (ot-no-si-tsya) - stress on the second syllable
он (on) - stress on the first syllable
всегда (vseg-da) - stress on the first syllable
ней (ney) - stress on the first syllable
с (s) - unstressed syllable
уважением (uvazheniyem) - stress on the second syllable

English Translation: treat - to behave towards someone or something in a particular way.

Russian Translation: относиться (otnositsya) - to treat, to behave towards, to relate to.

The next word is attention. Sentence: Обратите внимание на эту картину.

Translation: Pay attention to this picture.

Breakdown:

Обратите (uh-brah-tee-tye) - Imperative plural form of the verb обратить (uh-brah-tee-t') meaning 'to turn, to pay attention'

внимание (v-ni-ma-ni-ye) - noun meaning 'attention'

на (na) - preposition meaning 'on, to'

эту (eh-too) - feminine accusative form of the demonstrative pronoun эта (eh-ta) meaning 'this'

картину (kar-tee-noo) - feminine accusative form of the noun картина (kar-tee-na) meaning 'picture'

Key Concepts:

Imperative Mood: Used to give commands or instructions.

Plural Forms: Since the subject is implied to be 'you all,' the verb is in the plural form.

Case: The noun картину and pronoun эту are in the accusative case because they are the direct object of the verb обратите.

Prepositions: на is a preposition used to indicate direction or location.

Pronunciation Notes:

The 'e' sound in обратите is similar to the 'e' in 'bet'.

The 'a' in картину is similar to the 'a' in 'father'.

Word Translations:

Attention: внимание (v-ni-ma-ni-ye)

Picture: картина (kar-tee-na)

The next word is escape. The prisoner managed to сбежать from his cell.

Breakdown:

сбежать (sbejat') - to escape (verb, perfective aspect) This is the perfective aspect of the verb, meaning it describes a completed action. The imperfective aspect, сбегать (sbegat'), means to run away or to escape repeatedly. The word сбегать is rarely used.

Sentence Breakdown:

Заключённый (zaklyuchennyy) - prisoner (noun, masculine) - заключённый is a past participle, meaning it is derived from the verb заключить (zaklyuchit') to imprison or conclude.

успел (uspel) - managed to (verb, perfective aspect) - успеть (uspet') means "to have time to do something." Here it is in the past tense, meaning that the prisoner had the time to escape.

сбежать (sbejat') - to escape (verb, perfective aspect)

из (iz) - from (preposition) - из is used with the genitive case of nouns, meaning "from, out of"

своей (svoey) - his (possessive adjective, feminine) - this is the feminine form of the possessive adjective, and it agrees in gender with the noun камеры (kamery)

камеры (kamery) - cell (noun, feminine) - камера can refer to a camera, but in this context it refers to a cell.

English Translation: The prisoner managed to escape from his cell.

Pronunciation Guide:

сбежать (sbe-zhat')

Заключённый (zak-lyu-chyon-nyy)

успел (oo-spel)

из (eez)

своей (sva-ye)

камеры (ka-me-ry)

Variations:

Он сбежал из тюрьмы. (On sbejal iz tyur'my.) - He escaped from prison.

Она сбежала от своих проблем. (Ona sbejala ot svoikh problem.) - She escaped from her problems.

Они сбежали из страны. (Oni sbejali iz strany.) - They escaped from the country.

The next word is size. The Russian word for "size" is размер (pronounced "raz-mer"). It is a masculine noun and thus requires the masculine form of the adjective to describe it, for example, большой размер (big size). The word size is also often used in the context of clothing, so you can find phrases like какой размер вам нужен? (what size do you need?).

Here is an example sentence:

Я не знаю, какой размер мне нужен. (I don't know what size I need)

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I
не (ne) - not
знаю (znayu) - know
какой (kakoy) - what (masculine)

размер (razmer) - size
мне (mne) - to me/for me
нужен (nuzhen) - needed (masculine)

Important Note:

The word размер (razmer) is often used in the plural form размеры (razmery) when talking about sizes in general, as in, В этом магазине очень большой выбор размеров. (This store has a very large selection of sizes).

English to Russian Translation:

size - размер (raz-mer)

The next word is direction. The word "direction" has a few important concepts to understand:

1. Direction as a noun: This refers to the path or course something takes. For example, "What is the direction of the wind?" or "The teacher gave us clear directions for the assignment."

2. Direction as a verb: This means to guide or lead. For example, "The captain directed the ship through the storm" or "The student directed the play."

Here is a sentence in Russian using "direction" as a noun:

Он направился в направлении леса.

Breakdown:

Он - on - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - Pronunciation: like "ohn"

направился - napravilsya - he headed, he directed himself (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - Pronunciation: like "nah-prah-veehl-syah"

в - v - in (preposition) - Pronunciation: like "v"

направлении - napravlenii - direction (noun, prepositional case) - Pronunciation: like "nah-prah-vleh-nee-ee"

леса - lesa - forest (noun, genitive case) - Pronunciation: like "leh-sah"

Translation: He headed in the direction of the forest.

Key Concepts:

The preposition в (v) is often used with the prepositional case to indicate direction.

The noun направление (napravlenie) can be used in both the nominative and prepositional cases, depending on its role in the sentence.

The word "direction" can be expressed by several different Russian words, depending on the context. For example, in this sentence, we used направление (napravlenie), but we could also have used сторона (storona) (side) or путь (put) (path).

Pronunciation tips:

Pay attention to the stress in the words. For example, in направление (napravlenie), the stress is on the third syllable.

Remember that Russian vowels have different sounds than English vowels. For example, the vowel и (i) in направление (napravlenie) has a sound similar to the English "ee" in "see."

Word and Pronunciation:

Direction: направление - napravlenie (nah-prah-vleh-nee-ee)

The next word is shape. This фигура (fig-oo-ra) is a perfect квадрат (kvad-rat).

Breakdown:

фигура (fig-oo-ra) - This is the word for "shape" and it is a feminine noun.

Note how the ending changes from а (a) to ы (i) in the nominative case (the subject of the sentence). This is a common change for feminine nouns in the nominative case.

This is the basic word for "shape" and it is very versatile. It can be used to describe the shape of a physical object or the shape of something more abstract like a cloud, a melody, or even an argument.

квадрат (kvad-rat) - This means "square" and is a masculine noun. It remains unchanged as it is in the nominative case. This word is a direct translation of the English word "square".

It is important to note that "square" in the sense of a geometric shape in English can refer to the shape itself as well as the shape's outline or the space within the shape. In Russian, the word квадрат (kvad-rat) refers only to the shape itself. You might use сторона квадрата (sta-ro-na kva-dra-ta) to mean "side of a square" and площадь квадрата (plo-shchad' kva-dra-ta) to mean "area of a square".

Translation: This shape is a perfect square.

Pronunciation Guide:

фигура (fig-oo-ra) - the "u" sounds like the "oo" in "moon"

квадрат (kvad-rat) - the "a" sounds like the "a" in "father"

English word: shape

Russian word: фигура (fig-oo-ra)

The next word is record. The English word record can be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it can refer to a written or digital account of facts or events, like a запись [za-pis] (za-peess) "recording", a piece of music, or a specific achievement. As a verb, it means to preserve something in writing or digitally, as in записать [za-pi-sat] (za-pee-saht) "to record" something.

Here is a sentence using record as a verb:

Он записал свой голос на диктофон. [on za-pi-sal svoj go-los na dik-ta-fon.]

Он [on] (ohn) - he
записал [za-pi-sal] (za-pee-sahl) - past tense of записать [za-pi-sat] (za-pee-saht) "to record"

свой [svoj] (svoy) - his own
голос [go-los] (goh-luss) - voice
на [na] (nah) - on
диктофон [dik-ta-fon] (dik-tah-fohn) - dictaphone

Translation: He recorded his voice on the dictaphone.

This sentence demonstrates the use of the verb записать [za-pi-sat] (za-pee-saht) in the past tense. Note that the ending of the verb changes depending on the gender and number of the subject. In this case, the subject is он [on] (ohn) - he, which is masculine singular, so the verb ends in л [l] (l).

Variations:

Записать [za-pi-sat] (za-pee-saht) "to record" - can also be used to mean "to write down" or "to note" something.

Pronunciation:

Remember that Russian stresses words on the first syllable unless otherwise indicated. For instance, записать [za-pi-sat] (za-pee-saht) "to record" is stressed on the first syllable. This will help you pronounce the words correctly.

English: record, record

Russian: запись [za-pis] (za-peess), записать [za-pi-sat] (za-pee-saht)

The next word is target. The word цель (pronounced "tsel") means target or goal in Russian.

Here is a sentence that uses this word:

Я поставил себе цель – выучить русский язык.

Let's break it down:

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I."

поставил (pronounced "pa-staw-il") is the past tense of the verb "to put," which in this context means "set."

себе (pronounced "si-bye") means "myself."

цель (pronounced "tsel") means "goal" or "target."

– is a dash that introduces a clause.

выучить (pronounced "vy-oo-chit") means "to learn."

русский (pronounced "roo-skiy") means "Russian."

язык (pronounced "yazyk") means "language."

This sentence translates to: "I set myself a goal to learn the Russian language."

Key Concepts:

цель is a feminine noun. When used in this sentence, it takes the feminine singular form.

This sentence uses the nominative case for цель and the accusative case for язык because both words are direct objects.

Variations:

цели (pronounced "tse-li") is the plural form of цель.

целевой (pronounced "tse-le-voy") means "target" as an adjective.

English Translation:

target: цель (pronounced "tsel")

goal: цель (pronounced "tsel")

The next word is hold. The word "hold" in English can have many meanings, but in this example, we will focus on the verb meaning "to grasp something firmly."

Here is a Russian sentence using "hold":

Он крепко держит книгу в руках.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: "on") - He
крепко (pronunciation: "krepkə") - firmly
держит (pronunciation: "derzhit") - 3rd person singular present tense of the verb "держать" (to hold)

книгу (pronunciation: "knígu") - book
в (pronunciation: "v") - in
руках (pronunciation: "rukákh") - hands

Translation: He holds the book firmly in his hands.

Key Concepts:

держать (to hold) is an irregular verb in Russian. You need to learn the different forms.

The preposition в (in) is used with the word руках (hands) to indicate that something is being held in one's hands.

The word крепко is an adverb, meaning "firmly" or "tightly" and modifies the verb держит.

Variations:

You could replace книгу with other objects like карандаш (pencil) or телефон (phone) to create different sentences.

You can also change the subject of the sentence from Он (he) to Она (she), Мы (we) or Они (they).

Pronunciation Guide:

Он - "on"

крепко - "krepkə"

держит - "derzhit"

книгу - "knígu"

в - "v"

руках - "rukákh"

English and Russian Translation of Words:

Hold - держать (to hold)

Firmly - крепко (firmly)

Book - книга (book)

In - в (in)

Hands - руки (hands)

The next word is teacher. The word "teacher" in Russian is учитель (pronounced oo-chi-tel').

Here is a Russian sentence using the word "teacher":

Мой учитель русского языка очень строгий. (moy oo-chi-tel' russ-ko-go ya-zy-ka o-chen' stro-giy)

Breakdown:

Мой (moy) - my (masculine, singular)

учитель (oo-chi-tel') - teacher (masculine, singular)

русского (russ-ko-go) - Russian (genitive case, singular, masculine, meaning "of Russian")

языка (ya-zy-ka) - language (genitive case, singular, masculine, meaning "of language")

очень (o-chen') - very
строгий (stro-giy) - strict (masculine, singular)

Translation: My Russian language teacher is very strict.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). This affects the form of adjectives and other words that modify the noun.

Cases: Russian nouns have six cases, which indicate the function of the noun in the sentence.

Word Order: In Russian, the word order is more flexible than in English, but the subject usually comes before the verb.

Variations:

учительница (oo-chi-tel'ni-tsa) is the feminine form of "teacher."

The plural of учитель is учителя (oo-chi-te-lya).

Pronunciation Hints:

The letter "ч" (ч) is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair."

The letter "г" (г) is pronounced like the "g" in "go."

The letter "я" (я) is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard."

The stress in a Russian word is marked with an accent mark.

English Translation:

Teacher: учитель (oo-chi-tel')

My: Мой (moy)

The next word is up. The word "up" in English can have many meanings and uses, depending on the context. In Russian, there is no one direct equivalent to the word "up," as the concept is often expressed differently depending on the context.

Here is a sentence using the concept of "up" in Russian:

Солнце поднимается вверх.

Breakdown:

Солнце (pronounced: [SOHN-tse]) - Sun - This is the subject of the sentence, the thing that is doing the action.

поднимается (pronounced: [pad-nee-MAY-et-sya]) - This is the verb, indicating the action of rising, going upwards. It is in the present tense, third-person singular (referring to a single subject - the sun). This verb incorporates the concept of "up" within its meaning.

вверх (pronounced: [v-VERKH]) - Upwards - This is an adverb, adding to the verb, emphasizing the direction of movement.

Sentence translation: The sun rises upwards.

Important points to note:

In this case, "вверх" is not essential for understanding the concept of "up." The verb "поднимается" already conveys the meaning of rising.

The Russian word "вверх" can also mean "upward" or "high up."

English - Russian word equivalents and pronunciation:

Up - вверх (pronounced: [v-VERKH])

Sun - Солнце (pronounced: [SOHN-tse])

Rise - подниматься (pronounced: [pad-nee-MAY-et-sya])

The next word is currently. English Sentence: The students are currently studying Russian grammar.

Russian Sentence: Студенты сейчас изучают русскую грамматику.

Breakdown:

Студенты [stu-den-ty] (students) - This is a plural noun, in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

сейчас [sey-chas] (currently, now) - This word is an adverb of time, used to indicate that the action is happening right now.

изучают [ee-zoo-cha-yut] (study) - This is a verb in the present tense, third person plural, agreeing with the plural subject "students".

русскую [roo-ss-koo-yoo] (Russian) - This is an adjective, feminine singular, in the accusative case, modifying the noun "grammar".

грамматику [gra-ma-tee-koo] (grammar) - This is a noun, feminine singular, in the accusative case, the direct object of the verb "study".

Variations:

The adverb сейчас can be replaced with other adverbs of time such as теперь [te-per'] (now), в данный момент [v dan-ny mo-ment] (at this moment), or в настоящее время [v na-sto-ya-shchee vre-mya] (at the present time).

The verb изучают can be used in different tenses depending on the context, for example: изучали [ee-zoo-cha-li] (studied) in the past tense or будут изучать [boo-dut ee-zoo-chat'] (will study) in the future tense.

Translation:

currently - сейчас [sey-chas]

The next word is yet. English word: yet

Russian sentence: Он ещё не пришёл.

Breakdown:

Он - This is the pronoun "he" in the nominative case. Pronunciation: [ahn]

ещё - This word means "still" or "yet" and is used to indicate that something is not finished or has not happened. Pronunciation: [ye-shcho]

не - This word means "not." Pronunciation: [nyeh]

пришёл - This is the past tense of the verb "to come" (приходить). Pronunciation: [pri-shohl]

Translation: He has not come yet.

Key concepts:

Ещё is a versatile word in Russian. It can mean "still," "yet," or "more" depending on the context.

Не is a negative particle and is placed before the verb it negates.

Приходить is an irregular verb, meaning its past tense conjugation is different from its infinitive form.

Variations of "yet" in Russian:

Ещё (still, yet)

Пока (until, yet, for now)

Уже (already, yet)

Pronunciation of "yet" in Russian:

The closest equivalent of "yet" in Russian is ещё (ye-shcho).

English and Russian translation:

English: yet

Russian: ещё (ye-shcho)

The next word is image. The Russian sentence is: Я люблю смотреть на красивые изображения

Breakdown:

Я - Ya (pronounced like 'ya' in 'yard') - I
люблю - lyublyu (pronounced 'lyub-lyoo') - I love
смотреть - smotret' (pronounced 'smot-ret') - to look, to watch
на - na (pronounced 'nah') - on, at
красивые - krasivye (pronounced 'kra-siv-ye') - beautiful
изображения - izobrazheniya (pronounced 'ee-zo-bra-zhen-ya') - images

The sentence uses the verb любить (lyubit') which means 'to love'. Notice it is in the present tense because the sentence states that the subject (I) loves looking at the beautiful images. The verb is conjugated to match the subject, so it is люблю (lyublyu) for 'I'.

This is a great way to use the word изображение (izobrazhenie) which means 'image'. The noun is declined in the plural form. Изображение (izobrazhenie) is singular and pronounced 'ee-zo-bra-zhen-ye'.

English: I love to look at beautiful images.

Russian: Я люблю смотреть на красивые изображения

Image (English): изображение (Russian) - pronounced 'ee-zo-bra-zhen-ye'

The next word is owner. The word "owner" in Russian is владелец (pronounced vlah-dee-lets). The sentence is:

"Он является владельцем этой компании."

Let's break this down:

Он - он (awn) - he
является - является (yahv-lyah-et-syah) - is (present tense of the verb "to be")

владельцем - владелец (vlah-dee-lets) - owner (in the instrumental case)

этой - этой (eh-toy) - this (feminine)

компании - компании (kam-pah-nee-ee) - company (feminine)

Key concept: The word владелец is a noun and changes its ending based on the grammatical case, which is similar to how nouns change in English based on whether they are the subject or object of the sentence. In this sentence, the noun is in the instrumental case because it is being used with the verb "является" (is) to describe the subject (he) as the owner.

Variations of the word владелец:

владелица - (vlah-dee-lee-tsa) - female owner
владельцы - (vlah-dee-lets-y) - owners (plural)

Translation: "He is the owner of this company."

English: owner - владелец (vlah-dee-lets)

Russian: владелец - owner (vlah-dee-lets)

The next word is suspect. The word "suspect" can be a noun or verb in English. Here's a sentence using it as a noun:

Полиция задержала подозреваемого в краже.

Полиция - pal-ee-tsee-ya - police (feminine noun)

задержала - za-dyer-zha-la - detained (past tense, feminine form)

подозреваемого - pa-daz-ry-vay-e-ma-va-ga - suspect (masculine, accusative case)

в - v - in (preposition)

краже - kra-zhye - theft (feminine, prepositional case)

Translation: The police detained the suspect in the theft.

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and case.

The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb.

The prepositional case is used after prepositions like в (in).

Variations of "suspect" as a noun:

подозреваемый (masculine)

подозреваемая (feminine)

подозреваемое (neuter)

Pronunciation:

подозреваемый - pa-daz-ry-vay-e-my (masculine)

подозреваемая - pa-daz-ry-vay-e-ma-ya (feminine)

подозреваемое - pa-daz-ry-vay-e-ma-ye (neuter)

English-Russian Translation:

suspect (noun) - подозреваемый pa-daz-ry-vay-e-my

The next word is degree. The word "degree" in English has several meanings in Russian, but we'll focus on the academic one: "степень" степень.

The sentence we'll use is:

"Он получил степень бакалавра в области истории." Он получил степень бакалавра в области истории.

Breakdown:

Он Он - he (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

Pronunciation: [awn] (like "own" but with a shorter "o")

получил получил - received (verb, past tense, masculine singular, perfect aspect)

Pronunciation: [poluchil] (like "po-loo-cheel" with a soft "ch")

степень степень - degree (noun, feminine, accusative case)

Pronunciation: [stepen'] (like "steh-pen'" with the "n'" being a soft "n" sound)

бакалавр бакалавр - bachelor (noun, masculine, nominative case)

Pronunciation: [bakalavr] (like "bah-ka-la-vr" with the "v" being a soft "v" sound)

в в - in (preposition)

Pronunciation: [v] (like "v" in "very")

области области - field (noun, feminine, genitive case)

Pronunciation: [oblasti] (like "ob-las-tee" with a soft "t")

истории истории - history (noun, feminine, genitive case)

Pronunciation: [istorii] (like "is-tor-ee" with a soft "i" sound at the end)

Meaning:

"He received a bachelor's degree in history."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have gender, and this affects the form of adjectives, pronouns, and articles.

Case: Russian uses case endings to show the function of nouns in a sentence.

Aspect: Russian verbs have two aspects (perfective and imperfective) that indicate whether an action is completed or ongoing.

Variations:

"степень" степень can be used for other academic degrees, such as "магистр" магистр (master's degree) or "доктор" доктор (doctorate).

The preposition "в" в can be replaced by "по" по to mean "in the field of."

English to Russian:

Degree: степень

Bachelor: бакалавр

Master: магистр

Doctor: доктор

In: в

Field: область

History: история

The next word is beach. The Russian sentence is:

Я люблю ходить на пляж.

Breakdown

Я Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case)

люблю люблю (lyublyu) - I love (verb, present tense, 1st person singular)

ходить ходить (hodit') - to walk, to go (verb, infinitive)

на на (na) - on, to, at (preposition)

пляж пляж (plyazh) - beach (noun, masculine)

Key concepts

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs are conjugated for person, number, tense, and aspect. Here, "люблю" is conjugated in the present tense, 1st person singular.

Prepositions: Prepositions are essential to understanding the grammatical relationships between words in a sentence. "На" is used to indicate location (on the beach).

Noun declension: Nouns in Russian change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. In this case, "пляж" remains in the nominative case, as it is the direct object of the verb.

Pronunciation

Я Я (Ya) - Pronounced "ya" as in "yard"

люблю люблю (lyublyu) - Pronounced "lyublyu" as in "blue" with a "y" sound before the "u"

ходить ходить (hodit') - Pronounced "hodit'" as in "hot" with a soft "d" sound at the end
на на (na) - Pronounced "na" as in "nap"

пляж пляж (plyazh) - Pronounced "plyazh" as in "play" with a "zh" sound like the "s" in "pleasure"

Translation

I love to walk on the beach.

Variations

Я люблю пляж. Я люблю пляж. (Ya lyublyu plyazh) - I love the beach.

Я люблю ходить на пляж летом. Я люблю ходить на пляж летом. (Ya lyublyu hodit' na plyazh letom) - I love to walk on the beach in the summer.

English: beach / Russian: пляж (plyazh)

The next word is appeal. The English word "appeal" can be used as a noun or a verb. Let's explore both:

Appeal as a Noun

The noun "appeal" has several meanings, and we'll focus on two:

1. Attractiveness, charm, or interest.

Sentence: У него была особая привлекательность для женщин.

Breakdown: У него means "He had." особая means "special", привлекательность means "appeal," для женщин means "for women."

Translation: He had a special appeal for women.

Pronunciation: привлекательность (pri-vle-ka-tel-nost)

Hint: Notice the ending -ность. This ending often signifies a noun.

1. A formal request to a higher authority to reconsider a decision.

Sentence: Она подала апелляцию на решение суда.

Breakdown: Она means "She." подала means "filed", апелляцию means "appeal", на решение means "on the decision", суда means "court."

Translation: She filed an appeal on the court's decision.

Pronunciation: апелляцию (a-pel-lya-tsiu)

Appeal as a Verb

When used as a verb, "appeal" means "to make a formal request to a higher authority to reconsider a decision" or "to be attractive or interesting to someone."

Sentence: Он обратился к президенту с просьбой о помиловании.

Breakdown: Он means "He," обратился means "appealed," к президенту means "to the president," с просьбой means "with a request," о помиловании means "for pardon."

Translation: He appealed to the president for a pardon.

Pronunciation: обратился (ob-ra-ti-lsya)

Key Concepts:

In Russian, the word for "appeal" can vary depending on the context.

Understanding the different ways the word "appeal" is used in English will help you understand the nuances of its translation.

Pay attention to the endings of words. They often indicate the grammatical function of a word.

The next word is economy. The Russian economy is currently experiencing a period of growth. Российская экономика в настоящее время переживает период роста.

Breakdown:

Российская (pronounced "Rossiyskaya") is the feminine form of the adjective "Russian". It modifies the noun "экономика" (pronounced "ekonomika").

экономика (pronounced "ekonomika") is the noun "economy".

в настоящее время (pronounced "v nastoyashchee vremya") translates to "currently" or "at present".

переживает (pronounced "perezhivayet") is the third person singular present tense of the verb "переживать" (pronounced "perezhivat"). It means "to experience" or "to go through".

период (pronounced "period") is the noun "period".

роста (pronounced "rosta") is the genitive case of the noun "рост" (pronounced "rost"). It means "growth" in this context.

This sentence demonstrates the use of the feminine form of the adjective, the genitive case of a noun, and the present tense of a verb.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender. The adjective "Russian" is feminine because the noun "economy" is feminine.

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. The noun "growth" is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition "of".

Tense: Russian verbs are conjugated to reflect tense, person, and number. The verb "to experience" is in the present tense, third person singular, because it refers to the economy in the present moment.

Translation:

Российская - Russian (feminine)

экономика - economy
в настоящее время - currently
переживает - experiences
период - period
роста - growth

The next word is extra. The word "extra" can be used in many different ways, depending on the context.

Here is a simple sentence using the word "extra" in Russian:

"Я заказал дополнительную пиццу." Ya zakazal dopolnitel'nuyu pitsu.

Breakdown

"Я" Ya - I - pronounced like "ya"

"заказал" zakazal - ordered - pronounced like "za-ka-zal"

"дополнительную" dopolnitel'nuyu - extra, additional - pronounced like "da-pa-l'nee-tel'noo-yoo" - this is the accusative case, which is used for direct objects. It is important to know that the ending for the feminine form of this adjective is -ую, but it is often shortened to -ю in colloquial Russian. The nominative form is дополнительная dopolnitel'naya - extra, additional

"пиццу" pitsyu - pizza - pronounced like "pee-tsu" - this is the accusative case because it is the direct object in the sentence. The nominative case is пицца pittsa - pizza

Translation: I ordered an extra pizza.

Extra is "дополнительный" dopolnitel'nyy - pronounced like "da-pa-l'nee-tel'nyy" - masculine

Extra is "дополнительная" dopolnitel'naya - pronounced like "da-pa-l'nee-tel'naya" - feminine

Helpful hint: It is important to learn the different forms of the word "extra" in Russian. You will hear it used in many different ways, so be prepared to use the right form for each situation.

The next word is send. The word "send" in English has several Russian translations depending on the context. Here are some examples:

1. "Отправить" [otpravit'] - To send (something) - This is the most common translation of "send" and is used for sending physical objects, messages, or people.

Example: Я отправил письмо другу. - "Ya otpravil' pismo drugu." (I sent a letter to my friend.)

Breakdown:

Я - [ya] - I - pronounced [ya]

отправил - [otpravil] - past tense masculine singular of "отправить" [otpravit'] - pronounced [ot-pra-veel]

письмо - [pis'mo] - letter - pronounced [pees'-mo]

другу - [drugu] - to a friend - pronounced [droo-goo]

Pronunciation: [ya ot-pra-veel pees'-mo droo-goo]

2. "Послать" [poslat'] - To send (someone) - This is used for sending someone to do something, or to send a message to someone. It can also be used in a more informal context, for sending something.

Example: Я послал своего сына в магазин. - "Ya poslal svoego syna v magazin." (I sent my son to the store.)

Breakdown:

Я - [ya] - I - pronounced [ya]

послал - [poslal] - past tense masculine singular of "послать" [poslat'] - pronounced [pos-lal]

своего - [svoego] - my (masculine) - pronounced [svo-ye-vo]

сына - [syna] - son - pronounced [seen-ah]

в - [v] - to, in - pronounced [v]

магазин - [magazin] - store - pronounced [ma-ga-zeen]

Pronunciation: [ya pos-lal svo-ye-vo seen-ah v ma-ga-zeen]

3. "Передать" [peredat'] - To send (something) through someone - This verb is used when you are sending something through an intermediary.

Example: Передай привет от меня. - "Pereday privet ot menya." (Send my regards.)

Breakdown:

Передай - [pereday] - Imperative singular of "передать" [peredat'] - pronounced [pe-re-day]

привет - [privet] - hello, regards - pronounced [pri-vet]

от - [ot] - from - pronounced [ot]

меня - [menya] - me - pronounced [me-nya]

Pronunciation: [pe-re-day pri-vet ot me-nya]

Key Concepts:

Russian verbs conjugate, changing form based on person, number, tense, and gender.

It's important to pay attention to the context of the word "send" to choose the right Russian translation.

English: Send

Russian: Отправить [otpravit'] - To send (something) - [ot-pra-veet]

Russian: Послать [poslat'] - To send (someone) - [pos-lat']

Russian: Передать [peredat'] - To send (something) through someone - [pe-re-dat']

The next word is worker. The Russian sentence is: Рабочий строит дом.

Breakdown:

Рабочий (ra-bo-chiy) is the subject of the sentence and means "worker". It is a masculine noun in the nominative case, which means it is the subject of the sentence. It can be used to refer to a male worker in any profession, but in this case, it implies a construction worker.

строит (stro-it) is the verb, which means "builds" or "constructs". It is in the present tense, third person singular form. This means it is the action performed by the subject "worker".

дом (dom) is the object of the verb "builds". It means "house". It is a masculine noun in the accusative case, which means it is the object of the verb "builds".

Translation: The worker builds a house.

Key concepts:

Nouns in Russian have grammatical cases, which affect their endings. The case of a noun depends on its role in the sentence. In this sentence, "Рабочий" is in the nominative case because it is the subject, and "дом" is in the accusative case because it is the object.

Verbs in Russian have conjugations, which change based on the person, number, and tense. In this sentence, the verb "строит" is in the third person singular form of the present tense, meaning it describes the action of a singular subject in the present.

Pronunciation:

Рабочий (ra-bo-chiy): The "o" in the first syllable is pronounced like the "o" in "hot". The "i" in the second syllable is pronounced like the "ee" in "see". The "y" at the end is a soft consonant, similar to the "y" in "yes".

строит (stro-it): The "o" in the first syllable is pronounced like the "o" in "hot". The "i" in the second syllable is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

дом (dom): The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

Variations:

Рабочая (ra-bo-cha-ya) is the feminine form of "worker". This would be used for a female construction worker.

Рабочие (ra-bo-chi-ye) is the plural form of "worker". This would be used for multiple workers.

Строят (stro-yat) is the plural form of the verb "builds". This would be used if the subject of the sentence were plural, for example, "The workers build a house".

Строил (stro-il) is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "builds". This would be used if the subject of the sentence were singular and the action happened in the past, for example, "The worker built a house".

The next word is institution. The word "institution" in Russian is учреждение (pronounced oo-chray-zh-de-nee-ye). It is a noun, and in this sentence, it is in the nominative case, which means it is the subject of the sentence. The word "учреждение" учреждение can also be used in other cases, such as the genitive, accusative, dative, and instrumental.

Sentence:

Это учреждение известно своим высоким качеством образования.

Breakdown:

Это (eh-toh) - this
учреждение (oo-chray-zh-de-nee-ye) - institution
известно (ee-z-ve-st-no) - is known
своим (svoi-im) - its (possessive adjective)

высоким (vi-so-kim) - high (adjective)

качеством (ka-che-stv-om) - quality (noun)

образования (oh-bra-zo-va-ni-ya) - education (noun)

Translation: This institution is known for its high quality of education.

Key Concepts:

Nominative case: The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence.

Possessive adjectives: Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership. In this sentence, the possessive adjective своим (svoi-im) is used to show that the quality of education belongs to the institution.

Variations:

The word "учреждение" учреждение can also be used in other contexts, such as referring to a government agency or a charitable organization.

English and Russian Translation:

Institution - учреждение (oo-chray-zh-de-nee-ye)

The next word is pretty. This is a great word to start with, as it gives us an opportunity to explore adjectives in Russian. Let's start with a simple sentence:

Девушка очень красивая.

Breakdown:

Девушка (pronounced [dye-vuh-shka]) - girl

очень (pronounced [oh-ch-in'] - very

красивая (pronounced [kra-see-vuh-ya]) - pretty

Important points:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. The word красивая (pretty) is feminine because the noun девушка (girl) is feminine. There are three genders in Russian: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

Adjective endings: The ending of the adjective changes to agree in gender with the noun. For example, if the noun were masculine, the adjective would be красивый (pronounced [kra-see-vee]).

Very: The word очень (very) is used to intensify the meaning of the adjective.

Translation: The girl is very pretty.

Variations:

красивый (pronounced [kra-see-vee]) - handsome (masculine)

красивое (pronounced [kra-see-vuh-ye]) - beautiful (neuter)

Pronunciation tips:

The "y" at the end of красивая is often silent, but it adds a subtle "ee" sound, so it's closer to "kra-see-vuh" than "kra-see-vuh-ya."

очень has a short, clipped "o" sound.

Remember, learning Russian is a journey. Keep practicing and you'll get there!

The next word is nature. ## Природа прекрасна в любое время года.

Breakdown:

Природа (pri-RO-da) - Nature, noun, feminine.

This is the main noun in the sentence.

The stress is on the second syllable, "RO".

прекрасна (pre-KRA-sna) - Beautiful, adjective, feminine singular.

This is an adjective that describes the noun "nature".

It agrees with the noun in gender and number.

The stress is on the second syllable, "KRA".

в (v) - In, preposition.

This is a preposition that introduces the following noun phrase.

It is pronounced like the English "v".

любое (lyu-BOE) - Any, adjective, neuter singular.

This is an adjective that modifies the noun "time".

It agrees with the noun in gender and number.

The stress is on the first syllable, "lyu".

время (VRE-mya) - Time, noun, neuter singular.

This is the noun phrase that is governed by the preposition "in".

The stress is on the first syllable, "VRE".

года (GO-da) - Of the year, genitive singular of the noun "year".

This is a genitive form of the noun "year".

It is used after the noun "time".

The stress is on the first syllable, "GO".

Meaning: Nature is beautiful in any time of year.

Variations:

You can replace the adjective "прекрасна" with other adjectives, such as:

красивая (kra-SI-va-ya) - beautiful

великолепная (ve-li-ko-LEP-na-ya) - magnificent

удивительная (u-di-VI-tel-na-ya) - amazing

Pronunciation Tips:

The "о" in words like "прекрасна" and "года" is pronounced similar to the "o" in "hot".

The "е" in words like "время" and "прекрасна" is pronounced similar to the "e" in "bed".

The "а" in words like "любое" is pronounced similar to the "a" in "father".

Translation:

Природа - Nature
прекрасна - beautiful
в - in
любое - any
время - time
года - of the year

The next word is taste. ## Вкус этого вина очень приятный.

Breakdown:

Вкус (VKOOS) - This is the noun "taste" in Russian.

этого (EH-tuh-guh) - This is the genitive case of the demonstrative pronoun "это" (eh-tuh), which means "this." This is used before the noun "wine." The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging in Russian.

вина (vee-NA) - This is the genitive case of the noun "вино" (vee-NO), which means "wine."

очень (OH-chin) - This is the adverb "very," which modifies the adjective "приятный" (priyat-ny).

приятный (priyat-ny) - This is the adjective "pleasant," referring to the taste of the wine.

Translation: The taste of this wine is very pleasant.

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: This case is essential for showing possession or belonging. It is often used with prepositions like "of," "from," or "about."

Adjectives: Russian adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify.

Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and often express manner, time, or place.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "c" in Вкус is pronounced like the "s" in "sin."

The "о" in очень is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

The "у" in Вкус is pronounced like the "oo" in "food."

The "е" in этого is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes."

The "а" in вина is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

The "й" in приятный is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."

English - Russian:

Taste - Вкус (VKOOS)

This - это (eh-tuh)

Wine - вино (vee-NO)

Very - очень (OH-chin)

Pleasant - приятный (priyat-ny)

The next word is the. The word "the" in English is a definite article, meaning it points to a specific noun. In Russian, the definite article doesn't exist as a separate word. Instead, it's expressed through grammatical endings, which are different for each noun. Here's an example sentence:

Я люблю этот город.

Breakdown:

Я - ya - I
люблю - lyublyu - love
этот - etot - this (masculine, singular)

город - gorod - city

Translation: I love this city.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), which affect their endings.

Case: The ending of the word город is -од because the noun is in the nominative case, indicating the subject of the sentence.

Pronunciation:

Я - [ya]

люблю - [lyublyu]

этот - [etot]

город - [gorod]

Variations:

If we were talking about a female city, we would use эта - eta - this (feminine, singular)

If we were talking about a city in general, we would use город without any article.

English Translation of Words:

the - expressed through endings

I - Я - [ya]

love - люблю - [lyublyu]

this - этот - [etot]

city - город - [gorod]

The next word is extent. The степень (pronounced [steh-p'en'] - 'steh' like 'step', 'p' like the 'p' in 'pen', and the 'en' like 'hen') of her влияние (pronounced [vli-ya-ni-ye] - 'vli' like 'v' in 'very', 'ya' like 'ya' in 'yard', 'ni' like 'knee' and the 'ye' like 'yeh' in 'yes') on the результат (pronounced [re-zul-taht] - 're' like 'ray', 'zul' like 'zoo', 'taht' like 'taught') was quite значительный (pronounced [znach-i-tel-niy] - 'znach' like 'snatch', 'i' like 'ee' in 'see', 'tel' like 'tell' and 'niy' like 'knee').

Breakdown:

степень (extent) - This is the noun form of the word and means "degree" or "extent". It is a feminine noun, so the adjective "значительный" must agree in gender. You can use it in phrases like "в какой степени" (to what extent) or "в большой степени" (to a great extent).

влияние (influence) - This is a noun and refers to the power to have an effect on someone or something.

результат (result) - This is a noun and refers to the outcome of an action or process.

значительный (significant) - This is an adjective that means "important" or "considerable". It agrees in gender, number and case with the noun it modifies.

Translation: The extent of her influence on the result was quite significant.

Key Concept: This sentence illustrates how Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This is a fundamental aspect of Russian grammar that you will need to master to speak and write correctly.

Pronunciation: Make sure to pay attention to the stress patterns in Russian words. The stress is often not predictable, so you will need to learn it for each word. The stress is marked with an apostrophe (') in the pronunciation guide.

The next word is swim. Девочка dyevochka (girl) любит lyubit (loves) плавать plavat' (to swim).

Breakdown:

Девочка dyevochka (girl) - The noun "девочка" dyevochka (girl) is in the nominative case, which means it is the subject of the sentence. The stress is on the first syllable.

любит lyubit (loves) - The verb "любит" lyubit (loves) is in the third person singular present tense, which means it describes what the subject of the sentence (the girl) does. The stress is on the second syllable.

плавать plavat' (to swim) - The verb "плавать" plavat' (to swim) is in the infinitive form, which means it is the action that the subject performs. The stress is on the first syllable.

Variations:

You can use the plural form of "девочка" dyevochka (girl), which is "девочки" dyevochki (girls), to say "Girls love to swim."

You can use the past tense of "любит" lyubit (loves), which is "любила" lyubila (loved), to say "The girl loved to swim."

Pronunciation Guide:

Девочка dyevochka (girl): The "д" d sounds like a "d" in English, the "е" ye sounds like the "ye" in "yes," the "в" v sounds like a "v" in English, the "о" o sounds like the "o" in "hot," the "ч" ch sounds like the "ch" in "cheese," the "к" k sounds like a "k" in English, and the "а" a sounds like the "a" in "father."

любит lyubit (loves): The "л" l sounds like an "l" in English, the "ю" yu sounds like the "u" in "flute," the "б" b sounds like a "b" in English, the "и" i sounds like the "ee" in "see," the "т" t sounds like a "t" in English.

плавать plavat' (to swim): The "п" p sounds like a "p" in English, the "л" l sounds like an "l" in English, the "а" a sounds like the "a" in "father," the "в" v sounds like a "v" in English, the "а" a sounds like the "a" in "father," the "т" t sounds like a "t" in English, and the "ь" ' is silent.

English Translation: The girl loves to swim.

The next word is historical. The word "historical" in Russian is исторический (pronounced: is-tor-ee-ches-kiy).

Let's break down the sentence:

Этот музей хранит множество исторических артефактов.

Этот (eh-toht) means "this".

музей (moo-zay) means "museum".

хранит (hra-neet) is the third person singular present tense of the verb "to keep" or "to store".

множество (mnozhestvo) means "many" or "a lot of".

исторических (is-tor-ee-ches-kih) is the plural genitive case of "historical" (you can think of this as the possessive form in English).

артефактов (ar-te-fak-tov) means "artifacts".

The sentence translates to: "This museum keeps many historical artifacts".

Key concepts:

The Russian language has cases, which change the endings of words depending on their grammatical role in the sentence. In this case, "исторических" is in the genitive case, which is used for possession.

Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet.

Pronunciation tips:

The "ch" in исторический is a soft "ch" sound, like the "ch" in the English word "chair".

The "e" at the end of исторических is very short and almost silent.

Translations:

Historical: исторический (is-tor-ee-ches-kiy)

Museum: музей (moo-zay)

Artifact: артефакт (ar-te-fakt)

The next word is wood. ## Деревянный стол стоит в углу комнаты.

Breakdown:

Деревянный (pronounced: de-re-vyan-ny) - This is an adjective meaning "wooden". It's derived from the noun "дерево" (pronounced: de-re-vo) meaning "tree" or "wood". You can add the ending "-ый" to many nouns to create adjectives.

стол (pronounced: stol) - This is a noun meaning "table".

стоит (pronounced: sto-it) - This is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb "to stand".

в (pronounced: v) - This is a preposition meaning "in".

углу (pronounced: ug-loo) - This is a noun meaning "corner".

комнаты (pronounced: kom-na-ty) - This is a noun meaning "room".

Translation: The wooden table stands in the corner of the room.

Word Pronunciation & Translation:

wood: дерево (de-re-vo)

wooden: деревянный (de-re-vyan-ny)

The next word is indicate. The word "indicate" can be translated into Russian as указывать (ukazyvat'). This verb is in the infinitive form, meaning it is not conjugated. To use it in a sentence, we need to conjugate it according to the subject and tense.

Here is an example sentence:

Эта карта указывает путь к сокровищу.

Breakdown:

Эта (eta) - This (feminine singular nominative case)

карта (karta) - map (feminine singular nominative case)

указывает (ukazyvaet) - indicates (third person singular present tense)

путь (put') - way, path (masculine singular nominative case)

к (k) - to (preposition)

сокровищу (sokrovishchu) - treasure (neuter singular dative case)

This sentence translates to "This map indicates the way to the treasure."

Key Concepts

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence (subject, object, etc.).

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings depending on the subject, tense, and aspect (perfective or imperfective).

Prepositions: Prepositions in Russian often require a specific case for the noun that follows them.

Pronunciation
указывать - oo-kah-zy-vat'

эта - eh-ta
карта - kar-ta
путь - poot'

к - k
сокровищу - sa-kro-vee-shchu

Variations

The verb указывать can be used in different tenses, aspects, and moods. For example:

укажу (ukazhu) - I will indicate (future tense)

указал (ukazal) - I indicated (past tense, perfective aspect)

указывал (ukazyval) - I was indicating (past tense, imperfective aspect)

укажите (ukazhite) - Indicate! (imperative mood)

English Translation

Indicate - указывать (oo-kah-zy-vat')

The next word is industry. ## Промышленность является важным сектором экономики.

Breakdown:

Промышленность [pro-mysh-len-nost] - industry (noun, feminine) - This is the key word. It represents the whole area of production and manufacturing.

является [ya-vlya-et-sya] - is (verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, indicating the industry's importance.

важным [vazh-nym] - important (adjective, masculine) - This describes the significance of industry to the economy.

сектором [sek-tor-om] - sector (noun, masculine) - This word specifies a specific part of the economy, highlighting that industry is one of several contributing components.

экономики [e-ko-no-mi-ki] - economy (noun, feminine) - This word designates the overall system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in a country.

Translation: Industry is an important sector of the economy.

Variations:

промышленный [pro-mysh-len-ny] - industrial (adjective)

промышленник [pro-mysh-len-nik] - industrialist (noun, masculine)

промышленница [pro-mysh-len-ni-tsa] - industrialist (noun, feminine)

Key Concepts:

This sentence emphasizes the importance of industry to a country's economic well-being.

The word "industry" is a broad term, encompassing a wide range of production activities.

The use of the singular form "sector" indicates the many different sectors that contribute to the economy.

Memorization Tip:

Think of "industry" as a busy, productive place (like a factory). The Russian word промышленность sounds similar to the English word "promotion", suggesting the growth and development associated with industry.

The next word is shock. The word "shock" in Russian is шок (pronounced "shok").

Here's a sentence using the word:

Он был в шоке от неожиданного известия. (pronounced "On byl v shoke ot neozhidannogo izvestiya.")

This translates to "He was in shock from the unexpected news."

Breakdown of the sentence:

Он (pronounced "on") - means "he" - is the subject of the sentence.

был (pronounced "byl") - means "was" - it is the past tense of the verb "to be" and agrees with the subject "he".

в (pronounced "v") - means "in" - it is a preposition indicating location.

шоке (pronounced "shoke") - means "shock" - it is the prepositional case of the word шок - the form of the word that follows the preposition "in".

от (pronounced "ot") - means "from" - it is a preposition indicating source.

неожиданного (pronounced "neozhidannogo") - means "unexpected" - it is the genitive case of the adjective неожиданный ("neozhidanny") which means "unexpected" - it is the form of the word that follows the preposition "from".

известия (pronounced "izvestiya") - means "news" - it is the genitive case of the word известие ("izvestie") which means "news".

Variations of the word shock:

шокировать (pronounced "shokirovat") - to shock (verb) - This verb is formed from the noun шок.

Key concepts

Russian is a highly inflected language. Nouns, adjectives, and pronouns have different forms or cases depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. For example, the word for "shock" is шок in the nominative case (when it is the subject of a sentence), but шоке in the prepositional case (when it follows the preposition "in").

You will need to learn to recognize and use these cases when you learn Russian.

English-Russian word translation and pronunciation
shock - шок (pronounced "shok")

he - он (pronounced "on")

was - был (pronounced "byl")

in - в (pronounced "v")

from - от (pronounced "ot")

unexpected - неожиданный (pronounced "neozhidanny")

news - известие (pronounced "izvestie")

The next word is you. The word "you" in English has a few variations depending on the context and formality. In Russian, however, there is only one form for "you" regardless of formality, and it is ты (pronounced "t-uh").

Here's a simple sentence using ты:

Ты хороший человек.

Ты (t-uh) - you (subject of the sentence)

хороший (hoh-roh-shee) - good (adjective describing the subject)

человек (cheh-loh-vehk) - person (noun, object of the sentence)

Translation: You are a good person.

Key concept: The sentence is in the present tense and uses the nominative case for ты as the subject.

Variations:

Ты умный - You are smart

Ты красивый - You are beautiful

Ты молодой - You are young

Remember, while ты is used for all forms of "you", the proper way to address someone depends on context and formality. It's best to use ты only with close friends or family.

The next word is company. English: The company is located in the center of the city.

Russian: Компания находится в центре города. Kompaniya nakhoditsya v tsentre goroda.

Breakdown:

Компания (Kompaniya) - Company. This is a feminine noun, so the adjective центра (tsentra) - center is also in the feminine form.

находится (nakhoditsya) - is located. This is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb находиться (nakhoditsya) - to be located.

в (v) - in
центре (tsentre) - center. The word центр (tsentr) - center is masculine, so it takes the preposition в (v) - in
города (goroda) - city. Город (gorod) - city is masculine, so the ending of the word changes to города (goroda) when used with the preposition в (v) - in.

Key Concepts:

Gender of nouns: Russian nouns have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This influences the form of adjectives and other words that agree with the noun.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. They often change the form of the noun or pronoun that they govern.

Pronunciation:

Компания (Kompaniya) - "kom-pa-ni-ya"

находится (nakhoditsya) - "na-kho-dit-sya"

в (v) - "v"

центре (tsentre) - "tsen-tre"

города (goroda) - "go-ro-da"

The next word is seat. The English word "seat" can be translated in Russian as место (pronounced "myes-to"). It is a noun and means "place" or "location" in this context.

Here is an example sentence:

Пожалуйста, займите место! (pronounced "pa-zhal-usta, zay-mee-tee myes-to")

Please, take a seat!

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (pronounced "pa-zhal-usta") means "please". It is an imperative, meaning it is a command, but polite.

займите (pronounced "zay-mee-tee") is the imperative form of the verb занимать (pronounced "za-nee-mat") which means "to occupy" or "to take".

место (pronounced "myes-to") means "seat" or "place" here.

Word Breakdown and Pronunciation

Seat [siːt]

Место [myes-to]

You can use the word место (pronounced "myes-to") to refer to a physical location, such as a seat on a bus, or a place in a room, or even a location on a map.

The next word is approach. ## Подход к решению этой задачи был очень креативным.

Breakdown:

Подход (podhod) - This is the noun "approach". The "o" in подход is pronounced like the "o" in "hot" . You can see it as an "o" with a little line above it.

к (k) - This is the preposition "to" or "towards"

решению (resheniyu) - This is the dative case of the noun "решение" (reshenie) meaning "solution". In Russian, the dative case is used to show the indirect object of a verb, so here "решению" is the indirect object of the verb "был" (was). Remember the "e" at the end of "решению" is an "e" with a little line above it. The pronunciation of this "e" is a bit of a stretch of the tongue, not quite like the "e" in "bet" but close to it.

этой (etoy) - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "этот" (etot) meaning "this". The "o" in "этой" is the same as the "o" in "hot".

задаче (zadache) - This is the dative case of the noun "задача" (zadacha) meaning "task". You might hear this "a" at the end of the word like "a" in "father" but a bit shorter.

был (byl) - This is the past tense of the verb "быть" (byt) meaning "to be". The "ы" at the end of the word is like a very short "y" or almost like the "i" at the end of "try".

очень (ochen) - This is the adverb "very" "o" is like the "o" in hot and the "ch" is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair".

креативным (kreativnym) - This is the instrumental case of the adjective "креативный" (kreativnyy) meaning "creative". The "и" in "креативным" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

Translation: The approach to solving this task was very creative.

Variations:

Подходить (podhodit) - to approach (verb)

Подходный (podhodnyy) - approachable (adjective)

Подход (podhod) can also be used as a singular noun meaning "a method" or "a way". For example: У нас есть несколько подходов (U nas est neskolko podhodov) - We have several approaches.

Note: The "o" at the end of the word подход is an unstressed "o" which often sounds like a short "uh" in English. So the word might sound closer to "podhuh" than "podhod".

Pronunciation:

Подход - podhod
к - k
решению - resheniyu
этой - etoy
задаче - zadache
был - byl
очень - ochen
креативным - kreativnym

The next word is freedom. The Russian word for freedom is свобода (svoboda). This word is feminine and will decline in the genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental and prepositional cases. The word is stressed on the first syllable: своboda.

Here is an example of how to use the word in a sentence:

Он мечтает о свободе.

Он - he (nominative case, masculine, singular)

мечтает - dreams (present tense, third person, singular, verb "мечтать" - to dream)

о - about (preposition)

свободе - freedom (prepositional case, feminine, singular)

Translation: He dreams of freedom.

Pronounciation:

он - [awn]

мечтает - [mihchtayit]

о - [o]

свободе - [svobode]

English: Freedom

Russian: свобода (svoboda)

The next word is strike. The English word "strike" can have many meanings in Russian. Here is an example with the meaning of "to hit".

Sentence:

Студент случайно ударил ногой по стулу.

Breakdown:

Студент (stoo-dent) - student. This is a masculine noun.

случайно (sloo-chayn-uh) - accidentally. This is an adverb.

ударил (oo-dah-reel) - hit. This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb ударять (oo-dah-ryat') - to hit.

ногой (nah-goy) - with a foot. This is the instrumental case of нога (nah-gah) - leg/foot.

по (pah) - preposition meaning "on/against".

стулу (stoo-loo) - chair. This is the dative case of стул (stool) - chair. The dative case is used to show the indirect object of the verb.

Translation: The student accidentally kicked the chair.

Variations:

Ударить (oo-dah-reet') - to hit (infinitive form of the verb).

Ударила (oo-dah-ree-lah) - hit (past tense, feminine singular form of the verb).

Ударили (oo-dah-ree-lee) - hit (past tense, plural form of the verb).

Pronunciation:

Студент (stoo-dent) - stress on the first syllable
случайно (sloo-chayn-uh) - stress on the second syllable
ударил (oo-dah-reel) - stress on the second syllable
ногой (nah-goy) - stress on the first syllable
по (pah) - stress on the first syllable
стулу (stoo-loo) - stress on the first syllable

The next word is nurse. The word "nurse" in Russian is медсестра (med-se-stra).

The sentence:

Медсестра заботится о пациенте. (med-se-stra za-bo-ti-tsya o pa-tsi-en-te)

Breakdown:

Медсестра (med-se-stra) - nurse (feminine)

заботится (za-bo-ti-tsya) - takes care of (third-person singular, present tense, of the verb заботиться [za-bo-ti-tsya] - to take care of)

о (o) - about/of (preposition)

пациенте (pa-tsi-en-te) - patient (masculine, prepositional case)

Translation: The nurse takes care of the patient.

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender, and the form of the adjective and the verb often depends on the gender of the noun. Here, "nurse" (медсестра) is feminine, so the verb "takes care of" (заботится) is in the feminine form.

Prepositional Case: The preposition "about/of" (о) requires the noun "patient" (пациенте) to be in the prepositional case.

Variations of the word:

медбрат (med-brat) - nurse (masculine) - "medbrat" is used for a male nurse.

Pronunciation:

Медсестра (med-se-stra): The "e" in медсестра is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

заботится (za-bo-ti-tsya): The "i" in заботится is pronounced like the "i" in "machine."

о (o): The "o" in о is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

пациенте (pa-tsi-en-te): The "e" in пациенте is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

English & Russian Translation:

Nurse: медсестра (med-se-stra)

Patient: пациент (pa-tsi-ent)

The next word is it. English Word: It

Russian Sentence: Это книга. Она интересная.

Breakdown:

Это - This is the nominative form of the pronoun "it". It is pronounced like [eh-to].

книга - The word "book" is книга and is pronounced like [k-nee-gah]

Она - This is the nominative form of the pronoun "she" or "it" (for feminine nouns). It is pronounced [ah-na]

интересная - This is the feminine adjective meaning "interesting" and is pronounced like [in-ter-yes-nuh-yah]

This sentence means "This is a book. It is interesting."

Key Concepts:

Pronoun Case: This sentence demonstrates the nominative case of pronouns, used for subjects of sentences.

Gender Agreement: The adjective интересная agrees with the noun книга in gender.

Word Order: The Russian word order in this sentence is different from English: subject (book) - verb (is) - complement (interesting).

Variations:

Это интересная книга (This is an interesting book)

Она интересная . (It is interesting)

Он интересный . (It is interesting, for masculine nouns)

Translation of Words:

Это - This (pronounced [eh-to])

книга - book (pronounced [k-nee-gah])

Она - She / It (pronounced [ah-na])

интересная - interesting (pronounced [in-ter-yes-nuh-yah])

The next word is nobody. Here's a Russian sentence using the word "nobody."

Sentence: Никто не пришёл на встречу.

Breakdown:

Никто (pronounced: nee-KTOH) - This is the subject of the sentence, and it means "nobody" in Russian. It's important to note that "nobody" in Russian is one word, not two like in English.

не (pronounced: nye) - This is the negative particle. It is placed before the verb to make it negative.

пришёл (pronounced: pri-SHOL) - This is the past tense, masculine, singular form of the verb "to come" (приходить - pri-ho-DIT').

на (pronounced: nah) - This is a preposition meaning "on" or "to". It's used here to mean "to" the meeting.

встречу (pronounced: vstre-CHU) - This is the accusative form of the noun встреча (pronounced: vstre-CHA) which means "meeting."

Translation: Nobody came to the meeting.

Variations:

You can change the gender of the verb to match the gender of the person who didn't come, for example, Никто не пришла (pronounced: pri-SHLA) if it was a woman who didn't come.

You can change the tense of the verb to reflect a different time, for example, Никто не придёт (pronounced: pri-DYOT) - nobody will come.

Pronunciation Notes:

The "o" in Никто and пришёл is pronounced like the "o" in the English word "hot."

The "e" in не and встречу is pronounced like the "e" in the English word "bed."

English: nobody

Russian: никто (nee-KTOH)

The next word is pain. The word боль (pronounced [bol] as in "bowl") means "pain".

Here is a sentence using this word:

У меня болит голова.

Translation: I have a headache.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced [oo]) means "at" or "with" in this case. It is the preposition used before the noun "head". The stress is on the last syllable.

меня (pronounced [minya]) means "me" and is the object pronoun for the word "I". The stress is on the first syllable.

болит (pronounced [boleet] as in "bullet") is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb "to ache" or "to hurt". The stress is on the second syllable.

голова (pronounced [golova] as in "go-lo-va") means "head". The stress is on the first syllable.

This sentence is a simple declarative sentence stating a fact, and it uses the present tense. In Russian, the verb "to ache" болеть (pronounced [boleet]) is used to describe physical discomfort or pain. This verb is used with the preposition у which indicates location and usually precedes the part of the body that is experiencing pain.

The word боль can also be used as a noun meaning "pain" as in сильная боль (pronounced [seelnaya bol]) meaning "strong pain". You may encounter other forms of the verb болеть in different tenses.

English: pain / боль (pronounced [bol] as in "bowl")

Russian: боль (pronounced [bol] as in "bowl")

The next word is hear. Я я (ya) hear слышу (slyshu) the music.

Я слышу музыку. (Ya slyshu muzyku.)

Grammar: This is a simple sentence with the subject "I" я (ya) and the verb "hear" слышу (slyshu) in the present tense. The object of the sentence is "music" музыку (muzyku).

Variations: The verb "hear" слышать (slyshat') can be conjugated in various tenses and forms. For example, you could say Я слышал (Ya slyshal) to express that you heard something in the past.

Pronunciation:

я (ya) - "ya"

слышу (slyshu) - "slish-oo"

музыку (muzyku) - "moo-zy-koo"

Key Concept: The verb слышать (slyshat') is a transitive verb, meaning it takes an object.

English Translation: I hear the music.

Russian Translation: Я слышу музыку. (Ya slyshu muzyku.)

The next word is even. The word "even" can be translated in Russian in a few different ways depending on the context. Here is a sentence showing one way to use "even"

Даже самый умный человек может ошибаться.

Breakdown of the sentence:

Даже (pronounced dah-zhe) - This word means "even" and is used to emphasize the unexpected nature of something.

самый (pronounced sa-my) - This word means "the most" or "the very".

умный (pronounced oom-ny) - means "smart" or "intelligent".

человек (pronounced che-la-vek) - means "person" or "human".

может (pronounced mo-zhet) - means "can" or "may".

ошибаться (pronounced a-shi-bat-sa) - means "to make a mistake".

Translation: Even the smartest person can make a mistake.

Variations of "even":

"Even" can also be translated as даже (pronounced dah-zhe). This version is more common.

"Even if" can be translated as даже если (pronounced dah-zhe ye-sli).

Pronunciation tips:

ж is pronounced like a "zh" sound in "treasure".

ч is pronounced like a "ch" sound in "church".

ц is pronounced like a "ts" sound in "cats".

The ы sound is a little difficult for English speakers. Imagine that you are saying "ee" but you are closing your mouth a bit.

English: Even

Russian: даже (dah-zhe)

The next word is hand. The word "hand" in Russian is рука (pronounced "roo-ka"). It is a feminine noun, so it will have different endings depending on the case and number. For example, in the plural, it would be руки (pronounced "roo-kee").

Here is an example sentence:

У меня в руке книга. У меня в руке книга. (pronounced "oo mee-nya v roo-kee k-nee-ga")

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") - is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and is used here to indicate location.

меня (pronounced "mee-nya") - means "me" and is used as the object of the preposition.

в (pronounced "v") - means "in" and is used as a preposition.

руке (pronounced "roo-kee") - means "hand" and is in the prepositional case.

книга (pronounced "k-nee-ga") - means "book" and is in the nominative case.

Translation: I have a book in my hand.

Key concept: The prepositional case is used to show location or direction. It is one of the six cases in Russian. It is formed by adding the ending -е to most nouns.

Word and Pronunciation

Hand: рука (pronounced "roo-ka")

Book: книга (pronounced "k-nee-ga")

The next word is daughter. The word "daughter" in Russian is дочь (pronounced "doch").

Here's a sentence using it:

У меня есть дочь.

Translation: I have a daughter.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") is a preposition meaning "at" or "by," but it is used here to indicate possession.

меня (pronounced "menya") is the object pronoun meaning "me".

есть (pronounced "yest") is the verb "to be" or "to have."

дочь (pronounced "doch") is the noun "daughter".

Key Concepts:

This sentence uses the genitive case of the noun дочь, meaning "of a daughter".

You can also use the accusative case if the daughter is the direct object of a verb. For example, Я люблю дочь - "I love my daughter".

The word дочь is feminine, so it changes form based on the case.

Pronunciation Tips:

дочь is pronounced like "doch" with a slight emphasis on the first syllable.

English: daughter /ˈdɔːtər/

Russian: дочь /ˈdotʃ/

The next word is fire. The word "fire" in Russian is огонь (pronounced "ah-gone"). It is a masculine noun, so it uses the masculine form of the adjective and the masculine form of the verb.

Here is an example of a sentence using the word огонь:

Пожарная машина быстро потушила огонь. (pronounced "pa-zhar-naya ma-shee-na bys-tra pa-too-shee-la ah-gone")

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Пожарная (pronounced "pa-zhar-naya") - fire, adjective, feminine, nominative case, singular
машина (pronounced "ma-shee-na") - machine, noun, feminine, nominative case, singular
быстро (pronounced "bys-tra") - quickly, adverb
потушила (pronounced "pa-too-shee-la") - past tense, feminine, singular, of the verb потушить (pronounced "pa-too-sheet") to extinguish
огонь (pronounced "ah-gone") - fire, noun, masculine, accusative case, singular

The sentence translates to "The fire truck quickly extinguished the fire." The accusative case is used here because the verb потушила is a transitive verb and the direct object is огонь.

Key concepts:

Gender in Russian nouns and adjectives - Nouns and adjectives in Russian have genders, and the form of the noun and the adjective must agree in gender.

Case in Russian nouns - The case of a noun changes depending on its role in the sentence. The most common cases are nominative, accusative, and genitive.

Pronunciation hints:

The letter г in огонь is pronounced like the "g" in "get".

The letter о is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

The letter нь in огонь is pronounced like the "ny" in "canyon".

English Translation: fire - огонь (ah-gone)

The next word is cut. The word "cut" in English has many meanings and can be used in various contexts. Let's look at one example in Russian:

Sentence: Он разрезал яблоко на четыре части.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun) (pronounced as "ohn")

разрезал - cut (verb, past tense, masculine singular) (pronounced as "raz-ri-zal")

яблоко - apple (noun, neuter) (pronounced as "yab-lo-ko")

на - on, into (preposition) (pronounced as "na")

четыре - four (numeral) (pronounced as "chi-ty-ri")

части - parts (noun, feminine plural) (pronounced as "chas-ti")

Meaning: He cut the apple into four parts.

Key concept: The verb "cut" in this sentence is in the past tense. We use the past tense in Russian to talk about actions that already happened.

Variations:

Разрезать - to cut (verb, infinitive)

Разрезанный - cut (past participle, masculine singular)

Разрезала - cut (verb, past tense, feminine singular)

Разрезали - cut (verb, past tense, plural)

Pronunciation:

разрезал (raz-ri-zal)

яблоко (yab-lo-ko)

части (chas-ti)

English: Cut

Russian: резать (ri-zat')

The next word is appropriate. The word "appropriate" in English translates to подходящий (pod-kho-dy-a-shchiy) in Russian. It is an adjective that describes something that is suitable or fitting for a particular situation, person, or purpose. It is a versatile word and can be used in many contexts.

Here's a sentence using this word: Эта книга идеально подходит для детей (Eta kniga ideal'no podkhodit dlya detey).

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This, (eh-ta)

книга (kniga) - book, (k-nee-ga)

идеально (ideal'no) - ideally, (ee-dee-al'no)

подходит (podkhodit) - suits, fits, (pod-kho-deet)

для (dlya) - for, (dlya)

детей (detey) - children, (dee-tey)

This sentence means "This book is ideally suited for children". Notice that the word подходящий (pod-kho-dy-a-shchiy) is used in its more formal form подходит (pod-kho-deet).

Here are other ways to say "appropriate":

соответствующий (soo-ot-vet-stvuy-ushchiy) - corresponding, relevant
пригодный (pri-god-nyy) - suitable, fit
уместный (oo-mes-tnyy) - appropriate, timely

Appropriate - подходящий (pod-kho-dy-a-shchiy)

The next word is after. The word "after" can be used in Russian in a few ways. Here is an example sentence using the preposition после (posle).

После лекции, мы пошли в кафе.

Posle lekcii, my poshli v kafe.

Breakdown:

После (posle) - preposition meaning "after" (pronounced "POS-leh")

лекции (lekcii) - noun meaning "lecture" (pronounced "LEK-tsee-ee")

мы (my) - pronoun meaning "we" (pronounced "MY")

пошли (poshli) - verb meaning "went" (pronounced "POHSH-lee")

в (v) - preposition meaning "in" or "to" (pronounced "v")

кафе (kafe) - noun meaning "cafe" (pronounced "kah-FEH")

Translation:

After the lecture, we went to the cafe.

Key concepts:

Prepositions: Prepositions like после are essential for showing relationships between words in a sentence.

Noun Cases: The noun лекции (lekcii) is in the genitive case, which is used after prepositions like после (posle).

Word order: Russian word order is flexible, but generally, the preposition comes before the noun it modifies.

Variations:

The word после (posle) can also be used as an adverb meaning "later" or "afterwards."

Other words for "after" include: затем (zatem) - meaning "then" or "after that," потом (potom) - meaning "then" or "later," and за (za) - meaning "behind" or "after" in a temporal sense.

Pronunciation:

после (posle) - "POS-leh"

лекции (lekcii) - "LEK-tsee-ee"

мы (my) - "MY"

пошли (poshli) - "POHSH-lee"

в (v) - "v"

кафе (kafe) - "kah-FEH"

The next word is previous. The word "previous" can be used in Russian to describe something that happened before something else. Here is an example sentence using this word.

Предыдущая неделя была очень холодной.

Breakdown:

Предыдущая [previous/pre-di-doo-shcha-ya] is the feminine form of the adjective предыдущий [previous/pre-di-doo-shchiy]. This word is used to mean something that happened or existed before something else.

неделя [week/ne-de-lya] is the noun for "week". This is a feminine noun.

была [was/by-la] is the past tense of the verb быть [to be/byt'].

очень [very/o-chen'] is the adverb meaning "very"

холодной [cold/ho-lod-noy] is the feminine form of the adjective холодный [cold/ho-lod-nyy].

Translation:

The previous week was very cold.

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement in Russian adjectives: Notice how the ending of the adjective предыдущая changes to agree with the gender of the noun неделя

Past Tense of the verb быть: The verb быть is irregular in the past tense.

Pronunciation:

Предыдущая [pre-di-doo-shcha-ya]

неделя [ne-de-lya]

была [by-la]

очень [o-chen']

холодной [ho-lod-noy]

The next word is text. The word "text" can be used in Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. Here is an example of a simple sentence using "text" as a noun, referring to the written content of a message.

Russian sentence:

Я получил текст сообщения.

English translation:

I received the text of the message.

Breakdown:

Я - I, [pronounced: ya]

получил - received, [pronounced: pa-loo-cheel]

текст - text (as in written content), [pronounced: teekst]

сообщения - message, [pronounced: saa-ob-shchen-iya]

Key concepts:

Word order: Russian word order is typically subject-verb-object, so the sentence is structured as "I received the text of the message."

Noun declension: Notice that the word "message" is in the genitive case (сообщения), which is used to show possession or belonging.

Variations of the word "text":

You can use "текст" to refer to the actual written content of any piece of writing, not just a message.

If you are referring to a text message, you can also use the word СМС (SMS) which is a loanword from English.

Pronunciation tips:

Pay attention to the stress in Russian words. It is usually on the penultimate (second to last) syllable, like in текст and сообщения.

"Ch" is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair" in Russian.

"Sh" is pronounced like the "sh" in "ship" in Russian.

The letter "и" at the end of a word is usually pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

English - Russian word translations:

text - текст
message - сообщение

The next word is tool. ## Инструмент is a noun that means tool in English. You can use it to describe a physical object that is used for a specific task. For example, you could say "Этот инструмент нужен для ремонта " which translates to "This tool is needed for repairs."

Breakdown:

Инструмент [in-stru-ment] (noun) - tool

Этот [eh-tot] (pronoun) - this
нужен [noo-zhen] (verb) - is needed
для [dlya] (preposition) - for
ремонта [ri-mon-ta] (noun) - repairs

Variations:

You can also use инструмент in a more abstract sense to refer to a method or technique. For example, you could say "Музыка – это инструмент общения" which translates to "Music is a tool for communication."

Memorization:

Think of the English word "instrument" and how it's used to describe things like musical instruments. Инструмент is very similar in meaning, but can also be used for things like tools for fixing things.

Pronunciation:

Инструмент [in-stru-ment]

Этот [eh-tot]

нужен [noo-zhen]

для [dlya]

ремонта [ri-mon-ta]

The next word is raise. The word "raise" in English has a few different meanings in Russian, depending on the context. We'll focus on its meaning of "to lift something up".

Here's a sentence:

Он поднял руку, чтобы задать вопрос.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronounced: [ahn])

поднял - raised, lifted (pronounced: [pahd-nyal]) - This is the past tense masculine form of the verb. It changes based on the subject of the sentence!

руку - hand (pronounced: [roo-koo])

чтобы - in order to, so that (pronounced: [chtah-buh])

задать - to ask (pronounced: [zah-dat])

вопрос - question (pronounced: [vah-prohs])

Translation: He raised his hand to ask a question.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb поднять (to raise) is conjugated to match the subject of the sentence. The ending changes for each gender and grammatical case.

Infinitive vs. Conjugated Form: The infinitive form of the verb (the "to" form) is поднять. The conjugated form, which shows tense and agreement with the subject, is поднял.

Prepositions: The preposition чтобы indicates purpose.

Variations of the Word "Raise":

поднять (podnyat') - to raise, to lift (infinitive)

поднимать (podnimat') - to raise, to lift (present tense)

поднялся (podnyalsya) - he/she/it rose, got up (past tense, masculine, singular)

поднялась (podnyalas') - she rose, got up (past tense, feminine, singular)

поднялись (podnyalis') - they rose, got up (past tense, plural)

English: raise /reɪz/

Russian: поднять /pahd-nyat'/

The next word is structure. The word "structure" in Russian is структура (pronounced strook-TOO-rah).

Here's a Russian sentence using the word:

Эта книга имеет сложную структуру.

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-TAH) - This (feminine)

книга (KNEE-gah) - book
имеет (ee-MEH-yet) - has (third person singular of иметь (to have)

сложную (SLOZH-noo-yoo) - complex (feminine, singular, accusative case)

структуру (strook-TOO-rah) - structure

Translation: This book has a complex structure.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender, and this affects the form of adjectives and other words that modify them. "Книга" is feminine, so the adjective "сложная" is also feminine.

Cases: The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb. Here, "структуру" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of "имеет".

Variations:

The word "structure" can be used in many other contexts. For example, you could talk about the structure of a building, a society, or a story.

Pronunciation:

The stress in структура is on the second syllable (TOO).

The "у" in "структура" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon".

The "ж" in "сложная" is pronounced like the "zh" in "vision".

English: structure /ˈstrʌktʃər/

Russian: структура /strook-TOO-rah/

The next word is chair. The professor sits on the chair.

Профессор сидит на стуле. Professor (prah-fye-sor) sits (see-deet) on (nah) chair (stoo-lye). This sentence uses the third person singular present tense of the verb сидеть (see-dyet) which means "to sit". Notice that the ending of the verb сидеть (see-dyet) changes depending on who is sitting. In this case, the professor is sitting, so the ending of the verb is -ет (-yet). The word стул (stool) is a masculine noun, so the preposition на (nah) is used.

English: Chair

Russian: Стул (stool)

English: Professor

Russian: Профессор (prah-fye-sor)

English: Sit

Russian: Сидеть (see-dyet)

English: On

Russian: На (nah)

The next word is nothing. Ничего - nichego

This means "nothing" in Russian. This word is very versatile and can be used in many contexts.

Pronunciation:

Ничего - nichego - "nee-CHEE-go"

Grammar:

The word is declined according to the case.

It is in the nominative case here.

The accusative form is also the same, ничего - nichego.

Example Sentences:

Я не знаю ничего о ней. (Ya ne znayu nichego o ney.) - I know nothing about her.

Я - ya - I

не - ne - not

знаю - znayu - know

о - o - about

ней - ney - her

У меня ничего нет. (U menya nichego net.) - I have nothing.

У - u - at

меня - menya - me

нет - net - there is not

English: nothing

Russian: ничего - nichego

The next word is pleasure. English Word: pleasure

Russian Sentence: Мне в удовольствие с вами общаться.

Мне is the dative case of я (I). в удовольствие means "it is a pleasure". с вами is "with you". общаться is the infinitive of the verb "to communicate".

Breakdown:

This sentence means "It is a pleasure to communicate with you". This sentence is in the dative case. The dative case can be recognized by the preposition в (in). This is a common and useful phrase to learn.

Variations

There are many variations of удовольствие.

- Доставлять удовольствие (to give pleasure)

- Получать удовольствие (to receive pleasure)

- В большом удовольствие (a great pleasure)

Pronunciation:

Мне - [mnye]

в удовольствие - [v u-da-vol'st-vee]

с вами - [s va-mi]

общаться - [ab-shcha-tsa]

Translation:

Pleasure - удовольствие - [u-da-vol'st-vee]

The next word is lead. The word "lead" in English can have multiple meanings, and in Russian, there are several corresponding words depending on the context.

Example sentence:

The лидер команды вёл своих игроков к победе.

Breakdown:

лидер [pronounced: lee-der] means "leader." It is a noun. The лидер is the one who leads, the leader of the team.

команды [pronounced: ka-man-di] means "team." It is a noun, and it is in the genitive case, which is like the possessive form in English. So, this is "the leader of the team."

вёл [pronounced: vyol] means "led." This is the past tense of the verb вести which means "to lead." It is in the masculine singular form, agreeing with лидер.

своих [pronounced: svai-ikh] means "his/her/their" It is a possessive pronoun, and it refers back to лидер, meaning the leader's players.

игроков [pronounced: ig-ra-kov] means "players". It is a noun and in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb вёл.

к [pronounced: k] means "to," and it is a preposition.

победе [pronounced: pa-bye-dye] means "victory." This noun is in the dative case, which indicates the direction or purpose.

Translation: The leader of the team led his players to victory.

Variations:

The word "lead" as a noun can also be translated as свинец [pronounced: svee-nets], which means "lead" (the metal).

The word "lead" as a verb can also be translated as руководить [pronounced: roo-ka-va-dit], which means "to manage" or "to direct."

English-Russian Translations:

lead - лидер, свинец, вести
leader - лидер
team - команда
victory - победа
to lead - вести, руководить

The next word is lift. The word "lift" can be translated in a few different ways in Russian depending on the context.

To lift a heavy object: поднять (podnyat') - pronounced "pod-nyat'"

This verb is used for lifting something up, often with physical effort.

Example: Он поднял тяжелую коробку. (On podnyal tyazheluyu korobku.) Translation: He lifted the heavy box.

To lift someone's spirits: поднять настроение (podnyat' nastroenie) - pronounced "pod-nyat' nas-tro-e-ni-ye"

This phrase is used to describe making someone feel happier or more optimistic.

Example: Хорошая музыка всегда поднимает мне настроение. (Horoshaya muzyka vsegda podnimaet mne nastroenie.) Translation: Good music always lifts my spirits.

To lift a ban or restriction: снять запрет (snyat' zapret) - pronounced "snyat' za-pret"

This phrase is used to describe removing a rule or restriction.

Example: Правительство сняло запрет на въезд в страну. (Pravitel'stvo snyalo zapret na v'ezd v stranu.) Translation: The government lifted the ban on entry into the country.

In general, "поднимать" (podnimat') is the most common verb for "lift" in Russian.

English: lift

Russian: поднять (podnyat') pronounced "pod-nyat'"

The next word is dog. У меня есть собака (pronounced [suh-bah-kuh]).

This sentence means, "I have a dog."

Breakdown:

У меня ([oo] [mye] [nyah]) - This is a common phrase meaning "I have." It's a combination of the pronoun "я" ([ya] - I) and the word "у" ([oo] - at/by).

есть ([yest'] - to have) - This is a very common verb, and it's in the present tense, meaning "I have" or "there is/are."

собака ([suh-bah-kuh] - dog) - The word for "dog" is собака. It's a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine form of the verb "есть." The word "dog" is also commonly used in the plural form собаки ([suh-bah-kee]).

Key Concepts:

Gendered Nouns: In Russian, nouns have genders, which can impact the agreement of adjectives and verbs. In this case, the noun собака is feminine, which requires the feminine form of the verb "есть."

Translation:

У ([oo] - at/by)

меня ([mye] [nyah] - me)

есть ([yest'] - have)

собака ([suh-bah-kuh] - dog)

Pronunciation Notes:

The "к" in the word собака has a hard "k" sound, like the "k" in "kick."

The "а" at the end of the word has a long "ah" sound.

Memorization Tips:

Remember that the "у" in собака is pronounced like the "oo" in "food."

The "а" at the end of the word has a long "ah" sound, like the "a" in "father."

The next word is spot. The word "spot" can have many meanings in English. Here is a sentence using "spot" in Russian, as well as an explanation to help you understand.

Sentence: Я заметил пятно на твоей рубашке.

Breakdown:

Я заметил: This is the verb "to notice" or "to spot" in the past tense, first person singular. It is pronounced za-me-teel. You could also use увидел (oo-vee-deel) to mean “I saw,” which would be similar in meaning, but more emphatic.

пятно: This is the noun "spot" or "stain." It is pronounced pyat-no.

на твоей рубашке: This is the prepositional phrase "on your shirt." The word "твоей" (tvo-ey) is the feminine, singular, possessive adjective meaning "your." The word "рубашке" (roo-bash-key) is the feminine, singular, dative form of the noun "shirt," which is used in Russian to show that the shirt is the target of the action.

Translation: I noticed a spot on your shirt.

Word & Pronunciation:

Spot - пятно (pyat-no)

The next word is together. We will work together on this project.

Мы будем работать вместе над этим проектом.

Breakdown

Мы Мы - we - This is the nominative plural form of the pronoun "я" я (I). You will use this form for "we" in all cases except the accusative plural. The pronunciation is "Mee".

будем будем - will be. This is the future tense, first person plural of the verb "быть" быть - to be. Pronunciation is "boo-dem".

работать работать - to work. This is the infinitive form of the verb. Pronunciation is "ra-bo-tat'".

вместе вместе - together. This is a preposition that means "together" or "with each other." Pronunciation is "v-mes-te".

над над - on/over/above/about. This is a preposition that is often used to indicate that something is being done "on" or "about" something else. Pronunciation is "nat".

этим этим - this. This is the instrumental case of the pronoun "это" это (this). Pronunciation is "e-tim".

проектом проектом - project. This is the instrumental case of the noun "проект" проект (project). Pronunciation is "pro-ek-tom".

The word "вместе" вместе can be used in various ways to express the concept of "together."

We are going to the store together. Мы идём в магазин вместе.

Let's work together on this project. Давайте работать вместе над этим проектом.

They are sitting together at the table. Они сидят вместе за столом.

Translation: We will work together on this project.

Word Pronunciation

Together - вместе - v-mes-te

The next word is play. ## Playing Games

The Russian word for "play" is играть (pronounced: ee-GRAH-t'). This is a verb, and its base form is играть.

Here's an example sentence using this word:

Дети играют в футбол на улице.

This sentence literally translates to:

Дети - Children (pronounced: DYE-tee) - The plural form of ребёнок (rye-BYO-nok).

играют - play (ee-GRAH-yut) - The third person plural present tense form of the verb играть. Remember, this tense is used when the subject is plural and the action is happening now.

в - in (f) - This is a preposition used to indicate location. It can mean "in" or "at". The "f" is used to distinguish this preposition from another one, which is во and is used when the following word starts with a vowel.

футбол - football (foot-BOHL) - This is the word for football in the general sense.

на - on (nah) - This is another preposition. It indicates location and can be translated as "on" or "at".

улице - street (OO-lee-tse) - This is the feminine form of the noun улица and is used here because the word "street" is feminine in Russian.

Translation: The children are playing football in the street.

Variations of играть:

Играть is a very versatile verb in Russian. It can be used for many different types of play, from sports to board games to children's make-believe.

The past tense of this verb is играл (ee-GRAHL) for the masculine singular, играла (ee-GRAH-lah) for the feminine singular, and играло (ee-GRAH-loh) for the neuter singular. The plural past tense form is играли (ee-GRAH-lee).

Helpful Pronunciation Tip:

The "a" in играть is pronounced as "ah" in "father".

English Word: Play

Russian Word: играть (ee-GRAH-t')

The next word is arrange. The word "arrange" can be translated into Russian as устроить (oo-stroy-it') which means "to arrange, to organize, to set up". It is a verb in the infinitive form.

Example Sentence:

Я устроил встречу с профессором на завтра. (Ya oo-stroyl vstrechu s professsorom na zavtra.)

Я (Ya) - I
устроил (oo-stroyl) - past tense masculine singular form of устроить (oo-stroy-it') - to arrange
встречу (vstrechu) - meeting
с (s) - with
профессором (professsorom) - professor
на (na) - on
завтра (zavtra) - tomorrow

Translation: I arranged a meeting with the professor for tomorrow.

Key concept: The verb устроить (oo-stroy-it') takes on different forms based on the subject of the sentence. Here the subject is "I" (я) which is masculine singular, so the verb takes the masculine singular form устроил (oo-stroyl).

Variations:

устроить (oo-stroy-it') - infinitive
устроил (oo-stroyl) - past tense masculine singular
устроила (oo-stroyla) - past tense feminine singular
устроили (oo-stroyli) - past tense plural

English: arrange / uh-raynj

Russian: устроить / oo-stroy-it'

The next word is independent. The word "independent" in Russian is независимый (pronounced "nye-za-vee-see-my"). The sentence "He is an independent man" is "Он независимый человек" (On nezavisimy chelovek, pronounced "On nye-za-vee-see-my che-la-vek").

The word независимый is an adjective meaning "independent". The ending "ый" is the masculine nominative singular ending for adjectives.

The word человек (pronounced "che-la-vek") means "person" or "man".

Independent: независимый (nye-za-vee-see-my)

Person/Man: человек (che-la-vek)

The next word is sleep. The word "sleep" in Russian is сон (pronounced "sohn").

Here's a sentence using сон:

Я хочу спать. Я хочу спать.

This sentence literally means: "I want sleep." The verb "хочу" (хочу) means "I want." The word "спать" (спать) means "to sleep."

Here's a breakdown:

Я Я (pronounced "ya") is the Russian word for "I."

хочу хочу (pronounced "kho-choo") is the first person singular present tense of the verb "хотеть" хотеть (pronounced "kho-teet"), meaning "to want."

спать спать (pronounced "spat") is the infinitive verb "to sleep."

Key Concepts:

Infinitive Verbs: In Russian, infinitive verbs end in "-ть" -ть (pronounced "-t").

Variations:

спал спал (pronounced "spahl") is the masculine past tense of the verb "спать" спать ("to sleep"). It means "slept."

спала спала (pronounced "spala") is the feminine past tense of the verb "спать" спать ("to sleep"). It means "slept."

спало спало (pronounced "spalo") is the neuter past tense of the verb "спать" спать ("to sleep"). It means "slept."

Translations:

sleep - сон (pronounced "sohn")

to sleep - спать (pronounced "spat")

The next word is define. The word "define" is a verb that means to explain the exact meaning of something. It is used to clarify the meaning of a word, concept, or object.

Here is an example of a sentence using the word "define":

Определите, пожалуйста, что означает это слово.

Breakdown:

Определите - [ah-pri-dye-lee-tye] - This is the imperative form of the verb "определять" [ah-pri-dye-lyat'] (to define) and is used for giving a command. This is the most common form you will encounter.

пожалуйста - [pa-zhal-sta] - This is an interjection used for politeness, similar to "please" in English.

что - [chto] - This is an interrogative pronoun meaning "what".

означает - [ah-z-na-cha-yet] - This is the present tense form of the verb "означать" [ah-z-na-chat'] meaning "to mean".

это - [eh-ta] - This is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "that".

слово - [slo-va] - This is a noun meaning "word".

Translation:

Please define what this word means.

Key concepts:

The imperative form of verbs is used to give commands.

Interjections are used to express emotions or to add emphasis.

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out specific things.

English Translation and Pronunciation:

define - [dih-fahy-n]

Определить - [ah-pri-dye-leet']

The next word is cool. The word "cool" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here's an example using the word "крутой" крутой, which means "cool" in the sense of being impressive or stylish.

Sentence: Он носит крутую куртку.

Breakdown:

Он - он (pronunciation: on) - he
носит - носить (pronunciation: nosit) - to wear (present tense, 3rd person singular)

крутую - крутой (pronunciation: krootuy) - cool (adjective, feminine singular)

куртку - куртка (pronunciation: koortku) - jacket (feminine singular)

Translation: He wears a cool jacket.

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This influences the form of adjectives and other words that modify them. In this sentence, "jacket" (куртка) is feminine, so the adjective "cool" (крутой) must be in its feminine form (крутую).

Case: Nouns in Russian change their form depending on their role in the sentence. The word "jacket" (куртку) is in the accusative case, which is used for direct objects.

Pronunciation: Pay attention to the stress in each word. It can change the meaning and sound of the word. For example, the stress in the word крутой is on the first syllable, while the stress in the word куртку is on the second syllable.

Other ways to translate "cool":

классный (pronunciation: klassny) - great, awesome
отличный (pronunciation: otlichny) - excellent
прикольный (pronunciation: prikol'ny) - fun, cool (informal)

English: Cool

Russian: крутой (krootuy)

The next word is marry. The word "marry" in English translates to жениться (pronounced [zhyen'itsə]) for a man and выходить замуж (pronounced [vy'hodit' za'muzh]) for a woman.

Here is a sample sentence:

English: He wants to marry her.

Russian: Он хочет жениться на ней. (pronounced [on ho'chit zhyen'itsə na nej])

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced [on]) - he
хочет (pronounced [ho'chit]) - wants
жениться (pronounced [zhyen'itsə]) - to marry (for a man)

на (pronounced [na]) - on (used with the object of the verb, in this case, her)

ней (pronounced [nej]) - her

Key Concepts:

The verb жениться (pronounced [zhyen'itsə]) is used specifically for a man getting married. The verb выходить замуж (pronounced [vy'hodit' za'muzh]) is used for a woman getting married.

The preposition на (pronounced [na]) is used to indicate the person one is marrying.

Variations:

Он женится на ней (pronounced [on zhyen'itsə na nej]) - He is marrying her.

Он хочет жениться на ней в следующем году (pronounced [on ho'chit zhyen'itsə na nej v sl'eduyshim gadu]) - He wants to marry her next year.

Word Translations and Pronunciation:

Marry: жениться (pronounced [zhyen'itsə]) for a man, выходить замуж (pronounced [vy'hodit' za'muzh]) for a woman

He: Он (pronounced [on])

Wants: хочет (pronounced [ho'chit])

To marry: жениться (pronounced [zhyen'itsə]) for a man, выходить замуж (pronounced [vy'hodit' za'muzh]) for a woman

Her: ней (pronounced [nej])

The next word is acquire. The Russian sentence is:

Она хотела приобрести новое платье к выпускному вечеру.

Breakdown:

Она Она - She (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced like "ah-na"

хотела хотела - wanted (verb, past tense, feminine singular) - pronounced like "ha-tye-la"

приобрести приобрести - to acquire (verb, infinitive) - pronounced like "pri-ab-res-tee"

новое новое - new (adjective, nominative case, neuter singular) - pronounced like "no-vuh-ye"

платье платье - dress (noun, nominative case, neuter singular) - pronounced like "plat-ye"

к к - to (preposition) - pronounced like "k"

выпускному выпускному - graduation (adjective, dative case, masculine singular) - pronounced like "vi-pusk-no-mu"

вечеру вечеру - evening (noun, dative case, masculine singular) - pronounced like "vyet-che-ru"

Meaning: She wanted to acquire a new dress for the prom.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), which affects the form of adjectives and verbs.

Cases: Russian nouns and adjectives decline, meaning their endings change depending on their function in a sentence.

Verbs: Russian verbs conjugate, meaning their endings change depending on the person, number, and tense.

Word Variations:

приобрести приобрести (to acquire) can also be used in the past tense: приобрела приобрела (she acquired), приобрел приобрел (he acquired).

платье платье (dress) is a neuter noun, so it can be used with a neuter adjective like новое новое (new)

вечер вечер (evening) is a masculine noun, so it can be used with a masculine adjective like выпускной выпускной (graduation)

Translation:

acquire - приобрести - pronounced like "pri-ab-res-tee"

The next word is encourage. The word "encourage" in Russian is поощрять (pronounced pah-uh-shchrayt).

Here is a sentence:

Преподаватель поощрял студентов за их участие в классе.

Breakdown:

Преподаватель (pre-pa-da-va-tel) - teacher/professor
поощрял (pah-uh-shchrayl) - past tense, masculine singular form of the verb поощрять (pah-uh-shchrayt) - to encourage
студентов (stu-den-tov) - students (plural, accusative case)

за (za) - for
их (ikh) - their
участие (oo-cha-sti-ye) - participation
в (v) - in
классе (kla-sse) - class

Meaning:

The teacher encouraged the students for their participation in class.

Key Concepts:

The verb поощрять (pah-uh-shchrayt) is an imperfective verb, meaning that it describes an action in progress. The perfective form, поощрить (pah-uh-shchrit), describes a completed action.

The word участие (oo-cha-sti-ye) is a noun meaning "participation."

The accusative case is used for the direct object of the verb.

Variations:

The verb поощрять (pah-uh-shchrayt) can also be used in the following forms:

поощряет (pah-uh-shchrayet) - present tense, 3rd person singular
поощряла (pah-uh-shchrayla) - past tense, feminine singular
поощряли (pah-uh-shchrayli) - past tense, plural
поощряйте (pah-uh-shchrayte) - imperative (command)

Translation:

Encourage - поощрять (pah-uh-shchrayt)

The next word is nor. The word "nor" is used to connect two negative clauses, indicating that neither of the statements is true. In Russian, the word "ни" ни (pronounced "nee") is used to express "neither" or "nor."

Here is an example sentence:

English: He is not happy, nor is he sad.

Russian: Он не счастлив, ни печален. On ne schastliv, ni pechalen.

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced "on") - He
не (pronounced "ne") - not
счастлив (pronounced "schastliv") - happy
ни (pronounced "nee") - nor
печален (pronounced "pechalen") - sad

Key Concepts:

The word ни (pronounced "nee") acts like a negative conjunction.

It connects two negative clauses, similar to how "nor" does in English.

To emphasize the negative, the word ни (pronounced "nee") is placed before the negative particle не (pronounced "ne").

Pronunciation Guide:

ни (pronounced "nee")

не (pronounced "ne")

English and Russian Translations:

nor - ни (pronounced "nee")

The next word is further. The word "further" can be used as an adverb, adjective, or even a noun. It can mean "more" or "to a greater extent".

Adverb

Он пошёл дальше

Он - он - [awn] - he
пошёл - пойти - [pa-shool] - went
дальше - дальний - [dahl-she] - further

Translation: He went further.

Concept: The verb "to go" is in the past tense and is conjugated with the masculine pronoun он.

Adjective

Мы обсудим это на более позднем заседании

Мы - мы - [mi] - we
обсудим - обсудить - [up-soo-dim] - will discuss
это - это - [eh-ta] - this
на - на - [na] - on
более - более - [bo-lee] - more
позднем - поздний - [pozd-niy] - late
заседании - заседание - [za-si-da-ni-ee] - meeting

Translation: We will discuss this at a further meeting.

Concept: The verb "to discuss" is in the future tense and is conjugated with the pronoun мы. The word "further" can be used as an adjective, modifying the word "meeting".

Noun

Для получения дополнительной информации, обратитесь к администратору.

Для - для - [dly-a] - for
получения - получение - [pa-loo-che-ni-ya] - obtaining
дополнительной - дополнительный - [da-pa-lni-tel-niy] - further
информации - информация - [in-for-mat-si-ya] - information
обратитесь - обратиться - [ab-ra-ti-tes] - please turn to
к - к - [k] - to
администратору - администратор - [ad-mi-nis-tra-tor-oo] - administrator

Translation: For further information, please turn to the administrator.

Concept: The noun информация (information) is modified by the adjective дополнительный (further).

Pronunciation:

Further - [fur-ther]

дальше - [dahl-she]

дополнительный - [da-pa-lni-tel-niy]

The next word is identify. ## Определить (A-pre-dee-leet') the identity of the suspect.

Breakdown:

Определить (A-pre-dee-leet') is the infinitive form of the verb "to identify." The infinitive form is the base form of a verb, and it is used without any conjugation.

Определить (A-pre-dee-leet') is a perfective verb. Perfective verbs in Russian describe actions that are completed, have a definite ending point, or a single action. You can tell that it is a perfective verb because it ends in the suffix -ить (-it').

Определить (A-pre-dee-leet') is the third-person singular form of the verb "to identify". This means that the subject of the sentence is "he," "she," or "it."

Variations:

The infinitive form of the verb "to identify" is определять (a-pre-dee-lyat'). The imperfective form of the verb определять (a-pre-dee-lyat') is used to describe actions that are ongoing or repeated. For example, Полиция определяет личность подозреваемого (pa-lee-tsee-ya a-pre-dee-lyat lee-ch-nast' pa-da-zree-va-ye-va-ga) "The police are identifying the identity of the suspect."

Example sentence:

Полиция должна определить личность подозреваемого. (pa-lee-tsee-ya dal-zh-na a-pre-dee-leet lee-ch-nast' pa-da-zree-va-ye-va-ga) "The police must identify the identity of the suspect."

English translation: identify определить (a-pre-dee-leet')

The next word is street. The English word "street" translates to улица in Russian. Улица is pronounced "oo-lee-tsa". This word is feminine, and is declined like all other feminine nouns ending in -а. The ending changes based on the case of the word.

Here is a sentence:

Я иду по улице. Я иду по улице.

Я - I (pronounced "Ya")

иду - go (pronounced "ee-doo")

по - along (pronounced "po")

улице - street (pronounced "oo-lee-tse")

This sentence means: I am walking along the street.

Translation:

street - улица (oo-lee-tsa)

The next word is spring. ## Весна пришла! Весна пришла!

Breakdown:

Весна Весна (Spring) - Pronunciation: Vih-sna
пришла пришла (came) - This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb прийти прийти (to come).

! (exclamation mark) - This indicates excitement or emphasis.

Sentence Meaning: Spring has come!

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Весна Весна is feminine, hence the feminine form of the verb пришла пришла.

Tense: The verb пришла пришла is in the past tense, indicating that spring has already arrived.

Variations:

Весна наступила. Весна наступила. (Spring has arrived.) - This is a more formal way of saying the same thing.

Весна уже здесь! Весна уже здесь! (Spring is already here!) - This emphasizes the presence of spring.

English Translation: Spring

Russian Translation: Весна Весна - Pronunciation: Vih-sna

The next word is information. ## Информация (pronounced: [in-for-MAH-tsiy-uh]) is a very important word in Russian. It can refer to:

Data or facts: У меня есть информация о новом фильме. (pronounced: [oo myen-ya yest' in-for-MAH-tsiy-uh oh novom film-ye]) - I have information about the new movie.

Knowledge or news: Я получил информацию о том, что ты уезжаешь. (pronounced: [ya pa-loo-CHEEL in-for-MAH-tsiy-uh oh tom, chto ti oo-ye-zha-yesh]) - I received information that you are leaving.

Breakdown:

Информация: This is the noun form of the word meaning "information" in English. It is feminine and singular.

У меня: This translates to "I have" in English. It is a contraction of the words у (pronounced: [oo]) "at" and меня (pronounced: [myen-ya]) "me".

есть: This is the verb "to be" or "to have" in the present tense, meaning "there is/are" or "there exists/exist."

о: This means "about" and is used to introduce the object of the sentence.

новом: This means "new" and is the adjective form of the word. It is in the masculine form, since it modifies the masculine noun фильм (pronounced: [film]).

фильме: This is the noun "movie" in the prepositional case, which is used with the preposition о to indicate the topic of information.

Variations:

The plural form of информация is информации (pronounced: [in-for-MAH-tsiy-ee]).

The word информационный (pronounced: [in-for-mah-TSI-on-ny]) is the adjective form, meaning "informational".

Helpful hints:

информация: the "i" is short like "i" in "bit."

новом: the "o" is short like "o" in "hot."

фильме: the "e" is silent at the end.

English Translation: Information

Russian Translation: Информация

The next word is truth. The word "truth" in Russian is правда (pronounced "prah-v-da").

Here is a sentence using the word:

Правда всегда важна.

Pravda vsegda vazhna.

Breakdown:

Правда (pravda) - Truth. This word is feminine, so it takes the feminine ending "-a". Notice the "a" sound at the end of the word.

всегда (vsegda) - always. This is an adverb.

важна (vazhna) - important. This is an adjective in the feminine form, agreeing with the noun "правда". Notice that it ends with an "-a" to agree with the feminine noun.

Translation:

Truth is always important.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the endings of adjectives and other words that modify the noun.

Adjectives: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This means that the ending of the adjective will change depending on the noun it describes.

Variations of "truth":

правдивый (pravd-i-vyj) - truthful (masculine)

правдивая (pravd-i-vaya) - truthful (feminine)

правдивое (pravd-i-voe) - truthful (neuter)

Pronunciation:

правда - "prah-v-da" (the "v" is very soft)

всегда - "vseg-da" (the "g" is soft)

важна - "vazh-na" (the "zh" is a soft "j" sound)

The next word is dance. The word "dance" in Russian is танец (pronounced "tan-ets").

Here is an example sentence:

Я люблю танцевать на вечеринках.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") - I (subject pronoun)

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") - love (verb, present tense, 1st person singular)

танцевать (pronounced "tantsevat") - to dance (verb, infinitive)

на (pronounced "na") - on (preposition)

вечеринках (pronounced "vecherinkakh") - parties (plural noun, in the prepositional case)

Translation: I love to dance at parties.

Key Concept: The verb "танцевать" (tantsevat) is an infinitive. In Russian, infinitives end in "-ть" (-ть). The present tense form of the verb "танцевать" (tantsevat) in the 1st person singular is танцую (pronounced "tantsiu"). However, since "любить" (lyubit) is a verb of liking or disliking, you can use the infinitive form after it to express the action of liking or disliking.

Word Pronunciation and Translation:

Dance: танец (tan-ets)

To dance: танцевать (tantsevat)

The next word is whether. The word "whether" in English can be used to express a choice between two options, and it is usually followed by "or." In Russian, the word "ли (lee)" is used to express this. This word often appears as a suffix to the word "whether" which is "if" in Russian - "если (yesli)." Let's look at an example:

English: I don't know whether to go to the party or stay home.

Russian: Я не знаю, если идти на вечеринку или оставаться дома. Ya ne znayu, yesli idti na vecherinku ili ostavatsya doma.

Breakdown:

Я ya - I (pronunciation: ya)

не знаю ne znayu - don't know (pronunciation: nye zna-yu)

если yesli - if (pronunciation: yes-lee)

идти idti - to go (pronunciation: id-tee)

на na - to, on (pronunciation: na)

вечеринку vecherinku - party (pronunciation: ve-che-rin-ku)

или ili - or (pronunciation: ee-lee)

оставаться ostavatsya - to stay (pronunciation: os-tav-at-sa)

дома doma - at home (pronunciation: do-ma)

This sentence shows how "если" and "или" work together to express a choice. The use of "или" after "если" makes it very clear that the speaker is considering two options. It's also worth noting that "ли" can also be used on its own, for example, "Ты пойдешь на вечеринку ли?" (You will go to the party or not?). This sentence is asking the person if they will go to the party.

Translation of words:

whether - если (yesli)

or - или (ili)

The next word is transfer. The English word "transfer" has several meanings in Russian, depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. Transfer (of an object or information)

Sentence: Студент перевёл статью с английского на русский язык.

Breakdown:

Студент (student) - pronounced like "stoo-dent"

перевёл (past tense masculine singular of the verb "to transfer") - pronounced like "pe-re-vyol"

статью (article) - pronounced like "stat-yoo"

с (from) - pronounced like "s"

английского (English) - pronounced like "ang-lee-sk-o-go"

на (to) - pronounced like "na"

русский (Russian) - pronounced like "roo-skee"

язык (language) - pronounced like "yazyk"

Meaning: The student transferred the article from English to Russian.

Key concept: This sentence illustrates the use of the verb перевести (to transfer), which can be used to describe the transfer of objects, information, or even people.

1. Transfer (of a person)

Sentence: Она перешла на новую работу.

Breakdown:

Она (she) - pronounced like "ah-na"

перешла (past tense feminine singular of the verb "to transfer") - pronounced like "pe-re-shla"

на (to) - pronounced like "na"

новую (new) - pronounced like "no-voo-yoo"

работу (work) - pronounced like "ra-bo-too"

Meaning: She transferred to a new job.

Key concept: This sentence uses the verb перейти (to transfer) which is used to describe the transfer of a person from one place, position, or situation to another.

1. Transfer (of money)

Sentence: Он перевёл деньги на счёт своей матери.

Breakdown:

Он (he) - pronounced like "on"

перевёл (past tense masculine singular of the verb "to transfer") - pronounced like "pe-re-vyol"

деньги (money) - pronounced like "den-gi"

на (to) - pronounced like "na"

счёт (account) - pronounced like "shchyot"

своей (his/her) - pronounced like "svoi-ey"

матери (mother) - pronounced like "ma-te-ri"

Meaning: He transferred the money to his mother's account.

Key concept: This sentence uses the verb перевести (to transfer) to describe the transfer of money.

Variations:

The verb перевести (to transfer) is a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts. It can be conjugated in different tenses and aspects, and it can be used with different prepositions to convey different meanings.

Pronunciation:

перевести - pronounced like "pe-re-ve-sti"

Translation:

transfer - перевести (pe-re-ve-sti)

Remember, practicing the pronunciation and understanding the grammar and context will help you master the Russian language.

The next word is wish. ## Я желаю тебе всего наилучшего

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronoun) - pronounced [ya]

желаю - wish (verb, present tense) - pronounced [zhelayu] - It can also be used in the past tense, желал (pronounced [zheLAl] - 'wished') and the future tense буду желать (pronounced [booDoo zheLAT'] - 'will wish'

тебе - to you (pronoun) - pronounced [tibye]

всего - everything (pronoun) - pronounced [vsi-vo]

наилучшего - best (adjective) - pronounced [nayi-loo-chiv-a-ga] - This is the superlative form of the adjective 'good' or хороший (pronounced [ha-RO-shi] ) which literally means 'the most good'

лучше (pronounced [loo-chshe]) - better - can be used in sentences to compare, for example: Он лучше, чем я (pronounced [on loo-chshe chem ya] ) - 'He is better than me'.

Translation: I wish you all the best.

Key concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the verb желать which is an irregular verb. It has different forms in the present, past and future tenses.

наилучшего - This is a key word for expressing well-wishes, and its meaning is similar to English 'best'.

Memorization Tip: Remember the verb желать - it has the same root as the English word 'desire'.

The next word is offer. ## Предлагаю вам чашку кофе.

Breakdown:

Предлагаю - This is the verb "to offer" in the first-person singular present tense. It is conjugated for the "I" form.

Pronunciation: [pri-dluh-gah-yoo]

вам - This is the dative case of the pronoun "you" (meaning "to you"). It is used to indicate the indirect object of the verb.

Pronunciation: [vam]

чашку - This is the accusative case of the noun "cup" (meaning "a cup"). It is used to indicate the direct object of the verb.

Pronunciation: [chah-sh-koo]

кофе - This is the noun "coffee" in the genitive case. The genitive case is used here to indicate possession (meaning "of coffee").

Pronunciation: [koh-fi]

Sentence Meaning: I offer you a cup of coffee.

Variations of "Offer":

Предложить - The infinitive form of the verb "to offer" (pronounced: [pri-dluh-zhit'] ).

Предложил - Past tense masculine form of "to offer" (pronounced: [pri-dluh-zheel])

Предложила - Past tense feminine form of "to offer" (pronounced: [pri-dluh-zee-la])

Предложили - Past tense plural form of "to offer" (pronounced: [pri-dluh-zee-lee])

English Translation of Words:

Offer: Предлагаю - [pri-dluh-gah-yoo]

Cup: чашку - [chah-sh-koo]

Coffee: кофе - [koh-fi]

The next word is lose. Я ya (I) могу mogu (can) потерять poteryat (to lose) ключ klyuch (key).

Breakdown:

Я ya - I - Pronunciation: Ya, like the English "ya" but with a slightly softer "y" sound.

могу mogu - can - Pronunciation: Mo-goo, with a slightly softer "g" sound
потерять poteryat - to lose - Pronunciation: Po-tye-ryat. The "e" is short, like the "e" in "bet". The "y" is like the "y" in "yes" but slightly softer.

ключ klyuch - key - Pronunciation: Klyooch. The "ch" is like the "ch" in "church".

Key Concepts:

могу mogu (can) is an irregular verb and it changes form depending on the subject (I, you, he/she/it, we, you, they).

The infinitive form of the verb "to lose" is терять teryat but in this sentence, it is потерять poteryat. This is because it is being used in the infinitive form and is conjugated to fit the present tense in the first person singular (I).

ключ klyuch (key) is a masculine noun.

Translation:

I can lose the key.

Variations:

терять teryat - to lose (infinitive form)

потерял poteryal - lost (masculine past tense)

потеряла poteryala - lost (feminine past tense)

потеряли poteryali - lost (plural past tense)

Pronunciations:

lose - lohz
key - kee

The next word is enough. The word "enough" in Russian can be expressed by a variety of words, depending on the context.

Here's an example sentence:

Достаточно еды для всех.

Breakdown:

Достаточно (pronounced: da-STAH-tahch-nah) - "enough"; This is the most common word for "enough" in Russian and is used in a general sense. It can be used for quantity, time, or anything else.

еды (pronounced: yeh-DI) - "food"; The genitive case of еда (pronounced: yeh-DAH). This is needed since it comes after the word "enough"

для (pronounced: dlya) - "for"; This word is used to indicate who or what something is for.

всех (pronounced: vseh) - "everyone"; This is the genitive case of все (pronounced: vsyeh), meaning "all" or "everyone".

Translation: There is enough food for everyone.

Key Concepts:

Genitive case: The genitive case in Russian is used to show possession or to indicate a relationship between two things. For example, in the sentence "enough food", "food" is in the genitive case because it is the thing that is being quantified.

Prepositions: In this sentence, the preposition "для" is used to introduce the object of the preposition.

Word order: Russian word order is more flexible than English, but the basic structure of this sentence is subject-verb-object.

Pronunciation Hints:

The Russian "c" is pronounced like the "s" in "sin".

The Russian "h" at the end of a word is often silent.

English and Russian words and pronunciation:

enough - Достаточно (da-STAH-tahch-nah)

food - еда (yeh-DAH)

The next word is hair. У нее красивые волосы. U nee [yooh] kra[s]i[v]ye [v]o[l]osy.

This sentence means "She has beautiful hair."

Breakdown:

У нее U nee [yooh] means "she has." "У" U is the preposition meaning "at, near, by" and "нее" nee [nee] is the genitive case of the pronoun "она" a[n]a (she). "У" U is often used when talking about possession and can be used instead of "есть" ye[s]t' (to have, there is).

красивые kra[s]i[v]ye means "beautiful." This is the plural form of "красивый" kra[s]i[v]iy (beautiful, masculine). You can also use the singular form for "beautiful hair" (красивый волос) kra[s]i[v]iy [v]o[l]os but the plural is more common.

волосы v[o]l[o]sy means "hair." It's a plural noun, so it changes depending on whether the hair is singular or plural.

Key concept: In Russian, adjectives (beautiful) must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe (hair). "Красивые" kra[s]i[v]ye agrees with "волосы" v[o]l[o]sy (plural, feminine).

Pronunciation:

У нее U nee [yooh] - pronounce the "у" u like the "oo" in "moon" and the "е" e like the "e" in "bet"

красивые kra[s]i[v]ye - pronounce the "а" a like the "a" in "father" and the "е" e like the "e" in "bet"

волосы v[o]l[o]sy - pronounce the "о" o like the "o" in "hot" and the "ы" y like the "ee" in "see"

Translation:

hair - v[o]l[o]sy (volosy) - pronounced like "vuh-luh-see"

The next word is earth. ## Земля вращается вокруг Солнца.

Breakdown:

Земля (Zemlya) - Earth. This word is feminine, so the adjective that describes it will have a feminine ending. It is pronounced "zem-lya."

вращается (vrashchaetsya) - rotates. This verb is in the 3rd person singular present tense, indicating that the subject is singular and the action is happening now. The 'sh' sound is like the 'sh' in 'ship.'

вокруг (vokrug) - around. This preposition is used to indicate movement around something. The 'g' sound at the end is like the 'g' in 'gig.'

Солнца (Solntsa) - Sun. This is the genitive case of Солнце (Solntse) which means 'sun'. The 'o' sound at the end is the same as 'o' in the word 'hot.' This form is used to show that something belongs to or is related to the Sun.

Translation:

Earth rotates around the Sun.

Variations:

You can use other verbs to describe the Earth's movement, such as движется (dvizhetsya) - moves, or крутится (krutsiysa) - spins.

Helpful Pronunciation Hints:

Земля (zem-lya) - The stress is on the first syllable.

вращается (vrashchaetsya) - The stress is on the first syllable.

вокруг (vokrug) - The stress is on the second syllable.

Солнца (Solntsa) - The stress is on the first syllable.

English: Earth

Russian: Земля (Zemlya)

The next word is business. Он занимается бизнесом.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - pronounced [on]

занимается занимается - engages in, deals with (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense) - pronounced [zanimayetsya]

бизнесом бизнесом - business (noun, instrumental case) - pronounced [biznesom]

Meaning: He is engaged in business.

Variations:

бизнес бизнес - business (noun, nominative case) - pronounced [biznes]

бизнесу бизнесу - business (noun, dative case) - pronounced [biznesu]

бизнесмен бизнесмен - businessman (noun, masculine) - pronounced [biznesmen]

бизнесвумен бизнесвумен - businesswoman (noun, feminine) - pronounced [biznesvumen]

Translation:

business - бизнес - pronounced [biznes]

The next word is point. The word "point" can be used in Russian in a few different ways, It can refer to a dot, a mark, a place on a map, a score in a game, or a key idea or argument. Let's look at an example:

Sentence:

Он указал на точку на карте.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) on
указал - pointed (verb, past tense, masculine singular) oo-ka-zal
на - on (preposition) na
точку - point (noun, feminine, accusative case) toch-koo
на - on (preposition) na
карте - map (noun, feminine, prepositional case) kar-te

Translation: He pointed to a point on the map.

Key concept: The word точка can be used for many different types of "points," and the meaning is determined by the context of the sentence.

Variations:

Точка can also be used for a period at the end of a sentence.

Точка зрения (point of view) is a common phrase used when discussing opinions.

Pronunciation:

точка - toch-ka (stress on the first syllable)

указал - oo-ka-zal (stress on the second syllable)

карте - kar-te (stress on the first syllable)

English - Russian:

Point - точка

The next word is radio. The Russian sentence is:

Я слушаю радио по дороге на работу.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I - This is the pronoun for "I" in the nominative case, which is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence.

слушаю слушаю (sloo-sha-yu) - I listen - This is the present tense, first person singular form of the verb слушать (sloo-shat') meaning "to listen".

радио радио (ra-dee-o) - radio - This is a neuter noun, meaning it's neither masculine nor feminine, and in the accusative case. You can also use this word in the nominative case, Радио (Ra-dee-o), which would mean "the radio" as a specific object.

по по (pa) - along, by - This is a preposition used to indicate movement or location, here meaning "by" the way.

дороге дороге (da-ro-ge) - road, way - This is a feminine noun in the dative case, used with the preposition по.

на на (na) - to, onto - This is a preposition meaning "to" or "onto," here indicating the destination.

работу работу (ra-bo-tu) - work - This is a feminine noun in the accusative case. The word работа (ra-bo-ta) meaning "work" is a common word in the Russian language and can be used as a noun or verb.

. . - period - This marks the end of the sentence.

Translation:

I listen to the radio on the way to work.

Key Concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence. This is known as case. The most common cases are nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), and dative (indirect object). The accusative case is used for the direct object of a transitive verb, while the dative case is used for the indirect object.

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. It is important to learn the gender of each noun as it affects the form of adjectives, pronouns, and other words that modify it.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. They often require specific cases for the noun or pronoun that follows them.

Verb conjugation: Verbs in Russian are conjugated, meaning their form changes depending on the person, number, and tense.

Pronunciation Notes:

The о in дороге is pronounced like the "o" in "hot" and the "e" at the end is silent.

The у at the end of слушаю is pronounced like the "oo" in "food" but much shorter.

Word and Pronunciation Translation:

radio - радио (ra-dee-o)

The next word is route. The word "route" in Russian is маршрут (pronounced mar-sh-root). It is a masculine noun, so it will take masculine endings when it is declined.

Here is an example sentence:

Мы поехали по новому маршруту (pronounced My pa-ye-ha-li pa no-vo-mu mar-sh-roo-tu).

Breakdown:

Мы (pronounced My) - We (nominative plural)

поехали (pronounced pa-ye-ha-li) - past tense of the verb ехать (pronounced ye-hat') to travel
по (pronounced pa) - preposition "by, along" (always requires the dative case, маршруту)

новому (pronounced no-vo-mu) - new (dative masculine singular)

маршруту (pronounced mar-sh-roo-tu) - route (dative masculine singular)

Translation: We traveled by a new route.

Important notes:

In this sentence, the word маршрут is in the dative case, because it is the object of the preposition по.

The dative case is one of six cases in Russian and is used to indicate an indirect object or the recipient of an action.

The preposition по always requires the dative case.

Variations:

Маршрут (pronounced mar-sh-root) - route (nominative)

Маршрутом (pronounced mar-sh-roo-tom) - route (instrumental)

Маршруту (pronounced mar-sh-roo-tu) - route (dative)

Маршрута (pronounced mar-sh-roo-ta) - route (genitive)

English: route /ro͞ot/

Russian: маршрут /mar-sh-root/

The next word is resource. The word "resource" in Russian can be translated as ресурс (pronounced: [ree-SOORs] - emphasis on "SOOR"). It's a masculine noun.

Here's an example sentence:

У нас не хватает ресурсов для завершения этого проекта.

Breakdown:

У нас - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "we have". It is composed of the preposition у (pronounced: [oo] - emphasis on "oo") and the possessive pronoun нас (pronounced: [nas] - emphasis on "as").

не хватает - This is the verb "to lack". It is in the third person plural present tense, and the negative form is used because the subject is plural (we). It is pronounced [nee hvah-TA-yet] with emphasis on the first syllable of хватает.

ресурсов - This is the plural genitive case form of the noun ресурс (pronounced: [ree-SOOR-soh] - emphasis on "SOOR"). The genitive case is used because the noun is the object of the preposition у.

для - This preposition means "for". The word is pronounced [dlya] - emphasis on the first "a".

завершения - This is the genitive case form of the noun завершение (pronounced: [za-ver-SHEH-nee-ye] - emphasis on "SHEH"), which means "completion". The genitive case is used because the noun is the object of the preposition для.

этого - This is the genitive case form of the demonstrative pronoun этот (pronounced: [EH-tot] - emphasis on "EH"), which means "this".

проекта - This is the genitive case form of the noun проект (pronounced: [pra-YEKT] - emphasis on "YEK"). It is used because it is the object of the preposition для.

Translation:

We lack the resources to complete this project.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. This is known as "case". In this sentence, the nouns ресурсы and проекта are in the genitive case.

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This impacts the agreement of adjectives and articles. ресурс is masculine.

Number: Russian nouns have singular and plural forms. This impacts the agreement of adjectives and articles. ресурс is singular, and ресурсы is plural.

Pronunciation Help:

е - Pronounced like the "e" in "bed"

о - Pronounced like the "o" in "go"

у - Pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

а - Pronounced like the "a" in "father"

Word Translations:

ресурс (pronounced: [ree-SOORs]) - resource
у (pronounced: [oo]) - at, near, with
нас (pronounced: [nas]) - us
не (pronounced: [nee]) - not
хватает (pronounced: [hvah-TA-yet]) - is enough, is sufficient, is available
ресурсов (pronounced: [ree-SOOR-soh]) - resources
для (pronounced: [dlya]) - for
завершения (pronounced: [za-ver-SHEH-nee-ye]) - completion
этого (pronounced: [EH-tot]) - this
проекта (pronounced: [pra-YEKT]) - project

The next word is flat. The word "flat" in English has a number of meanings, but we will focus on the meaning of "flat" as an adjective describing a surface. We can use the Russian word плоский (ploskiy) to express this idea. The word плоский (ploskiy) is an adjective meaning "flat," "smooth," and "even." It's pronounced "plos-kee." The "o" sounds like the "o" in "lot". The "y" at the end is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."

Here is an example sentence:

Стол плоский. (Stol ploskiy.)

Let's break this down:

Стол (Stol) is the word for "table." The "o" in стол (stol) sounds like the "o" in "hot." The "l" is pronounced like the "l" in "ball."

плоский (ploskiy) is the word for "flat." It's pronounced "plos-kee." The "o" sounds like the "o" in "lot." The "y" at the end is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."

. (.) is the period, which is used at the end of every sentence in Russian.

This sentence means "The table is flat."

English: flat

Russian: плоский (ploskiy)

The next word is powerful. The Russian word for "powerful" is мощный (pronounced "mosh-niy"). It's an adjective that can be used to describe something that has a lot of strength, force, or influence.

Here's a sentence using мощный:

Этот двигатель очень мощный.

This translates to "This engine is very powerful."

Этот (pronounced "eh-tot") means "this" and is a demonstrative adjective.

двигатель (pronounced "dvee-ga-tel") means "engine."

очень (pronounced "oh-chen") means "very."

мощный (pronounced "mosh-niy") means "powerful."

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. Мощный is masculine, agreeing with the masculine noun двигатель.

Adjective endings: The ending of the adjective changes depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun. In this case, the masculine nominative singular form of мощный is used.

Variations of мощный:

мощная (pronounced "mosh-naya") - feminine singular
мощное (pronounced "mosh-noe") - neuter singular
мощные (pronounced "mosh-ni-ye") - plural

English to Russian translation:

Powerful - мощный (pronounced "mosh-niy")

The next word is let. The word "let" can be translated into Russian as пускать (puskat') which means "to let" or "to allow".

Here is an example sentence:

Я пускаю кошку на улицу (Ya puskayu koshku na ulitsu).

Let's break down the sentence:

Я (Ya) - I - this is the subject of the sentence. Pronunciation: Ya (like "ya" in "yard")

пускаю (puskayu) - let - this is the verb, the action of letting. Pronunciation: pus-kay-oo (pay attention to the "oo" sound)

кошку (koshku) - cat - the object of the verb. Pronunciation: kosh-koo (The 'k' is soft like in "kick")

на (na) - on, onto - this is a preposition. Pronunciation: na (like the "na" in "nap")

улицу (ulitsu) - street - the object of the preposition. Pronunciation: oo-lee-tsu (The "u" is soft like in "flute")

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: Notice how the verb changes to пускаю (puskayu) to match the subject "I".

Object Case: The word for "cat" is in the accusative case, which is used for direct objects.

The sentence translates to "I let the cat out onto the street".

This sentence uses the verb пускать (puskat') in the present tense. However, you can use other tenses and variations of the word to express different meanings.

Here are some other forms of the verb:

Past Tense: пустил (pustil) - let, allowed (masculine), пустила (pustila) - let, allowed (feminine), пустило (pustilo) - let, allowed (neuter)

Future Tense: пущу (puschu) - will let, will allow (masculine), пустишь (pustish) - will let, will allow (feminine), пустит (pustit) - will let, will allow (neuter)

Let me know if you have any other English words you'd like to practice with!

The next word is any. The word "any" can be used in a variety of ways in English and Russian. It can be used in a negative or interrogative sentence or with the word "no". It can be used with singular or plural nouns. Let's look at some examples.

Example Sentence

"There isn't any bread left."

Хлеба больше нет.

Hleba bol'she net.

Breakdown

Хлеба - Hleba (bread) - In this case the word "bread" is in the genitive case and means "of bread". It is used in the genitive case because it is negated by the word "нет" - net which means "no".

больше - bol'she (more) - This is a comparative adjective that means "more" or "greater". It agrees in gender and number with the noun.

нет - net (no, not, there is no) - This word means no. It is used with the genitive case.

Pronunciation

Хлеба - Hleba - Say "Hleb-uh"

больше - bol'she - Say "bol'she"

нет - net - Say "nyet"

Translation

Хлеба больше нет. - Hleba bol'she net. - There is no more bread.

Variations

There isn't any sugar left. Сахара больше нет. Sahara bol'she net.

There aren't any cookies left. Печенья больше нет. Pech'enya bol'she net.

English - any

Russian - любой - lyuboy - (any, everyone, whatever) - Say "lyu-boy"

English - any

Russian - какой-нибудь - kakoy-nibud' (any, some, somebody) - Say "ka-koy-ni-boot"

The next word is sing. The English word "sing" translates to петь (pronounced "pet'") in Russian. This is a verb and is used in the infinitive form, which means it is not conjugated.

Here is an example of the word "sing" used in a sentence:

Я люблю петь. (Ya lyublyu pet')

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
люблю (lyublyu) - love (present tense, first person singular)

петь (pet') - to sing (infinitive)

Translation: I love to sing.

Important Note: The verb петь (pet') can be conjugated in various tenses and forms, such as:

пою (poyu) - I sing (present tense)

пел (pel) - I sang (past tense, masculine)

пела (pela) - I sang (past tense, feminine)

пели (peli) - we sang (past tense, plural)

You will encounter different forms of петь (pet') in different contexts, so it's important to be aware of the various conjugations.

Pronunciation Tips:

петь (pet') - The stress is on the first syllable, with the "e" sound similar to the "e" in "pet."

Я (Ya) - The "y" sound is similar to the "y" in "yes."

люблю (lyublyu) - The "y" sound is similar to the "y" in "yes." The "ю" (yu) is pronounced like the "u" in "flute."

English: sing /sɪŋ/

Russian: петь /pjet'/

The next word is church. The word церковь (tserkof) means church. It can also be used to describe a religious institution in general.

Here is a sentence:

Я хожу в церковь каждое воскресенье. (Ya khozhu v tserkov kazhdoe voskresenie.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced like "ya")

хожу (khozhu) - go (pronounced like "ho-joo")

в (v) - in (pronounced like "v")

церковь (tserkof) - church (pronounced like "tser-kof")

каждое (kazhdoe) - every (pronounced like "kazh-doe")

воскресенье (voskresenie) - Sunday (pronounced like "vos-kres-en-ye")

This sentence means "I go to church every Sunday."

Here are some other useful variations:

церковный (tserkovny) - church-related (pronounced like "tser-kov-ny")

церковное пение (tserkovnoe penie) - church singing (pronounced like "tser-kov-noe pe-ni-ye")

церковный хор (tserkovny khor) - church choir (pronounced like "tser-kov-ny khor")

English: Church

Russian: церковь (tserkof)

The next word is growth. The word "growth" in English can refer to both the process of growing and the result of that process. In Russian, this concept is expressed by the word рост (pronounced "rost").

Here is a sentence using рост:

Экономический рост страны за последние пять лет был впечатляющим.

Breakdown:

Экономический (pronounced "ekonomicheskiy") - economic
рост (pronounced "rost") - growth
страны (pronounced "strany") - country
за (pronounced "za") - for (in this case, indicating duration)

последние (pronounced "poslednie") - last
пять (pronounced "pyat'") - five
лет (pronounced "let") - years
был (pronounced "byl") - was
впечатляющим (pronounced "vpechatlyayushchim") - impressive

Translation: The country's economic growth over the past five years has been impressive.

Key concept: The Russian word рост can be used to refer to both the process of growth and the result of that growth. It is a versatile word with a wide range of applications.

Pronunciation:

рост (rost) - The "o" in рост is pronounced like the "o" in "hot" and the "t" is pronounced like the "t" in "top".

Variations:

Рост (pronounced "rost") is the noun form of рост.

Расти (pronounced "rasti") is the verb form of рост and means "to grow".

Remember: When translating "growth" into Russian, it's important to consider the context to determine whether the noun рост or the verb расти is the correct choice.

The next word is list. The word "list" can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context.

Here are a couple of examples:

1. "List" as a noun

Список (pronounced: [spis-ok]) This is the most common translation of "list" as a noun. It refers to a written or printed enumeration of items.

Example: Я составил список покупок. (Ya sostavi [spis-ok] pakupok). This translates to "I made a list of groceries".

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

составил (sostavi [l]) - past tense of the verb "составлять" (sostavlyat') - to make, compile, compose
список (spis-ok) - list (noun)

покупок (pakupok) - genitive plural of the noun "покупка" (pakupa) - purchase, buying

Key concept: The word список (spis-ok) can be used in various contexts, such as "shopping list," "to-do list," or "guest list."

1. "List" as a verb

Перечислить (pronounced: [pere-chis-lit'] ) - This verb means "to list," "to enumerate," or "to itemize."

Example: Он перечислил все свои аргументы. (On perechisli[l] vse svoi argumenty). This translates to "He listed all his arguments."

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (pronoun)

перечислил (perechisli[l]) - past tense of the verb "перечислять" (perechislyat') - to list, to enumerate
все (vse) - all (pronoun)

свои (svoi) - his/her/its own (possessive pronoun)

аргументы (argumenty) - arguments (noun)

Key concept: The verb перечислить (pere-chis-lit') is often used when referring to a detailed or comprehensive list.

Pronunciation Guide:

с (s) - like "s" in "sun"

п (p) - like "p" in "pen"

и (i) - like "ee" in "see"

о (o) - like "o" in "go"

к (k) - like "k" in "kick"

л (l) - like "l" in "light"

т (t) - like "t" in "time"

ч (ch) - like "ch" in "chair"

English translation: list [list]

Russian translation: список [spis-ok]

The next word is common. This is a very common обычный (obychnyy) word. We use it to describe something that is frequently seen or found. In this sentence, "обычный" is an adjective modifying the noun "день" (day).

Here is an example of using the word "common" in Russian:

Это обычный день.

Translation: This is a common day.

Breakdown:

Это (eto) - this
обычный (obychnyy) - common
день (den) - day.

The word "обычный" is pronounced "ah-bee-ch-niy".

The "ch" sound is similar to the "ch" in the word "chair".

The "y" at the end of "обычный" is very soft, almost like a whisper.

The "y" at the end of "день" is pronounced like the "y" in the word "yes."

The sentence is a simple declarative sentence, meaning it is a statement of fact.

Key concept: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. In this example, "обычный" is masculine singular because it agrees with the masculine singular noun "день".

The next word is work. ## Работа is a very versatile word in Russian!

It can be used as a noun meaning "work" or "job".

Let's see an example:

Я люблю свою работу.

Translation: I love my work.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced ya)

люблю - love (pronounced lyublyu)

свою - my (pronounced svoyoo)

This word is possessive, it shows that the work belongs to the speaker.

The form свою is used because the speaker is female, if the speaker was male the word would be свою.

работу - work (pronounced rabotu)

Pronunciation Guide:

Я - Ya
люблю - Lyublyu
свою - Svoyoo
работу - Rabotu

Key Concept:

The word работа can be used in various contexts. For example, you can also use it to talk about specific tasks:

Я делаю домашнюю работу. (I am doing my homework)

Мне нужно закончить работу. (I need to finish the work)

English: work /wɜrk/

Russian: работа /rɐˈbotə/

The next word is lesson. The Russian word for "lesson" is урок (pronounced: oo-rok).

Here is a sample sentence:

Сегодня у нас был интересный урок по истории.

Сегодня (pronounced: see-voh-dnya) - Today
у (pronounced: oo) - This is a preposition, meaning "at" or "with".

нас (pronounced: nas) - This is a pronoun that means "us" or "we".

был (pronounced: byl) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be".

интересный (pronounced: in-te-res-niy) - This is an adjective that means "interesting".

урок (pronounced: oo-rok) - Lesson
по (pronounced: pah) - This is a preposition meaning "about".

истории (pronounced: is-toh-rii) - This is a noun that means "history".

Translation: Today we had an interesting history lesson.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: Pay close attention to prepositions like у and по as they show the relationship between words in a sentence.

Cases: The ending of the word нас changes based on its function in the sentence. This is known as a grammatical case. You will learn more about these as you progress in your Russian studies.

Gender: Many Russian nouns have gender, which will impact the endings of adjectives and other words associated with them.

Helpful hints for pronunciation:

у (oo) is a short vowel sound similar to the "oo" in "book".

по (pah) has a short "a" sound similar to the "a" in "father".

истории (is-toh-rii) has a soft "i" sound similar to the "ee" in "see".

Word and Pronunciation:

Lesson - урок (oo-rok)

The next word is along. The word "along" can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context.

Here is one example:

English: We walked along the river.

Russian: Мы шли вдоль реки. My shli vdol' reki.

Breakdown:

Мы My - We - pronounced like "my" but with a short "y" sound at the end
шли shli - walked - pronounced like "shlee"

вдоль vdol' - along - pronounced like "v-dol'"

реки reki - river - pronounced like "re-kee"

Key Concept: The preposition вдоль vdol' is used to indicate movement or location along a line, such as a river, road, or street.

Variations:

По po - can also be used for "along" in some cases, especially when indicating movement along a surface, such as a road.

Вдоль по vdol' po - can be used to emphasize movement along a specific path.

English: along - вдоль vdol'

Russian: вдоль - vdol' - pronounced like "v-dol'"

The next word is card. У меня есть карточка с фотографией моей семьи.

U menya est' kartochka s fotografiyey moyey semi.

This means: “I have a card with a picture of my family.”

Breakdown:

У меня есть U menya est' - “I have” - This is the common phrase for “I have” in Russian.

карточка kartochka - “card” - pronounced [kar-tochk-a]. The stress is on the second syllable.

с s - “with” - pronounced [s].

фотографией fotografiyey - “picture” - pronounced [fo-ta-gra-fi-ey]. The stress is on the fourth syllable.

моей moyey - “my” - pronounced [mo-yey]. The stress is on the second syllable. It's the feminine form, meaning that the noun it is modifying is feminine,
семьи semi - “family” - pronounced [se-m'i]. The stress is on the first syllable. This is the genitive form of the word семья [se-m'ya] which means “family”. The genitive case in Russian is used to show possession.

Variations of the word “card” in Russian:

карта [kar-ta] - is used for maps, playing cards, or even a credit card.

открытка [ot-kryt-ka] - is used for a postcard.

English and Russian Translation:

Card - карточка [kar-tochk-a]

The next word is project. The word "project" in Russian is проект (pronounced pro-YEKT).

Here is a sentence:

Я работаю над интересным проектом.

This translates to "I am working on an interesting project."

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced ya): I
работаю (pronounced ra-BO-ta-yu): working (present tense, 1st person singular)

над (pronounced nad): over, on, upon
интересным (pronounced in-te-RE-snim): interesting (adjective, masculine, instrumental case)

проектом (pronounced pro-YEK-tom): project (masculine, instrumental case)

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their role in the sentence. In this case, проектом is in the instrumental case, which is used to show what someone is using, doing, or working with.

Gender: Russian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), and adjectives must agree with the noun in gender. In this sentence, проект is masculine, so the adjective интересным also takes the masculine form.

Variations:

Проект (pronounced pro-YEKT): project (nominative case)

Проекты (pronounced pro-YEK-ti): projects (plural, nominative case)

English/Russian Word Pronunciation:

project: проект (pro-YEKT)

The next word is apply. The English word "apply" has many possible translations in Russian depending on context. Let's look at two possibilities:

1. "Apply" as in "to apply for a job"

The Russian sentence would be:

Я подал(а) заявление на работу

Ya podal(a) zayavlenie na rabotu

Breakdown:

Я - Ya - I (masculine/feminine)

подал(а) - podal(a) - past tense of the verb "to submit" - masculine/feminine
заявление - zayavlenie - application, statement
на - na - on, to, for (preposition)

работу - rabotu - work, job

Key Concept: The verb подавать - podavat - "to submit" is commonly used when applying for things such as jobs, visas, and university admission.

Pronunciation:

Я - Ya - Ya (like "ya" in "yard")

подал(а) - podal(a) - po-dal (masculine) po-da-la (feminine) (emphasize the "a" sound)

заявление - zayavlenie - za-ya-v-le-ni-ye (emphasize the "e" sound)

на - na - na (like "na" in "nap")

работу - rabotu - ra-bo-tu (emphasize the "o" sound)

English Translation: I submitted an application for a job.

1. "Apply" as in "to apply pressure"

The Russian sentence would be:

Приложите усилия

Prilozhite usilia

Breakdown:

Приложите - Prilozhite - imperative (command) form of the verb "to apply"

усилия - usilia - efforts, pressure

Key Concept: The verb прилагать - prilagat - "to apply" is commonly used with abstract nouns like "pressure", "force", and "effort." Note that the imperative form is used when giving a command.

Pronunciation:

Приложите - Prilozhite - pri-lo-zhi-te (emphasize the "i" sound)

усилия - usilia - u-si-li-ya (emphasize the "i" sound)

English Translation: Apply effort.

Important Note: In Russian, verb endings change based on gender and number, as well as tense. So, it's important to use the correct verb ending for the subject of your sentence.

Word and Pronunciation:

apply - применять - primenyat - pri-me-nyat
apply - прилагать - prilagat - pri-la-gat
apply - подавать - podavat - po-da-vat

The next word is anybody. Sentence: Любой может это сделать.

Breakdown:

Любой lyuboy means "anybody" or "anyone" and is the subject of the sentence. It is a masculine form of the adjective "any". There are three genders in Russian, masculine, feminine, and neuter. You can remember it by thinking of the gender of the noun: мальчик mal'chik (boy) is masculine, девочка devotchka (girl) is feminine, and стол stol (table) is neuter.

может mozhet is the third person singular form of the verb "мочь" moch' (to be able to). It is used with a subject in the third person, such as he, she, it, or they. The ending of the verb will change depending on the subject.

это eto means "this" or "it" and is the object of the sentence.

сделать sdelat' means "to do" or "to make" and is an infinitive. Infinitives do not change for gender, number, or person.

Variations:

If you wanted to say "anybody can do this," you could use the feminine form of "любой" lyubaya and the feminine singular form of "может" mozhet: Любая может это сделать. Lyubaya mozhet eto sdelat.

If you wanted to say "anybody can do that", you would simply substitute "это" eto with "то" to.

Translation:

Любой lyuboy - anybody
может mozhet - can
это eto - this
сделать sdelat' - to do

Pronunciation Notes:

Любой lyuboy - The "ю" yu sounds like the "u" in "flute".

может mozhet - The "е" ye at the end sounds like the "e" in "get".

сделать sdelat' - The "е" ye at the end sounds like the "e" in "get". The "л" l at the end is soft. A soft consonant at the end of a word is pronounced as if it were followed by the letter "и" i, which sounds like the "ee" in "see".

Final Sentence: Любой может это сделать. Lyuboy mozhet eto sdelat. Anyone can do this.

The next word is certainly. The word "certainly" in Russian is конечно (pronounced: ka-NECH-na).

Here is a sample sentence:

English: Certainly, I can help you with that.

Russian: Конечно, я могу вам помочь с этим. (ka-NECH-na, ya ma-GU vam pa-MOCH' s e-tim)

Let's break down the sentence:

Конечно (ka-NECH-na) - "certainly"

я (ya) - "I"

могу (ma-GU) - "can" (present tense, first person singular)

вам (vam) - "you" (dative case, referring to the person being addressed)

помочь (pa-MOCH') - "to help" (infinitive form)

с (s) - with
этим (e-tim) - "this" (instrumental case, referring to the task)

Key Concepts:

Case endings: In Russian, nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence. This is called case. In the example, вам (vam) is in the dative case, indicating that the person addressed is the recipient of the help.

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings based on the subject, tense, and mood. In the example, могу (ma-GU) is conjugated in the present tense, first person singular.

Variations of конечно (ka-NECH-na):

Конечно же (ka-NECH-na zhe) - "Certainly" (more emphatic)

Да, конечно (da, ka-NECH-na) - "Yes, certainly"

English translation:

конечно (ka-NECH-na) - certainly

The next word is most. The word "most" is used to show the superlative degree of an adjective or adverb. This means that something is more than all the others.

Here is a sentence that uses "most" to describe the most beautiful city in the world:

Самый красивый город в мире - Париж.

Samyy krasivyy gorod v mire - Parizh.

Самый samyy - most (masculine) - [sah-mwee]

красивый krasivyy - beautiful (masculine) - [kra-see-vee]

город gorod - city - [goh-rot]

в v - in - [v]

мире mire - world - [mee-rye]

Париж Parizh - Paris - [pah-reezh]

The word самый samyy is the masculine form of самый samyy (most) and is used when referring to masculine nouns like город gorod (city). The feminine form of самый samyy (most) is самая samaya and the plural form is самые samye.

The word красивый krasivyy (beautiful) is also an adjective and has masculine, feminine and plural forms. The feminine form is красивая krasivaya and the plural form is красивые krasivye.

Translation: The most beautiful city in the world is Paris.

The next word is morning. ## Доброе утро (Dobroe utro)

Breakdown:

Доброе добрый (dobryy) is an adjective meaning "good" but in this case, it functions as a polite word, similar to "good" in "good morning".

утро (utro) means "morning"

Доброе утро (Dobroe utro) literally translates to "good morning" and is used as a greeting.

This is a very common greeting in Russian.

Pronunciation:

Доброе утро (Dobroe utro) - (DOH-bruh-eh OO-troh)

Variations:

Добрый день (Dobryy den') - "Good day" - used for greetings in the afternoon

Добрый вечер (Dobryy vecher) - "Good evening" - used for greetings in the evening.

Word and Pronunciation:

Доброе (Dobroe) - (DOH-bruh-eh) - good
утро (utro) - (OO-troh) - morning

The next word is material. The word "material" can be used as a noun or an adjective in Russian.

Noun:

Материал материал (pronounced: [ma-te-ri-al]) - The word материал means "material" in the sense of a substance or raw material used for making things. It's a masculine noun, so the ending changes based on the case. For instance:

Материал для строительства был доставлен на строительную площадку. материал (Nominative) - The material for construction was delivered to the construction site.

Adjective:

Материальный материалный (pronounced: [ma-te-ri-al-niy]) - The word материальный means "material" in the sense of relating to physical objects or possessions. This adjective is used to describe something tangible, like a material object or material wealth. It's an adjective, so it's declension will vary with the noun it describes. For example:

У него нет материальных средств для покупки дорогой машины. материальных (Genitive) - He does not have the material means to buy an expensive car.

English - material

Russian - материал [ma-te-ri-al]

The next word is locate. The word "locate" in English can have several meanings, but in this sentence, we are using it to mean "to find the position of something." Here is a sentence using "locate" in Russian:

Мне нужно найти местоположение библиотеки.

English Translation: I need to find the location of the library.

Breakdown:

Мне (Mnye) - This is the dative case of the personal pronoun "я" (ya) meaning "I" and is used to indicate that the action is directed towards the speaker. Pronounced: m'nye (stress on the first syllable).

нужно (nuzhno) - This is a short form of the adjective "необходимый" (neobhodimy) meaning "necessary" and is used in this case to indicate that the speaker needs to find something. Pronounced: noozh-no (stress on the second syllable).

найти (nayti) - This is the infinitive form of the verb "находить" (nakhodit') meaning "to find." Pronounced: nay-tee (stress on the first syllable).

местоположение (mestopoложение) - This noun means "location" and is formed from the words место (mesto) meaning "place" and положение (polozhenie) meaning "position". Pronounced: myes-ta-pah-lo-zhe-nee (stress on the third syllable).

библиотеки (biblioteki) - This is the genitive case of the noun библиотека (biblioteka) meaning "library." The genitive case is used after prepositions like "of" and "from" and is usually translated into English as "the" or "a" in this context. Pronounced: bee-blee-ah-te-kee (stress on the second syllable).

Variations of "Locate" in Russian:

Найти (nayti) - This is the most common way to express "locate."

Определить (opredelit') - This verb means "to determine" or "to define" and can also be used to express the idea of "locating" something.

Установить (ustanovit') - This verb means "to establish" or "to set up" and can also be used to express the idea of "locating" something, especially when talking about a physical location.

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember that Russian stress is unpredictable, so you need to learn the stress patterns for each word. Stress is often marked in dictionaries and online resources.

Try to break down long words into smaller parts to make them easier to pronounce.

Practice saying the words aloud, paying attention to the sounds and intonation.

English & Russian Translations:

Locate - Найти (nayti)

Location - Местоположение (mestopoложение)

The next word is quickly. ## Быстро бежит время.

Breakdown:

Быстро (pronounced "bi-stro") - quickly, fast, rapidly. This is an adverb, meaning it modifies a verb. It is one of the most commonly used adverbs in Russian and has a wide range of meanings depending on context. It can also be used as an adjective, meaning "fast" or "swift."

бежит (pronounced "bye-jeet") - runs, flows. This is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb бежать (pronounced "bye-jat"), meaning "to run."

время (pronounced "vrem-ya") - time. This is a noun, meaning "time" and can refer to both the abstract concept of time and to specific moments in time.

Meaning: Time runs quickly.

Variations:

быстро can also be used as an adjective, such as "быстрый автомобиль" (pronounced "bi-striy avto-ma-bil") meaning "fast car."

The verb бежать can be conjugated in different tenses, for example, "бежал" (pronounced "bye-jal") - ran, "бежит" (pronounced "bye-jeet") - runs, and "будет бежать" (pronounced "boo-det bye-jat") - will run.

Pronunciation:

быстро - "bi-stro"

бежит - "bye-jeet"

время - "vrem-ya"

Translation:

быстро - quickly
бежит - runs
время - time

The next word is father. My отец (pronounced oh-tets) is a doctor.

Breakdown:

отец (pronounced oh-tets) is the Russian word for "father".

The word отец (pronounced oh-tets) is masculine.

The sentence uses the nominative case of отец (pronounced oh-tets). The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence.

мой (pronounced moy) means "my" and is used in this case to show possession.

врач (pronounced vrahch) means "doctor" and is masculine.

Translation: My father is a doctor.

English Pronunciation:

отец (pronounced oh-tets)

мой (pronounced moy)

врач (pronounced vrahch)

Memorization:

This sentence is a great example of how to use the nominative case in Russian. It also shows how to use possessive adjectives in Russian. You can use this sentence as a template to create other sentences about your family. For example, you could say: "My мать (pronounced mat') is a teacher."

The next word is player. The Russian word for "player" is игрок (igrok). It is a masculine noun and is used to refer to someone who participates in a game or sport. It is important to note that the word "player" can also be used to refer to an actor in a play or movie, but this is not the most common usage in Russian.

Here is an example of how you might use the word игрок (igrok) in a sentence:

Он хороший игрок в футбол. (On khoroshiy igrok v futbol.)

Он (On) - he
хороший (horoshiy) - good
игрок (igrok) - player
в (v) - in
футбол (futbol) - football

This sentence translates to "He is a good football player." This sentence illustrates the use of the masculine noun игрок (igrok) in the context of sports.

Here are some other variations of the word игрок (igrok):

игроки (igroki) - players (plural)

игровая (igrovaya) - gaming (feminine adjective)

игровой (igrovoy) - gaming (masculine adjective)

The word игрок (igrok) is pronounced ee-grohk. The stress is on the second syllable. The pronunciation is similar to the English word "grok", except with an "ee" sound at the beginning.

English: player

Russian: игрок (igrok)

The next word is population. ## Население России составляет около 146 миллионов человек.

Breakdown:

Население (pronounced: nah-see-LYE-nee-yeh) - noun, meaning "population"

России (pronounced: ROSS-ee-ee) - genitive case of Россия (pronounced: ROSS-ee-ya) meaning "Russia"

составляет (pronounced: sah-stahv-LYA-yet) - verb, 3rd person singular, present tense, meaning "makes up, constitutes"

около (pronounced: oh-KOH-loh) - preposition, meaning "about, approximately"

146 (pronounced: stah-SOH-roh-shest'-desyat'-shest') - numeral, meaning "146"

миллионов (pronounced: mee-lee-OH-nahv) - noun, plural, meaning "millions"

человек (pronounced: cheh-loh-VYEK) - noun, singular, meaning "person, people" -

Note: the word человек is used in the plural form in this sentence. This is a special case in Russian. It takes the singular form when referring to a single person, but the plural form when referring to a group of people, even if the numeral is singular, as in this case.

Translation: The population of Russia is about 146 million people.

Key Concepts:

Genitive case: In Russian, nouns decline, meaning their endings change to show their grammatical function in the sentence. The genitive case is used to show possession, as in the phrase "население России" - "the population of Russia".

Plural forms: Nouns in Russian have different endings depending on whether they are singular or plural.

Special cases: Some nouns, like человек (person), have unique rules for their plural form.

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress: Russian has a stress-based system. The stress is usually on the penultimate syllable (second from the end).

Vowels: The Russian vowels are pronounced differently than in English. Pay close attention to the pronunciation guide.

Consonants: Some Russian consonants are pronounced differently than in English.

English and Russian Translation of Words:

population - население (nah-see-LYE-nee-yeh)

Russia - Россия (ROSS-ee-ya)

about - около (oh-KOH-loh)

million - миллион (mee-lee-OH-n)

people - человек (cheh-loh-VYEK)

The next word is photo. ## Фотография моей семьи висит на стене.

Breakdown:

Фотография (f-o-to-gra-fi-ya) - photograph. This is the noun form of the word. A common noun is a general word that names a person, place, or thing. It is a feminine noun in Russian. This means that you will use the feminine form of the adjective, as shown in this sentence.

моей (ma-ey) - my. This is the possessive adjective form of мой (moy) which means "my". The possessive adjective is used to show ownership.

семьи (syem-yi) - family. This is a noun. This noun is feminine, as indicated by the -и ending.

висит (vi-sit) - hangs. This is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb висеть (vi-set'), which means "to hang". The third-person singular form is used when talking about he, she, or it.

на (na) - on. This is a preposition that tells you where something is located.

стене (sti-nye) - wall. This is a noun and it is feminine, as indicated by the -е ending.

Translation:

The photograph of my family hangs on the wall.

Pronunciation Guide:

фотография (f-o-to-gra-fi-ya)

моей (ma-ey)

семьи (syem-yi)

висит (vi-sit)

на (na)

стене (sti-nye)

The next word is always. The word "always" in Russian is всегда (vsegda). It is an adverb and means "all the time" or "at all times."

Here is an example sentence:

Она всегда улыбается (Ona vsegda ulybaetsya).

Breakdown:

Она (Ona) - This is the nominative case of the pronoun "she". It's pronounced like "ah-nah."

всегда (vsegda) - This is the adverb "always." It's pronounced like "vseg-da."

улыбается (ulybaetsya) - This is the present tense third person singular of the verb "to smile." It's pronounced "oo-ly-bay-et-syah."

This sentence translates to: "She always smiles."

Key concepts:

Adverbs in Russian often modify verbs or adjectives.

Всегда (vsegda) can be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, or even between the subject and the verb.

Helpful pronunciation hints:

всегда (vsegda): The stress is on the second syllable - всёгда (vsegda)

улыбается (ulybaetsya): The stress is on the second syllable - улыбается (ulybaetsya)

English to Russian translation:

always - всегда (vsegda)

she - она (ona)

smiles - улыбается (ulybaetsya)

The next word is conversation. The Russian word for "conversation" is разговор (razgovor).

Sentence: Мы вели разговор о литературе.

Breakdown:

Мы (my) - we (nominative case, plural)

вели (veli) - past tense of the verb "вести" (vesti) - to lead, to conduct
разговор (razgovor) - conversation (masculine noun, accusative case)

о (o) - about (preposition)

литературе (literature) - literature (feminine noun, prepositional case)

Meaning: We were having a conversation about literature.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence. In this sentence, "разговор" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "вели" (veli).

Gender: Russian nouns have gender, which affects their endings. "разговор" is masculine, and "литература" is feminine.

Pronunciation:

разговор (razgovor) - "rahz-goh-vor"

мы (my) - "mee"

вели (veli) - "veh-lee"

о (o) - "oh"

литературе (literature) - "lee-teh-rah-too-reh"

Variations:

разгово́р (razgovor) - with an accent on the last syllable, indicates emphasis.

English - Russian Translation:

Conversation: разговор (razgovor)

The next word is year. В этом году я закончил университет.

This sentence means "This year I graduated from university."

Breakdown:

В is a preposition meaning "in" or "at" and is pronounced like "v". It can be used with dates, times, and locations.

этом is an adjective meaning "this" and is pronounced "eh-tom". It modifies году.

году is a noun meaning "year" and is pronounced "go-doo". It is in the dative case, meaning "to" or "for". It's a masculine noun, so we know it will be год in the nominative case.

я is a pronoun meaning "I" and is pronounced "ya".

закончил is the past tense, masculine, singular form of the verb "to finish" and is pronounced "za-kon-chil".

университет is a noun meaning "university" and is pronounced "oo-ni-ver-si-tet".

Other variations of год include:

годы meaning "years" (plural)

годовалый meaning "year old" (adjective)

English: year / год (gohd)

Russian: год (gohd)

The next word is investment. ## Инвестирование is a key concept in finance and economics. This word is инвестирование [in-ve-sti-ro-va-ni-ye] and it means "investment." It’s a noun, and it is derived from the verb инвестировать [in-ve-sti-ro-vat’] which means "to invest."

The sentence:

Инвестирование в недвижимость может принести хорошую прибыль.

Инвестирование [in-ve-sti-ro-va-ni-ye] - investment
в [v] - in
недвижимость [ne-dvi-zhi-most’] - real estate
может [mo-zhet] - can, may
принести [pri-ne-sti] - bring
хорошую [ho-ro-shu-yu] - good
прибыль [pri-byl’] - profit

Translation: Investing in real estate can bring good profit.

This sentence shows a common use of the word инвестирование in the context of finance. Notice the preposition в [v] used to indicate what is being invested in. You can use инвестирование in a variety of contexts, like investing in stocks, bonds, or even education.

Pronunciation Hints:

The stress falls on the first syllable of инвестирование and инвестировать.

в is a very short word, often pronounced as just a soft "v" sound.

Remember, the soft sign ь at the end of words like недвижимость and прибыль makes the preceding consonant soft.

The next word is additional. The word "additional" in English is an adjective that describes something that is added to something else. In Russian, the word for "additional" is дополнительный (pronounced [doh-pah-lee-teh-lee-nuh]). This word can be used in many different ways, depending on the context.

Here's an example sentence:

У меня есть дополнительный вопрос.

Breakdown:

У меня (pronounced [oo meh-nya]) means "I have".

есть (pronounced [yest]) is the verb "to have" in the present tense.

дополнительный (pronounced [doh-pah-lee-teh-lee-nuh]) means "additional".

вопрос (pronounced [vuh-prohs]) means "question".

Meaning: This sentence translates to "I have an additional question".

Variations:

You can also say еще один вопрос (pronounced [ee-shcheh uh-deen vuh-prohs]) which literally translates to "one more question". This is a more colloquial way of saying "additional question".

Key Concepts:

The word order in Russian is usually Subject-Verb-Object, so the adjective дополнительный comes before the noun вопрос.

The adjective дополнительный is declined depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies. In this case, it is in the masculine singular form.

Pronunciation Notes:

The stress in the word дополнительный is on the fourth syllable (the "li" in "do-pah-lee-teh-lee-nuh").

The letter "е" in есть is pronounced as a short "e" sound.

The letter "о" in вопрос is pronounced as a short "o" sound.

English Translation: additional - дополнительный (doh-pah-lee-teh-lee-nuh)

The next word is front. The word "front" can be used in many ways in Russian, as it is a versatile word in English as well. Here are some examples with breakdown:

1. The front of a building: Перед зданием есть фонтан.

Перед (before) - pronounced: [pe-red]

зданием (building) - pronounced: [z-da-ni-em]

есть (there is) - pronounced: [yest]

фонтан (fountain) - pronounced: [fon-tan]

English Translation: There is a fountain in front of the building.

Key Concept: The preposition перед (before) is often used to indicate the front of something, like a building or a line.

1. A group of people on the front lines: Фронт был очень опасен.

Фронт (front) - pronounced: [front]

был (was) - pronounced: [bil]

очень (very) - pronounced: [o-chen]

опасен (dangerous) - pronounced: [o-pa-sen]

English Translation: The front lines were very dangerous.

Key Concept: In this case, фронт refers to a battlefield or a group of people actively involved in a conflict.

1. The front of a book: На передней обложке книги написано название.

На (on) - pronounced: [na]

передней (front) - pronounced: [pe-red-ney]

обложке (cover) - pronounced: [ob-lozh-ke]

книги (book) - pronounced: [kni-gi]

написано (written) - pronounced: [na-pi-sa-no]

название (title) - pronounced: [na-zva-ni-ye]

English Translation: The title is written on the front cover of the book.

Key Concept: Передняя (front) can be used to refer to the front cover of something.

Word and Pronunciation:

перед (before) - pronounced: [pe-red]

фронт (front) - pronounced: [front]

передняя (front) - pronounced: [pe-red-ney]

The next word is listen. The word "listen" in English translates to слушать (pronounced "sloosh-at") in Russian.

Sentence:

Пожалуйста, слушайте внимательно.

Translation: Please listen attentively.

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - Please. This word is used in a polite request.

слушайте (sloosh-ay-te) - Listen. This is the imperative form of the verb слушать (sloosh-at), meaning "to listen," which is used to command or request someone to do something.

внимательно (vnimatelno) - Attentively. This is an adverb that modifies the verb слушайте and adds detail to the action of listening.

Key Concepts:

Imperative mood: The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests.

Adverbs: Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing more information about the action, quality, or manner.

Variations of the word:

слушаю (sloosh-ay-u) - I listen (present tense, first person singular).

слушает (sloosh-ay-et) - He/she/it listens (present tense, third person singular).

слушали (sloosh-a-li) - They listened (past tense, plural).

English and Russian translation and pronunciation:

Listen: слушать (sloosh-at)

The next word is must. The word "must" in English expresses obligation or necessity. In Russian, we have several ways to express this concept. Here's one example using the word "должен" должен (pronounced: dol-zhen) meaning "must" or "should."

Sentence: Я должен поехать на работу. (Ya dolzhen poyehat' na rabotu.)

Breakdown:

Я Я (pronounced: ya) - "I" - Subject pronoun.

должен должен (pronounced: dol-zhen) - "must" - This is the key word, expressing obligation. It's a masculine singular form, agreeing with the subject "я."

поехать поехать (pronounced: po-ye-hat') - "to go" - This is the infinitive verb, meaning to travel.

на на (pronounced: na) - "to" - Preposition indicating direction.

работу работу (pronounced: ra-bo-tu) - "work" - This is the accusative case of the noun "работа" работа (pronounced: ra-bo-ta), which is used after the preposition "на."

Translation: I must go to work.

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and verbs often change their endings to agree in gender with the noun they modify. In this case, "должен" должен is masculine singular because the subject "я" is masculine.

Case: Russian nouns change their endings based on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, "работу" работу is in the accusative case because it's the direct object of the verb "поехать" поехать.

Variations:

"Должен" должен can be replaced with other words that express obligation or necessity:

"Надо" надо (pronounced: na-do) - "must" - more general and less forceful

"Нужно" нужно (pronounced: nuzh-no) - "must" - similar to "надо" надо

"Следует" следует (pronounced: sle-du-et) - "should" - more formal

Pronunciation Guide:

"Я" Я - pronounced as "ya"

"Должен" должен - pronounced as "dol-zhen"

"Поехать" поехать - pronounced as "po-ye-hat'"

"На" на - pronounced as "na"

"Работу" работу - pronounced as "ra-bo-tu"

English - Russian Translations:

must - должен должен (pronounced: dol-zhen)

The next word is song. The English word "song" translates to песня (pronounced "p'esnya") in Russian.

Here is a sentence using the word:

Я люблю слушать песни на русском языке.

This sentence translates to: "I love listening to songs in the Russian language."

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I" in Russian. It is the subject of the sentence, indicating who performs the action.

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") means "love" or "like" in the present tense. It is the verb of the sentence, describing the action.

слушать (pronounced "slushat") means "to listen" in the infinitive form. It is used after the verb "люблю" to form a complex verb phrase meaning "love to listen."

песни (pronounced "p'esni") is the plural form of песня (song).

на (pronounced "na") means "on" or "in" and indicates the language the songs are in.

русском (pronounced "russkawm") is the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective meaning "Russian". The masculine form is used here because it modifies the masculine noun языке.

языке (pronounced "yazyke") means "language".

. The period signifies the end of the sentence.

Helpful hints:

песня is pronounced with a soft н sound (like "ny" in "onion"), making it sound like "p'esnya".

The stress in the word песня is on the first syllable.

язык is often pronounced with a hard к sound (like "k" in "kite"), so it can sound like "yazik" or even "yazeek".

Word translations:

song: песня (p'esnya)

to listen: слушать (slushat)

Russian: русский (russkiy)

language: язык (yazik)

The next word is direct. The word "direct" can have several meanings in Russian. In this example, we will focus on the meaning of "direct" as in "direct route".

Here is an example sentence:

Пожалуйста, скажите мне, как пройти напрямую к университету.

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста - (pozhaluysta) - please
скажите (skazhite) - (imperative form of "to say") - tell (me)

мне (mne) - (dative case of "я" - "I") - to me
как (kak) - how
пройти (proy-ti) - (infinitive form of verb "to go") - to go
напрямую (napryamuyu) - directly
к (k) - to
университету (universitetu) - (dative case of "университет" - university) - university

This sentence can also be translated as: "Please tell me how to get to the university directly."

"Direct" can also be translated as прямой (pryamoy) - straight (masculine, nominative).

To use this word in a sentence we must use the correct case and gender.

For example:

Прямой путь (pryamoy put') - direct path

Remember to practice saying the words out loud and use them in different contexts to help you remember them.

English to Russian:

direct - прямой (pryamoy) / напрямую (napryamuyu)

The next word is though. ## Though: Хотя / хотя бы

Sentence: Хотя он был устал, он продолжил работать.

Breakdown:

Хотя (pronounced: "ha-tya") is a conjunction meaning "although" or "though." It indicates that a statement is true despite another statement.

он (pronounced: "on") means "he" and is the subject of the first clause.

был (pronounced: "byl") is the past tense of the verb "to be" (быть) and means "was" in this context.

устал (pronounced: "ustal") is the past tense of the verb "to be tired" (устать). It means "was tired" in the sentence.

он (pronounced: "on") means "he" again. It's the subject of the second clause.

продолжил (pronounced: "pro-dol-zhil") is the past tense of the verb "to continue" (продолжить) and means "continued" in the sentence.

работать (pronounced: "ra-bo-tat") is the infinitive verb "to work" and means "to work" in the sentence.

Translation: Although he was tired, he continued to work.

Variations:

хотя бы (pronounced: "ha-tya bi") means "at least" or "even if". This phrase adds a nuance that the statement was made despite the circumstances being unfavorable.

Example: Хотя бы ты не хочешь говорить, я все равно расскажу тебе историю. (Even if you don't want to talk, I will still tell you the story).

Word Pronunciation:

Though: Хотя (ha-tya)

Though (at least): хотя бы (ha-tya bi)

The next word is tomorrow. ## Завтра zavtra я пойду в библиотеку. ya paydu v biblioteku

Breakdown:

Завтра zavtra - Tomorrow. Pronunciation: [zahv-tra]

я ya - I. Pronunciation: [ya]

пойду paydu - I will go. This is the future tense of the verb "идти" idti (to go). It is conjugated for the first person singular. Pronunciation: [pay-doo]

в v - in. Pronunciation: [v]

библиотеку biblioteku - library. Pronunciation: [bee-bli-ah-teh-koo]

Meaning: Tomorrow, I will go to the library.

Variations:

Завтра zavtra is often shortened to завтра zavtra.

The verb "пойду paydu" can be changed to "пойдем paydem" (we will go), "пойдешь paydesh" (you will go, informal), or "пойдете paydete" (you will go, formal).

Key Concept:

The word order in this sentence is subject - verb - object, which is typical for Russian.

The future tense of Russian verbs is formed by combining the infinitive form of the verb with the appropriate future tense suffix, in this case, -у/-ю -u/-yu.

English & Russian Translations:

Tomorrow: Завтра zavtra (Pronunciation: [zahv-tra])

I will go: пойду paydu (Pronunciation: [pay-doo])

library: библиотеку biblioteku (Pronunciation: [bee-bli-ah-teh-koo])

The next word is toward. Он шёл вперед, направленный к цели. Он шёл вперед, направленный к цели.

He was walking forward, directed toward the goal.

This sentence uses the preposition к [k], which means "toward." It can be used to indicate direction, like in this example, or to show movement toward a specific person or thing.

The word направленный [napravlennyy] is the past participle of the verb направлять [napravlyat']. Past participles are often used in Russian to describe something that is already completed or in a certain state. In this sentence, it means that the man is already walking in a certain direction.

Here is the breakdown of the sentence:

Он [on] (He)

шёл [shol] (was walking)

вперед [vpered] (forward)

направленный [napravlennyy] (directed)

к [k] (toward)

цели [tseli] (goal)

Pronunciation:

к [k] - "k" like the "k" in "king"

цели [tseli] - "tseh-lee"

направленный [napravlennyy] - "na-prahv-len-nuh"

вперед [vpered] - "v-peh-red"

шёл [shol] - "shol" like "shoal"

Он [on] - "on" like "own"

Variations

You can use the preposition к [k] with different forms of the verb идти [idti] (to go) to indicate movement in different directions.

You can use the past participle направленный [napravlennyy] with other nouns to describe something that is directed toward that noun.

Translation
к [k] - toward
цели [tseli] - goal
направленный [napravlennyy] - directed
вперед [vpered] - forward
шёл [shol] - was walking

Он [on] - He

The next word is afford. The sentence is: Мы не можем себе позволить купить новый автомобиль.

Breakdown:

Мы (we) - This is the subject of the sentence, and it is in the nominative case. Pronunciation: [mɨ]

не (not) - This is a negation particle. Pronunciation: [nʲe]

можем (can) - This is the verb "to be able to," conjugated in the first person plural. Pronunciation: [ˈmoʒəm]

себе (ourselves) - This is the reflexive pronoun. Pronunciation: [sʲɪˈbʲe]

позволить (to afford) - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to afford." Pronunciation: [pəzˈvɔlɪtʲ]

купить (to buy) - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to buy." Pronunciation: [kupˈitʲ]

новый (new) - This is an adjective modifying "automobile." Pronunciation: [ˈnovɨj]

автомобиль (automobile) - This is the direct object of the sentence. Pronunciation: [əftəmɐˈbʲilʲ]

Key concepts:

Reflexive pronouns: In Russian, reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that the action of the verb is directed back to the subject. Here, себе indicates that we are affording something for ourselves.

Infinitive verbs: In this sentence, both позволить and купить are in the infinitive form. This is a common way to express the purpose or intent of an action.

Word order: Russian is a flexible language, and word order can vary. However, the basic structure of this sentence is subject-negation-verb-reflexive pronoun-infinitive verb-object.

Variations of the word "afford":

Доступный (affordable) - Pronunciation: [dəˈstupnɨj]

Недоступный (unaffordable) - Pronunciation: [nʲɪdɐˈstupnɨj]

Позволять себе (to afford) - Pronunciation: [pəzvɐˈljatʲ sʲɪˈbʲe]

Translation: We cannot afford to buy a new car.

English word: afford

Russian word: позволить (to afford)

Pronunciation: [pəzˈvɔlɪtʲ]

The next word is agreement. The sentence is: Мы достигли соглашения по этому вопросу.

Breakdown:

Мы - We. (Pronounced "my" as in "my cat")

достигли - reached (pronounced "da-stee-gli") This is the past tense of the verb достигать (to reach).

соглашения - agreement (pronounced "sa-gla-she-ni-ya")

по - on, about (pronounced "pa")

этому - this (pronounced "eh-ta-mu") This is a dative form of the demonstrative pronoun это (this).

вопросу - question, issue (pronounced "va-pro-su") This is the dative form of the noun вопрос (question)

Meaning: We reached an agreement on this issue.

Key concepts:

The sentence uses the dative case (indicated by the ending -у/-ю in этому and вопросу), which is used to show indirect objects. This is an important aspect of Russian grammar that students often struggle with.

The past tense of verbs is formed by adding a suffix to the stem. The suffix varies depending on the verb and the gender of the subject.

Russian uses prepositions like по to show the relationship between words.

This sentence demonstrates the use of the masculine noun вопрос in the dative case.

Variations:

You can change the subject (e.g., Он - he, Она - she, Они - they) and the object (e.g., решению - solution, плану - plan).

The verb can be changed to another past tense verb, such as подписали (signed), приняли (accepted), одобрили (approved).

Pronunciation guide:

Мы - my
достигли - da-stee-gli
соглашения - sa-gla-she-ni-ya
по - pa
этому - eh-ta-mu
вопросу - va-pro-su

English translation: Agreement

Russian translation: Соглашение (pronounced "sa-gla-she-ni-ye")

The next word is mind. ## У меня на уме есть план

Breakdown:

У меня - This is the genitive case of the pronoun "я" (I) combined with the preposition "у" (at, by, with, near) - meaning "with me".

на уме - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "in mind".

есть - means "there is/are" in this context, similar to the English "I have".

план - is the noun "plan" in the nominative case.

Meaning: I have a plan in mind.

Variations:

В моей голове есть идея (I have an idea in my head) - using the preposition "в" (in) and noun голова (head) instead of уме (mind).

Я думаю о том, что... (I'm thinking about...) - This construction uses the verb думать (to think) and a prepositional phrase to indicate the object of thought.

Pronunciation:

У меня - [oo myen-ya]

на уме - [nah oo-mye]

есть - [yest']

план - [plan]

English/Russian Translations:

Mind: ум (oom)

Plan: план (plan)

The next word is extend. The word "extend" can be used in Russian in several ways. Here is a sentence using the verb "продлить" prodlít' which means "to extend, to prolong".

Он продлил свою подписку на журнал на год.

Breakdown:

Он [on] - he (pronoun, subject of the sentence)

продлил [prodlíl] - extended (past tense, masculine singular form of the verb продлить)

свою [svóyu] - his, her, its, their (possessive pronoun)

подписку [padpísku] - subscription (noun, feminine singular)

на [na] - on (preposition)

журнал [zhurnál] - magazine (noun, masculine singular)

на [na] - for (preposition)

год [got] - year (noun, masculine singular)

Meaning: He extended his subscription to the magazine for a year.

Variations:

продлить [prodlít'] - to extend (verb, infinitive)

продление [prodlénie] - extension (noun, neuter singular)

Pronunciation:

продлить [prodlít'] - "pro-dlit'"

подписку [padpísku] - "pad-pees-koo"

журнал [zhurnál] - "zhoor-nal"

English: extend - продлить [prodlít']

Russian: продлить - prodlít'

The next word is beyond. The word "beyond" can be used in many ways, but let's consider the way it means "more than" or "further than." We'll use it to describe something that surpasses expectations.

Russian sentence:

Её талант зашёл за пределы ожидания.

Breakdown:

Её - eё - Her (feminine possessive pronoun) - "ee-yo"

талант - talant - Talent - "ta-lahnt"

зашёл - zashel - went (past tense, masculine singular) - "za-shool"

за - za - beyond, behind - "za"

пределы - predeli - limits, boundaries - "pre-de-lee"

ожидания - ozhidaniya - expectations - "ah-jee-dah-nee-ya"

Meaning: Her talent went beyond expectations.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs must agree in gender with the noun they modify. In this sentence, the noun талант (talent) is masculine, so the verb зашёл (went) is also in the masculine form.

Prepositions: Russian prepositions are very important and often change the meaning of a sentence. Here, the preposition за (beyond) is crucial to the meaning of the sentence.

Word order: While Russian word order is generally less strict than English, it can still influence the meaning. In this sentence, the placement of the verb зашёл (went) before the object пределы (limits) emphasizes the action of going beyond.

Variations:

За пределы (beyond) can also be used with other verbs, such as выйти (to go out) or пройти (to go through). For example:

Она вышла за пределы своих возможностей (She went beyond her capabilities).

Мы прошли за пределы дозволенного (We went beyond the allowed).

Translation: Ee yo talent zashel za predeli ozhidaniya.

Pronunciation: ee-yo ta-lahnt za-shool za pre-de-lee ah-jee-dah-nee-ya.

The next word is social. ## Общественный транспорт очень важен для большинства людей.

Breakdown:

Общественный транспорт: This translates to "public transport". The word Общественный (Obshchestvenny) means "public" and транспорт (transport) means "transport". You will often hear Общественный (Obshchestvenny) used to describe things that belong to the public, such as Общественная библиотека (Obshchestvennaya biblioteka) which means "public library".

очень: This word means "very" and is used to emphasize the importance of public transport. The "ч" (ch) at the end is pronounced similar to the "ch" in "church".

важен: This is the masculine singular form of the adjective "important". This form is used because транспорт (transport) is a masculine noun.

для: This preposition means "for" and introduces the people who benefit from public transport.

большинства: This word means "majority" and refers to a large number of people. Большинство (Bol'shinstvo) is a noun that means "majority" and большинства (bol'shinstva) is the genitive case form of this noun which is used after для (dlya).

людей: This is the genitive plural form of the word человек (chelovek) which means "person". This is used because of the preposition для (dlya) which requires the genitive case.

Key Concepts:

Gendered Nouns and Adjectives: In Russian, nouns are assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). Adjectives must agree in gender with the nouns they modify.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. This is known as declension and each case has a specific ending.

Pronunciation:

Общественный: Obshchestvenny - "Ob-shches-tven-ny"

транспорт: transport - "tran-sport"

очень: ochen' - "o-chen'"

важен: vazhen - "va-zhen"

для: dlya - "dlya"

большинства: bol'shinstva - "bol'shin-stva"

людей: lyudey - "lyu-dey"

English Translation: "Public transport is very important for the majority of people."

Word and Pronunciation:

Social: Общественный (Obshchestvenny) - "Ob-shches-tven-ny"

The next word is also. The word "also" in Russian can be translated as также (pronounced "tak-zhe"). It's often used to add an additional point or idea to what's already been said, similar to "too" or "as well" in English. It's a versatile word that can be used in various sentence structures.

Here's a sentence using "также":

Он любит читать, а также писать.

Он (pronounced "on") - He
любит (pronounced "lyubit") - loves
читать (pronounced "chitat'") - to read
а (pronounced "a") - and
также (pronounced "tak-zhe") - also
писать (pronounced "pisat'") - to write.

Translation: He loves to read, and also to write.

Breakdown:

This sentence uses the conjunction а (and) to connect two clauses. The first clause "Он любит читать" states the main point (He loves to read), and the second clause "также писать" adds an additional point (He also loves to write).

Variations:

While также is the most common way to translate "also," you can also use тоже (pronounced "to-zhe") in some cases. However, тоже is typically used after the verb or the object of the verb, whereas также can be placed before or after the verb. For instance:

Он любит читать, и тоже писать. (He loves to read, and to write too).

Pronunciation:

Remember to stress the first syllable of также ("tak-zhe") and the second syllable of тоже ("to-zhe").

English: also

Russian: также (pronounced "tak-zhe")

The next word is help. ## Помогите мне, пожалуйста!

Breakdown:

Помогите (pa-ma-gee-tye) - Imperative verb meaning "help" - it is the formal/polite version of the imperative, as it ends with the "те" ending.

мне (mnye) - Dative case of the pronoun "я" (ya - I), meaning "to me"

пожалуйста (pa-zhal-stuh) - Please - an adverb which makes the request more polite.

Translation: Please help me!

Key Concepts:

Imperative Verbs: These verbs are used to give commands or make requests. In Russian, the imperative verb form is different depending on the level of formality. The formal form uses the "те" ending (for example, помогите instead of помоги).

Dative Case: The dative case indicates the indirect object of a verb or preposition. In the sentence, "мне" indicates that the help is directed towards "me".

Politeness: Russian language places a high emphasis on politeness. Using "please" (пожалуйста) makes the request more polite.

Variations:

Помоги мне, пожалуйста (pa-ma-gi mnye, pa-zhal-stuh) - This is the informal version of the sentence using the informal imperative verb помоги.

Pronunciation:

Помогите (pa-ma-gee-tye)

мне (mnye)

пожалуйста (pa-zhal-stuh)

English/Russian Translation:

help - помогать (pa-ma-gat')

The next word is lady. The word "lady" in English has many connotations in Russian. It can be translated as дама (dah-ma), женщина (zhin-shchi-na), or леди (le-di).

The choice of translation depends on the context and nuance you want to convey.

Here is an example sentence:

В ресторане была очень красивая дама. (V restorane byla ochen' krasivaya dama.)

Breakdown:

В (v) is a preposition meaning "in". Pronunciation: v
ресторане (restorane) is a noun meaning "restaurant". Pronunciation: res-tor-ah-ne
была (byla) is a past tense form of the verb "to be". Pronunciation: bi-la
очень (ochen') is an adverb meaning "very". Pronunciation: o-chen'

красивая (krasivaya) is an adjective meaning "beautiful". Pronunciation: kra-si-va-ya
дама (dama) is a noun meaning "lady". Pronunciation: dah-ma

Translation:

"There was a very beautiful lady in the restaurant."

Key Concepts:

Gendered Nouns: Russian nouns are gendered (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The word дама (dama) is feminine, so the adjective красивая (krasivaya) agrees with it in gender.

Word Order: The basic word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence. В (v) is a preposition indicating location.

Variations:

женщина (zhin-shchi-na) is a more general term for "woman", while дама (dama) is more formal and implies elegance or sophistication.

леди (le-di) is a direct borrowing of the English word "lady" and is used mainly in formal settings.

Pronunciation:

Remember to stress the first syllable in most Russian words.

Pay attention to the "soft sign" (ь) at the end of words like была (byla). It makes the preceding consonant sound softer.

English: lady /ˈleɪdi/

Russian: дама (dah-ma)

The next word is ensure. ## Убедитесь , что вы правильно заполнили все поля в анкете.

Ubedites (ensure, make sure, convince yourself) is a verb in the imperative mood, which is used to give commands or instructions. The word is pronounced with stress on the first syllable: oo-by-dee-tes. The ending -tes indicates that the imperative is directed at a plural subject, in this case, "you" (plural). The full form is убедитесь, but it is often shortened to убедитесь.

что (that) is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause. In this case, the clause is "you have correctly filled out all the fields in the questionnaire."

вы (you) is the subject of the subordinate clause.

правильно (correctly) is an adverb modifying the verb заполнили.

заполнили (filled out) is the past tense of the verb заполнить (to fill out).

все (all) is a pronoun modifying the noun поля.

поля (fields) is a noun referring to the fields on a questionnaire.

в (in) is a preposition indicating location.

анкете (questionnaire) is a noun referring to a questionnaire.

Translation: Ensure that you have correctly filled out all the fields in the questionnaire.

English Pronunciation:

Убедитесь - oo-by-dee-tes
что - chto
вы - vy
правильно - pra-vil-no
заполнили - za-pol-ni-li
все - vsyo
поля - pa-lya
в - v
анкете - an-ke-te

Key Concepts:

Imperative mood

Subordinate clauses

Pronoun declension

Verb conjugation

Adverb modification

Variations of Убедитесь:

Убедись (singular imperative) - oo-by-dees

Убедите (formal plural imperative) - oo-by-dee-te

The next word is become. ## Стать стать (stat')

This is a very common verb and is often used to express the idea of transitioning into something, becoming something, or achieving something. It is similar in meaning to "to become" in English.

Example Sentence:

Он хочет стать врачом. (on khochet stat' vrachom)

Breakdown:

Он (on) - he
хочет (khochet) - wants
стать (stat') - to become
врачом (vrachom) - a doctor

English Translation: He wants to become a doctor.

Key Concept:

The verb стать (stat') is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an action that is ongoing or repeated.

Variations:

The verb стать (stat') is often used with the preposition в (v) to indicate a change of state or condition. For example,

Она стала красивее. (Ona stala krasiveye.) She became prettier.

Pronunciation:

стать (stat') - The 't' at the end of стать (stat') is pronounced like the 't' in the English word 'sat'.

English: become

Russian: стать (stat')

The next word is afraid. The sentence is:

Я боюсь высоты. Ya boyus' vysoty.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronoun, nominative case)

боюсь boyus' - afraid (verb, present tense, 1st person singular, -ю/-ю ending indicates present tense, -сь ending signifies reflexivity)

высоты vysoty - heights (noun, genitive case, -ы/-и ending denotes genitive case )

Key concept: The verb боюсь boyus' is reflexive and demonstrates that the fear is directed inward, toward oneself. Reflexive verbs in Russian often have an -ся/-сь ending.

Translation:

I am afraid of heights.

Pronunciation:

Я Ya - Ya (like "ya" in "yard")

боюсь boyus' - boy-us' (the "s'" at the end is almost silent)

высоты vysoty - vi-so-ty (the "y" at the end is soft, like the "y" in "yes")

Variations:

Бояться boyatsya - to be afraid (infinitive form of the verb)

Боится boyitsya - he/she/it is afraid (3rd person singular, present tense)

Боялись boyalis' - we/you/they were afraid (past tense, plural)

English: afraid / Russian: боюсь (boyus')

The next word is sample. This is a sample response to illustrate the format and information you'll receive for each word you provide.

English Word: Sample

Russian Sentence: Это просто образец предложения .

Breakdown:

Это is the subject of the sentence, meaning "this" in English. Это is a demonstrative pronoun that is used to refer to a singular object or concept that is close to the speaker.

просто is an adverb, meaning "simply" or "just". просто can also be used as an adjective meaning "simple" or "plain".

образец is the noun meaning "sample" in English. Образец is a masculine noun and can be declined in different cases depending on its grammatical function in a sentence.

предложения is the noun meaning "sentence" in English. Предложение is a neuter noun and can be declined in different cases depending on its grammatical function in a sentence.

. is a period, marking the end of the sentence.

Pronunciation:

Это - Eh-to
просто - Pro-sto
образец - Oh-bra-zyets
предложения - Pre-d-lo-zhe-ni-ya

. - period

Translation:

Это - This
просто - simply
образец - sample
предложения - sentence

Key Concept: This sentence uses a very common sentence structure with a subject, an adverb, and two nouns. This sentence structure is quite versatile and can be used to describe many different things!

The next word is half. ## Половина книги лежит на столе.

Breakdown:

Половина (pa-la-vee-na) - This is the noun "half" and it is in the nominative case. In Russian, the nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence.

книги (k-nee-gee) - This is the noun "book" and it is in the genitive case. It's modified by the adjective "половина" (half). Genitive case is used to show possession or a part of something. So, "половина книги" means "half of the book."

лежит (lee-zhit) - This is the verb "to lie" in the present tense, 3rd person singular form. Since the subject, "половина книги" is singular, the verb must be singular.

на (na) - This is the preposition "on" and indicates location.

столе (sta-lee) - This is the noun "table" and is in the prepositional case. The prepositional case is used after prepositions.

Translation:

Half of the book lies on the table.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. The case of a noun determines its role in the sentence. In this example, the noun "половина" is in the nominative case, and the noun "книги" is in the genitive case.

Gender: Nouns in Russian have grammatical gender. "Половина" is feminine, and "книги" is feminine. The agreement of the adjective and the noun in gender is important to know.

Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. In our example, "половина" is feminine, and so is "книги," which is why "книги" is in the genitive case, matching "половина."

Pronunciation Notes:

Половина - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot." The "и" in the first syllable is pronounced like the "ee" in "see". The second "и" is pronounced as a short "i" sound, as in "hit."

книги - The "и" is pronounced as a short "i" sound, as in "hit."

лежит - The "е" is pronounced as a short "e" sound, as in "let."

на - The "а" is pronounced as a long "a" sound, as in "father."

столе - The "е" is pronounced as a short "e" sound, as in "let." The stress is on the second syllable.

The next word is shoot. The English word "shoot" can be used as a verb or a noun. Let's examine each use in a Russian sentence.

Verb:

Sentence: Он выстрелил в мишень.

Breakdown: Он (he), выстрелил (shot), в (at/into), мишень (target).

Translation: He shot at the target.

Key Concept: The verb выстрелить (pronounced: [vuh-stree-lee-t'] ) is a perfective verb, meaning it refers to a completed action. The imperfective form of the verb is стрелять (pronounced: [stree-lyat']). You can use either to translate “shoot” depending on the context. Use выстрелить when you are talking about a completed action. Use стрелять when you are talking about an ongoing action.

Word Pronunciation:

Он - (ohn)

выстрелил - (vuh-stree-lee-t')

в - (v)

мишень - (mee-shen')

Noun:

Sentence: Он стрелял из ружья.

Breakdown: Он (he), стрелял (was shooting), из (from/out of), ружья (gun/rifle).

Translation: He was shooting from a rifle.

Key Concept: ружьё (pronounced: [roo-zh'yo]) is a noun. The verb in this sentence is стрелять (pronounced: [stree-lyat']).

Word Pronunciation:

Он - (ohn)

стрелял - (stree-lyat')

из - (eez)

ружья - (roo-zh'yo)

The next word is early. ## Он пришёл рано утром.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case). Pronounced like "ohn".

пришёл - came (verb, past tense, masculine singular). Pronounced like "pri-shohl".

рано - early (adverb). Pronounced like "rah-no".

утром - in the morning (prepositional case of утро - morning). Pronounced like "oo-trom".

Meaning: He came early in the morning.

Key concept: The Russian language uses cases to indicate the function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. In this case, рано is an adverb and does not change its form based on case. The word утром is in the prepositional case because it is preceded by the preposition в (in).

Variations:

Рано can also be used as an adjective meaning "early". For example, ранний поезд - an early train.

Пришёл is the masculine singular form of the verb. The feminine singular form would be пришла (pronounced "pri-shla") and the plural form would be пришли (pronounced "pri-shli").

English to Russian:

early - рано (rah-no)

in the morning - утром (oo-trom)

The next word is refuse. The word "refuse" is a verb meaning to decline or reject something. In Russian, the verb "отказать" otkazat' is a very common and versatile verb meaning "to refuse." It can be used to refuse a request, decline an offer, or simply say no to something.

Let's look at an example sentence:

Она отказала ему в помощи. Ona otkazala emu v pomoshchi.

Breakdown:

Она Ona (She) - The subject pronoun, meaning "she." The "o" in ona is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

отказала otkazala (refused) - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb otkazat'. The "a" at the end of the verb otkazala is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

ему emu (to him) - This is the dative case of the pronoun "он" on (he) meaning "to him". The "e" in emu is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

в помощи v pomoshchi (in help) - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "in help." The "o" in pomoshchi is pronounced like the "o" in "hot." The "i" at the end of pomoshchi is pronounced like the "i" in "machine."

Translation: She refused him help.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, verbs agree with their subjects in gender and number. Here, the verb otkazala is feminine singular to agree with the subject ona (she).

Dative Case: The dative case is used to show the indirect object of a verb. In this sentence, emu is in the dative case because it is the recipient of the refusal.

Variations:

отказывать otkazivat' (to refuse) - This is the infinitive form of the verb.

отказ otkaz (refusal) - This is the noun form of the verb.

Pronunciation:

refuse - [riˈfjuːz]

отказать otkazat' - [ətˈkazət']

Она Ona - [ɐˈna]

ему emu - [ɪˈmu]

в помощи v pomoshchi - [f pɐˈmɔʃːɪ]

The next word is look. English: I looked at the beautiful sunset.

Russian: Я посмотрел на красивый закат.

Breakdown:

Я - "I" (pronounced like "ya") - This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun "I" and is used when it is the subject of a sentence.

посмотрел - "looked" (pronounced like "pa-smah-trel") - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to look" (смотреть).

на - "at" (pronounced like "na") - This is the preposition "at" and is used to indicate the direction of the action.

красивый - "beautiful" (pronounced like "kra-see-vee") - This is the masculine singular form of the adjective "beautiful".

закат - "sunset" (pronounced like "za-kat") - This is the masculine noun "sunset".

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns are assigned a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), and adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. The word order in Russian is often different than English so knowing the case is helpful in understanding meaning.

Verb Conjugation: Verbs in Russian are conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence in person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural).

Variations:

You can change the subject of the sentence to a different person or noun.

You can change the tense of the verb to present or future.

You can change the adjective to describe the sunset in a different way.

English Translation: I looked at the beautiful sunset.

Pronunciation Guide:

Я - "ya"

посмотрел - "pa-smah-trel"

на - "na"

красивый - "kra-see-vee"

закат - "za-kat"

The next word is figure. ## Фигура танцовщицы была изысканной и грациозной.

Breakdown:

Фигура танцовщицы (fig-OO-ra tan-TSOV-shchi-tsy) - This translates to "the figure of the dancer" where Фигура (fig-OO-ra) means "figure" and танцовщицы (tan-TSOV-shchi-tsy) means "dancer" and is in the genitive case, indicating possession. Фигура can be used to describe the shape of a person, object, or even a concept. The -a ending indicates that Фигура is in the nominative case.

была (bi-LA) - This means "was" and is the past tense form of the verb "быть" (byt') which means "to be". It's a linking verb connecting the subject to the predicate.

изысканной (i-ZIS-kan-noy) - This means "refined" or "elegant" and is in the nominative case, modifying the noun Фигура.

и (i) - This means "and".

грациозной (gra-tsi-OZ-noy) - This means "graceful" and also modifies the noun Фигура.

Translation: The dancer's figure was refined and graceful.

Key concepts:

Noun Cases: Russian nouns have six cases, each changing the ending of the word depending on its role in the sentence. Here, the noun танцовщицы is in the genitive case, while Фигура is in the nominative case.

Linking verbs: Linking verbs connect the subject to the predicate. "Быть" (byt') is a common linking verb in Russian.

Pronunciation Notes:

Фигура: The "u" sound is like the "oo" in "moon."

танцовщицы: The "ц" (ts) sounds like the "ts" in "cats." The "щ" (shch) sounds like "sh" in "ship," but with a slight hissing sound.

изысканной: The "ы" (y) sounds like the "y" in "my" but slightly shorter.

грациозной: The "о" (o) sound is like the "o" in "hot." The "з" (z) sound is like the "z" in "zoo."

Additional Notes:

Фигура can also be used to describe a geometric shape, a painting, a sculpture, or even a person's personality.

The word танцовщица can be used for both male and female dancers, but танцор (tan-TSOR) is specifically used for a male dancer.

English Word: Figure

Russian Word: Фигура (fig-OO-ra)

The next word is party. The Russian word for "party" is вечеринка (ve-che-rin-ka).

Here is an example sentence:

Мы хотим пойти на вечеринку в субботу. (My khotim pay-tee na ve-che-rin-ku v sub-bo-tu.)

We want to go to a party on Saturday.

Breakdown:

Мы (my) - we (nominative plural pronoun)

хотим (khotim) - want (present tense verb, 1st person plural)

пойти (pay-tee) - to go (infinitive verb)

на (na) - on, to (preposition)

вечеринку (ve-che-rin-ku) - party (accusative case noun)

в (v) - in, on (preposition)

субботу (sub-bo-tu) - Saturday (accusative case noun)

Key Concepts:

Accusative Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. When a noun is the direct object of a verb, it takes the accusative case. Here, "party" and "Saturday" are both in the accusative case because they are the objects of the verbs "go" and "want to go."

Prepositions: Russian prepositions take different forms depending on the case of the noun that follows them. Here, "на" is used before "party," which is in the accusative case, while "в" is used before "Saturday," which is also in the accusative case.

Pronunciation:

вечеринка (ve-che-rin-ka) - stress on the first syllable
суббота (sub-bo-tu) - stress on the first syllable

Word translation and pronunciation:

party - вечеринка (ve-che-rin-ka)

Saturday - суббота (sub-bo-tu)

The next word is sea. The Russian word for "sea" is море (pronounced "moh-rye").

Here's a sentence using the word:

Я люблю плавать в море.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I." It is the subject of the sentence.

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") means "love" and is the verb in the present tense.

плавать (pronounced "plavat") means "to swim" and is the infinitive form of the verb. In this context, it is an infinitive used as a noun.

в (pronounced "v") is a preposition meaning "in."

море (pronounced "moh-rye") is the noun "sea" and is the object of the preposition.

Translation: I love to swim in the sea.

Key concepts:

The use of the infinitive after the verb "любить" (lyubit) is common in Russian and signifies an activity that is enjoyed.

The preposition в is used to indicate location and is followed by the accusative case of the noun.

Variations:

The word море can also be used in the plural form, моря (pronounced "morya"), to refer to multiple seas.

Pronunciation:

море (moh-rye)

Я (ya)

люблю (lyublyu)

плавать (plavat)

в (v)

The next word is scientist. Учёный работает в лаборатории.

Breakdown:

Учёный (oo-CHYO-nuy) - This is the word for "scientist" in Russian. It's a noun, and it's masculine.

работает (ra-BO-tay-et) - This is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb "to work." The ending -ет (-et) indicates that the subject is singular and masculine.

в (v) - This is the preposition "in".

лаборатории (la-ba-ra-TO-rii-e) - This is the feminine form of the noun "laboratory". It's in the prepositional case, which is used with the preposition "в".

Translation: The scientist works in the laboratory.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of the adjective, pronoun, and verb that agree with the noun. In this sentence, we see how the gender of the noun учёный (masculine) affects the verb ending -ет (-et) in работает and the ending -ии (-ii) in лаборатории.

Cases: Russian nouns change form according to their grammatical function in the sentence. This is called "case" and there are 6 cases in Russian. In this sentence, we see the prepositional case being used with the preposition в to show where the scientist works.

Variations:

You could use the plural form of the noun учёный - учёные (oo-CHYO-nuy-e) - "scientists".

You could also change the verb to the past tense, работал (ra-BO-tal) - "worked".

Or, you could use the future tense, будет работать (boo-det ra-BO-tat') - "will work".

Pronunciation tips:

Remember to pronounce the 'y' sound in учёный and работает.

The stress in лаборатории is on the third syllable.

English and Russian translations:

Scientist: Учёный (oo-CHYO-nuy)

Works: работает (ra-BO-tay-et)

In: в (v)

Laboratory: лаборатория (la-ba-ra-TO-rii-e)

The next word is straight. The word "straight" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. Straight as in direction:

Прямо идите прямо.

Прямо (pryamo) - straight (adv) /prya-moh/
идите (idite) - go (imp, pl) /ee-dee-tye/
прямо (pryamo) - straight (adv) /prya-moh/

Translation: Go straight.

This sentence uses the word прямо as an adverb to modify the verb идите. This sentence is in the imperative form, which is used to give commands. You can also use the word прямо as an adjective. For example: прямая линия - a straight line. (прямая - pryamaya /prya-ma-ya/ - straight (adj, fem); линия - liniya /lee-nee-ya/ - line)

1. Straight as in honest:

Он честный человек.

честный (chestnyy) - straight (adj, masc) /chest-niy/
человек (chelovek) - person (masc) /che-la-vyek/

Translation: He is an honest person.

Here, честный is an adjective meaning honest. It modifies the noun человек. The adjective честный can be declined by gender and number. The feminine form of the adjective is честная (chestnaya) and the plural form is честные (chestnye).

1. Straight as in unbent:

Согните руку прямо.

Согните (sognite) - bend (imp, pl) /sa-gnee-tye/
руку (ruku) - arm/hand (acc, sing) /roo-koo/
прямо (pryamo) - straight (adv) /prya-moh/

Translation: Bend your arm straight.

The sentence uses the word прямо as an adverb to modify the verb согните. The verb согните is in the imperative form, which is used to give commands. The word прямо is used here to indicate a lack of bend or a straight line.

Remember: The best way to learn how to use the word прямо is to practice using it in different contexts. You can use a dictionary to look up different translations and examples.

The next word is district. The word "district" in Russian is район (rayon).

The sentence is:

"Он живет в районе с множеством парков." Он (on) means "he" , живет (zhivet) means "lives", в (v) means "in", районе (rayone) means "district", с (s) means "with", множеством (mnozhestvom) means "a lot of", and парков (parkov) means "parks".

He lives in a district with many parks.

The word район (rayon) can also mean "region" or "area" depending on context. It is also important to note that the word район (rayon) is masculine, so the ending of the word changes depending on the grammatical case. In this example, район (rayon) is in the prepositional case and ends with -e.

Pronunciation:

район (rayon): ray-OHN
живет (zhivet): zhee-VET
в (v): v
с (s): s
множеством (mnozhestvom): mnoh-ZHEH-stvuhm
парков (parkov): PAR-kov

The next word is feel. I can certainly help you with that! Let's explore the Russian word for "feel":

чувствовать (pronounced: choov-stv-uh-vat')

This is a verb meaning "to feel" in the sense of experiencing a sensation or emotion. It is conjugated like most Russian verbs, so it can be used in various tenses and forms depending on the context.

Here is an example sentence:

Я чувствую себя хорошо. (Ya choovstvuyu sebya horosho.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I

чувствую (choovstvuyu) - feel (present tense, 1st person singular)

себя (sebya) - myself

хорошо (horosho) - well

Translation: I feel well.

Note: The word "feel" can also be translated into Russian using other verbs, depending on the specific nuance:

ощущать (oshchushchat') - to sense, to perceive (more physical sensation)

испытывать (ispytyvat') - to experience (emotion, feeling)

Pronunciation Tips:

Focus on the sounds of "ch" as in "chair", "v" as in "vest", and "sh" as in "shoe".

"Ы" ы is pronounced like the "ee" in "see" but with your tongue flattened against the roof of your mouth.

English: feel, to feel

Russian: чувствовать (choovstv-uh-vat')

The next word is picture. The Russian word for picture is картина (kar-tee-na).

Here is a simple sentence:

На стене висит красивая картина.

На стене висит красивая картина.

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at, in, preposition, pronounced "nah"

стене (stene) - wall, pronounced "steh-neh"

висит (visit) - hangs, pronounced "vee-sit"

красивая (krasivaya) - beautiful, pronounced "kra-see-vuh-yah"

картина (kartina) - picture, pronounced "kar-tee-na"

This sentence translates to "On the wall hangs a beautiful picture."

In Russian, the adjective красивая (krasivaya) must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. So, since картина (kartina) is feminine, the adjective is also feminine.

Other variations of картина (kartina):

картины (kartiny) - pictures, plural pronounced "kar-tee-nee"

картинку (kartinku) - small picture, diminutive form, pronounced "kar-teen-koo"

The stress always falls on the second syllable of the word картина (kartina).

The next word is TRUE. Это правда

This is a very basic sentence in Russian, using the word правда which means "truth" or "true" depending on context.

The word order is straightforward: Это - правда. Это (pronounced 'eh-to') means "this" or "it" in this context. It's used as a subject pronoun, pointing to the truth being discussed. Правда (pronounced 'prah-v-da') is the noun meaning "truth." The sentence is in the nominative case, meaning it's the subject of the sentence.

Variations

The word правда is a bit flexible:

Правдивый (pronounced 'prahvd-ee-vee') means "truthful" or "honest." It's an adjective and can be used to describe a person or a statement. For example: "He was a правдивый man."

Правдиво (pronounced 'prahvd-ee-vo') is the adverb form, meaning "truthfully" or "honestly." For example: "He told me правдиво."

You can also use правда in questions:

Правда ли? (pronounced 'prah-v-da lee') means "Is it true?" or "Really?"

Не правда ли? (pronounced 'nye prah-v-da lee') means "Isn't it true?" or "Don't you think so?"

English

True

Russian

Правда (pronounced 'prah-v-da')

The next word is myself. The word "myself" in English translates to себя (sebya) in Russian. It is a reflexive pronoun, meaning it refers back to the subject of the sentence. It is used when the subject of the sentence is also the object of the action. Here is an example sentence:

Я (ya) узнаю (uznayu) себя (sebya) в (v) этом (etom) отражении (otrazhenii).

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I (pronoun, subject of the sentence)

узнаю (uznayu) - I recognize (verb, present tense)

себя (sebya) - myself (reflexive pronoun, object of the verb)

в (v) - in (preposition)

этом (etom) - this (demonstrative pronoun)

отражении (otrazhenii) - reflection (noun)

Translation: I recognize myself in this reflection.

Pronunciation:

себя (se-bya) - Stress on the first syllable, "se"

Variations of себя (sebya):

себе (sebe) - to myself
собой (soboy) - with myself

Key Concepts:

Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of the verb are the same.

In Russian, reflexive verbs are often formed by adding the suffix -ся (-sya) to the verb.

English: myself

Russian: себя (sebya)

The next word is destroy. The word "destroy" in Russian is уничтожить (pronounced oo-ni-ch-toh-zhit'). This verb is imperfective, meaning it describes an ongoing action, and it can be used for both physical and metaphorical destruction.

Here is an example sentence:

Солдаты попытались уничтожить мост, чтобы задержать врага. (pronounced sol-da-ty pa-py-ta-li-s' oo-ni-ch-toh-zhit' most, ch-to-by za-der-zhat' vra-ga)

English translation: The soldiers tried to destroy the bridge in order to delay the enemy.

Breakdown:

Солдаты (pronounced sol-da-ty) - soldiers (plural noun) - soldiers
попытались (pronounced pa-py-ta-li-s') - tried (past tense, plural) - tried
уничтожить (pronounced oo-ni-ch-toh-zhit') - to destroy (infinitive, imperfective verb) - destroy
мост (pronounced most) - bridge (masculine noun) - bridge
чтобы (pronounced ch-to-by) - in order to (conjunction) - in order to
задержать (pronounced za-der-zhat') - to delay (infinitive, imperfective verb) - delay
врага (pronounced vra-ga) - enemy (masculine noun) - enemy

The key concepts here are:

1. Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. The bridge is masculine, so the adjective мост is used.

2. Verb Tense and Aspect: The verb попытались is in the past tense and plural form because it describes the soldiers' action in the past. The verb уничтожить is in the infinitive form, which is used to describe the action of the verb.

3. Infinitive Form: The infinitive form of a verb is used to express an action in general. In this case, the infinitive form уничтожить means "to destroy."

To make the sentence more specific, you can use the perfective aspect of the verb уничтожить, which is уничтожить (pronounced oo-ni-ch-toh-zhit'). This form indicates that the action was completed.

Example: Солдаты уничтожили мост, чтобы задержать врага. (pronounced sol-da-ty oo-ni-ch-toh-zhit-li most, ch-to-by za-der-zhat' vra-ga)

English translation: The soldiers destroyed the bridge in order to delay the enemy.

Destroy: уничтожить (oo-ni-ch-toh-zhit')

The next word is improvement. The word "improvement" in Russian is улучшение (pronounced oo-loo-CHYE-nee-ye). It is a noun, and can be used in both singular and plural forms.

Here is a sample sentence:

Улучшение (oo-loo-CHYE-nee-ye) жизни (zhee-Z-nee) в (v) России (Ross-ee-ee) заметно (za-MYE-tna) после (PO-slay) реформ (ree-FORM).

This sentence can be translated as "The improvement of life in Russia is noticeable after the reforms."

Breakdown:

Улучшение (oo-loo-CHYE-nee-ye) - improvement (noun)

жизни (zhee-Z-nee) - life (noun)

в (v) - in (preposition)

России (Ross-ee-ee) - Russia (noun)

заметно (za-MYE-tna) - noticeably (adverb)

после (PO-slay) - after (preposition)

реформ (ree-FORM) - reforms (noun)

This sentence showcases the grammatical structure of the Russian language, using noun declensions and prepositions to convey meaning. You can change the nouns in this sentence to use this structure for various other improvements!

Improvement - улучшение (oo-loo-CHYE-nee-ye)

Life - жизнь (zhee-Z-n')

The next word is and. The word "and" in Russian is и (pronounced "ee"). It is a conjunction which joins words, phrases or sentences. It is often used to show that two or more things are connected. It can be used in a variety of contexts. Here's an example:

Я люблю читать книги и слушать музыку.

Я (Ya) - I

люблю (lyublyu) - I love

читать (chitat') - to read

книги (knigi) - books

и (i) - and

слушать (slushat') - to listen

музыку (muzyku) - music

Translation: I love to read books and listen to music.

Note that in this case, и is connecting two verbs. You can also connect nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc. with и.

Word | Translation | Pronunciation

------- | -------- | --------
и | and | ee

The next word is fully. The word "fully" in Russian can be expressed as полностью (pronounced [pol'nost'yu]) and is an adverb. You can think of this word as meaning "completely" in English. It is used to describe an action or state that is completely finished or accomplished.

Here is a sentence using полностью:

Он полностью закончил работу. (Ohn pol'nost'yu zakonchil rabotu.)

This literally translates to "He completely finished the work."

The subject of the sentence is "он" (he) and the verb is "закончил" (finished). The adverb полностью modifies the verb, indicating that the work was completed to the fullest extent.

Let's break down the components:

Он (ohn) - he
полностью (pol'nost'yu) - fully, completely
закончил (zakonchil) - finished (masculine past tense)

работу (rabotu) - the work

Key Concept: In Russian, adverbs often come after the verb they modify, unlike English where they often come before.

Pronunciation Notes:

полностью (pol'nost'yu) - The stress falls on the second syllable, "пол". The "о" sound is like the "o" in "hot," the "л" is a soft "l" as in "lion", the "ь" is a soft sign that doesn't have a sound on its own but changes the sound of the preceding consonant, and the "ю" is pronounced as "yu" with a soft "y" as in "yes."

Translation:

fully: полностью (pol'nost'yu)

The next word is expensive. This дорогая (pronounced [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]) car is слишком (pronounced [SLIHSH-kum]) дорогая (pronounced [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]) for me.

This sentence means: "This car is too expensive for me".

Here is a breakdown of the grammar:

дорогая (pronounced [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]) is the feminine form of the adjective дорогой (pronounced [duh-ruh-GOY]) which means "expensive". You will need to remember this difference! There are three genders in Russian: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

слишком (pronounced [SLIHSH-kum]) means "too" and functions as an adverb in this sentence, modifying дорогая (pronounced [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]).

The word order in Russian can be quite flexible. A simple statement can be rearranged without changing the meaning.

In this example, слишком (pronounced [SLIHSH-kum]) is placed before дорогая (pronounced [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]).

You can also say: Эта (pronounced [EH-tuh] meaning "this") машина (pronounced [muh-SHEE-nuh] meaning "car") слишком (pronounced [SLIHSH-kum]) дорогая (pronounced [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]) для (pronounced [dlya] meaning "for") меня (pronounced [mih-NYA] meaning "me") and this would still mean: "This car is too expensive for me".

Key concepts to remember:

There are three genders in Russian, and adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they modify.

The word order in Russian is more flexible than in English.

English: expensive [ihk-SPEN-siv]

Russian: дорогая [duh-ruh-GAH-yah]

The next word is should. The word "should" in English can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context. In this example, we will focus on the most common translation: "должен" должен.

Sentence: Ты должен пойти к врачу.

Breakdown:

Ты (You) is the subject, pronounced as [tee]

должен (should) is the verb, pronounced as [dol-zhin]

пойти (to go) is the infinitive verb, pronounced as [pa-ee-tee]

к (to) is a preposition, pronounced as [k]

врачу (doctor) is the direct object, pronounced as [vrach-oo]

Meaning: You should go to the doctor.

Variations:

The word "должен" должен can also be used to express obligation or necessity. For example:

Я должен сделать это (I have to do this).

Он должен быть здесь (He must be here).

Pronunciation Tips:

должен ([dol-zhin]) - The "ж" ж sound is similar to the "sh" sound in English, but with a slightly stronger pronunciation.

пойти ([pa-ee-tee]) - The "и" и sounds similar to the "ee" in "see."

Word Translations and Pronunciation:

should - должен ([dol-zhin])

to go - пойти ([pa-ee-tee])

to - к ([k])

doctor - врач ([vrach])

The next word is vehicle. ## Транспортное средство is a средство (pronounced [sred-stva] which means "means") of транспорта (pronounced [tran-sport-a], meaning "transport"). The word транспортное (pronounced [tran-sport-noe]) is an adjective formed from транспорт (pronounced [tran-sport], meaning "transport").

Sentence: Я люблю ездить на разных транспортных средствах.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced [ya]) - I
люблю (pronounced [lyub-lyu]) - I love
ездить (pronounced [ye-zdit]) - to ride
на (pronounced [na]) - on
разных (pronounced [raz-nykh]) - different
транспортных (pronounced [tran-sport-nykh]) - adjective form of транспорт, meaning "of transport"

средствах (pronounced [sred-stvakh]) - plural form of средство, meaning "means"

Translation: I love riding on different vehicles.

Key concepts:

Adjective formation: The adjective транспортное is formed by adding the suffix -ное to the noun транспорт. This is a common way to form adjectives in Russian.

Plural form: The word средство is in the plural form средства because it is referring to multiple vehicles.

Prepositions: The preposition на is used before the object of the verb ездить to indicate movement on a surface.

Pronunciation guide:

транспортное: Stress the second syllable, [tran-SPORT-noe]

средства: Stress the first syllable, [SRED-stva]

разных: Stress the first syllable, [RAZ-nykh]

English translation of the word: vehicle

Russian translation of the word: транспортное средство

The next word is call. The English word "call" can be translated in several ways in Russian, depending on the context.

Here is an example using the verb "to call" as a request to someone to answer the phone:

Пожалуйста, ответьте на звонок.

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - Please (pronounced: puh-ZHA-loo-sta).

ответьте (otvet'te) - This is the polite form of the verb "to answer" (otvechat') in the imperative mood. This is the verb you use when politely asking someone to do something, and it is conjugated to the second-person plural form (you all). (pronounced: at-VYE-tye).

на (na) - on, upon, at, to (pronounced: na)

звонок (zvonok) - This is the noun for a call or a ring, usually referring to a phone call. (pronounced: zva-NOK)

Translation:

Please answer the call.

Additional Notes:

The verb "to call" can also be translated as звонить (zvonit') in Russian. For example, you can say Я звоню тебе (Ya zvon'yu tebye), which means "I am calling you." (pronounced: ya zva-NYOO te-bye).

Key Concept:

The choice of verb and conjugation in Russian depends on who you are talking to and how you want to address them. The imperative mood is used for requests and commands.

Pronunciation Guide:

The stress in Russian words is marked with an apostrophe (').

The letters "e" and "и" (i) are pronounced like the English "e" in "bed" and "i" in "machine" respectively.

The letter "o" is pronounced like the English "o" in "hot."

The letter "а" (a) is pronounced like the English "a" in "father."

English-Russian Word Pairs:

call - звонок (zvonok)

answer - отвечать (otvechat')

please - пожалуйста (pozhaluysta)

The next word is quiet. The word "quiet" in Russian is тихий (pronounced "TEE-khee"). It's an adjective, meaning "silent" or "calm."

Here's an example sentence:

В библиотеке было очень тихо. (pronounced "V bee-blee-AH-tee-kee bee-loh OH-chen TEE-khee")

Breakdown:

В (pronounced "V") - This is a preposition meaning "in" or "at."

библиотеке (pronounced "bee-blee-AH-tee-kee") - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the noun "библиотека" bee-blee-AH-tee-ka meaning "library."

было (pronounced "bee-loh") - This is the past tense of the verb "быть" beet meaning "to be."

очень (pronounced "OH-chen") - This means "very"

тихо (pronounced "TEE-khee") - This is the neuter nominative singular form of the adjective "тихий" TEE-khee meaning "quiet."

Translation: It was very quiet in the library.

Variations:

The adjective "quiet" can be used in different forms depending on the grammatical context:

Masculine: тихий (pronounced "TEE-khee")

Feminine: тихая (pronounced "TEE-kha-ya")

Neuter: тихое (pronounced "TEE-khoe-ye")

Plural: тихие (pronounced "TEE-khee-ye")

Pronunciation Tips:

т: Make a "t" sound, but with your tongue slightly behind your teeth.

х: A soft "k" sound.

й: This is a soft "y" sound, like the "y" in "yes."

English: quiet /ˈkwaɪət/

Russian: тихий /ˈtɪxɪj/

The next word is agency. ## Агентство помогает найти работу.

Breakdown:

Агентство (ah-GYEN-stvuh) - Agency. The word агентство (ah-GYEN-stvuh) is a noun and is in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence. It is the direct translation of the word agency.

помогает (puh-muh-GAH-yet) - Helps. The word помогает (puh-muh-GAH-yet) is a verb in the present tense, third-person singular. This means it describes an action being done by a singular subject. This is like saying 'he helps' or 'she helps' or 'it helps'.

найти (nah-ee-TEE) - To find. The word найти (nah-ee-TEE) is an infinitive verb, meaning it is in its base form, not conjugated. It is part of the verb phrase 'помогает найти (puh-muh-GAH-yet nah-ee-TEE), which means "helps to find".

работу (rah-BOH-tuh) - Work (as a noun). The word работу (rah-BOH-tuh) is a noun in the accusative case, which means it is the direct object of the verb найти (nah-ee-TEE) which means "to find".

Meaning: The agency helps to find work.

Key Concepts:

Nominative case - The subject of the sentence.

Accusative case - The direct object of the verb.

Infinitive verb - The base form of a verb.

Present tense, third-person singular - Describes an action done by a single subject.

Variations:

You can replace Агентство with any other agency, like рекрутинговое агентство (ri-KROO-tin-guh-vuh ah-GYEN-stvuh), which means 'recruiting agency'.

You could also use the plural form of Агентство - Агентства (ah-GYEN-stvuh), to say "Agencies help to find work."

Translation:

Agency - Агентство (ah-GYEN-stvuh)

Helps - помогает (puh-muh-GAH-yet)

Find - найти (nah-ee-TEE)

Work - работу (rah-BOH-tuh)

The next word is politics. Политика - politika - (pəˈlɪtɪks)

Sentence:

Политика является важным аспектом жизни любого общества.

Politika yavlyaetsya vazhnim aspektom zhizni lyubogo obshchestva.

Breakdown:

Политика - politika (pəˈlɪtɪks) - Politics - This is the noun form of the word "politics."

является - yavlyaetsya (yəvˈlyæt͡sə) - is - This is a form of the verb "to be" in the present tense.

важным - vazhnim (ˈvɑʒnɪm) - important - This is an adjective meaning "important."

аспектом - aspektom (ˈæspektəm) - aspect - This is a noun meaning "a particular part or feature of something."

жизни - zhizni (ˈʒɪzni) - life - This is a noun meaning "the state of being alive."

любого - lyubogo (ˈlʊbəɡoʊ) - any - This is a pronoun meaning "any one."

общества - obshchestva (ˈɔpʃɪstvə) - society - This is a noun meaning "a group of people living together in an organized way."

Meaning:

Politics is an important aspect of life in any society.

Key Concepts:

Nouns: Политика (politics), аспектом (aspect), жизни (life), общества (society).

Adjective: важным (important).

Pronoun: любого (any).

Verb: является (is).

Variations:

Политический - politicheskiy (pəˈlɪtɪkəl) - political - This is an adjective related to the word "politics."

Политики - politiki (pəˈlɪtɪks) - politicians - This is a noun referring to people who are involved in politics.

Pronunciation:

Политика - politika - (pəˈlɪtɪks)

является - yavlyaetsya - (yəvˈlyæt͡sə)

важным - vazhnim - (ˈvɑʒnɪm)

аспектом - aspektom - (ˈæspektəm)

жизни - zhizni - (ˈʒɪzni)

любого - lyubogo - (ˈlʊbəɡoʊ)

общества - obshchestva - (ˈɔpʃɪstvə)

The next word is close. The word "close" can be used in many ways, so to illustrate the meaning of this word in Russian, let's look at the sentence:

Пожалуйста, закрой дверь.

This sentence translates to: "Please close the door."

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Пожалуйста - Please (pronounced: pah-ZHA-luy-sta) - This is a polite request word, similar to "please" in English.

закрой - Close (pronounced: zah-KROY) - This is the imperative form of the verb "закрыть" (zakryt) which means "to close". It's used to tell someone to close something.

дверь - door (pronounced: dvyer) - This is the noun meaning "door".

Important notes:

The imperative form is used to give commands. In this sentence, it is used to politely ask someone to close the door.

The "closing" action is directed toward the door. This is indicated by the preposition "за" (za), which means "for" or "behind".

Here are some variations of the verb "закрыть" (zakryt):

Закрыть - Close (infinitive form)

Закрываю - I am closing

Закрыл - I closed (masculine singular past tense)

Закрыла - I closed (feminine singular past tense)

Закрыли - We closed (plural past tense)

This sentence illustrates a common use of "close" in Russian, which is to tell someone to close something.

English to Russian:

close - закрыть (zah-KRYT)

door - дверь (dvyer)

please - пожалуйста (pah-ZHA-luy-sta)

The next word is weapon. The Russian sentence is: Он использовал оружие, чтобы защитить себя.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: ohn) - He (masculine pronoun, nominative case)

использовал (pronunciation: is-pol-zo-val) - used (past tense, masculine singular, verb "использовать" ispol'zovat')

оружие (pronunciation: oru-zhi-ye) - weapon (noun, accusative case)

чтобы (pronunciation: chto-by) - in order to, so that (conjunction)

защитить (pronunciation: za-shi-tit') - to protect (verb, infinitive)

себя (pronunciation: se-bya) - himself, oneself (reflexive pronoun, accusative case)

The sentence translates to: "He used a weapon to protect himself."

Key Concepts:

Gender and Case: Russian nouns and pronouns have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and case (nominative, accusative, genitive, etc.). These influence the form of the word.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change form based on tense, person, number, and gender.

Reflexive Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns like себя refer back to the subject of the sentence.

Variations of the word "weapon":

орудие (pronunciation: oru-di-ye) - tool, instrument. Can also be used for "weapon" but is less common.

оружие is the most common word for "weapon" in Russian.

English and Russian translation of the word "weapon":

English: Weapon

Russian: оружие (pronunciation: oru-zhi-ye)

The next word is traditional. This is a great word to learn because it gives you insight into the culture of Russia, which is deeply steeped in tradition.

The sentence is:

В России есть много традиций.

Breakdown:

В - means "in" and is a preposition. Pronunciation: [v] like the "v" in "very"

России - means "Russia" and is the genitive case of Россия. Pronunciation: [ra-see-i] like the word "Russia"

есть - means "there is/are". Pronunciation: [yest] like the English word "yes" but with a "t" at the end.

много - means "many" and is an adjective. Pronunciation: [mnogo] like the English word "mango"

традиций - means "traditions" and is the genitive plural of традиция. Pronunciation: [tra-dee-tsii] like the English word "tradition" with a slight "s" sound at the end.

The sentence means:

There are many traditions in Russia.

The word "traditions" in this sentence is in the genitive plural case. This is an important grammatical concept in Russian because it means that the word is used to describe the object of something. In this case, the traditions are the object of "there are many". There are many what? There are many traditions.

English Translation:

В - in

России - Russia
есть - there is/are
много - many
традиций - traditions

The next word is purchase. The sentence: Я я (I) хочу хачý (want) купить купíть (to buy) новый нóвый (new) телефон телéфон (telephone).

Breakdown:

я (ya) - I. Я is the nominative form of the pronoun "I". It is used as the subject of a verb in a sentence. Say it like "ya"

хочу (khachú) - want. This is the first person singular (I) present tense form of the verb хотеть хатéть (to want). Say it like "kha-choo"

купить (kupít') - to buy. This is the infinitive form of the verb покупать пакупáть (to buy) and is used as a direct object of the verb хочу. Say it like "koo-peet'"

новый (nóvyy) - new. This is an adjective that modifies the noun телефон. Say it like "no-vee"

телефон (telefon) - telephone. This is the noun modified by the adjective новый and is the direct object of the verb купить. Say it like "teh-leh-fon".

Key Concepts

The verb хочу (want) is an irregular verb that has the following forms in the present tense:

хочу - I want

хочешь - you want

хочет - he/she/it wants

хотим - we want

хотите - you want

хотят - they want

The infinitive купить (to buy) is formed by adding the ending -ть -ть to the verb stem.

English Translation: I want to buy a new telephone.

Word and Pronunciation:

purchase - покупка (pa-koop-ka)

The next word is thus. ## Таким образом он смог доказать свою правоту.

Translation: Thus, he was able to prove his point.

Breakdown:

Таким образом (pronounced: tak-eem oh-bra-zom) - means "thus" or "in this way." It is an adverbial phrase that introduces a consequence or a result.

Так (pronounced: tak) is an adverb meaning "so" or "like this."

образом (pronounced: oh-bra-zom) is a noun meaning "way" or "manner."

он (pronounced: on) - he
смог (pronounced: smog) - means "was able to" or "managed to." It is the past tense of the verb мочь (pronounced: moch) meaning "to be able to." It is a common verb for expressing ability.

доказать (pronounced: da-ka-zat') - means "to prove." It is a verb that takes an accusative case object, meaning the object of the verb will be in accusative case.

свою (pronounced: svoy-oo) - means "his" or "her." It is a possessive adjective that agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In this case, it modifies the noun правоту.

правоту (pronounced: pra-vo-too) - means "rightness" or "truth." It is a noun in accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb доказать.

Variations:

This sentence can be reworded using the preposition с помощью (pronounced: s pa-mo-sh-yoo) meaning "by means of" or "with the help of." For example: С помощью этого аргумента он смог доказать свою правоту. (By means of this argument, he was able to prove his point.)

The phrase таким образом is a very common one, and it is often used to introduce a conclusion or a summary.

Pronunciation Tips:

Pay close attention to the stress in each word. In таким образом, the stress is on the first syllable of each word.

Be sure to pronounce the final consonant sounds in Russian words. For example, the "t" sound in правоту is pronounced.

The sounds "o" and "a" are distinct in Russian. The "o" sound is similar to the "o" sound in "hot," while the "a" sound is closer to the "a" sound in "father."

English and Russian Translation:

Thus - Таким образом

He - Он

Was able to - Смог

Prove - Доказать

His - Свою

Point - Правоту

The next word is extremely. The word "extremely" in Russian can be translated as крайне (kraine) or чрезвычайно (chrezvychaino).

Here is an example sentence using крайне (kraine):

Эта книга крайне интересная. (Eta kniga kraine interesnaya.)

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - this (feminine singular) [e-ta]

книга (kniga) - book (feminine singular) [k-nee-ga]

крайне (kraine) - extremely [krai-ne]

интересная (interesnaya) - interesting (feminine singular) [in-te-res-na-ya]

This sentence means "This book is extremely interesting."

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Word order: The typical word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

Variations:

Чрезвычайно (chrezvychaino) can be used instead of крайне (kraine) to mean "extremely" or "exceptionally."

Both words can be used to emphasize a quality or characteristic.

English and Russian translation of word and pronunciation:

extremely - крайне (kraine) [krai-ne]

extremely - чрезвычайно (chrezvychaino) [chrez-vy-chai-no]

The next word is mother. Моя мама работает врачом.

Moя mama rabotaet vrachem.

Breakdown:

Моя (moya) - This is the feminine form of the possessive adjective "my." It's pronounced like "mo-ya." We use the feminine form because the noun "мама" (mama - mother) is feminine.

мама (mama) - This means "mother" and is pronounced like "ma-ma".

работает (rabotaet) - This means "works" and is pronounced like "ra-bo-ta-et." It is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb "работать" (rabotat - to work).

врачом (vrachem) - This means "as a doctor" and is pronounced like "vrach-em." It is the instrumental case of the noun "врач" (vrach - doctor). The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or who performs an action.

Meaning: My mother works as a doctor.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and possessive pronouns agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Case System: Russian has a complex case system, where the form of a noun changes depending on its function in the sentence. The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or who performs an action.

Variations:

Instead of "работает" you could also use "является" (yavlyaetsya), which means "is," to say "My mother is a doctor."

You can use other professions instead of "doctor." For example, you could say "My mother works as a teacher" (Моя мама работает учителем - Moia mama rabotaet uchitelem).

Pronunciation Guide:

моя (mo-ya)

мама (ma-ma)

работает (ra-bo-ta-et)

врачом (vrach-em)

English to Russian:

Mother - мама (mama)

The next word is path. The word "path" in English has a few different meanings, but here I will focus on the physical path as in "walking path" or "hiking path".

The Russian word for "path" is тропа pronounced "tro-pa". The тропа is used in the context of a natural path, such as a path through a forest or a path in the mountains. It is a noun, feminine gender, and the ending changes to -ы in the plural.

Here's an example sentence:

Мы шли по узкой тропе, которая вела к вершине горы.

Let's break down the sentence:

Мы (my) - We
шли (shli) - were walking, past tense
по (po) - along, on
узкой (uzkoy) - narrow, feminine, singular
тропе (trope) - path, feminine singular
которая (kotorya) - which (feminine, singular)

вела (vela) - led, past tense, feminine
к (k) - to
вершине (vershine) - top (feminine, singular)

горы (gory) - mountain (feminine, singular)

English Translation: We walked along a narrow path that led to the top of the mountain.

Key Concepts:

Gendered Nouns: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The ending of the adjective changes based on the noun's gender.

Prepositional Cases: The word по (po) is a preposition used with the dative case, which means it specifies the place where something happens.

Past Tense: The past tense of verbs in Russian changes based on the gender and number of the subject.

Pronunciation Guide:

тропа (tro-pa) "tro" as in "troop" and "pa" as in "father"

узкой (uzkoy) "uz" as in "ooze" and "koy" as in "boy"

вела (vela) "ve" as in "very" and "la" as in "la"

вершине (vershine) "ver" as in "very" and "shine" as in "sunshine"

Remember to practice the pronunciation carefully, and don't be afraid to ask for help from your teacher or a native speaker if you're having trouble.

The next word is wave. The word "wave" in English can have many meanings in Russian. It can be a волна (volna), a волнение (volnenie), or a махать (makhat').

Let's focus on the meaning of "wave" as a gesture.

Here is a sentence:

Он махнул рукой в знак прощания. Он махнул рукой в знак прощания.

Breakdown:

Он Он (pronunciation: "on") - He (masculine pronoun)

махнул махнул (pronunciation: "makhnul") - waved (past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "махать" makhat')

рукой рукой (pronunciation: "rukoi") - hand (instrumental case of "рука" ruka)

в в (pronunciation: "v") - in (preposition)

знак знак (pronunciation: "znak") - sign (nominative case)

прощания прощания (pronunciation: "proshchaniya") - farewell (genitive case of "прощание" proshchanie)

The sentence means: He waved goodbye.

Important points:

The verb "махать" makhat' is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing action. The past tense form "махнул" makhnul is a perfective verb, indicating a completed action.

The preposition "в" v is used to indicate location or direction.

The noun "знак" znak is in the nominative case, as it is the direct object of the preposition "в" v.

The noun "прощания" proshchaniya is in the genitive case because it follows the preposition "в" v and modifies the noun "знак" znak.

Pronunciation:

"волна" volna - "vol-na"

"волнение" volnenie - "vol-ne-ni-ye"

"махать" makhat' - "ma-khat'"

Translation:

wave - волна (volna), волнение (volnenie), махать (makhat')

The next word is stand. The word "stand" is a versatile verb in English and has many corresponding verbs in Russian. In this sentence, we use the verb стоять (pronounced "stah-yat") which means "to stand" in the present tense.

Он стоит на улице. (Ohn sta-eet na ool-it-se.)

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced "ohn") - He
стоит (pronounced "stah-eet") - stands
на (pronounced "na") - on
улице (pronounced "ool-it-se") - the street

This sentence translates to "He stands on the street".

Key Concepts:

In Russian, verbs are conjugated, meaning they change form depending on the subject and tense.

This sentence uses the masculine singular form of the verb стоять (pronounced "stah-yat").

Variations of the verb "stand" in Russian:

стоять (pronounced "stah-yat") - to stand (present tense)

стоял (pronounced "stah-yal") - stood (past tense, masculine singular)

стояла (pronounced "stah-ya-la") - stood (past tense, feminine singular)

стояло (pronounced "stah-ya-lo") - stood (past tense, neuter singular)

стояли (pronounced "stah-ya-li") - stood (past tense, plural)

English: Stand - стоять (pronounced "stah-yat")

The next word is no. The Russian word for "no" is нет (pronounced "nyet"). It is used in a similar way to the English "no," to negate a statement or question. It is one of the most basic and essential words in the Russian language.

Sentence:

Я не хочу есть. (Ya ne khochu yest.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced "ya")

не (ne) - not (pronounced "nyeh")

хочу (khochu) - want (pronounced "kho-choo")

есть (yest) - to eat (pronounced "yest")

Translation: I don't want to eat.

Variations:

нет (nyet) can also be used as a short, standalone answer to a question, similar to the English "no."

Pronunciation:

нет (nyet) - "nyet"

Я (Ya) - "ya"

не (ne) - "nyeh"

хочу (khochu) - "kho-choo"

есть (yest) - "yest"

Key Concept: The word не (ne) is a very important negation particle in Russian. It is used to negate verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

The next word is night. The Russian word for "night" is ночь (pronounced "noch"). It is a feminine noun, so the ending changes depending on the case. For example, in the genitive case (whose, of whom), it would be ночи (pronounced "nochi"). The word for "night" in Russian can be used in many ways. For example, "good night" is спокойной ночи (pronounced "spukoynoy nochy"), and "midnight" is полночь (pronounced "polnoch").

Sentence: Я люблю смотреть на звёзды ночью (Ya lyublyu smotret' na zvyozdy nochyu).

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") - I
люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") - I love
смотреть (pronounced "smotret'") - to look
на (pronounced "na") - on
звёзды (pronounced "zvyozdy") - stars
ночью (pronounced "nochyu") - at night

Translation: I love to look at the stars at night.

Key concepts:

Gender of nouns: In Russian, all nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the endings of adjectives and other words that modify the noun.

Cases: Russian has six cases, which indicate the function of a noun in a sentence. The nominative case is the subject of the sentence, the accusative case is the direct object, the genitive case is used to show possession or a part of something, etc.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence. For example, the preposition на (na) means "on" in this sentence.

Pronunciation:

ночь (noch) - The "ch" sound is like the "ch" in "church."

спокойной ночи (spukoynoy nochy) - The "y" at the end of the word is a soft sound, similar to the "y" in "yes."

полночь (polnoch) - The "ч" sound at the end of the word is pronounced like the "ch" in "church."

Variations:

ночной (nochnoy) - adjective meaning "night"

ночные (nochnye) - plural form of the adjective "night"

ночлег (nochleg) - lodging for the night
ночью (nochyu) - at night (instrumental case)

English: night / naɪt/

Russian: ночь /notʃ/

The next word is city. The Russian word for city is город (pronounced [goh-rot]).

Here is a sentence:

Я живу в большом городе. Я живу в большом городе.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced [ya])

живу - live (pronounced [zhee-voo] - present tense of the verb жить [zheet'] )

в - in (pronounced [v])

большом - big (pronounced [bol-shohm] - masculine nominative case of большой [bol-shoy] - It's important to note that the adjective большой changes endings depending on the noun it modifies in this case it is modifying the noun город which is masculine).

городе - city (pronounced [goh-ro-dye] - This is the masculine locative form of город - meaning in the city)

Translation:

I live in a big city.

Key Concepts

Cases: Russian nouns, adjectives and pronouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. This is called case.

Gender: In Russian, nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter.

Tense: Verbs change form to show the time of the action.

Hints for Pronunciation

Pay close attention to the stress in each word. The stress is always marked in the transcription above.

Practice making the sounds of the Russian alphabet. There are some sounds that do not exist in English. For example, the sound of the letter [г] [g] is a bit more guttural than the English /g/. The sound of the letter [ж] [zh] is similar to the French "j" or the English "s" in "pleasure".

Listen to recordings of native speakers and try to imitate their pronunciation.

English and Russian Translation

City - город (pronounced [goh-rot])

The next word is presence. The Russian sentence is: Его присутствие на вечеринке было заметно.

Breakdown:

Его - This is the genitive case of the pronoun он (he), meaning "his".

Pronunciation: ye-go

присутствие - This is the noun "presence".

Pronunciation: pri-sut-stvi-ye

на - This is the preposition "on", "at", or "in".

Pronunciation: na

вечеринке - This is the noun "party".

Pronunciation: ve-che-rin-ke

было - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the neuter singular form.

Pronunciation: by-lo

заметно - This is an adverb meaning "noticeable".

Pronunciation: za-met-no

Meaning: "His presence at the party was noticeable."

Variations:

The word "присутствие" can also be used as a verb meaning "to be present".

The sentence could be reworded to use the word "присутствовать" (to be present) instead: "Он присутствовал на вечеринке" - "He was present at the party."

Key concepts:

Genitive case: The genitive case is used to show possession or a relationship between two nouns. In this case, "Его" shows that the presence belongs to him.

Past tense: The past tense in Russian is formed by adding endings to the verb stem. In this case, the verb "быть" (to be) is conjugated to "было".

Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In this case, "заметно" modifies the verb "было".

English and Russian translations:

Presence - присутствие (pri-sut-stvi-ye)

His - Его (ye-go)

The next word is scheme. The word "scheme" in English can be translated into Russian as схема (pronounced "skhe-ma"). It is a noun and refers to a plan or system of ideas. In this sentence, we use the nominative case as it is the subject of the sentence. The nominative case in Russian is the basic form of a noun and is used when the noun is the subject of a sentence.

Эта схема очень сложная. (pronounced "Eh-ta skhe-ma oh-chen slozh-na-ya").

This sentence means "This scheme is very complicated."

Эта (pronounced "Eh-ta") is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective "this."

схема (pronounced "skhe-ma") is the noun "scheme" in the nominative case.

очень (pronounced "oh-chen") means "very."

сложная (pronounced "slozh-na-ya") means "complicated." It is the feminine singular form of the adjective "complicated."

In Russian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This means that the adjective must match the noun in gender, number, and case.

Variations of the word "scheme":

схемы (pronounced "skhe-my") - plural of схема
схематичный (pronounced "skhe-ma-tich-ny") - adjective meaning "schematic"

схематически (pronounced "skhe-ma-tich-es-ki") - adverb meaning "schematically"

English to Russian translation:

scheme - схема (pronounced "skhe-ma")

The next word is response. Please provide an English word for me to create a Russian sentence using. I will then provide the sentence, a breakdown of the grammar, meaning of the sentence, variations of the word in question, and translation of words. I will highlight key concepts and give helpful hints on how to pronounce each word in English. I will also ensure that the Russian words are marked with and end with so that you can translate it using espeak.

The next word is corner. The word угол (u·gol) means "corner" in Russian. It can be used to refer to the corner of a room, a building, a street, or even a piece of paper.

Here's an example sentence:

Я сижу в углу комнаты. (Ya siжу v ugle komnaty.)

This sentence means "I am sitting in the corner of the room."

Я (ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case)

сижу (siжу) - I am sitting (verb, present tense)

в (v) - in (preposition)

углу (uglu) - corner (noun, prepositional case)

комнаты (komnaty) - room (noun, genitive case)

Key Concepts:

Prepositional Case: In Russian, nouns change their ending depending on their function in a sentence. The prepositional case is used when a noun is the object of a preposition. In this case, the word угол (u·gol) changes to углу (uglu) because it's the object of the preposition в (v) ("in").

Genitive Case: The word комната (komnata) ("room") changes to комнаты (komnaty) because it's in the genitive case, which is used to indicate possession or a part of something.

Pronunciation:

угол (u·gol) - "oo-gol" (like "pool" but with an "oo" sound)

я (ya) - "ya" (like "ya" in "yacht")

сижу (siжу) - "see-zhoo" (similar to "see" but with a "zh" sound like the "s" in "measure")

в (v) - "v" (like the "v" in "very")

комната (komnata) - "kom-na-ta" (the "a" sounds like the "a" in "father")

Variations:

угол (u·gol) can be used as a noun in its singular form.

уголки (u·golki) - corner (plural)

угловой (u·glovoy) - corner (adjective)

English Translation: corner - угол (u·gol)

The next word is council. The English word "council" can be translated into Russian as совет (sovet).

Sentence:

Городской совет принял решение о строительстве нового парка. (Gorodskoy sovet prinyal reshenie o stroitel'stve novogo parka.)

Breakdown:

Городской (gorodskoy) - means "city" or "municipal" and is an adjective modifying the noun "council" (which is implied). This is a stressed syllable, and you can hear the "o" at the end of the word. The "y" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "i" in the word "bit".

совет (sovet) - means "council". This is the noun and is the subject of the sentence. Focus on the "o" at the end of this word, like "so" in the English word "so".

принял (prinyal) - is the past tense of the verb "to take" or "to accept". Pronounced "preen-yahl" - "yahl" like "yowl" in "howl".

решение (reshenie) - means "decision". A very useful word. The accent is on the second syllable. Pronounced "re-she-ni-ye", almost like the English word "decision".

о (o) - is the preposition "about" or "of".

строительстве (stroitel'stve) - means "construction". It is the prepositional case form of the noun "construction" (строительство (stroitel'stvo)). The accent is on the third syllable. Pronounced "stroy-tel-stv-ye" - "stv" like "st" in "street".

нового (novogo) - means "new". This is an adjective. It's a stressed syllable and "o" like in the English word "go". You can hear the "v" at the end, similar to the "v" in the English word "love".

парка (parka) - means "park". A stressed syllable and you can hear the "a" at the end of the word. It is pronounced "park-a".

Translation: The city council made the decision to build a new park.

Note: The word совет (sovet) is a very versatile word and can also mean "advice" or "suggestion". You can use it in different contexts:

Дать совет (Dat' sovet) - "To give advice". Совет (sovet) is in the accusative case here. Remember that the "t" at the end is pronounced like "d" because it is followed by a vowel.

Получить совет (Poluchit' sovet) - "To receive advice"

English Translation: council - совет (sovet) - "so-vet"

The next word is much. The word "much" in English translates to много (mnogo) in Russian. It is used to express a large quantity of something that is uncountable. Here is an example sentence:

У меня много книг (U menya mnogo knig) - I have many books.

У (u) - This is the preposition "at" but it is used here to mean "I have" with the following noun phrase, similar to the English phrase "I have" or "with me."

меня (menya) - This is the personal pronoun, the object form of the word "I," and corresponds to the English pronoun "me"

много (mnogo) - This is the adjective "much" or "many" and corresponds to "many" in English.

книг (knig) - This is the plural form of the noun "book," which can be either masculine or feminine. The form "knig" indicates the feminine form.

Key Concepts:

Много (mnogo) - The Russian word for "much" or "many" is used to express a large quantity of something that is uncountable. It is an adjective and thus changes based on gender.

У (u) - This word, which literally translates to "at," is used here to mean "I have" along with a noun phrase that follows.

Pronunciation:

У - Pronounced like "oo"

меня - Pronounced like "menya"

много - Pronounced like "mnogo"

книг - Pronounced like "kneeg"

English Translation: I have many books.

Russian Translation: У меня много книг

The next word is through. The word "through" can be translated into Russian in several ways depending on the context. Here's one example using через [chee-rez] meaning "through" in the sense of movement:

Он прошёл через лес. [ahn prah-shohl che-rez lyess]

Breakdown:

Он [ahn] - He (pronoun, masculine singular nominative)

прошёл [prah-shohl] - Past tense, masculine singular, of the verb пройти [prah-ee-tee] (to go through, to pass through). The verb пройти [prah-ee-tee] is irregular; the past tense is formed with прошёл [prah-shohl] (masculine singular), прошла [prah-shla] (feminine singular) and прошло [prah-shlo] (neuter singular)

через [chee-rez] - through, via (preposition)

лес [lyess] - forest

Meaning: He walked through the forest.

Key concepts:

Prepositions in Russian, like через [chee-rez], are important for expressing relationships between words in a sentence. They often precede nouns or pronouns.

Verb tenses are crucial for conveying the time of an action. In this case, прошёл [prah-shohl] indicates a completed action in the past.

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and past tense verbs agree in gender with the noun they modify. This is why the verb is прошёл [prah-shohl] (masculine singular) to agree with the noun он [ahn] (masculine singular).

Pronunciation Notes:

The ч [ch] sound in через [chee-rez] is similar to the [ch] sound in the English word "cheese."

The stress in через [chee-rez] is on the second syllable.

English & Russian Translation:

Through: через [chee-rez]

The next word is such. The word "such" is commonly used in English to emphasize a quality or characteristic. In Russian, the word "такой (pronounced: [ta-koy]) is the most direct translation. It can also mean "this" or "that" but it is mainly used in the sense of "such."

Here is an example sentence:

"Он был такой добрый" (pronounced [on byl ta-koy dob-riy])

Breakdown:

"Он" (pronounced: [on]) means "He."

"был" (pronounced: [byl]) means "was."

"такой" (pronounced: [ta-koy]) means "such."

"добрый" (pronounced: [dob-riy]) means "kind."

Translation: He was such a kind man.

Key Concept: "такой" (pronounced: [ta-koy]) is an adjective that is used to describe the noun. It is often used with a noun to emphasize the noun's quality or characteristic.

Variations of "такой" (pronounced: [ta-koy])

"такая" (pronounced: [ta-ka-ya]) - feminine form

"такое" (pronounced: [ta-ko-ye]) - neuter form

"такие" (pronounced: [ta-ki-ye]) - plural form

English: such

Russian: такой (pronounced: [ta-koy])

The next word is component. This компонент является важным элементом в системе.

Breakdown:

компонент (kom-po-nent) - component - This is the noun in the sentence, in the nominative case. It is the subject of the sentence.

является (ya-vly-a-et-sya) - is - This is the verb in the sentence, conjugated in the present tense, third person singular. It agrees in gender and number with the subject.

важным (vazhn-ym) - important - This is an adjective modifying the noun, элементом, agreeing in gender and number.

элементом (e-le-men-tom) - element - This is a noun in the instrumental case, object of the preposition "в"

в (v) - in - This is a preposition introducing the noun phrase системе
системе (sis-te-me) - system - This is a noun in the prepositional case, object of the preposition "в"

Key Concepts:

Nominative Case - компонент - used for the subject of the sentence

Instrumental Case - элементом - used for the object of the preposition "в"

Prepositional Case - системе - used for the object of the preposition "в"

Agreement - The adjective важным agrees in gender and number with the noun элементом

English Translation:

This component is an important element in the system.

Variations:

The word компонент can also be used in the plural form: компоненты (kom-po-nen-ty).

Pronunciation:

компонент - kom-po-nent
является - ya-vly-a-et-sya
важным - vazhn-ym
элементом - e-le-men-tom
в - v
системе - sis-te-me

The next word is line. The word "line" has several possible meanings in Russian, and the sentence will depend on which meaning you are looking for.

Here is a sentence using the word "line" as a physical line:

Он провёл линию на бумаге.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) / on
провёл - past tense, masculine singular, of the verb "to draw" / pravyohl
линию - accusative case of the word "line" / lee-nee-yoo
на - on, preposition / na
бумаге - on paper, feminine, prepositional case of "paper" / boo-ma-geh

Translation: He drew a line on the paper.

Key Concept: Russian nouns have different forms depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, "линию" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "to draw."

Pronunciation: Note that the stress in "линию" falls on the second syllable.

Variations:

The word "линия" can also mean "line" in the sense of a queue, a boundary, or a telephone line.

The verb "провести" has many other meanings, including "to spend (time)," "to carry out," and "to conduct."

The preposition "на" is very common and can mean "on," "at," or "to."

English-Russian word and pronunciation:

line - линия / lee-nee-ya

The next word is speed. The train was moving at a high скорость skorost'.

Breakdown:

Скорость skorost' is the noun for "speed". It's a feminine noun, so you need to use the feminine form of the adjective "high" which is высокая vysokaya

The sentence is in the past tense, using the verb "was moving" which is двигался dvigalsya. It is the masculine past tense form of the verb двигаться dvigatsya.

The sentence is in the nominative case since скорость skorost' is the subject.

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian have genders, masculine, feminine, and neuter.

Russian adjectives change their ending depending on the gender of the noun they modify.

Verbs in Russian change their ending depending on the tense and the subject.

Pronunciation:

скорость skorost': The "o" in скорость skorost' is similar to the "o" in "hot" and the "c" is pronounced like the "s" in "speed".

высокая vysokaya The "o" sounds like the "o" in "hot" and the "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

двигался dvigalsya: The "g" is pronounced like the "g" in "go" and the "a" in двигался dvigalsya is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

English to Russian:

Speed: скорость skorost'

High: высокая vysokaya

Was moving: двигался dvigalsya

The next word is occur. The word "occur" in English means "to happen" or "to take place." In Russian, the word for "occur" is происходить (pro-is-ho-dit'). This is a verb, and like many Russian verbs, it can change forms to indicate things like tense, person, and number.

Here is an example sentence using происходить (pro-is-ho-dit'):

Это может происходить по разным причинам.

Breakdown:

Это (e-to) - This
может (mo-zhet) - can (present tense, 3rd person singular)

происходить (pro-is-ho-dit') - occur (present tense, infinitive)

по (po) - by
разным (raz-nym) - different
причинам (pri-chi-nam) - reasons (plural dative case)

Translation: This can occur for different reasons.

Key Concepts:

Present tense: происходить (pro-is-ho-dit') is in the present tense, indicating that something happens regularly or habitually.

Infinitive: происходить (pro-is-ho-dit') in its infinitive form means "to occur".

Dative case: The word причинам (pri-chi-nam) is in the dative case because it is the object of the preposition по (po).

Pronunciation Guide:

происходить (pro-is-ho-dit') - Pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable, "pro"

причинам (pri-chi-nam) - Pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable, "pri"

Variations:

The verb происходить (pro-is-ho-dit') can also be used in the past tense (произошло - pro-iz-osh-lo) or the future tense (произойдет - pro-iz-oy-det).

English: occur /əˈkɜːr/

Russian: происходить (pro-is-ho-dit')

The next word is somewhere. The word "somewhere" in English translates to где-то in Russian.

The sentence structure in Russian will follow the pattern of Subject-Verb-Adverb, which is different from English. The sentence "I saw her somewhere" will be translated as "I saw her где-то".

Let's break down the parts of the sentence:

Я (Ya) - I - (Pronounced "Ya" like "ya" in "yacht")

видел (videl) - saw - (Pronounced "vee-dyel")

ее (ee) - her - (Pronounced "ee" like the English word "ee")

где-то (gde-to) - somewhere - (Pronounced "gdeh-toh")

Here is the full sentence:

Я видел ее где-то. - I saw her somewhere.

Important Note:

где-то (gde-to) is an example of an adverb of place. Adverbs of place are used to describe where something happens or is located.

Russian often uses a shorter form of a noun when referring to a previously mentioned person, like using ее (ee) instead of её (eyo).

Pronunciation:

где-то (gde-to) - "gdeh-toh"

Variations:

The word "somewhere" can be used in different ways in English. It can be used to express uncertainty about a location, as in "I saw her somewhere".

It can also be used to express a sense of vagueness, as in "I'm going somewhere".

In Russian, где-то (gde-to) will be used in both situations.

English: somewhere

Russian: где-то (gde-to)

The next word is circumstance. ## Circumstance

The English word "circumstance" translates to обстоятельство (pronounced: ub-stoya-tel-stvo) in Russian. It is a noun and functions as a singular or plural.

Here is an example sentence using this word:

Обстоятельства не всегда благоприятствуют нам. (pronounced: ub-stoya-tel-stva nye vseg-da bla-go-pri-yat-stvuyut nam)

This translates to "Circumstances don't always favor us."

Breakdown:

Обстоятельства - this is the plural form of обстоятельство, which means "circumstance."

не - this is the negation "not."

всегда - this means "always."

благоприятствуют - this is the third person plural form of the verb "to favor," which is благоприятствовать.

нам - this is the dative case of the pronoun "we" and means "us."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Обстоятельство is a neuter noun. This is reflected in the plural ending of the noun (-а, instead of -ы, which is used for masculine nouns).

Case: In Russian, nouns and pronouns change their forms depending on their function in a sentence (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, prepositional). Here, обстоятельства is in the nominative case (subject of the sentence), and нам is in the dative case (indirect object).

Pronunciation Guide:

обстоятельство - stress on the second syllable, "stoy"

не - stress on the first syllable
всегда - stress on the first syllable
благоприятствуют - stress on the second syllable "pri"

нам - stress on the first syllable

Word and Pronunciation Translation:

circumstance - обстоятельство (ub-stoya-tel-stvo)

The next word is certain. ## Определённый определённая определённое

Breakdown:

Определённый определённая определённое means "certain" or "definite" in Russian. It is an adjective that agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

определённый is the masculine form. (pronounced: uh-pri-dye-lyo-nuh)

определённая is the feminine form. (pronounced: uh-pri-dye-lyo-nuh-ya)

определённое is the neuter form. (pronounced: uh-pri-dye-lyo-nuh-ye)

Example sentence:

У меня есть определённый план. (pronounced: oo mi-nya yest uh-pri-dye-lyo-nuh plan)

Translation: I have a certain plan.

Key Concepts:

Gender and Number Agreement: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Pronunciation: The stress in определённый определённая определённое is on the third syllable from the end, лён.

Translation:

Certain: определённый (uh-pri-dye-lyo-nuh)

The next word is clock. The Russian word for "clock" is часы (pronounced cha-see).

Sentence:

На столе стоят красивые часы.

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at (preposition, pronounced nah)

столе (stole) - table (pronounced sto-leh)

стоят (stoyat) - stand, are standing (verb, pronounced sto-yat)

красивые (krasivye) - beautiful (adjective, pronounced kra-see-vye)

часы (chasy) - clock (pronounced cha-see)

Translation: Beautiful clocks are standing on the table.

Variations:

Часы (chasy) can also mean "watch."

The plural form of час (chas) is часы (chasy). Час (pronounced chas) means "hour" in Russian.

Helpful Hints:

The stress in часы (chasy) is on the second syllable.

The stress in красивые (krasivye) is on the second syllable.

The stress in стоят (stoyat) is on the second syllable.

The stress in столе (stole) is on the first syllable.

Pronunciation Guide:

ч (ch) - like the "ch" in "chair"

а (a) - like the "a" in "father"

с (s) - like the "s" in "sun"

ы (y) - like the "ee" in "see"

и (i) - like the "ee" in "see"

е (e) - like the "e" in "bed"

о (o) - like the "o" in "hot"

у (u) - like the "oo" in "moon"

English: clock

Russian: часы (chasy)

The next word is full. The word "full" can be used in many ways in Russian, but let's look at a simple sentence to start.

Полный стакан воды

This translates to "a full glass of water."

Here's a breakdown:

полный (pronounced "pol-nuh") means "full" and is an adjective. In this case, it's in the masculine singular form, agreeing with the noun "glass."

стакан (pronounced "stah-kahn") is a masculine noun meaning "glass."

воды (pronounced "vah-duh") is the genitive case of the feminine noun вода (pronounced "vah-dah") meaning "water." The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a preposition.

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender, so adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Case: The genitive case is used to indicate possession or to show the object of a preposition.

Variations:

полная (pronounced "pol-nuh-yah") is the feminine form of "full"

полный (pronounced "pol-nuh") is the masculine form of "full"

полное (pronounced "pol-nuh-ye") is the neuter form of "full"

English translation: Full / pol-nuh

Russian translation: полный / pol-nuh

The next word is among. The word "among" in English can be tricky because it has a variety of uses depending on context. In the sentence below, we see the word "among" used to indicate that something is shared by several people. "Среди" среди is the most common way to express "among" in Russian, though there are other words you can use.

Sentence:

The students were excited to discuss the latest research findings among themselves.

Russian:

Студенты были рады обсудить последние результаты исследований среди себя. Stu-den-ty by-li ra-dy ob-su-dit po-sled-ni-ye re-zul-ta-ty is-sle-do-va-niy sre-di se-bya.

Breakdown:

Студенты Stu-den-ty - Students (plural, nominative case) This is pronounced like "Stu-den-ty"

были by-li - were (past tense, plural, masculine/feminine/neuter) This is pronounced like "by-li"

рады ra-dy - happy (adjective, plural, masculine/feminine/neuter) This is pronounced like "ra-dy"

обсудить ob-su-dit - to discuss (infinitive) This is pronounced like "ob-su-dit"

последние po-sled-ni-ye - last (adjective, plural, masculine/feminine/neuter) This is pronounced like "po-sled-ni-ye"

результаты re-zul-ta-ty - results (plural, nominative case) This is pronounced like "re-zul-ta-ty"

исследований is-sle-do-va-niy - research (plural, genitive case) This is pronounced like "is-sle-do-va-niy"

среди sre-di - among (preposition) This is pronounced like "sre-di"

себя se-bya - themselves (reflexive pronoun, accusative case) This is pronounced like "se-bya"

Key Concepts:

The preposition "among" is usually translated as "среди" sre-di, which means "in the midst of". This word is usually paired with the reflexive pronoun себя se-bya when it refers to a group of people.

The accusative case is often used for direct objects. This is most easily understood as the case you would use for "who?" or "what?"

The genitive case is used to show possession, and is usually the equivalent of "of" or "s' in English.

Variations of "Among":

You can also say "между" mezh-du (between) for "among" if the group is two people, but it is not as common.

Между mezh-du is also often used to refer to physical locations, and it can be more versatile than среди sre-di in some cases.

English: among /əˈmʌŋ/

Russian: среди /ˈsrɛdɪ/

The next word is able. The Russian sentence is: Он способен говорить по-русски.

Breakdown:

Он - This is the masculine pronoun "he". Pronounced "ohn".

способен - This is the masculine singular form of the adjective "способный" (capable, able). It is in the nominative case, which means it is the subject of the sentence. Pronounced "sposob-nuh".

говорить - This is the infinitive form of the verb "говорить" (to speak). Pronounced "gov-o-reet".

по-русски - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "in Russian". Pronounced "po-russ-ki".

Variations:

To make the sentence about a woman, change Он to Она (pronounced "ah-na").

To make the sentence about a plural subject, change Он to Они (pronounced "ah-nee") and change способен to способны (pronounced "sposob-nuh").

Translation: He is able to speak Russian.

Key Concept: The adjective "способный" is used to express ability. It changes form depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. The word order in Russian sentences can be more flexible than in English.

Word Pronunciation:

Able - [ey-buh-l]

способный - [sposob-nuh]

The next word is exist. ## Существуют разные способы решения этой проблемы.

Breakdown:

Существуют: This is the third-person plural form of the verb "to exist" in the present tense. It is used when referring to multiple things. Think of it as saying "they exist" in English. The "t" in the ending is silent. It's pronounced like "Soo-shee-st-voo-yut" (stress on the first syllable).

разные: This is the plural adjective form of "different". Think of it as saying "different" in English. The "e" at the end is pronounced like "eh" but very softly. It's pronounced like "raz-nee" (stress on the first syllable).

способы: This is the plural noun form of "way". Think of it as saying "ways" in English. It's pronounced like "spo-so-bee" (stress on the second syllable).

решения: This is the plural noun form of "solution" or "resolution". Think of it as saying "solutions" in English. It's pronounced like "ree-sheh-nee-ya" (stress on the second syllable).

этой: This is the feminine singular possessive adjective form of "this" or "that". Think of it as saying "this" or "that" in English. It's pronounced like "eh-toy" (stress on the first syllable).

проблемы: This is the plural noun form of "problem". Think of it as saying "problems" in English. It's pronounced like "pro-bleh-mee" (stress on the second syllable).

Sentence Translation: There are different ways to solve this problem.

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugation: The verb "to exist" (существовать) is conjugated based on subject, tense, and mood.

Gender agreement: Russian adjectives and nouns agree in gender, number, and case.

Noun declension: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence.

Variations:

Существует - singular form of the verb "to exist" (существовать)

разный - masculine singular form of "different"

разная - feminine singular form of "different"

разное - neuter singular form of "different"

способ - singular form of "way"

решение - singular form of "solution" or "resolution"

эта - feminine singular form of "this" or "that"

проблема - singular form of "problem"

English to Russian Translations:

Exist - существовать (soo-shee-st-voh-vat)

Different - разный (raz-niy)

Ways - способы (spo-so-bee)

Solutions - решения (ree-sheh-nee-ya)

This - эта (eh-ta)

Problem - проблема (pro-bleh-ma)

The next word is family. Моя моя (my) семья семья (family) живёт живёт (lives) в в (in) Москве Москве (Moscow).

This sentence means, "My family lives in Moscow."

Breakdown of the Sentence:

Моя моя (pronounced: moh-ya) - is the possessive adjective (my) and it agrees in gender with the noun семья семья (family).

Семья семья (pronounced: syem-ya) - this is the feminine noun for "family".

Живёт живёт (pronounced: zhee-vyot) - this is the third person singular present tense verb "to live."

В в (pronounced: v) - this is the preposition "in"

Москве Москве (pronounced: mask-vye) - this is the prepositional case of the noun Москва Москва (Moscow), which is in the feminine gender.

Key Concepts:

Russian grammar uses a system of noun cases to show how a noun relates to other words in the sentence.

Possessive adjectives in Russian agree in gender with the noun they modify.

The present tense of verbs in Russian varies depending on the person and number of the subject.

Variations of the word "семья" семья:

Семья семья (family) - feminine noun

Семьи семьи (families) - plural form

Семейный семейный (family) - adjective (e.g. семейный альбом семейный альбом (family album)

Pronunciation:

Семья семья (pronounced: syem-ya)

Москве Москве (pronounced: mask-vye)

English Translation:

Family: семья (pronounced: syem-ya)

Moscow: Москва (pronounced: mask-va)

The next word is focus. The sentence:

Студенты должны сфокусироваться на изучении русского языка.

Breakdown:

Студенты [stu-den-ty] - Students (plural, masculine, nominative case).

должны [dol-zh-ny] - Must (verb "должен" in the plural, masculine, present tense).

сфокусироваться [s-fa-ku-si-ra-vat-sya] - To focus (verb "фокусироваться" in the infinitive form). This verb is reflexive and in the infinitive form, which makes it universal and suitable for all genders.

на [na] - On (preposition).

изучении [i-zu-che-nii] - Study (noun, neuter gender, prepositional case).

русского [ru-ss-ka-va] - Russian (adjective, masculine, genitive case).

языка [ya-zy-ka] - Language (noun, masculine, genitive case).

Key concept:

The reflexive verb "сфокусироваться" takes the prefix "с" (which adds the meaning of "to focus on something") to the verb "фокусировать" (to focus).

The preposition "на" is followed by the noun "изучении" in the prepositional case.

English translation: Students must focus on the study of the Russian language.

Pronunciation notes:

In Russian, stress is often placed on the last syllable.

Pay attention to the consonant "с" (s) in words like сфокусироваться and студенты - it is pronounced with a soft, hissing sound.

The letter "ы" (y) in Russian is pronounced like the "i" in "bit" or "fit."

Variations:

You can change the subject of the sentence to yourself, for example: "Я должен сфокусироваться на изучении русского языка." (I must focus on studying the Russian language).

You can also replace the word "изучении" with other activities related to learning Russian, such as "чтении" (reading), "говорении" (speaking), or "грамматике" (grammar).

The next word is choice. The Russian word for choice is выбор (pronounced: [vee-bur]). It is a noun and can be used in a variety of ways.

Here is a simple sentence:

У меня есть выбор. У меня есть выбор.

Breakdown:

У меня У меня (oo myen-ya) - means "I have" or "With me"

есть есть (yest') - means "there is" or "there are". This is a very common word and means "to be" in the present tense.

выбор выбор (vee-bur) - means "choice"

Translation: I have a choice.

Variations of "выбор":

свободный выбор свободный выбор (svobod-niy vee-bur) - free choice
трудный выбор трудный выбор (trood-niy vee-bur) - difficult choice
лучший выбор лучший выбор (loo-chshiy vee-bur) - best choice
неожиданный выбор неожиданный выбор (nee-ozhidan-niy vee-bur) - unexpected choice

Choice Выбор (vee-bur)

The next word is run. The word "run" in English is a very versatile word. It can be used as a verb, noun, or even an adjective. In the following Russian sentence, we will use the verb form of "run" in the present tense.

Я бегу ya begu

Breakdown:

Я ya means "I" in Russian, and is the subject of this sentence. The "я" is pronounced like "ya", but the "a" is very short.

бегу begu is the present tense, first person singular conjugation of the verb "to run", which is бежать bezhat' in Russian. The "e" at the end of "begu" is pronounced more like "eh".

This sentence means "I am running".

Here are some other ways to use "run" in Russian:

бежать bezhat' - to run (infinitive)

бежал bezhal - ran (past tense, masculine)

бежала bezhala - ran (past tense, feminine)

бежали bezhali - ran (past tense, plural)

English: run /rʌn/

Russian: бежать bezhat' /bʲɪˈʒat/

The next word is either. ## Either

Sentence: Либо ты идешь со мной, либо остаешься здесь.

Breakdown:

Либо libo - This is a conjunction meaning "either." It is used to connect two options. Pronunciation: lee-bo
ты ty - You (informal, singular) Pronunciation: t'ee
идешь idesh - go (present tense, 2nd person singular) Pronunciation: ee-dyosh
со so - with (preposition) Pronunciation: so
мной mnoy - me (with me) Pronunciation: mnoy
либо libo - either (conjunction) Pronunciation: lee-bo
остаешься ostayesh'sya - stay (present tense, 2nd person singular) Pronunciation: ah-stay-yosh-sya
здесь zdes - here (adverb) Pronunciation: z-dyes

Meaning: "Either you go with me, or you stay here."

Variations:

ИЛИ ili - another conjunction meaning "or." This is more common in spoken Russian.

либо ... либо libo ... libo - This structure is used to present two mutually exclusive options.

Translation:

Either - либо - lee-bo

Or - или - ee-lee

The next word is hurt. The word "hurt" in English has multiple meanings, so we will look at the two most common ones: "physical pain" and "emotional distress."

Physical Pain

Sentence: Он сильно ушиб ногу, когда упал с велосипеда.

Breakdown:

Он - He

сильно - strongly, severely - pronounced [see-l'no]

ушиб - hurt, bruised - pronounced [oo-sheeb]

ногу - leg - pronounced [noh-goo]

когда - when - pronounced [kahg-da]

упал - fell - pronounced [oo-pal]

с - from - pronounced [s]

велосипеда - bicycle - pronounced [vye-la-see-pye-da]

Translation: He hurt his leg badly when he fell off the bicycle.

Key Concept: The verb ушибить (to hurt, bruise) is a perfective verb, meaning it refers to a completed action.

Emotional Distress

Sentence: Её слова очень сильно задели его чувства.

Breakdown:

Её - Her

слова - words - pronounced [sla-va]

очень - very - pronounced [oh-chen]

сильно - strongly, severely - pronounced [see-l'no]

задели - hurt - pronounced [zah-dye-lee]

его - his - pronounced [ye-vo]

чувства - feelings - pronounced [chuv-stva]

Translation: Her words really hurt his feelings.

Key Concept: The verb задеть (to hurt, offend) is an imperfective verb, meaning it refers to an ongoing or repeated action.

Variations of the word 'Hurt':

болеть (to ache, hurt) - This verb is used for continuous pain. Example: У меня болит голова. (My head hurts.)

ранить (to wound, injure) - This verb is often used for physical injuries. Example: Он был ранен в бою. (He was wounded in battle.)

Pronunciation Guide:

The letter 'ы' in Russian is pronounced like the 'ee' in the word 'see'.

The letter 'е' in Russian is pronounced like the 'ye' in the word 'yes'.

Word and Pronunciation:

Hurt: болеть - [bah-leet']

Hurt: ушибить - [oo-sheeb-eet']

Hurt: задеть - [zah-dyet']

The next word is window. The Russian word for "window" is окно (pronounced "ahk-noh"). The sentence below uses the word in the nominative case (subject of the sentence).

Окно в комнате было открыто. Окно в комнате было открыто.

English Translation: The window in the room was open.

Breakdown:

Окно (ahk-noh) - window (nominative case, singular)

в (v) - in (preposition)

комнате (kom-nuh-tye) - room (prepositional case, singular)

было (buh-loh) - was (past tense, neuter gender, singular)

открыто (ah-t-kree-toh) - open (past participle, neuter gender, singular)

Key Concepts:

Nominative Case: The subject of a sentence.

Prepositional Case: Used with prepositions.

Gender Agreement: Adjectives and verbs must agree in gender with the noun they describe. In this case, было (was) and открыто (open) are both neuter, agreeing with the neuter noun окно (window).

Variations of окно:

окна (ahk-nah) - windows (nominative case, plural)

Pronunciation:

окно (ahk-noh)

в (v)

комнате (kom-nuh-tye)

было (buh-loh)

открыто (ah-t-kree-toh)

English Translation of the sentence: The window in the room was open.

The next word is pick. The word "pick" has many meanings and can be translated into Russian in different ways, depending on the context.

Here is an example sentence using "pick" in the sense of choosing:

English: She picked a beautiful dress for the party.

Russian: Она выбрала красивое платье для вечеринки.

выбрала - vybrala - pronounced 'vih-brah-lah' - (past tense, feminine singular) to choose, select.

Grammar:

The sentence uses the feminine singular form of the past tense verb "выбрать" vybrat (to choose, select) to agree with the subject "она" ona (she).

Variations:

The verb "выбрать" vybrat can also be used in other tenses and forms. For example, in the present tense, it would be "выбирает" vybiraet (she chooses) or "выбирают" vybirayut (they choose).

English Translation: She chose a beautiful dress for the party.

The next word is next. The word "next" can be used in several different ways in Russian. Here is an example of one of them, as a way to indicate the following item in a list or series.

Следующий день будет холодным.

Следующий [sleh-doo-yu-shchiy] - this word means "next" or "following"

The ending of this word, ый, [ee] is a common ending for adjectives in Russian.

The ending of this word will change based on the noun it modifies.

день [djen'] - means "day"

будет [boo-det] - means "will be".

This is a conjugation of the verb "to be" in the future tense. "To be" is a key verb in Russian.

холодным [hoh-lod-nuhm] - means "cold"

This word is the instrumental case, which expresses the means or instrument by which an action is done.

It is also the adjective ending, so this word also means "cold"

Translation: The next day will be cold.

Key concepts:

Russian adjectives can change endings based on the noun they modify.

The instrumental case in Russian is similar to "with" or "by" in English.

Russian verb conjugations can change depending on tense and person.

Pronunciation guide:

Следующий - [sleh-doo-yu-shchiy]

день - [djen']

будет - [boo-det]

холодным - [hoh-lod-nuhm]

Vocabulary:

Следующий [sleh-doo-yu-shchiy] - next, following
день [djen'] - day
будет [boo-det] - will be
холодным [hoh-lod-nuhm] - cold

Good luck with your Russian studies!

The next word is construction. The word "construction" in Russian is строительство (stroitel'stvo). It is a noun, and it can be used in both singular and plural forms.

Here's a sentence using the word:

Строительство нового дома занимает много времени. (Stroitel'stvo novogo doma zanimaet mnogo vremeni.)

Breakdown:

Строительство (Stroitel'stvo) - Construction (noun, singular) - The stress is on the first syllable (Stroitel'stvo). Pronunciation is similar to "stroy-tel-stvuh"

нового (novogo) - New (adjective, genitive case) - The stress is on the first syllable (novogo). Pronunciation is similar to "no-vuh-guh"

дома (doma) - House (noun, genitive case) - The stress is on the first syllable (doma). Pronunciation is similar to "doh-ma"

занимает (zanimaet) - Takes (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense) - The stress is on the second syllable (zanimaet). Pronunciation is similar to "zah-nee-ma-yet"

много (mnogo) - Much (pronoun, genitive case) - The stress is on the first syllable (mnohgo). Pronunciation is similar to "mnoh-guh"

времени (vremeni) - Time (noun, genitive case) - The stress is on the first syllable (vremeni). Pronunciation is similar to "vray-me-nee"

Translation:

The construction of a new house takes a lot of time.

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian have different cases depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, строительство (stroitel'stvo) is in the nominative case, while дома (doma) and времени (vremeni) are in the genitive case.

Adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. In this sentence, нового (novogo) is in the genitive case to agree with the noun дома (doma).

Russian verbs have different forms for person, number, and tense. In this sentence, занимает (zanimaet) is in the 3rd person singular present tense.

Variations of the word "construction":

строительный (stroitel'nyi) - construction (adjective) - Similar to "construction" as in "construction worker"

строить (stroit') - to construct (verb)

строитель (stroitel') - builder (noun)

Pronunciation Notes:

The letter "ь" (ь) at the end of words like строительство (stroitel'stvo) is silent, but it affects the preceding consonant, making it softer.

The letter "о" (о) in words like дома (doma) has a similar pronunciation to the "o" in the English word "hot".

The letter "е" (е) in words like времени (vremeni) has a similar pronunciation to the "e" in the English word "get".

The letter "и" (и) in words like занимает (zanimaet) has a similar pronunciation to the "ee" in the English word "see".

This sentence provides a great example of how Russian grammar works. By understanding the cases, verb conjugation, and adjective agreement, you can start constructing your own Russian sentences with confidence!

The next word is hang. The word "hang" in English has several meanings, but in this context, we'll focus on the meaning of "to suspend something."

Here is a Russian sentence using "hang" in this context:

Я повесил картину на стену.

Breakdown:

Я - ya - I (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced like "ya"

повесил - pavesil - hung (past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced like "pa-ve-sil"

картину - kartinu - painting (accusative case) - pronounced like "kar-tee-noo"

на - na - on (preposition) - pronounced like "na"

стену - stenu - wall (accusative case) - pronounced like "ste-noo"

Translation: I hung the painting on the wall.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb повесить (pavesit) is conjugated in the past tense, masculine singular form, which is повесил (pavesil).

Case: Nouns in Russian change form depending on their function in the sentence. In this case, the nouns картину (kartinu) and стену (stenu) are in the accusative case, indicating they are the direct objects of the verb.

Variations:

The verb повесить (pavesit) can also be used in other tenses and forms, such as the present tense (вешаю (veshayu) - I am hanging), the future tense (повешу (paveshu) - I will hang), or the plural (повесили (pavesili) - they hung).

The noun картина (kartina) can also be used in other forms, such as the nominative case (картина (kartina) - the painting), the genitive case (картины (kartiny) - of the painting), or the prepositional case (картине (kartine) - on the painting).

English and Russian words and their pronunciations:

Hang: вешать (veshat')

Painting: картина (kartina)

Wall: стена (stena)

The next word is easy. This task is легкий (lyog-kee).

The word легкий is an adjective meaning "easy." The ending "ий" makes it an adjective. The masculine form of the adjective would be легкий, the feminine form would be легкая (lyog-kaya), and the plural form would be легкие (lyog-kee-ye).

Example sentence:

Эта задача легкая. (This task is easy).

Translation:

легкий - easy (lyog-kee)

легкая - easy (lyog-kaya)

легкие - easy (lyog-kee-ye)

The next word is actually. The word "actually" in English can be used in a variety of ways, so let's look at a few Russian sentences using different meanings of this word:

Sentence 1:

На самом деле, я не люблю кофе.

Na samom dele, ya ne lyublyu kofe.

Breakdown:

На самом деле - na samom dele translates to "actually" or "in reality". It's a common phrase in Russian and means "in fact," "truly," or "as a matter of fact."

я - ya - "I"

не - ne - "not"

люблю - lyublyu - "love" (present tense)

кофе - kofe - "coffee"

Key Concept:

The key concept here is the use of на самом деле - na samom dele to emphasize a truth or to introduce a surprising fact. You can use it to contrast what might be expected with what is actually the case.

Translation:

Actually, I don't like coffee.

Pronunciation:

На самом деле - na sa-mom de-le
я - ya
не - ne
люблю - lyub-lyu
кофе - ko-fe

Sentence 2:

Я, на самом деле, не знаю, что сказать.

Ya, na samom dele, ne znayu, chto skazat.

Breakdown:

Я - ya - "I"

на самом деле - na samom dele - "actually" or "in reality"

не - ne - "not"

знаю - znayu - "know" (present tense)

что - chto - "what"

сказать - skazat - "to say" (infinitive)

Key Concept:

The key concept here is the use of на самом деле - na samom dele to introduce a confession or an admission of a fact. The speaker is acknowledging that they don't know what to say, and using "actually" to soften the admission.

Translation:

Actually, I don't know what to say.

Pronunciation:

Я - ya
на самом деле - na sa-mom de-le
не - ne
знаю - zna-yu
что - chto
сказать - ska-zat

English: actually

Russian: на самом деле - na samom dele

The next word is mouth. The word рот (rot) means "mouth" in Russian. Here is an example sentence:

"У кота (kota) маленький рот (rot)."

У (u) means "at" or "with" and is similar to the English preposition "with" in this context, and is used before a noun when it modifies something else, in this case, кот (kot), which means "cat".

кот (kot) means "cat". It is masculine.

маленький (malen'kiy) is an adjective that means "small" or "little". It modifies the word рот (rot).

рот (rot) means "mouth". It is masculine.

Translation: The cat has a small mouth.

Pronounciation:

рот (rot) - [rot]

кот (kot) - [kot]

маленький (malen'kiy) - [malyen'kiy]

У (u) - [oo]

Variations of the word:

The word рот (rot) is not often used in plural forms.

Key concepts

In Russian, words are often gendered. For example, рот (rot) is masculine.

The word order in Russian is often different from English. In the example sentence, the adjective маленький (malen'kiy) comes before the noun рот (rot), whereas in English, the adjective would come after the noun.

Learning tip:

To learn the gender of a noun, you can look it up in a dictionary or grammar book, or you can try to remember it by associating it with other words of the same gender. For example, the word кот (kot) is masculine, and so is the word рот (rot). This can help you to remember that both words are masculine.

The next word is date. The word "date" in English can have several meanings, so we need to be specific in Russian.

Here's an example using the meaning of "date" as a noun referring to a specific day of the month.

Сегодня двадцатое апреля.

Сегодня - se-god-nya - Today.

двадцатое - dva-tsa-toe - The 20th (note the "e" ending because it's the feminine form, referring to апреля).

апреля - ah-pre-lya - April (note the "-lya" ending because it's the genitive case, indicating possession).

This sentence means "Today is the 20th of April".

Key Concepts

Gender: In Russian, nouns have grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of adjectives, pronouns, and even some verbs.

Cases: Russian nouns have six cases, each indicating a different grammatical function within the sentence. In this example, we see the genitive case.

Other meanings of "date" and their Russian equivalents:

Date (as in a romantic appointment): свидание - svi-da-ni-ye

Date (as in a specific year): дата - da-ta

To use these words, you would change the sentence structure to fit the context.

The next word is rest. The word "rest" in Russian can be translated in a couple of ways, depending on the context.

Let's start with the most common usage: to rest

Sentence: Я хочу отдохнуть от учебы.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I
хочу хочу (khochu) - I want (this is the present tense of the verb хотеть (khotet') - to want)

отдохнуть отдохнуть (otdokhnut') - to rest (this is the infinitive form of the verb)

от от (ot) - from (this is a preposition)

учебы учебы (ucheby) - studies (this is the genitive case of the noun учеба (ucheba) - studies)

English Translation: I want to rest from studying.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - Like the English word "ya"

хочу (khochu) - Like "hoh-choo"

отдохнуть (otdokhnut') - Like "ot-doh-khnut' "

от (ot) - Like "ot"

учебы (ucheby) - Like "oo-che-bee"

Key Concept:

In Russian, verbs have different endings depending on the subject and tense. The verb хочу (khochu) is in the present tense and is conjugated for the first person singular (I). The infinitive form of the verb is хотеть (khotet')

Variations:

The verb "to rest" can also be expressed with the verb отдыхать (otdykhat'). This verb is more commonly used in the present tense or past tense. For example:

Я отдыхаю - I am resting.

Я отдыхал - I was resting.

Word and Pronunciation:

Rest - отдых (otdykh) - Like "ot-dikh"

The next word is representative. The представитель (pronounced [prehd-stah-vee-tehl]) of the company presented a new продукт (pronounced [proh-dookt]) at the conference.

Grammar: This sentence uses the nominative case of the noun представитель (representative) and the accusative case of the noun продукт (product). The verb представил (presented) is in the past tense, masculine singular form.

Meaning: The representative of the company showed off a new product at the conference.

Variations of the word:

представитель can be used in the plural form представители (representatives).

The word представлять (to represent) can be used as a verb.

Translation of words:

представитель (pronounced [prehd-stah-vee-tehl]) - representative

продукт (pronounced [proh-dookt]) - product

представил (pronounced [prehd-stah-veehl]) - presented

конференция (pronounced [kahn-feh-rehn-tsiya]) - conference

Key Concept:

The word представитель is a common and important word in the Russian language. It is used to refer to a person who represents another person or organization.

The word продукт is also a common word, and it is used to refer to any good or service that is produced.

The next word is domestic. The word "domestic" can refer to things related to the home or to a country. Let's look at the sentence:

Она занимается домашними делами.

Она ana - she
занимается zanimayetsya - is engaged in
домашними domashnimi - domestic, (plural)

делами delam - affairs (plural)

She is engaged in domestic affairs.

Key Concepts

Gender agreement: The adjective домашними agrees in gender with the noun делами. Since делами is plural and neuter, the adjective must also be plural and neuter.

The verb заниматься: This verb means "to be engaged in" or "to do" and often takes the preposition с (with) or в (in) after it.

The noun дела - this noun usually refers to things that need to be done. It can also refer to work, business, and other activities.

Pronunciation

Она - a-na
занимается - za-ni-may-et-sya
домашними - da-mash-ni-mi
делами - de-la-mi

Variations

The adjective "domestic" can also be used in the singular form. For example, Она любит домашнюю еду. (She likes domestic food.)

Translation

Domestic - домашний (da-mash-niy) - masculine

Domestic - домашняя (da-mash-nya) - feminine

Domestic - домашнее (da-mash-ne-ye) - neuter

The next word is increase. The price of gas has been increasing steadily.

Цена на бензин постоянно растёт.

Breakdown:

Цена (pronounced "tse-na") means "price." It is a feminine noun and takes the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

на (pronounced "na") means "on" or "for" and is a preposition that governs the noun бензин.

бензин (pronounced "ben-zeen") means "gasoline" or "gas" in this context. It is a masculine noun and is in the accusative case because it is the object of the preposition на.

постоянно (pronounced "pa-sta-yan-na") means "constantly" or "steadily" and is an adverb modifying the verb растёт.

растёт (pronounced "ras-tyot") means "is growing" or "is increasing." This verb is in the third-person singular present tense of the imperfective verb расти (to grow).

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this sentence, we see the nominative case (цена) and the accusative case (бензин).

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of a noun affects its declension (how it changes form) and the agreement of adjectives and other words with it.

Verb Tense: Russian verbs have a variety of tenses, including present, past, and future. The present tense is used to describe actions happening now or habitually.

Variations of расти:

растёт (3rd-person singular present tense)

растут (3rd-person plural present tense)

рос (past tense, masculine singular)

росла (past tense, feminine singular)

Translation:

Цена - price
на - on, for
бензин - gasoline, gas
постоянно - constantly, steadily
растёт - is growing, is increasing

Pronunciation:

цена - tse-na
на - na
бензин - ben-zeen
постоянно - pa-sta-yan-na
растёт - ras-tyot

The next word is mean. The word "mean" has several meanings in English. In this sentence, we are using the meaning of "unpleasant or unkind."

Он был очень грубый с ней, и она чувствовала себя униженной.

Он (on) - He. This is the masculine nominative singular form of the pronoun "he." "O" in on is pronounced as the "o" in the English word "hot." The "n" is pronounced like the "n" in the English word "now."

был (byl) - was. This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to be." The "ы" (y) is pronounced like the "i" in "bit," and the "л" (l) is pronounced like the "l" in "light."

очень (ochen') - very. The stress is on the first syllable. The "е" in "ochen'" is pronounced as the "e" in "bed." The "ч" (ch) is pronounced like the "ch" in the English word "church," and the "н" (n) is pronounced like the "n" in the English word "now."

грубый (gruby) - rude, harsh, mean. The stress is on the first syllable. The "у" (u) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon," and the "й" (y) is pronounced like the "y" in the English word "yes."

с (s) - with. This is a preposition. The "с" (s) is pronounced like the "s" in the English word "sun."

ней (ney) - her. The stress is on the first syllable. The "е" (e) in "ней" is pronounced as the "e" in "bed." The "й" (y) is pronounced like the "y" in the English word "yes."

и (i) - and. This is a conjunction. The "и" (i) is pronounced like the "i" in the English word "bit."

она (ona) - she. This is the feminine nominative singular form of the pronoun "she." The "а" (a) is pronounced like the "a" in the English word "father."

чувствовала (chuvstvovala) - felt. This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb "to feel." The "о" in "чувствовала" is pronounced like the "o" in the English word "hot." The "в" (v) is pronounced like the "v" in the English word "very."

себя (sebya) - herself. The "е" in "себя" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

униженной (unizhennoy) - humiliated. The stress is on the second syllable. The "е" (e) is pronounced as the "e" in "bed," The "н" (n) is pronounced like the "n" in the English word "now." The "й" (y) is pronounced like the "y" in the English word "yes." The "н" (n) at the end of the word is pronounced like the "n" in the English word "now."

Translation: He was very rude to her, and she felt humiliated.

Word and Pronunciation:

Mean - грубый (gruby)

The next word is ball. The word "ball" has many meanings in English, but the Russian language has several words that could be used depending on the context. In this case, we will use the word for "ball" as a spherical object.

The sentence is:

"Я бросил мяч в корзину."

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronounced "ya")

бросил бросил - past tense masculine singular of "бросить" бросить (to throw) (pronounced "bra-seel")

мяч мяч - ball (pronounced "myach")

в в - in (pronounced "v")

корзину корзину - basket (pronounced "kor-zee-noo")

Translation: "I threw the ball into the basket."

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). "Мяч" мяч is masculine, so the verb "бросить" бросить is conjugated to match the gender and tense (past tense, masculine singular).

Prepositions: The preposition "в" в is used for motion into a place, similar to the English "into".

Variations:

"Бросить" бросить can also mean to abandon or give up on something.

"Мяч" мяч can also refer to a dance or a gathering, similar to the English use of "ball".

Pronunciation Guide:

бросил: "bra-seel"

мяч: "myach"

в: "v"

корзину: "kor-zee-noo"

English: Ball

Russian: мяч (myach)

The next word is protect. The English word protect translates to the Russian word защищать (pronounced za-shi-shchat').

This sentence demonstrates the use of the verb защищать in its infinitive form:

Важно защищать природу от загрязнения. (vahzh-no za-shi-shchat' pri-ro-du at za-gryaz-ne-ni-ya)

Translation: It is important to protect nature from pollution.

Breakdown:

Важно (pronounced vahzh-no) means "important" and is an adjective.

защищать (pronounced za-shi-shchat') means "to protect" and is the infinitive form of the verb.

природу (pronounced pri-ro-du) means "nature" and is the accusative case of the noun.

от (pronounced at) means "from" and is a preposition.

загрязнения (pronounced za-gryaz-ne-ni-ya) means "pollution" and is the genitive case of the noun.

Key Concepts:

Infinitive form: The infinitive form of a verb is its basic form, which is often used to express the action itself. In Russian, infinitives end in -ть (pronounced -t').

Accusative case: The accusative case is used for direct objects of verbs, answering the question "who?" or "what?" The accusative form of nouns is often the same as the nominative form, but it changes for some nouns.

Genitive case: The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a preposition. It usually answers the question "whose?" or "of what?"

Variations of the verb защищать:

защищает (pronounced za-shi-shcha-yet) - present tense, 3rd person singular: He/She/It protects
защищали (pronounced za-shi-shcha-li) - past tense, plural: They protected
будет защищать (pronounced boo-det za-shi-shchat') - future tense, 3rd person singular: He/She/It will protect

Pronunciation:

защищать (pronounced za-shi-shchat')

природу (pronounced pri-ro-du)

загрязнения (pronounced za-gryaz-ne-ni-ya)

от (pronounced at)

Важно (pronounced vahzh-no)

English to Russian Translation:

protect = защищать
nature = природа
pollution = загрязнение
important = важно

The next word is face. The word лицо (pronounced [lee-tsoh]) means "face" in Russian. It is a noun, so it can be used as a subject, object, or object of a preposition.

Here is an example sentence:

Он был очень красив, с красивым лицом. Он (pronounced [ohn]) means "he" and был (pronounced [beel]) means "was". Очень (pronounced [oh-chehn]) means "very" and красивый (pronounced [kra-see-vee]) means "beautiful" or "handsome".

This sentence means: "He was very handsome, with a beautiful face".

Here is a breakdown of the grammar:

Subject: Он (he)

Verb: был (was)

Adjective: красивый (handsome)

Preposition: с (with)

Object of the preposition: красивым лицом (beautiful face)

Variations of the word лицо:

лица (pronounced [lee-tsa]) is the plural form of лицо meaning "faces".

лицевой (pronounced [lee-tse-voy]) is an adjective meaning "facial".

Pronunciation:

лицо - [lee-tsoh]

Он - [ohn]

был - [beel]

красивый - [kra-see-vee]

с - [s]

Translation:

лицо - face
лица - faces
лицевой - facial

The next word is grow. The word "grow" in English can have multiple meanings depending on the context. It can be used as a verb, noun, or adjective. We will focus on the verb form here.

In Russian, the verb "grow" can be translated as расти (ras-tee). The verb расти is irregular and changes its form based on the tense and subject.

Here's an example sentence:

English: The flowers are growing in the garden.

Russian: Цветы растут в саду (tsve-ty ras-toot v sa-doo)

Breakdown:

Цветы (tsve-ty): The word цветы is the plural form of the word цветок (tsve-tok), which means "flower". The "y" at the end is pronounced like the "y" in "my".

растут (ras-toot): This is the third-person plural form of the verb расти (ras-tee), meaning "are growing". The "t" at the end of the verb is silent.

в (v): This is the preposition "in" and is pronounced similar to the "v" in "very"

саду (sa-doo): This is the prepositional case of the noun сад (sad), meaning "garden". The "d" at the end is pronounced like the "d" in "sad".

Key Concepts:

Irregular verbs: Like many verbs in Russian, расти is irregular and changes form based on the tense and subject. This means you must learn the different forms by heart.

Nouns: Nouns in Russian have different forms based on the case they are in. For example, the noun сад (sad), meaning "garden," takes on the prepositional form, саду (sa-doo) when used with the preposition в (v).

English: grow - grow

Russian: расти - ras-tee

The next word is almost. The word "almost" in Russian is почти (pochti). This word is an adverb, meaning it describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It is used to indicate that something is very close to happening or being true, but not quite. The pronunciation is "poch-tee".

Here is an example:

Я почти закончил свою работу. (Ya pochti zakonchil svoyu rabotu.)

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced "ya")

почти (pochti) - almost (pronounced "poch-tee")

закончил (zakonchil) - finished (pronounced "za-kon-cheel")

свою (svoyu) - my (pronounced "svo-yu")

работу (rabotu) - work (pronounced "ra-bo-tu")

This sentence translates to "I almost finished my work".

The word почти (pochti) can also be used in other contexts, such as:

Почти все студенты пришли на урок. (Pochti vse studenty prishli na urook.) - Almost all the students came to class.

Он почти достиг своей цели. (On pochti dostig svoey tseli.) - He almost reached his goal.

The word почти (pochti) is an important word to learn in Russian, as it is used frequently in everyday conversation and writing.

The next word is supply. The Russian sentence is: Магазин снабжает покупателей продуктами.

The breakdown of the sentence:

Магазин (pronounced mah-gah-zeen) - This is the noun "store" in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

снабжает (pronounced snab-zha-yet) - This is the verb "to supply" in the present tense, 3rd person singular. It indicates that the store is doing the supplying.

покупателей (pronounced pah-koo-pah-te-ley) - This is the noun "buyers" in the accusative case, the object of the verb. The accusative case is used to indicate the direct object of a verb.

продуктами (pronounced pra-dook-tah-mee) - This is the noun "products" in the instrumental case. The instrumental case is used to indicate the tool or means by which an action is performed. In this case, the store is supplying the buyers "with" products.

The sentence means: The store supplies buyers with products.

Key concepts:

The sentence uses the present tense of the verb "снабжать" (to supply).

The sentence uses the accusative case of the noun "покупатели" (buyers) to indicate the direct object of the verb.

The sentence uses the instrumental case of the noun "продуктами" (products) to indicate the means by which the action is performed.

Variations:

The verb "снабжать" can be used in different tenses and moods. For example, you could say: Магазин снабжал покупателей продуктами. (The store supplied buyers with products - past tense).

You could also change the subject of the sentence. For example, you could say: Правительство снабжало население продуктами. (The government supplied the population with products).

Translation of words:

магазин - store (mah-gah-zeen)

снабжает - supplies (snab-zha-yet)

покупателей - buyers (pah-koo-pah-te-ley)

продуктами - products (pra-dook-tah-mee)

The next word is discover. The English word "discover" can be used in the Russian sentence:

Он открыл новую планету.

Он он - He (pronoun)

открыл открыл - discovered (past tense, masculine singular)

новую новую - new (feminine singular, accusative case)

планету планету - planet (feminine singular, accusative case)

The sentence means "He discovered a new planet".

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of the adjectives and verbs that agree with them.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, "планету" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "открыл".

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs conjugate (change form) to agree with the subject in person and number. In this sentence, "открыл" is in the past tense, masculine singular, to agree with the subject "он" (he).

Variations:

"Открыл" is the past tense of the verb "открывать" открывать - to discover.

The sentence can be used in different tenses, for example: "Он откроет новую планету" (He will discover a new planet).

The subject can be changed to a different person or number, for example: "Она открыла новую планету" (She discovered a new planet).

Pronunciation:

он - ohn
открыл - ot-krihl
новую - no-vuyu
планету - pla-ne-tu

English-Russian Translations:

discover: открывать - ot-kri-vat
planet: планета - pla-ne-ta

The next word is trend. ## Тенденция моды в этом году — яркие цвета.

Breakdown:

Тенденция (tendenciya) - This is the noun, "trend," in the nominative case. The я at the end indicates it is feminine. The stress is on the second syllable, "den."

моды (mody) - This is the genitive case of the noun "fashion," meaning "of fashion." The stress is on the first syllable, "mo."

в (v) - This is the preposition "in"

этом (etom) - This is the masculine form of the demonstrative adjective "this" in the locative case, meaning "in this." The stress is on the second syllable, "tom."

году (godu) - This is the masculine form of the noun "year" in the locative case, meaning "in this year." The stress is on the first syllable, "go."

— - This is a dash indicating that what follows is an explanation or an afterthought.

яркие (yarkie) - This is the plural form of the adjective "bright" in the nominative case. The stress is on the second syllable, "kie."

цвета (tsveta) - This is the plural form of the noun "color" in the nominative case. The stress is on the first syllable, "tsve."

Translation:

The trend in fashion this year is bright colors.

Pronunciation Guide:

Тенденция - [ten-den-tsi-ya]

моды - [mo-dy]

в - [v]

этом - [e-tom]

году - [go-du]

яркие - [yar-ki-ye]

цвета - [tsve-ta]

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have genders. Тенденция is feminine.

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence.

Adjectives: Russian adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number and case.

Variations of the word "trend" in Russian:

тенденция (tendenciya) - This is the most common word for "trend."

направление (napravleniye) - This means "direction" and can be used as a synonym for "trend."

веяние (veyaniye) - This refers to a "trend" in the sense of a "new fashion."

The next word is broad. The word "broad" can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. Let's look at one common example:

Sentence:

The broad avenue was lined with trees.

Russian:

Широкий проспект был высажен деревьями.

Shirok[iy] prospekt byl vysazhen derevyami.

Breakdown:

Широкий shirok[iy] - This is the adjective "broad" in Russian. It's pronounced as "shee-roh-kee". It can also be used as a noun, meaning "width", pronounced the same.

проспект prospekt - This is the noun "avenue" in Russian. It's pronounced as "pros-pekt".

был byl - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in Russian. It's pronounced as "bil".

высажен vysazhen - This is the past participle of the verb "to plant" in Russian. It's pronounced as "vuh-sah-zhin".

деревьями derevyami - This is the instrumental plural of the noun "tree" in Russian. It's pronounced as "dye-re-vya-mi".

Translation:

"Broad" - широкий shirok[iy]

"Avenue" - проспект prospekt

Key Concepts:

Adjective agreement: The adjective широкий shirok[iy] agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, in this case, проспект prospekt which is masculine and singular.

Past participle: The past participle высажен vysazhen acts as an adjective in this sentence, describing the проспект prospekt.

Instrumental case: The noun деревьями derevyami is in the instrumental case because it shows the means or instrument by which the action was performed (i.e. "planted by trees").

Other translations for "broad" :

Wide - широкий shirok[iy]

Extensive - обширный obshirnyy

General - широкий shirok[iy]

Comprehensive - обширный obshirnyy

Remember that the best translation depends on the context.

The next word is often. English Word: often

Pronunciation: of-tən

Russian Sentence: Я часто хожу в университет.

English Translation: I often go to the university.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I. Pronounced like "ya" in "yard". This is a personal pronoun in the nominative case.

часто - often. Pronounced like "cha-stah"

хожу хожу - I go (present tense). Pronounced like "kho-zhu". This is a verb in the present tense. The verb is conjugated in the first person singular, meaning "I".

в в - in. Pronounced like "v". A preposition.

университет университет - university. Pronounced like "oo-ni-ver-si-tet". This is a noun in the accusative case, since the verb "хожу" хожу takes the accusative case.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their form based on their function in the sentence. The accusative case is used for the object of a verb.

Present Tense: The present tense in Russian is formed by adding endings to the verb stem, which vary based on the person and number.

Variations:

часто is an adverb, and can be placed in different parts of the sentence to emphasize different aspects. For example:

Часто я хожу в университет. (Often, I go to the university.)

Я хожу в университет часто. (I go to the university often.)

English - Russian Translation:

often - часто (cha-stah)

The next word is knowledge. ## Знание (Znan-i-ye) - Knowledge

Sentence: У него много знаний о русской истории. (Oo ni-voh mna-go znan-iy ah rus-skoy is-tor-ii)

У (oo) - prepositional case of the pronoun он (on) - he, in this case, it translates to "He has..."

него (ni-voh) - genitive case of the pronoun он (on) - his

много (mna-go) - means "many" or "much", used to describe an uncountable noun, like knowledge

знаний (znan-iy) - genitive plural of the noun знание (znan-i-ye) - knowledge. It is used with the preposition о (ah) which means "about"

о (ah) - preposition meaning "about"

русской (rus-skoy) - feminine form of the adjective русский (rus-skiy) - Russian

истории (is-tor-ii) - feminine form of the noun история (is-tor-i-ya) - history

Breakdown: The sentence means "He has a lot of knowledge about Russian history".

Note that the noun знание (znan-i-ye) - knowledge is usually uncountable and therefore takes the plural form знаний (znan-iy) when used with the preposition о (ah)

Memorization: Think of знание (znan-i-ye) as "knowing something" or "knowing how". It is a noun that describes the state of having knowledge.

Pronunciation: Знание (Znan-i-ye) - stress on the first syllable.

English Translation: knowledge - знание (znan-i-ye)

The next word is earn. English: He earns a good living as a doctor.

Russian: Он хорошо зарабатывает, работая врачом.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) (pronounced "ohn")

хорошо - well, good (adverb) (pronounced "ha-ro-sho")

зарабатывает - earns (verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) (pronounced "za-ra-ba-ty-va-yet")

работая - working (verb, present participle, gerund) (pronounced "ra-ba-ta-ya")

врачом - as a doctor (noun, instrumental case) (pronounced "vrah-chom")

Key Concepts:

Gerunds: The word "работая" is a gerund, which is a verb that functions like a noun. It describes the action of earning a living.

Instrumental Case: The noun "врачом" is in the instrumental case, which is used to show how something is done or with what. In this case, it shows the profession the person uses to earn a living.

Variations:

The verb "зарабатывать" can be used in different tenses (past, future, etc.) and with different subjects.

The gerund "работая" can be used with other verbs to describe the manner in which an action is done.

Pronunciation:

Он - ohn
хорошо - ha-ro-sho
зарабатывает - za-ra-ba-ty-va-yet
работая - ra-ba-ta-ya
врачом - vrah-chom

English-Russian Translations:

earn: зарабатывать (za-ra-ba-ty-vat')

doctor: врач (vrahch)

The next word is pop. The word "pop" can be used in many different ways. In this context, we'll explore its use as a verb meaning to make a sudden, sharp sound.

Russian Sentence:

Пробка suddenly попнула из бутылки.

Breakdown:

Пробка (pronounced "prohb-ka") - This is the noun "cork". It is feminine, so the adjective "sudden" will be in the feminine form as well.

внезапно (pronounced "vnye-zap-no") - This is the adverb "suddenly". In this sentence, it modifies the verb "pop".

попнула (pronounced "pop-noo-la") - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "to pop" (which is "попнуть" - pronounced "pop-noo-t"). This verb is irregular. Note that the -la ending indicates the feminine singular form.

из (pronounced "iz") - This is the preposition "from" or "out of".

бутылки (pronounced "boo-tyl-ki") - This is the noun "bottle" in the genitive case because it follows the preposition "из". It is feminine.

Translation:

The cork suddenly popped out of the bottle.

Variations:

Попнул (pronounced "pop-nool") - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to pop".

Попнули (pronounced "pop-noo-li") - This is the past tense, plural form of the verb "to pop".

Попнуть (pronounced "pop-noo-t") - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to pop".

English: pop (verb) /pɑːp/

Russian: попнуть (verb) /pop-noo-t/

The next word is least. ## The Russian Sentence:

Он был наименее заинтересован в этом проекте.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: [ohn]) - he (masculine nominative pronoun)

был (pronunciation: [beel]) - was (past tense of the verb "to be")

наименее (pronunciation: [naye-mee-nee-ye]) - least (superlative adverb)

заинтересован (pronunciation: [za-in-te-re-so-van]) - interested (masculine past participle of the verb "to be interested")

в (pronunciation: [v]) - in (preposition)

этом (pronunciation: [eh-tom]) - this (masculine nominative pronoun)

проекте (pronunciation: [pra-yek-te]) - project (masculine nominative noun)

Explanation:

The sentence translates to "He was least interested in this project."

Key Concepts:

Superlative Adverbs: Russian superlative adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -ейший (-eyshiy) to the comparative form of the adjective. For example, the comparative form of the adjective "интересный" (интересный - interesting) is "более интересный" (более интересный - more interesting), and the superlative is "наименее интересный" (наименее интересный - least interesting).

Past Participles: Russian past participles are formed by adding the suffix -вший (-vshiy) to the verb stem. The masculine form is used here because the subject of the sentence is "он" (he).

Variations:

You can use the word меньше (pronunciation: [myen-she]) - less to replace наименее (pronunciation: [naye-mee-nee-ye]) - least, but the sentence would have a slightly different meaning. "He was less interested in this project."

You can also use the word самый (pronunciation: [sa-my]) - most in front of заинтересован (pronunciation: [za-in-te-re-so-van]) - interested to form the superlative. "He was the least interested in this project."

Pronunciation Guide:

Он - [ohn]

был - [beel]

наименее - [naye-mee-nee-ye]

заинтересован - [za-in-te-re-so-van]

в - [v]

этом - [eh-tom]

проекте - [pra-yek-te]

English translation of the word and pronunciation:

least - наименее (naye-mee-nee-ye)

The next word is ticket. The word билет (bilet) means "ticket" in Russian.

Here's a sentence using the word:

Я купил билет на поезд. Ya kupil bilet na poyezd.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronoun, nominative case, subject of the sentence). Pronounced like "Ya" in "yard".

купил kupil - bought (past tense, masculine singular verb, agreeing with the subject "я"). Pronounced like "koo-peel".

билет bilet - ticket (masculine noun, accusative case, direct object of the verb "купил"). Pronounced like "bee-let".

на na - on (preposition, governing the accusative case, indicating the destination). Pronounced like "nah".

поезд poyezd - train (masculine noun, accusative case, object of the preposition "на"). Pronounced like "poy-ezd".

Translation: I bought a train ticket.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. This is called case. The accusative case is used for direct objects of verbs and for objects of prepositions like "на".

Gender: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of adjectives and verbs that agree with them.

Verb conjugation: Verbs change form depending on the person, number, and tense.

Variations:

Билеты bilety - tickets (plural)

Купить kupit - to buy (infinitive)

Поездка poyezdka - trip (feminine noun)

Pronunciation:

билет (bilet) - Pronounced like "bee-let"

поезд (poyezd) - Pronounced like "poy-ezd"

The next word is theater. The Russian word for "theater" is театр (teatr). It is pronounced "tye-AH-tr" with the stress on the second syllable. The "a" in "teatr" is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

Here is a sample sentence using the word "theater":

Я люблю ходить в театр. (Ya lyublyu khodit' v teatr.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I. Pronounced "ya" like the "ya" in "yacht".

люблю (lyublyu) - I love. This is the present tense, first person singular, of the verb любить (lyubit') which means "to love". Pronounced "lyub-LYOO".

ходить (khodit') - to go. This is the infinitive form of the verb ходить (khodit'), which means "to go" or "to walk". Pronounced "ho-DEET'".

в (v) - in, to. This is a preposition, and its meaning depends on the context. Pronounced "v".

театр (teatr) - theater. Pronounced "tye-AH-tr".

Translation: I love going to the theater.

Key concept: This sentence demonstrates the use of the present tense of the verb "to love" and the infinitive form of the verb "to go". It also highlights the use of the preposition "в" (v) which can be translated as "in" or "to" depending on the context.

Memorization tip: Remember that the word "theater" in Russian is театр (teatr) and it is pronounced "tye-AH-tr". This pronunciation is very close to the English pronunciation. Also remember that в (v) means "in" or "to" and is pronounced like the English word "v".

Variations:

The word "theater" is also used in other contexts in Russian. For example:

Театральный (teatral'nyy) means "theatrical". This is an adjective formed from the noun театр (teatr) .

Театральность (teatral'nost') means "theatricality" or "showmanship". This is a noun formed from the adjective театральный (teatral'nyy).

English Translation: Theater - театр (teatr)

Russian Translation: театр (teatr) - Theater

The next word is belief. The Russian word for belief is вера (vera). It is feminine, meaning it takes the feminine ending in a sentence, and has a singular and plural form. In the sentence below, it is used in the singular form, as the subject of the sentence.

Вера в себя очень важна.

Breakdown of the sentence:

Вера (vera) - Belief, faith
в (v) - in
себя (sebya) - oneself
очень (ochen) - very
важна (vazhna) - important

This sentence translates to:

Belief in oneself is very important.

The key concept in this sentence is the preposition в (v), which means "in" and is used to express belief.

Pronounciation Guide:

вера (vera) - sounds like "vay-ra"

в (v) - sounds like "v"

себя (sebya) - sounds like "seh-bya"

очень (ochen) - sounds like "oh-chen"

важна (vazhna) - sounds like "vazh-na"

The plural form of вера (vera) is веры (very) and is used to talk about more than one belief.

English: belief - вера (vera)

Russian: вера (vera) - belief

The next word is middle. The word "middle" in Russian is средний pronounced "sred-nee" (stress on the first syllable). It is an adjective meaning "average" or "in the middle". Here is a sentence:

Он сидел в среднем ряду кресел в театре.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: "on") is a pronoun meaning "he".

сидел (pronunciation: "se-del") is the past tense of the verb "to sit", which is сидеть (pronunciation: "si-det").

в (pronunciation: "v") is a preposition meaning "in".

среднем (pronunciation: "sred-nem") is the adjective "middle" in its locative case, used to describe where something is located. Remember that Russian adjectives change form depending on what they are describing and how they are being used in the sentence. This is called declension.

ряду (pronunciation: "ryadu") is the dative case of the noun ряд (pronunciation: "ryad"), which means "row". This case is used to indicate the indirect object of the verb.

кресел (pronunciation: "kres-el") is the genitive case of the noun кресло (pronunciation: "kres-lo"), meaning "chair".

в (pronunciation: "v") is a preposition meaning "in".

театре (pronunciation: "tea-tre") is the prepositional case of the noun театр (pronunciation: "tea-tr"), meaning "theatre". This case is used with prepositions to show the location of something.

Translation:

He was sitting in the middle row of chairs in the theater.

Helpful Hints:

The средний word is used frequently and can be applied to many contexts such as "middle age" средний возраст (pronounced: "sred-nee voz-rast") or "middle school" средняя школа (pronounced: "sred-nya shko-la").

Russian has six grammatical cases, which is a lot more than English. This means that nouns and adjectives change their form depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Practice using the средний word in different contexts to become more comfortable with its usage.

English and Russian Translation of the word and pronunciation:

Middle - средний (pronounced "sred-nee")

The next word is monitor. The word "monitor" in Russian can have multiple meanings, so let's explore some examples:

Example 1: The computer monitor

Я работаю за компьютером с большим монитором.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced "Ya")

работаю - I work (pronounced "ra-bo-ta-yu")

за - behind (pronounced "za")

компьютером - computer (pronounced "kam-pyu-te-ram")

с - with (pronounced "s")

большим - big (pronounced "bol-shim")

монитором - monitor (pronounced "ma-ni-to-ram")

Translation: I work at the computer with a big monitor.

Key concept: The word монитор is a masculine noun and takes the instrumental case ending -ом because it is preceded by the preposition с.

Example 2: To monitor (as in, to keep track of something)

Врач мониторил состояние пациента.

Breakdown:

Врач - doctor (pronounced "vrach")

мониторил - monitored (pronounced "ma-ni-to-ril")

состояние - condition (pronounced "sa-stoy-a-niye")

пациента - patient (pronounced "pa-tsi-en-ta")

Translation: The doctor monitored the patient's condition.

Key concept: The verb мониторить (pronounced "ma-ni-to-rit") is a transitive verb and requires a direct object. The ending of the verb changes depending on the tense and the person.

Variations:

монитор - monitor (noun)

мониторить - to monitor (verb)

мониторинг - monitoring (noun)

Pronunciation:

монитор - "ma-ni-tor"

мониторить - "ma-ni-to-rit"

мониторинг - "ma-ni-to-ring"

English: monitor (noun and verb)

Russian: монитор (noun), мониторить (verb)

The next word is speaker. The оратор (pronounced oh-rah-tor) is delivering a powerful speech.

Оратор (oh-rah-tor) - speaker, orator. This is the masculine form of the noun.

Ораторша (oh-rah-tor-sha) is the feminine form, and the plural is ораторы (oh-rah-tor-y).

The word оратор is derived from the Latin "orator," meaning speaker.

Translation:

Оратор (oh-rah-tor) - speaker
произносит (pro-iz-no-sit) - delivers, speaks
мощную (mosh-noo-yoo) - powerful
речь (retch) - speech

Full sentence:

Оратор (oh-rah-tor) произносит (pro-iz-no-sit) мощную (mosh-noo-yoo) речь (retch).

The next word is future. The word "future" in Russian is будущее (pronounced boo-doo-shchee). It is a noun, meaning the time to come, and it is a neuter noun. It can be used in various grammatical contexts. For example:

В будущем, я хочу путешествовать по миру. (V boo-doo-shchee, ya hochu puteshestvovat po miru.)

будущее (boo-doo-shchee) - future - the noun is in the nominative case. This is because it is the subject of the sentence.

я (ya) - I - the personal pronoun is in the nominative case.

хочу (hochu) - I want (verb in the present tense, first person singular)

путешествовать (puteshestvovat) - to travel (infinitive form of the verb)

по (po) - preposition that means "through" or "over"

миру (miru) - world (dative case of the noun)

Translation: In the future, I want to travel around the world.

In this sentence, будущее (boo-doo-shchee) is in the nominative case. It is the subject of the sentence, meaning the thing doing the action of the verb.

There are a few other things to note. The phrase в будущем (v boo-doo-shchee) literally means "in the future", and is used to express the time frame in which the event will occur.

Future: будущее (boo-doo-shchee)

The next word is story. ## История про мальчика и собаку была очень интересной.

Breakdown:

История (pronounced: [ee-STOH-ree-ya]) - This is the noun "story" in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence. It is the direct translation of the English word "story".

про (pronounced: [pra]) - This is a preposition meaning "about".

мальчика (pronounced: [MAL-chi-ka]) - This is the noun "boy" in the accusative case. It is the object of the preposition "про".

и (pronounced: [ee]) - This is the conjunction "and".

собаку (pronounced: [sa-BA-koo]) - This is the noun "dog" in the accusative case. It is the second object of the preposition "про".

была (pronounced: [bi-LA]) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the feminine singular form. It agrees with the subject, "история".

очень (pronounced: [OH-chen]) - This is the adverb "very".

интересной (pronounced: [in-te-RE-snoy]) - This is the adjective "interesting" in the feminine singular form. It modifies the noun "история".

English Translation:

The story about the boy and the dog was very interesting.

Key Concepts:

Nouns and Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. This is called declension. In this sentence, we see the nominative and accusative cases.

Gender Agreement: Adjectives and verbs must agree in gender with the nouns they modify or describe.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that connect nouns or pronouns to other words in a sentence. They can change the case of the following noun.

Helpful Hints:

Pay close attention to the endings of the words. This is crucial for understanding the grammar and meaning of the sentence.

Practice saying the words out loud. This will help you learn the pronunciation and rhythm of the Russian language.

You can use flashcards or other memorization techniques to help you learn the Russian vocabulary.

Word Translations and Pronunciation:

история (pronounced: [ee-STOH-ree-ya]) - story
про (pronounced: [pra]) - about
мальчик (pronounced: [MAL-chik]) - boy
и (pronounced: [ee]) - and
собака (pronounced: [sa-BA-ka]) - dog
была (pronounced: [bi-LA]) - was
очень (pronounced: [OH-chen]) - very
интересной (pronounced: [in-te-RE-snoy]) - interesting

The next word is before. The word "before" in Russian can be translated as перед (peh-red) or до (dah). Both are prepositions meaning "before" in the sense of time, but they are used differently.

Перед (peh-red) is used when something happens immediately before something else.

Example: Перед ужином я съел яблоко. (peh-red oo-zhin-om ya syel ya-blah-kah)

Translation: Before dinner, I ate an apple.

Breakdown:

Перед (peh-red) - before

ужином (oo-zhin-om) - dinner (instrumental case)

я (ya) - I

съел (syel) - ate (masculine past tense)

яблоко (ya-blah-kah) - apple (neuter)

До (dah) is used when something happens sometime before something else.

Example: До начала урока мы гуляли в парке. (dah na-cha-la oo-roh-ka mi goo-la-li v par-ke)

Translation: Before the beginning of the lesson, we were walking in the park.

Breakdown:

До (dah) - before

начала (na-cha-la) - beginning (genitive case)

урока (oo-roh-ka) - lesson (genitive case)

мы (mi) - we

гуляли (goo-la-li) - were walking (past tense)

в (v) - in

парке (par-ke) - park (prepositional case)

Key Concepts:

Case: Both prepositions require the noun following them to be in a specific case.

Перед (peh-red) - requires the instrumental case

До (dah) - requires the genitive case

Time: Both prepositions indicate a time period before something else happens.

Variations: The word до (dah) can also be used as a preposition meaning "to" or "until" as in: Я буду ждать тебя до вечера. (ya boo-doo zhdat tebya dah ve-che-ra). This means "I will wait for you until evening."

English: before

Russian: перед (peh-red) or до (dah)

The next word is national. This is a great word to start with! "National" is used to describe something that belongs to or relates to a particular nation. Let's see how it works in a Russian sentence:

Национальная галерея хранит множество ценных картин.

Breakdown:

Национальная [na-t͡sɪ-ˈo-nalʹ-nə-jə] National (adjective) - This word refers to something belonging to a nation. Here, it describes the gallery. Remember the "j" sound at the end is a soft "y" sound. You could also say национальный [na-t͡sɪ-ˈo-nalʹ-nɪj] which is the masculine form.

галерея [ɡɐ-lɪ-ˈrɛ-jə] Gallery (noun) - A place where art is displayed. This is a feminine noun and ends in a soft sign ь.

хранит [xrɐ-ˈnɪt] Holds, keeps (verb) - This is the third person singular present tense form of the verb "to hold." This word is a little tricky! Make sure you use the stress on the first syllable and keep in mind the "h" is silent in Russian, and the "kh" sound is similar to the "ch" sound in "Bach."

множество [ˈmnɐ-ʒɪ-stfɐ] Many, a lot of (pronoun) - This word is used to describe a large quantity. It can be used with both singular and plural nouns. Pay attention to the "zh" sound and the "f" at the end.

ценных [ˈtsɛn-nɪx] Valuable (adjective) - This describes the paintings and is in the plural form. Pay attention to the soft "n" sound and the "kh" sound.

картин [kar-ˈtʲin] Paintings (noun) - This is the plural form of the word "painting." This is a feminine noun, the final "н" will be pronounced with a soft "n" sound, as if it was a "ny" sound.

Translation: The National Gallery holds many valuable paintings.

Key concept: This sentence showcases the use of the adjective "national" to describe something that belongs to a nation. It also uses a feminine noun in the sentence.

The next word is clean. The word "clean" in Russian is чистый (chisty) and it can be used as an adjective meaning "clean" or as a verb meaning "to clean."

Here is an example sentence:

Пожалуйста, помогите мне убрать эту комнату, она очень грязная. Я хочу, чтобы она была чистой.

English Translation: Please help me clean this room, it is very dirty. I want it to be clean.

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (Pozhaluysta) - Please - polite request.

помогите (pomogite) - help me (imperative plural, you all)

мне (mne) - me (dative case)

убрать (ubrat) - to clean, to remove (infinitive)

эту (etu) - this (feminine singular accusative case)

комнату (komnatu) - room (feminine singular accusative case)

она (ona) - it (feminine singular nominative case)

очень (ochen) - very
грязная (gryaznaya) - dirty (feminine singular nominative case)

Я (Ya) - I (nominative case)

хочу (hochу) - I want (present tense, singular)

чтобы (chtoby) - in order to, so that
она (ona) - it (feminine singular nominative case)

была (byla) - was, would be (past tense, feminine singular)

чистой (chistoy) - clean (feminine singular instrumental case)

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns and adjectives are assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). In this sentence, the noun "room" (комната) is feminine, so the adjective "clean" (чистая) also needs to be in the feminine form.

Case: Russian has six grammatical cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, and prepositional) which indicate the role of a word in a sentence. The case of each noun and adjective in the sentence is important for grammatical correctness.

Imperative Mood: The verb "help" (помогите) is in the imperative mood, meaning it is a command.

Infinitive: The verb "to clean" (убрать) is in the infinitive form.

Pronunciation Notes:

чистый (chisty) - The "ч" sounds like a soft "ch" like in "chair."

комната (komnatu) - The "к" is a hard "k" sound. The "т" at the end is silent.

грязная (gryaznaya) - The "г" is a hard "g" sound. The "я" at the end is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard."

English: clean

Russian: чистый (chisty)

The next word is around. The word "around" can be used in Russian in several ways, and the choice depends on the context. Here is an example using the preposition "вокруг" вокруг, which means "around" in the sense of "surrounding".

Sentence:

Дети бегали вокруг дерева.

Breakdown:

Дети - Дети (pronounced 'dye-ti') means "children" - plural noun
бегали - бегать (pronounced 'bye-gat') means "to run" - past tense, plural form
вокруг - вокруг (pronounced 'vah-krug') means "around" - preposition
дерева - дерево (pronounced 'dye-re-vo') means "tree" - genitive case, singular form

Translation:

The children were running around the tree.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. In this case, "вокруг" вокруг shows the relationship between the children and the tree, indicating that they were running in a circle around it.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this case, "дерево" дерево changes to "дерева" дерева because it is the object of the preposition "вокруг" вокруг.

Variations:

"Вокруг" вокруг is often used with the verb "ходить" ходить (to walk), "стоять" стоять (to stand), and "сидеть" сидеть (to sit) to express movement or position around something.

English to Russian Pronunciation:

around - вокруг (pronounced 'vah-krug')

The next word is recognize. Я я (ya) узнаю (uznayu) ее по (po) голосу.

Breakdown:

Я я (ya) - I (subject pronoun)

узнаю узнаю (uznayu) - recognize (present tense, 1st person singular)

ее ее (eye) - her (object pronoun)

по по (po) - by (preposition)

голосу голосу (golosu) - voice (dative case)

Meaning: I recognize her by her voice.

Variations:

Узнавать узнавать (uznavat') - to recognize (infinitive)

Узнал узнал (uznal) - recognized (past tense, masculine singular)

Узнала узнала (uznala) - recognized (past tense, feminine singular)

Узнали узнали (uznali) - recognized (past tense, plural)

Key concept: The preposition по по (po) often indicates a way or method, similar to "by" in English.

Pronunciation Guide:

я я (ya) - pronounced like the "ya" in "yard"

узнаю узнаю (uznayu) - pronounced like "oo-zna-yoo"

ее ее (eye) - pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

по по (po) - pronounced like "po"

голосу голосу (golosu) - pronounced like "go-lo-soo"

English: recognize

Russian: узнавать (uznavat') - to recognize

The next word is double. The word "double" in English can be used as an adjective, verb, or noun. In Russian, it is represented by the word двойной (dvoynoy), pronounced like "dvoy-noy." It can be used as an adjective or noun, but not as a verb.

Here is an example of the use of двойной (dvoynoy) in a sentence:

У меня есть двойной (dvoynoy) билет на концерт. Двойной (dvoynoy) билет — это билет, который позволяет посетить концерт два раза.

Translation: I have a double ticket to the concert. A double ticket is a ticket that allows you to attend the concert twice.

Breakdown:

У (u) - preposition meaning "at" or "with"

меня (menya) - pronoun meaning "me" or "I"

есть (est') - verb meaning "to be" or "to have"

двойной (dvoynoy) - adjective meaning "double"

билет (bilet) - noun meaning "ticket"

на (na) - preposition meaning "on" or "to"

концерт (kontsert) - noun meaning "concert"

Двойной (dvoynoy) - adjective meaning "double"

билет (bilet) - noun meaning "ticket"

— (—) - punctuation mark used for separation
это (eto) - pronoun meaning "this" or "that"

билет (bilet) - noun meaning "ticket"

который (kotoryy) - relative pronoun meaning "which" or "that"

позволяет (pozvolyaet) - verb meaning "allows" or "permits"

посетить (posetit') - verb meaning "to visit" or "to attend"

концерт (kontsert) - noun meaning "concert"

два (dva) - number meaning "two"

раза (raza) - noun meaning "times"

Key Concepts

The word двойной (dvoynoy) can be used as an adjective to describe something that is double.

The word двойной (dvoynoy) can be used as a noun to refer to something that is double.

The word двойной (dvoynoy) is formed by adding the suffix - ой (-oy) to the word два (dva) meaning "two."

The phrase два раза (dva raza) means "twice."

Pronunciation
двойной (dvoynoy) - "dvoy-noy"

билет (bilet) - "bee-let"

концерт (kontsert) - "kon-tsert"

English: Double

Russian: двойной (dvoynoy)

The next word is against. The word "against" can be expressed in Russian in several ways, depending on the context. One common way is using the preposition против (pronounced "pro-tiv").

Here is an example sentence:

Он был против войны.

This sentence translates to "He was against the war."

Here is a breakdown:

Он (pronounced "on") - He (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

был (pronounced "byl") - was (past tense of the verb "to be")

против (pronounced "pro-tiv") - against (preposition)

войны (pronounced "voy-ny") - war (genitive case, object of the preposition "против")

Key Concepts:

Prepositions in Russian require the noun following them to be in the genitive case.

The genitive case is often used to show possession, but it also indicates the object of a preposition.

Variations:

противостоять (pronounced "protivostoyat") - to oppose, to stand against
бороться (pronounced "borot'sa") - to fight, to struggle against

Pronunciation Guide:

против - Pronounce "pro" with the "o" as in "go" and "tiv" with a short "i" sound as in "bit."

Translation:

against - против (pronounced "pro-tiv")

The next word is location. ## Местоположение is a key word in Russian, as it is in English. It's pronounced [mee-stah-pah-lah-zheh-nee-yeh].

The sentence is:

Местоположение библиотеки очень удобно.

Местоположение (mee-stah-pah-lah-zheh-nee-yeh) - location
библиотеки (bee-b lee-ah-teh-kee) - library (genitive case)

очень (oh-chehn) - very
удобно (oo-doh-b-noh) - convenient

The key concept to understand is that in Russian, nouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. The noun библиотека (bee-b lee-ah-teh-kah) library, in this sentence is in the genitive case because it is being modified by the adjective удобно (oo-doh-b-noh).

Translation: The location of the library is very convenient.

Variations:

Место (mee-stah) - place

Расположение (rahz-pah-lah-zheh-nee-yeh) - location, placement

Адрес (ah-drehs) - address

Pronunciation Tips:

"eh" is pronounced as in "bed"

"o" is pronounced as in "go"

"y" is pronounced as "ee"

"zh" is pronounced like the "s" in "pleasure"

The stress is on the second to last syllable in most words.

English - Russian
location - местоположение (mee-stah-pah-lah-zheh-nee-yeh)

The next word is demand. The Russian sentence is:

У него есть большой спрос на новые технологии.

Breakdown:

У - This is the preposition "at" in the genitive case. Think of "at" like "with" or "in." It is used to indicate possession or location. It is pronounced like the English "oo" in "moon."

него - This is the pronoun "him" in the genitive case. It is similar to the English word "his" but is a separate word. The genitive case is often used to show possession. Pronounced like the English "ni-go."

есть - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense. It is pronounced like the English "yest." The "e" at the end sounds like the "e" in "bet."

большой - This is the adjective "big" or "large" in the nominative case. It is pronounced "bol-shoy."

спрос - This is the noun "demand" in the nominative case. Pronounced "spros."

на - This is the preposition "on" in the accusative case. Think of it as "to" in English. It shows direction. It is pronounced like the English word "na."

новые - This is the adjective "new" in the nominative plural. It is pronounced "no-vi."

технологии - This is the noun "technologies" in the nominative plural. It is pronounced "tekh-no-loh-gi-ee." The "ee" at the end is like the "ee" in "see."

Meaning: "He has a big demand for new technologies."

Variations:

спрос на - this is the most common way to say "demand for"

потребность в - "need for," this is a synonym for "demand."

English
demand - спрос (spros)

for - на (na)

new - новые (no-vi)

technologies - технологии (tekh-no-loh-gi-ee)

The next word is forget. The word забыть (za-byt') means "to forget". It is an irregular verb, meaning that it does not follow the usual conjugation patterns.

Example Sentence:

Я забыл (ya za-byl) свой (svoy) телефон дома. (Ya za-byl svoy te-le-fon do-ma)

Breakdown:

Я (ya) means "I". This is the nominative case, meaning it is the subject of the sentence.

забыл (za-byl) means "forgot" and is the masculine past tense of the verb забыть (za-byt').

свой (svoy) means "my" and is a possessive adjective. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, which in this case is телефон (te-le-fon) "phone".

телефон (te-le-fon) means "phone"

дома (do-ma) means "at home" and is a prepositional phrase.

Translation: I forgot my phone at home.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb забыть (za-byt') is conjugated differently than regular verbs in the past tense.

Possessive Adjectives: Possessive adjectives like свой (svoy) agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Pronunciation Notes:

забыть (za-byt') - the "ы" sounds like a short "i" in "bit"

свой (svoy) - the "о" sounds like the "o" in "lot"

телефон (te-le-fon) - the "е" sounds like the "e" in "get"

дома (do-ma) - the "о" sounds like the "o" in "lot"

Variations:

The verb забыть (za-byt') can also be used in the present tense. The present tense form for "I forget" is забываю (za-by-va-yu).

There is also a related noun, забывчивость (za-byv-chi-vost') which means "forgetfulness".

English: forget

Russian: забыть (za-byt')

The next word is stop. ## Остановись!

Translation: Stop!

Breakdown:

Остановись!: This is the imperative form of the verb останавливать (to stop). The imperative form is used to give commands or instructions.

Pronunciation:

Остановись!: [uh-stuh-noh-vees']

Variations:

The negative imperative form would be Не останавливайся! (Don't stop!).

The past tense would be Остановился (Stopped) or Остановилась (Stopped) for masculine and feminine genders, respectively.

Key Concept:

The imperative form is used to issue a command or instruction. It is often used in situations where you want someone to do something immediately.

English Word: stop

Russian Word: останавливать [uh-stuh-nahv-lee-vaht']

The next word is train. The English word "train" can translate into Russian as поезд (pronounced [pa-yezt] with the stress on the second syllable) or обучать (pronounced [uh-boo-chat'] with the stress on the second syllable), depending on the context.

Поезд (train) is a noun referring to a railway vehicle that transports people or goods. It is a masculine noun.

Here's an example sentence:

Я еду на поезде в Москву. (Ya ye-doo na pa-yezd-ye v Mask-vu.)

Translation: I am going to Moscow by train.

Обучать (to train) is a verb that means to teach someone a skill or a set of skills. It can also mean to prepare someone for a specific job or activity. It is an imperfective verb, meaning the action is ongoing or habitual.

Here is an example sentence using the verb обучать:

Тренер обучает спортсменов бегу на длинные дистанции. (Tren-yer uh-boo-cha-yet sport-smen-ov be-goo na dlin-ny-ye dis-tan-tsii.)

Translation: The coach is training the athletes to run long distances.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Поезд is masculine, so you'll use the masculine pronoun он (he) to refer to it.

Case: Nouns in Russian change form depending on their function in the sentence. Поезд is in the nominative case here because it is the subject of the sentence.

Prepositions: Pay attention to prepositions like на (on, by) and в (in, to). They are important for conveying the correct meaning.

Pronunciation Notes:

поезд: The "e" at the end is silent, and the "д" is pronounced like a "d" sound.

обучать: The "ч" is pronounced like a "ch" sound, and the "а" at the end is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

Variations:

поездка (pa-yez-tka) - train ride (noun)

обучение (uh-boo-chen-iye) - training (noun)

English & Russian Word Translations:

train (noun) = поезд (pa-yezt)

train (verb) = обучать (uh-boo-chat')

The next word is excite. This news excites me.

Эта новость меня vzbudila.

Breakdown:

Эта - this (feminine, nominative case) (EH-tuh)

новость - news (feminine, nominative case) (NO-vust')

меня - me (accusative case) (mih-NYA)

vzbudila - past tense, feminine singular form of the verb vzbudit' (to excite) (vz-boo-DEE-la)

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs must agree in gender with the noun they modify. Here, the adjective эта (this) and the verb vzbudila (excited) are both feminine to agree with the noun новость (news).

Variations:

vzbudit' (to excite) is a verb of action that can be used in different tenses, moods, and aspects.

Pronunciation:

Эта - EH-tuh
новость - NO-vust'

меня - mih-NYA
vzbudila - vz-boo-DEE-la

English & Russian Translation:

excite - vzbudit' (vz-boo-DEE-t')

excitement - vzbudenie (vz-boo-DYE-niye)

The next word is center. The word "center" in English can translate to several different Russian words depending on context. Let's explore a few options:

1. центр (pronounced "tsentr")

This is the most common translation of "center" in Russian and can refer to a physical location, a point of reference, or a concept. It is a masculine noun and is used with the preposition "в" (в) to indicate "in" or "at" the center, or "из" (из) to indicate "from" the center.

Example:

В центре города находится большой парк. (pronounced "V tsentre goroda nakhoditsya bolshoy park.")

Breakdown:

В (pronounced "v") - preposition, meaning "in" or "at"

центре (pronounced "tsentre") - dative case of the noun "центр"

города (pronounced "goroda") - genitive case of the noun "город" (city)

находится (pronounced "nakhoditsya") - verb meaning "is located"

большой (pronounced "bolshoy") - adjective meaning "big" or "large"

парк (pronounced "park") - noun meaning "park"

Translation: "In the center of the city, there is a large park."

1. средина (pronounced "sredina")

This word is often used to refer to the middle or center of something, especially when talking about a spatial or temporal dimension. It is a feminine noun, and the preposition "в" (в) can be used to indicate "in" the middle, or "из" (из) to indicate "from" the middle.

Example:

В середине дня они встретились в кафе. (pronounced "V seredine dnya oni vstretilis' v kafe.")

Breakdown:

В (pronounced "v") - preposition, meaning "in" or "at"

середине (pronounced "seredine") - dative case of the noun "средина"

дня (pronounced "dnya") - genitive case of the noun "день" (day)

они (pronounced "oni") - pronoun meaning "they"

встретились (pronounced "vstretilis'") - verb meaning "met"

в (pronounced "v") - preposition, meaning "in"

кафе (pronounced "kafe") - noun meaning "cafe"

Translation: "They met at the cafe in the middle of the day."

1. центральный (pronounced "tsentral'nyy")

This adjective means "central" or "in the center" and is used to describe something that is located in the center, or that is of central importance.

Example:

Центральная площадь города была полна народа. (pronounced "Tsentral'naya ploshchad' goroda byla polna naroda.")

Breakdown:

Центральная (pronounced "tsentral'naya") - feminine nominative form of the adjective "центральный"

площадь (pronounced "ploshchad'") - noun meaning "square"

города (pronounced "goroda") - genitive case of the noun "город" (city)

была (pronounced "byla") - verb "to be" in the past tense, feminine form
полна (pronounced "polna") - adjective meaning "full"

народа (pronounced "naroda") - genitive case of the noun "народ" (people)

Translation: "The central square of the city was full of people."

Key Concepts:

Gender of Nouns: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) which influences their endings.

Cases: Nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence (e.g., subject, object, possession).

Prepositions: Prepositions like "в" (в) or "из" (из) are used to indicate location and direction.

Pronunciation Hints:

ц (pronounced "ts") like the "ts" in "cats"

ч (pronounced "ch") like the "ch" in "chair"

ш (pronounced "sh") like the "sh" in "ship"

щ (pronounced "shch") like the "sh" in "ship" followed by a "ch"

р (pronounced "r") like the "r" in "red" but rolled

English Translation of Words:

центр - center
средина - middle
центральный - central
город - city
парк - park
день - day
кафе - cafe
площадь - square
народ - people

The next word is local. ## Местный магазин продаёт свежие продукты.

Breakdown:

Местный - [mes-t-ny] (adjective) - local, native. In this sentence, it's used to describe the store, emphasizing it's a store that serves the local community.

магазин - [ma-ga-zeen] (noun) - store, shop
продаёт - [pra-da-yot] (verb) - sells - the present tense of the verb продавать (pro-da-vat') to sell.

свежие - [svey-zhi-ye] (adjective) - fresh
продукты - [pra-duk-ty] (noun) - products, groceries.

Translation: The local store sells fresh groceries.

Key Concepts:

Adjectives: The adjective местный (local) modifies the noun магазин (store).

Verb Conjugation: The verb продаёт (sells) is in the third-person singular present tense, which agrees with the singular noun магазин (store).

Noun Cases: The noun продукты (groceries) is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the verb продаёт (sells).

Variation:

You could also use the word локальный (lo-kal-ny) which is a synonym of местный (local) and is more frequently used in formal writing.

English and Russian Translations:

local - местный [mes-t-ny]

store - магазин [ma-ga-zeen]

sells - продаёт [pra-da-yot]

fresh - свежие [svey-zhi-ye]

groceries - продукты [pra-duk-ty]

The next word is control. The word "control" in Russian can be represented by several words depending on the context. Here is one example:

Контроль за ситуацией был строгий. (Kontrol' za situatsiei byl strogii)

This sentence translates to "Control over the situation was strict."

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Контроль (kontrol’) - control. Stress the first syllable, it is very similar to "control" in English.

за (za) - preposition meaning "for" or "over", very similar to English "for" but with a broader use. Stress the a.

ситуацией (situatsiei) - "situation," very similar to the English word, with stress on the second to last syllable "tsi"

был (byl) - past tense of "to be" быть (byt’). The stress is on the first syllable. The "b" sound is like the English "v" in the word "very".

строгий (strogii) - "strict", stress is on the first syllable.

This sentence illustrates a common way to use "control" in Russian. The word контроль (kontrol’) is a noun, and it is used with the preposition за (za) to indicate control over something. The sentence also shows that "control" can be expressed with adjectives, in this case строгий (strogii) to convey the idea of strict control.

This sentence demonstrates several key concepts in Russian grammar. It shows the use of noun cases (in this case, the prepositional case), how to use the past tense of verbs, and the use of adjectives.

Control - контроль (kontrol’)

Strict - строгий (strogii)

The next word is light. The sun солнце sólnse (pronounced "SOHLN-tse") shines brightly in the sky.

Солнце ярко светит на небе. Sólnse yárka svétut na nébe

Солнце sólnse (pronounced "SOHLN-tse") is the noun for "sun." It's masculine and is used in the nominative case.

ярко yárka (pronounced "YAR-ka") is the adverb "brightly."

светит svétut (pronounced "SVEH-tit") is the verb "to shine" in the present tense, third person singular.

на na (pronounced "NA") is the preposition "on."

небе nébe (pronounced "NEH-bye") is the noun "sky."

The word свет svět (pronounced "SVET") meaning "light" can be a noun. It's masculine and is used in the nominative case. This word is more like the light of a lamp or the light of the stars.

Here are some example sentences using свет :

Свет включен. Svet vklyúchen. (The light is on.)

В комнате темно, нужно включить свет. V komnate temno, núzhno vklyúchit svet. (It is dark in the room, it is necessary to turn on the light.)

light - свет svět (pronounced "SVET")

sun - солнце sólnse (pronounced "SOHLN-tse")

The next word is bind. The English word "bind" has many meanings, such as "to tie," "to fasten," "to obligate," and "to unite." Let's look at an example using the meaning "to tie."

Sentence: Он связал свои вещи в узел. (On svyazal svoi veshchi v uzel.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) means "he." This is the masculine nominative form of the pronoun. Pronounce it as "ohn."

связал (svyazal) means "tied" or "bound." It is the past tense, masculine form of the verb "связывать" (svyazyvat). The "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The "з" is pronounced with a slight "s" sound like the "z" in "azure."

свои (svoi) means "his" or "his own" It is the masculine plural possessive adjective, and is pronounced as "svoi."

вещи (veshchi) means "things" or "belongings," and is pronounced as "vesh-chi". The "щ" is pronounced as "shch."

в (v) means "in" or "into." It's pronounced as "v"

узел (uzel) means "knot." The "у" is pronounced as "oo," the "з" is pronounced like the "z" in "azure," and the "е" is pronounced as the "e" in "get" .

Key Concept: In this sentence, the verb "связал" (svyazal) agrees in gender and number with the subject "Он" (On).

Variations:

You can use the same verb "связывать" (svyazyvat) to talk about binding in other contexts, such as binding a book. For example: Он связал книгу (On svyazal knigu). This means, "He bound the book."

Translation: He tied his things into a knot.

English Pronunciation: ohn svyazal svoi veshchi v uzel

Word and Pronunciation:

bind - связывать (svyazyvat) svyah-zye-vat
tied - связал (svyazal) svyah-zal
things - вещи (veshchi) vesh-chi
knot - узел (uzel) oo-zel

The next word is film. The word "film" is one of the most common words used in the Russian language.

This sentence illustrates the use of the word фильм (film), which is a masculine noun.

Я люблю смотреть фильмы (Ya lyublyu smotret' fil'my).

Breakdown

Я (Ya) - I (nominative case, singular) Pronunciation: [Ya]

люблю (lyublyu) - I love (present tense, 1st person singular) Pronunciation: [Loo-blyoo]

смотреть (smotret') - to watch (infinitive) Pronunciation: [Sma-tret']

фильмы (fil'my) - films (accusative case, plural) Pronunciation: [Feel-mi]

Translation: I love to watch films.

Key Concepts

Masculine nouns: In Russian, nouns are categorized by gender. Masculine nouns are typically those that end in a consonant.

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used when the noun is the direct object of a verb. In this example, фильмы (fil'my) is the direct object of the verb смотреть (smotret').

Present Tense: The verb люблю (lyublyu) is in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now.

Variations of the Word
фильм (film) - film (singular, nominative)

фильма (fil'ma) - film (singular, genitive)

фильму (fil'mu) - film (singular, dative)

фильм (film) - film (singular, accusative)

фильмом (fil'mom) - film (singular, instrumental)

фильме (fil'me) - film (singular, prepositional)

фильмы (fil'my) - films (plural, nominative/accusative)

фильмов (fil'mov) - films (plural, genitive)

фильмам (fil'mam) - films (plural, dative)

фильмами (fil'mami) - films (plural, instrumental)

фильмах (fil'makh) - films (plural, prepositional)

English and Russian Translations

Film: фильм (film)

The next word is yeah. This is a tricky one, as "yeah" is an informal word that has no direct equivalent in formal Russian. You would never use it in a written academic context. However, it is widely used in spoken Russian, so we can explore some ways to express the concept.

Here's a sentence using a similar expression, with emphasis on the grammatical structure and concepts:

Sentence:

Да, конечно! (Da, konechno!)

Breakdown:

Да (Da): This is the most basic way to say "yes" in Russian. It's pronounced like "dah." You can use it on its own, but "konechno" is a more emphatic way of affirming something.

конечно (konechno): This translates to "of course" and is pronounced like "kuh-nehch-nuh." It adds a sense of certainty or enthusiasm to a "yes" response.

! ( ! ): The exclamation point is a common way to add emphasis at the end of a sentence in Russian.

Key Concepts:

Affirmative Responses: This sentence demonstrates a common way to express agreement in Russian. While "yes" is present, the addition of "of course" emphasizes the speaker's enthusiastic agreement.

Intonation: Pay close attention to how you pronounce the words. The intonation in Russian is very important for understanding meaning.

Variations:

For less emphasis, you could simply say Да (Da) or even just Ага (Aha), which is similar to a casual "yeah." "Aha" is pronounced like "ah-gah."

In very informal situations, you might hear Ну да (Nu da) which is literally "well, yes" and can be used like a "yeah, sure" in English. It's pronounced "noo dah."

English Translation:

Yeah / Of course!

Russian Translation:

Да, конечно! (Da, konechno!)

The next word is surface. The surface of the table is smooth and clean.

Поверхность стола гладкая и чистая.

Breakdown:

Поверхность [po-verkh-nost'] (noun, feminine) - surface. The ending of this word is similar to 'nost' in the word 'nostril' which might help you recall the spelling.

стола [sta-la] (genitive case of стол [stol] - table) - of the table.

гладкая [glad-kaya] (adjective, feminine) - smooth. This word is similar to 'glad' and the 'k' is pronounced as a 'k' sound.

и [i] (conjunction) - and. This word is the same as the English 'and'.

чистая [chis-taya] (adjective, feminine) - clean. This word sounds similar to 'cheetah'.

Translation:

Поверхность [po-verkh-nost'] - surface
стола [sta-la] - of the table
гладкая [glad-kaya] - smooth
и [i] - and
чистая [chis-taya] - clean

Key Concept:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the genitive case in Russian. The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging. In this case, стола [sta-la] is in the genitive case because it is showing that the surface belongs to the table.

The next word is dark. The Russian sentence is:

Ночь была тёмная, и звёзды казались ярче.

Breakdown:

Ночь (pronounced [noch] - "noch" as in "notch" ) means "night" and is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

была (pronounced [by-la] - "by" as in "bye" and "la" as in "la-la") is the past tense of the verb "to be" (быть) in the feminine singular form.

тёмная (pronounced [tyom-naya] - "tyom" as in "tyme" but with a "y" sound and "naya" as in "naya" with a softer "y" sound) means "dark" and is in the feminine singular form, modifying "night".

и (pronounced [i] - short "i" sound) means "and"

звёзды (pronounced [zvyoz-dy] - "zvyoz" as in "zest" and "dy" as in "dy-no-mite") means "stars" and is in the nominative case, the subject of the second part of the sentence.

казались (pronounced [ka-za-lis] - "ka" as in "car", "za" as in "zap" and "lis" as in "list") means "seemed" and is the past tense of the verb "to seem" (казаться) in the plural form.

ярче (pronounced [yar-che] - "yar" as in "yard" and "che" as in "check" with a softer "ch" sound) means "brighter" and is the comparative adjective of "bright" (яркий).

The sentence means "The night was dark, and the stars seemed brighter."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and nouns must agree in gender, number, and case. For example, "тёмная" is feminine singular because it modifies the feminine singular noun "Ночь".

Case: The grammatical function of a noun or pronoun is determined by its case. In this sentence, both "Ночь" and "звёзды" are in the nominative case, as they are the subjects of their respective clauses.

Comparative Adjectives: The comparative form of an adjective is used to compare two things. In this sentence, "ярче" is the comparative form of "яркий" (bright).

Pronunciation Hints:

тёмная: The "y" sound in "тёмная" is similar to the "y" sound in "yes" but slightly softer.

звёзды: The "z" sound in "звёзды" is similar to the "z" sound in "zebra", but the "d" at the end is pronounced like a "d" in "day".

ярче: The "ch" sound in "ярче" is similar to the "ch" sound in "chair" but slightly softer.

English-Russian Translation:

dark - тёмный (pronounced [tyom-ny] - "tyom" as in "tyme" but with a "y" sound and "ny" as in "ny-lon")

night - ночь (pronounced [noch] - "noch" as in "notch" )

The next word is space. The word "space" has a few different meanings in Russian, but we will focus on the one referring to an empty area or gap. In this case, the word in Russian is пространство (prostranstvo).

The sentence we will use is:

В этом пространстве нет ничего (V etom prostranstve net nichego).

Breakdown of the sentence:

В (V) - This is the preposition "in" and is pronounced like the English "v" but with a slight "uh" sound at the end.

этом (etom) - This is the pronoun "this" used as an adjective, and it's pronounced with a similar sound to "eh-tom" but with the "t" a little more emphasized.

пространстве (prostranstve) - This is the noun "space," pronounced as "proh-stran-stve" with a slight stress on the "stran."

нет (net) - This is the verb "there is not" and sounds like "net" with a soft "t" at the end.

ничего (nichego) - This is the pronoun "nothing" and is pronounced "ni-che-go" with a slightly emphasized "che."

Translation: There is nothing in this space.

Pronunciation of Russian words:

пространство (proh-stran-stve)

В (v)

этом (eh-tom)

нет (net)

ничего (ni-che-go)

Remember, the stress in Russian words can change their pronunciation. In this sentence, the stress is on the first syllable in пространстве (prostranstve).

English: space

Russian: пространство (prostranstvo)

The next word is cold. The word холодный (kholodnyy) means "cold" in Russian. It is an adjective and can be used to describe something that is literally cold, like the weather, or metaphorically cold, like a person's attitude.

Here is an example sentence using the word:

Сегодня очень холодно, лучше надеть куртку. (Segodnya ochen' kholodno, luchshe nadët' kurtku.)

Breakdown:

Сегодня (Segodnya) - Today (pronounced: see-gohd-nya)

очень (ochen') - very (pronounced: oh-chen')

холодно (kholodno) - cold (pronounced: khoh-lohd-no)

лучше (luchshe) - better (pronounced: loot-chuh)

надеть (nadët') - to put on (pronounced: nah-djet')

куртку (kurtku) - jacket (pronounced: koort-koo)

Translation:

Today is very cold, it's better to put on a jacket.

Key Concepts:

The word холодный (kholodnyy) is declined in Russian, meaning it changes form depending on its grammatical function in a sentence. In this sentence, it is in the nominative case, which is the basic form of the adjective.

The word очень (ochen') is an adverb that intensifies the adjective холодно (kholodno).

Pronunciation Notes:

Pay attention to the stress in each word, as this can affect the pronunciation.

The letter "ы" in холодно (kholodno) is pronounced as a short "i" sound.

Variations:

The word холод (kholod) is the noun form of "cold." It can be used to refer to cold weather, coldness, or a cold drink.

English: Cold

Russian: холодный (kholodnyy) (pronounced: khoh-lohd-nyy)

The next word is danger. Sentence: Осторожно, здесь опасность!

Breakdown:

Осторожно - This is an imperative form of the verb остерегаться ("to be wary of") and means "be careful". You can think of the phrase Осторожно! as a Russian equivalent of the English "Watch out!" Pronounced: [uh-stoh-roh-zh-nuh]

здесь - Here, in this place. Pronounced: [z-dyes]

опасность - Danger. Pronounced: [uh-pah-s-nuhst]

! - An exclamation mark, indicating that the sentence is a warning.

Variations:

Есть опасность - There is danger.

Это очень опасно - This is very dangerous.

Будьте осторожны! - Be careful! The plural form of the imperative for остерегаться.

English Translation: Watch out, there is danger here!

Word and Pronunciation:

Danger - опасность ([uh-pah-s-nuhst])

The next word is turn. The word "turn" has many meanings in English and thus can be translated into Russian in many ways. Here is an example of one way to translate "turn" in Russian:

Sentence:

The sun turned red as it set.

Russian:

Солнце покраснело, когда садилось.

Breakdown:

Солнце - This is the noun "sun" - pronounced SOHN-tse
покраснело - This is the past tense of the verb "to turn red" - pronounced pa-kra-SNE-la
когда - This is the conjunction "when" - pronounced kag-DA
садилось - This is the past tense of the verb "to set" - pronounced sa-DI-las

Important concepts:

The sentence demonstrates the use of the past tense in Russian. Notice that both verbs, "turned red" and "set", are in the past tense.

The word order in this sentence is typical of Russian, where the subject comes before the verb and the object comes after the verb.

Key Concept:

There is no direct translation for "turn" in Russian. You must consider the context of the sentence to determine the appropriate Russian verb.

Word Translations and Pronunciations

Turn - повернуть - pa-ver-NOOT'

Red - красный - KRAHS-nui

Set - заходить - za-ha-DEE-t'

The next word is twice. The word "twice" in English means two times. In Russian, this can be expressed using the word дважды (pronounced "dvah-zhdy").

Here is an example sentence:

Я был в Москве дважды.

Я (ya) - I
был (byl) - was
в (v) - in

Москве (Moskve) - Moscow
дважды (dvah-zhdy) - twice

Translation: I was in Moscow twice.

Key Concept: The word дважды is an adverb and modifies the verb был (was). It shows how many times the action of being in Moscow occurred.

Variations: There are no other direct variations of the word дважды. However, you could use the phrase два раза (pronounced "dva raza"), which literally means "two times". This phrase is less formal than дважды.

Pronunciation:

дважды (dvah-zhdy) - the 'd' sound is similar to the 'd' in the English word "dog", the 'zh' sound is similar to the 's' in the English word "vision" and the 'dy' sounds similar to the 'dee' in the English word "deed".

English: twice

Russian: дважды (dvah-zhdy)

The next word is weight. The Russian word for "weight" is вес (pronounced "vyess"). It is a masculine noun and is used in the nominative case in this sentence.

Sentence: Этот ящик весит пять килограммов. (Eh-toht ya-shchik ve-sit pyat' ki-lo-gram-mov.)

Breakdown:

Этот (Eh-toht) - This (masculine, nominative case)

ящик (ya-shchik) - box (masculine, nominative case)

весит (ve-sit) - weighs (present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb весить (ve-sit') - to weigh)

пять (pyat') - five (nominative case)

килограммов (ki-lo-gram-mov) - kilograms (genitive case, plural)

Translation: This box weighs five kilograms.

Variations:

The word "weight" can also be expressed in Russian with the word тяжесть (pronounced "tyazhest'") which is a feminine noun meaning "heaviness".

The verb "to weigh" can be expressed as взвешивать (vzve-shi-vat') or весить (ve-sit')

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns are assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter).

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence, such as subject, object, or possessor.

Tense: Russian verbs are conjugated to reflect the time of the action.

Pronunciation Notes:

The letter "e" at the end of a word is usually pronounced as a soft "e" sound, like the "e" in "bet."

The "o" in весит is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

The "a" in ящик is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

The "g" in килограммов is pronounced like the "g" in "get".

English and Russian Translation:

Weight: вес (vyess)

Weigh: весить (ve-sit')

The next word is attract. The word "attract" in Russian can be translated as привлекать (pronounced "pri-vli-kat"). This verb is used to describe the action of drawing someone or something towards something else.

Sentence:

Яркие цвета привлекают внимание. (pronounced "Yar-ki-ye tsve-ta pri-vli-ka-yut vni-ma-ni-ye").

Breakdown:

Яркие (pronounced "Yar-ki-ye") - bright, colorful
цвета (pronounced "tsve-ta") - colors
привлекают (pronounced "pri-vli-ka-yut") - attract, draw attention
внимание (pronounced "vni-ma-ni-ye") - attention

Translation:

"Bright colors attract attention."

Key Concepts:

The verb привлекать is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object. In this sentence, the object is внимание (attention).

The word яркие is an adjective modifying the noun цвета (colors).

Яркие and цвета are in the nominative case because they are the subject of the sentence.

Variations:

Привлечь (pronounced "pri-vlech") - past tense of привлекать, meaning "to attract, to draw attention"

Притягательный (pronounced "pri-tya-ga-tel-niy") - adjective meaning "attractive"

Pronunciation Tips:

The Russian letter я is pronounced like the English "ya" in "yard".

The Russian letter е in цвета and привлекают is pronounced like the English "ye" in "yet".

The letter combination ю in яркие is pronounced like the English "u" in "flute".

English and Russian Translation:

attract - привлекать (pronounced "pri-vli-kat")

The next word is lunch. ## Я люблю обедать в кафе

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced 'ya' like 'ya' in 'yard')

люблю (lyublyu) - I love (pronounced 'loo-blyoo')

обедать (obedat') - to have lunch (pronounced 'ah-bye-dat') - This is a verb, it’s important to note that in Russian verbs change depending on the person and number. In this case, the ending [-at'] means the verb is in the infinitive form. The conjugation of the verb for the first person singular is обедаю (pronounced 'ah-bye-day-oo').

в (v) - in (pronounced 'v')

кафе (kafe) - cafe (pronounced 'kah-fay')

Translation: I love to have lunch in a cafe.

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change depending on the person, number, and tense.

Prepositions: в (v) is a preposition that means 'in'. Prepositions are essential to understanding the grammar and meaning of Russian sentences.

Nouns: кафе (kafe) is a noun that means 'cafe'. Nouns in Russian have genders, and кафе (kafe) is neuter.

Variations of обедать (obedat')

обедаю (obedayu) - I am having lunch
обедали (obedali) - they had lunch
обедаем (obedayem) - we are having lunch

Pronunciation Guide:

Я (Ya) - 'ya' like 'ya' in 'yard'

люблю (lyublyu) - 'loo-blyoo'

обедать (obedat') - 'ah-bye-dat'

в (v) - 'v'

кафе (kafe) - 'kah-fay'

English Word: Lunch

Russian Word: обед (obed) - pronounced 'ah-byehd'

The next word is quarter. The word "quarter" can refer to several things in Russian, depending on context. We will focus on the most common usage, which is a fourth part of something.

Sentence: Он съел четверть пиццы.

Breakdown:

Он он (he) - Subject pronoun
съел съел (ate) - Past tense verb, masculine singular, 3rd person
четверть четверть (quarter) - Noun, feminine, singular
пиццы пиццы (pizza) - Noun, feminine, genitive singular

Meaning: He ate a quarter of the pizza.

Key Concepts:

Gender and Number: Nouns in Russian have gender and number, which affects the endings of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs. Here, "четверть" is feminine singular and agrees with "пиццы" in the genitive case.

Genitive Case: The genitive case is used to show possession or part of something. Here, "пиццы" is in the genitive case because it represents a part of the whole pizza.

Word Variation: While "четверть" is a noun, it can also be used as a numeral (one-quarter).

Pronounciation:

Он он (on)

съел съел (syel)

четверть четверть (chetvert')

пиццы пиццы (pitsy)

English-Russian Word Pair:

quarter - четверть (chetvert')

The next word is off. The word "off" has many uses in English and can be translated to Russian in various ways, depending on the context.

Here's a sentence using "off" in the meaning of "away from" or "not on":

Он ушел с работы.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - pronounced: [awn]

ушел - left, went away (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced: [oo-shool]

с - from, with (preposition) - pronounced: [s]

работы - work (noun, feminine, genitive case) - pronounced: [ra-bo-tu]

Translation: He left work.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: In Russian, prepositions are crucial for indicating relationships between nouns and other parts of the sentence. "С" means "from" or "with" and is used to show the starting point of the action.

Case endings: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. "Работа" (work) changes to "работы" when it is used after the preposition "с".

Variations:

"Off" can be translated to Russian in many other ways depending on the context, including:

отключить - to switch off, turn off (verb) - pronounced: [at-klyoo-chit']

убрать - to take off, remove (verb) - pronounced: [oo-brat']

снять - to take off (clothing), remove (verb) - pronounced: [snyat']

English and Russian translation of the word:

off - от (ot) - pronounced: [ot]

The next word is strategy. The Russian word for strategy is стратегия (pronounced stra-te-gi-ya).

Here's a sentence using the word:

У него была отличная стратегия для решения этой проблемы.

Breakdown:

У (u) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and indicates possession. In this sentence, it's used to say "he had."

него (ni-go) - This is a pronoun meaning "him" or "his," it refers to the subject of the sentence.

была (bi-la) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" - быть (pronounced byt').

отличная (ot-lich-na-ya) - This is an adjective meaning "excellent" or "great."

стратегия (stra-te-gi-ya) - This is the noun meaning "strategy."

для (dlya) - This is a preposition meaning "for."

решения (ri-she-ni-ya) - This is the genitive case (possessive) of the noun решение (ri-she-ni-ye) meaning "solution." It is used in combination with the preposition для to indicate purpose.

этой (e-toy) - This is an adjective meaning "this" or "this one."

проблемы (pra-ble-my) - This is the genitive case of the noun проблема (pra-ble-ma) meaning "problem." It is used here to indicate the object of the solution.

Translation: He had a great strategy for solving this problem.

Key Concepts:

Genitive case: This case is used to indicate possession or to show the object of an action. Here, it's used with решения and проблемы to show the purpose of the strategy and the object of the solution.

Prepositions: Prepositions like у and для are important to show relationships between words in a sentence.

Pronunciation:

стратегия: stra-te-gi-ya
отличная: ot-lich-na-ya

Variations of стратегия:

The word стратегия doesn't have a lot of variations, but you can use the plural form стратегии (stra-te-gi-i) to mean "strategies."

Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep working on your Russian and don't hesitate to ask for more examples.

The next word is divide. The professor divides the class into groups for the project.

Профессор делит класс на группы для проекта.

Breakdown:

Профессор (pra-fye-sor) - Professor (masculine noun)

делит (dye-leet) - Present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb делить (dye-leet) - to divide. This is a very common verb, and its other forms are делю (dye-lyu) - I divide, делишь (dye-lish) - you divide, делит (dye-leet) - he/she/it divides, делим (dye-leem) - we divide, делите (dye-lee-tye) - you (plural) divide, делят (dye-lyat) - they divide. The verb делить (dye-leet) is irregular, and its past tense forms are делил (dye-leel) - I divided, делила (dye-lee-la) - I divided, делили (dye-lee-li) - we divided, etc.

класс (kla-ss) - Class (masculine noun)

на (na) - on, onto, upon (preposition)

группы (groop-py) - Groups (feminine noun)

для (dlya) - for (preposition)

проекта (pra-yek-ta) - project (masculine noun)

English Translation: The professor divides the class into groups for the project.

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the verb делить (dye-leet) in the present tense, 3rd person singular, which is the most common conjugation of the verb.

The sentence also highlights the use of the preposition на (na) in Russian, which is used to indicate a division or separation.

The masculine noun класс (kla-ss) is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence, while the feminine noun группы (groop-py) is in the accusative case, the object of the preposition на (na).

Профессор (pra-fye-sor) and проект (pra-yek-ta) are masculine nouns in the nominative case.

Pronounciation Notes:

The letter 'e' at the end of many Russian words is pronounced like the 'a' in 'father', and the letter 'o' at the end of many Russian words is pronounced like the 'o' in 'lot'. Remember to pay attention to the stress, which is often marked with an accent mark ('). For example, the word проект (pra-yek-ta) is stressed on the second syllable.

Note that the letter 'c' is pronounced like an 's', and the letter 'ж' is pronounced like the 'zh' in 'treasure'.

The next word is whole. The word "whole" in English can be translated into Russian as целый (t͡sɛ́lɪj).

Sentence:

У меня целый день был занят работой. (oo mɪnʲˈjaː tsɛ́lɪj dʲenʲ bɪl zɐˈnʲat rɐˈboːtəj).

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and is used before the noun меня (mɪnʲˈjaː) meaning "me".

меня (mɪnʲˈjaː) - This is the object pronoun for "me".

целый (t͡sɛ́lɪj) - This is the adjective "whole", "entire", or "complete". It modifies the noun день (dʲenʲ).

день (dʲenʲ) - This is the noun "day".

был (bɪl) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be", meaning "was".

занят (zɐˈnʲat) - This is the past participle of the verb "to be busy", meaning "busy". In this sentence, it acts as a predicate adjective.

работой (rɐˈboːtəj) - This is the instrumental case of the noun "work", meaning "by work".

Translation: "I was busy with work the whole day."

Variations:

целый (t͡sɛ́lɪj) can also be used to mean "complete" or "entire". For example, целая неделя (t͡sɛ́lɐːjə nʲɪˈdʲelʲə) means "a whole week".

весь (vʲesʲ) is another word that can be used to mean "whole" or "entire". For example, весь город (vʲesʲ ˈɡorət) means "the whole city".

Pronunciation Guide:

целый (t͡sɛ́lɪj) - The ц (ts) sound is similar to the "ts" sound in the English word "cats". The stress is on the first syllable.

день (dʲenʲ) - The д (d) sound is similar to the "d" sound in the English word "day". The stress is on the first syllable.

занят (zɐˈnʲat) - The з (z) sound is similar to the "z" sound in the English word "zoo". The stress is on the second syllable.

The next word is source. The word "source" can be translated into Russian in several ways depending on the context. Here is an example sentence using the word источник (istochnik) which means "source" in the sense of origin.

Sentence: Этот исторический документ является важным источником информации о событиях прошлого века. (Etot istoricheskiy dokument yavlyaetsya vazhnym istochnikom informatsii o sobytiyakh proshlogo veka.)

Breakdown:

Этот (Etot) - This (masculine singular) - Pronounced like "eh-tot"

исторический (istoricheskiy) - Historical - Pronounced like "ee-sto-ree-ches-kiy"

документ (dokument) - Document - Pronounced like "do-koo-ment"

является (yavlyaetsya) - is (third person singular, present tense of verb "to be") - Pronounced like "yahv-lyah-yet-sya"

важным (vazhnym) - important - Pronounced like "vahzh-nym"

источником (istochnikom) - source - Pronounced like "ee-stoch-nee-kom"

информации (informatsii) - information - Pronounced like "in-for-mah-tsii"

о (o) - about - Pronounced like "oh"

событиях (sobytiyakh) - events - Pronounced like "so-bee-tee-yahkh"

прошлого (proshlogo) - past - Pronounced like "prosh-lo-go"

века (veka) - century - Pronounced like "ve-ka"

Translation: This historical document is an important source of information about the events of the last century.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. The noun документ (dokument) is masculine, so we use the masculine form of the adjective важным (vazhnym).

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this sentence, источником (istochnikom) is in the instrumental case, which is used to indicate the means or instrument by which something is done.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English, but generally, the subject comes before the verb, and the object comes after.

Other Variations of "source":

источник (istochnik) - source, origin, spring, fountain
исходный (iskhodnyy) - source (in the sense of original)

источник света (istochnik sveta) - light source
источник вдохновения (istochnik vdokhnoveniya) - source of inspiration

English: Source /sɔːrs/

Russian: источник (istochnik) /isˈtɔt͡ʃnɪk/

The next word is seem. The word "seem" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here is one way to use it:

Sentence:

Он кажется усталым.

On kazhetsya ustalym.

Breakdown:

Он kazhetsya ustalym. - He seems tired.

Он - He (nominative case). Pronounced as [ohn]

кажется - seems (verb in the present tense, 3rd person singular). Pronounced as [kah-zhe-tsuh]

устал - tired (masculine adjective in the instrumental case). Pronounced as [oos-tahl]

Key concepts:

The verb казаться kazatsya (to seem) is often used to express an opinion or a subjective perception of something.

The instrumental case is used after the verb казаться kazatsya (to seem).

Variations:

Он выглядит усталым On vyglyadit ustalym - He looks tired.

Он производит впечатление усталого человека On proizvodit vpechatlenie ustalogo cheloveka - He gives the impression of a tired person.

Pronunciation:

Он - [ohn]

кажется - [kah-zhe-tsuh]

усталым - [oos-tahl-im]

English Translation: seem - казаться kazatsya

The next word is kid. The word "kid" can be used as a noun or a verb. Let's look at it as a noun.

Sentence: Рeбёнок [ribyonok] сидит [sidit] на [na] скамейке [skamayke].

Breakdown:

Рeбёнок [ribyonok] - "child" (noun), pronounced as "ri-byo-nok".

сидит [sidit] - "sits" (verb), pronounced as "si-dit".

на [na] - "on" (preposition), pronounced as "na".

скамейке [skamayke] - "bench" (noun), pronounced as "ska-may-ke".

Translation: The child sits on the bench.

Important Note:

The word ребёнок [ribyonok] is gender-specific, meaning it changes depending on whether it is a boy or girl.

For a boy: мальчик [mal'chik] - "boy" - pronounced "mal'chik"

For a girl: девочка [devushka] - "girl" - pronounced "devushka"

Variations of the word kid:

ребята [ribyata] - "kids" (plural) - pronounced "ri-bya-ta"

дети [dyeti] - "children" (plural) - pronounced "dyet-i"

Let's practice using these words. Try writing a sentence using the words "kids" or "children" and then I will give you a breakdown and translation!

The next word is glad. I am рад (pronounced rahd) to see you today.

Breakdown:

рад (pronounced rahd) is an adjective meaning "glad" or "happy". It's used to express positive emotions.

Я (pronounced ya) is the Russian word for "I".

рад is in the nominative case, which is the basic form of the word. It agrees with the subject in gender, number, and case.

видеть (pronounced videet') is the infinitive form of the verb "to see." The infinitive form is not used alone, but in a sentence is used with the word тебя (pronounced tyebya).

тебя (pronounced tyebya) means "you" and is in the accusative case. The accusative case is used for direct objects.

Translation: I am glad to see you today.

Variations:

рада (pronounced rada) is the feminine form of рад.

рады (pronounced rahd-y) is the plural form of рад.

English: Glad, happy.

Russian: рад (pronounced rahd)

The next word is campaign. The word "campaign" in Russian is кампания (pronounced "kam-pa-ni-ya").

Here is a sentence using the word:

Избирательная кампания проходит в полном разгаре.

Breakdown:

Избирательная (pronounced "iz-bi-ra-tel-na-ya") is the feminine adjective form of "electoral," which is derived from the noun избиратель (pronounced "iz-bi-ra-tel") meaning "voter."

кампания (pronounced "kam-pa-ni-ya") means "campaign"

проходит (pronounced "pro-ho-dit") is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb проходить (pronounced "pro-ho-dit") which means "to take place" or "to proceed"

в (pronounced "v") means "in"

полном (pronounced "pol-nom") is the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective полный (pronounced "pol-ny") which means "full"

разгаре (pronounced "raz-ga-re") means "swing"

This sentence translates to: "The election campaign is in full swing."

This sentence showcases the flexibility of the Russian language. While English uses a singular noun ("campaign"), the Russian phrase uses a combination of two words: "electoral" and "campaign." This structure allows for more nuance and specificity.

To remember the word "campaign" in Russian, try to connect it to the English word "camp." It's a helpful visual cue to get you started.

English: campaign / Russian: кампания (pronounced "kam-pa-ni-ya").

The next word is complain. The English word "complain" translates to the Russian verb жаловаться (pronounced "zha-lo-vat-sa").

Here is an example sentence:

Студент жаловался профессору на трудную домашнюю работу.

This sentence translates to: "The student complained to the professor about the difficult homework."

Breakdown of the sentence:

Студент (pronounced "stu-dent") - This is the subject of the sentence and means "student".

жаловался (pronounced "zha-lo-val-sa") - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to complain". It is used because the subject of the sentence is "student", which is masculine.

профессору (pronounced "pro-fes-so-ru") - This is the indirect object of the sentence and means "to the professor".

на (pronounced "na") - This is a preposition meaning "on" or "about".

трудную (pronounced "trud-nu-yu") - This is the feminine singular form of the adjective "difficult".

домашнюю (pronounced "da-mash-nyu-yu") - This is the feminine singular form of the adjective "home" or "homework" in this context.

работу (pronounced "ra-bo-tu") - This is the accusative case form of the noun "work".

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender. In this example, the noun "студент" is masculine, which is why the verb "to complain" is in the masculine singular form.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. In this example, the noun "работу" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "to complain".

Variations:

The verb "жаловаться" can also be used in the present tense: Студент жалуется профессору на трудную домашнюю работу. This sentence translates to: "The student complains to the professor about the difficult homework."

The verb "жаловаться" can also be used in the future tense: Студент будет жаловаться профессору на трудную домашнюю работу. This sentence translates to: "The student will complain to the professor about the difficult homework."

English translation of the word "complain": complain

Russian translation of the word "complain": жаловаться

The next word is memory. У меня хорошая память (u menya horoshaya pamyat).

This sentence translates to "I have a good memory." Let's break it down:

У меня - This is a phrase that means "I have." It is comprised of the preposition у у (oo) meaning "at" or "by," and the pronoun меня меня (menya) meaning "me."

хорошая хорошая (horoshaya) - This is the feminine form of the adjective "good" or "nice," which is хороший хороший (horoshiy) in the masculine form. The ending -ая -ая (-aya) signifies the feminine form.

память память (pamyat) - This word means "memory."

Key concept: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Pronunciation:

память (pamyat) - The "я" я (ya) in this word is pronounced like the "ya" in "yacht" or "yawn." The "ть" ть (t') at the end is pronounced with a slight puff of air.

Variations:

The word for "memory" can also be used as a noun, as in "I have a good memory for names." This would be "У меня хорошая память на имена" (U menya horoshaya pamyat na imena) Here, "на" на (na) means "for," and "имена" имена (imena) means "names."

Translation:

Memory - память (pamyat)

Good - хороший (horoshiy) (masculine) / хорошая (horoshaya) (feminine)

The next word is reveal. The professor clears his throat and says, "Ah, reveal. A fascinating word, full of intrigue and suspense. It implies the unveiling of something hidden, a secret brought to light. Let's see how it can be used in a Russian sentence.

Он раскрыл тайну

Он (ohn) - He
раскрыл (rahs-krihl) - revealed, past tense masculine singular
тайну (tay-noo) - secret, noun in accusative case.

The verb раскрыть (rahs-kriht') can take on different forms depending on the tense and subject.

раскрываю (rahs-krih-vah-yoo) - I reveal (present tense)

раскрываешь (rahs-krih-vah-yesh) - You reveal (present tense)

раскроют (rahs-krooyt) - They will reveal (future tense)

The sentence translates to: He revealed the secret.

Remember, the accusative case is used when the object of the verb is directly affected by the action. So, in this case, the secret is being revealed, and thus it is in the accusative case.

Now, let's imagine a different scenario. Instead of a person revealing a secret, we have a new product being revealed.

Компания раскрыла новую технологию

Компания (kam-pahn-ee-ya) - company
раскрыла (rahs-krih-la) - revealed, past tense feminine singular. This form changes because the subject is компания, which is feminine.

новую (noh-voo-yoo) - new, adjective in accusative case.

технологию (tekh-noh-loh-gee-yoo) - technology, noun in accusative case.

This sentence translates to: The company revealed a new technology.

I hope this helps you understand how to use the verb раскрыть (rahs-kriht') in various contexts. Now, go forth and reveal your knowledge of the Russian language!

reveal - раскрыть (rahs-kriht')

secret - тайна (tay-na)

The next word is result. The результат испытания был удивительным.

This sentence translates to "The result of the test was amazing."

Breakdown:

результат (rezul'tat) - result

This word can be masculine or feminine depending on the context. In this case, it is masculine, as it is referring to the result of the test.

You will hear the "т" at the end of результат only slightly, and it is pronounced more like a "d" sound.

испытания (ispytaniya) - test (singular form is испытание (ispytanie)

This is the genitive case of the word испытание, which means "test". The genitive case is used to show possession or a relationship between nouns.

The "я" in испытания is pronounced as "ya"

был (byl) - was

This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the masculine singular form.

The "л" at the end of the word is pronounced like a "l"

удивительным (udivitel'nym) - amazing

This is the instrumental case of the adjective удивительный (udivitel'nyy).

The instrumental case is used to show how something is done. It also shows what is being used to do something.

The "й" in удивительным is pronounced like a "y"

Result: результат (rezul'tat) - result

Test: испытание (ispytanie)

Was: был (byl)

Amazing: удивительный (udivitel'nyy)

The next word is fine. ## Хорошо (pronounced: [hoh-roh-shoh])

This is a very common and versatile word in Russian. It can be used to express agreement, approval, understanding, or even just acknowledgement.

Breakdown:

Хорошо (pronounced: [hoh-roh-shoh]) - This is the word for "fine" in Russian. It is an adjective, meaning it describes a noun.

хороший (pronounced: [hoh-roh-shee]) - This is the masculine form of the adjective.

хорошая (pronounced: [hoh-roh-sha-ya]) - This is the feminine form of the adjective.

хорошее (pronounced: [hoh-roh-shee-ye]) - This is the neuter form of the adjective.

Examples:

Как дела? Хорошо (pronounced: [kak d'ye-la? hoh-roh-shoh]) - How are you? Fine.

Погода хорошая (pronounced: [pah-goh-da ho-roh-sha-ya]) - The weather is fine.

Всё хорошо (pronounced: [vsyo ho-roh-shoh]) - Everything is fine.

Key Concept:

Хорошо is an example of a short form adjective. It is often used in place of the full adjective form when describing a noun, especially in informal situations.

Translation:

хорошо - fine

The next word is cell. The word "cell" in Russian is клетка (pronounced klet-ka). It can be used in several different contexts, but in this example, we'll explore its use in biology.

Sentence:

Клетка является основной единицей жизни.

Breakdown:

Клетка (klet-ka) - This is the noun, meaning "cell".

является (yav-lyet-sy-a) - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, 3rd person singular. This is the form of the verb that you will use to describe a singular subject (in this case, a cell).

основной (os-nov-noy) - This is an adjective, meaning "basic" or "fundamental". The adjective in Russian must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. In this sentence it agrees with the noun единица (see below).

единицей (ye-di-ni-tsey) - This is a noun, meaning "unit". In this sentence it is in the instrumental case. You will use this case when you are describing something with the verb "to be".

жизни (zhiz-ni) - This is a noun, meaning "life". In this sentence it is in the genitive case. You will use the genitive case after the noun единица in this sentence.

Translation:

A cell is the basic unit of life.

Key Concept:

The noun клетка (klet-ka) can also mean "cell" in the context of a prison.

Pronunciation Guide:

клетка (klet-ka) - stress on the first syllable
является (yav-lyet-sy-a) - stress on the first syllable
основной (os-nov-noy) - stress on the second syllable
единицей (ye-di-ni-tsey) - stress on the second syllable
жизни (zhiz-ni) - stress on the first syllable

English Translation:

cell - клетка (klet-ka)

The next word is ought. The word "ought" in English is similar to "should" but implies a stronger moral obligation. In Russian, the closest equivalent is "должен" должен (pronounced "dolzhn"). This word is used when referring to a duty or responsibility.

Here is an example sentence:

"You ought to respect your elders."

Ты должен уважать старших. (pronounced "Ty dolzhn uvazhat starshikh.")

Breakdown:

Ты Ты - "You" (singular, informal, pronounced "ty"). The informal pronoun "ty" is used when talking to friends, family, or people younger than you. In formal settings, you would use "Вы" Вы (pronounced "Vy").

должен должен - "ought to", "should" (pronounced "dolzhn"). This word is used when referring to a duty or responsibility.

уважать уважать - "to respect" (pronounced "uvazhat").

старших старших - "elders" (pronounced "starshikh").

Key concept: You could also use "следует" следует ("sleduyet") as a synonym for "должен" должен in this sentence, but "следует" следует has a more general meaning of "should" or "it is advisable".

Translation: You ought to respect your elders. Ты должен уважать старших. (pronounced "Ty dolzhn uvazhat starshikh.")

Pronunciation guide:

должен должен - "dolzhn"

уважать уважать - "uvazhat"

старших старших - "starshikh"

"ought" - должен (pronounced "dolzhn")

The next word is only. The word "only" in Russian is только (pronounced tol'ka). It can be used in a variety of ways, and it can be placed before or after the word it modifies.

Here is an example of a sentence with только (tol'ka):

Я хочу только мороженое.

Я (Ya) - I
хочу (khochoo) - want
только (tol'ka) - only
мороженое (marozhenoye) - ice cream

Translation: I only want ice cream.

Variations:

The word только (tol'ka) can also be used to mean "just" or "merely." For example: Я только хочу пить. (Ya tol'ko khochu pit') - I just want to drink.

только (tol'ka) can also be used to emphasize a particular word or phrase. For example: Только ты можешь мне помочь. (Tol'ko ty mozhesh mne pomoch') - Only you can help me.

Key concepts:

Word order: The position of только (tol'ka) in a sentence can affect the meaning.

Emphatic use: только (tol'ka) can be used to emphasize a particular word or phrase.

English/Russian Pronunciation:

only - только (tol'ka)

The next word is education. ## Образование is a key concept in Russian. It is an uncountable noun, meaning it doesn't have a plural form.

The sentence:

Образование является важным аспектом жизни.

Breakdown:

Образование (pronounced: uh-bra-zo-VAH-nee-ye) - education
является (pronounced: ya-vly-AY-et-sya) - is (present tense, third person singular of быть - to be)

важным (pronounced: VAHZH-nym) - important (adjective, masculine nominative singular)

аспектом (pronounced: ah-SPEK-tom) - aspect (masculine nominative singular)

жизни (pronounced: ZHI-zni) - life (feminine genitive singular)

Translation: Education is an important aspect of life.

Helpful Tip: Remember that the Russian word for "is" is является, not simply есть (which means "to eat"). It is also important to notice how the endings of adjectives change depending on the gender and number of the noun they modify.

Key Concepts:

Uncountable Nouns: In Russian, uncountable nouns like "education" are treated as singular.

Gender Agreement: Russian adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. In this case, важным agrees with аспектом, which is masculine singular.

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, жизни is in the genitive case, which is used after prepositions like в (in) and на (on).

Variations:

The word образование can also be used as a verb: образовывать (to educate) and образоваться (to be educated).

English Translation: Education is an important aspect of life.

The next word is volume. The громкость (pronounced [громкость] - [gromkost'] ) of the music was too high, so I had to turn it down.

Breakdown
громкость (pronounced [громкость] - [gromkost'] ) - The word громкость is a noun meaning "volume". It is a feminine noun. It is used in the nominative case (subject of the sentence), so it is in its basic form.

слишком (pronounced [слишком] - [sliskom] ) - The word слишком means "too" and is an adverb, making the adjective высокая comparative.

высокая (pronounced [высокая] - [vysokaya] ) - The adjective высокая means "high" and agrees with the noun громкость in gender (feminine) and number (singular) and case (nominative).

музыка (pronounced [музыка] - [muzyka] ) - The word музыка is a noun meaning "music". It is feminine.

я (pronounced [я] - [ya] ) - The word я is the personal pronoun "I" and is in the nominative case as the subject of the verb.

должен (pronounced [должен] - [dolzhen] ) - The word должен is an auxiliary verb meaning "must" or "have to". It is in the masculine singular form to agree with the subject я.

был (pronounced [был] - [byl] ) - The verb был is the past tense of the verb "to be" (in the masculine singular).

убавить (pronounced [убавить] - [ubavit'] ) - The verb убавить means "to turn down" (in this context). It is in the infinitive form.

её (pronounced [её] - [eeo] ) - This pronoun is the object of the verb убавить and is the feminine accusative form of она (she) and means "it".

Variations
громкость (pronounced [громкость] - [gromkost'] ) is the noun, the word can also be used as an adjective (as in громкий звук - [gromkiy zvuk] - "loud sound")

English Translation: The volume of the music was too high, so I had to turn it down.

Pronunciation Notes
громкость - Remember the "o" in громкость is pronounced like the "o" in "hot". Also, the stress in this word is on the second syllable (гром-кость).

слишком - The stress in this word is on the second syllable (слиш- ком).

высокая - The "y" at the end of this word is silent
музыка - The "y" at the end of this word is silent and the stress is on the second syllable (муз- ика).

должен - The stress in this word is on the first syllable (дол-жен).

убавить - The stress in this word is on the second syllable (убав- ить).

её - This word is pronounced like "eye-oh".

The next word is energy. English: The professor spoke about the importance of энергия энергии in modern society.

Breakdown:

энергия энергии is the noun energy.

It is used in the sentence as the object of the preposition о (about).

The noun энергия has two forms:

энергия is the nominative singular form

энергии is the genitive singular form and is used after prepositions.

современного is the adjective "modern"

современный is the masculine singular form of the adjective

It is used in the genitive singular form because it modifies the noun общество (society)

общества is the noun "society"

It is in the genitive singular form because it is the object of the preposition в (in).

Translation:

энергия - [en-ER-gee-ya] energy
энергии - [en-ER-gee-ee] energy
современного - [suv-re-MEN-nuh-voh] modern
общества - [ob-sh-ES-tuh-va] society

Helpful Hints:

Note the stress on the second to last syllable of the word энергия.

современный is a common adjective and is easy to remember if you think of its root время (time).

The next word is want. English: I want to learn Russian.

Russian: Я хочу изучать русский язык.

Breakdown:

Я: This is the pronoun "I" in the nominative case. Pronounced as "ya" (like "ya" in "yacht").

хочу: This is the verb "to want" in the present tense, first person singular. Pronounced as "kho-chu" (like "ho" in "hot" and "choo" in "choose").

изучать: This is the verb "to study" in the infinitive form. Pronounced as "iz-oo-chat'" (like "iz" in "is" and "oo" in "food" and "chat" in "chat").

русский: This is the adjective "Russian" in the nominative case. Pronounced as "roo-skee" (like "roo" in "root" and "skee" in "ski").

язык: This is the noun "language" in the nominative case. Pronounced as "ya-zook" (like "ya" in "yacht" and "zook" in "zoo").

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugation: The verb "хочу" (khochu) changes its ending depending on who is doing the wanting.

Infinitive form: The verb "изучать" (izuchat') is in its base form, which is used after certain verbs like "хочу" (khochu).

English Translation: Ya khochu izuchat' russkiy yazyk.

Word Pronunciation:

Want: хочу - khochu

Russian: русский - russkiy

The next word is many. The word "many" can be translated to Russian in a few ways depending on the context, but most frequently, we will use the word много (pronounced "mnoh-go").

Here is an example sentence:

У меня много книг. (pronounced "oo myen'ya mnoh-go knih")

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") - This is a preposition that means "at" or "by" and in this case indicates possession - "I have"

меня (pronounced "myen'ya") - This is the personal pronoun "me" in the genitive case, which is used to indicate possession - "my"

много (pronounced "mnoh-go") - This is the word "many".

книг (pronounced "knih") - This is the plural genitive case of the word "book". The genitive case is used to indicate possession in Russian - "of books"

Translation: I have many books.

Key concepts:

Gender - In Russian, nouns have genders, masculine, feminine, or neuter. "book" (книга) is feminine, so we use the feminine form of the adjective много.

Number - "book" (книга) is a singular noun, so we use the singular form of много, but if we were to say "many houses" - много домов, we would use the plural form of много, as "house" (дом) is masculine.

Cases - The word много itself doesn’t change form, but the nouns with which it is used change form depending on the grammatical case. This means that the ending of the noun will change based on its role in the sentence. The genitive case is used to indicate possession.

Word order - In Russian, the word order can be quite flexible, but it's common to place the subject before the verb and the object after the verb. This is similar to English.

Variations
много can be used with both singular and plural nouns and with countable and uncountable nouns.

много is usually used for general statements about quantity.

You can also use the word несколько (pronounced "nyeskol'ko") which is more precise and means "a few" or "several".

For very large quantities, you can use очень много (pronounced "ohchen' mnoh-go") meaning "very many" or бесчисленное количество (pronounced "byes-chislennoe kol-i-ches-tvo") meaning "a countless number".

If you are talking about "a lot of" something, you can use много with uncountable nouns. For example, много воды (pronounced "mnoh-go vah-dee") - "a lot of water".

Pronunciation:

много (pronounced "mnoh-go")

книга (pronounced "knih-ga")

книг (pronounced "knih")

The next word is be. ## Быть (byt') - to be

The Russian word быть (byt') is an irregular verb meaning "to be". It is one of the most important verbs in the Russian language, as it is used to express existence, state, and identity. It is the equivalent of "to be" in English, but it is used in a much wider range of contexts.

Here is an example sentence:

Я хочу быть счастливым. (Ya khochu byt' schastlivym.)

Я (ya) - I (pronounced 'ya' like 'ya' in 'yacht')

хочу (khochu) - I want (pronounced 'ho-choo')

быть (byt') - to be (pronounced 'bit')

счастливым (schastlivym) - happy (pronounced 'shchast-lee-vim')

This sentence translates to: "I want to be happy."

Important Notes:

Быть (byt') is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation (how it changes form depending on the subject and tense) does not follow the standard patterns.

The word счастливым (schastlivym) is in the instrumental case, which is used to express the state or condition of the subject.

Variations:

The verb быть (byt') can also be used to express location. For example: Я в Москве. (Ya v Moskve.) "I am in Moscow."

Translation:

Быть (byt') - to be (pronounced 'bit')

счастливым (schastlivym) - happy (pronounced 'shchast-lee-vim')

The next word is however. ## However in Russian

English Sentence: However, the weather was beautiful today.

Russian Sentence: Однако погода сегодня была прекрасной.

Breakdown:

Однако (pronounced [uh-nah-kuh] with a short 'uh' sound) - This is the most common translation for 'however' in Russian. It is used to introduce a contrasting idea or statement. It is a conjunction like 'but' or 'yet'.

погода (pronounced [puh-GOH-duh]) - This means "weather". It is a feminine noun.

сегодня (pronounced [sih-GOH-dnya]) - This means "today". It is an adverb.

была (pronounced [buh-LAH]) - This means "was" in the past tense, feminine singular.

прекрасной (pronounced [pree-KRAHS-noy]) - This means "beautiful". It is an adjective in the feminine singular form.

Variations:

Тем не менее (pronounced [tem nye me nye]) - This is another way to say "however," more formal and literary.

Все же (pronounced [vsyo zhye]) - This translates to "nevertheless" or "still," implying a contrast despite the previous statement.

Key Concepts:

Word Order: In this sentence, the word order is typical for Russian: subject (погода), adverb (сегодня), verb (была), and adjective (прекрасной).

Gender Agreement: Russian adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. Because погода is feminine, the adjective is also feminine (прекрасной).

Pronunciation Guide:

'o' as in 'go'

'e' as in 'get'

'y' as in 'you'

'a' as in 'father'

'i' as in 'machine'

English Translation: However - Однако

Russian Translation: Weather - погода

The next word is draw. The English word "draw" has multiple meanings, so we will focus on the one related to drawing pictures. The sentence will be:

"Я люблю рисовать портреты." Ya lyublyu risovat' portrety.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I, pronoun, pronounced "ya"

люблю lyublyu - love, verb, conjugated for the first person singular, pronounced "lyoo-blyoo"

рисовать risovat' - to draw, verb, infinitive, pronounced "ree-so-vat'"

портреты portrety - portraits, noun, plural, pronounced "por-tret-y"

This sentence means: "I love to draw portraits."

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugation: "люблю" lyublyu is the present tense, first person singular conjugation of the verb "любить" lyubit' (to love).

Infinitive form: The infinitive of the verb "to draw" is "рисовать" risovat'.

Variations:

The sentence can be altered to emphasize different aspects. For example, "Я люблю рисовать цветными карандашами" Ya lyublyu risovat' tsvetnymi karandashami (I love to draw with colored pencils)

"Я очень люблю рисовать" Ya ochen' lyublyu risovat' (I really love to draw)

English Translation:

draw рисовать - risovat' - pronounced "ree-so-vat'"

portrait портрет - portret - pronounced "por-tret"

The next word is money. У меня нет денег на покупку нового автомобиля.

У меня нет денег на покупку нового автомобиля.

Breakdown:

У меня нет денег (u menya net deneg) - I don't have money

У (У) is a preposition meaning "at" or "with," but is often used to indicate possession. It's pronounced like the English word "oo."

меня (меня) is the personal pronoun "me" in the genitive case (used to show possession) and is pronounced like "men-ya."

нет (нет) is the negative form of "to be" and is pronounced like "nyet."

денег (денег) is the genitive plural of the noun "деньги" (деньги) meaning "money" and is pronounced like "den-eg."

на покупку нового автомобиля (na pokupku novogo avtomobilya) - for the purchase of a new car

на (на) is a preposition meaning "on," "for," or "to" and is pronounced like "na."

покупку (покупку) is the accusative form of the noun "покупка" (покупка) meaning "purchase" and is pronounced like "po-kup-ku."

нового (нового) is the genitive form of the adjective "новый" (новый) meaning "new" and is pronounced like "no-vo-go."

автомобиля (автомобиля) is the genitive form of the noun "автомобиль" (автомобиль) meaning "car" and is pronounced like "av-to-mo-bi-lya."

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: This case is used to indicate possession, ownership, or the object of a verb or preposition. You can often recognize the genitive case by the ending "-а" or "-и" on the noun.

Prepositions: Russian prepositions are important for understanding the meaning of a sentence. They often indicate direction, location, or time.

Noun Declension: Nouns change their form depending on their function in a sentence. This is called noun declension.

Memorization Tip: Try to remember "денег" (денег) as the genitive form of "деньги" (деньги) to help you recall the correct form when using "money" in a possessive sense.

English: I don't have money to buy a new car.

Russian: У меня нет денег на покупку нового автомобиля.

Pronunciation Guide:

Money: деньги (den-gi)

Money (genitive plural): денег (den-eg)

The next word is engineer. Инженер строит мосты.

Breakdown:

Инженер (in-zhin-er) - Engineer (masculine noun)

строит (stro-it) - Builds (third person singular present tense of the verb "строить" [stro-it'] - to build)

мосты (mos-ty) - Bridges (plural noun)

Sentence meaning: The engineer builds bridges.

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The word for engineer is masculine, so we use the masculine form of the verb "строить" (stro-it).

Plural: The word for bridge is in the plural form because there are more than one bridge.

Word order: The typical word order in Russian is subject-verb-object, just like English.

Variations:

Инженерка (in-zhin-er-ka) - Engineer (feminine noun) - You would use this word if the engineer was female.

English Translation: Engineer builds bridges.

The next word is price. ## Цена этого телефона очень высокая.

Breakdown:

Цена (tse-na) - This is the noun "price". This is a feminine noun, so the adjective "high" needs to agree in gender, number, and case.

этого (eh-to-vo) - This is the masculine, genitive case form of the demonstrative pronoun "this". It modifies "phone" and tells us which phone.

телефона (te-le-fo-na) - This is the masculine, genitive case form of the noun "phone". It is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition "of".

очень (o-chen) - This is the adverb "very". It modifies the adjective "high".

высокая (vy-so-ka-ya) - This is the feminine, nominative case form of the adjective "high". It agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun "price".

Translation: The price of this phone is very high.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case.

Case: Russian has six cases. The case of a noun or pronoun is determined by its function in the sentence. The genitive case is often used after prepositions, like "of" in this sentence.

Adverbs: Adverbs in Russian often modify adjectives, as in this sentence.

Word order: While Russian can be more flexible than English, the word order here mirrors English for ease of understanding.

Pronunciation:

Цена (tse-na) - "tse" like "ts" in "cats", "na" like "na" in "name"

этого (eh-to-vo) - "eh" like "e" in "bed", "to" like "to" in "toe"

телефона (te-le-fo-na) - "te" like "te" in "ten", "le" like "le" in "lemon", "fo" like "fo" in "four"

очень (o-chen) - "o" like "o" in "open", "chen" like "chen" in "chin"

высокая (vy-so-ka-ya) - "vy" like "v" in "van", "so" like "so" in "so", "ka" like "ka" in "car", "ya" like "ya" in "yard"

The next word is detail. The professor, with a twinkle in his eye, begins: "Ah, detail. Such a useful word, and it's all about focusing on the smaller, finer points. You can describe something in detail, focusing on all the individual parts. Let's look at an example.

Sentence:

Он описал дом в мельчайших деталях. (On opisal dom v mel'chayshikh detal'yakh.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - Pronounced like "ohn"

описал (Opisal) - described (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - Pronounced like "o-pee-sal"

дом (Dom) - house (noun, masculine, accusative case) - Pronounced like "dome"

в (v) - in (preposition) - Pronounced like "v"

мельчайших (mel'chayshikh) - smallest (adjective, plural, locative case) - Pronounced like "mel-chay-shikh"

деталях (detal'yakh) - details (noun, plural, locative case) - Pronounced like "dee-tal-yakh"

Key Concepts:

Locative Case: This case is used to show location, and in this sentence, it indicates that the description is focusing within the details.

Gender and Number Agreement: Notice how the adjective мельчайших (mel'chayshikh) agrees in gender (masculine) and number (plural) with the noun деталях (detal'yakh).

English Translation: He described the house in great detail.

Variations of Detail in Russian:

Деталь (detal') - detail (noun, singular) - Pronounced like "dee-tal'"

Детали (detali) - details (noun, plural) - Pronounced like "dee-ta-lee"

Детально (detal'no) - in detail (adverb) - Pronounced like "dee-tal'no"

Remember, by paying attention to the details, you can truly appreciate the beauty and complexity of the Russian language! "

The next word is hard. Эта задача Эта задача (pronounced: eh-ta za-da-cha) is a nominative feminine singular noun meaning "this task." It is the subject of the sentence.

очень очень (pronounced: o-chen') is an adverb meaning "very." It modifies the adjective "трудная" (pronounced: trud-na-ya)

трудная трудная (pronounced: trud-na-ya) is an adjective meaning "difficult" or "hard" in the feminine singular form. It modifies the noun "задача" (pronounced: za-da-cha).

The sentence is:

Эта задача Эта задача очень очень трудная трудная.

Translation: This task is very hard.

Key concepts:

This sentence uses the nominative case for the subject, "задача" (pronounced: za-da-cha). In Russian, the subject of a sentence is usually in the nominative case.

Adjectives in Russian must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. So, because "задача" (pronounced: za-da-cha) is feminine singular, the adjective "трудная" (pronounced: trud-na-ya) is also feminine singular.

Variations of the word "трудная" (pronounced: trud-na-ya):

Masculine Singular: трудный трудный (pronounced: trud-ny)

Neuter Singular: трудное трудное (pronounced: trud-noe)

Plural: трудные трудные (pronounced: trud-nye)

Translation:

hard - трудная трудная (pronounced: trud-na-ya)

The next word is role. The word "role" in Russian is роль (pronounced "rol"). It's a feminine noun, so it takes feminine endings.

Here's a simple sentence using this word:

Она играет важную роль в этом проекте. (Она играет важную роль в этом проекте.)

Она (Она) - she
играет (играет) - plays (present tense, 3rd person singular, feminine)

важную (важную) - important (feminine adjective, agreeing with "роль")

роль (роль) - role
в (в) - in
этом (этом) - this (masculine, referring to "проекте")

проекте (проекте) - project

Translation: She plays an important role in this project.

Key concept: Nouns in Russian have gender. This affects the endings of adjectives and verbs that agree with them. In this sentence, "роль" is feminine, so "важную" and "играет" take feminine endings.

Variations:

роль (rol) - role
роли (roli) - roles (plural)

Pronunciation:

роль (rol) - "rol"

играет (igraet) - "ee-gra-yet"

важную (vazhnuyu) - "vazh-noo-yoo"

проекте (proekte) - "pro-yek-te"

The next word is manager. The Russian word for manager is менеджер (menedzher). It is pronounced like "men-eh-djer". It is a masculine noun.

Here is a sample sentence:

Менеджер отвечает за управление персоналом. (Menedzher otvechaet za upravlenie personalom.)

This means "The manager is responsible for managing personnel".

менеджер (menedzher) - manager (masculine noun) - pronounced like "men-eh-djer"

отвечает (otvechaet) - is responsible, answers - pronounced like "ot-veh-cha-et"

за (za) - for - pronounced like "za"

управление (upravlenie) - management - pronounced like "up-rav-le-ni-ye"

персоналом (personalom) - personnel - pronounced like "per-so-na-lom"

Key Concept: The word order of the sentence is important in Russian. The subject is typically first, followed by the verb and then the object. The preposition за (za) is often used with the verb отвечать (otvechat) to mean "to be responsible for".

English: Manager

Russian: Менеджер (menedzher)

The next word is mention. ## Упомяни это в своём докладе.

Breakdown:

Упомяни (oo-pah-MYAH-nee) - Imperative verb, second person singular, meaning "Mention". It's the command form of the verb "упоминать" (oo-pah-mee-NAT').

это (eh-tuh) - Pronoun meaning "this" or "it". The neuter gender form is used here.

в (v) - Preposition meaning "in".

своём (sva-YOM) - Possessive adjective meaning "your" or "your own". Used to indicate possession by the subject of the sentence.

докладе (dak-LAH-dye) - Noun meaning "report" or "presentation".

Translation:

Mention this in your report.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Verbs: These verbs express commands or requests.

Possessive Adjectives: These adjectives indicate ownership or possession.

Prepositions: Words that connect nouns or pronouns to other words in a sentence.

Variations:

Упомяните (oo-pah-MYAH-nee-tye) - Imperative form, second person plural, meaning "Mention" (used when addressing multiple people).

Упоминать (oo-pah-mee-NAT') - Infinitive form, meaning "to mention".

Pronunciation Guide:

У (oo) - Like the "oo" in "moon".

по (pa) - Like the "pa" in "paper".

мя (myah) - Like the "my" in "my" but with a softer "y" sound.

ни (nee) - Like the "nee" in "knee"

те (tye) - Like the "tie" in "tie"

до (doh) - Like the "doh" in "dough".

клад (klad) - Like the "clad" in "clad"

е (ye) - Like the "ye" in "yes".

The next word is jump. The word "jump" in English can be translated to прыгать (prygat') in Russian. "Prygat'" is a verb meaning to jump. There are many variations on this verb that you will encounter and the endings change based on the tense, person, and number. The 'a' at the end of the word is stressed.

Here is an example sentence:

Я прыгаю (Ya prygayu).

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I. This is the subject pronoun and is pronounced 'ya'.

прыгаю (prygayu) - I jump. This is the present tense first person singular of the verb to jump.

Translation: I jump.

English Pronunciation: Ya prygayu

Russian Pronunciation: Ya pryga-yu

Key Concept: The verb ending changes based on tense, person, and number.

The next word is stone. The word "stone" in Russian is камень pronounced [kah-myen'] and is a masculine noun.

Sentence: На столе лежал большой камень.

Breakdown:

На (na) - preposition, "on"

столе (stole) - masculine noun, "table" in the locative case
лежал (lezhal) - past tense verb "to lie", masculine singular
большой (bal'shoy) - adjective "big" , masculine singular
камень (kamen') - masculine noun "stone" in the nominative case.

Translation: On the table lay a large stone.

Variations:

The word камень has a few variations:

камешек (kameshek) - diminutive "small stone"

камни (kamni) - plural form of "stones"

English: stone - [stohn]

Russian: камень - [kah-myen']

The next word is department. The word "department" in Russian is отдел (pronounced ot-dyel). This is a very common word in Russian and is used in many contexts.

The sentence I'll use is: "Я работаю в отделе маркетинга" Я работаю в отделе маркетинга (Ya rabotayu v otdele marketinga).

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) means "I" - Pronunciation: Ya
работаю (rabotayu) means "I work" - Pronunciation: ra-bo-ta-yu
в (v) means "in" - Pronunciation: v
отделе (otdele) means "department" (in the locative case) - Pronunciation: ot-de-le
маркетинга (marketinga) means "marketing" - Pronunciation: mar-ke-tin-ga

Key Concepts

The word отдел (otdel) is used for many types of departments, like a department store, a government department, a company department, etc.

отдел (otdel) is a masculine noun and so the ending changes in the locative case which is used here.

The locative case is used to show location and it is used with the preposition в (v).

Translation: "I work in the marketing department."

Helpful Hints

In the word отдел (otdel), the "д" (d) is pronounced like the "d" in "day."

The "г" (g) in маркетинга (marketinga) is pronounced like the "g" in "gate."

English: department - Russian: отдел (ot-dyel)

The next word is medium. The word "medium" in English can translate to several different Russian words depending on the context:

1. "средний" sredniy (pronounced: sree-d-nee) - meaning "average" or "middle"

Sentence:

Он имеет средний рост. (On imeet sredniy rost.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He
имеет (imeet) - has
средний (sredniy) - average, middle
рост (rost) - height

Meaning: He has average height.

1. "средство" sredstvo (pronounced: sree-dv-stvo) - meaning "means" or "tool"

Sentence:

Музыка - это средство выражения эмоций. (Muzika - eto sredstvo vyrazheniya emotsiy.)

Breakdown:

Музыка (Muzika) - Music
это (eto) - this is
средство (sredstvo) - means, tool
выражения (vyrazheniya) - expression
эмоций (emotsiy) - emotions

Meaning: Music is a means of expressing emotions.

1. "средний" sredniy (pronounced: sree-d-nee) - meaning "medium" as in size or level

Sentence:

Этот фильм - средний по качеству. (Etot film - sredniy po kachestvu.)

Breakdown:

Этот (Etot) - This
фильм (film) - movie
средний (sredniy) - medium
по (po) - by
качеству (kachestvu) - quality

Meaning: This movie is average in quality.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have genders. Средний (sredniy) is masculine. It can be used to describe masculine nouns like рост (rost) - height.

Case: Nouns change their endings based on their function in a sentence. In the example sentence, "рост" (rost) is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

Prepositions: Prepositions, like "по" (po), connect nouns to other words in the sentence.

Pronunciation Tips:

"средний" sredniy - The "д" is pronounced with a light "d" sound, almost like "dee".

"средство" sredstvo - Pay attention to the "дств" sound at the end, almost like "dstv" but with a slight "v" sound.

English to Russian Translation:

Medium (average) - средний (sredniy)

Medium (means) - средство (sredstvo)

Medium (size) - средний (sredniy)

The next word is admit. ## Он признал свою вину

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - on - like "own"

признал - admitted (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - priznAl - like "priz-nal"

свою - his (possessive pronoun, feminine, accusative case) - svoYU - like "svou-you"

вину - guilt (noun, feminine, accusative case) - vinU - like "vi-noo"

Meaning: He admitted his guilt.

Key concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns and pronouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. Here, the noun вину (guilt) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb признал (admitted).

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Вина (guilt) is feminine, so the possessive pronoun свою (his) also needs to be feminine.

Tense: The verb признал is in the past tense, which indicates that the action of admitting guilt happened in the past.

Variations:

Признаться (to admit) - priznAt'sya - like "priz-nat-sya" - This is the infinitive form of the verb.

Признание (admission) - priznaniye - like "priz-naniye" - This is the noun form of the verb.

English-Russian Translation:

admit - признавать - priznavat' - like "priz-na-vat'"

The next word is race. The word "race" in English has many meanings, but in the context of a sentence, we can use the word to refer to a competition.

Here is a Russian sentence using the word "race" as a competition.

Он выиграл гонку.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine nominative singular) - Pronounced like "ohn"

выиграл - won (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - Pronounced like "viy-ee-grahl"

гонку - race (noun, accusative singular, feminine) - Pronounced like "gon-koo"

Translation: He won the race.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of a noun affects the form of adjectives and verbs that modify it.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. We call these changes "cases." The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb.

Past Tense: In Russian, past tense verbs change to agree in gender and number with the subject.

Variations:

The noun гонка can also be used in the plural form, гонки, to refer to multiple races.

Pronunciation Guide:

The letter "г" is pronounced like the "g" in "go"

The letter "н" is pronounced like the "n" in "no"

The letter "к" is pronounced like the "k" in "kick"

The letter "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

The letter "у" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

The letter "ы" is pronounced like the "i" in "machine"

The letter "е" is pronounced like the "ye" in "yet"

English-Russian Translation:

race: гонка (gon-ka)

The next word is relax. The English word "relax" can be translated into Russian as расслабиться (rasslabit'sya), which is a reflexive verb meaning "to relax oneself." The "-ся" ending in the verb signifies that the action is being done to oneself, making it a reflexive verb.

Sentence:

Пожалуйста, расслабьтесь и наслаждайтесь природой. (Pozhaluysta, rasslab'tes' i naslazhdaytes' prirodoy.)

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (Pozhaluysta) - Please. The pronunciation is similar to the English word "please," but with a slightly different stress pattern.

расслабьтесь (rasslab'tes') - Relax (imperative plural, addressing multiple people). The stress is on the second syllable.

и (i) - and
наслаждайтесь (naslazhdaytes') - enjoy (imperative plural)

природой (prirodoy) - nature. The stress is on the second syllable.

Translation:

Please relax and enjoy nature.

Key Concepts:

Reflexive verbs: Verbs that indicate the action is performed on the subject itself.

Imperative mood: Used to give commands or requests.

Plural forms: Used when addressing multiple people.

Pronunciation Tips:

р (r): Pronounced similar to the English "r" but with the tongue slightly more forward.

с (s): Pronounced like the English "s."

л (l): Pronounced similar to the English "l" but with the tongue slightly more forward.

б (b): Pronounced like the English "b."

т (t): Pronounced like the English "t."

ь (y'): A soft sign, often silent, it modifies the preceding consonant.

е (ye): Pronounced like the English "ye" in the word "yes."

н (n): Pronounced like the English "n."

д (d): Pronounced like the English "d."

а (a): Pronounced like the English "a" in the word "father."

о (o): Pronounced like the English "o" in the word "go."

у (u): Pronounced like the English "oo" in the word "moon."

и (i): Pronounced like the English "ee" in the word "see."

й (y): Pronounced like the English "y" in the word "yes."

ж (zh): Pronounced like the English "s" in the word "pleasure."

English: Relax

Russian: расслабиться (rasslabit'sya)

The next word is demonstrate. The professor wants to продемонстрировать (pro-de-mon-stree-ro-vat) his students how to conjugate verbs in Russian.

Breakdown:

продемонстрировать (pro-de-mon-stree-ro-vat) - to demonstrate.

This is a verb in the infinitive form.

It is in the perfective aspect, which means it is a one-time action. You can use this verb to talk about specific demonstrations you are doing.

The imperfective version of this verb is демонстрировать (de-mon-stree-ro-vat). You can use this verb to talk about demonstrations in general, or repeated demonstrations.

студентам (stoo-den-tam) - students, this is the dative case of the noun студент (stoo-dent) which means student.

The dative case is used to show the indirect object of the verb - who or what the action is being done to or for.

как (kak) - how, this is an adverb.

спрягать (spree-gat) - to conjugate. This is an infinitive verb. It is in the imperfective aspect, so it shows an action that can be repeated or ongoing.

Translation:

The professor wants to demonstrate to his students how to conjugate verbs in Russian.

Pronunciation guide:

продемонстрировать (pro-de-mon-stree-ro-vat) - emphasize the 'e' in продемонстрировать (pro-de-mon-stree-ro-vat).

студентам (stoo-den-tam) - emphasize the 'e' in студентам (stoo-den-tam).

как (kak) - emphasize the 'a' in как (kak).

спрягать (spree-gat) - emphasize the 'a' in спрягать (spree-gat).

Memorization tips:

You can remember that продемонстрировать (pro-de-mon-stree-ro-vat) is the perfective form by thinking of a specific demonstration that you would do one time.

You can remember that демонстрировать (de-mon-stree-ro-vat) is the imperfective form by thinking of something that you would do repeatedly, like demonstrating something in a classroom.

English Russian Pronunciation
demonstrate демонстрировать (de-mon-stree-ro-vat)

demonstrate продемонстрировать (pro-de-mon-stree-ro-vat)

The next word is desire. The word "desire" in Russian is желание (pronounced "zhe-la-ni-ye"). It's a noun, meaning a strong wish or longing for something. Here is an example sentence:

У меня есть желание поехать в Россию.

У меня - (pronounced "oo myen-ya") - This is a possessive phrase meaning "I have". It is in the genitive case (the case of possession).

есть - (pronounced "yest") - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, 3rd person singular, meaning "there is". It is used to mean "I have" or "I possess".

желание - (pronounced "zhe-la-ni-ye") - This is the noun "desire" and is the subject of the sentence.

поехать - (pronounced "pa-ye-hat") - This is the verb "to go" in the infinitive form. In this case it is used to express the desire for a specific action.

в Россию - (pronounced "v Ros-si-yu") - This prepositional phrase means "to Russia", with the preposition "в" (pronounced "v") meaning "to".

Translation: I have a desire to go to Russia.

Variations:

The verb желать (pronounced "zhe-lat") means "to desire" and can be used in place of the noun желание. You can say: Я желаю поехать в Россию. (pronounced "Ya zhe-lay-u pa-ye-hat' v Ros-si-yu") - I desire to go to Russia.

Key Concept: Using the verb желать to express desire is more direct, while using the noun желание adds a sense of possession or ownership of the desire.

Pronunciation:

желание - "zhe-la-ni-ye"

поехать - "pa-ye-hat"

в Россию - "v Ros-si-yu"

есть - "yest"

У меня - "oo myen-ya"

Я - "Ya"

English: Desire

Russian: желание (pronounced "zhe-la-ni-ye")

The next word is wait. The word "wait" in Russian is ждать (pronounced "zhdat"). It is a verb, and we can use it to describe the action of waiting. Here's a sentence using the word:

Я жду автобус.

This translates to "I am waiting for the bus."

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I" and is the subject of the sentence.

жду (pronounced "zhdu") is the present tense form of the verb ждать (pronounced "zhdat"), meaning "wait" or "am waiting".

автобус (pronounced "avtobus") means "bus" and is the object of the verb.

Key concept: The verb ждать (pronounced "zhdat") can be used in different tenses. For example, ждал (pronounced "zhdal") means "waited," and буду ждать (pronounced "budu zhdat") means "I will wait." This is very similar to the English language!

English: wait /weɪt/

Russian: ждать /zhdat/

The next word is hospital. Я ya (I) went poshel (went, masculine) to the v (in the) hospital bol'nitsu (hospital, feminine) today.

Breakdown

Я ya (I): This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun я ya (I). This case is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence.

пошёл poshel (went, masculine): This is the past tense, masculine form of the verb идти idti (to go). The verb changes depending on the gender of the subject of the sentence. Since the subject is я ya (I), which is masculine, the verb also needs to be masculine. You can also say пошла poshla (went, feminine) or пошли poshli (went, plural).

в v (in the): This is a preposition that means in or into. It is often used before the names of places, such as bol'nitsu (hospital).

больницу bol'nitsu (hospital, feminine): This is the accusative case of the noun больница bol'nitsa (hospital). The accusative case is used when the noun is the direct object of a verb.

Pronunciation Guide
я ya: The я ya is pronounced like the English word ya.

пошёл poshel: The о o is pronounced like the English word o. The ш sh is pronounced like the English word sh. The е e is pronounced like the English word ye in the word yes. The л l is pronounced like the English word l.

в v: The в v is pronounced like the English word v.

больницу bol'nitsu: The о o is pronounced like the English word o. The л l is pronounced like the English word l. The ь ' is a soft sign and has no sound. The н n is pronounced like the English word n. The и i is pronounced like the English word ee in the word see. The ц ts is pronounced like the English word ts. The у u is pronounced like the English word oo in the word moon.

English Translation: I went to the hospital today.

Variations:

Я пошла в больницу сегодня. Ya poshla v bol'nitsu segodnya. (I went to the hospital today, feminine form)

Мы пошли в больницу сегодня. My poshli v bol'nitsu segodnya. (We went to the hospital today, plural form)

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender. This affects the forms of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that modify them.

Case: Russian nouns have six cases. These cases indicate the role of the noun in the sentence.

Tense: Verbs in Russian have tense, which indicates when the action takes place.

Word Translations and Pronunciation:

hospital - bol'nitsa - bol'nitsa
went - poshel - poshel
today - segodnya - segodnya

The next word is favor. The word "favor" in English can be translated to Russian in several ways depending on the context. In this case, we will use the Russian word благосклонность (pronounced bla-go-sklon-nost) meaning "favor" in the sense of a kind action or something someone does for you. This word is a noun, and it is used in the nominative case, the basic form of a noun.

Here is a sentence using this word:

Я прошу Вас оказать мне благосклонность (ya proshu vas okazyat mne blagoklonnost)

This sentence means "I ask you to do me a favor."

Я (ya) - I, pronounced ya
прошу (proshu) - I ask, pronounced pro-shu

Вас (vas) - you, pronounced vas
оказать (okazat) - to do, to render (verb in the infinitive form), pronounced o-ka-zat
мне (mne) - to me, pronounced mne
благосклонность (blagoklonnost) - favor, pronounced bla-go-sklon-nost

In this sentence, we are asking someone to do something kind for us, a favor.

Favor in Russian can also be expressed using the word услуга (usluga), pronounced us-lu-ga.

For example:

Можете ли вы сделать мне услугу? (Mozhete li vy sdelat mne uslugu?) - Could you do me a favor?

Можете (Mozhete) - you can (verb, in the interrogative form), pronounced mo-zhe-te
ли (li) - whether, if, pronounced li
вы (vy) - you, pronounced vy
сделать (sdelat) - to do, to make (verb, in the infinitive form), pronounced sde-lat
мне (mne) - to me, pronounced mne
услугу (uslugu) - favor, pronounced us-lu-gu

This sentence asks someone if they could help you, do you a favor.

The word благосклонность (blagoklonnost) is a more formal way of saying "favor" while услуга (usluga) is more casual.

English: favor; Russian: благосклонность (blagoklonnost) - bla-go-sklon-nost

English: favor; Russian: услуга (usluga) - us-lu-ga

The next word is while. The word "while" in English can be used in different contexts. It is most frequently used to express simultaneity or a contrast between actions. It can also be used to express a period of time. Here is an example of the first use, with the word "while" being translated with the Russian word "пока" poka.

Sentence: While I was reading, my phone rang.

Russian: Пока я читала, мне позвонили по телефону.

Breakdown:

Пока poka (pronounced: pah-KAH) This word translates to “while” in the sense of simultaneity.

я ya (pronounced: yah) – “I” This is the nominative form of the personal pronoun, meaning it is the subject of the sentence.

читала chitala (pronounced: chi-TAH-lah) – “was reading” This is the past tense, feminine form of the verb "читать" chitat' (pronounced: chi-TAHT').

мне mne (pronounced: mnye) – “to me” This is the dative form of the personal pronoun, meaning it is the indirect object of the sentence.

позвонили pozvonili (pronounced: pah-zvah-NEE-lee) – “called” This is the past tense form of the verb "звонить" zvonit' (pronounced: zvah-NEET').

по po (pronounced: pah) – “by” This is a preposition meaning “by” or “through” in this context.

телефону telefonu (pronounced: te-leh-FOH-noo) – “telephone” This is the dative form of the word "телефон" telefon (pronounced: te-leh-FOHN).

English: while = пока (pah-KAH)

Russian: пока (pah-KAH) = while

The next word is behavior. The behavior of the students was exemplary.

Поведение (pa-vi-de-ni-ye) студентов (stu-den-tov) было (bi-lo) образцовым (a-braz-tsov-ym).

Breakdown:

Поведение (pa-vi-de-ni-ye) - This is the noun "behavior". It is a neuter noun and takes the nominative case since it is the subject of the sentence.

студентов (stu-den-tov) - This is the genitive plural of the noun "студент" (stu-dent) meaning "student". It functions as a possessive, indicating that the behavior belongs to the students.

было (bi-lo) - This is the past tense of the verb "быть" (bit') meaning "to be".

образцовым (a-braz-tsov-ym) - This is an adjective meaning "exemplary". It modifies the noun "поведение" (pa-vi-de-ni-ye).

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns change their ending depending on their function in the sentence. This is called case. The nominative case marks the subject of the sentence. The genitive case marks possession.

Gender: Russian nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the adjective that modifies the noun.

Plural: Nouns can be singular or plural. The plural form of the noun often changes the ending.

Translation:

Поведение (pa-vi-de-ni-ye) - Behavior
студентов (stu-den-tov) - Students
было (bi-lo) - Was
образцовым (a-braz-tsov-ym) - Exemplary

The next word is recently. ## Recently

The word "recently" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, but we will use the word недавно (pronounced: ne-DA-vno). The word недавно is an adverb and it means "recently" or "not long ago."

Here is an example sentence:

Я недавно переехал в Москву.

Breakdown

Я (Ya) - I
недавно (ne-DA-vno) - recently
переехал (pe-re-YE-khal) - moved (masculine past tense)

в (v) - to, in (preposition)

Москву (Mos-K-VU) - Moscow (accusative case)

Translation: I recently moved to Moscow.

Key Concepts

Adverbs: Adverbs in Russian are typically placed after the verb.

Accusative case: The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb, and the preposition в (v) often triggers the accusative case.

Pronunciation Hints

The stress in недавно (ne-DA-vno) is on the second syllable.

The "v" in в (v) sounds like the "w" in "we."

Word & Pronunciation

Recently - недавно (ne-DA-vno)

The next word is shall. ## Мы должны поехать на море.

Breakdown:

Мы - We. Pronounced: [Mih] (the "y" is similar to the "ee" in "see").

должны - must, should, have to. Pronounced: [dolzh-nuh] (the "zh" is similar to the "s" in "pleasure").

поехать - to go (by vehicle). Pronounced: [pah-ye-hat]

на - on, to, at. Pronounced: [nah]

море - sea. Pronounced: [moh-rye]

Meaning: We should go to the sea.

Key Concept: The verb "должны" is a modal verb. Modal verbs (like "should," "can," "may") are used to express possibility, obligation, or permission.

Variations:

Мы можем поехать на море. (We can go to the sea.)

Мы хотим поехать на море. (We want to go to the sea.)

English Translation: shall - должен (dolzhen), должна (dolzhna), должны (dolzhny) - should, must, have to

Russian Translation: должен (dolzhen), должна (dolzhna), должны (dolzhny) - shall, must, should

The next word is they. Они читают книгу.

Breakdown

Они - they (nominative plural pronoun) - Pronunciation: [ah-nee]

читают - read (present tense, 3rd person plural) - Pronunciation: [chi-tay-oot]

книгу - book (accusative case) - Pronunciation: [k-nee-goo]

Translation: They are reading a book.

Key Concept: The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb. In this sentence, the object of the verb читают is the book, книгу.

Variations:

Они читают книги. - They are reading books. (plural noun in accusative case)

Он читает книгу. - He is reading a book. (singular noun in accusative case)

Она читает книгу. - She is reading a book. (singular noun in accusative case)

Pronunciation Notes:

The stress in Они falls on the first syllable.

The stress in читают falls on the second syllable.

The stress in книгу falls on the second syllable.

English & Russian Word and Pronunciation:

They: Они - [ah-nee]

Read: читают - [chi-tay-oot]

Book: книгу - [k-nee-goo]

The next word is bird. The word "bird" in Russian is птица (pronounced p-tee-tsa). It is a feminine noun and therefore takes the feminine ending -а (ah). The word "птица" is also a common noun.

Let's create a sentence:

На ветке сидела красивая птица.

На (nah) - on (preposition)

ветке (vet-kay) - branch (feminine noun)

сидела (see-dee-la) - sat (past tense, feminine form of сидеть)

красивая (kra-see-va-ya) - beautiful (adjective, feminine form)

птица (p-tee-tsa) - bird (feminine noun)

Translation: On the branch sat a beautiful bird.

This sentence demonstrates the grammatical features of Russian, such as the use of feminine noun endings, adjective agreement, and past tense verb conjugations. It also uses the preposition на (nah) which is often used to indicate location. Птица (bird) is an important word to know as it is a common noun and used often.

Key Concepts:

Gendered Nouns (feminine)

Prepositions (на)

Adjective Agreement

Past Tense Verbs

The next word is food. Sentence: Я люблю есть вкусную еду.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced: ya)

люблю - I love (pronounced: lyublyu)

есть - to eat (pronounced: yest')

вкусную - delicious (pronounced: vkusnuyu)

еду - food (pronounced: yedu)

Meaning: I love to eat delicious food.

Key Concepts:

Direct Object: еду is the direct object of the verb есть. This means that it is the thing that is being eaten.

Adjective: вкусную is an adjective modifying the noun еду. It tells us what kind of food.

Variations:

You can change the adjective to describe different types of food, such as горячую (hot), холодную (cold), сладкую (sweet), or соленую (salty).

You can also change the verb to indicate different actions related to food, such as готовить (to cook), покупать (to buy), or продавать (to sell).

Translation:

Food: еда (pronounced: yeda)

The next word is proceed. The English word "proceed" can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. Let's explore two common scenarios.

1. "Proceed" as "to continue"

Sentence: Мы должны продолжить работу.

Translation: We must continue working.

Breakdown:

Мы (my) - We (nominative case, plural)

должны (dolzhny) - must (present tense, plural)

продолжить (prodolzhit') - to continue (infinitive verb, emphasizes the action)

работу (rabotu) - work (accusative case, singular)

Key Concept: The verb "продолжить" (prodolzhit') is an infinitive verb, signifying the action itself without a specific subject. The word is pronounced as "prah-dawl-zheet'"

1. "Proceed" as "to move forward"

Sentence: Пройдите, пожалуйста, к кассе.

Translation: Please proceed to the cashier.

Breakdown:

Пройдите (proyd'ite) - Please proceed (imperative verb, plural, polite form)

пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - please (polite expression)

к (k) - to (preposition)

кассе (kasse) - cashier (dative case, singular)

Key Concept: The verb пройдите (proyd'ite) is in the imperative mood, indicating a command or request. The pronunciation is "prah-ee-dee-tay."

In summary:

Proceed as "to continue": продолжить (prodolzhit') - pronounced "prah-dawl-zheet'"

Proceed as "to move forward": пройдите (proyd'ite) - pronounced "prah-ee-dee-tay"

The next word is perhaps. English word: Perhaps

Russian sentence: Возможно, завтра будет хорошая погода.

Breakdown:

Возможно (pronounced voz-MOZH-no) - This is the most common way to say "perhaps" in Russian. It is derived from the word "возможность" (voz-MOZH-nost') meaning "possibility".

завтра (pronounced ZAHV-tra) - This means "tomorrow".

будет (pronounced BOO-det) - This is the future tense of the verb "to be" (быть - BYT').

хорошая (pronounced ho-RO-sha-ya) - This is the feminine form of the adjective "good" (хороший - ho-RO-shiy).

погода (pronounced pa-GO-da) - This means "weather".

Translation: Perhaps tomorrow will be good weather.

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: Russian adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify. Since "погода" is feminine, the adjective "хорошая" is also feminine.

Future tense: The future tense in Russian is formed using the verb "быть" (BYT') and the infinitive form of the verb.

Variations:

You can also use the word "может быть" (MO-zhet BYT') to mean "perhaps", but it is a bit more informal.

Pronunciation tips:

Возможно - Emphasize the first syllable.

завтра - Emphasize the first syllable.

будет - Emphasize the second syllable.

хорошая - Emphasize the second syllable.

погода - Emphasize the second syllable.

Word translation:

Perhaps - возможно (pronounced voz-MOZH-no)

The next word is add. The word "add" in Russian is добавить (dah-BA-veet'). It's a verb, and it is used in many contexts. It's a verb that means "to add, to include, to supplement." You can use it to add an ingredient, a word, a person to a group, or a thought.

Here's an example:

Я добавлю ещё один кусочек сахара в чай. (Ya dah-BA-vlyu ee-SHCHEH ah-DEEN koo-SOH-chek SAH-ha-ra v chay.)

English: I will add one more piece of sugar to the tea.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

добавлю (dah-BA-vlyu) - future tense of добавить (dah-BA-veet') - to add
ещё (ee-SHCHEH) - more, another, still
один (ah-DEEN) - one
кусочек (koo-SOH-chek) - piece, small piece, morsel
сахара (SAH-ha-ra) - sugar (genitive case)

в (v) - in, into
чай (chay) - tea

Note: The в (v) preposition takes the genitive case, which is why сахара (SAH-ha-ra) is used instead of сахар (SAH-har) for the noun.

Variations of добавить:

Добавлять (dah-BA-vlyat') - present tense, to add (plural or informal form)

Добавил (dah-BA-veel) - past tense, added (masculine)

Добавила (dah-BA-vee-la) - past tense, added (feminine)

Добавили (dah-BA-vee-lee) - past tense, added (plural)

English: add - добавить (dah-BA-veet')

English: sugar - сахар (SAH-har)

The next word is arrive. The sentence is:

Мы приедем завтра

We will arrive tomorrow.

Breakdown

Мы - pronounced like "my," but with a soft ы at the end. This is the nominative case of the pronoun "we."

приедем - pronounced like "pri-ye-dem." The verb "to arrive" in the future tense. The ending ем indicates that the verb is in the first person plural, or "we".

завтра - pronounced like "zav-tra". This is an adverb meaning "tomorrow" .

Key Concepts

Russian verbs conjugate for person and number, which means that the ending of the verb changes based on who is performing the action and how many people are involved.

Russian has a future tense, which is formed by using the infinitive form of the verb plus the appropriate ending for person and number.

Приехать - pronounced like "pri-ye-hat" is the infinitive of the verb "to arrive." It is used for describing the action without specifying who does it or when.

Variations

Я приеду - I will arrive

Ты приедешь - You will arrive

Он/Она/Оно приедет - He/She/It will arrive

Мы приедем - We will arrive

Вы приедете - You (plural) will arrive

Они приедут - They will arrive

Translation

Мы - We
приедем - will arrive
завтра - tomorrow

English : arrive - приезжать - pronounced like "pri-ye-zhat"

Russian : приезжать - arrive - pronounced like "pri-ye-zhat"

The next word is concern. The word concern can be used in several ways in Russian:

1. Concern as a Noun

The noun беспокойство (bеspоkо́йствo) means worry or concern. The stress is on the second syllable, беспоко́йство.

Sentence: Я испытываю беспокойство за свою семью. (Ya ispytyvayu bеspоkо́ystvo za svoyu sem'yu.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I

испытываю (ispytyvayu) - I experience (present tense, 1st person singular)

беспокойство (bеspоkо́ystvo) - concern, worry

за (za) - for

свою (svoyu) - my (feminine singular)

семью (sem'yu) - family

Translation: I am concerned about my family.

1. Concern as a Verb

The verb беспокоить (bеspоkо́it') means to worry, concern, or bother. The stress is on the second syllable.

Sentence: Не беспокойтесь, все будет хорошо. (Ne bеspоkо́ytes', vse budet horosho.)

Breakdown:

Не (Ne) - do not (negative particle)

беспокойтесь (bеspоkо́ytes') - worry, concern yourselves (imperative plural)

все (vse) - everything

будет (budet) - will be (future tense, 3rd person singular)

хорошо (horosho) - good, fine

Translation: Don't worry, everything will be fine.

Key Concepts:

Stress: The stress in Russian is not always predictable, so pay attention to how words are stressed. In the examples above, the stress is on the second syllable of беспокойство and беспокоить.

Case: The noun беспокойство in the first sentence is in the accusative case, which is used for direct objects. It is used with the preposition за (for).

Gender: The word семья (sem'ya) is a feminine noun, so the adjective свою (svoyu) is also feminine singular.

Pronunciation:

беспокойство (bеspоkо́ystvo) - "bess-pa-KOY-stva"

беспокоить (bеspоkо́it') - "bess-pa-KOY-it'"

English & Russian Translation

Concern - беспокойство (bеspоkо́ystvo) - "bess-pa-KOY-stva"

Concern (verb) - беспокоить (bеspоkо́it') - "bess-pa-KOY-it'"

The next word is hardly. English Sentence: He hardly ever goes to the movies.

Russian Sentence: Он редко ходит в кино. On redko khodit v kino.

Breakdown:

редко (redko) - This is an adverb meaning "hardly", "rarely", or "seldom." It is an example of the comparative degree of the adjective редкий (redkiy), meaning "rare." The stress in редко falls on the second syllable, the 'e'.

ходит (khodit) - This is the third person singular present tense of the verb ходить (khodit), meaning "to go", "to walk", or "to walk around."

в (v) - This is a preposition meaning "in", "into", or "to" and is used with the accusative case of nouns or pronouns.

кино (kino) - This is a noun meaning "cinema" or "movies."

Variations:

You can use other adverbs with similar meanings, like почти никогда (pochti nikogda), which means "almost never."

You can also change the verb to the past tense, ходил (khodil), meaning "went", "walked", or "walked around."

Translation:

редко (redko) - hardly, rarely, seldom
ходит (khodit) - goes, walks, walks around
в (v) - in, into, to
кино (kino) - cinema, movies

Pronunciation:

редко (redko) - The stress is on the second syllable, the 'e'. It sounds like "RED-kuh."

ходит (khodit) - The stress is on the first syllable, the 'ho'. It sounds like "KHO-dit".

в (v) - This is a very short sound, like "v" in "very."

кино (kino) - The stress is on the first syllable, the 'ki'. It sounds like "KEE-noh."

The next word is voice. The English word "voice" can be translated into Russian as голос (golos) which means "voice" or звук (zvuk) which means "sound".

Here is a Russian sentence using голос:

Её голос был тихий и мелодичный.

Её (eye-yo) - Her
голос (golos) - voice
был (byl) - was
тихий (tihiy) - quiet
и (i) - and
мелодичный (melodičnyj) - melodious

Translation: Her voice was quiet and melodious.

Key Concepts:

голос (golos) is a masculine noun, therefore the adjective тихий (tihiy) is also in masculine form.

Pronunciation Tips:

Её (eye-yo) - The "e" in Её is pronounced like the "e" in "bed".

голос (golos) - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "go" and the "с" is pronounced like the "s" in "see".

был (byl) - The "ы" is pronounced like the "y" in "my".

тихий (tihiy) - The "и" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

мелодичный (melodičnyj) - The "ч" is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

English: Voice, golos, голос

Russian: Голос, golos, голос

The next word is soon. The word "soon" in Russian is скоро (pronounced "skoh-roh"). The sentence can be "Мы скоро уедем" which translates to "We will leave soon."

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Мы (pronounced "my") means "we"

скоро (pronounced "skoh-roh") means "soon"

уедем (pronounced "oo-ye-dyem") is the future tense of the verb "to leave", "ехать" (ехать - pronounced "ye-hat").

Remember that the future tense in Russian is formed by adding the ending -ем (-ем - pronounced "-yem" ) to the verb stem.

The sentence "We will leave soon" in Russian is Мы скоро уедем (pronounced "my skoh-roh oo-ye-dyem").

English: soon - скоро (pronounced "skoh-roh")

Russian: скоро - soon (pronounced "skoh-roh")

The next word is professional. The word "professional" in Russian is профессиональный (professional'nyy) which means "professional". It is an adjective that describes something or someone as being skilled and competent in their field. The word is formed from the noun профессия (professiya) meaning "profession".

Here is an example sentence:

Он — профессиональный врач. (On — professional'nyy vrach.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - "He"

— (—) - this dash is used to separate the subject from the predicate.

профессиональный (professional'nyy) - "professional"

врач (vrach) - "doctor"

Translation: He is a professional doctor.

Pronunciation:

профессиональный (professional'nyy) - pro-fi-ssi-on-al' -nyy
врач (vrach) - vrakh

Helpful hints:

The stress in профессиональный (professional'nyy) falls on the fourth syllable, наль (nal').

The letter "ч" (ch) at the end of врач (vrach) is pronounced like the "ch" in "church."

English: professional - Russian: профессиональный (professional'nyy)

The next word is male. The word "male" in Russian is мужчина (pronounced "moozh-chee-nah"). It is a noun and can be used in the nominative case, meaning it is the subject of the sentence.

Sentence: Он мужчина сильный и храбрый. (Ohn moozh-chee-nah see-l'nee ee khrab-ree).

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He (masculine pronoun, nominative case)

мужчина (moozh-chee-nah) - Male
сильный (see-l'nee) - Strong (masculine adjective, nominative case)

и (ee) - And
храбрый (khrab-ree) - Brave (masculine adjective, nominative case)

Translation: He is a strong and brave man.

Variations:

Мужчина can also be used in other grammatical cases, for example, accusative (мужчину - moozh-chee-noo) or genitive (мужчины - moozh-chee-nee).

The adjective сильный (see-l'nee) can also change depending on the case of the noun it modifies.

Key Concept: Russian nouns and adjectives are gendered, meaning they have masculine, feminine, and neuter forms. The adjective's form must agree with the noun it modifies.

Pronunciation Tips:

ч (ch) is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair"

н (n) is pronounced like the "n" in "no"

й (y) is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

ь (') is a soft sign and doesn't have a sound of its own but softens the consonant before it.

English to Russian: male - мужчина (moozh-chee-nah)

The next word is blue. The sky is blue.

Небо синее.

Breakdown:

Небо - [nyeb-o] - The word for sky in Russian is небо, which means sky. It is pronounced "nyeb-o".

синее - [see-nyeh-yeh] - The word for blue in Russian is синий, which is pronounced "see-nee". It is an adjective that modifies the noun небо. Here we are using the nominative singular form. It is declined based on gender.

синий - [see-nee] - masculine

синяя - [see-nyah-yah] - feminine

синее - [see-nyeh-yeh] - neuter

синие - [see-nee-yeh] - plural

Translation:

Небо - sky

синее - blue

Key concepts:

The word order in this sentence is subject-adjective, which is common in Russian.

Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Pronunciation:

Небо - [nyeb-o]

синее - [see-nyeh-yeh]

The next word is page. ## Страница stranitsa (stra-ni-tsa)

The word страница stranitsa (stra-ni-tsa) means "page" in Russian. It is a feminine noun, and it is used for both physical and digital pages.

Here is a simple sentence using this word:

Я открыл книгу на первой странице. Ya otkryl knigu na pervoy stranitse. (Ya at-kriyl k-ni-goo na pyehr-voy stra-ni-tse)

Breakdown:

Я Ya (Ya) - I
открыл otkryl (at-kriyl) - opened (masculine past tense of the verb открыть otkryt' - to open)

книгу knigu (k-ni-goo) - book (feminine accusative case)

на na (na) - on, upon
первой pervoy (pyehr-voy) - first (feminine nominative case)

странице stranitse (stra-ni-tse) - page (feminine prepositional case)

Translation: I opened the book on the first page.

Key concept: This sentence showcases the use of the prepositional case with the noun страница stranitsa. The prepositional case is used after prepositions like на na (on), в v (in), о o (about), etc.

Variations:

Страницы stranitsy (stra-ni-tsy) - pages (plural nominative case)

Странице stranitse (stra-ni-tse) - page (feminine dative case)

Страницу stranitsu (stra-ni-tsoo) - page (feminine accusative case)

Pronounciation:

страница stranitsa (stra-ni-tsa) - stress on the second syllable, "ni"

первой pervoy (pyehr-voy) - stress on the first syllable, "pe"

English: page

Russian: страница stranitsa (stra-ni-tsa)

The next word is remember. The word "remember" in Russian is помнить (pomnit'). It's a verb and is used with the infinitive form of another verb in the sentence. This structure is similar to the English "to remember to do something".

The basic sentence structure is:

Я помню [infinitive] (Ya pomnyu [infinitive])

Я (Ya) - I
помню (pomnyu) - I remember

Here's a basic example:

Я помню позвонить маме. (Ya pomnyu pozvonit' mame.)

позвонить (pozvonit') - to call
маме (mame) - to mom

Translation: I remember to call mom.

Pronunciation:

помнить (pomnit') - poh-m'nit'

позвонить (pozvonit') - pahz-vah-neet'

маме (mame) - mah-mee

Key Concept: помнить (pomnit') is a verb of memory, used with the infinitive, and works in a similar way to the English "to remember"

The next word is century. ## В двадцатом веке произошла революция.

Breakdown:

В - This is a preposition meaning "in" and is used to indicate location or time. It is pronounced like "v" in English.

двадцатом - This is the masculine singular form of the adjective "двадцатый" meaning "twentieth". It is pronounced like "dvah-dtsa-tom" with the emphasis on the "tsa".

веке - This is the masculine singular form of "век" meaning "century". It is pronounced like "vyek" with the "e" being a short vowel sound.

произошла - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "произойти" meaning "to happen" or "to take place". It is pronounced like "pro-ee-zah-shla" with the emphasis on the "zah".

революция - This is a feminine noun meaning "revolution". It is pronounced like "re-vo-lyu-tsi-ya" with the emphasis on the "tsi".

Key Concept: In Russian, adjectives and nouns must agree in gender, number, and case. Here, the adjective двадцатом is masculine singular to match the noun веке, which is also masculine singular.

Meaning: A revolution happened in the 20th century.

Variations:

В девятнадцатом веке (In the 19th century)

В двадцать первом веке (In the 21st century)

В двадцать втором веке (In the 22nd century)

Pronunciation:

Century: век (vyek)

Twentieth: двадцатый (dvah-dtsa-tyy)

Revolution: революция (re-vo-lyu-tsi-ya)

The next word is variety. ## Разнообразие (raznoobraziye) /ra-znah-ah-BRAH-zee-yeh/

Sentence: В этом магазине представлено большое разнообразие товаров. /V eh-tom ma-ga-zee-nye pre-d-stav-le-no bal-shoh-ye raz-nah-ah-BRAH-zee-yeh ta-vah-rov./

Breakdown:

Разнообразие (raznoobraziye) - noun, meaning "variety," "diversity." It is an abstract noun, so it does not change gender or number.

В (v) - preposition, meaning "in."

этом (eh-tom) - this, demonstrative pronoun, masculine, singular.

магазине (ma-ga-zee-nye) - noun, meaning "store." This is the masculine, prepositional form.

представлено (pre-d-stav-le-no) - past participle of the verb "to present," meaning "presented," "displayed," or "offered."

большое (bal-shoh-ye) - adjective, meaning "big," "large," "great." This is the neuter, nominative form.

товаров (ta-vah-rov) - noun, meaning "goods." This is the genitive plural of товар (ta-var).

Translation: In this store, a large variety of goods is presented.

Helpful Hint: The word "variety" is similar to "varied" and "vary." The root of the word is "vary." Try to use this word as a starting point for remembering other related Russian words!

English & Russian:

Variety - Разнообразие /ra-znah-ah-BRAH-zee-yeh/

The next word is gold. The Russian word for gold is золото (pronounced zoh-loh-toh). It is a neuter noun and thus takes the nominative neuter ending -о.

Here is a sentence using the word золото:

У меня есть кольцо из золота. У меня есть кольцо из золота.

Breakdown of the sentence:

У меня У меня (oo-mye-nya) - I have
есть есть (yest') - to have (present tense)

кольцо кольцо (kal-tso) - ring
из из (iz) - from, made of
золото золото (zoh-loh-toh) - gold

This sentence translates to "I have a ring made of gold."

Variations:

The preposition из из (iz) - "from, made of" is used to show the material of which something is made. For example, you could also say: "Эта книга сделана из бумаги" Эта книга сделана из бумаги (eh-ta k-nee-ga s-de-lah-na iz boo-ma-gi) - This book is made of paper.

Pronunciation:

The "о" in золото (zoh-loh-toh) is pronounced like the "o" in "hot"

The "ы" in кольцо (kal-tso) is a short "i" sound

English translation:

Gold - золото (zoh-loh-toh)

Ring - кольцо (kal-tso)

The next word is north. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Солнце восходит на востоке и заходит на западе.

Breakdown:

Солнце [soln-tse] - The sun
восходит [vos-kho-dit] - Present tense, third person singular of the verb восходить [vos-kho-dit] - to rise
на [na] - on, in (indicates location)

востоке [vos-to-ke] - east (masculine noun)

и [i] - and
заходит [za-kho-dit] - Present tense, third person singular of the verb заходить [za-kho-dit] - to set
на [na] - on, in (indicates location)

западе [za-pa-de] - west (masculine noun)

Key Concept: The Russian language uses prepositions to indicate location. The preposition на [na] is used to indicate location on or in something.

Variations:

север [se-ver] - north
юг [yug] - south

English Translation: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

The next word is series. The word "series" in English can be translated as a few different words in Russian, depending on the context. Let's look at a few examples:

Example 1: A series of lectures

Серия лекций Seriya lektsiy

Серия Seriya means "series" in this context. The "i" at the end is pronounced like the "ee" in "see" - "Se-ree-ya".

лекций lektsiy is the genitive plural of the noun "lecture" - "lektsiya". The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging. In this case, it means "of lectures". "Lek" sounds like "lek" in "lecture", "tsi" sounds like "tsi" in "itsi"

Example 2: A series of events

Цикл событий Tsikl sobytiy

Цикл Tsikl means "cycle" but is used here to mean series. The "i" at the end is pronounced like the "ee" in "see" - "Tsi-kl".

событий sobytiy is the genitive plural of the noun "event" - "sobytie". The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging. In this case, it means "of events". "So" sounds like the first part of "so-ber" and "by" sounds like the "by" in "bye". "Ti" sounds like "ti" in "ti-me".

Example 3: The series finale of the TV show

Финал сериала Final seriala

Финал Final means "finale" It sounds like "fi-nal" but the "i" sounds like the "i" in "bit".

сериала seriala is the genitive case of the noun "serial" - сериал serial. The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging. In this case, it means "of the TV show". "Se" sounds like "se" in "see", "ri" sounds like "ri" in "ri-de" "al" sounds like "al" in "al-ert".

Example 4: The latest series of books

Новейшая серия книг Noveyshaya seriya knig

Новейшая Noveyshaya means "newest" or "latest". It sounds like "no-vei-sha-ya". The "e" is pronounced as in the "e" in "get"

серия seriya means "series" in this context. It sounds like "se-ri-ya". The "i" at the end is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

книг knig is the genitive plural of the noun "book" - книга kniga. "Kn" sounds like "kn" in "knight", "i" sounds like the "i" in "bit", "g" is like the "g" in "go"

To summarize, the word "series" in English can be translated as серия seriya, цикл tsikl or сериал serial in Russian depending on the context.

The next word is relative. My родственники live in a small village.

Breakdown:

родственники (pronounced: rod-STVEN-ni-ki) means "relatives" in Russian. It is a noun that is always plural and functions as the subject of the sentence. The plural of родственник (rod-STVEN-nik) is родственники (rod-STVEN-ni-ki). Родственник is an animate noun, meaning that it is a person or living thing. This is important to remember because Russian grammar dictates that animate nouns change the ending of an adjective when it modifies them. If the adjective in this sentence was большой (big) instead of маленький (small), then it would change to большие because it is modifying an animate noun.

живут (pronounced: zhi-VOOT) means "live" or "reside". It is the 3rd person plural present tense form of the verb жить (zhit') meaning "to live".

в (pronounced: v) is a preposition meaning "in". It is a preposition that is followed by a noun, in this case деревне (pronounced: de-REV-nye), a feminine noun meaning "village".

маленькой (pronounced: ma-LEN-kay) means "small". It is an adjective that agrees with the noun деревне in gender, number and case, because it is modifying a feminine noun.

Translation:

My relatives live in a small village.

Word and Pronunciation
relative - родственник (rod-STVEN-nik)

relatives - родственники (rod-STVEN-ni-ki)

live - жить (zhit')

in - в (v)

village - деревня (de-REV-nye)

small - маленький (ma-LEN-kiy)

small (feminine) - маленькая (ma-LEN-kaya)

The next word is union. The word "union" can be translated into Russian as союз (soyuz) or профсоюз (profsoyuz).

The sentence:

Студенты объединились в профсоюз, чтобы защитить свои интересы. (Studentry ob"yedininis' v profsoyuz, chtoby zashchitit' svoi interesy.)

Студенты (Studentry) - Students. This word is plural and can be pronounced as "stoo-den-tee"

объединились (ob"yedininis') - This is the past tense, plural form of the verb объединяться (ob"yedinyat'sya), which means "to unite". The 's' at the end makes it a reflexive verb.

в (v) - in
профсоюз (profsoyuz) - union, specifically a labor union. Pronounced "proff-soy-uz"

чтобы (chtoby) - in order to
защитить (zashchitit') - to protect
свои (svoi) - their (possessive adjective)

интересы (interesy) - interests. This word is plural and pronounced "in-ter-es-ee".

The sentence means: "The students united in a union to protect their interests."

Key concepts:

Reflexive verbs: In Russian, reflexive verbs end in "-ся" or "-сь". These verbs are used to express actions performed by the subject on itself.

Plural forms: Russian nouns have different forms for singular and plural. Students will need to be careful to use the correct form depending on whether they are referring to one or more than one.

Prepositions: Prepositions like в (v) are important for conveying the relationships between words in a sentence.

Translation:

союз (soyuz) - union (general)

профсоюз (profsoyuz) - union (labor union)

объединяться (ob"yedinyat'sya) - to unite

The next word is how. The word "how" in English can be used to ask questions about the manner in which something is done or happens. In Russian, there are several ways to express this concept, depending on the context.

Here is a Russian sentence using the word "как" как meaning "how":

Как ты готовишь этот суп?

This sentence translates to "How do you cook this soup?"

Breakdown

Как (pronounced "kak") - This is the word meaning "how" and it is the subject of this sentence.

ты (pronounced "ty") - This is the subject pronoun "you". It agrees in gender and number with the verb in the sentence.

готовишь (pronounced "gotovish") - This is the verb "to cook" in the present tense, second person singular.

этот (pronounced "etot") - This is the demonstrative adjective meaning "this" and it agrees in gender and number with the noun "soup".

суп (pronounced "sup") - This is the noun "soup".

Key Concepts

In Russian, the word order can vary more than in English. While the basic word order is subject-verb-object, it can be altered for emphasis or clarity.

Russian has grammatical gender, so adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender with the nouns they modify.

Russian verbs are conjugated, meaning they change their form depending on the subject and tense.

Variations of "Как"

Как can also be used to mean "like" or "as" in comparisons. For example, Она красивая, как роза (She is beautiful, like a rose).

Как can also be used in exclamations, for example Как хорошо! (How good!).

Pronunciation

Как - Pronounced "kak" with the "k" sound similar to the "k" in "kick."

ты - Pronounced "ty" with the "y" sound similar to the "y" in "yes."

готовишь - Pronounced "gotovish" with the stress on the second syllable.

этот - Pronounced "etot" with the stress on the first syllable.

суп - Pronounced "sup" with the stress on the first syllable.

English Translation: "How"

Russian Translation: Как

The next word is industrial. The word "industrial" in Russian is промышленный (pronounced: pra-mye-sh-len-nyi). It is an adjective meaning "related to industry."

Here's an example sentence:

Россия - это большая промышленная страна.

Россия (pronounced: Ras-see-ya) - Russia
это (pronounced: eh-ta) - it is
большая (pronounced: bal-sha-ya) - big, large
промышленная (pronounced: pra-mye-sh-len-naya) - industrial
страна (pronounced: stra-na) - country

Translation: Russia is a large industrial country.

Let's break down the sentence's grammar.

Россия is the subject of the sentence, followed by the copula это ("it is"). большая промышленная is the predicate adjective, describing Россия. страна is the noun complement.

Here's another example of how to use промышленный:

В этом городе много промышленных предприятий.

В (pronounced: v) - in
этом (pronounced: eh-tam) - this
городе (pronounced: go-ra-dye) - city
много (pronounced: mnoga) - many, a lot
промышленных (pronounced: pra-mye-sh-len-nykh) - industrial
предприятий (pronounced: pre-d-pri-ya-tii) - enterprises, businesses

Translation: There are many industrial enterprises in this city.

Key Concept:

The adjective промышленный is often used to describe things related to manufacturing, factories, and production. It can also be used to describe the economic development of a region or country.

Helpful Pronunciation Hint:

The "sh" sound in Russian is similar to the "sh" in English, but is slightly softer and more like the "sh" in the word "sure." In промышленный, the "y" at the end is not pronounced.

English: Industrial

Russian: промышленный (pra-mye-sh-len-nyi)

The next word is state. The word "state" can have several meanings in Russian, depending on the context. Here is a sentence using one of the meanings.

Sentence:

Он заявил, что Россия является независимым государством.

Breakdown:

Он is the pronoun он (he) and is in the nominative case. This is a masculine pronoun so it will always have the same form in the nominative case.

заявил is the verb заявлять (to declare) in the past tense, masculine singular form. This verb is irregular. The past tense is formed by changing the infinitive ending -ть to -л which then takes the appropriate gender and number ending. You need to memorize this verb.

что is the conjunction что (that) which introduces a subordinate clause. It is similar to "that" in English.

Россия is the proper noun Россия (Russia) in the nominative case. Remember the nominative case is used when the noun is the subject of the sentence.

является is the verb являться (to be) in the present tense, third person singular form. It is irregular and you will need to memorize it.

независимым is the adjective независимый (independent) in the instrumental case, masculine singular form. In the instrumental case, adjectives ending in -ый change to -ым.

государством is the noun государство (state) in the instrumental case, neuter singular form. You can also use the word страна (country). The instrumental case is used to show by what means or instrument something is done.

. is the period marking the end of the sentence.

English Translation:

He declared that Russia is an independent state.

Pronunciation Guide:

Он - [on]

заявил - [zayavil]

что - [chto]

Россия - [Rossiya]

является - [yavlyayetsya]

независимым - [nezavisimym]

государством - [gosudarstvom]

Key Concepts:

The instrumental case is used to show by what means or instrument something is done. It can be a bit tricky since it uses different endings based on the gender and number of the noun or adjective.

Adjectives change form in the instrumental case.

There are multiple words to translate the word "state".

Variations:

You can also use the word страна (country) in place of государство (state).

The sentence can be made more formal by using a different verb like утверждать (to assert) or констатировать (to state).

English Word: state

Russian Word: государство

Pronunciation: [gosudarstvo]

The next word is ago. ## Несколько лет назад, я жил в Москве.

Breakdown:

Несколько - (Neskol'ko) - means "several" or "a few", pronunciation: neh-skohl-koh
лет - (let) - means "years" , pronunciation: lyet
назад - (nazad) - means "ago" or "back", pronunciation: nah-zad
я - (ya) - means "I" , pronunciation: ya
жил - (zhyl) - means "lived" (past tense, masculine singular), pronunciation: zhyl
в - (v) - means "in" , pronunciation: v

Москве - (Moskve) - means "Moscow" (prepositional case), pronunciation: Mos-kveh

Meaning: "Several years ago, I lived in Moscow."

Key Concepts:

Prepositional Case: The word Москве is in the prepositional case, which is used after prepositions like "in" (в), "on" (на), "about" (о), etc.

Past Tense: The verb жил is in the past tense, singular masculine form. You would need to change the ending if it were "she" (она - ona), "it" (оно - ono), or plural (они - oni).

Variations of "ago" in Russian:

раньше (ran'she) - earlier, before
давным-давно (davnym-davno) - long ago
недавно (nedavno) - recently

English to Russian Translation:

ago - назад

The next word is restaurant. The word "restaurant" is ресторан restoran in Russian.

Here is a sample sentence:

Я хочу пойти в ресторан. Ya khochu poyti v restoran.

Let's break it down:

Я Ya - I (pronoun, pronounced "ya")

хочу khochu - I want (verb, pronounced "kho-choo")

пойти poyti - to go (verb, pronounced "poy-tee")

в v - to (preposition, pronounced "v")

ресторан restoran - restaurant (noun, pronounced "res-to-ran")

Key Concept: In Russian, verbs change form depending on the subject and tense. Here, the verb "хочу" khochu is conjugated to agree with the subject "я" ya (I) in the present tense.

Variations:

You can use this sentence with other types of places. For example: "Я хочу пойти в магазин." Ya khochu poyti v magazin. (I want to go to the store.)

Translation:

I want to go to the restaurant.

English Pronunciation:

Restaurant: [res-to-rant]

Restoran: [res-to-ran]

The next word is dear. English word: Dear

Russian sentence: Дорогой друг, я очень рад видеть тебя!

Breakdown:

Дорогой (pronounced: [da-ro-goi]) means "dear" or "beloved". This is an adjective and it will change depending on the gender of the noun that it modifies.

друг (pronounced: [drook]) means "friend".

я (pronounced: [ya]) means "I"

очень (pronounced: [o-chen]) means "very" or "really"

рад (pronounced: [rad]) means "glad" or "happy". It is the masculine form of the adjective "happy".

видеть (pronounced: [vi-det]) means "to see". This is a verb in the infinitive form.

тебя (pronounced: [te-bya]) means "you". This is the accusative form of the pronoun "you".

Translation: Dear friend, I am very glad to see you!

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. "Dear" in this sentence is Дорогой because it modifies the masculine noun друг.

Cases: In Russian, nouns change forms based on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here the noun тебя (you) is in the accusative case, because it is the object of the verb видеть (to see).

Helpful hint for pronunciation:

Remember that the "y" sound in Russian is not the same as the English "y" sound. It is more like the "ee" sound in the word "tree".

English: dear /diːr/

Russian: Дорогой /da-ro-goi/

The next word is audience. The English word "audience" can be translated into Russian as аудитория (pronounced ow-dee-tor-ee-ya). It's a noun, and the plural form is аудитории (pronounced ow-dee-tor-ee-ee). The word аудитория is a feminine noun and takes the feminine ending of adjectives.

Here is an example sentence:

В аудитории было много студентов. (pronounced V ow-dee-tor-ee-ee bee-lo mna-go stu-den-tov)

Breakdown:

В (pronounced V) - This is the preposition "in," which is used with the locative case in Russian.

аудитории (pronounced ow-dee-tor-ee-ee) - This is the noun "audience," here in the locative case, meaning "in the audience."

было (pronounced bee-lo) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the neuter singular form.

много (pronounced mna-go) - This is the word for "many" and is used with plural nouns.

студентов (pronounced stu-den-tov) - This is the plural form of the noun "student."

English translation: "There were many students in the audience."

Key Concept: Russian nouns have different grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and require different endings to form cases. It is important to understand these concepts to construct grammatically correct sentences in Russian.

Pronounciation: Remember that Russian vowel sounds are often different from English vowel sounds, and that the stress in Russian words often falls on different syllables than in English. Pay close attention to the pronunciation guides provided.

Audience:

English: [aw-dee-uhns]

Russian: аудитория [ow-dee-tor-ee-ya]

The next word is build. The Russian word for "build" is строить (stroit'). The pronunciation is similar to "stroy-it."

We will use the word in the sentence:

Он строит дом. (On stroit dom.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He. Pronunciation: on.

строит (stroit) - builds. Pronunciation: stroy-it. The ending "-it" indicates the present tense, 3rd person singular, masculine gender.

дом (dom) - house. Pronunciation: dom.

Translation: He is building a house.

Key Concepts:

The Russian verb строить (stroit') is an imperfective verb. Imperfective verbs in Russian focus on the action itself, rather than its completion. In this case, it emphasizes the ongoing process of building.

The ending "-it" is a common marker of the present tense, third person singular (he/she/it).

Variations of the Word "Build"

To express the completed action of building, you would use the perfective verb построить (postroit').

Построил (postroil) - He built.

English to Russian Translation

"Build" - строить (stroit')

The next word is sort. The word "sort" can be translated in Russian in a few ways, depending on the context:

1. "Сортировать" sortirovat' (to sort) - This is the most common translation for "sort" and is used when you are arranging things into categories.

Example: Он сортирует книги по жанрам. (He sorts the books by genre).

Он [on] - he

сортирует [sortiruyet] - sorts

книги [knihi] - books

по [po] - by

жанрам [zhanram] - genres

Pronunciation Guide:

сор-ти-ро-вать - sor-ti-ro-vat'

The stress is on the third syllable, "ro". The "r" is pronounced with a slight trill, similar to the "r" in Spanish. The "v" at the end is pronounced as "f".

1. "Разбираться" razbiratsya (to sort out, to figure out) - This is used when you are trying to understand something or to organize something that is complicated.

Example: Он разбирается в компьютерах. (He sorts out/understands computers)

Он [on] - he
разбирается [razbiratsya] - sorts out
в [v] - in
компьютерах [kompyuterakh] - computers

Pronunciation Guide:

раз-би-ра-ться - raz-bi-ra-tsya

The stress is on the second syllable "bi". The "r" in "razbiratsya" is a trilled sound. The "tsya" sounds like the "tsa" in "pizza".

1. "Вид" vid (type, kind, sort) - This is used as a noun to mean "type" or "kind".

Example: Какой вид музыки тебе нравится? (What kind of music do you like?)

Какой [kakoj] - what

вид [vid] - sort

музыки [muziki] - music

тебе [tebe] - you

нравится [nravitsya] - like

Pronunciation Guide:

вид - vid - the "d" at the end of the word is pronounced softly.

Remember: The choice of translation will depend on the specific context of the sentence.

The next word is house. The English word "house" translates to дом (pronounced "dom") in Russian.

The sentence:

У меня есть большой дом. (pronounced "oo myenya yest' bal'shoy dom")

This sentence means: "I have a big house."

Here's a breakdown of the grammar:

У (pronounced "oo") is the preposition "at" or "by" but in this case it means "I have"

меня (pronounced "myenya") is the pronoun "me"

есть (pronounced "yest'") is the verb "to be" in the present tense, but literally translates to "there is." In this case, the sentence means "I have."

большой (pronounced "bal'shoy") is the adjective "big"

дом (pronounced "dom") is the noun "house"

Key concept: The word order in this sentence is "subject-verb-adjective-object" which is the standard word order for most Russian sentences.

Variations of the word "house":

домик (pronounced "domik") is a small house, or cottage.

дом (pronounced "dom") can also be used as a verb meaning "to house," for example Я дома (pronounced "ya doma"), which means "I am at home."

English: house /haʊs/

Russian: дом /dom/

The next word is beautiful. The word beautiful in Russian is красивый (kra-si-vyi) for masculine, красивая (kra-si-va-ya) for feminine, and красивое (kra-si-voe) for neuter.

Here's a sentence using the feminine form:

Эта картина очень красивая.

Breakdown:

Эта (e-ta) - This (feminine singular)

картина (kar-ti-na) - painting
очень (o-chen') - very
красивая (kra-si-va-ya) - beautiful (feminine singular)

Translation: This painting is very beautiful.

Key Concepts:

Russian adjectives (like красивый) have different forms depending on the gender of the noun they describe.

The word order in Russian is more flexible than in English, but the most common structure is subject-verb-object.

The word очень (o-chen') is a very common intensifier in Russian, similar to "very" in English.

Pronunciation Tips:

красивый (kra-si-vyi) - The 'y' at the end is pronounced like the 'y' in "sky."

красивая (kra-si-va-ya) - The 'a' at the end is pronounced like the 'a' in "father."

красивое (kra-si-voe) - The 'e' at the end is pronounced like the 'e' in "bet."

English: beautiful

Russian: красивый (kra-si-vyi) (masculine), красивая (kra-si-va-ya) (feminine), красивое (kra-si-voe) (neuter)

The next word is drop. The word "drop" has several meanings in English, and thus several Russian translations. Let's look at one use:

Sentence: Я уронил книгу на пол (Ya u-ro-nil kni-gu na pol)

Breakdown:

Я Я (ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case - subject of the sentence)

уронил уронил (u-ro-nil) - dropped (past tense, masculine singular) - This is the past tense of the verb уронить (u-ro-nit') which means "to drop"

книгу книгу (kni-gu) - book (accusative case - direct object of the verb) - Notice this word is in the accusative case because it is the object of the verb. The noun "book" in Russian is книга (kni-ga) but must change to книгу (kni-gu) in the accusative case.

на на (na) - on, onto, upon (preposition) - This preposition is used before the noun пол (pol) to show that the action of dropping happens "on" the floor.

пол пол (pol) - floor (noun, accusative case - object of the preposition) - This word is also in the accusative case because it is the object of the preposition. The word "floor" in Russian is пол (pol).

Translation: I dropped the book on the floor.

Helpful Hint: To pronounce the л (l) sound in Russian, press your tongue to the back of your teeth, then release the air.

Word and Pronunciation:

Drop уронить (u-ro-nit')

Book книга (kni-ga)

Floor пол (pol)

The next word is review. The English word "review" can be translated into Russian in several ways depending on the context.

1. To review something (e.g., a book, movie, or article):

просмотреть (pronounced "pra-sma-TRYE-t")

Sentence:

Я просмотрел фильм вчера и мне он понравился. (pronounced "Ya pra-sma-TRYE-l film vchera i mne on pan-RAV-il-sya.")

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "Ya") - I
просмотрел (pronounced "pra-sma-TRYE-l") - past tense masculine singular of the verb "to review"

фильм (pronounced "film") - movie
вчера (pronounced "vchera") - yesterday
и (pronounced "i") - and
мне (pronounced "mne") - to me
он (pronounced "on") - it
понравился (pronounced "pan-RAV-il-sya") - past tense masculine singular of the verb "to like"

Translation: I reviewed the movie yesterday and I liked it.

Key concepts:

The verb просмотреть (pronounced "pra-sma-TRYE-t") can also be used to mean "to look over" or "to examine."

The sentence uses the masculine gender because the subject (фильм (pronounced "film") is masculine in Russian.

1. To review a performance:

провести репетицию (pronounced "pra-vye-sti rye-pye-TI-tsi-yu")

Sentence:

Оркестр провел репетицию перед концертом. (pronounced "Or-KYES-tr pra-vye-sti rye-pye-TI-tsi-yu per-yed kan-TSER-tam.")

Breakdown:

Оркестр (pronounced "Or-KYES-tr") - orchestra
провел (pronounced "pra-vye-l") - past tense masculine singular of the verb "to conduct"

репетицию (pronounced "rye-pye-TI-tsi-yu") - rehearsal
перед (pronounced "per-yed") - before
концертом (pronounced "kan-TSER-tam") - concert

Translation: The orchestra conducted a rehearsal before the concert.

Key concepts:

The verb провести (pronounced "pra-vye-sti") can be used in a variety of contexts, including conducting a review, performing a task, or spending time.

The word репетиция (pronounced "rye-pye-TI-tsi-yu") is a noun and refers to a practice session for a performance.

1. To write a review:

написать отзыв (pronounced "na-pi-SAT' ot-ZYV")

Sentence:

Я написал отзыв о новом ресторане. (pronounced "Ya na-pi-SAT' ot-ZYV o novam rye-sta-RA-nye.")

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "Ya") - I
написал (pronounced "na-pi-SAL") - past tense masculine singular of the verb "to write"

отзыв (pronounced "ot-ZYV") - review
о (pronounced "o") - about
новом (pronounced "novam") - new
ресторане (pronounced "rye-sta-RA-nye") - restaurant

Translation: I wrote a review about the new restaurant.

Key concepts:

The word отзыв (pronounced "ot-ZYV") is a noun and specifically refers to a written opinion.

The sentence uses the masculine gender because the subject (отзыв (pronounced "ot-ZYV") is masculine in Russian.

Remember that the specific translation of "review" will depend on the context of the sentence. Use these examples as a starting point and adapt them as needed.

The next word is lawyer. The word юрист (pronounced yoo-rist) means lawyer. It is a masculine noun, so it changes form depending on the grammatical case. The example sentence below uses the nominative case, which is the basic form of the noun. The noun is also in singular form, as there is only one lawyer being discussed.

Юрист (yoo-rist) защищал (zah-shi-chal) клиента (klee-en-ta) в (v) суде (soo-dye).

Breakdown:

Юрист (yoo-rist) - lawyer (nominative case, singular)

защищал (zah-shi-chal) - defended (past tense, masculine singular)

клиента (klee-en-ta) - client (accusative case, singular)

в (v) - in (preposition)

суде (soo-dye) - court (prepositional case, singular)

Translation: The lawyer defended the client in court.

Important Note: In Russian, the noun changes form depending on its grammatical case. There are six cases in Russian. The nominative case is the basic form of a noun.

Variations:

юристка (yoo-rist-ka) - female lawyer
юридический (yoo-ri-dee-ches-kiy) - legal, juridical
юриспруденция (yoo-ris-proo-den-tsiya) - jurisprudence

Pronunciation:

юрист (yoo-rist) - The "ю" sound is similar to the "u" in "flute" but with a slightly softer sound.

защищал (zah-shi-chal) - The "щ" sound is similar to the "sh" in "ship" but with a slightly softer sound.

клиента (klee-en-ta) - The "е" sound is similar to the "ye" in "yet"

в (v) - The "в" sound is similar to the "v" in "vine"

суде (soo-dye) - The "е" sound is similar to the "ye" in "yet"

The next word is home. The Russian word for "home" is дом (pronounced "dom"). This word can be used as a noun referring to a building where one lives or as an adjective describing something that pertains to a home.

Here is an example sentence:

Я люблю свой дом. (Ya lyublyu svoy dom.)

This sentence means "I love my home."

Breakdown:

Я (Я) - I (pronounced "ya") - This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun, which is used when the pronoun is the subject of a sentence.

люблю (люблю) - I love (pronounced "lyublyu") - This is the present tense of the verb "любить" (любить) ("to love"). Note how the ending changes to reflect the subject "I."

свой (свой) - my (pronounced "svoy") - This is a possessive adjective that indicates ownership. The adjective "свой" (свой) is used when the possessor is the same as the subject.

дом (дом) - home (pronounced "dom") - This is the noun "дом" (дом) in the accusative case. It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "люблю" (люблю).

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns are gendered. The word "дом" (дом) is masculine.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence, a process known as declension.

Possessive Adjectives: Possessive adjectives in Russian agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Variations:

Plural: The plural form of дом ("home") is дома ("homes") (pronounced "doma").

English - Russian translation:

Home - дом (pronounced "dom")

The next word is busy. The professor is always занят zan'yat with research and teaching.

Breakdown:

занят zan'yat is the masculine singular form of the adjective занятой zan'yatoiy which means "busy".

This form is used because профессор prafi'ssar is masculine.

The adjective занятой zan'yatoiy can also be used in feminine, neuter, and plural forms.

The sentence uses the present tense. This is indicated by the ending -т -t on the verb занят zan'yat.

Translation:

занят zan'yat - busy (masculine singular)

профессор prafi'ssar - professor
всегда vsegda - always
исследованием isliedovaniyem - research
и i - and
преподаванием pripa'davaniem - teaching

Pronunciation:

занят zan'yat - [zan'yat]

профессор prafi'ssar - [prafi'ssar]

всегда vsegda - [vsegda]

исследованием isliedovaniyem - [isliedovaniyem]

и i - [i]

преподаванием pripa'davaniem - [pripa'davaniem]

Memorization Tip: Think of занят zan'yat as being similar to "taken". If someone is busy, they are "taken" by their work.

The next word is dead. The word "dead" in Russian is мёртвый (pronounced myort-vuh).

Here is an example sentence:

Он был мёртв, когда мы его нашли. (pronounced: On byl myortv, kogda my yevo nashli).

Он он (pronounced: on) - he
был был (pronounced: byl) - was
мёртв мёртвый (pronounced: myortv) - dead (masculine form)

когда когда (pronounced: kogda) - when
мы мы (pronounced: my) - we
его его (pronounced: yevo) - him
нашли найти (pronounced: nashli) - found (past tense)

This sentence means "He was dead when we found him."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian adjectives and nouns must agree in gender. In this case, "dead" is an adjective, and "he" is masculine, so the adjective "мёртвый" must also be masculine. There are also feminine and neuter forms:

feminine: мёртвая (myortvaya)

neuter: мёртвое (myortvoe)

Past Tense: The past tense of Russian verbs is formed by adding an ending that depends on the gender and number of the subject. In this case, the subject is "он" (he), so the past tense ending is "-л".

Pronunciation Tips:

The "т" sound in мёртвый is a hard "t" sound, similar to the "t" in "train."

The "в" sound in мёртвый is a voiced "v" sound, similar to the "v" in "vine."

English to Russian:

dead: мёртвый (myortvuh)

The next word is post. The word "post" can be used as a noun or a verb. Here are two examples:

Noun:

Он написал пост в социальных сетях.

Он [on] - he
написал [napisal] - wrote
пост [post] - post (noun)

в [v] - in
социальных сетях [sotsialnykh setyakh] - social networks

Translation: He wrote a post on social media.

Verb:

Он пошёл на почту, чтобы отправить письмо.

Он [on] - he
пошёл [poshyol] - went
на [na] - to
почту [pochtu] - post office (noun)

чтобы [chtoby] - in order to
отправить [otpravit] - send
письмо [pis'mo] - letter

Translation: He went to the post office to send a letter.

Key Concepts:

Noun: In this case, the word "post" refers to a piece of content shared online.

Verb: In this case, "post" refers to the action of mailing something, or the act of putting something in place or position.

Pronunciation:

post (noun): [post]

post (verb): [post]

написал [napisal]: [nah-pee-sal]

пост [post]: [post]

пошёл [poshyol]: [pah-shol]

почту [pochtu]: [poch-too]

отправить [otpravit]: [at-prah-veet]

Variations:

почта [pochta] - the post office, mail (noun)

отправить [otpravit] - to send, to dispatch (verb)

социальные сети [sotsialnye seti] - social media, social networks (noun)

The next word is regular. The word "regular" can be used in Russian to describe something that is ordinary, normal, or happens on a consistent basis. Here is an example sentence:

Он ходит на работу регулярно.

Он - He
ходит - goes
на работу - to work
регулярно - regularly

English Translation: He goes to work regularly.

Key Concepts:

The word регулярно (regularly) is an adverb, which modifies the verb ходит (goes).

The word регулярно is pronounced like "reh-goo-lyar-no".

Another word that can be used in this context is обычно (usually), which is a more common way to say "regularly" in Russian.

Pronunciation Guide:

регулярно - [reh-goo-lyar-no]

Variations:

регулярный - regular (adjective)

регулярность - regularity (noun)

English Translation:

regular - регулярный - [reh-goo-lyar-niy]

regularity - регулярность - [reh-goo-lyar-nast]

The next word is law. ## Закон о защите прав потребителей был принят в 1992 году.

Breakdown:

Закон [za-kon] (noun, masculine) - law

This word is a key concept in this sentence. It is the subject of the sentence.

The noun "law" is singular and masculine.

о защите прав потребителей [a za-shi-te prav pa-tre-bi-te-ley] (prepositional phrase) - about the protection of consumer rights.

This is a prepositional phrase, telling us what the law is about.

The word защите [za-shi-te] is the feminine form of the noun защита [za-shi-ta] - protection. It is used in the prepositional case.

The word прав [prav] is the plural form of the noun право [pra-vo] - right. It is used in the genitive case.

The word потребителей [pa-tre-bi-te-ley] is the plural form of the noun потребитель [pa-tre-bi-tel'] - consumer. It is used in the genitive case.

был [byl] (verb, past tense) - was

This is the past tense of the verb быть [byt'] - to be.

принят [pri-nyat] (verb, past participle) - adopted.

This verb is in the past participle, meaning that it is used in a passive construction. The subject of the sentence, Закон, is acted upon by an unknown agent.

в [v] (preposition) - in

This preposition introduces the temporal phrase that follows.

1992 [ty-syachya devya-t'sot dva-dtsa-t' dva] (number) - 1992
году [ga-du] (noun, masculine) - year

This word is a noun in the prepositional case and tells us when the law was adopted.

Translation: The Law on the protection of consumer rights was adopted in 1992.

Key Concepts:

Gender and Number: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and number (singular or plural). The forms of words, including adjectives, pronouns, and verbs, change depending on the gender and number of the noun they modify.

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. This is called declension. There are six cases in Russian, each with a specific function. In this example, the prepositional case is used to show location.

Passive Voice: The sentence uses a passive construction with the past participle of the verb принять [pri-nyat] - to adopt. This indicates that the law was acted upon, but the agent (who adopted the law) is not specified.

Prepositional Phrases: Prepositional phrases are used to add information to the sentence, such as location, time, or purpose.

Variations:

The word закон [za-kon] can also be used in the plural form: законы [za-ko-ny] - laws.

The word принят [pri-nyat] can also be used in the active voice: принял [pri-nyal] (masculine singular), приняла [pri-nya-la] (feminine singular), приняли [pri-nya-li] (plural) - adopted.

Pronunciation:

The stress in the word закон [za-kon] is on the second syllable.

The stress in the word потребителей [pa-tre-bi-te-ley] is on the third syllable.

The stress in the word защите [za-shi-te] is on the second syllable.

The stress in the word принят [pri-nyat] is on the second syllable.

The stress in the word году [ga-du] is on the first syllable.

English Translation:

Закон [za-kon] - law
о защите прав потребителей [a za-shi-te prav pa-tre-bi-te-ley] - about the protection of consumer rights
был [byl] - was
принят [pri-nyat] - adopted
в [v] - in

1992 [ty-syachya devya-t'sot dva-dtsa-t' dva] - 1992
году [ga-du] - year

The next word is burn. The fire огонь /o-gon'/ burned горел /ga-rel'/ brightly ярко /yar-ka/.

огонь /o-gon'/ - This is the word for "fire," It is masculine.

горел /ga-rel'/ - This is the past tense of the verb "to burn" гореть /ga-ret'/, which is an imperfective verb describing an action in progress. It is important to note that the verb гореть /ga-ret'/ is usually used in the past tense with the prefix "с" сгореть /s-ga-ret'/ to describe a completed action, meaning "to burn completely". You can use сгорел /s-ga-rel'/ in this sentence instead of горел /ga-rel'/ if you want to emphasize that the fire burned all the way to the end.

ярко /yar-ka/ - This is an adverb meaning "brightly" and modifies the verb горел /ga-rel'/

English translation: The fire burned brightly.

English to Russian: Burn - гореть /ga-ret'/

The next word is sport. ## Спорт - спорт (sport)

Sentence: Я люблю заниматься спортом. (Ya lyublyu zanimaťsya sportom.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I, Pronoun
люблю (lyublyu) - I love, Verb, present tense, infinitive любить (lyubit')

заниматься (zanimaťsya) - to engage in, Verb, present tense, infinitive заниматься (zanimaťsya)

спортом (sportom) - sports, Noun, instrumental case, singular

Meaning: I love to engage in sports.

Key Concepts:

заниматься (zanimaťsya) requires the instrumental case for the object.

спортом (sportom) is the instrumental case of спорт (sport).

Pronunciation Notes:

Я (Ya) - Ya (like the "ya" in "yard")

люблю (lyublyu) - lyub-lyu (like the "lu" in "flute")

заниматься (zanimaťsya) - za-ni-mať-sya (like the "ni" in "nice" and the "ma" in "mama")

спортом (sportom) - spor-tom (like the "sport" in "sport" and the "tom" in "atom")

English/Russian Translation:

sport: спорт (sport)

The next word is purpose. The sentence: Какая у вас цель? (Kakáya u vas tselʹ?)

Breakdown:

Какая (Kakáya) - This is the nominative feminine singular form of the adjective какой (kakóy), which means "what" or "which" and is used to ask questions about the nature or quality of something. It is pronounced like "kah-kah-ya". It is declined like other adjectives in Russian.

у (u) - This is a preposition meaning "at", "by", or "with" and is used here to indicate possession. Pronounced "oo".

вас (vas) - This is the genitive plural form of the pronoun вы (vy), meaning "you" (plural). It is pronounced like "vahs".

цель (tselʹ) - This is the nominative singular form of the noun цель (tselʹ), meaning "goal" or "purpose". It is pronounced like "tsel". The noun can be declined in all six cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, prepositional).

Meaning: What is your purpose?

Translation:

Какая (Kakáya) - What
у (u) - at/by/with
вас (vas) - you (plural)

цель (tselʹ) - purpose/goal

This question is very useful to start a conversation, as it asks the person to explain what their objective is.

The next word is store. The word "store" in English has a few different meanings, but in this case, we'll focus on the meaning of a place where goods are sold. In Russian, this would be a магазин magazin. This word is pronounced like "ma-ga-zeen." The "-in" at the end sounds like the word "in" in English.

Here is a sentence using магазин magazin:

Я пошёл в магазин magazin, чтобы купить молоко.

[ya pa-shool v magazin magazin, chto-by koo-peet malako]

Я [ya] - I (pronounced like "ya" in "yard")

пошёл [pa-shool] - went (pronounced like "pa-shool" in "pool")

в [v] - to (pronounced like "v" in "van")

магазин magazin - store
чтобы [chto-by] - in order to (pronounced like "chto-by" in "chocolate")

купить [koo-peet] - to buy (pronounced like "koo-peet" in "coo-coo")

молоко [malako] - milk (pronounced like "malako" in "mala-key")

The full translation of the sentence is: "I went to the store to buy milk."

This sentence demonstrates the common way to use магазин magazin in Russian. The word is commonly used in everyday language.

The next word is committee. The word "committee" in Russian is комиссия (komissiya). It's a noun, meaning a group of people who are assigned a specific task, often to investigate or make recommendations.

Sentence:

Комиссия по вопросам образования провела заседание, на котором обсуждались изменения в учебной программе. (Komissiya po voprosam obrazovaniya provela zasedanie, na kotorom obsuzhdailis izmeneniya v uchebnoy programme.)

Breakdown:

Комиссия (komissiya) - committee

Pronunciation: kah-mee-see-ya

Note: The stress is on the second syllable.

по вопросам образования (po voprosam obrazovaniya) - on educational matters

по (po) - on, about, regarding

вопросам (voprosam) - questions, issues

образования (obrazovaniya) - education

провела (provela) - held, conducted

Verb in the past tense, feminine singular form

заседание (zasedanie) - meeting, session
на котором (na kotorom) - at which, on which

на (na) - on, at, in

котором (kotorom) - which (masculine singular)

обсуждались (obsuzhdailis) - were discussed

Past tense, plural form of the verb обсуждать (obsuzhdat) - to discuss

изменения (izmeneniya) - changes
в (v) - in
учебной программе (uchebnoy programme) - curriculum

Translation: The committee on educational matters held a meeting to discuss changes to the curriculum.

Key Concepts:

The Russian word for "committee" is a noun that is gendered (feminine in this case).

The word "committee" is often translated as комиссия (komissiya), but can also be translated as совет (sovet) or комитет (komitet), depending on the context.

Variations:

комиссия (komissiya) is often used for official, professional committees.

совет (sovet) can be used for more informal committees or groups.

комитет (komitet) is also used for official committees, and is often used in political contexts.

Example Sentences:

Члены комиссии были выбраны путем голосования. (Chleny komissii byli vybrany putem golosovaniya.) - The members of the committee were chosen by voting.

Совет по вопросам охраны окружающей среды принял решение о запрете на использование пестицидов. (Sovet po voprosam okhrany okruzhayushchey sredy prinyal reshenie o zaprete na ispolzovanie pestitsidov.) - The environmental committee decided to ban the use of pesticides.

Pronunciation Guide:

ком (kom) - kom
и (i) - ee
ссия (ssiya) - ssee-ya

The next word is world. The world is a vast and complex place.

Мир огромный и сложный.

Мир (meer) - world
огромный (ah-гром-ный) - huge, vast, enormous
и (ee) - and
сложный (слож-ный) - complex, complicated

This sentence is in the present tense and uses the nominative case for both nouns. It is a simple declarative sentence that is easy to understand.

The word мир (meer) can also be used as a noun meaning "peace" or "calm". In that case, it would be used in the accusative case like, "Я хочу мира" (Ya kachu meer-a) - I want peace.

The next word is provide. The word "provide" is a very useful verb in English, and it has a few different translations in Russian, depending on the context. Here's one way to use it in a sentence:

English: The university provides excellent resources for students.

Russian: Университет предоставляет отличные ресурсы для студентов.

Университет (oo-nee-ver-see-tet) - university
предоставляет (pre-do-stav-ly-a-yet) - provides (present tense, 3rd person singular)

отличные (ot-lich-nye) - excellent (plural, adjective)

ресурсы (re-soor-sy) - resources (plural, noun)

для (dlya) - for
студентов (stu-den-tov) - students (plural, noun)

Key concepts:

предоставляет is a very common verb in Russian, and it means "to provide" or "to make available." It is often used with the preposition для (for).

отличные is an adjective that means "excellent" or "great." It is in the plural form because it modifies the plural noun ресурсы.

ресурсы is a noun that can refer to any kind of resources, such as books, computers, or financial aid.

Variations:

предоставить (pre-do-stav-it) - to provide (infinitive)

предоставлять (pre-do-stav-lyat) - to provide (present tense, plural)

предоставил (pre-do-stav-il) - provided (past tense, masculine singular)

предоставила (pre-do-stav-i-la) - provided (past tense, feminine singular)

Pronunciation Hints:

У is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon."

е is pronounced like the "e" in "bed."

ы is pronounced like the "ee" in "tree."

о is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

предоставляет is pronounced as if it were "pre-do-stav-ly-a-yet."

отличные is pronounced as if it were "ot-lich-nye."

English: Provide

Russian: предоставлять (pre-do-stav-lyat)

The next word is football. Футбол очень популярен в России.

Футбол (football) is pronounced [fut-BOHL].

очень (very) is pronounced [OH-chen].

популярен (popular) is pronounced [pa-poo-LYAH-ren]

в (in) is pronounced [v]

России (Russia) is pronounced [RA-see-ee]

The sentence is in the present tense and uses the nominative case for Футбол (football) and the locative case for России (Russia). The word популярен (popular) is an adjective in the masculine singular form, agreeing with the masculine noun Футбол (football).

Translation: Football is very popular in Russia.

Key Concepts:

Nominative Case: The subject of a sentence is always in the nominative case.

Locative Case: The locative case indicates location and is often used with prepositions like в (in).

Adjective Agreement: Adjectives in Russian must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.

Variations of the word Футбол (football):

Футбольный (football-related) is an adjective.

Футболист (football player) is a noun.

Футбольная команда (football team) is a noun phrase.

The next word is item. The word "item" in English can translate to several different words in Russian, depending on the context. Here's a sentence with one of the most common translations:

В списке был один предмет – книга по истории. V spiske byl odin predmet – kniga po istorii.

Breakdown:

предмет predmet - This word means "item" in the sense of a single object, especially in a list. It is pronounced "preh-d-myet" with a slight emphasis on the first syllable.

книга kniga - This word is "book" and is pronounced "knee-gah" with the emphasis on the first syllable.

истории istorii - This is the genitive case of "history" and is pronounced "ee-stor-ee-ee" with the emphasis on the first syllable.

был byl - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" and is pronounced "beel"

один odin - This word means "one" and is pronounced "ah-deen"

в v - This word means "in" and is pronounced "v"

списке spiske - This is the prepositional case of "list" and is pronounced "spis-kay" with the emphasis on the first syllable.

Translation:

There was one item on the list - a book on history.

Variations:

вещь veshch - This word means "thing" and is pronounced "vyetch" with emphasis on the first syllable. It can be used for a general item but is a little less formal than предмет predmet.

штука shtuka - This word means "thing" or "item" in a more informal setting. It is pronounced "shtoo-kah" with emphasis on the first syllable.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are assigned genders. предмет predmet is masculine.

Cases: Russian has six grammatical cases that change the form of words depending on their role in the sentence. In the sentence above, предмет predmet is in the nominative case (the subject of the sentence), and книга kniga is in the nominative case, too, as it is the direct object. The preposition "in" (в v) requires the prepositional case, so we use списке spiske instead of список spisok.

Learning how to use the correct case for each noun can be tricky. Make sure to practice!

The next word is deliver. The courier will доставлять посылку tomorrow.

доставлять dostávljat´ to deliver
посылка posýlka parcel

Breakdown:

доставлять dostávljat´ is an imperfective verb meaning "to deliver" and is used for an ongoing action.

To make the verb perfect, you would use the word доставить dostávit´, which means "to deliver" (single action, completed)

Note: the stress is on the second to last syllable in both cases.

посылка posýlka is a noun meaning "parcel" or "package".

The sentence uses the future tense, which is formed by the word будет búdjet "will be" plus the infinitive of the verb, in this case доставлять dostávljat´.

The courier will deliver the parcel tomorrow.

Translation:

Курьер будет доставлять посылку завтра.

Pronunciation guide:

доставлять dostávljat´ - The "a" in the first syllable sounds like the "a" in "father", the "e" in the second to last syllable sounds like the "e" in "bed".

посылка posýlka - The "o" sounds like the "o" in "hot", the "y" sound is like the "i" in "machine", the "a" in the last syllable sounds like the "a" in "father".

The next word is due. The word "due" in English can have several meanings, and each meaning will affect how we translate it into Russian.

For example, it can mean:

Owing: In this case, we would use the Russian word должен (dolzhen). This is a masculine adjective that means "due" or "owing". It's very close to the English word "due" in this context. The "zh" in "dolzhen" is pronounced similar to the "j" in the English word "judge".

Here is a sentence:

Мне должен тысячу долларов. (Mne dolzhen tysyachu dollarov.)

Translation: I am owed a thousand dollars.

должен (dolzhen) - due, owing

тысячу (tysyachu) - thousand

долларов (dollarov) - dollars.

The "ch" sound in "tysyachu" is like the "ch" in the English word "church."

Scheduled: In this case, we could use the Russian word назначенный (naznachennyy). This is a masculine adjective meaning "scheduled" or "appointed." The "ch" in "naznachennyy" is like the "ch" in "church." The "nn" at the end of "naznachennyy" is pronounced similar to the "nn" in the English word "funny."

Here is a sentence:

Самолет назначен на завтра. (Samolet naznachen na zavtra.)

Translation: The plane is scheduled for tomorrow.

Самолет (Samolet) - airplane
назначен (naznachen) - scheduled
на (na) - on
завтра (zavtra) - tomorrow

Due to: When referring to a cause or reason, we might use the preposition из-за (iz-za). The "z" in "iz-za" sounds like the "z" in "zebra."

Here is a sentence:

Из-за дождя, мы не смогли пойти на прогулку. (Iz-za dozhdya, my ne smog li poyti na progulku.)

Translation: Due to the rain, we were unable to go for a walk.

Из-за (iz-za) - due to
дождя (dozhdya) - rain
мы (my) - we
не (ne) - not
смогли (smogli) - were able
пойти (poyti) - to go
на (na) - on
прогулку (progulku) - walk

As you can see, the Russian translation of "due" can vary depending on its context. Learning how to use these variations will help you to express yourself more accurately and fluently in Russian!

The next word is boat. The sentence is: Я люблю кататься на лодке по озеру.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I - This is the subject pronoun, which is the person performing the action.

люблю (lyublyu) - I love - This is the verb in the present tense, first person singular, which means it's referring to "I" and it's happening now. It's conjugated to match the subject, "I".

кататься (katat'sya) - to ride, to go for a ride - This is the infinitive form of the verb, meaning it is not conjugated. However, it is used here in the form of an infinitive phrase, indicating the action.

на (na) - on, in - This is a preposition, meaning it shows the relationship between the noun "boat" and the verb "to ride".

лодке (lodke) - boat - The noun, which is the object of the preposition "на", is in the prepositional case, which is used when the noun is governed by a preposition.

по (po) - along, on - Another preposition, showing the relationship between the verb "to ride" and the noun "lake"

озеру (ozery) - lake - The noun, which is the object of the preposition "по", is in the prepositional case.

Key Concepts

Prepositional Case: This is one of the six cases in Russian, used to show the relationship between a noun and a preposition.

Infinitive Phrase: This is a verb form in the infinitive, but it acts as an adjective or noun within a sentence.

Subject-Verb Agreement: The verb must agree with the subject in person and number.

Translation: I love to ride in a boat on the lake.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - Ya
люблю (lyublyu) - lyoob-lyoo
кататься (katat'sya) - ka-tat's-ya
на (na) - na
лодке (lodke) - lod-ke
по (po) - po
озеру (ozery) - oh-ze-roo

Variations:

Лодка (lodka) - boat (nominative case) - The nominative case is used when the noun is the subject of the sentence.

Лодку (lodku) - boat (accusative case) - The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb.

Лодками (lodkami) - boats (instrumental case) - The instrumental case is used to show how something is done.

Озеро (ozero) - lake (nominative case) - The nominative case is used when the noun is the subject of the sentence.

Озера (ozera) - lakes (nominative case plural) - The nominative case plural is used for multiple lakes as the subject of the sentence.

The next word is contrast. The Russian sentence will use the word контраст (pronounced kon-trast) which means contrast. It is a noun.

Here is the Russian sentence:

Контраст между этими двумя цветами очень заметен. (pronounced kon-trast mezh-doo eh-tee-mee dvoo-mya tsvye-ta-mee oh-chen za-me-ten. )

This sentence means: The contrast between these two colors is very noticeable.

Breakdown:

Контраст (kon-trast) - contrast (noun) - the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close proximity.

между (mezh-doo) - between (preposition) - in the space separating.

этими (eh-tee-mee) - these (pronoun) - plural form of this.

двумя (dvoo-mya) - two (pronoun) - the plural form of two.

цветами (tsvye-ta-mee) - colors (noun) - plural form of color.

очень (oh-chen) - very (adverb) - to a great degree.

заметен (za-me-ten) - noticeable (adjective) - easily seen or perceived.

Key Concept: The preposition между (mezh-doo) is often used to express contrast in Russian. It is similar to the English "between" and is followed by the noun(s) that are being contrasted.

Word and Pronunciation Translation

English | Russian | Pronunciation

------- | -------- | --------
contrast | контраст | kon-trast
between | между | mezh-doo
these | эти | eh-tee
two | два | dva
colors | цвета | tsvye-ta
very | очень | oh-chen
noticeable | заметный | za-me-tnyy

The next word is warn. The word "warn" in Russian is предупреждать (pronounced pre-doo-pre-zh-dat'). The sentence below illustrates how it is used in a typical context:

Sentence: Я предупреждал тебя, что будет холодно! (Ya preduprezhdal tebya, chto budet kholodno!)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
предупреждал (preduprezhdal) - past tense, masculine singular form of предупреждать (preduprezhdat') - to warn
тебя (tebya) - you (accusative case)

что (chto) - that
будет (budet) - will be (future tense)

холодно (kholodno) - cold (adjective)

Key Concept: The verb "to warn" (предупреждать - preduprezhdat') is an imperfective verb. This means that it describes an action that is ongoing or repeated. The sentence focuses on the act of warning rather than on the completion of the warning.

Variations of предупреждать (preduprezhdat'):

Past tense:

предупреждал (preduprezhdal) - masculine singular

предупреждала (preduprezhдала) - feminine singular

предупреждало (preduprezhдало) - neuter singular

предупреждали (preduprezhдали) - plural

Present tense:

предупреждаю (preduprezhdayu) - I warn

предупреждаешь (preduprezhdaesh') - you warn

предупреждает (preduprezhdaet) - he/she/it warns

предупреждаем (preduprezhdaem) - we warn

предупреждаете (preduprezhdaete) - you (plural) warn

предупреждают (preduprezhdayut) - they warn

Future tense:

предупрежу (preduprezhu) - I will warn

предупредишь (predupredish') - you will warn

предупредит (predupredit) - he/she/it will warn

предупредим (predupredim) - we will warn

предупредите (predupredite) - you (plural) will warn

предупредят (predupredyat) - they will warn

English Translation: "I warned you that it would be cold!"

Pronunciation:

предупреждать (pre-doo-pre-zh-dat')

я (ya)

тебя (te-bya)

что (chto)

будет (boo-det)

холодно (kho-lod-no)

The next word is special. This is a special occasion.

Это особый случай.

Breakdown:

Это (pronounced Eh-to) - This is the nominative case of the pronoun "это" это, meaning "this" or "it." The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence.

особый (pronounced uh-SO-bee) - This is an adjective meaning "special" or "unique." It is in the masculine nominative singular form to agree with the noun случай.

случай (pronounced SLOO-chay) - This is a noun meaning "occasion," "case," or "event." It is in the nominative singular form.

Variations:

The adjective особый (pronounced uh-SO-bee) can also be used in other forms to agree with different genders and numbers of nouns. For example, особая (uh-SO-bye-uh) is the feminine form, особое (uh-SO-buh-ye) is the neuter form, and особые (uh-SO-bee-ye) is the plural form.

Pronunciation:

Это (Eh-to)

особый (uh-SO-bee)

случай (SLOO-chay)

English to Russian translation:

special - особый (uh-SO-bee)

The next word is today. Сегодня я иду в университет.

Breakdown:

Сегодня (Se-god-nya) - Today. This is the most common word for "today." The "d" is a soft "d" sound like the "d" in "day". The "nya" sounds like "nya" in the word "canyon".

я (Ya) - I - The personal pronoun "I". The "y" in this word is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

иду (i-doo) - I go. This is the present tense of the verb "to go", which is идти (ee-d-tee). You need to memorize this entire verb, but this is just the present tense, first person singular. "I go".

в (v) - In - A preposition meaning "in" or "to", like "I go in the university" or "I go to the university." It's a very short word, pronounced like the "v" in "victory".

университет (oo-ni-ver-si-tet) - University - This is a common word. Pay attention to the stress on the fourth syllable.

Translation: Today I go to the university.

English: Today

Russian: Сегодня (Se-god-nya)

English: I

Russian: я (Ya)

English: go

Russian: иду (i-doo)

English: to

Russian: в (v)

English: university

Russian: университет (oo-ni-ver-si-tet)

The next word is everything. The word "everything" in Russian is всё (vsyo). It is a neuter pronoun, meaning it doesn't have a gender. It can stand alone or be used as part of a phrase.

Example Sentence:

Я купил всё, что хотел. (Ya kupil vsyo, chto hotel.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case, masculine)

купил (kupil) - bought (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

всё (vsyo) - everything (pronoun, nominative case, neuter)

что (chto) - what (pronoun, nominative case, neuter)

хотел (hotel) - wanted (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

Translation: I bought everything I wanted.

Pronunciation:

всё (vsyo) - "vsyo" - The "o" is like the "o" in "hot". The "s" is similar to the "s" in "see", but slightly more forward in the mouth.

Variations:

The word всё (vsyo) can also be used as an adjective. In this case, it would be used with a noun.

Example:

Я хочу всё новое. (Ya khochu vsyo novoye.)

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case, masculine)

хочу (khochu) - want (verb, present tense, masculine singular)

всё (vsyo) - all, everything (adjective, nominative case, neuter)

новое (novoye) - new (adjective, nominative case, neuter)

Translation: I want everything new.

Pronunciation:

новое (novoye) - "novoye" - The "e" at the end is very soft, almost silent.

всё (vsyo) - "vsyo" - The "o" is like the "o" in "hot". The "s" is similar to the "s" in "see", but slightly more forward in the mouth.

Key Concept:

The word всё (vsyo) is a versatile word that can be used in many different contexts. It can stand alone as a pronoun or be used as part of a phrase.

English word: everything

Russian word: всё (vsyo) - "vsyo"

The next word is car. The word "car" in Russian is машина (pronounced mah-shee-na). It is a feminine noun, so you need to use the feminine form of adjectives when describing it.

Here is a simple sentence:

У меня есть новая машина. У меня есть новая машина.

У меня У меня - This is a common phrase that means "I have." It is a contraction of "у" (at) and "меня" (me). Pronounced oo-mye-nya.

есть есть - This means "to have" and is an irregular verb. The pronunciation is yest'.

новая новая - This means "new." It is in the feminine form because "машина" is feminine. Pronounced no-vaya.

машина машина - This is the noun "car," pronounced mah-shee-na.

Translation: I have a new car.

Key Concepts:

The Russian word for "car" is машина (mah-shee-na).

Russian nouns have gender, which affects the form of adjectives.

The phrase "у меня есть" У меня есть is a common way to say "I have."

The next word is unless. The word "unless" in English functions as a conjunction, introducing a conditional clause that indicates that something will happen only if a certain condition is not met. In Russian, this is expressed using the conjunction если (pronounced [ye-sli] -- "if") followed by the word не (pronounced [nye] -- "not").

Here is a sentence using the word "unless":

Он не придёт, если ты не позвонишь ему.

Here's a breakdown of the sentence:

Он (pronounced [on] -- "he") - Subject of the sentence.

не (pronounced [nye] -- "not") - Negation
придёт (pronounced [pri-dyot] -- "will come") - Verb (future tense)

если (pronounced [ye-sli] -- "if") - Conjunction introducing the conditional clause
ты (pronounced [ty] -- "you") - Subject of the conditional clause
не (pronounced [nye] -- "not") - Negation
позвонишь (pronounced [paz-vo-ni-sh] -- "will call") - Verb (future tense)

ему (pronounced [ye-mu] -- "him") - Dative case pronoun, indicating the indirect object of the verb "call."

Translation: He won't come unless you call him.

Key concept: The Russian language uses the conjunction если (pronounced [ye-sli] -- "if") followed by the word не (pronounced [nye] -- "not") to express the conditional statement that something will happen only if a certain condition is not met. This is the same function as the English word "unless."

Pronunciation notes:

если (pronounced [ye-sli])

не (pronounced [nye])

он (pronounced [on])

придёт (pronounced [pri-dyot])

ты (pronounced [ty])

позвонишь (pronounced [paz-vo-ni-sh])

ему (pronounced [ye-mu])

English and Russian translation of the word "unless":

Unless - если не

The next word is agent. The word "agent" in Russian is агент (pronounced ah-gent).

Here is a simple sentence using the word:

Агент продал билеты на концерт.

Breakdown:

Агент (ah-gent) - agent
продал (prah-dahl) - past tense of the verb "to sell"

билеты (bee-leh-tee) - tickets
на (nah) - on, to, at
концерт (kan-tsert) - concert

Meaning: The agent sold tickets to the concert.

Variations:

The word агент can be used in many contexts, such as a travel agent, a secret agent, a literary agent, or a real estate agent.

The verb продать (prah-dat') is the infinitive form of the verb "to sell" and can be conjugated in various tenses and aspects.

Key Concepts:

The word order in Russian is usually subject-verb-object.

The verb conjugation in Russian changes based on the tense, person, and number.

English to Russian Translation:

agent - агент (ah-gent)

to sell - продавать (prah-dah-vat')

tickets - билеты (bee-leh-tee)

concert - концерт (kan-tsert)

The next word is touch. The word "touch" in English has many meanings and can be used in many different grammatical contexts. For the sake of this exercise, we will focus on the verb form "to touch" which means "to make contact with something with your fingers or hand".

Here is a Russian sentence that uses the word "touch".

Не трогай эту картину!

Breakdown:

Не - (Ne) This is the negative particle in Russian. It is pronounced "nyeh." This is often called the "not" particle. It can be added to the front of many verbs.

трогай - (trogay) This is the imperative form of the verb "to touch" - трогать (trogat). The imperative is used for commands and requests. It is pronounced "troh-guy".

эту (etu) - This is the accusative case of the demonstrative pronoun "this". It is pronounced "eh-too". The accusative case is often used with direct objects of a sentence.

картину (kartinu) - This is the noun "picture" in the accusative case. It is pronounced "kar-tee-noo".

! - This is an exclamation mark and serves to emphasize the command.

Translation: Do not touch this picture!

English pronunciation: neh troh-guy eh-too kar-tee-noo!

Key concepts:

Imperative form: This is a common form for commands and requests in Russian.

Accusative case: This case is important for direct objects, which are the nouns or pronouns that receive the action of the verb.

Variations:

Не тронь (neh tron) - This is the informal imperative form of the verb "to touch." It is a more informal command.

Пожалуйста, не трогайте (pozhaluysta ne trogayte) - This is a polite request, meaning "Please do not touch". It is useful for being polite when asking someone not to touch something.

Можно я прикоснусь? (mozhno ya prikosnus) - This is a question that means "May I touch?" It is a polite way to ask for permission to touch something.

The word "touch" is a versatile word in English and Russian. It is important to note that the word "touch" can have other meanings, such as "to feel something with your fingers". It is important to remember the context in which the word is being used so that you can correctly translate it into Russian.

The next word is in. The word "in" is a preposition that can be used in many ways in English. In Russian, the word в (pronounced like "v") is often used to translate "in." Here's how it's used in a sentence:

Sentence:

Книга лежит в сумке.

Breakdown:

Книга (pronounced like "knee-gah") - noun, meaning "book"

лежит (pronounced like "lee-zhit") - verb, meaning "lies" or "is lying" (present tense, 3rd person singular)

в (pronounced like "v") - preposition, meaning "in"

сумке (pronounced like "soom-kay") - noun, meaning "bag" (feminine, dative case)

Meaning: "The book is in the bag."

Key concept: The dative case in Russian is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb. In this sentence, the preposition в governs the dative case, meaning that the noun сумке must be in the dative case to be grammatically correct.

Variations:

The preposition в can be used in many different contexts, and its meaning can vary slightly depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

Я живу в Москве. (I live in Moscow.)

Я иду в магазин. (I am going to the store.)

Я сижу в кресле. (I am sitting in the chair.)

English translation of word and pronunciation:

in - в (pronounced like "v")

English translation of sentence:

The book is in the bag.

The next word is room. The word "room" can be translated in several ways in Russian, depending on the context:

1. Комната komnata (feminine, pronounced "kom-nuh-tuh") - This is the most common translation and refers to a room in a house or apartment. It can be used for any type of room, like a bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc.

Example: У меня есть большая комната. U menya est' bol'shaya komnata. (I have a big room.)

Breakdown:

У U - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "by," but in this case, it is part of the possessive pronoun meaning "my." Pronounced "oo."

меня menya - This is the object pronoun meaning "me." Pronounced "men-ya."

есть est' - This is the verb "to be" or "to have" in the present tense. Pronounced "est'."

большая bol'shaya - This is the feminine adjective meaning "big." Pronounced "bol'sha-ya."

комната komnata - This is the noun meaning "room." Pronounced "kom-nuh-tuh."

1. Помещение pomescheniye (neuter, pronounced "puh-myesh-chen-ee-ye") - This is a more formal word and often refers to a room in a building, like a classroom, office, or library.

Example: В этом помещении проходят занятия. V etom pomeschenii prohodyat zanyatiya. (Classes are held in this room.)

Breakdown:

В V - This is a preposition meaning "in." Pronounced "v."

этом etom - This is the neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning "this." Pronounced "eh-tom."

помещении pomeschenii - This is the noun meaning "room." Pronounced "puh-myesh-chen-ee-ye."

проходят prohodyat - This is the third-person plural present tense verb "to take place." Pronounced "proh-ho-dyat."

занятия zanyatiya - This is the noun meaning "classes." Pronounced "za-nya-tee-ya."

1. Место mesto (neuter, pronounced "myes-tuh") - This is a more general word meaning "place," and it can sometimes be used to refer to a room.

Example: Это место очень уютное. Eto mesto ochen' uyutnoye. (This room is very cozy.)

Breakdown:

Это Eto - This is the neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning "this." Pronounced "eh-tuh."

место mesto - This is the noun meaning "place." Pronounced "myes-tuh."

очень ochen' - This is the adverb meaning "very." Pronounced "oh-chen'."

уютное uyutnoye - This is the neuter adjective meaning "cozy." Pronounced "oo-yut-no-ye."

English: room

Russian: комната komnata, помещение pomescheniye, место mesto

The next word is mine. This is a sentence using the word "mine" in Russian:

Это моя книга.

Это (pronounced Eh-to) - This
моя (pronounced Ma-ya) - My (feminine)

книга (pronounced K-nee-ga) - book

Translation: This is my book.

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender. книга is a feminine noun. This means that we use the feminine form of the possessive adjective "my" - моя - to describe it.

Word Order: In this sentence, the subject (book) is placed after the verb (is) and the adjective (my).

Variations:

If we were talking about a masculine noun, such as стол (table), we would use the masculine form of "my" - мой - Это мой стол. (This is my table).

For a neutral noun, such as окно (window), we would use the neuter form - Это мое окно. (This is my window).

Pronunciation:

Это - Eh-to
моя - Ma-ya
книга - K-nee-ga
стол - Stohl
окно - Ok-no

English - Russian Word Translation:

mine - мой (masculine), моя (feminine), мое (neuter)

The next word is parent. The word "parent" in Russian is родитель (pronounced "rah-dee-tel").

Here's a sentence using the word:

Мои родители живут в Москве. (pronounced "moy-ee rah-dee-tel-ee zhi-voot v Mask-vye")

Breakdown:

Мои (moy-ee) - "my" (plural possessive adjective)

родители (rah-dee-tel-ee) - "parents" (plural noun)

живут (zhi-voot) - "live" (present tense, 3rd person plural of the verb "жить" [zhit'])

в (v) - "in" (preposition)

Москве (Mask-vye) - "Moscow" (prepositional case of the noun "Москва" [Mask-va])

Meaning: "My parents live in Moscow."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and nouns agree in gender, number, and case. Родители is a masculine plural noun, so the adjective мои is also masculine plural.

Prepositional Case: The preposition в ("in") requires the noun following it to be in the prepositional case.

Word Order: While Russian has a more flexible word order than English, the basic structure of the sentence is subject-verb-object.

Variations of the word "родитель" (rah-dee-tel):

Родители (rah-dee-tel-ee) - parents (plural)

Родительница (rah-dee-tel-nee-tsa) - mother (singular)

Родитель (rah-dee-tel) - parent (singular)

English Translation:

Parent - родитель (rah-dee-tel)

The next word is chance. У него у него (u nyego) - He has. у (u) is a preposition that means "at" or "with" in this case "with him". него (nevo) is a possessive pronoun meaning "his".

Ему ему (yemu) - To him. ему (yemu) is a dative pronoun meaning "to him" or "for him"

У него есть у него есть (u nyego yest) - He has. есть (yest) - to be, but in the present tense meaning "has" or "there is".

У него есть шанс у него есть шанс (u nyego yest shans) - He has a chance. шанс (shans) - chance (pronounced like the english word "shance")

Variations of шанс (shans):

шансов (shansov) - chances
шансу (shansu) - chance (dative)

шансом (shansom) - chance (instrumental)

English: chance

Russian: шанс (shans)

The next word is interest. The word интерес (pronounced "in-te-res") can be a noun or an adjective, meaning "interest."

Here's an example sentence:

У меня есть большой интерес к изучению русского языка.

U menya est' bol'shoy interes k izucheniyu russkogo yazyka.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") - This is a preposition meaning "at, by, with, near." In this context, it means "I have."

меня (pronounced "menya") - This is a personal pronoun meaning "me."

есть (pronounced "yest'") - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense.

большой (pronounced "bol'shoy") - This is an adjective meaning "big" or "large."

интерес (pronounced "in-te-res") - This is the noun meaning "interest."

к (pronounced "k") - This is a preposition meaning "to."

изучению (pronounced "izucheniyu") - This is the noun meaning "study" or "learning."

русского (pronounced "russkogo") - This is an adjective meaning "Russian."

языка (pronounced "yazyka") - This is the noun meaning "language."

Translation: I have a great interest in learning the Russian language.

The adjective интересный (pronounced "in-te-res-ny") can also be used to describe something that is interesting, as in:

Это очень интересная книга.

Eto ochen' interesnaya kniga.

Breakdown:

Это (pronounced "eh-to") - This is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "that."

очень (pronounced "ochen'") - This is an adverb meaning "very."

интересная (pronounced "in-te-res-naya") - This is an adjective meaning "interesting."

книга (pronounced "kniga") - This is the noun meaning "book."

Translation: This is a very interesting book.

Remember to practice your pronunciation with a native speaker or pronunciation tool to get the most out of your learning. Good luck!

English: interest

Russian: интерес (in-te-res)

The next word is evening. The word "evening" in Russian is вечер (vecher).

Here's a sentence using the word "evening":

Сегодня вечером я иду в театр.

This translates to: "Tonight I am going to the theatre."

Breakdown:

Сегодня (sevodnya) - Today. This word is very common in Russian and can be used in various contexts, always referring to the current day.

вечером (vecherom) - In the evening. This is the instrumental case of the noun вечер (vecher). The instrumental case is used to express the means or instrument of an action, and in this context, it denotes the time of the action.

я (ya) - I. The pronoun "я" (ya) is used as a subject of the sentence and refers to the speaker.

иду (idu) - I am going. This is the present tense form of the verb "to go" in the first person singular.

в (v) - To/in. This preposition is used to indicate direction or location.

театр (teatr) - Theatre.

Key Concepts:

Case System: Russian nouns change their forms depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. This is called the case system. The word "evening" (вечер) in this sentence is in the instrumental case, indicated by the ending ом (om).

Tense and Person: Verbs in Russian are conjugated to indicate the tense (present, past, future) and person (first, second, third). The verb "to go" (идти) in this sentence is in the present tense, first person singular form.

Pronunciation:

вечер (vecher) - The stress falls on the first syllable, ве (ve). Think of it like "veh-cher".

вечером (vecherom) - The stress is on the second syllable, че (che). Think of it like "veh-che-rom".

Variations:

The noun вечер (vecher) can be used in various forms.

вечера (vechera) - The genitive case, used to express possession or lack of something. "There was no time in the evening." Вечером времени не было.

вечеру (vecheru) - The dative case, used to indicate the recipient of an action or object. "I gave a gift in the evening." Вечеру я подарил подарок.

Understanding the case system and verb conjugation is crucial for mastering Russian grammar. Good luck!

The next word is across. The English word "across" can be used in a variety of ways, but in this sentence, we are using it in the sense of "from one side to the other".

Sentence: Мы перешли реку вброд.

Breakdown:

Мы - we (nominative plural pronoun) - pronounced as [m'i]

перешли - past tense of the verb переходить (to cross) - pronounced as [pi-ri-shli]

реку - river (accusative singular feminine noun) - pronounced as [ri-ku]

вброд - (adverb) meaning "by wading" - pronounced as [v-brod]

Translation: We crossed the river by wading.

Variations of the word "across" in Russian:

через (through) - pronounced as [che-rez]

поперек (across) - pronounced as [pa-pi-rek]

насквозь (through and through) - pronounced as [nas-kvoz]

Helpful Hints:

The ending of the verb перешли is important to understand. It tells us that the action happened in the past.

Вброд is a very specific word, meaning "by wading". This would not be used for crossing a bridge, for example.

English to Russian word translations:

across - через (pronounced as [che-rez])

river - река (pronounced as [ri-ka])

to cross - переходить (pronounced as [pi-ri-ho-dit])

The next word is amount. The amount of water in the lake количество [коли́чество] / [ka-lee-che-stva] water in the lake воды [ва́ды] / [va-dee] is decreasing.

Breakdown:

количество [коли́чество] / [ka-lee-che-stva] is the noun for amount, quantity. The stress is on the second syllable "ли".

воды [ва́ды] / [va-dee] is the genitive case of the noun вода [вада́] / [va-da] which means water. The genitive case is used after prepositions like "of" and "from", and after words indicating a quantity. The stress is on the first syllable "во".

The sentence uses the present tense of the verb "уменьшаться" [уменша́ться] / [oo-min-sha-tsa] which means to decrease. The ending "ся" /[sya] is a reflexive ending indicating that the water itself is decreasing.

The sentence follows the structure:

Subject (water) + prepositional phrase (of the lake) + verb (is decreasing).

Translation:

Количество воды в озере уменьшается.

English: The amount of water in the lake is decreasing.

Pronunciation Guide:

количество - [ka-lee-che-stva]

воды - [va-dee]

уменьшается - [oo-min-sha-tsa]

озеро - [o-ze-ra]

Word: amount

English: [əˈmaʊnt]

Russian: количество [ka-lee-che-stva]

The next word is farm. The word ферма (pronounced fer-ma) means farm.

Here is a sentence using this word:

На ферме много животных. (pronounced na fer-me mnogo zhi-vot-nykh)

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

На (pronounced na) - on, at. This is a preposition which is a word that connects a noun to another word in the sentence. It is used with the word ферма which is the noun in this sentence.

ферме (pronounced fer-me) - farm. This is the noun, the thing that is being talked about in the sentence.

много (pronounced mnogo) - many. This is an adjective which describes the noun.

животных (pronounced zhi-vot-nykh) - animals. This is the noun, the thing that is being described by the adjective.

This sentence translates to: There are many animals on the farm.

Variations of the word ферма:

фермер (pronounced fer-mer) means farmer
фермерский (pronounced fer-mer-skiy) means farm (adj)

фермерство (pronounced fer-mer-stvo) means farming

English: farm - ферма (pronounced fer-ma)

English: farmer - фермер (pronounced fer-mer)

The next word is similar. The word "similar" in Russian is похожий (po-kho-zhy).

The sentence:

Эти два дома очень похожи. (eh-ti dva do-ma o-chen po-kho-zhi)

These two houses are very similar.

Breakdown:

Эти (eh-ti) - These - Demonstrative pronoun, plural, nominative case
два (dva) - two - Numeral, masculine, nominative case
дома (do-ma) - houses - Noun, masculine, plural, nominative case
очень (o-chen) - very - Adverb
похожи (po-kho-zhi) - similar - Adjective, masculine, plural, nominative case

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: Russian nouns, adjectives, and pronouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). Adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender with the noun they modify. In this sentence, "houses" is masculine, so "similar" is also masculine.

Plural forms: Russian nouns, adjectives, and pronouns have different forms for singular and plural. Here, "houses" and "similar" are in plural form.

Case: In Russian, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence. This is called case. Here, all words are in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

Adverbs: In Russian, adverbs are used to modify adjectives and verbs. "Very" is an adverb that modifies the adjective "similar".

Variations:

Похожий (po-kho-zhy) can also be used in the singular form: Этот дом похож на тот дом. (eh-tot dom po-khozh na tot dom) - This house is similar to that house.

The word схожий (skho-zhy) is also similar in meaning to "similar" but less commonly used.

Pronunciation:

похожий (po-kho-zhy) - The "o" in похожий is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

English & Russian Translation of the Word:

Similar: похожий (po-kho-zhy)

The next word is have. ## У меня есть кошка.

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "by", but it's used here to indicate possession. Think of it like saying "I have..." It is similar to "I have a cat".

меня (myen-ya) - This is the personal pronoun "me". It's the object form, so it's used when someone or something is acting upon you.

есть (yest') - This is the verb "to have". It's a very common and important verb in Russian.

кошка (kosh-ka) - This is the noun "cat". It's a feminine noun, so the ending of the adjective "my" changes to "моя" (mo-ya).

Translation: I have a cat.

Variations:

У тебя есть собака? (oo ti-bya yest' sa-ba-ka?) - Do you have a dog?

У нас есть дом. (oo nas yest' dom) - We have a house.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "e" at the end of "есть" is very short and almost silent.

The "a" at the end of "кошка" is pronounced with a slight emphasis.

English and Russian Translations:

Have - иметь (i-met')

Cat - кошка (kosh-ka)

The next word is leg. У меня болит нога (no-gah).

This sentence means, “My leg hurts.” The word for leg, нога (no-gah), is feminine and it is singular, meaning one leg. The verb болит (bo-lit) means “hurts.”

Here are some useful variations of the word нога (no-gah):

ноги (no-gi) - plural, meaning legs.

левый (le-vyy) - left
правый (pra-vyy) - right

Example: У меня болят ноги (no-gi). This means, “My legs hurt.”

Key Concepts:

Russian nouns are always gendered, in this case feminine

Russian nouns have singular and plural forms

The noun нога (no-gah) is an important word to know.

Pronunciation:

нога (no-gah) - The ‘g’ is pronounced like the ‘g’ in ‘go’ and the ‘a’ at the end is pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘father’.

болит (bo-lit) - The ‘o’ is pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘hot’.

English Translation:

нога (no-gah) - leg

болит (bo-lit) - hurts

The next word is cause. The word "cause" in English can be translated to Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. We'll start with the most common usage:

Причина (prichina)

Pronunciation: [pree-chee-nuh]

Grammatical Notes: This word is feminine and can be used in the nominative, accusative, or prepositional case.

Sentence Example:

Причиной (prichinoi) его (yego) отказа (otkaza) была (byla) болезнь (bolezn).

Translation: The cause of his refusal was illness.

Breakdown:

Причиной (prichinoi) is the instrumental case of причина (prichina), meaning "by the cause."

его (yego) is the genitive case of он (on), meaning "his"

отказа (otkaza) is the genitive case of отказ (otkaz), meaning "refusal".

была (byla) is the past tense of быть (byt'), meaning "was"

болезнь (bolezn) is the nominative case of болезнь (bolezn), meaning "illness"

Key Concept: The instrumental case is used after prepositions such as по (po) (by), с (s) (with), and для (dlya) (for).

Variations:

причина (prichina) can also be used as a noun in the nominative case, such as Какая (Kakaya) причина (prichina) твоей (tvoey) печали (pechali)? (What is the cause of your sadness?)

To emphasize "cause" as a reason, you can use потому что (potomu chto) (because).

Из-за (iz-za) (because of) is a more formal way to indicate cause.

Pronunciation: Remember to pronounce the "ch" as a "ch" sound, not a "k" sound.

Cause (to make something happen):

Вызвать (vyzvat') - to cause, to provoke

Pronunciation: [vuhz-vat']

Example: Это (eto) может (mozhet) вызвать (vyzvat') проблемы (problemy).

Translation: This can cause problems.

The next word is bank. The word "bank" in English can refer to a financial institution, the edge of a river or lake, or a slope of land. In Russian, the word for "bank" in the financial sense is банк (bank), pronounced like "bank" in English. Here is an example of how it's used in a sentence:

Я пошёл в банк, чтобы снять деньги. (Ya poshyol v bank, chtoby snyat' dengi.)

This sentence means "I went to the bank to withdraw money".

Я (ya) - I
пошёл (poshyol) - went (masculine past tense of the verb идти idti - to go)

в (v) - to (preposition)

банк (bank) - bank
чтобы (chtoby) - in order to (conjunction)

снять (snyat') - to withdraw (infinitive verb)

деньги (dengi) - money

Key concept: The verb снять (snyat') is used in this sentence with the meaning of "to withdraw" when speaking of money from a bank account. This is a common usage in Russian.

Pronunciation Notes:

я (ya) - sounds like "ya" in "yacht"

пошёл (poshyol) - sounds like "poh-shol"

банк (bank) - sounds like "bank" in English
чтобы (chtoby) - sounds like "shtoh-buh"

снять (snyat') - sounds like "snyat'"

деньги (dengi) - sounds like "d'en-gi"

English: bank /bank/

Russian: банк (bank)

The next word is contribute. The English word contribute means to give something, especially money or time, to help a person, group, or cause.

Here is an example of how to use the word contribute in a Russian sentence:

Студенты могут вносить свой вклад в развитие университета.

Студенты (students) - stu-den-ty The stress is on the first syllable.

могут (can) - mo-gut The stress is on the first syllable.

вносить (to contribute) - v-no-sit' The stress is on the first syllable.

свой (their) - svoy The stress is on the first syllable.

вклад (contribution) - v-klad The stress is on the first syllable.

в (in) - v The stress is on the first syllable.

развитие (development) - raz-vi-ti-ye The stress is on the second syllable.

университета (of the university) - u-ni-ver-si-te-ta The stress is on the second syllable.

Key concepts:

The verb вносить (to contribute) is used in the present tense and is conjugated to agree with the subject студенты (students).

The word свой (their) is a possessive adjective that agrees with the noun вклад (contribution) in gender and number.

The preposition в (in) is used to indicate the location of the contribution.

The noun развитие (development) is used in the accusative case because it is the object of the preposition в (in).

университета (of the university) is in the genitive case.

The sentence means: Students can contribute to the development of the university.

Translation of words:

contribute: вносить (v-no-sit')

students: студенты (stu-den-ty)

university: университет (u-ni-ver-si-tet)

The next word is movement. The word движение (pronounced dvizheniye) can be used to express a variety of movements, both physical and abstract. This word is a noun and can be used in various contexts, including:

Sentence:

Движение автомобилей по улицам было интенсивным.

Breakdown:

Движение (pronounced dvizheniye) - movement. This is the noun in the sentence.

автомобилей (pronounced avtomobiley) - of cars. This is a genitive plural form of the noun автомобиль (pronounced avtomobil) - car.

по (pronounced po) - along. This is a preposition used to show direction.

улицам (pronounced ulicam) - streets. This is a dative plural form of the noun улица (pronounced ulica) - street.

было (pronounced bylo) - was. This is the past tense of the verb быть (pronounced byt) - to be.

интенсивным (pronounced intensivnym) - intensive. This is an adjective in the instrumental case and modifies the noun движение.

Translation:

The movement of cars along the streets was intense.

Variations:

Движение can also be used to refer to a political or social movement. For example: Студенческое движение (pronounced Studencheskoye dvizheniye) - student movement.

The word двигать (pronounced dvigat) - to move, can be used as a verb. For example: Он двигает стол (pronounced On dvigayet stol) - He is moving the table.

Pronunciation guide:

д - like the "d" in "day"

в - like the "v" in "victory"

и - like the "ee" in "see"

ж - like the "zh" in "vision"

е - like the "ye" in "yes"

н - like the "n" in "no"

и - like the "ee" in "see"

е - like the "ye" in "yes"

English: movement

Russian: движение (pronounced dvizheniye)

The next word is magazine. I will provide you with a sentence using the word "magazine".

Sentence:

Я люблю читать журналы о моде. Ya lyublyu chitat' zhurnaly o mode.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronoun) - [yah] - This is a personal pronoun meaning "I"

люблю lyublyu - I love (verb) - [lyoob-lyoo] - This is a verb in the present tense. The ending "лю" lyu makes it clear that the subject is "I" (Я Ya).

читать chitat' - to read (verb) - [chee-taht'] - This is an infinitive verb, meaning it is the base form of the verb.

журналы zhurnaly - magazines (noun) - [zhoor-nah-lee] - This is a plural noun. The ending "ы" y in Russian indicates that the word is plural.

о o - about (preposition) - [o] - This preposition is used to indicate the topic or subject of something.

моде mode - fashion (noun) - [moh-dye]

This sentence is in the present tense and means: "I love to read magazines about fashion."

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. Журнал zhurnal (magazine) is masculine.

Plural: The plural form of a noun is often formed by adding an ending, for example, "ы" y in this case.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change form depending on the person (I, you, he/she, etc.) and the tense.

Translation:

English: I love to read magazines about fashion.

Russian: Я люблю читать журналы о моде. Ya lyublyu chitat' zhurnaly o mode.

Pronunciation Guide:

Я [yah]

люблю [lyoob-lyoo]

читать [chee-taht']

журналы [zhoor-nah-lee]

о [o]

моде [moh-dye]

The next word is career. У него блестящая карьера в науке.

Breakdown:

У него (oo nye-vo) - "He has" - This is a possessive pronoun in the genitive case, meaning "his". It's used when describing something that belongs to someone.

блестящая (blye-styashchaya) - "brilliant" - This is a feminine adjective describing a career.

карьера (kar'ye-ra) - "career" - This is a noun in the nominative case, functioning as the subject of the sentence.

в науке (v nau-ke) - "in science" - This is a prepositional phrase indicating the field of the career.

в (v) - "in" - preposition

науке (nau-ke) - "science" - noun in the prepositional case

Meaning: "He has a brilliant career in science."

Key Concept: This sentence showcases a common pattern in Russian grammar, using the genitive case after possessive pronouns (у него) and prepositions (в). It also uses the feminine form of the adjective (блестящая) to agree with the feminine noun (карьера).

Variations:

To change the gender of the subject, we would need to change the adjective:

У неё блестящая карьера в медицине. (oo nye-yo bley-styashchaya kar'ye-ra v me-di-tsi-ne) - "She has a brilliant career in medicine."

To make the sentence negative, we would use the word "не" (nye) - "not":

У него не блестящая карьера в науке. (oo nye-vo nye bley-styashchaya kar'ye-ra v nau-ke) - "He does not have a brilliant career in science."

Pronunciation:

у него - oo nye-vo

блестящая - bley-styashchaya

карьера - kar'ye-ra

в науке - v nau-ke

Translation:

У него - He has

блестящая - brilliant

карьера - career

в - in

науке - science

The next word is error. ## Ошибка (pronounced: [ah-SHEE-b-ka])

This is a very common word in Russian, and it means "error" or "mistake". It's a feminine noun, and you can use it in a variety of contexts. The word itself is very easy to learn, just remember the "sh" sound in the middle!

Here is a simple sentence using Ошибка:

Я совершил ошибку. (pronounced: [YA suh-veer-SHEEL ah-SHEE-b-koo])

This sentence means, "I made a mistake." Let's break it down:

Я (pronounced: [YA]) This is the personal pronoun "I".

совершил (pronounced: [suh-veer-SHEEL]) This is the past tense masculine form of the verb "to commit" or "to make". It changes form depending on the subject, so you'll need to learn the different conjugations for all the genders.

ошибку (pronounced: [ah-SHEE-b-koo]) This is the accusative case of the noun Ошибка which means "error". It indicates that the "error" is the direct object of the verb совершил.

So, the sentence literally translates to "I committed an error," but the more natural English translation would be "I made a mistake."

Helpful hint: Pay attention to the endings of the words! They change depending on the grammatical function of the word in the sentence. In this case, the ending of ошибку changes to indicate the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb.

English: error (pronounced: [er-er])

Russian: Ошибка (pronounced: [ah-SHEE-b-ka])

The next word is back. The word "back" in English has many meanings and can be used in a variety of ways. In Russian, the word назад (pronounced "na-zat") can mean "back" in many of the same contexts.

Here's an example sentence:

Я хочу вернуться назад

Я (Ya) - I
хочу (khochu) - I want
вернуться (vernut'sya) - to return
назад (nazat) - back

Translation: I want to go back.

This sentence uses the verb вернуться (vernut'sya), which means "to return" and incorporates the word назад (nazat) to emphasize the direction of the return.

This sentence demonstrates how the word назад (nazat) is used to indicate a return to a previous location.

English: back / bak

Russian: назад / na-zat

The next word is advice. Совет мне ничего не помог.

Breakdown

Совет (so-vyet) - Advice. It is a masculine noun.

мне (mnye) - To me, a dative case pronoun.

ничего (niche-vo) - Nothing, it is an indeclinable noun meaning "nothing" and is always used in the nominative case.

не (nye) - Not, a negative particle that negates the verb.

помог (pa-mohg) - Helped, the masculine past tense form of the verb помогать (pa-ma-gat') - to help.

Meaning

The advice did not help me at all.

Key concepts

Masculine gender nouns: In Russian, nouns are classified by gender. The noun совет is masculine, so the past tense form of the verb помогать (to help) has to agree with it in gender and number.

Dative case: The dative case is used to show to whom or for whom an action is performed. Here, мне is in the dative case because the advice is given to me.

Negative particle: не is used to negate verbs.

Past tense verb conjugation: Russian verbs have different forms for different tenses and genders. Here, помог is the masculine past tense form of the verb помогать.

Translation

Advice: совет (so-vyet)

To me: мне (mnye)

Nothing: ничего (niche-vo)

Not: не (nye)

Helped: помог (pa-mohg)

The next word is board. The word "board" can have many meanings in English, so I'll give you an example sentence using the meaning of "board" as a flat surface, such as a table or a piece of wood.

Sentence: The children are drawing on the доска доски.

Breakdown:

доска доски is the word for "board". The word is feminine, and so the ending changes in the genitive case.

In this sentence, доска доски is in the genitive case because it follows the preposition на, which means "on".

на is a preposition that requires the genitive case.

дети means "children" and it is plural.

рисуют means "are drawing" and is the present tense, plural form of the verb рисовать, which means "to draw".

Translation: The children are drawing on the board.

Pronunciation:

доска - DOS-ka (the "a" at the end is pronounced like the "a" in "father")

доски - DOS-ki
дети - DYE-ti (the "i" at the end sounds like the "ee" in "see")

рисуют - ri-SOO-yut (the "u" at the end sounds like the "oo" in "moon")

на - na (pronounced like "nah")

The next word is newspaper. The Russian sentence using the word "newspaper" is:

Я читаю газету.

Breakdown:

Я - ya - I (pronoun, subject of the sentence)

читаю - chitaayu - I read (present tense verb, conjugated for the first person singular)

газету - gazetu - newspaper (accusative case noun, direct object of the verb)

Explanation:

This sentence translates to "I read a newspaper."

The verb "читать" (chitat') is an irregular verb, meaning it doesn't follow the standard conjugation rules. It's important to learn its various forms.

The word for "newspaper" is "газета" (gazeta). It is feminine and takes the accusative case ending "-у" when used as the direct object of a verb.

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: Understanding how verbs change depending on the subject and tense is crucial in Russian.

Case System: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their role in the sentence.

Variations:

Я читаю газеты. - "I read newspapers" (plural noun)

Я читаю газету каждый день. - "I read a newspaper every day"

Я купил газету. - "I bought a newspaper" (past tense verb)

Pronunciation Guide:

Я - ya - Pronounced like the English "ya"

читаю - chitaayu - The "ч" is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair," the "а" is like the "a" in "father," and the "ю" is pronounced like the "oo" in "food"

газету - gazetu - The "г" is pronounced like the "g" in "go," the "а" is like the "a" in "father," the "з" is pronounced like the "z" in "zebra," the "е" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed," the "т" is pronounced like the "t" in "tea," and the "у" is pronounced like the "oo" in "food"

Translation:

Newspaper - газета - gazeta

The next word is all. The word "all" can be tricky in Russian because it has several different translations depending on the context. Here is an example using "all" in the context of a general statement:

Sentence: All students must take a Russian language exam.

Russian: Все студенты должны сдавать экзамен по русскому языку. Vse studenty dolzhny sdavat' ekzamen po russkomu yazyku.

Breakdown:

Все Vse - "all," this word is used to refer to an entire group of people or things. This word is pronounced similarly to the English word "vsa" with the "a" sound being similar to the "a" in "father".

студенты studenty - "students," the plural form of the noun "student," this word is pronounced similarly to the English word "stoodyenti"

должны dolzhny - "must," this word is used to express obligation or necessity. This word is pronounced similarly to the English word "dolzhni"

сдавать sdavat' - "to take (an exam)," this word is an infinitive verb and is used to describe an action. This word is pronounced similarly to the English word "sdavat'"

экзамен ekzamen - "exam," this word is pronounced similarly to the English word "ekzamen"

по po - "in, on, by," this preposition is used to indicate what language the exam is in. This word is pronounced similarly to the English word "po"

русскому russkomu - "Russian," this is an adjective used to describe the language of the exam. This word is pronounced similarly to the English word "rooskomoo"

языку yazyku - "language," this is the noun that describes what the exam is about. This word is pronounced similarly to the English word "yazoo-koo"

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. In this case, the adjective русскому russkomu agrees in gender with the noun языку yazyku which is masculine.

Word order: The order of words in a Russian sentence can be more flexible than in English. However, the verb in the sentence must always appear in the second position.

Variations:

The word "all" can also be translated as всех vsekh in the accusative case. This form is used when the noun is the direct object of the verb. For example: Всех студентов пригласили на конференцию. Vsekh studentov priglasili na konferentsiyu. (All students were invited to the conference.)

Translation:

"All" - Все Vse

"Students" - студенты studenty

"Must" - должны dolzhny

"Take" - сдавать sdavat'

"Exam" - экзамен ekzamen

"In" - по po

"Russian" - русскому russkomu

"Language" - языку yazyku

The next word is bit. The word "bit" in English has several meanings, so I will provide a sentence with one of its meanings: a small amount.

Sentence: Он дал мне немного денег на проезд.

Breakdown:

немного (nemnogo) - a small amount, a bit (pronunciation: nem-no-go)

денег (deneg) - money (pronunciation: dye-nyeg) -- Remember that the ending -г г is always soft, meaning the sound is similar to the "g" in "gem."

проезд (proyezd) - fare, the cost of travel (pronunciation: pro-yezd)

Translation: He gave me a bit of money for the fare.

Variations:

The word немного (nemnogo) can be used to describe both countable and uncountable nouns. You can also use немножко (nemnogko) which has the same meaning and is similar in pronunciation.

If you wanted to say "a bit of" something, such as a bit of cake, you would use the genitive case of the noun: немного торта (nemnogo torta) -- a bit of cake

Remember, the genitive case is used to indicate possession or a part of something.

The next word is rather. English: The professor prefers to teach literature rather than linguistics.

Russian: Профессор предпочитает преподавать литературу, а не лингвистику. Proféssor predpochitáyet prepodavát literatúru, a né lingvístiku.

Breakdown:

Профессор Proféssor - Professor (masculine, pronounced as "proh-FEH-sor")

предпочитает predpochitáyet - prefers (verb, pronounced as "pred-pa-CHEE-tay-et")

преподавать prepodavát - to teach (verb, pronounced as "pre-pa-DA-vat")

литературу literatúru - literature (feminine, pronounced as "lee-teh-rah-TOO-ru")

а не a né - rather than (pronounced as "ah nye")

лингвистику lingvístiku - linguistics (feminine, pronounced as "lin-gvee-STEE-ku")

Key Concepts:

а не a né is a common way to express "rather than" in Russian. It literally means "and not."

Russian verbs often have different endings depending on the subject. Here, the verb предпочитает predpochitáyet (prefers) is in the third person singular form, which is used because the subject is Профессор Proféssor (Professor).

There are many ways to express the concept of "rather than" in Russian. For example, you could also say вместо vmesto (instead of).

Translation: The professor prefers to teach literature, rather than linguistics.

Pronunciation:

Профессор - proh-FEH-sor
предпочитает - pred-pa-CHEE-tay-et
преподавать - pre-pa-DA-vat
литературу - lee-teh-rah-TOO-ru
а не - ah nye
лингвистику - lin-gvee-STEE-ku

Variations:

You could use the word скорее skoréye (rather) instead of а не a né to make the sentence more emphatic. For example, you could say Профессор скорее предпочитает преподавать литературу, чем лингвистику Proféssor skoréye predpochitáyet prepodavát literatúru, chem lingvístiku (The professor rather prefers to teach literature than linguistics).

English Word: rather

Russian Word: скорее skoréye (rather)

Pronunciation: skoh-REH-yeh

The next word is die. The word "die" in English can have a few different meanings in Russian. Here is a sentence using the most common meaning of "die" in Russian, which is to pass away:

Он умер в прошлом году. [English: He died last year.]

Он - [English: He] Pronounced: [ahn]

умер - [English: died] Pronounced: [oo-myer]

в - [English: in] Pronounced: [v]

прошлом - [English: past] Pronounced: [prosh-lom]

году - [English: year] Pronounced: [goh-doo]

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement - In Russian, adjectives and nouns must agree in gender. The word "год" is masculine, so the word "прошлый" changes to "прошлом" in this case.

Prepositions - Russian prepositions are very important and cannot be ignored. The preposition "в" means "in" and is used here with the word "году".

Other meanings of "die":

Умереть - [English: to die] Pronounced: [oo-myer-et']

Смерть - [English: death] Pronounced: [smyert']

Умирать - [English: to be dying] Pronounced: [oo-my-raht']

Hint: Learning the Russian word for "die" is important, as it is used in many different contexts. Be sure to practice using the different forms of the word in sentences and practice your pronunciation.

The next word is letter. The word "letter" in Russian is письмо (pronounced "pee-s'moh"). It is a noun and can be used in both singular and plural. Let's break down the sentence:

Я написал письмо другу. (Ya napisal pismo drugu.)

Я (Ya) - I (nominative case)

написал (napisal) - I wrote (past tense, masculine, singular)

письмо (pis'mo) - letter (nominative case)

другу (drugu) - to a friend (dative case)

The sentence is in the past tense, meaning the action already took place. It literally translates to, "I wrote a letter to a friend." The key concept is that in Russian, verbs conjugate in gender and number. So in this case the verb, написал (napisal), is conjugated to agree with the subject, Я (Ya), which is in the first person, singular.

Word and Pronounciation:

Letter - письмо (pee-s'moh)

The next word is studio. The word "studio" in Russian is студия (pronounced "stoo-dee-ya"). It is a feminine noun, which means that it takes the feminine form of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs.

Here is a sentence using "studio":

Я учусь в студии танцев.

Я (pronounced "ya") - I
учусь (pronounced "oo-ch-oos") - I study (present tense)

в (pronounced "v") - in
студии (pronounced "stoo-dee-ya") - studio
танцев (pronounced "tan-tsev") - dancing

Translation: I study in a dance studio.

Key Concepts:

Gender in Russian: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This determines the form of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with the noun.

Prepositions: Prepositions like в (in) are used to show the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence.

Pronunciation:

студия: "stoo-dee-ya" - the "i" is pronounced like the "i" in "machine"

танцев: "tan-tsev" - the "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "met"

Variations:

The word "studio" can also be used to refer to a recording studio, a film studio, or an art studio.

English: Studio / Pronunciation: "stoo-dee-oh"

Russian: студия / Pronunciation: "stoo-dee-ya"

The next word is slow. The Russian word for "slow" is медленный (pronounced "med-len-ny"). It is an adjective and it can be used to describe a person, an object, or an action. The ending "-ый" is typical of masculine adjectives in Russian. The ending of the adjective will change based on the gender of the noun it is describing.

Here is an example sentence:

Он ходит очень медленно. (on hodit ochen' medlenno)

Breakdown:

Он (on) - He
ходит (hod-it) - walks
очень (ochen') - very
медленно (med-len-no) - slowly

Translation: He walks very slowly.

Key concepts:

Adjective endings: The ending of adjectives changes depending on the gender of the noun they describe.

Word order: In Russian, word order can be more flexible than in English. However, the verb usually comes in the second position in a sentence.

Pronunciation hints:

медленный (med-len-ny) - The "e" sound is similar to the "e" in "bed". The "н" sounds like a soft "n", as in the word "knee".

очень (ochen') - The "ч" sound is similar to the "ch" in "church".

медленно (med-len-no) - The "н" sounds like a soft "n".

English to Russian:

Slow - медленный (med-len-ny)

The next word is doubt. The word doubt in Russian is сомнение (pronounced [sahm-nyeh-nee-yeh]). It is a noun that can be used in a variety of ways.

Here is an example sentence:

У меня есть сомнения относительно его честности. У меня есть сомнения относительно его честности.

У меня У меня - Means “I have” - Pronounced: [oo my-nya]

есть есть - Means “there is” or “there are” - Pronounced: [yest’]

сомнения сомнения - Means “doubts” - Pronounced: [sahm-nyeh-nee-yah]

относительно относительно - Means “regarding” or “concerning” - Pronounced: [at-nah-see-tel-nah]

его его - Means “his” - Pronounced: [ee-voh]

честности честности - Means “honesty” - Pronounced: [chehs-tnah-stee]

Translation: I have doubts about his honesty.

Key Concepts:

The word сомнение сомнение can be used in both singular and plural forms.

The word относительно относительно can be used in a variety of contexts, such as when talking about something in relation to something else or when discussing a particular subject.

Variations:

сомневаться сомневаться (pronounced [sahm-nyeh-vah-t’sa]) - to doubt
сомнительный сомнительный (pronounced [sahm-nyeh-tee-ly-nee]) - doubtful

English: Doubt - [dawt]

Russian: сомнение - [sahm-nyeh-nee-yeh]

The next word is director. The director of the film is very talented.

Режиссёр фильма очень талантлив.

Breakdown:

Режиссёр - Director - pronounced [re-zhi-syor]

фильма - of the film - pronounced [fil-ma] - this is the genitive case of the noun фильм (film). It is a noun in the genitive case, which often functions as an object of a preposition or to show possession. This is how we show 'of the film' or 'the film's' in Russian.

очень - very - pronounced [o-chen]

талантлив - talented - pronounced [ta-lan-tliv] - This is an adjective that agrees in gender and number with the noun Режиссёр (director), which is masculine, singular.

Variations:

Режиссёр can also be used as a noun referring to a person in a leadership position in a company or organization.

фильм is a masculine noun. It can also be used to refer to a movie or film.

Translation:

Режиссёр - Director
фильма - of the film
очень - very
талантлив - talented

The next word is market. The word рынок (rynok) can be used in several ways, similar to the English word “market.” It can refer to a physical place where goods are sold (like a farmers’ market) or it can refer to the overall market for a specific product or service.

Here's an example of how to use рынок (rynok) in a sentence:

На этом рынке можно найти свежие фрукты и овощи. (Na etom rynke mozhno nayti svezhiye frukty i ovoschi.)

Breakdown:

На (na) - means “on” or “at” and is similar to the English word “on.” Pronounced like “nah”

этом (etom) – means “this” and is similar to the English word “this.” Pronounced like “eh-tom”

рынке (rynke) – means “market.” Pronounced like “reen-keh”

можно (mozhno) – means “can” or “it is possible to.” Pronounced like “mozh-no”

найти (nayti) – means “to find.” Pronounced like “nye-tee”

свежие (svezhiye) – means “fresh” and describes the quality of the fruit. Pronounced like “sveh-zhee”

фрукты (frukty) – means “fruit.” Pronounced like “froot-kee”

и (i) – means “and” and is similar to the English word “and.” Pronounced like “ee”

овощи (ovoshchi) – means “vegetables” and is similar to the English word “vegetables.” Pronounced like “oh-vash-chee”

Translation:

"At this market, you can find fresh fruits and vegetables."

Key Concepts:

Рынок (rynok) is a noun and can be used as a direct object of a sentence.

You can also use рынок (rynok) to describe a general market as a concept.

Variations:

рыночный (rynochny) – means “market” but is an adjective and describes something relating to the market. For example, you can say рыночная площадь (rynochnaya ploshchad) which means "market square."

English: market - рынок (rynok)

The next word is meal. The word "meal" in Russian is еда (pronounced yeh-da). It is a feminine noun and is used in the nominative case in this example.

Sentence:

Я люблю есть вкусную еду.

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I
люблю (lyublyu) - I love
есть (yest') - to eat
вкусную (vkusnuyu) - delicious - adjective in the accusative case, feminine gender
еду (ye-du) - food - noun in the accusative case

Translation: I love to eat delicious food.

Variations of the word:

The word еда (yeh-da) is a common word for food or meal. There are other words for food in Russian, but еда (yeh-da) is the most general and widely used.

Pronunciation:

еда (yeh-da) - The "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed". The "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

English: meal /miːl/

Russian: еда /yɪˈda/

The next word is safe. The word "safe" can be used as an adjective or a noun. We will use it here as an adjective, meaning free from danger or risk.

Sentence:

Эта улица очень безопасная для прогулок.

Breakdown:

Эта (pronounced "eh-ta") - This
улица (pronounced "oo-lee-tsa") - street
очень (pronounced "oh-chen") - very
безопасная (pronounced "bee-zah-pas-naya") - safe (feminine adjective, agrees with улица)

для (pronounced "dlya") - for
прогулок (pronounced "pra-goo-lok") - walks (plural)

Translation:

This street is very safe for walks.

Key Concept: Adjectives in Russian change their endings to agree with the gender of the noun they describe. безопасная is the feminine form of the adjective, agreeing with the feminine noun улица. The masculine form would be безопасный (pronounced "bee-zah-pas-ny").

Variations:

безопасность (pronounced "bee-zah-pas-nast") - safety (noun)

English and Russian Translation and Pronunciation:

Safe - безопасный (bee-zah-pas-ny) / безопасная (bee-zah-pas-naya)

The next word is act. The Russian word for "act" is действие (pronounced: dye-st-vee-ye).

Here is a sentence using the word:

Он совершил акт доброты, помогая старушке перейти улицу.

This translates to: "He committed an act of kindness by helping the old woman cross the street."

Here is a breakdown:

Он - This is the pronoun "he." The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

совершил - This is the past tense verb "to commit" or "to perform." Pronunciation is: so-ver-sheel.

акт - This is the noun "act." The "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father" or "car."

доброты - This is the genitive case of the noun "kindness." The "y" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "i" in "machine." Pronunciation: dob-ro-tee.

помогая - This is the gerund (verbal participle) form of the verb "to help." Pronunciation: pa-ma-ga-ya.

старушке - This is the dative case of the noun "old woman." Pronunciation: sta-roosh-ke.

перейти - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to cross." Pronunciation: pe-re-ee-tee.

улицу - This is the accusative case of the noun "street." Pronunciation: oo-li-tsu.

Key Concepts

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. This is called declension. The example above shows how the words доброты (genitive case) and старушке (dative case) are changed.

Gerund: This is a verb form that acts like an adjective or adverb. In this example, the gerund помогая modifies the noun он.

Variations

The word действие can be used in many different contexts. For example: фильм с экшеном (action movie).

The word акт is often used in legal contexts to refer to a formal act or deed.

The verb совершать (to commit) has many synonyms, including делать (to do) and производить (to produce).

Pronunciation Tips

The stress in most Russian words is fixed. In the example sentence, the stress is on the first syllable of each word.

"Y" at the end of a word is often pronounced like the "i" in "machine."

"O" at the end of a word is often pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

English-Russian Translation

Act: акт (pronounced: akt)

Action: действие (pronounced: dye-st-vee-ye)

The next word is stress. ## Стресс (stress) является (is) частой (common) проблемой (problem) в (in) современном (modern) мире (world).

This sentence means: "Stress is a common problem in the modern world."

Breakdown:

Стресс (stress): pronounced like "stress" in English.

является (is): this is the present tense form of the verb "to be" in the third person singular, and it's a very common word. It's pronounced similarly to "ya-vlyay-et-sa"

частой (common): pronouced like "chast-oy", it's an adjective meaning "common" or "frequent".

проблемой (problem): pronounced like "pro-ble-moy", it's a noun meaning "problem"

в (in): pronounced "v", it's a preposition meaning "in"

современном (modern): pronounced "so-vre-men-nom", it's an adjective meaning "modern" or "contemporary".

мире (world): pronounced "mee-re", it's a noun meaning "world".

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Notice how the adjective частой (common) agrees in gender with the noun проблемой (problem). In Russian, adjectives change their endings to agree with the noun they modify.

Word Order: Russian word order can be more flexible than English. We could also say: В современном мире стресс является частой проблемой. The meaning remains the same, but the emphasis changes slightly.

Variations:

You could use different forms of the verb быть (to be) to describe stress. For example: Стресс был (Stress was) a problem, or Стресс может быть (Stress can be) a problem.

To talk about specific types of stress, you can use different nouns like работа (work) or финансы (finances). For example: Финансовый стресс (Financial stress) is a serious problem.

Translation:

Стресс (Stress) - Stress
является (is) - is
частой (common) - common
проблемой (problem) - problem
в (in) - in
современном (modern) - modern
мире (world) - world

The next word is percentage. English: The percentage of students who passed the exam was very high.

Russian: Процент студентов, сдавших экзамен, был очень высоким.

Breakdown:

Процент (pro-tsent) - percentage, this word is masculine
студентов (stoo-den-tov) - students, this word is in the genitive case, it answers the question "of what?"

сдавших (s-da-vsh-ih) - who passed, this is a participle, a verb form that acts like an adjective, it is in the genitive case
экзамен (ek-za-men) - exam, this is the object of the participle, it is in the genitive case
был (byl) - was
очень (o-chen) - very
высоким (vy-so-kim) - high, in the nominative case, the word is masculine

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender, masculine, feminine, and neuter. This affects the endings of adjectives and other words that modify the nouns.

Cases: Nouns and pronouns change their forms depending on their function in the sentence. The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a preposition.

Participles: Participles are verb forms that function as adjectives. They can modify nouns and can be used to create complex sentences.

Translation:

Процент - percentage / pro-tsent
студентов - students / stoo-den-tov
сдавших - who passed / s-da-vsh-ih
экзамен - exam / ek-za-men
был - was / byl
очень - very / o-chen
высоким - high / vy-so-kim

The next word is court. The English word "court" can have several meanings in Russian, each requiring a different word.

Here is a sentence using the word "court" in the sense of a legal court:

Суд признал его виновным.

Breakdown

Суд (pronounced "sood") - This is the most common word for "court" in the sense of a legal institution. The plural form is суды (pronounced "soody").

признал (pronounced "priznaal") - This is the past tense, masculine form of the verb признавать (pronounced "priznavat"). This verb means "to recognize" or "to acknowledge" and is often used in the context of a court decision.

его (pronounced "yevo") - This is the masculine accusative pronoun, meaning "him".

виновным (pronounced "vinouvnym") - This is the instrumental case of the adjective виновный (pronounced "vinouvny") meaning "guilty". It is used after the verb "признать" to indicate the person found guilty.

Translation

The court found him guilty.

Key Concepts

The use of the instrumental case after the verb "признать" is a common grammatical pattern.

The Russian legal system, like the English system, relies on the principle of innocent until proven guilty.

Variations

Other words for "court" include:

двор (pronounced "dvor") - This means "yard" or "courtyard"

спортивный суд (pronounced "sportiivny sood") - This means "sports court"

English and Russian Word and Pronunciation

Court - Суд (pronounced "sood")

The next word is strong. The Russian word for "strong" is сильный (pronounced "see-l'niy"). It can be used to describe a person, an object, or an emotion.

Here is a sentence using the word сильный:

Он был очень сильный, и он мог легко поднять тяжелый ящик.

Breakdown

Он (ohn) - He

был (beel) - was

очень (oh-chen) - very

сильный (see-l'niy) - strong

и (ee) - and

он (ohn) - he

мог (mohgh) - could

легко (lyek-ka) - easily

поднять (pahd-nyat') - lift

тяжелый (tyazh-e-ly) - heavy

ящик (yah-shchik) - box

Translation: He was very strong and he could easily lift the heavy box.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: The adjective сильный (strong) must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. In this sentence, the noun он (he) is masculine, so we use the masculine form of сильный (сильный).

Adverb of Degree: Очень (very) is an adverb of degree that modifies the adjective сильный. It tells us how strong the man was.

Variations:

The word сильный has a feminine form, сильная (see-l'naya), and a plural form, сильные (see-l'niye).

Pronunciation:

сильный - "see-l'niy" - The stress is on the first syllable. The л (l) is pronounced as a soft [l] sound, like the [l] in the English word "lion".

The next word is pay. The word платить (pronounced pla-ti-t') means "to pay" in Russian.

Here's a sentence:

Я должен платить за квартиру. (Ya dolzhen platit' za kvartiru.)

Breakdown:

Я Я (ya) - I
должен должен (dolzhen) - must
платить (platit') - to pay (infinitive form)

за за (za) - for
квартиру квартиру (kvartiru) - apartment

The sentence means "I must pay for the apartment."

Key Concept:

The Russian verb платить (platit') is an imperfective verb. It means "to pay" in a general sense, without specifying a particular payment. This is unlike the perfective verb заплатить (zaplatit'), which means "to pay" in the sense of completing a specific payment.

Variations:

заплатить (zaplatit') - to pay (perfective verb)

Pronunciation:

платить (pla-ti-t')

заплатить (za-pla-ti-t')

Translation:

платить (platit') - to pay
заплатить (zaplatit') - to pay (perfective)

The next word is move. The word перемещать (pronounced pe-re-me-SHAT) means "to move" or "to relocate." It is a verb in the infinitive form. Let's build a simple sentence.

Subject: The student (Студент) - студент (pronounced stu-DENT)

Verb: Moves (Перемещает) - перемещает (pronounced pe-re-me-SHAT)

Object: The book (Книгу) - книгу (pronounced KNI-gu)

Full sentence:

Студент перемещает книгу (pronounced stu-DENT pe-re-me-SHAT KNI-gu).

Translation:

The student moves the book.

Breakdown:

The verb перемещать (pe-re-me-SHAT) is in the present tense, third person singular form, which is used when the subject is singular and the action is happening now.

Variations:

The past tense is переместил (pe-re-me-STIL) for masculine, переместила (pe-re-me-STI-la) for feminine, and переместило (pe-re-me-STI-lo) for neuter.

The future tense is переместит (pe-re-me-STIT) for masculine, переместит (pe-re-me-STIT) for feminine, and переместит (pe-re-me-STIT) for neuter.

English: move - перемещать (pe-re-me-SHAT)

The next word is speak. The word "speak" can be translated into Russian as говорить (pronounced "go-vor-it"). This is a very common verb in Russian and has many variations, making it an important word to learn.

Here is an example of a sentence using this verb:

Он говорит по-английски. (pronounced "on go-vor-it pa-an-glees-ki")

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced "on") - He (masculine subject pronoun)

говорит (pronounced "go-vor-it") - speaks (present tense, 3rd person singular)

по-английски (pronounced "pa-an-glees-ki") - in English (prepositional phrase indicating language)

Key Concept: In Russian, you use a preposition (like по) to indicate language when talking about speaking.

This sentence means "He speaks English". You can easily change this sentence by changing the subject pronoun, or changing the prepositional phrase to a different language.

Translation of words:

speak - говорить (go-vor-it)

he - он (on)

in English - по-английски (pa-an-glees-ki)

The next word is promote. The word "promote" in Russian is продвигать (pronounced: pra-dvee-gaht).

This sentence uses the verb продвигать (pra-dvee-gaht) in the infinitive form. The infinitive is the base form of the verb, and it is often used with the word "to" in English. For example, "to promote."

Here is an example sentence:

Мы должны продвигать мир и согласие.

Translation: We must promote peace and agreement.

Breakdown:

Мы (my) - We (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

должны (dolzh-ny) - must (present tense, 1st person plural)

продвигать (pra-dvee-gaht) - promote (infinitive, object of the sentence)

мир (meer) - peace (nominative case, object of the sentence)

и (ee) - and
согласие (sag-lah-see-ye) - agreement (nominative case, object of the sentence)

Key Concepts:

The infinitive form of the verb is the base form of the verb, and it is often used with the word "to" in English.

In Russian, the subject and object of a sentence often agree in number and case.

The present tense of the verb "to promote" in Russian is продвигать (pra-dvee-gaht).

Pronunciation:

продвигать (pra-dvee-gaht) - the "g" at the end of the word is soft, similar to the "j" in "judge."

мир (meer) - the "r" in this word is pronounced similar to the "r" in "father."

согласие (sag-lah-see-ye) - the "е" at the end of the word is unstressed, so it is pronounced with a soft sound, similar to the "e" in "the."

English Translation of Words:

promote - продвигать (pra-dvee-gaht)

peace - мир (meer)

agreement - согласие (sag-lah-see-ye)

The next word is woman. ## Женщина читает книгу.

Breakdown:

Женщина (pronounced: [zhɛnˈʃːɪnə]) is the noun "woman" in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

читает (pronounced: [ˈt͡ʃɪtɐɪt]) is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb "to read".

книгу (pronounced: [ˈknɪɡʊ]) is the noun "book" in the accusative case, which is the direct object of the verb.

Translation: The woman is reading a book.

Variations of женщина (pronounced: [zhɛnˈʃːɪnə]) :

женщины (pronounced: [ˈzhɛnʃːɪnɪ]) - women (plural nominative)

женщине (pronounced: [ˈzhɛnʃːɪnɪ]) - woman (dative case)

женщину (pronounced: [ˈzhɛnʃːɪnʊ]) - woman (accusative case)

Key Concept: The Russian language has six grammatical cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional) which indicate the role of a noun in a sentence.

English and Russian Translations:

woman: женщина (pronounced: [zhɛnˈʃːɪnə])

read: читать (pronounced: [ˈt͡ʃɪtɐɪt])

book: книга (pronounced: [ˈknɪɡʊ])

The next word is popular. This book is very популярный (pronounced pah-poo-lyar-nuh) in Russia.

The word популярный (pah-poo-lyar-nuh) means popular and is an adjective. The adjective is in the masculine singular form, which agrees with the masculine noun книга (book). You could also use популярная (pah-poo-lyar-nuh-ya) if the noun was feminine, such as книга (book).

This book is very popular in Russia.

популярный (pah-poo-lyar-nuh) - popular
книга (knee-gah) - book

The next word is table. The word стол (pronounced "stol") means "table" in Russian. It is a masculine noun, meaning it takes the masculine gender ending when used in a sentence. The word столы (pronounced "sto-lee") is the plural form of стол and means "tables."

Here's a sentence using стол:

На столе лежит книга. (Pronounced "Na sto-lee lezhit kni-ga.")

На (pronounced "na") is a preposition meaning "on"

столе (pronounced "sto-lee") is the prepositional case form of стол (pronounced "stol"), which means "table"

лежит (pronounced "le-zhit") is the present tense form of the verb "to lie" in the third person singular form
книга (pronounced "kni-ga") is a feminine noun meaning "book"

This sentence translates to "There is a book on the table."

Key concept: The prepositional case is used in Russian to show the relationship between a noun and a preposition. In this case, the word столе (pronounced "sto-lee") shows that the book is located on the table.

English: Table - стол (pronounced "stol")

Russian: стол (pronounced "stol") - Table

The next word is something. Что-то chto-to

Something

This sentence is a simple statement that uses the word что-то chto-to, which is the Russian equivalent of "something."

It is often used when you are talking about something that is unknown or unspecified.

Breakdown:

Что chto - What

-то -to - suffix used to make something indefinite or vague

Example sentences:

Я хочу что-то сладкое Ya khochu chto-to sladkoe - I want something sweet.

Он сказал что-то важное On skazal chto-to vazhnoe - He said something important.

Pronunciation:

что-то chto-to - "chtoh-toh" (The "ch" sound is similar to the "ch" in "chair")

Word and Pronunciation:

Something - что-то chto-to - "chtoh-toh"

The next word is defense. The Russian sentence is: Он защищал свою страну от врагов.

Breakdown:

Он Он (pronounced "on") - He (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

защищал защищал (pronounced "za-shchi-shchal") - was defending (imperfect past tense, masculine singular)

свою свою (pronounced "svo-yu") - his/her/its (possessive adjective, feminine singular, accusative case)

страну страну (pronounced "stra-nu") - country (feminine, accusative case, direct object)

от от (pronounced "ot") - from (preposition)

врагов врагов (pronounced "vra-gov") - enemies (plural, genitive case)

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, "страну" страну and "врагов" врагов are in the accusative case because they are direct objects.

Gender: Russian nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter, and this affects the form of adjectives that describe them. Here, the possessive adjective "свою" свою is feminine because it modifies the feminine noun "страну" страну.

Tense: The verb "защищал" защищал is in the imperfect past tense, which is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past.

Variations:

The verb "защищать" защищать (pronounced "za-shchi-shchat'") can also be used in other tenses:

Present tense: "защищает" защищает (pronounced "za-shchi-sha-yet") - is defending

Future tense: "будет защищать" будет защищать (pronounced "boo-det za-shchi-shchat'") - will defend

The noun "оборона" оборона (pronounced "a-ba-ro-na") means "defense" and could be used in place of the verb: "Оборона страны" Оборона страны (pronounced "a-ba-ro-na stra-ny") - the defense of the country

Translation:

He was defending his country from enemies.

defense: защита (pronounced "za-shi-ta")

defense: оборона (pronounced "a-ba-ro-na")

The next word is find. The word "find" can be translated into Russian as "найти" (naiti), which means "to find". It is a verb, so its form will change depending on the subject and tense. Here is an example:

Я нашёл книгу в библиотеке. (Ya nashoel knigu v biblioteke.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case) - Pronunciation: [ya]

нашёл (nashoel) - found (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - Pronunciation: [na-shool]

книгу (knigu) - book (noun, accusative case) - Pronunciation: [knee-goo]

в (v) - in (preposition) - Pronunciation: [v]

библиотеке (biblioteke) - library (noun, prepositional case) - Pronunciation: [bee-blee-uh-tee-kay]

Meaning: I found a book in the library.

Key Concepts:

The verb "найти" (naiti) conjugates depending on the subject and tense, just like English verbs.

In this example, the verb "нашёл" (nashoel) is in the past tense because the action of finding happened in the past.

The noun "книгу" (knigu) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "нашёл" (nashoel).

Variations:

"найти" (naiti) can also be used in the infinitive form - "найти" (naiti).

"найти" (naiti) has many other forms depending on the tense and subject.

Pronunciation:

The stress in "найти" (naiti) is on the first syllable, "nai".

The "i" sound in "найти" (naiti) is like the "ee" in "see".

The "g" sound in "книгу" (knigu) is like the "g" in "go".

English/Russian Translations:

Find - найти (naiti)

Book - книга (kniga)

Library - библиотека (biblioteka)

The next word is design. The Russian sentence is: Архитектор разработал дизайн нового здания.

Breakdown:

Архитектор (ar-hee-TEK-tor) - architect - This is the subject of the sentence, performing the action.

разработал (raz-ra-BO-tal) - developed, designed - This is the past tense verb, indicating the action completed by the architect. It is a masculine singular verb to match the subject architect. You can use разработала (raz-ra-BO-ta-la) for a female architect and разработали (raz-ra-BO-ta-li) for multiple architects.

дизайн (dee-ZAHN) - design - This is the direct object, the thing being designed.

нового (NO-vo-go) - new - This is an adjective modifying the noun "building". It is masculine singular to match "building".

здания (ZDA-ni-ya) - building - This is the noun being modified by the adjective. It is a neuter singular noun and is in the genitive case (of) because it is the object of the preposition для.

Translation: The architect designed the new building.

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and verbs agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Cases: Nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, the noun здания is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition для (for).

Tenses: Russian verbs are conjugated for tense, showing when the action took place. Here, the verb is in the past tense.

Pronunciation Notes:

Архитектор: The stress falls on the second syllable, "hee."

разработал: The stress falls on the second syllable, "ra."

дизайн: The stress falls on the second syllable, "zahn."

нового: The stress falls on the first syllable, "no."

здания: The stress falls on the first syllable, "zda."

English: design

Russian: дизайн (dee-ZAHN)

The next word is content. The English word "content" can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context. Here is an example sentence using the Russian word содержание (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee):

Содержание книги очень интересно.

Breakdown:

Содержание (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee) - noun, meaning "content"

книги (pronounced: k-nee-gee) - noun, meaning "book"

очень (pronounced: oh-chen) - adverb, meaning "very"

интересно (pronounced: in-tye-res-no) - adjective, meaning "interesting"

Translation: The content of the book is very interesting.

Key Concepts:

The word содержание (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee) can be used to refer to the content of a book, article, website, or other type of text.

The word содержание (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee) can also be used to refer to the content of a container, such as a box or a bag.

Variations of the word "content":

In the context of being satisfied, the word довольны (pronounced: dah-vol-nee) could be used. For example, "Я довольна своей работой." (pronounced: Ya dah-vol-na sva-ey ra-bo-toy). This means "I am content with my work."

The word содержание (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee) can also be used in the context of "table of contents," such as "Содержание этой книги." (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee eh-toy k-nee-gee), which means "The table of contents of this book."

English: content [kon-tent]

Russian: содержание (pronounced: suh-dyer-zha-nee)

The next word is skill. The English word skill can be translated into Russian as навык (pronounced: [nah-vuhk]), which is a noun meaning ability.

Here's a sentence using the word:

У него есть навыки в программировании. (pronounced: [oo ny-voh yest nah-vuh-kee v prah-grah-mee-rah-vee-nee])

Translation: He has skills in programming.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced: [oo]) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "by" but it is often used in conjunction with the noun него (pronounced: [ny-voh]) which is a pronoun meaning "him" or "his" to mean "he has."

есть (pronounced: [yest]) - This is a verb meaning "to have" or "there is."

навыки (pronounced: [nah-vuh-kee]) - This is the plural form of the noun навык (pronounced: [nah-vuhk]) meaning "skills."

в (pronounced: [v]) - This is a preposition meaning "in."

программировании (pronounced: [prah-grah-mee-rah-vee-nee]) - This is the noun meaning "programming."

Note: The word навык (pronounced: [nah-vuhk]) is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine ending -и (pronounced: [ee]) in the plural form.

Key Concepts:

The use of the preposition У (pronounced: [oo]) with a pronoun to indicate possession.

The plural form of the noun навык (pronounced: [nah-vuhk]).

The use of the preposition в (pronounced: [v]) to indicate location or purpose.

Pronunciation: Pay attention to the stress in each word. Навык (pronounced: [nah-vuhk]) is stressed on the first syllable, while программировании (pronounced: [prah-grah-mee-rah-vee-nee]) is stressed on the second syllable.

Translation: skill - навык (pronounced: [nah-vuhk])

The next word is mountain. The sentence:

Мы поднялись на вершину горы.

Breakdown:

Мы - We (pronoun, nominative case, plural). Pronounced "my". Key Concept: Pronouns in Russian change form depending on their function in the sentence.

поднялись - past tense, perfective verb "to rise, to climb" . Pronounced "pad-nyah-lees". Key Concept: Russian verbs are divided into two categories: perfective and imperfective, which indicate the completion or incompletion of the action. "Подняться" is the perfective form of "подниматься".

на - on, onto (preposition, used with accusative case). Pronounced "nah".

вершину - summit, top (noun, accusative case, singular) Pronounced "ver-shee-noo". Key Concept: Nouns in Russian change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence.

горы - mountain (noun, genitive case, singular). Pronounced "goh-ry". Key Concept: The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging.

Translation: We climbed to the top of the mountain.

English: Mountain - Pronunciation: "Moun-tin"

Russian: гора Pronunciation: "goh-ra"

The next word is consideration. Он принял во внимание её просьбу.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

принял принял - accepted (verb, past tense, masculine singular, perfect aspect)

во внимание во внимание - into consideration (prepositional phrase, literally "into attention")

её её - her (pronoun, feminine, accusative case)

просьбу просьбу - request (noun, feminine, accusative case)

Meaning: He took her request into consideration.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change form depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. In this sentence, "Он" is in the nominative case because it is the subject, while "просьбу" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object.

Aspect: Russian verbs have two aspects: perfective and imperfective. Perfective verbs denote a completed action, while imperfective verbs denote an ongoing or repeated action. "Принял" is a perfective verb, indicating that the action of accepting the request is complete.

Prepositional Phrases: Russian often uses prepositional phrases to express concepts like "into consideration" or "with attention".

Variations:

Consideration: рассмотрение (consideration, noun, neuter) - can be used to refer to the process of considering something.

Considerable: значительный (considerable, adjective, masculine) - can be used to describe something of significant importance.

Pronunciation:

Он: [awn]

принял: [preen-yahl]

во внимание: [vo vnee-ma-nee-yeh]

её: [ee-yo]

просьбу: [prosb-oo]

English to Russian:

consideration: рассмотрение [ra-sma-tre-ni-ye]

consider: рассматривать [ra-sma-tri-vat']

The next word is normally. The word "normally" in Russian is обычно (pronounced: ah-bee-ch-nuh). It is an adverb meaning "usually" or "generally" in most cases. The sentence:

Обычно я встаю в семь утра (ah-bee-ch-nuh ya v-stah-yoo v syem u-tra)

This translates to:

Normally, I get up at seven in the morning.

Breakdown:

Обычно (ah-bee-ch-nuh) - normally, usually. This is an adverb that modifies the verb.

я (ya) - I. This is a personal pronoun.

встаю (v-stah-yoo) - get up. This is the present tense of the verb вставать (v-stah-vat') which means "to get up".

в (v) - in. This is a preposition.

семь (syem) - seven. This is a numeral.

утра (u-tra) - morning. This is a noun.

Key Concept:

Russian uses a lot of prepositions, so it is important to learn them.

The verb conjugation changes based on the subject, tense, and mood.

Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, so it is important to learn the letters and their pronunciation.

Word Pronunciation:

Normally: обычно (ah-bee-ch-nuh)

Usually: обычно (ah-bee-ch-nuh)

Generally: обычно (ah-bee-ch-nuh)

The next word is evidence. The word "evidence" is represented by доказательство (pronounced: da-ka-za-tel-stvo) in Russian. It's a noun that denotes a fact, sign, or object that helps prove or disprove something.

Here's a sample sentence:

У меня есть доказательства того, что он невиновен.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced: u) - preposition meaning "at," "with," or "by."

меня (pronounced: men-ya) - personal pronoun meaning "me" (genitive case).

есть (pronounced: yest') - verb "to be" (present tense).

доказательства (pronounced: da-ka-za-tel-stva) - noun "evidence" in the nominative case.

того (pronounced: to-vo) - pronoun meaning "that" (genitive case).

что (pronounced: chto) - conjunction meaning "that."

он (pronounced: on) - personal pronoun meaning "he."

невиновен (pronounced: ne-vi-no-ven) - adjective meaning "innocent."

Translation: "I have evidence that he is innocent."

Key Concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns change their form based on their role in the sentence (nominative, genitive, etc.). This is similar to English articles (a, an, the).

Prepositions: Prepositions like у change the meaning and case of the noun following them.

Word Order: Russian sentence structure can be more flexible than English, but the verb often comes later in the sentence.

Variations:

Plural form: доказательства (pronounced: da-ka-za-tel-stva)

Adjective form: доказательный (pronounced: da-ka-za-tel-ny) - "evidentiary"

English/Russian Translations:

Evidence - доказательство (pronounced: da-ka-za-tel-stvo)

The next word is shop. The word магазин (magazin) means "shop" in Russian. This word is masculine and can be used for a variety of shops, including grocery stores, clothing stores, hardware stores, and more. The word is pronounced similarly to how it is spelled, but with a softer "g" sound.

Here is an example sentence:

Я люблю ходить в магазин за продуктами. (Ya lyublyu khodit' v magazin za produktami.)

Я Ya - I (pronunciation: ya, as in "ya" but with a slightly shorter 'a' sound)

люблю lyublyu - I love (pronunciation: lyoo-blyoo, the 'u' sound is like 'oo' in 'moon')

ходить khodit' - to go (pronunciation: ho-deet', with the 't' being soft)

в v - to (pronunciation: v, like the 'v' in 'van')

магазин magazin - shop (pronunciation: ma-ga-zeen, the 'g' is soft like in 'gem')

за za - for (pronunciation: za, like the 'z' in 'zoo')

продуктами produktami - groceries (pronunciation: pro-dukt-a-mi, the 'a' is short like in 'cat')

Translation: I love going to the shop for groceries.

Key concept: The preposition в v is used before the word for a place or location when referring to going "to" that place.

Variations:

Магазинчик magazinchik is a diminutive form of the word, meaning "small shop"

Супермаркет supermarket refers to a supermarket

Лавка lavka is a more traditional word for a shop, often used for smaller shops or stalls

English: shop / магазин (ma-ga-zeen)

The next word is throw. ## Бросьте мяч!

Bros'te myach!

Breakdown:

Бросьте - Imperative verb, 2nd person plural (you all) of "бросить" (to throw).

Pronunciation: [bros'te]

The stress is on the first syllable, 'bro'.

This form of the verb is used when addressing a group of people.

мяч - Noun, masculine, means "ball"

Pronunciation: [myach]

The stress is on the first syllable, 'mya'.

Meaning: Throw the ball!

Variations:

Брось мяч! (Bros' myach!) - Throw the ball! (singular, addressing one person)

Бросьте книгу! (Bros'te knigu!) - Throw the book!

Он бросил камень. (On brosil kamen') - He threw a stone.

English Translation of Words:

Бросьте: Throw (you all)

мяч: ball

The next word is gift. The English word "gift" translates to the Russian word подарок (pronounced "pa-da-rok").

Here is a sentence using the word подарок:

Я получил красивый подарок от своей подруги.

This sentence translates to "I received a beautiful gift from my friend."

Я я (pronounced "ya") is the Russian word for "I".

получил получил (pronounced "pa-loo-cheel") is the masculine past tense form of the verb "to receive".

красивый красивый (pronounced "kra-see-vee") means "beautiful" in Russian. It is an adjective and agrees in gender with the noun it modifies.

подарок подарок (pronounced "pa-da-rok") is the noun "gift".

от от (pronounced "ot") is the preposition "from".

своей своей (pronounced "sva-ey") means "my" (feminine possessive adjective).

подруги подруги (pronounced "pad-roo-gee") is the feminine form of the noun "friend".

You can use подарок to refer to a physical object like a toy, or to an intangible item like a piece of advice.

Key Concept:

The Russian language has grammatical gender. Therefore, the adjective красивый needs to agree in gender with the noun подарок (masculine) .

Variations:

подарок (masculine noun) - gift
подарок (plural form) - gifts
подарочек (diminutive form) - little gift

Pronunciation Tips:

The "к" at the end of the word подарок is pronounced with a soft "k" sound.

The "о" in the word подарок is pronounced like the "o" in the English word "lot".

The "г" in the word подарок is pronounced like the "g" in the English word "gate".

The stress is on the second syllable of подарок, "pa-DA-rok".

English Translation: gift /gɪft/

Russian Translation: подарок /pɐˈdarək/

The next word is belong. This book belongs to my friend.

Эта книга принадлежит моему другу.

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine singular)

книга (k-nee-ga) - book (feminine singular)

принадлежит (pri-na-d-le-zhit) - belongs (third-person singular present tense of the verb принадлежать (pri-na-d-le-zhat') - to belong)

моему (ma-ye-mu) - my (dative case of мой (moy) - my)

другу (d-ru-gu) - friend (masculine singular, dative case)

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Here, the adjective "эта" is feminine singular to agree with the noun "книга".

Case: In Russian, nouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, "другу" is in the dative case because it is the indirect object of the verb "принадлежит".

Word Order: In Russian, the verb often comes at the end of the sentence, which can make it harder for English speakers to understand.

Variations:

The verb "принадлежать" can also be used in the past tense: Эта книга принадлежала моему другу (eh-ta k-nee-ga pri-na-d-le-zha-la ma-ye-mu d-ru-gu) - This book belonged to my friend.

The verb can also be used in the future tense: Эта книга будет принадлежать моему другу (eh-ta k-nee-ga boo-det pri-na-d-le-zhat' ma-ye-mu d-ru-gu) - This book will belong to my friend.

Pronunciation:

принадлежать (pri-na-d-le-zhat') - The stress falls on the second syllable.

другу (d-ru-gu) - The stress falls on the first syllable.

эта (eh-ta) - The stress falls on the first syllable.

Translation:

belong - принадлежать (pri-na-d-le-zhat')

book - книга (k-nee-ga)

friend - друг (d-ruk)

The next word is except. ## Кроме (Krome) - Except

Sentence: Кроме снега (snega) всё (vsyo) было (bylo) покрыто (pokryto) льдом (ldom).

Breakdown:

Кроме (Krome) - Except. This is the preposition meaning "except" and is often used with the genitive case. The "e" in Кроме (Krome) is short, and the "o" is pronounced like "oh."

снега (snega) - Snow. This is the genitive case of the word снег (sneg). The "e" in снега (snega) is short.

всё (vsyo) - Everything. This word is in the nominative case, so it agrees with было (bylo) in gender and number. The "e" in всё (vsyo) is short.

было (bylo) - was. This is the past tense of the verb быть (byt). The "o" in было (bylo) is pronounced like "oh."

покрыто (pokryto) - covered. This is the past participle of the verb покрыть (pokryt). The "o" in покрыто (pokryto) is pronounced like "oh."

льдом (ldom) - ice. This is the instrumental case of the word лед (led). The "e" in льдом (ldom) is short.

Translation: Everything except the snow was covered in ice.

Key Concept: The use of the genitive case after the preposition Кроме (Krome) is important to remember.

Memorization Tip: Imagine a world covered in ice, but one spot of snow remains. This will help you remember the use of Кроме (Krome) to mean "except".

Pronunciation Guide:

Кроме (Krome) - Pronounce the "o" like "oh" and the "e" is short.

снега (snega) - Pronounce the "e" in the first syllable as short, and the "a" in the second syllable is like the "a" in "father."

всё (vsyo) - Pronounce the "e" short and the "o" like "oh".

было (bylo) - Pronounce the "o" like "oh."

покрыто (pokryto) - Pronounce the "o" like "oh."

льдом (ldom) - Pronounce the "e" short and the "o" like "oh."

English: Except

Russian: Кроме (Krome)

The next word is familiar. This sentence uses the adjective знакомый (znakomy) which means familiar. This is an example of a masculine adjective ending in -ый (-iy). The word is pronounced zna-ko-my. Note the accent on the o in the second syllable. This word can also be feminine (знакомая (znakomaya) and plural (знакомые (znakomye). Let's learn this with an example:

This is a familiar история (istoriya) - Это знакомая история (Eto znakomaya istoriya).

This translates to: This is a familiar story.

Это (Eto) - This
знакомая (znakomaya) - familiar
история (istoriya) - story

Familiar - знакомый (znakomy)

Story - история (istoriya)

The next word is read. The word "read" can be tricky because it has multiple meanings in English. Let's start with the basic meaning of "to read" something written.

Here is a basic sentence:

Я читаю книгу

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I, pronounced like "ya"

читаю (chita-yu) - I read, present tense, the "yu" is pronounced like "you"

книгу (k-nee-goo) - book, pronounced like "knee-goo", "gu" sounds like "goo"

The ending of the verb читаю changes depending on who is reading.

читаешь (chita-yesh) - You (singular) read

читает (chita-yet) - He/She/It reads

читаем (chita-yem) - We read

читаете (chita-yete) - You (plural) read

читают (chita-yut) - They read

Translation: I read a book.

Important Note: The gender of the noun книгу (book) is feminine. If the noun was masculine, the verb ending would be different.

Example:

Я читаю журнал

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I, pronounced like "ya"

читаю (chita-yu) - I read, present tense, the "yu" is pronounced like "you"

журнал (zhoor-nal) - magazine, pronounced like "zhoor-nal"

The ending of the verb читаю remains the same because the word for magazine журнал is masculine.

Translation: I read a magazine.

English: read

Russian: читать (pronounced: chita-t')

The next word is unfortunately. К сожалению, k sozhale'niyu, я не могу пойти на вечеринку.

Breakdown:

К сожалению k sozhale'niyu - unfortunately. This is a prepositional phrase using the dative case of the noun "сожаление sozhale'niye" (regret, sorrow). The preposition "к k" (to) indicates the direction of the feeling of regret. The pronunciation is similar to "k suh-zhuh-leh-nee-yoo". Key concept: the dative case in Russian is used to show the indirect object of a verb or preposition.

я ya - I. This is the first-person singular pronoun. Pronunciation is similar to "ya".

не могу ne mogu - I cannot. This is the negation of the verb "мочь moch" (to be able to) in the first-person singular present tense. Pronunciation is similar to "nye mo-goo".

пойти payti - to go. This is the infinitive of the verb "идти idti" (to go). Pronunciation is similar to "poy-tee".

на na - on, to. This is a preposition that indicates location or direction. Pronunciation is similar to "na".

вечеринку vecherinku - party. This is the accusative case of the noun "вечеринка vecherinka". Key concept: the accusative case in Russian is used to show the direct object of a verb. The pronunciation is similar to "ve-che-rin-koo".

Translation: Unfortunately, I cannot go to the party.

Word and Pronunciation:

unfortunately - к сожалению k sozhale'niyu (k suh-zhuh-leh-nee-yoo)

The next word is from. The word "from" in English can be translated in Russian as из (pronounced "eez") or от (pronounced "ot").

Here's an example:

Я приехал из Москвы.

Translation: I came from Moscow.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
приехал (priekhal) - came, past tense, masculine singular
из (iz) - from

Москвы (Maskvy) - Moscow, genitive case.

Key concept: The use of the genitive case after prepositions like из and от. Genitive is used to show possession, origin, or relation.

Another variation:

Он получил письмо от друга.

Translation: He received a letter from a friend.

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He
получил (poluchil) - received, past tense, masculine singular
письмо (pis'mo) - letter
от (ot) - from
друга (druga) - friend, genitive case

Key concept: The genitive case is used after prepositions like от to show the source or origin of something.

Word and Pronunciation:

from = из (eez) or от (ot)

The next word is difference. ## Разница (pronounced: raz-ni-tsa) between these two books is significant.

Breakdown:

Разница (raz-ni-tsa) is the noun for "difference" in Russian.

между (mezh-doo) is the preposition "between"

этими (eh-ti-mi) is the plural form of the demonstrative adjective "these"

книгами (k-ni-ga-mi) is the plural form of the noun "book"

Complete sentence:

Разница (raz-ni-tsa) между (mezh-doo) этими (eh-ti-mi) книгами (k-ni-ga-mi) значительна (z-na-chi-tel-na)

Translation: The difference between these two books is significant.

Key concept: In Russian, nouns decline, meaning they change their form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. This sentence demonstrates the plural form of the noun "book" (книга (k-ni-ga) - книги (k-ni-gi).

Pronunciation:

Разница (raz-ni-tsa): emphasis on the second syllable "ni"

между (mezh-doo): emphasis on the second syllable "doo"

этими (eh-ti-mi): emphasis on the second syllable "ti"

книгами (k-ni-ga-mi): emphasis on the first syllable "kni"

значительна (z-na-chi-tel-na): emphasis on the third syllable "chi"

English: difference [ˈdɪfərəns]

Russian: разница (raz-ni-tsa)

The next word is perform. The Russian word for "perform" is выполнять (vy-pol-nyat').

Here is an example sentence:

Актеры должны были выполнять сложные трюки. (Aktery dolzhny byli vypolnyat' slozhnye tryuki.)

Breakdown:

Актеры (Aktery) - Actors (plural) - pronounced [ak-te-ri]

должны (dolzhny) - must (plural) - pronounced [dol-zh-ni]

были (byli) - were (plural) - pronounced [bi-li]

выполнять (vypolnyat') - to perform, to carry out (infinitive) - pronounced [vi-pol-nyat']

сложные (slozhnye) - complex, difficult (plural) - pronounced [slozh-ni-ye]

трюки (tryuki) - tricks, stunts (plural) - pronounced [tryu-ki]

Meaning: The actors had to perform complex stunts.

Key Concepts:

выполнять (vypolnyat') is an irregular verb, and the ending changes depending on the subject and tense. In the sentence, the verb is in the past tense, and it ends in -ли (-li).

сложные (slozhnye) is an adjective, and it ends in -ые (-ye) because it is in the plural form.

The word order in Russian is flexible, but it is common to place the verb near the end of the sentence.

Translation:

perform - выполнять (vypolnyat') - pronounced [vi-pol-nyat']

Note: The pronunciation guide above uses the standard English pronunciation of the Russian alphabet. The actual pronunciation may vary slightly depending on the speaker and region.

The next word is long. The sentence is: Эта река очень длинная.

Breakdown:

Эта (pronounced "eh-ta") means "this" and is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "этот" (eh-tot) which means "this."

река (pronounced "ree-ka") means "river" and is a feminine noun.

очень (pronounced "oh-chen") means "very" and is an adverb. It's a very common word and easy to remember because it sounds like the English word "ocean."

длинная (pronounced "dlin-naya") means "long" and is a feminine adjective. It's a good idea to remember the feminine ending "ая" (ah-yah) as it is used for many adjectives. It is related to the masculine adjective "длинный" (dlin-ny) which means "long." Note that the masculine form ends in "ый" (ee).

Key Concepts:

Gender in Russian: Russian nouns have gender, and the gender of a noun determines the form of adjectives and other words that modify it. The feminine gender is indicated by the ending "а" (ah) on nouns like река (ree-ka) and длинная (dlin-naya).

Adjectives Agree with Nouns: Adjectives in Russian agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. This means that the adjective must have the same gender, number, and case as the noun it describes.

Translation: This river is very long.

Word and Pronunciation:

Long: длинная (dlin-naya)

River: река (ree-ka)

The next word is guest. The English word "guest" is гость gost' in Russian. The ending of this word is a soft sign, which indicates that the "t" is pronounced like an English "st" sound.

Here is a sentence using the word "guest":

Я был гостем на вечеринке. Ya byl gost'em na vecherinke.

Breakdown:

Я ya - I

был byl - was

гостем gost'em - guest (instrumental case)

на na - on, at

вечеринке vecherinke - party

The instrumental case is used in Russian to indicate the means or instrument by which an action is performed. In this sentence, the "guest" is the instrument by which the action of being at the party is performed. The е ye at the end of гостем gost'em marks the instrumental case.

In Russian, the instrumental case is often used with prepositions such as на na (on, at), с s (with), and под pod (under).

The е ye ending in гостем gost'em is pronounced like the English "em."

Pronunciation:

гость gost' - gost'

гостем gost'em - gost'em

Translation: I was a guest at the party.

Variations:

The word "guest" can also be used in the plural form, гости gosti. This would be used to indicate more than one person.

English: Guest

Russian: гость gost'

The next word is track. The word "track" can have several meanings in Russian, depending on the context.

Here is an example using the meaning of "track" as a path or trail:

Мы шли по узкой тропинке, которая вела к вершине горы.

Мы - We
шли - were going, past tense
по - along, on, by means of
узкой - narrow
тропинке - path, trail (the "k" is pronounced like a "k" in "kick" in Russian)

которая - which, that
вела - led, past tense (The "e" in "вела" is pronounced like the "a" in "father" in Russian)

к - to, toward
вершине - peak, summit (the "e" in "вершине" is pronounced like the "e" in "get" in Russian)

горы - mountain

Translation: We walked along a narrow path that led to the top of the mountain.

Key Concept: The word "track" is often translated as тропинка (pronounced "tro-pin-ka") or дорога (pronounced "da-ro-ga"), which means "road", depending on the context.

Variations:

тропа (pronounced "tro-pa") - A more rustic and unpaved path
след (pronounced "s-led") - A footprint or trace left behind
путь (pronounced "poot") - A general path or journey

Pronunciation Guide:

тропинка - tro-pin-ka (The "p" is pronounced like a "p" in "pin" in Russian)

дорога - da-ro-ga
тропа - tro-pa
след - s-led
путь - poot

The next word is argue. ## Спорить (Sporit)

Sentence: Он спорил с другом о политике. (On sporil s drugom o politike.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (pronoun, subject of the sentence) - pronunciation: on
спорил (sporil) - argued (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - pronunciation: sporil
с (s) - with (preposition) - pronunciation: s
другом (drugom) - friend (noun, masculine singular, instrumental case) - pronunciation: drugom
о (o) - about (preposition) - pronunciation: o
политике (politike) - politics (noun, feminine singular, prepositional case) - pronunciation: politike

Meaning: He argued with his friend about politics.

Key Concepts:

Case System: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence (subject, object, etc.). This is called the case system. In this sentence, "friend" is in the instrumental case, used after the preposition "with."

Verb Conjugation: Verbs in Russian change their endings depending on the subject and tense. Here, the verb "to argue" is conjugated in the past tense, masculine singular form.

Variations of "argue":

Спорить (Sporit) - to argue (infinitive)

Спорили (Sporili) - argued (past tense, plural)

Спорю (Sporju) - I argue (present tense, first person singular)

Translation:

argue - спорить (sporit)

argued - спорил (sporil), спорила (sporila)

arguing - спорящий (sporyashchiy), спорящая (sporyashchaya)

Pronunciation Notes:

о (o) sounds like the "o" in "hot"

с (s) sounds like the "s" in "sun"

друг (drug) sounds like "droog"

This sentence provides a good starting point for understanding how to use the verb "to argue" in Russian. Remember to pay attention to the different forms of the verb and the noun cases. Good luck!

The next word is influence. ## Влияние политики на общество огромно.

Breakdown:

Влияние (vliyaniye) - influence, impact (pronounced: vlee-YA-nee-ye)

политики (politiki) - politics (pronounced: pah-lee-tee-kee)

на (na) - on, upon (pronounced: nah)

общество (obshchestvo) - society (pronounced: ob-SHES-tvuh)

огромно (ogromno) - enormous, huge (pronounced: uh-GROHM-nuh)

Translation: The influence of politics on society is enormous.

Key Concept: The word влияние is a noun meaning "influence". It is often used in the context of how one thing affects another. You can also use the verb влиять (vliyát') meaning "to influence" or "to impact".

Variations:

Влиять - to influence (pronounced: vlee-YA-t')

Влиятельный - influential (pronounced: vlee-YA-tel'niy)

Memorization Tips:

Влияние sounds similar to the English word "influence".

Политика sounds similar to "politics".

Общество sounds like "society".

Pronunciation Guide:

Влияние - vlee-YA-nee-ye

Политика - pah-lee-tee-kee

Общество - ob-SHES-tvuh

Огромно - uh-GROHM-nuh

English to Russian: influence - влияние (vliyaniye)

The next word is achieve. The English word achieve means to succeed in doing something difficult. We can translate it into Russian with the verb добиться (pronounced duh-bee-tsuh).

Here is an example sentence:

Он добился успеха в карьере.

Here is a word-by-word breakdown of the sentence:

Он - awn - He
добился - duh-bee-tsuh - achieved
успеха - us-peh-kha - success
в - v - in
карьере - kar-ye-ray - career

Translation: He achieved success in his career.

Key Concept: The verb добиться can be followed by a noun or prepositional phrase indicating what was achieved. The preposition в ("in") is used to indicate location or context.

Variations:

The verb добиться can be conjugated to indicate different tenses and persons. For example:

Я добился - Ya duh-bee-tsuh - I achieved

Мы добились - My duh-bee-tsuh - We achieved

Она добьется - A-nah duh-bye-t-suh - She will achieve

Pronunciation:

добиться - duh-bee-tsuh - The stress falls on the second syllable.

успеха - us-peh-kha - The stress falls on the first syllable.

карьере - kar-ye-ray - The stress falls on the second syllable.

English: achieve

Russian: добиться - duh-bee-tsuh

The next word is vote. The English word "vote" can be used in Russian in several ways. The verb "голосовать" golosovat' is most commonly used when describing the act of voting in an election.

Here is a sentence:

"Студенты проголосовали за нового президента университета." Studentry progolosovali za novogo prezidenta universiteta.

Студенты Studentry - Students - pronounced [stoo-den-tee]

проголосовали progolosovali - voted (past tense, plural) - pronounced [pra-go-la-sa-va-li]

за za - for - pronounced [za]

нового novogo - new - pronounced [no-vo-go]

президента prezidenta - president - pronounced [pre-zi-den-ta]

университета universiteta - university - pronounced [oo-ni-ver-si-te-ta]

This sentence means: "The students voted for a new university president."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Nouns in Russian have grammatical genders. президент prezident (president) is masculine, so the adjective нового novogo (new) agrees with it in gender. This is crucial in Russian grammar.

Past Tense: The verb проголосовали progolosovali is in the past tense. It agrees with the plural subject студенты studenty.

Variations:

The verb голосовать golosovat' can also be used in the present tense: Студенты голосуют за нового президента. Studentry golosuyut za novogo prezidenta. - The students are voting for the new president.

You can use the noun голос golos (vote) in the sentence: Студенты отдали свой голос за нового президента. Studentry otdali svoi golos za novogo prezidenta. - The students cast their vote for the new president.

Remember, practicing with different sentence structures and verb tenses will help you solidify your understanding of the Russian language!

The next word is man. The word "man" in English can be translated to Russian in a couple of ways depending on the context.

Here is a sentence using "man" as a noun, meaning "male human":

Мужчина сидит на скамейке. muzhchina sidit na skameyke.

Translation: The man is sitting on the bench.

Breakdown:

Мужчина muzhchina - the noun, man. This word is masculine and singular. The "ch" sound is like the "ch" in "chair". The "a" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "a" in "father". You can also use the word человек chelovek (human) if you want to be more neutral in your choice of gender, but this is more informal.

сидит sidit - is sitting, a verb in the present tense, 3rd person, singular. The "i" at the end is pronounced like the "i" in "machine".

на na - on, preposition.

скамейке skameyke - bench, a noun in the dative case. The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bet". The "y" in this word is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

Pronunciation: muzhchina sidit na skameyke.

Here is a sentence using "man" as a noun, meaning "human being":

Человек должен быть добрым. chelovek dolzhen byt' dobrym.

Translation: A man (human) should be kind.

Breakdown:

Человек chelovek - man/human, noun, singular. The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bet".

должен dolzhen - should, modal verb, masculine singular. The "zh" sounds like the "zh" in "treasure".

быть byt' - to be, infinitive verb. The "t'" at the end is a soft sign and is not pronounced. The "y" at the end is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

добрым dobrym - kind, adjective in the instrumental case. The "y" at the end is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

Pronunciation: chelovek dolzhen byt' dobrym.

In Russian, you can use the word мужчина muzhchina or человек chelovek to mean "man". The choice of which word to use depends on the context. If you are talking about a male human, then use мужчина muzhchina. If you are talking about a human being in general, then use человек chelovek.

English word: man

Russian word: мужчина muzhchina (male human) or человек chelovek (human)

Pronunciation: muzhchina chelovek

The next word is value. The word "value" in Russian can be expressed in a few ways, depending on the context. Here's an example sentence using the most common word:

Sentence: Он ценит своё время.

English Translation: He values his time.

Breakdown:

Он - он (ohn) - he
ценит - ценить (tse-nit) - to value, to appreciate. This is a verb in the present tense, singular, third person, which is used to describe a male subject in the sentence.

своё - свой (svoi) - his/her/its. This is a possessive adjective. It agrees with время in gender and number.

время - время (vrem-ya) - time.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This impacts the form of adjectives and verbs that modify the noun. In this sentence, время is neuter, so the adjective своё and the verb ценит are both in the neuter form.

Number: Russian nouns and adjectives change form depending on whether they are singular or plural. In this sentence, both время and своё are singular.

Case: The form of a noun changes depending on its function in the sentence. In this case, the noun время is in the accusative case, which is used for direct objects.

Variations:

ценность (tsen-nost) - value (as a noun) - "The value of this painting is high."

оценивать (at-se-ni-vat) - to evaluate, to assess - "The teacher will evaluate the students' work."

Pronunciation:

Remember to emphasize the stressed syllable in Russian words.

English to Russian Translations:

value - ценность (tsen-nost)

to value - ценить (tse-nit)

The next word is set. The word "set" can have many meanings in English, and thus has several translations in Russian. Here's an example showing one of these:

English Sentence: I set the alarm clock for 6:00 AM.

Russian Sentence: Я завёл будильник на 6:00 утра. Ya zavёл budiльник na 6:00 utra.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced like "ya"

завёл zavёл - past tense, masculine form of the verb "to wind up" - pronounced like "zavyool"

будильник budiльник - alarm clock - pronounced like "boo-deel-nik"

на na - preposition, meaning "on" or "for" in this context - pronounced like "na"

6:00 6:00 - 6:00 - pronounced like "shest' chasov"

утра utra - genitive case of the word "morning" - pronounced like "oo-tra"

Key Concepts

Gender: In Russian, nouns have grammatical gender, and verbs conjugate differently depending on the gender of the noun they are describing. In this case, the noun "будильник" budiльник ("alarm clock") is masculine, so the past tense verb "завёл" zavёл is also in the masculine form.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. In this example, the noun "утро" utro ("morning") is in the genitive case because it follows the preposition "на" na.

Variations

Other Translations of "Set": Depending on the context, "set" could be translated as:

ставить stavit' ("to put") - "I set the book on the table."

устанавливать ustanavlivat' ("to establish") - "We set a new company policy."

настраивать nastraivat' ("to tune") - "The technician set the instruments."

Pronunciation Hints

The stress in Russian words is usually on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, so it's important to check a dictionary or online resource for pronunciation.

The letter "ё" ё is pronounced like the "yo" in "yo-yo."

The letter "ы" ы is pronounced like the "ee" in "feel."

English Translation of Word and Pronunciation
set - завёл - "zavyool"

The next word is inform. The word "inform" in Russian is информировать (informirovat').

The sentence:

Профессор информировал студентов о предстоящем экзамене.

Breakdown:

Профессор (Professor) pro-feh-sor - This is the subject of the sentence, the one doing the informing.

информировал (informed) in-for-mee-ro-val - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "inform". The ending "-л" (-l) marks it as past tense. The ending "-а" (-a) shows that the subject is masculine, in this case, "Professor". To make the verb feminine, you would use "-ла" (-la), to make it plural, you would use "-ли" (-li).

студентов (students) stu-den-tov - This is the direct object of the verb, the ones being informed.

о (about) o - This preposition means "about" and introduces the information being given.

предстоящем (upcoming) prehd-sta-ya-shem - This is an adjective describing the exam. The ending "-ем" (-em) indicates the nominative plural masculine form of the adjective, agreeing with the noun "экзамене".

экзамене (exam) ek-za-me-ne - This is the noun referring to the exam, the information being shared.

This sentence means: "The professor informed the students about the upcoming exam."

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns and adjectives have genders. This impacts word endings.

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action (subject), when the action happened (past, present, future), and the number (singular or plural).

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence.

Pronunciation Tips:

о o - This sound is like the "o" in the word "hot"

э eh - This sound is like the "e" in the word "bed"

е ye - This sound is like the "ye" in the word "yes"

English-Russian Translation of the Word:

inform - информировать in-for-mee-ro-vat'

The next word is spread. The word "spread" can have several meanings in Russian, so I will give you a few examples.

1. Распространять (rassprostranyat') - to spread (information, news, etc.)

Sentence: Он распространял новости о войне. (On rasprostranyal novosti o voyne.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He
распространял (rasprostranyal) - past tense, masculine singular, verb "to spread"

новости (novosti) - news, plural
о (o) - about
войне (voyne) - war, feminine singular, prepositional case

Key Concepts:

The verb распространять (rassprostranyat') is irregular in the past tense. It follows the pattern of verbs ending in -ять (-yat').

Note the prepositional case used with the word войне (voyne). The preposition о (o) always takes the prepositional case.

Pronunciation:

распространять (rassprostranyat') - rahs-prah-strah-nyaht'

новости (novosti) - noh-vah-s-tee
войне (voyne) - voy-neh

Translation: He spread news about the war.

1. Расстилать (rasstilat') - to spread (a cloth, blanket, etc.)

Sentence: Она расстилала скатерть на столе. (Ona rasstılala skatеrt' na stole.)

Breakdown:

Она (Ona) - She
расстилала (rasstılala) - past tense, feminine singular, verb "to spread"

скатерть (skatеrt') - tablecloth, feminine singular
на (na) - on
столе (stole) - table, masculine singular, prepositional case

Key Concepts:

Расстилать (rasstilat') is an irregular verb and follows the same pattern as распространять (rassprostranyat').

The preposition на (na) takes the prepositional case when it means "on."

Pronunciation:

расстилать (rasstilat') - rahs-stee-laht'

скатерть (skatеrt') - ska-tehrt'

столе (stole) - stoh-leh

Translation: She spread the tablecloth on the table.

1. Расширять (rasshiryat') - to expand, to spread (a territory, etc.)

Sentence: Российская империя расширяла свои территории. (Rossiyskaya imperiya rasshiryala svoi territorii.)

Breakdown:

Российская империя (Rossiyskaya imperiya) - The Russian Empire, feminine singular
расширяла (rasshiryala) - past tense, feminine singular, verb "to expand"

свои (svoi) - her/his/its own (possessive pronoun)

территории (territorii) - territories, plural

Key Concepts:

Расширять (rasshiryat') follows the irregular verb pattern ending in -ять (-yat').

Территории (territorii) is a plural noun with a hard ending, so the possessive pronoun is свои (svoi).

Pronunciation:

Российская империя (Rossiyskaya imperiya) - rahs-see-ysk-ah-yah im-peh-ree-yah
расширяла (rasshiryala) - rahs-shee-ree-yah-lah
территории (territorii) - tehr-ree-toh-ree-ee

Translation: The Russian Empire expanded its territories.

The next word is young. The Russian sentence is: Она молода.

Breakdown:

Она Она (Она) - she. This is a nominative case pronoun referring to a female subject. Pronunciation: [uh-nah]

молода молода (moloda) - young (feminine). This is an adjective in the nominative case, agreeing in gender with the noun. Pronunciation: [muh-luh-dah]

Meaning: She is young.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. In this case, "молода" is feminine to agree with "она".

Nominative Case: This is the basic form of nouns and pronouns, used as the subject of a sentence.

Variations:

Masculine: Он молод (On molod) - He is young.

Plural: Они молоды (Oni molody) - They are young.

English to Russian:

Young: молодой (molodoy) - masculine

Young: молодая (molodaya) - feminine

Young: молодые (molodie) - plural

The next word is effect. The effect of the new law is still unknown. Эффект нового закона пока неизвестен.

Breakdown

Эффект (eh-FEKT) - This is the noun form of "effect" and translates to "effect" in English. It is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form of the adjective "new" - новый (NO-vy).

нового (NO-vo-go) - This is the genitive case of the masculine adjective новый (NO-vy), meaning "new". The genitive case is used to indicate possession or a relationship between two things. Here, it indicates that the law is "new".

закона (za-KO-na) - This is the genitive case of the noun закон (za-KON), meaning "law". The genitive case is used to indicate possession or a relationship between two things. Here, it indicates that the law is the subject of the sentence.

пока (pa-KA) - This is an adverb meaning "yet" or "still".

неизвестен (ne-iz-VE-sten) - This is the masculine singular form of the adjective неизвестный (ne-iz-VE-st-nyy) meaning "unknown". It agrees in gender and number with the noun эффект (eh-FEKT).

Key Concepts

Gender of nouns: In Russian, nouns are categorized as masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the endings of adjectives and other words that agree with the noun.

Cases: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. These changes are called cases. In this sentence, we see the genitive case used to show possession and the nominative case for the subject of the sentence.

Word order: The basic word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). However, the position of words can be flexible to emphasize different parts of the sentence.

Variations of "effect"

эффективный (ehf-fek-TIV-nyy) - effective
воздействие (vaz-DEY-stv-i-ye) - impact, influence
последствия (pa-sled-stv-i-ya) - consequences

Pronunciation Guide:

э (eh) - like the "e" in "bed"

о (o) - like the "o" in "hot"

и (ee) - like the "ee" in "see"

ы (y) - like the "y" in "my"

а (a) - like the "a" in "father"

у (oo) - like the "oo" in "moon"

я (ya) - like the "ya" in "yard"

English Translation: "effect" - эффект (eh-FEKT)

The next word is obvious. Её её (her) неудача была очевидна всем.

Breakdown:

Её (pronounced [ye-yo] like "yay-oh") is the nominative case of the third-person feminine pronoun "она" она (she) and refers to a female subject.

неудача (pronounced [ny-oo-da-cha] like "new-dah-cha") means "failure" or "misfortune".

была (pronounced [bi-la] like "bee-la") is the past tense of the verb "быть" быть (to be) in the feminine singular form and means "was".

очевидна (pronounced [a-chi-vee-dna] like "ah-chee-vee-dna") means "obvious" and is the feminine singular form of the adjective "очевидный" очевидный.

всем (pronounced [vsyem] like "vsyem") is the dative case of the pronoun "все" все (all) and refers to the indirect object.

This sentence uses the feminine singular form of the adjective очевидный because the noun that it modifies, неудача, is feminine. Note that this word is a common one and often used in many Russian expressions and idioms. The sentence translates to "Her failure was obvious to everyone."

Variations of очевидный

| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |

|---|---|---|---|

| очевидный | очевидная | очевидное | очевидные |

Pronunciation
очевидный (pronounced [a-chi-vee-d-ny] like "ah-chee-vee-d-ny")

очевидная (pronounced [a-chi-vee-dna-ya] like "ah-chee-vee-dna-ya")

очевидное (pronounced [a-chi-vee-dna-ye] like "ah-chee-vee-dna-ye")

очевидные (pronounced [a-chi-vee-d-n-ye] like "ah-chee-vee-d-n-ye")

English Translation: obvious [ah-vee-uhs]

Russian Translation: очевидный [a-chi-vee-d-ny]

The next word is feed. The English word "feed" can be translated into Russian as "кормить" (kormit').

Here is a sentence using the word:

"Мама кормит ребенка молоком." (Mama kormit rebyonka molokom.)

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Мама (Mama) - This is the subject of the sentence. It means "mother" and is pronounced as "ma-ma".

кормит (kormit) - This is the verb meaning "feeds" and it is in the present tense, 3rd person singular. It is pronounced as "kor-mit".

ребенка (rebyonka) - This is the direct object of the sentence and means "child". It is pronounced as "re-byon-ka".

молоком (molokom) - This is the instrument used to feed the child and means "milk". It is pronounced as "mo-lo-kom".

This sentence translates to: "The mother feeds the child milk".

Here are some variations of the word "кормить" (kormit'):

кормлю (kormlyu) - I feed (present tense, 1st person singular)

кормишь (kormish) - You feed (present tense, 2nd person singular)

кормит (kormit) - He/she/it feeds (present tense, 3rd person singular)

кормим (kormim) - We feed (present tense, 1st person plural)

кормите (kormite) - You (plural) feed (present tense, 2nd person plural)

кормят (kormyat) - They feed (present tense, 3rd person plural)

The verb "кормить" (kormit') means to provide food, but it can also be used in the context of giving information, as in:

Он кормит меня новостями. (On kormit menya novostiami) - He feeds me news.

English: feed - кормить (kormit')

The next word is imagine. ## Представьте себе, что вы стоите на вершине горы. Представьте себе, что вы стоите на вершине горы.

Breakdown:

Представьте Представьте (pre-d-stav-te) - imperative verb, "imagine" (2nd person plural)

себе себе (si-bye) - reflexive pronoun, "yourself", attached to the verb to indicate the action is performed upon oneself.

что что (shto) - conjunction, "that" introducing a subordinate clause

вы вы (vi) - pronoun, "you" (plural)

стоите стоите (stoi-te) - verb, "stand" (present tense, 2nd person plural)

на на (na) - preposition, "on"

вершине вершине (ver-shi-ne) - noun, "summit" (feminine, singular)

горы горы (go-ri) - noun, "mountain" (feminine, singular)

Key Concepts:

Imperative verbs in Russian are formed by adding the ending "-те" -те (te) to the stem of the verb (in this case, the stem is "представ" представ (pre-d-stav)).

Reflexive verbs are common in Russian, and they are formed by adding the reflexive pronoun "-ся" -ся (sya) to the verb stem. However, "себя" себя (si-bya) is the reflexive pronoun in the accusative case, which is used when the reflexive pronoun is the direct object of the verb.

The verb "стоять" стоять (stoi-at') is an irregular verb. Its present tense forms are:

я стою я стою (ya stoi-yu)

ты стоишь ты стоишь (ti stoi-sh)

он/она/оно стоит он/она/оно стоит (on/ona/ono stoi-t)

мы стоим мы стоим (mi stoi-m)

вы стоите вы стоите (vi stoi-te)

они стоят они стоят (oni stoi-at)

Variations:

The verb can be changed to the first person singular ("imagine myself"): "Представьте себе, что я стою на вершине горы". Представьте себе, что я стою на вершине горы.

The verb can be changed to the past tense ("imagined"): "Представьте себе, что вы стояли на вершине горы". Представьте себе, что вы стояли на вершине горы.

The preposition "на" на (na) can be changed to "с" с (s) to indicate location "from", "Представьте себе, что вы спустились с вершины горы". Представьте себе, что вы спустились с вершины горы.

Translation: Imagine yourself standing on the summit of a mountain.

English pronunciation:

imagine - im-aj-in

summit - sum-it

mountain - moun-tin

Russian pronunciation:

Представьте - pre-d-stav-te

себе - si-bye

что - shto

вы - vi

стоите - stoi-te

на - na

вершине - ver-shi-ne

горы - go-ri

The next word is vary. The weather in Russia can варьироваться [pronounced: var-ee-ri-va-tis] from scorching hot in the summer to brutally cold in the winter.

Breakdown:

варьироваться [pronounced: var-ee-ri-va-tis] is the infinitive form of the verb meaning "to vary."

This is a very versatile verb as it can be conjugated into different tenses, moods, and voices.

The sentence uses the present tense, which is the most common form of the verb.

The sentence structure is: The weather in Russia может [pronounced: mo-zhet] варьироваться [pronounced: var-ee-ri-va-tis] from scorching hot in the summer to brutally cold in the winter.

может [pronounced: mo-zhet] is a modal verb which in this case gives the sentence a sense of possibility. It can be translated as "can" or "may."

Key Concepts:

варьироваться [pronounced: var-ee-ri-va-tis] is an important verb to know as it can be used in many different situations.

Remember to conjugate the verb correctly to match the tense and mood of your sentence.

English: to vary

Russian: варьироваться [pronounced: var-ee-ri-va-tis]

The next word is important. This is an important важный (pronounced vahzh-niy) topic for our discussion today.

The word важный is an adjective meaning "important". It's in the masculine form, but it can be changed to feminine важная (pronounced vahzh-naya), or neuter важное (pronounced vahzh-nuh-ye) depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. For example, you would say важный вопрос (vahzh-niy vop-ros) - "important question" or важная книга (pronounced vahzh-naya kni-ga) - "important book".

In this sentence, важный is used as a predicate adjective, describing the noun тема (pronounced te-ma) - "topic" - which is the subject of the sentence.

English: important

Russian: важный (pronounced vahzh-niy)

The next word is finish. The word "finish" is a very versatile word in English. It can be used as a verb, a noun, or an adjective. In this example we will use it as a verb.

Он закончил свою работу.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He. This is the masculine singular pronoun, and it is pronounced like "ohn".

закончил закончил - This is the masculine singular past tense form of the verb "to finish". The "ч" at the end of this word is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

свою свою - This is the feminine singular possessive adjective meaning "his/her/its". The "ю" at the end of this word is pronounced like the "u" in "flute".

работу работу - This is the feminine singular noun meaning "work". The "у" at the end of this word is pronounced like the "oo" in "food".

The whole sentence translates as, "He finished his work".

Word Breakdown
finish - закончить - [zah-KOHN-chit']

work - работа - [ra-BOH-ta]

The next word is ground. The word "ground" in English has a variety of meanings. In this example, it is used as a noun meaning "the solid surface of the earth". Here is the Russian sentence:

Я стою на земле

Breakdown

Я (Ya) - I
стою (stoyu) - Present tense of the verb "to stand", meaning "I am standing"

на (na) - Preposition "on"

земле (zemle) - Noun, "ground", "earth", "land"

Translation "I am standing on the ground."

Key Concepts

Gender: The noun "земля" (zemlya) is feminine. This is important because it affects the form of the preposition "на" (na), which changes depending on the gender of the noun it precedes.

Case: The noun "земле" (zemle) is in the prepositional case. This case is used after certain prepositions, such as "на" (na).

Pronunciation

Я - Ya (pronounced like "ya" in "yard")

стою - stoyu (pronounced like "stoyoo" in "stoyoo-pid")

на - na (pronounced like "nah")

земле - zemle (pronounced like "zem-leh")

English/Russian Translation
ground - земля (zemlya) - zem-lya

The next word is status. The Russian word for "status" is статус (pronounced sta-tus, the 'u' in 'status' is pronounced as a short 'u' sound similar to the 'u' in 'but'). It is a masculine noun, meaning that it will take the masculine form of adjectives and pronouns when describing it.

The sentence below uses the word статус to describe the status of a business.

Статус компании хороший.

Breakdown:

Статус (pronounced sta-tus) - status, masculine noun.

компании (pronounced kom-pa-ni-i) - company, feminine noun
хороший (pronounced ho-ro-shiy) - good, masculine adjective

Translation: The company's status is good.

This is a simple sentence using статус. You can also use it in a variety of other contexts like describing the status of a project, a person's status in society, and more. Remember that the word статус will require the masculine form of any accompanying adjectives, like in the example above.

Word and Pronunciation:

статус (pronounced sta-tus) - status

The next word is screen. The word "screen" can be translated into Russian as экран (ekran). It is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form of the adjective "большой" (bolshoy) "big", to become "большой экран" (bolshoy ekran). The sentence could be:

"На большом экране показывают новый фильм." Na bolshoy ekran pokazivayut novyy film.

Breakdown:

На (na) - preposition meaning "on"

большом (bolshoy) - masculine form of the adjective "big" (masculine form of "большой" (bolshoy) - big)

экране (ekrane) - dative case of экран (ekran) - screen (the screen is the object being acted upon by the verb)

показывают (pokazyvayut) - present tense third person plural of the verb "показывать" (pokazyvat) - to show
новый (novyy) - adjective meaning "new"

фильм (film) - masculine noun meaning "film"

Pronunciation:

На - [na] - (sounds like "nah")

большом - [bolshoy] - (sounds like "bol-shoy")

экране - [ekrane] - (sounds like "ek-rah-neh")

показывают - [pokazyvayut] - (sounds like "pa-ka-zi-vay-oot")

новый - [novyy] - (sounds like "no-vee")

фильм - [film] - (sounds like "feelm")

Translation:

On the big screen they are showing a new film.

This sentence shows how the dative case is used to indicate the object being acted upon. It also uses the present tense third person plural of the verb "показывать" (pokazyvat) - to show. You can use this sentence as a model to build other sentences with the word экран (ekran) - screen.

Remember:

Экран (ekran) - screen - is masculine, meaning it will change the adjective ending.

Good luck!

The next word is tax. ## Налог (nalog) is a noun that means "tax" in English.

Breakdown:

Налог (nalog) is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form of the adjective.

The noun налог (nalog) is a common noun in Russian.

It is often used in the plural form налоги (nalogi) when referring to different types of taxes.

Example Sentence:

В России существует много разных налогов.

(V Rossii sushchestvuet mnogo raznykh nalagov.)

Translation:

There are many different taxes in Russia.

Pronunciation:

Налог (nalog): Nah-log
налоги (nalogi): Nah-logi

Key Concepts:

The masculine gender of Russian nouns affects the form of adjectives that describe them.

Common nouns are everyday objects or concepts in the language.

Plural forms of nouns are important to use when referring to more than one item.

Word and Pronunciation:

Tax: Налог (nalog) - Nah-log

The next word is remove. The word "remove" in Russian is удалить (pronounced oo-dah-leet'). The sentence could be:

Пожалуйста, удалите этот файл.

Пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - Please
удалите (oodalite) - remove (imperative form, 2nd person plural, you all or you)

этот (etot) - this
файл (fayl) - file

This sentence translates to "Please remove this file".

Here are some variations of the verb удалить (oodalit') that might be useful:

удалил (oodalil) - removed (masculine past tense)

удалила (oodalila) - removed (feminine past tense)

удалило (oodalilo) - removed (neuter past tense)

удалили (oodalili) - removed (plural past tense)

English: remove

Russian: удалить (oo-dah-leet')

The next word is old. The Russian sentence is: Эта книга очень старая.

Breakdown:

Эта (pronounced eh-ta) means "this" in the feminine singular form. It is a demonstrative pronoun, used to point out something specific.

книга (pronounced k-nee-ga) means "book".

очень (pronounced oh-chen) means "very".

старая (pronounced stah-raya) means "old" in the feminine singular form. This is the adjective form of the word, and it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This is why we use the feminine singular form of the adjective старая to describe the feminine singular noun книга.

Demonstrative pronouns: Demonstrative pronouns like эта are used to point out specific things.

Variations:

The masculine singular form of the adjective "old" is старый (pronounced stah-ree).

The neuter singular form is старое (pronounced stah-roe).

The plural form is старые (pronounced stah-ree-ye).

Translation: This book is very old.

English pronunciation:

Old: oh-ld

This: this

Book: book

Very: veh-ree

Old: oh-ld

The next word is character. The word "character" in Russian is персонаж (pronounced per-suh-nahzh). It is a noun and can be masculine or feminine depending on the gender of the character.

Here is a sentence using the word "character":

Главный персонаж романа - молодой писатель. (pronounced glav-niy per-suh-nahzh ro-ma-na - mo-lo-doy pee-sa-tehl).

This sentence means:

The main character of the novel is a young writer.

Breakdown:

главный (pronounced glav-niy) - main
персонаж (pronounced per-suh-nahzh) - character
романа (pronounced ro-ma-na) - of the novel
молодой (pronounced mo-lo-doy) - young
писатель (pronounced pee-sa-tehl) - writer

Key Concept:

The word персонаж can refer to a person in a story, play, or movie.

It can also be used to refer to a person in real life, especially if you want to emphasize their personality or role in a situation.

Variations of the Word:

персонажи (pronounced per-suh-nah-zhee) - characters (plural)

персональный (pronounced per-suh-nal-niy) - personal

Pronunciation Tips:

The "zh" sound in персонаж is similar to the "j" sound in the English word "pleasure."

The "ch" sound in главный is like the "ch" sound in the English word "church."

English Translation: character - персонаж (pronounced per-suh-nahzh)

The next word is border. The word "border" in Russian is граница (pronounced gra-ni-tsa). It is a feminine noun and is used with the feminine form of the adjective.

Here is a sample sentence:

Граница между Россией и Украиной проходит по реке Днепр.

Граница (gra-ni-tsa) - border. Key concept: This word is used to describe a line that separates two countries, states, or regions. Pronunciation: The "a" in граница is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The "i" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

между (mez-doo) - between. Pronunciation: The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bet".

Россией (Ros-si-ey) - Russia. Key concept: This is the instrumental case of Россия (Ros-si-ya), which is the nominative case for Russia. Pronunciation: The "i" in Россией is pronounced like the "ee" in "see." The "я" at the end is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard."

и (i) - and. Pronunciation: This word is pronounced like the English word "ee."

Украиной (Uk-rai-noy) - Ukraine. Key concept: This is the instrumental case of Украина (Uk-rai-na), which is the nominative case for Ukraine. Pronunciation: The "a" at the end is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The "i" is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

проходит (pro-kho-dit) - passes. Key concept: This is the third person singular present tense form of the verb проходить (pro-kho-dit), meaning to pass. Pronunciation: The "o" in проходит is pronounced like the "o" in "go." The "и" at the end is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

по (pa) - along. Pronunciation: This word is pronounced like the English word "pa."

реке (re-ke) - river. Key concept: This is the dative case of река (re-ka), which is the nominative case for river. Pronunciation: The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bet."

Днепр (Dnepr) - Dnieper. Key concept: This is the name of a river, the Dnieper River. Pronunciation: The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bet."

Translation: The border between Russia and Ukraine runs along the Dnieper River.

English: border /ˈbɔːrdər/

Russian: граница /graˈnitsa/

The next word is fan. The word "fan" can be translated into Russian as веер (pronounced [vee-er]) which means a fan used to cool oneself.

Here is a sample sentence:

У неё в руках был красивый веер. (pronounced [oo ny-yo v ru-kahkh byl kra-si-vy ve-er])

This means "She had a beautiful fan in her hands."

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

У У (pronounced [oo]) - this is the preposition "at" or "with", which is used in this case to indicate possession. This is similar to saying "She has.."

ней ней (pronounced [ney]) - the word "ней" is a dative case of the pronoun "она" (she). The dative case is used to show the indirect object, which means the person who is receiving the action of the verb. Here it means "her"

в в (pronounced [v]) - is the preposition "in". The preposition "в" is used to indicate location or position.

руках руках (pronounced [roo-kahkh]) - is the plural form of the word "рука" (hand) in the prepositional case. The prepositional case is used to show the place or time of an action.

был был (pronounced [byl]) - is the past tense of the verb "быть" (to be). This verb is used to describe the state of being. It is the masculine singular form of the verb.

красивый красивый (pronounced [kra-si-vy]) - means "beautiful". This is an adjective that describes the noun "веер"

веер веер (pronounced [vee-er]) - means "fan".

You can also use the word фанат (pronounced [fa-nat]) which means a fan of something. For example, you could say Я фанат футбола. (pronounced [Ya fa-nat fut-bo-la]) which means "I am a fan of football". The word фанат is used to describe someone who is a passionate supporter of something.

English: Fan

Russian: веер (pronounced [vee-er]) and фанат (pronounced [fa-nat])

The next word is impossible. This is impossible.

Это невозможно.

Breakdown:

Это Это (eh-to) - This - Nominative neutral pronoun

невозможно невозможно (nee-voz-mohzh-no) - impossible - Adjective, neuter, short form (used to modify a noun in the nominative case).

Key Concepts:

The word "невозможно" невозможно (nee-voz-mohzh-no) is the short form of the adjective "невозможный" невозможный (nee-voz-mohzh-ny) (meaning impossible). The short form is used when the adjective modifies a noun in the nominative case. The full adjective would be "Это невозможная задача" Это невозможная задача (eh-to nee-voz-mohzh-naya za-da-cha) (This is an impossible task).

The word "не" не (nye) is added before adjectives to make them negative, so the opposite of "возможный" возможный (voz-mohzh-ny) (possible) is "невозможный" невозможный (nee-voz-mohzh-ny) (impossible).

Translation: This is impossible.

Pronunciation:

Это Это (eh-to) - This

невозможно невозможно (nee-voz-mohzh-no) - impossible

The next word is examine. The professor carefully examines the student's essay.

Профессор внимательно изучает эссе студента.

Breakdown:

Профессор (professor) - pronounced like "proh-feh-sor"

внимательно (carefully) - pronounced like "vnee-ma-tel-no"

изучает (examines) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yet"

эссе (essay) - pronounced like "eh-say"

студента (student's) - pronounced like "stoo-den-ta"

This sentence uses the verb изучать (to examine, to study) in the present tense. The verb is conjugated according to the subject, which in this case is the masculine singular noun Профессор. The conjugation is изучает.

Key concept: Russian verbs are conjugated according to the person, number, and gender of the subject.

Variations:

Изучаю (I examine) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yoo"

Изучаешь (you examine) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yesh"

Изучает (he/she/it examines) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yet"

Изучаем (we examine) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-em"

Изучаете (you examine [plural]) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yete"

Изучают (they examine) - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yut"

Translation:

Профессор - Professor
внимательно - carefully
изучает - examines
эссе - essay
студента - student's

The next word is worry. ## Не стоит беспокоиться (Ne stoit bespokoitsya)

This sentence means "Don't worry." It is a very common phrase in Russian.

Breakdown:

Не (Ne) - This is the negative particle, meaning "not". It is pronounced like "nyeh".

стоит (Stoit) - This is the verb "to be worth" in the present tense, third person singular form. It is pronounced like "stoyt".

беспокоиться (Bespokoitsya) - This is the verb "to worry" in the infinitive form. It is pronounced like "byes-pa-koy-it-sya" .

Key Concepts:

Infinitive Form of Verbs: The infinitive form of verbs in Russian always ends in -ть (ть). This is the base form of the verb, and it is used in many grammatical constructions.

Negative Particles: "Ne" is an important negative particle in Russian, and it is often used with verbs to form negative sentences.

Word Order: The word order in Russian sentences can be flexible. In this sentence, the negative particle "ne" comes before the verb, and the infinitive verb comes at the end.

Variations of беспокоиться (Bespokoitsya):

Беспокойство (Bespokoi'stvo) - This is the noun form of the verb, meaning "worry" or "anxiety".

Беспокоить (Bespokoit') - This is the present tense form of the verb, meaning "to worry" (third person singular).

Беспокойный (Bespokoinyi) - This is the adjective form of the verb, meaning "worried" or "anxious".

Translation:

Не (Ne) - Not
стоит (Stoit) - Is worth
беспокоиться (Bespokoitsya) - To worry

Pronunciation:

Не (Ne) - nyeh
стоит (Stoit) - stoyt
беспокоиться (Bespokoitsya) - byes-pa-koy-it-sya

The next word is travel. ## Путешествие в Америку было незабываемым.

Breakdown:

Путешествие (Pute-she-st-vi-ye): This is the noun "travel" or "journey." This is the key word, and is a noun in the nominative case. The stress is on the third syllable, ше. It is the subject of the sentence.

в (v): This is the preposition "in" or "to," and is used to indicate the destination. The "v" is pronounced like the "v" in "very." It is in the accusative case because it is following a preposition.

Америку (A-me-ri-ku): This is the noun "America." It is in the accusative case because it follows the preposition в. The stress is on the second syllable, ри.

было (by-lo): This is the past tense of the verb "to be" ("was"). It is conjugated in the neuter gender since the subject Путешествие is neuter. The stress is on the first syllable, бы.

незабываемым (ne-za-by-va-e-mym): This is an adjective, meaning "unforgettable." The word is in the instrumental case to agree with the subject Путешествие. The stress is on the third syllable, ва.

Translation: The journey to America was unforgettable.

Variations:

Путешествовать (Pute-she-st-vo-vat): This is the verb "to travel."

Путешественник (Pute-she-st-ven-nik): This is the noun "traveler."

Путешествие (Pute-she-st-vi-ye): This is the noun "travel" or "journey" (as in the original sentence).

Pronunciation Hints:

The "e" at the end of Путешествие and незабываемым is pronounced like the "e" in "the."

The "и" in Америку is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

The "ы" in было and незабываемым is pronounced like the "i" in "bit."

English: travel, journey

Russian: путешествие (pu-te-she-st-vi-ye)

The next word is colleague. My коллега работает в университете.

Breakdown:

коллега - colleague (pronounced: kah-LEH-gah) This is the subject of the sentence. коллега can be either masculine or feminine, so it is important to pay attention to the gender of the person you are talking about. In this case, the коллега is a man. Коллега is a noun and is declined by case. In this case, it is in the nominative case.

работает - works (pronounced: ra-BOH-tay-et) This is a verb in the present tense. It agrees in number and gender with the subject коллега
в - in (pronounced: v) This is a preposition.

университете - university (pronounced: oo-ni-ver-si-TEH-tye) This is a noun in the prepositional case. It refers to the place where the коллега works.

Translation: My colleague works at the university.

Helpful Hint: When learning Russian, pay attention to the endings of words. The endings tell you the case and gender of the word. For example, in the sentence above, the ending of the word коллега is -а which indicates that it is a masculine noun in the nominative case.

English: colleague - коллега (kah-LEH-gah)

Russian: коллега (kah-LEH-gah) - colleague

The next word is conclude. ## Мы можем заключить, что...

Breakdown:

Мы Мы - we (nominative plural pronoun) - pronounced like "mi"

можем можем - we can (present tense, 1st person plural, verb "мочь") - pronounced like "moh-zhem"

заключить заключить - to conclude (infinitive verb) - pronounced like "za-klyu-chit'"

что что - that (conjunction) - pronounced like "shto"

Meaning: We can conclude that...

Variations of "заключить":

заключение заключение (noun) - conclusion - pronounced like "za-klyu-che-niye"

заключать заключать (verb) - to conclude (imperfective aspect) - pronounced like "za-klyu-chat'"

Key concept: The verb "заключить" is in the infinitive form in this sentence. It's important to know the infinitive form because it's the base form of the verb that you can use to conjugate it into different tenses and persons.

English Translation: conclude - заключить - (za-klyu-chit')

The next word is plan. The word "plan" in English can have different meanings, depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. To plan a trip

Я планирую поездку в Москву.

Ya planiruyu poezdku v Moskvu.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (subject pronoun) - Pronunciation: [yah]

планирую planiruyu - I am planning (present tense of the verb "планировать" planirovat') - Pronunciation: [planee-roo-yu]

поездку poezdku - a trip (accusative case of the noun "поездка" poezdka) - Pronunciation: [pa-yezd-koo]

в v - to, in (preposition) - Pronunciation: [v]

Москву Moskvu - Moscow (accusative case of the noun "Москва" Moskva) - Pronunciation: [ma-sk-vuh]

Translation: I am planning a trip to Moscow.

Key Concept: The verb "планировать" planirovat' is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object. In this sentence, the direct object is "поездку" poezdku - the trip.

1. To plan a project

Мы планируем проект по изучению русского языка.

My planiruem proekt po izucheniyu russkogo yazyka.

Breakdown:

Мы My - we (subject pronoun) - Pronunciation: [mee]

планируем planiruem - we are planning (present tense of the verb "планировать" planirovat') - Pronunciation: [planee-roo-em]

проект proekt - a project (nominative case of the noun "проект" proekt) - Pronunciation: [pra-yehk-t]

по po - on, about (preposition) - Pronunciation: [pa]

изучению izucheniyu - studying (dative case of the noun "изучение" izuchenie) - Pronunciation: [ee-zoo-cheh-nee-yu]

русского russkogo - Russian (genitive case of the adjective "русский" russkiy) - Pronunciation: [roos-skih-go]

языка yazyka - language (genitive case of the noun "язык" yazyk) - Pronunciation: [yah-zih-ka]

Translation: We are planning a project on the study of the Russian language.

Key Concept: The verb "планировать" planirovat' can be used with different prepositional phrases to specify the object of the planning. In this example, it is "по изучению русского языка" po izucheniyu russkogo yazyka - on the study of the Russian language.

Pronunciation:

Plan: [plan]

Planiruyet: [planee-roo-yet] (present tense of the verb "planirovat'")

Proekt: [pra-yehk-t]

Poezdka: [pa-yezd-ka]

Moskva: [ma-sk-vah]

Russkiy: [roos-skiy]

Yazyk: [yah-zihk]

Remember that the Russian language has grammatical cases, and the form of the noun changes depending on its function in the sentence. In the examples above, you can see how the nouns "поездка" poezdka and "проект" proekt change their endings in the accusative case and the noun "изучение" izuchenie changes its ending to the dative case.

The next word is search. I am searching for the perfect book for my next research paper. Я ищу идеальную книгу для моей следующей исследовательской работы.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (pronoun, subject of the sentence)

ищу ishchu - I am searching (present tense, 1st person singular, verb "искать" iskat' - to search)

идеальную ideal'nuyu - perfect (adjective, feminine, singular, agreeing with "книгу")

книгу knigu - book (noun, feminine, singular, direct object of the verb "ищу")

для dlya - for (preposition)

моей moey - my (possessive adjective, feminine, singular, agreeing with "работы")

следующей sleduyushchey - next (adjective, feminine, singular, agreeing with "работы")

исследовательской issledovatel'skoy - research (adjective, feminine, singular, agreeing with "работы")

работы raboty - work (noun, feminine, singular)

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and nouns must agree in gender, number, and case. This is demonstrated in the sentence with the use of feminine forms for "идеальную", "книгу", "моей", "следующей", and "исследовательской" to match the feminine noun "работы".

Direct Object: The noun "книгу" is the direct object of the verb "ищу", indicating what is being searched for.

Preposition: The preposition "для" (for) is used to introduce the purpose of the search (the research paper).

Pronunciation:

Я Ya - pronounced like "ya" in "yard"

ищу ishchu - pronounced like "ee-shchoo"

идеальную ideal'nuyu - pronounced like "ee-day-al'nuyu"

книгу knigu - pronounced like "knee-goo"

для dlya - pronounced like "dlya"

моей moey - pronounced like "moy-ey"

следующей sleduyushchey - pronounced like "sleh-doo-yoo-shchey"

исследовательской issledovatel'skoy - pronounced like "iss-leh-doh-va-tel'skoy"

работы raboty - pronounced like "ra-bo-ty"

English to Russian Translation:

search - искать iskat'

The next word is brain. The word "brain" in Russian is мозг (pronounced "mozg"). It's a masculine noun, meaning it takes on masculine grammatical endings.

Here's an example sentence:

У него острый мозг. (pronounced "oo nyevo ostry mozg")

Breakdown:

У (pronounced "oo") - This is a preposition meaning "at," "with," or "by." It's used here to indicate possession.

него (pronounced "nyevo") - This is the genitive (possessive) case of the pronoun он (pronounced "on") meaning "he". So, it translates to "his".

острый (pronounced "ostry") - This is an adjective meaning "sharp" or "acute". It describes the noun мозг (brain).

мозг (pronounced "mozg") - This is the noun meaning "brain".

Translation: He has a sharp mind.

Helpful Hints:

The г (g) in мозг is pronounced like a hard "g" in English, as in "gate".

The stress in мозг (mozg) is on the second syllable.

острый (pronounced "ostry") ends with a soft "y" sound, similar to the "y" in "sky".

English: brain

Russian: мозг (pronounced "mozg")

The next word is accident. The Russian sentence is:

Я попал в аварию

This means: "I got into an accident."

Breakdown of sentence:

Я: This is the pronoun "I" in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence. It is pronounced "ya" (like "ya" in "yard").

попал: This is the verb "to get into" in the past tense, masculine singular form. It is pronounced "papal" (like "pa-pal").

в: This is the preposition "in", used to indicate location. It is pronounced "v" (like the English "v").

аварию: This is the noun "accident" in the accusative case, which is used for the direct object of the verb. It is pronounced "avariyu" (like "ah-vah-ree-yu").

Variations:

You can change the subject of the sentence to use a different pronoun, like "она" (она) "she" or "он" (он) "he."

You can change the tense of the verb to the present tense "падаю" (падаю) "I am getting into." or the future tense "попаду" (попаду) "I will get into."

You can add other information about the accident, like the type of accident or where it happened.

Word Pronunciation:

авария (ah-vah-ree-ya) - accident
попал (pa-pal) - got into
я (ya) - I
в (v) - in

This sentence shows a basic usage of the accusative case in Russian, which is used for direct objects of verbs. Understanding this case can help you express a variety of actions and ideas in Russian.

The next word is compare. Сравните эти два текста [Sravnite eti dva teksta]

Breakdown:

Сравните [Sravnite] is the imperative form of the verb сравнивать [sravnivat'] which means "to compare". The imperative form tells someone to do something.

эти [eti] is the plural form of the demonstrative adjective этот [etot] which means "this". It is used when pointing out something that is close in space or time.

два [dva] means "two".

текста [teksta] is the plural form of the noun текст [tekst] which means "text".

Meaning: "Compare these two texts."

Key Concepts:

The imperative form of verbs in Russian is formed by adding the ending -те [-te] to the verb stem.

The plural form of demonstrative adjectives in Russian is formed by adding the ending -е [-e] to the singular form.

The plural form of nouns in Russian is formed by adding the ending -ы [-y] to the singular form.

Pronunciation:

Сравните [Sravnite] (s-rahv-nee-tee)

эти [eti] (eh-tee)

два [dva] (d-vah)

текста [teksta] (teks-tah)

Translation:

Compare: сравнивать [sravnivat'] (s-rahv-nee-vat')

These: эти [eti] (eh-tee)

Two: два [dva] (d-vah)

Texts: текста [teksta] (teks-tah)

The next word is first. Sentence: Он пришёл первым на встречу.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - On - Pronunciation: ohn
пришёл пришёл - came (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - prishol - Pronunciation: pree-shohl
первым первым - first (adjective, instrumental case, masculine singular) - pervym - Pronunciation: per-vuhm
на на - to, on (preposition) - na - Pronunciation: nah
встречу встречу - meeting (noun, accusative case) - vstrechu - Pronunciation: vstre-choo

Meaning: He arrived first at the meeting.

Key concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, "первым" is in the instrumental case because it is the means by which he arrived (he arrived by being the first).

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify. "первым" is masculine because it modifies "он".

Verb Tense: The past tense verb "пришёл" is conjugated to match the subject "он".

Variations:

First (adverb): впервые (vpervye) - for the first time (adverb)

First (ordinal number): первый (pervyy) - first (masculine nominative)

First (ordinal number): первая (pervaya) - first (feminine nominative)

First (ordinal number): первое (pervoe) - first (neuter nominative)

Translation:

First: первый (pervyy)

First (as an adverb): впервые (vpervye)

The next word is editor. The word "editor" in Russian is редактор (redaktor).

This sentence uses the word in the nominative case, which is the basic form of the noun. The word is used in a neutral way. The word is masculine and changes endings depending on the grammatical case. For instance, it would be редактора (redaktora) if it was in the genitive case (possessive).

Here is an example sentence:

Редактор (redaktor) изменил (izmenil) текст (tekst).

Editor changed the text.

Breakdown:

Редактор (redaktor) - editor (nominative case, masculine)

изменил (izmenil) - changed (past tense, masculine singular)

текст (tekst) - text (nominative case, masculine)

Pronunciation Notes:

редактор (redaktor) - The 'e' in редактор is pronounced like the 'e' in 'bed'. The 'a' in редактор is pronounced like the 'a' in 'father'.

изменил (izmenil) - The 'и' in изменил is pronounced like the 'ee' in 'see'. The 'е' in изменил is pronounced like the 'e' in 'bed'.

текст (tekst) - The 'е' in текст is pronounced like the 'e' in 'bed'. The 'т' in текст is pronounced like the 't' in 'top'.

English - editor

Russian - редактор (redaktor)

The next word is suppose. ## Предположим, что завтра будет хорошая погода. Предположим, что завтра будет хорошая погода.

Breakdown:

Предположим Предположим (predpolozhim) - This is the imperative form of the verb предполагать предполагать (predpolagat') meaning "to suppose, assume". The imperative form is used to express a suggestion or command, in this case, suggesting we consider the possibility.

что что (chto) - This is the conjunction meaning "that", introducing the subordinate clause that follows.

завтра завтра (zavtra) - This is the adverb meaning "tomorrow".

будет будет (budet) - This is the future tense of the verb "быть" быть (byt') meaning "to be".

хорошая хорошая (horoshaia) - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective meaning "good".

погода погода (pogodа) - This is the noun meaning "weather".

Translation:

Let's suppose that tomorrow will be good weather.

Pronunciation:

Предположим Предположим (pred-po-lo-zhim)

что что (chto)

завтра завтра (zav-tra)

будет будет (boo-det)

хорошая хорошая (ho-ro-sha-ya)

погода погода (po-go-da)

Variations:

Предположим, что… Предположим, что… (predpolozhim, chto…) - This is the most common way to express "suppose that" in Russian. It can be followed by any clause or phrase.

Допустим, что… Допустим, что… (dopusti-m, chto…) - This is another way to express "suppose that". It is slightly more formal than "предположим".

Давайте предположим, что… Давайте предположим, что… (Davaite predpolozhim, chto…) - This is a more polite and conversational way to express "suppose that".

Представим себе, что… Представим себе, что… (Predstavim sebe, chto…) - This is a more imaginative way to express "suppose that", suggesting you imagine a scenario.

English word: Suppose (səˈpoʊz)

Russian word: Предполагать Предполагать (pred-po-la-gat')

The next word is air. The Russian sentence is: Воздух свежий и чистый.

Breakdown:

Воздух (vozd-ukh) - This is the noun for "air" in Russian. It is masculine, so the adjective свежий (fresh) will also be masculine.

свежий (svezh-iy) - This is the adjective "fresh" in Russian. It is masculine to agree with the noun воздух.

и (ee) - This is the conjunction "and" in Russian.

чистый (chis-tyy) - This is the adjective "clean" in Russian. It is masculine to agree with the noun воздух.

Translation: The air is fresh and clean.

Variations:

Воздух can also refer to "atmosphere" as in "Earth's atmosphere".

свежий can also be used to describe other things that are fresh, like bread, food, or the outdoors.

чистый can also be used to describe things that are clean, like water, hands, or a room.

Pronunciation Guide:

Воздух (vozd-ukh) - The "v" is like the "v" in "very". The "o" is like the "o" in "hot". The "z" is like the "z" in "zoo". The "d" is like the "d" in "day". The "ukh" sounds like "ook" in "look".

свежий (svezh-iy) - The "s" is like the "s" in "sun". The "v" is like the "v" in "very". The "ezh" sounds like "esh" in "fresh". The "iy" sounds like "ee" in "see".

и (ee) - The "i" sounds like the "i" in "machine".

чистый (chis-tyy) - The "ch" sounds like the "ch" in "chair". The "is" sounds like the "is" in "this". The "tyy" sounds like "tee" in "tree".

English: air

Russian: воздух (vozd-ukh)

The next word is decline. The word "decline" in English can be translated into Russian as отклонять (otklonyat'), отклонить (otklonit'), or упасть (upast').

Let's use the word отклонять in a sentence:

Он отклонял все предложения.

This sentence translates to "He declined all offers".

Let's break it down:

Он (on) means "he". Pronunciation is similar to the English word "on".

отклонял (otklonyal) means "was declining". Отклонять (otklonyat') is the verb, and отклонял (otklonyal) is the past tense of the verb. The "l" at the end of the word is usually silent, but it is used to indicate the masculine gender. It would be отклоняла (otklonyala) for feminine and отклоняли (otklonyali) for plural. It is important to pay attention to the ending of the verb, as it changes depending on gender and number.

все (vse) means "all". Pronunciation is similar to the English word "vse"

предложения (predlozheniya) means "offers". The "a" at the end of this word is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

Key concepts:

Verb conjugation: verbs in Russian change form depending on the person, number, and tense.

Gender and number agreement: adjectives and nouns agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Variations of the word:

отклонять (otklonyat') - infinitive
отклонял (otklonyal) - masculine past tense
отклоняла (otklonyala) - feminine past tense
отклоняли (otklonyali) - plural past tense
отклонить (otklonit') - singular, perfective verb
отклонить (otklonit') - singular, perfective verb

Pronunciation:

отклонять (otklonyat') - "ot-klah-nyat'"

отклонить (otklonit') - "ot-klah-nit'"

упасть (upast') - "oo-past'"

English: decline

Russian: отклонять (otklonyat')

The next word is labor. The workers рабо́тают (ra-bo-ta-yut) on the construction site.

рабо́тают (ra-bo-ta-yut) - This is the 3rd person plural present tense of the verb рабо́тать (ra-bo-tat') - to work.

The word рабо́тать is a very common verb and can be used in many contexts, including describing someone's profession or a specific task.

For example, Я раба́таю (Ya ra-bo-ta-yu) - I work. Он раба́тает (On ra-bo-ta-et) - He works. Мы раба́таем (My ra-bo-ta-em) - We work.

The pronunciation of the final vowel "a" in рабо́тать can be confusing as the "a" is stressed, yet it's still pronounced like a short "o" sound, not a long "a" sound.

This is a common pattern in Russian. The stressed vowel "a" is pronounced as a short "o" sound.

на (na) - this is the preposition "on" or "at" and it indicates location.

строи́тельстве (stroy-tel-stve) - this is the noun "construction" and it is in the prepositional case. It functions as the object of the preposition на.

строи́тельство is a noun and can change its form based on case. It comes from the verb строи́ть (stro-it') - to build.

English Translation: The workers are working on the construction site.

labor - труд (trud)

work - работа́ (ra-bo-ta)

The next word is already. Sentence: Я уже закончил работу.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I - This is the personal pronoun in the nominative case. It's the subject of the sentence. Pronounce as "Ya".

уже уже (uzhe) - already - This is an adverb that indicates that something has been completed. It's often used with the past tense. The "zh" is like a "j" in "jump", so pronounce as "oo-zhe".

закончил закончил (zakonchil) - finished - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "закончить" закончить (zakonchit') - to finish. Pronounce as "za-kon-chil".

работу работу (rabotu) - work (accusative case) - This is the accusative case of the noun "работа" работа (rabota) - work. Pronounce as "ra-bo-tu".

Translation: I have already finished work.

Key concepts:

Adverbs: Adverbs in Russian often modify verbs and can express time, place, or manner.

Verb tenses: Russian verbs have different forms for each tense, including present, past, and future.

Noun cases: Nouns change their endings depending on their role in the sentence.

Variations of "already":

уже уже (uzhe) is the most common way to say "already" in Russian.

Pronunciation:

already - уже (oo-zhe)

work - работа (ra-bo-ta)

finished - закончил (za-kon-chil)

I - Я (Ya)

The next word is initial. ## Нача́льный эта́п проеќта был очень ва́жным.

Breakdown:

Нача́льный (nacha'l'nyy) - initial, starting, beginning (adjective)

Pronunciation: nah-CHA-l'niy. Stress is on the second syllable. The 'l' sound is very soft, almost like a 'w' sound.

эта́п (eta'p) - stage, phase, step (noun)

Pronunciation: eh-TAP. Stress on the second syllable.

проеќта (proekta) - project (genitive case of проеќт - proekt)

Pronunciation: pro-YEKT-a. Stress on the second syllable.

был (byl) - was (past tense of бы́ть - byt' - to be)

Pronunciation: b'l. Very soft 'b' sound, almost like a 'v' sound.

очень (ochen') - very (adverb)

Pronunciation: o-chen'. Stress on the first syllable.

ва́жным (vazhnym) - important (adjective)

Pronunciation: VAHZH-nym. Stress on the first syllable.

Translation: The initial stage of the project was very important.

Key Concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. In this case, проеќт (proekt) is in the genitive case, which is used to show possession or belonging.

Adjectives: Russian adjectives agree with the noun they are modifying in gender, number, and case. Нача́льный (nacha'l'nyy) is masculine, singular, and nominative.

Word order: In Russian, word order is more flexible than in English. The order of words can change the emphasis or nuance of the sentence.

Variations:

нача́ло (nacha'lo) - beginning (noun)

Pronunciation: nah-CHA-lo. Stress on the second syllable.

нача́ть (nacha't') - to begin, to start (verb)

Pronunciation: nah-CHA-t'. Stress on the second syllable.

English: initial (in-ish-əl)

Russian: нача́льный (nacha'l'nyy)

The next word is army. The Russian word for "army" is армия (armiya). It is pronounced like "arm-ee-ya".

This sentence will illustrate the use of the word "army":

В российской армии служат мужчины и женщины. (V rossiyskoy armii sluzhat muzhchiny i zhenshchiny.)

Breakdown of the Sentence:

В (V) - This is a preposition meaning "in". It is pronounced like the English "v".

российской (rossiyskoy) - This is an adjective meaning "Russian" and is pronounced like "ros-see-yskoy". It is derived from the noun Россия (Rossiya) meaning "Russia".

армии (armie) - This is the noun "army" which we are focusing on.

служат (sluzhat) - This is a verb in the present tense meaning "serve". It is pronounced like "sloozhat".

мужчины (muzhchiny) - This is a noun meaning "men". Pronounced like "moozh-chi-nee".

и (i) - This is the conjunction "and". Pronounced like "ee".

женщины (zhenshchiny) - This is a noun meaning "women". Pronounced like "zhen-shchi-nee".

Translation: Men and women serve in the Russian army.

Key Concepts

Gender of Nouns: In Russian, all nouns have a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of a noun affects the form of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with it.

Cases of Nouns: The form of a noun changes depending on its grammatical function in a sentence.

Variations of the Word "army"

армия (armiya) - This is the most common word for "army".

войско (voysko) - This word can also mean "army", but it is less common. It is pronounced like "voy-sko".

English Pronunciation of Russian Words

The pronunciation of Russian words can be challenging for English speakers. Here are some general tips:

Stress: The stress in Russian words is always on a specific syllable, and it is often unpredictable. You will need to learn the stress pattern of each word.

Vowels: Russian vowels are pronounced differently than in English. For example, the letter "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

Consonants: Many Russian consonants are pronounced differently than in English. For example, the letter "г" is pronounced like the "g" in "gate".

I hope this is helpful!

The next word is recall. ## Вспомните эту историю.

Breakdown:

Вспомните (Vspomnite) - This is the imperative form of the verb "вспоминать" (vspominat'), meaning "to recall," "to remember." The imperative is used to give a command or instruction. It's pronounced [vspom'n'it'e].

эту (etu) - This is the feminine accusative form of the demonstrative pronoun "это" (eto), meaning "this" or "that." It's pronounced [e'tu].

историю (istoriyu) - This is the accusative form of the noun "история" (istoriya), meaning "history" or "story." It's pronounced [is'tor'iyu].

Translation:

Recall this story.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Form: In Russian, the imperative form is used to give commands or instructions.

Accusative Case: This case is used for the direct object of a verb. The accusative form of a noun or pronoun often changes depending on its gender and number.

Pronunciation:

Вспомните - [vspom'n'it'e]

эту - [e'tu]

историю - [is'tor'iyu]

Variations:

Помните (pomnite) - This is the imperative form of the verb "помнить" (pomnit'), which means "to remember." It is similar in meaning to "вспомнить" but emphasizes a continuous state of remembering.

Вспомни (Vspomni) - This is the singular imperative form of the verb "вспоминать" (vspominat').

English - Russian Translation:

recall - вспоминать (vspominat')

remember - помнить (pomnit')

story - история (istoriya)

The next word is cross. The word "cross" in English can have several meanings, so we will use it in the context of "to cross a street." Here is a Russian sentence that uses the word "cross" in this context.

Перейдите дорогу, пожалуйста. Pereidite dorogu, pozhaluysta.

Breakdown of the Sentence:

Перейдите Pereidite - This is the imperative form of the verb "to cross," meaning "cross (you)." "Перейти" is pronounced "PEREY-tee" and is formed from the verb "идти," pronounced "ee-TEE," meaning "to go". To make the imperative form of the verb, "идти," we add the prefix "пере-" in front of the verb and then we change the ending to "-те,"

дорогу dorogu - This word means "street" or "road," and is pronounced "DA-ro-goo." The word "дорога" doroga, pronounced "DA-ro-ga," means "road."

пожалуйста pozhaluysta - This word means "please" and is pronounced "pa-ZHA-loo-ysta."

Translation:

Please cross the street.

English: Cross - pronounced "krahs"

Russian: перейти - pronounced "PEREY-tee"

The next word is sense. The word "sense" can be used in many different ways in English. In Russian, you have a few choices, depending on the context:

1. "Sense" as a feeling or perception

Here we use the word чувство [choov-stvo].

Example:

I have a sense of unease.

Я чувствую беспокойство [ya choov-st-voo-yu bez-po-koy-stv-o]

This is a very common way to express the feeling of "sense" in Russian.

Breakdown of the sentence:

Я [ya] - I (subject pronoun)

чувствую [choov-st-voo-yu] - I feel (present tense verb "чувствовать" [choov-stvo-vat'] )

беспокойство [bez-po-koy-stv-o] - unease (noun)

1. "Sense" as meaning or understanding

Here we can use the word смысл [smysl].

Example:

I don't understand the sense of this poem.

Я не понимаю смысл этого стихотворения [ya ne po-ni-ma-yu smysl eh-to-go sti-kho-tvor-e-ni-ya]

Breakdown of the sentence:

Я [ya] - I (subject pronoun)

не [ne] - not (negative particle)

понимаю [po-ni-ma-yu] - I understand (present tense verb "понимать" [po-ni-mat'])

смысл [smysl] - sense (noun)

этого [eh-to-go] - of this (possessive adjective)

стихотворения [sti-kho-tvor-e-ni-ya] - poem (noun)

Important Note:

You can also use the word смысл [smysl] when talking about a person's common sense or intelligence. In this case, it would be translated as "intellect" or "mind."

Example:

He has a sharp sense of humor.

У него острый ум [u ne-vo ost-ryy oom]

Breakdown of the sentence:

У [u] - at (preposition)

него [ne-vo] - him (possessive pronoun)

острый [ost-ryy] - sharp (adjective)

ум [oom] - mind (noun)

Pronunciation Tips:

The sound ч [ch] is similar to the "ch" in "church".

The sound с [s] is like the "s" in "sun".

The sound м [m] is like the "m" in "man".

The sound л [l] is like the "l" in "lion".

The sound р [r] is a rolled "r" as in Spanish.

English: sense

Russian: чувство [choov-stvo] , смысл [smysl]

The next word is engage. The word "engage" in English has many meanings. The sentence below uses the verb "to engage" in the sense of "to involve oneself in something."

Sentence:

Студенты активно занимаются изучением русского языка.

Translation: The students are actively engaged in the study of the Russian language.

Breakdown:

Студенты - Students (stu-den-ty)

активно - actively (ak-tiv-no)

занимаются - are engaged (third person plural present tense of заниматься - to be engaged in, to study).

изучением - the study (from изучать - to study, изучение is the gerund)

русского - Russian (from русский - Russian)

языка - language (ya-zy-ka)

Key Concepts:

The verb заниматься is an important verb to learn in Russian. It means to be engaged in or occupied with something. It takes the preposition в before the activity.

The gerund изучение is a noun that describes the action of studying. It is formed by adding the suffix -ние to the verb stem.

Variations:

You can use the verb заниматься with different prepositions depending on the context.

The verb заниматься can also be used in other tenses. For example, занимался (past tense) means "was engaged in" or "studied."

Pronunciation:

студенты (stu-den-ty)

активно (ak-tiv-no)

занимаются (za-ni-ma-yut-sya)

изучением (i-zu-che-ni-em)

русского (rus-sko-go)

языка (ya-zy-ka)

English to Russian: engage - заниматься (za-ni-ma-tsya)

The next word is apparently. ## Apparently

English Sentence: Apparently, the weather will be sunny tomorrow.

Russian Sentence: По-видимому, завтра будет солнечно. Pa-vidimo-mu, zavtra budet solnechno.

Breakdown:

По-видимому (Pa-vidimo-mu): This is a common adverb meaning "apparently", "it seems", "it appears". It's often used when you are not 100% sure about something but have a good reason to believe it.

завтра (zavtra): This is the word for "tomorrow".

будет (budet): This is the future tense of the verb "to be" – "will be"

солнечно (solnechno): This is an adjective meaning "sunny".

Variations:

You can also use the word видимо (vidimo) which is a bit less formal and means "apparently". It's common in spoken language.

Pronunciation Hints:

По-видимому (Pa-vidimo-mu): The emphasis is on the first syllable of видимому (vidimo-mu).

завтра (zavtra): The emphasis is on the first syllable за (za).

будет (budet): The emphasis is on the first syllable бу (bu).

солнечно (solnechno): The emphasis is on the first syllable сол (sol).

English/Russian translation:

Apparently - По-видимому (Pa-vidimo-mu)

The next word is research. The word "research" in Russian is исследование (issledovanie). The stress in this word is on the third syllable, issledovanie.

Here is an example sentence:

Он проводит исследование по истории русской литературы. (On provodit issledovanie po istorii russkoi literatury.)

Breakdown:

Он (on) - He. Pronounced like the English word "on".

проводит (provodit) - conducts/is conducting. This is a verb in the present tense, third person singular. The stress is on the second syllable: provodit.

исследование (issledovanie) - research. The stress is on the third syllable: issledovanie.

по (po) - on/about. This is a preposition, and is pronounced similar to the English word "po".

истории (istorii) - history. This word is in the dative case, meaning it indicates the direction of the research, and is used after the preposition по (po). The stress is on the second syllable: istorii.

русской (russkoi) - Russian. This is an adjective, meaning "of Russia," and is also in the dative case. The stress is on the first syllable: russkoi.

литературы (literatury) - literature. This word is also in the dative case. The stress is on the second syllable: literatury.

Translation: He is conducting research on the history of Russian literature.

This sentence shows how to use the word исследование in a basic, present tense sentence. The word can also be used in other tenses and forms. For instance:

Проводилось (provodilos) - was conducted (past tense, neuter gender)

Проведено (provedeno) - conducted (past tense, neuter gender, perfect form)

Research in English: research

Research in Russian: исследование (issledovanie)

The next word is outside. The Russian word for "outside" is снаружи (pronounced: sna-roo-zhee).

Here is a sentence using the word:

Дети играли снаружи, пока шел дождь.

Breakdown:

Дети (pronounced: dye-tee) - children (plural)

играли (pronounced: ee-gra-lee) - played (past tense)

снаружи (pronounced: sna-roo-zhee) - outside
пока (pronounced: pah-kah) - while
шел (pronounced: shehl) - went (past tense)

дождь (pronounced: dozhd) - rain

Translation:

The children played outside while it was raining.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: снаружи is a preposition, like "outside" in English. Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.

Past Tense: The sentence uses the past tense, which is formed by adding the suffix -л (pronounced: -l) to the verb stem.

Variations:

Внутри (pronounced: vnoo-tree) means "inside".

На улице (pronounced: na ool-it-se) also means "outside", and is more commonly used than снаружи.

Pronunciation Tips:

с (pronounced: s) - sounds like the "s" in "sun"

на (pronounced: na) - sounds like the "na" in "nap"

у (pronounced: oo) - sounds like the "oo" in "moon"

ли (pronounced: lee) - sounds like the "lee" in "tree"

е (pronounced: ye) - sounds like the "ye" in "yes"

English & Russian Translation:

outside - снаружи
inside - внутри

The next word is I. The word "I" in Russian is я (pronounced ya).

Here is an example sentence:

Я студент. (Ya student.)

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I

студент (student) - student

Meaning: I am a student.

Variations:

In Russian, the word for "I" is the same for all genders and numbers.

You will often hear the word я (ya) spoken as а (a) at the beginning of a sentence.

Pronunciation:

я (ya) - The "y" sound is like the English "y" in "yes."

студент (student) - The "t" is pronounced with a slight aspiration, almost like a "th" sound.

English: I

Russian: я (ya)

The next word is totally. The word "totally" in English can be used in many different ways. It can be an intensifier, meaning "completely" or "entirely". It can also be used to express agreement or approval. In Russian, there are many ways to express "totally", depending on the context.

Here is one example:

Sentence: Я полностью согласен с тобой.

Breakdown:

Я - ya - I (pronoun)

полностью - polnost'yu - totally, completely, entirely (adverb)

согласен - soglasen - agree (adjective)

с - s - with (preposition)

тобой - toboy - with you (pronoun)

Translation: I totally agree with you.

Key Concepts:

The word полностью is an adverb. It modifies the adjective согласен, which means "agree".

The preposition с is used to show that the agreement is with someone or something.

The pronoun тобой refers to the person being spoken to.

Pronunciation Guide:

полностью - pol-nost-yu - Stress on the second syllable
согласен - so-gla-sen - Stress on the second syllable

Word and Pronunciation:

Totally - полностью - polnost'yu

The next word is secretary. The secretary is responsible for answering the phone and making appointments.

Секретарь отвечает на телефонные звонки и записывает на приём.

Breakdown:

Секретарь (sekre-tar') - secretary
отвечает (otve-cha-yet) - verb, 3rd person singular present tense of отвечать (otve-chat') - to answer
на (na) - preposition, on
телефонные (te-le-fon-nye) - adjective, plural, possessive, belonging to the phone - phone
звонки (zvon-ki) - noun, plural, phone calls
и (i) - conjunction, and
записывает (za-pi-sy-va-yet) - verb, 3rd person singular present tense of записывать (za-pi-sy-vat') - to write down, to make a note of
на (na) - preposition, on
приём (pri-yom) - noun, appointment, reception

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have grammatical gender. Секретарь (sekre-tar') is masculine. This influences the endings of adjectives and verbs.

Case: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. In this sentence, Секретарь (sekre-tar') is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence, звонки (zvon-ki) are in the accusative case, the object of the verb отвечать (otve-chat'), and приём (pri-yom) is in the accusative case, the object of the verb записывать (za-pi-sy-vat').

Variations:

Секретарша (sekre-tar-sha) - female secretary
секретарский (sekre-tar-skiy) - adjective, secretary's (masculine)

секретарская (sekre-tar-skaya) - adjective, secretary's (feminine)

Pronunciation:

Секретарь (sekre-tar') - stress on the second syllable
отвечает (otve-cha-yet) - stress on the second syllable
телефонные (te-le-fon-nye) - stress on the second syllable
звонки (zvon-ki) - stress on the first syllable
записывает (za-pi-sy-va-yet) - stress on the third syllable
приём (pri-yom) - stress on the first syllable

English Translation: The secretary answers phone calls and makes appointments.

The next word is actual. The word actual is an adjective that describes something that is real or true, as opposed to something imagined or potential. In Russian, this word translates to фактический фактический. Let's see an example:

Фактическая информация о ситуации была неизвестна.

Translation: The actual information about the situation was unknown.

Breakdown:

Фактическая fakticheskaya - Actual, factual, real (adjective, feminine)

This is the feminine form of the adjective. The masculine form is фактический fakticheskiy , the neuter form is фактическое fakticheskoe , and the plural is фактические fakticheskie .

информация informatsiya - information
о o - about (preposition)

ситуации situatsii - situation
была byla - was (past tense, feminine form of 'to be')

неизвестна neizvestna - unknown (past tense, feminine form of 'to be unknown')

Helpful Hints for Pronunciation:

фактический fakticheskiy - The stress is on the second syllable: fak-ti-che-skiy
информация informatsiya - The stress is on the second syllable: in-for-ma-tsiya
ситуации situatsii - The stress is on the second syllable: si-tu-at-sii
неизвестна neizvestna - The stress is on the second syllable: ne-iz-vest-na

Keep practicing with different sentences, and you'll soon master the use of фактический fakticheskiy in Russian!

The next word is answer. The word "answer" in Russian is ответ (pronounced ot-vyet). It is a masculine noun, so the ending will change depending on the case it is in.

Here is a sample sentence:

Он дал мне правильный ответ на вопрос.

(On dal mne pravil'nyy otvet na vopros.)

Breakdown

Он (on) - he - This is the nominative case of the pronoun, subject of the sentence.

дал (dal) - gave - This is the past tense of the verb "to give" дать (dat'). This is in the masculine singular form to agree with the subject он.

мне (mne) - to me - This is the dative case of the pronoun я (ya) - I. The dative case shows who is receiving the action of the verb.

правильный (pravil'nyy) - correct - This is an adjective in the masculine singular form, modifying ответ (otvet).

ответ (otvet) - answer - This is the accusative case of the noun. The accusative case shows who or what is receiving the action of the verb.

на (na) - on - This is a preposition that means "on" or "to".

вопрос (vopros) - question - This is the accusative case of the noun.

Translation

He gave me the correct answer to the question.

Key Concepts

Noun Cases - Russian nouns have different endings depending on their function in the sentence, called cases. This sentence shows the nominative, accusative, and dative cases.

Verb Conjugation - Verbs change form based on tense and person. The verb in this sentence is conjugated in the past tense, masculine singular.

Adjectives - Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.

Pronunciation
ответ (ot-vyet)

правильный (pra-vil'nyy)

вопрос (vop-ros)

You can use this breakdown to learn about other words that are similar to ответ (otvet). Remember to pay attention to the ending of the word to see what case it is in.

The next word is follow. The word "follow" in Russian is следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat').

Sentence:

Он следовал за ней по улице. (pronounced: On sleh-doh-val za ney po u-lit-se)

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced: On) - He
следовал (pronounced: sleh-doh-val) - past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to follow"

за (pronounced: za) - preposition meaning "after" or "behind"

ней (pronounced: ney) - her (dative case of the pronoun она (pronounced: ah-na) - she)

по (pronounced: po) - preposition meaning "along"

улице (pronounced: u-lit-se) - street (dative case of the noun улица (pronounced: u-lit-sa) - street)

Meaning:

He followed her along the street.

Variations:

The verb следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat') can also be used in the present tense (следует (pronounced: sleh-doo-yet), infinitive (следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat')), and other tenses.

The preposition за (pronounced: za) can be used with other verbs to indicate following or pursuing something or someone.

Helpful Hints:

The stress in the word следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat') falls on the second syllable.

The letter "е" in следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat') is pronounced as "eh" as opposed to "e" in the English word "follow."

The letter "о" in следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat') is pronounced as "ah" as opposed to "o" in the English word "follow."

Translation:

follow - следовать (pronounced: sleh-doh-vat')

The next word is else. The word "else" in English has a few different meanings, but the most common is "otherwise."

Let's look at a simple sentence:

English: If you don't study, you will fail the exam.

Russian: Если ты не будешь учиться, ты провалишься на экзамене.

Breakdown:

Если (pronounced 'yes-lee') means "if" and is part of the conditional clause.

ты (pronounced 'tuh') means "you" and is the subject.

не будешь учиться (pronounced 'nye boo-desh oo-chee-tsa') means "will not study" and is the verb phrase within the conditional clause. будешь is the future tense of "to be" and учиться means "to study."

ты (pronounced 'tuh') means "you" and is the subject.

провалишься (pronounced 'pra-va-lee-sh-sa') means "will fail" and is the verb phrase.

на экзамене (pronounced 'nah ek-za-men-ye') means "on the exam" and functions as a prepositional phrase.

Alternatively, we can add "else" to the sentence:

English: If you don't study, you will fail the exam, else you will regret it.

Russian: Если ты не будешь учиться, ты провалишься на экзамене, иначе ты пожалеешь об этом.

Breakdown:

иначе (pronounced 'ee-na-che') means "otherwise" or "else." This is a very important word to learn. It is often used in Russian as a conjunction to introduce an alternative outcome.

ты (pronounced 'tuh') means "you" and is the subject.

пожалеешь (pronounced 'pa-zha-lee-sh') means "will regret" and is the verb phrase.

об этом (pronounced 'ob eh-tom') means "about this" and is a prepositional phrase.

Key Concepts:

Conditional clauses: This is the part of the sentence that begins with "if." In Russian, this usually involves the word если.

Conjunctions: иначе is used to connect two clauses in this sentence.

Translations and pronunciations:

else - иначе (pronounced 'ee-na-che')

otherwise - иначе (pronounced 'ee-na-che')

The next word is big. The word "big" in Russian can be expressed using several words, depending on the context and nuance you want to convey.

Here is one example:

Он большой человек.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: [on]) - He
большой (pronunciation: [bal'shoy]) - big, large, great (masculine form)

человек (pronunciation: [chelovek]) - person, human

This sentence translates to: "He is a great person."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian adjectives like большой (big) change their ending to agree with the gender of the noun they modify. In this case, человек (person) is masculine, so we use the masculine form of большой.

Formal vs. Informal: Russian has two forms of "you" (formal and informal). In this sentence, "he" is the appropriate form because we are speaking formally about a person we don't know well.

Variations:

Она большая (pronunciation: [bal'shaya]) - She is big, large (feminine form)

Оно большое (pronunciation: [bal'shoye]) - It is big, large (neuter form)

English-Russian word translation:

big: большой (bal'shoy)

The next word is more. The word "more" in Russian can be expressed in several ways, depending on the context.

Here is one example:

У меня есть ещё одна книга.

U menya est' eshche odna kniga.

Breakdown:

У - u - This is the preposition "at" or "with." It is often used in a possessive sense, similar to "I have" in English. Pronounced "oo."

меня - menya - This is the personal pronoun "me." Pronounced "menya."

есть - est' - This is the verb "to be." Pronounced "yest'."

ещё - eshche - This is the word "more," meaning "another" or "one more." Pronounced "yeshche."

одна - odna - This is the word "one." This is the feminine form of the word "one." Pronounced "odna."

книга - kniga - This is the word "book." Pronounced "kniga."

English Translation: I have one more book.

Key Concept: The word ещё - eshche - "more" can be used to indicate that there is an additional quantity of something.

Variations:

Больше - Bol'she - More (in a general sense) - pronounced "bol'she"

Ещё раз - Yeshche raz - One more time - pronounced "yeshche raz"

English to Russian: more - ещё - eshche

The next word is good. This is a great word to start with, as it is versatile and can be used in many situations!

The Russian word for good is хороший (pronounced hoh-roh-shiy). It's an adjective that describes something positive, pleasant, or satisfactory.

Here is an example sentence:

Эта книга очень хорошая (eh-ta k-nee-ga oh-chen ho-roh-sha-ya)

This sentence translates to:

This book is very good.

Let's break it down:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine singular) - This word is used because the word "book" книга is feminine. There is also a masculine этот (eh-tot) and a neuter form это (eh-to)

книга (k-nee-ga) - book - This is the noun and it's in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

очень (oh-chen) - very - This adverb intensifies the adjective.

хорошая (ho-roh-sha-ya) - good - This is the adjective in the feminine singular form and agrees with the noun книга.

Remember, adjectives in Russian change their ending depending on the gender and number of the noun they modify!

Good - хороший (hoh-roh-shiy)

Let's try some more examples next time!

The next word is come. The word "come" in English can be translated in several ways in Russian, depending on the context. Here's an example with the verb "приходить" prikhodít' (to come, to arrive):

Sentence: Он пришёл в университет рано утром.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: [ohn]) - he
пришёл (pronunciation: [pri-shol]) - past tense masculine singular form of the verb приходить (to come, to arrive).

в (pronunciation: [v]) - in, to
университет (pronunciation: [oo-ni-ver-si-tet]) - university
рано (pronunciation: [ra-no]) - early
утром (pronunciation: [oo-trom]) - in the morning

Meaning: He came to the university early in the morning.

Key Concept: The verb приходить is an irregular verb, so you need to learn its different forms. The past tense masculine singular form is пришёл, while the feminine singular form is пришла and the plural form is пришли.

English Translation: come - приходить (prikhodít')

The next word is fresh. The word "fresh" in English can be translated into Russian as свежий (svezhiy) meaning fresh, new, or recent. The word is an adjective and can be used to describe many things, such as food, air, or ideas.

Example sentence:

Я люблю есть свежий хлеб. (Ya lyublyu est' svezhiy khleb.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

люблю (lyublyu) - I love (verb)

есть (est') - to eat (verb)

свежий (svezhiy) - fresh (adjective)

хлеб (khleb) - bread (noun)

Translation: I love to eat fresh bread.

Pronunciation:

свежий (svezhiy) - sveh-zhee

Variations:

свежесть (svezhest') - freshness (noun)

свежий (svezhiy) - fresh (adjective, masculine)

свежая (svezhaya) - fresh (adjective, feminine)

свежее (svezhee) - fresh (adjective, neuter)

Key Concept:

The Russian word for "fresh" (свежий - svezhiy) has three different forms, depending on the gender of the noun it describes. For example, if you are talking about a fresh apple (яблоко - yabloko), you would use the feminine form of the adjective (свежая - svezhaya) because the noun is feminine.

English: fresh / Russian: свежий (svezhiy)

The next word is comment. English: The professor commented on the student's essay.

Russian: Преподаватель прокомментировал эссе студента.

Breakdown:

Преподаватель (Pre-po-da-va-tel') - Professor. The stress is on the third syllable. This word is masculine. The ending, "ель" is a masculine ending.

прокомментировал (pro-kom-men-ti-ro-val) - Commented. Past tense, masculine singular. The "о" at the end is the masculine singular ending for verbs.

эссе (es-se) - Essay. This word is neuter, but its ending does not change for gender.

студента (stu-den-ta) - Student. This is the genitive case of the word for student. It indicates possession of the essay. It is masculine.

Variations:

Прокомментировать (Pro-kom-men-ti-ro-vat') - To comment (infinitive).

комментарий (kom-men-ta-riy) - Comment (noun).

Translation:

Преподаватель (Pre-po-da-va-tel') - Professor
прокомментировал (pro-kom-men-ti-ro-val) - commented
эссе (es-se) - essay
студента (stu-den-ta) - student

The next word is climb. Sentence: Он легко взбирается на гору.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

легко легко - easily (adverb, means "with ease")

взбирается взбирается - climbs (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense)

на на - on, onto (preposition)

гору гору - mountain (noun, feminine, accusative case)

Key concept: The verb "взбираться" is an irregular verb that means "to climb" or "to ascend". Its conjugation changes depending on person, number, and tense.

Pronunciation Guide:

Он Он - [awn]

легко легко - [lyek-ko]

взбирается взбирается - [vz-bee-ray-et-syah]

на на - [nah]

гору гору - [goh-roo]

Translation: He easily climbs the mountain.

Variations of the word "climb":

взбираться взбираться - to climb (general)

подниматься подниматься - to climb (up)

карабкаться карабкаться - to climb (with difficulty)

English: climb

Russian: взбираться - [vz-bee-ray-et-syah]

The next word is tire. The English word "tire" can be translated into Russian as уставать (oo-sta-vat'). It is a verb that means "to tire" or "to get tired".

The Russian sentence "Я устаю от работы" (ya ustayu ot raboty - ya oo-stay-oo ot ra-bo-ty) means "I am getting tired from work".

It is important to note that уставать (oo-sta-vat') is an imperfective verb, which means it describes an ongoing action or state. The perfective form of this verb is устать (oo-stat'). The sentence "Я устал от работы" (ya ustal ot raboty - ya oo-stal ot ra-bo-ty) means "I am tired from work". This sentence is in the past tense, but it is a perfective verb that describes the state of being tired after the action of working.

Note that in both cases, the word от (ot) is used to express the object of the tiredness, in this case, work. It is also important to note that the Russian word for work, работа (ra-bo-ta) is feminine. Thus, the adjective устал (oo-stal) is used in the masculine form, and the adjective устала (oo-sta-la) is used in the feminine form.

English: tire, to tire

Russian: уставать (oo-sta-vat'), устать (oo-stat')

The next word is day. The word "day" in Russian is день (pronounced "djen"). It can be used in many ways, such as:

"Today is a beautiful day."

Сегодня прекрасный день.

Breakdown:

Сегодня (pronounced "se-vo-d-nya") means "today".

прекрасный (pronounced "pre-kra-sn-yi") means "beautiful". It is an adjective that modifies день
день (pronounced "djen") means "day".

The sentence is in the nominative case.

Variations:

День can be used in the plural form дни (pronounced "d-ni") to refer to multiple days. For example, "В эти дни я был занят." (pronounced "v e-ti d-ni ya byl za-nyat") "I was busy during these days".

День can also be used to refer to a specific day of the week. For example, В понедельник (pronounced "v pa-ne-djel-nik") "On Monday".

English Translation:

Today = Сегодня (pronounced "se-vo-d-nya")

Beautiful = прекрасный (pronounced "pre-kra-sn-yi")

Day = день (pronounced "djen")

The next word is member. The Russian word for "member" is член (pronounced "chlen"). It's a very versatile word, so we need to be careful with context.

Here is an example sentence:

Он был членом клуба любителей шахмат. (Ohn byl chle-nom klu-ba lyu-bi-te-ley shakh-mat.)

Он он (ohn) is the masculine pronoun "he".

был был (byl) is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the masculine singular.

членом членом (chlenom) is the instrumental case of член (chlen). The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or what is used for something, like "by" or "with".

клуба клуба (klu-ba) is the genitive case of клуб (klub), meaning "club".

любителей любителей (lyu-bi-te-ley) is the genitive case of любители (lyu-bi-te-li) meaning "lovers" or "fans".

шахмат шахмат (shakh-mat) is the genitive case of шахматы (shakh-ma-ty) meaning "chess".

Translation: He was a member of the chess lovers club.

Key concept: Remember that case endings are very important in Russian. The case of a noun tells us how the noun is functioning in the sentence.

Pronunciation tip: The "ch" sound in член is like the "ch" in "chair". The "l" at the end of член is a soft "l", similar to the "l" in "million".

Word & Pronunciation: Member - член (chlen)

The next word is pass. The word "pass" has many meanings in English and can be translated into Russian in a variety of ways. Here is a simple example using the verb "to pass" in the sense of to go by:

Sentence: The bus passed by my house this morning.

Russian: Автобус проехал мимо моего дома этим утром. Автобус проехал мимо моего дома этим утром.

Breakdown:

Автобус - avtobus - bus - This is the noun "bus" in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence.

проехал - proyekhal - past tense masculine singular verb "to pass" - This is the past tense of the verb "to pass" in the masculine singular form, which agrees with the subject "автобус". This verb has multiple meanings and can also be used to say "to travel" or "to drive".

мимо - mimo - preposition meaning "by" - this preposition is used to indicate that the bus passed by the speaker's house.

моего - moyego - possessive adjective meaning "my" - This word modifies the noun "house" and indicates that the house belongs to the speaker.

дома - doma - noun "house" in the genitive case - This noun is used after the preposition "мимо" and is in the genitive case, which is used after prepositions.

этим - etim - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" - This word refers to the morning that the bus passed by.

утром - utrom - noun meaning "morning" - This word is in the instrumental case and is used to describe the time of day when the bus passed by.

Pronunciation:

Автобус - avtobus - [aw-toh-bus]

проехал - proyekhal - [pra-ye-khal]

мимо - mimo - [mee-moh]

моего - moyego - [ma-ye-voh]

дома - doma - [doh-ma]

этим - etim - [eh-teem]

утром - utrom - [oo-trom]

English-Russian Translation:

pass - проходить - [pra-ho-deet]

by - мимо - [mee-moh]

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their form depending on their function in the sentence. This is called "case". There are six cases in Russian.

Gender: Nouns in Russian are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the ending of the word and also how it interacts with other words in the sentence.

Number: Nouns and verbs change form depending on whether they are singular or plural.

Verb conjugation: Verbs in Russian change their form depending on the tense, mood, person, and number of the verb.

Learning the basic concepts of Russian grammar, such as case, gender, number, and verb conjugation, is crucial for understanding how to use words in the correct way.

The next word is attend. The English word "attend" can be translated into Russian as "посещать" (poseshchat').

This verb means "to attend" or "to go to" an event, meeting, class, etc. It can also be used to describe being present at an event or location. The verb is irregular, as the infinitive form is "посещать" and the present tense is "посещаю" (poseshchayу), "посещаешь" (poseshchayesh), "посещает" (poseshchayet), etc.

Here is a sentence example:

Я посещаю занятия по русскому языку.

(Ya poseshchayу zanyatiya po russkomu yazyku.)

Translation: I attend Russian language classes.

Я (Ya) - I
посещаю (poseshchayу) - I attend
занятия (zanyatiya) - classes
по (po) - about, regarding
русскому (russkomu) - Russian
языку (yazyku) - language

Pronounciation Tips:

посещать (poseshchat') - Start with the soft [p] sound and the [o] sound similar to the English "o" but slightly shorter. Then, the [s] sound is like in English. The [e] sound is similar to the English "e" but slightly shorter and more closed. The [sh] sound is similar to the English "sh" but slightly softer and more guttural. The [ch] sound is similar to the English "ch" but slightly softer and more guttural. The [a] sound is similar to the English "a" but slightly shorter and more closed. The [t'] sound is a soft, unaspirated "t" sound.

занятия (zanyatiya) - Start with the [z] sound similar to English "z" but slightly softer. The [a] sound is like the English "a" in "father" but shorter. The [n] sound is similar to the English "n" but slightly softer. The [ya] sound is similar to the English "ya" but slightly shorter and more closed.

русскому (russkomu) - Start with the [r] sound which is similar to English "r" but slightly softer. The [u] sound is similar to the English "oo" in "moon". The [s] sound is similar to the English "s" but slightly softer. The [k] sound is similar to the English "k" but slightly softer and more guttural. The [o] sound is similar to the English "o" but slightly shorter and more closed. The [m] sound is similar to the English "m" but slightly softer. The [u] sound is similar to the English "oo" in "moon".

English translation: Attend / Посещать (poseshchat')

The next word is fact. The word "fact" in Russian is факт (pronounced "fakt").

Here is a sentence using it:

Этот факт известен всем. (pronounced "eh-toht fagt iz-veh-sten vsem")

This sentence means: "This fact is known to everyone."

The word факт is a masculine noun and is used here in the nominative case, meaning it is the subject of the sentence. The word известен is a past participle of the verb знать (to know) and it agrees with the subject in gender and number. Всем is the dative case of the pronoun все (all, everyone) and is the indirect object of the sentence.

Here are some other variations of the word факт:

факты (pronounced "fak-tee") - facts (plural)

фактическая (pronounced "fak-ti-ches-kaya") - factual (feminine adjective)

фактический (pronounced "fak-ti-ches-kiy") - factual (masculine adjective)

English | Russian | Pronunciation

------- | -------- | --------
fact | факт | "fakt"

facts | факты | "fak-tee"

factual | фактический | "fak-ti-ches-kiy"

factual | фактическая | "fak-ti-ches-kaya"

The next word is nearly. The word "nearly" in English often translates to почти (pochti) in Russian.

Example Sentence:

Он почти закончил свою работу. (On pochti zakonchil svoyu rabotu.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (nominative case)

почти (pochti) - nearly, almost
закончил (zakonchil) - finished (masculine past tense, perfect aspect)

свою (svoyu) - his/her/its/their (possessive adjective, feminine singular)

работу (rabotu) - work (accusative case)

Translation: He nearly finished his work.

Key Concept:

Почти (pochti) is a versatile word that can be used in many situations. It means "nearly," "almost," or "close to."

The verb закончить (zakonchit') is an example of a perfective verb, which means it describes a completed action.

Pronunciation:

почти (pochti) - "poch-tee"

закончил (zakonchil) - "zah-kon-cheel"

работу (rabotu) - "rah-bo-too"

Variations:

The word "nearly" can also be translated as практически (prakticheski), which means "practically" or "almost."

Чуть не (chut' ne) is another option that means "almost."

English: nearly, almost

Russian: почти (pochti) - "poch-tee"

The next word is bear. The word "bear" in English can be translated to медведь /med-ved/ in Russian. It is a masculine noun, so it changes its ending when used in a sentence. Let's take a look at this in the following sentence:

На лесной опушке мы увидели медведя. /na li-snoy o-push-ke my u-vi-de-li med-ve-dya/

Breakdown:

На /na/ - on, at, in (preposition)

лесной /li-snoy/ - forest (adjective)

опушке /o-push-ke/ - edge (feminine noun, dative case)

мы /my/ - we (pronoun)

увидели /u-vi-de-li/ - saw (verb, past tense, plural)

медведя /med-ve-dya/ - bear (masculine noun, accusative case)

Meaning: On the edge of the forest, we saw a bear.

Key Concept: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, "bear" is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "saw".

Variations:

медведь /med-ved/ - bear (nominative case, singular)

медведи /med-ve-di/ - bears (nominative case, plural)

медведя /med-ve-dya/ - bear (accusative case, singular)

медведей /med-ve-dey/ - bears (accusative case, plural)

Pronunciation:

медведь /med-ved/ - med-veht

лесной /li-snoy/ - li-snoy

опушке /o-push-ke/ - o-push-ke

мы /my/ - my

увидели /u-vi-de-li/ - u-vi-de-li

медведя /med-ve-dya/ - med-ve-dya

Let me know if you have any other words you'd like to learn!

The next word is female. The word "female" in Russian is женщина (zhenshchina). This word is a noun and is used to refer to an adult woman.

Here's an example sentence:

Эта женщина очень красивая.

Эта (eta) - This (feminine, singular)

женщина (zhenshchina) - woman
очень (ochen) - very
красивая (krasivaya) - beautiful (feminine, singular)

Translation: This woman is very beautiful.

Important note: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here, "красивая" is in the feminine singular nominative case to agree with "женщина."

Pronunciation:

женщина (zhenshchina) - The "zh" sounds like the "s" in "pleasure." The "ch" is like the "ch" in "chair." The "a" at the end is short and sounds like the "a" in "father."

красивая (krasivaya) - The "к" is similar to the "k" in "kite." The "р" is like the "r" in "red." The "а" at the end is short and sounds like the "a" in "father."

Additional Notes:

девушка (devushka) is another common word for a woman. It translates to "girl" or "young woman," but can also be used for a woman of any age. It is a more informal term than "женщина."

женский (zhensky) is the masculine adjective form of "женщина" and means "female" or "feminine." It's used to describe something that's related to women, for example, "женский журнал" (women's magazine) or "женский пол" (female sex).

English: female

Russian: женщина (zhenshchina)

The next word is simple. ## Простая задача

Breakdown:

Простая (pronounced: pro-STAH-yah) - This is the feminine form of the adjective простой (pro-STOY), meaning "simple".

задача (pronounced: za-DA-cha) - This is a noun meaning "task" or "problem".

Простая задача (pronounced: pro-STAH-yah za-DA-cha) - This translates to "simple task".

Note: The word order is important in Russian. It's subject-verb-object, just like English.

Variations of простой:

простое (pro-STOH-ye) - neuter form
простой (pro-STOY) - masculine form
простая (pro-STAH-yah) - feminine form

Translation:

Простая - simple
задача - task

The next word is since. The word "since" in English can be used in a few different ways, but in this example, we'll focus on its use as a preposition indicating a point in time.

Here is a sentence using "since" as a preposition indicating a point in time in Russian:

С тех пор, как я уехал из России, моя жизнь сильно изменилась. S tekh por, kak ya uekhal iz Rossii, moya zhizn' sil'no izmenilas'.

Breakdown:

С тех пор, как S tekh por, kak - This is the phrase that means "since" in Russian. It is a common way to express this idea. С S means "from", тех tekh means "those", пор por means "times", and как kak means "as" or "since". The whole phrase literally translates to "from those times as", but in English we use the simpler "since".

я ya - I (pronoun, subject)

уехал uekhal - left, departed (past tense verb)

из iz - from (preposition)

России Rossii - Russia (noun)

моя moya - my (possessive adjective)

жизнь zhizn' - life (noun)

сильно sil'no - strongly (adverb)

изменилась izmenilas' - changed (past tense verb)

Translation: Since I left Russia, my life has changed a lot.

Pronunciation:

С S - S (like "s" in "sun")

тех tekh - tehk (like "tech" in "technology")

пор por - por (like "pour" in "pour water")

как kak - kak (like "cat" in "cat")

я ya - ya (like "ya" in "yacht")

уехал uekhal - oo-yeh-khal (like "ooh" in "food" followed by "yeh" in "yes" followed by "khal" in "call")

из iz - eez (like "ease" in "ease of mind")

России Rossii - Ross-ee-ee (like "Ross" in "Ross Geller" followed by "ee" in "see")

моя moya - moy-ya (like "moy" in "boy" followed by "ya" in "yacht")

жизнь zhizn' - zhizn' (like "jizz" in "jizz" followed by "n" in "noon")

сильно sil'no - sil'-no (like "sill" in "window sill" followed by "no" in "no")

изменилась izmenilas' - iz-men-ee-las' (like "iz" in "pizza" followed by "men" in "men" followed by "ee" in "see" followed by "las" in "glass")

Key Concepts:

Prepositions of Time: These are words like "since", "for", "during", "until" that describe when something happened.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English. However, the subject generally comes before the verb.

Remember: The key to understanding Russian is to learn how the words work together to create meaning. This sentence shows how the preposition С тех пор, как S tekh por, kak can be used to indicate a point in time. You can practice this by creating other sentences with different subjects and verbs.

The next word is conduct. The English word "conduct" can be used as a noun or a verb.

In the sentence below, "conduct" is used as a noun and means "behavior." It is in the nominative case and the subject of the sentence. The sentence is in the present tense.

Поведение студента было неприемлемым.

Povedenie studenta bylo nepriemlemym.

Breakdown:

Поведение Povedenie - conduct (noun); pronounced [pa-vi-dye-ni-ye]

студента studenta - student (genitive case); pronounced [stu-den-ta]

было bylo - was; pronounced [bi-lo]

неприемлемым nepriemlemym - unacceptable; pronounced [ni-pri-em-le-mim]

English Translation: The student's conduct was unacceptable.

Key Concept: Russian nouns have different forms depending on their function in a sentence. The nominative case, used for the subject, is the basic form. The genitive case, used to show possession, is formed by adding the ending -a or -и to the noun stem. For example, the nominative case of the noun студент student is студент student, but the genitive case is студента studenta.

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in the word Поведение Povedenie is on the third syllable.

The stress in the word студента studenta is on the second syllable.

Variations:

The verb "to conduct" translates as проводить provodit (pronounced [pra-va-dyet]).

The noun "conductor" translates as дирижёр dirijor (pronounced [di-ri-zhor]).

The next word is large. The word "large" in Russian is большой (bol'shoy). This word is an adjective, so it will agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. "Bol'shoy" is masculine, so it would be used with a masculine noun.

Here is an example sentence:

Это большой дом. (Eto bol'shoy dom.)

Breakdown:

Это (Eto) - This (demonstrative pronoun, nominative case, neuter gender, singular)

большой (bol'shoy) - large (adjective, nominative case, masculine gender, singular)

дом (dom) - house (noun, nominative case, masculine gender, singular)

The sentence means "This is a large house."

Pronunciation:

большой - bol'shoy (stress on the second syllable, 'oy' sound like 'oi' in 'boy')

дом - dom (stress on the first syllable, 'o' sound like 'o' in 'hot')

Variations:

The word большой (bol'shoy) is also used in the comparative and superlative degrees:

больше (bol'she) - larger (comparative)

самый большой (samyy bol'shoy) - largest (superlative)

English Translation:

large - большой (bol'shoy)

large (comparative) - больше (bol'she)

large (superlative) - самый большой (samyy bol'shoy)

The next word is red. The Russian sentence is:

Красная машина едет по дороге.

Breakdown:

Красная - This word means "red" and is the feminine form of the adjective. It's used to describe the car, which is feminine in Russian. The masculine form is красный and the neuter form is красное. The adjective красный can be used to describe any noun that is red.

машина - This means "car" and is a feminine noun. It's pronounced like "mash-ee-na". The plural form is машины.

едет - This means "is driving" and is the present tense, third-person singular of the verb ехать (to drive). It's pronounced like "ye-det".

по - This is a preposition that means "along" or "on" and is used before a noun that indicates a surface or path. It's pronounced like "po".

дороге - This means "road" and is the dative case of the feminine noun дорога (road). It's pronounced like "da-ro-ge".

Translation: The red car is driving on the road.

Pronunciation guide:

Красная (krass-naya)

машина (mash-ee-na)

едет (ye-det)

по (po)

дороге (da-ro-ge)

The next word is active. The Russian sentence is: Он был очень активен на вечеринке.

Here is the breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: [awn]) is the subject pronoun, meaning "he."

был (pronunciation: [beel]) is the past tense of the verb "to be."

очень (pronunciation: [oh-chin]) means "very."

активен (pronunciation: [ak-teev-en]) is the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective "active" and means "active."

на (pronunciation: [na]) means "on" or "at."

вечеринке (pronunciation: [ve-che-rink-e]) is the feminine dative singular form of the noun "party" and means "at the party."

Translation: He was very active at the party.

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: Russian adjectives, including participles, must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. In this sentence, the adjective активен agrees with the masculine noun он.

Dative case: The noun вечеринке is in the dative case because it is the object of the preposition на. The dative case is used to show indirect objects or to express possession.

Variations of the word "active":

активная (feminine nominative singular, pronunciation: [ak-teev-naya]) - active (female)

активное (neuter nominative singular, pronunciation: [ak-teev-noye]) - active (neuter)

активный (masculine nominative singular, pronunciation: [ak-teev-niy]) - active (male)

активные (plural, pronunciation: [ak-teev-niye]) - active (plural)

English to Russian translation:

active = активный
active (female) = активная
active (neuter) = активное

The next word is trip. ## Моя поездка в Париж была очень интересной.

Breakdown:

Моя (My) - This is the possessive adjective in the nominative case, feminine gender, singular form. It is used to indicate that the trip belongs to the speaker. It is pronounced as [moh-ya] in English.

поездка (Trip) - This is the noun in the nominative case, feminine gender, singular form. It refers to a journey or a voyage. It is pronounced as [pa-yezd-ka] in English.

в (To) - This is a preposition that indicates direction. It is pronounced as [v] in English.

Париж (Paris) - This is a proper noun, the name of a city. It is pronounced as [pa-reezh] in English.

была (Was) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the feminine gender, singular form. It indicates that the trip took place in the past. It is pronounced as [bi-la] in English.

очень (Very) - This is an adverb that intensifies the adjective "interesting." It is pronounced as [oh-chen] in English.

интересной (Interesting) - This is an adjective in the instrumental case, feminine gender, singular form. It describes the trip. It is pronounced as [in-te-res-noy] in English.

Key Concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns, adjectives, and pronouns change their forms depending on their function in the sentence. This is known as case. The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence, while the instrumental case is used to describe something.

Gender: Russian nouns are assigned one of three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. This affects the forms of adjectives and pronouns that modify them.

Word order: Russian is a relatively free word order language, but there are some guidelines. The most common structure is subject-verb-object (SVO).

Variations of "trip":

путешествие (Journey, travel) - This word is more formal than поездка and is often used for longer journeys. It is pronounced as [poo-te-she-st-vi-ye] in English.

экскурсия (Excursion, tour) - This word is used for organized trips, often with a specific purpose, like visiting a museum or going sightseeing. It is pronounced as [eks-kur-si-ya] in English.

English Translation: My trip to Paris was very interesting.

Word Pronunciation:

поездка - [pa-yezd-ka]

интересной - [in-te-res-noy]

The next word is out. The word "out" can be used in a variety of ways in English, so let's look at a few example sentences and how the word "out" can be translated into Russian.

Example 1: The cat is out of the bag.

This sentence is an idiom, meaning that a secret is now revealed, and it can be translated into Russian as:

Секрет раскрыт Sekret raskryt.

Секрет Sekret - secret (pronounced like "secret" but the "t" is silent)

раскрыт raskryt - revealed (pronounced like "rass-krit")

Example 2: I went out last night.

This sentence means that the speaker left their home or residence to go somewhere. In Russian, this could be translated as:

Я вышел вчера вечером Ya vishol vchera vecherom.

Я Ya - I (pronounced like "ya")

вышел vishol - went out (pronounced like "vish-ol")

вчера vchera - yesterday (pronounced like "vchera")

вечером vecherom - in the evening (pronounced like "vecherom")

Example 3: The game is out.

This sentence means that the game is over or finished. In Russian, it can be translated as:

Игра окончена Igra okonchena.

Игра Igra - game (pronounced like "ee-gra")

окончена okonchena - finished (pronounced like "okonchena")

Key Concept: The word "out" in Russian can have many different translations, depending on the context.

Hint: It's helpful to learn the different ways that "out" can be used in English and then try to find the equivalent Russian word or phrase for each situation.

The next word is what. The word "what" in English can be used in a variety of ways, including as an interrogative pronoun (asking about something), an interrogative adjective (describing something), or an exclamation (expressing surprise).

Here is a Russian sentence using "what" as an interrogative pronoun:

Что это? [pronounced: chto ehto?]

Что [pronounced: chto] is the Russian word for "what". It is an interrogative pronoun and can be used to ask about things, people, places, or ideas.

это [pronounced: ehto] is the Russian word for "this" or "that", and is used in this sentence to indicate something nearby.

Translation: What is this?

Key concept: The Russian word order is subject-verb-object, meaning that the subject of the sentence (in this case, the thing being asked about) comes first, followed by the verb, and then the object (if there is one). This is different from English, where the word order is usually subject-object-verb.

The next word is wind. The wind is blowing strongly today.

Сегодня [si-vo-d-nya] сильный [si-l'-niy] ветер [ve-tyer].

Breakdown:

Сегодня [si-vo-d-nya] - Today. The stress in this word is on the second syllable "dnya". It is a common word that you will use every day.

Сильный [si-l'-niy] - Strong. The stress in this word is on the second syllable "l'-niy".

Ветер [ve-tyer] - Wind. The stress in this word is on the first syllable "ve".

Sentence Structure:

This sentence uses the nominative case for all of the words. This means they are the subject of the sentence.

Variations:

Вчера [v-che-ra] был [byl] слабый [sla-biy] ветер [ve-tyer]. - Yesterday there was weak wind.

Завтра [za-v-tra] будет [bu-det] сильный [si-l'-niy] ветер [ve-tyer]. - Tomorrow there will be strong wind.

Pronunciation:

Сегодня [si-vo-d-nya] - Say "See-vo-d-nya" with a slight emphasis on the "d" and "nya"

Сильный [si-l'-niy] - Say "See-l'-niy" with a slight emphasis on the "l" and "niy"

Ветер [ve-tyer] - Say "Ve-tyer" with a slight emphasis on the "ve"

English - Russian:

Wind - Ветер [ve-tyer]

Strong - Сильный [si-l'-niy]

Today - Сегодня [si-vo-d-nya]

The next word is proposal. The word "proposal" in Russian is предложение (pronounced pre-dlah-ZHEH-nee-yeh). It is a noun, and the ending "-ние" (-nie) is a common ending for nouns in Russian. It's best to use the singular form of this word for most general proposals.

Here is a sentence using the word "proposal":

Я получил предложение о работе. (Ya poluchil predlozhenie o rabotye.)

Translation: I received a job offer.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (subject pronoun)

получил (poluchil) - received (past tense, masculine singular)

предложение (predlozhenie) - proposal (noun, singular)

о (o) - about (preposition)

работе (rabotye) - work (noun, feminine singular)

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of the noun determines the form of adjectives and other words that modify it.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. This is called declension. In this sentence, предложение (predlozhenie) is in the nominative case, since it is the subject.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence. о (o) is a preposition that means "about" in this sentence.

Pronunciation:

предложение (pre-dlah-ZHEH-nee-yeh)

Я (Ya)

получил (poluchil)

о (o)

работе (rabotye)

Variations:

предложения (predlozheniya) - proposals (plural)

предложением (predlozheniem) - proposal (instrumental case)

предложению (predlozheniyu) - proposal (dative case)

English: proposal

Russian: предложение (pre-dlah-ZHEH-nee-yeh)

The next word is coach. The word "coach" in English has several meanings in Russian depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. A person who trains athletes.

Sentence: Тренер подготовил спортсменов к соревнованиям .

Breakdown:

Тренер - This is the word for coach. It is pronounced like "tren-er" (with the "e" being pronounced like the "e" in "bed").

подготовил - This means "prepared" and is pronounced like "pod-go-to-vil".

спортсменов - This means "athletes" and is pronounced like "sport-smen-ov".

к - This means "to" and is pronounced like "k".

соревнованиям - This means "competitions" and is pronounced like "so-re-vno-va-ni-yam".

Translation: The coach prepared the athletes for the competition.

1. A type of transportation vehicle (usually a bus).

Sentence: Мы едем на автобусе .

Breakdown:

Мы - This means "we" and is pronounced like "my".

едем - This means "are going" and is pronounced like "ye-dem".

на - This means "on" or "by" and is pronounced like "na".

автобусе - This means "bus" and is pronounced like "av-to-bu-se".

Translation: We are going by bus.

1. To give advice or instruction.

Sentence: Мой учитель коучит меня по английскому языку .

Breakdown:

Мой - This means "my" and is pronounced like "moy".

учитель - This means "teacher" and is pronounced like "oo-chi-tel".

коучит - This is the verb "to coach" and is pronounced like "kou-chit".

меня - This means "me" and is pronounced like "me-nya".

по - This means "in" or "on" and is pronounced like "po".

английскому - This means "English" and is pronounced like "ang-liys-ko-mu".

языку - This means "language" and is pronounced like "ya-zy-ku".

Translation: My teacher coaches me in English.

Variations:

The word тренер is the most common for "coach" in the sense of a person who trains athletes. However, there are other possibilities:

Наставник - This means "mentor" and can be used for someone who gives advice and guidance.

Руководитель - This means "leader" and can be used for someone who is in charge of a team or group.

English and Russian translation:

Coach - тренер

Pronunciation: tren-er

The next word is walk. The word "walk" in English can be translated into Russian as ходить (pronounced "ho-DEET").

Here's a simple sentence demonstrating its usage:

Я хожу в университет каждый день. Я хожу в университет каждый день.

Translation: I walk to the university every day.

Breakdown:

Я Я (pronounced "YA") - I (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

хожу хожу (pronounced "ho-ZHOO") - I walk (present tense, 1st person singular)

в в (pronounced "v") - to (preposition)

университет университет (pronounced "oo-ni-ver-si-TET") - university (masculine noun, accusative case)

каждый каждый (pronounced "KAH-zh-dy") - every (adjective)

день день (pronounced "DEN") - day (masculine noun, accusative case)

Important points:

The verb "ходить" ходить is a common verb that means "to walk" or "to go." It is also used to describe other types of movement like walking to a place or going to an event.

"Ходить" ходить changes its form depending on who is doing the walking and when. In this example, it's in the present tense, 1st person singular (I walk).

The prepositions "в" в ("to") and "на" на ("on", "onto") are very important in Russian grammar. They are used to show the direction or location of the movement.

Pronunciation Notes:

The "ж" ж in хожу is pronounced like the "zh" in "azure."

The "у" у in университет is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon."

Word translations:

walk - ходить (ho-DEET)

I - Я (YA)

to - в (v)

university - университет (oo-ni-ver-si-TET)

every - каждый (KAH-zh-dy)

day - день (DEN)

The next word is so. The word "so" in English can be translated in many ways into Russian, depending on the context. Here's an example using the word "so" to express agreement:

English Sentence: So, we can go now.

Russian Sentence: И так, мы можем идти сейчас.

Breakdown:

И [ee] is a conjunction meaning "and" or "so."

так [tak] is an adverb meaning "so" or "thus." In this context it is used to indicate agreement or a decision.

мы [mee] is the pronoun "we" in the nominative case, which means the "we" is the subject of the sentence. It is the same as the word "we" in English.

можем [moh-zhem] is the verb "to be able to" conjugated in the first person plural (we can) in the present tense.

идти [ee-tee] is the verb "to go" conjugated in the infinitive form, The infinitive form of the verb is the same as the English verb "to go".

сейчас [say-chas] is an adverb meaning "now." The "s" sound is very soft.

Translation: So, we can go now.

Pronunciation guide:

И [ee]

так [tak]

мы [mee]

можем [moh-zhem]

идти [ee-tee]

сейчас [say-chas]

Variations:

Значит, [znat-chit] "So, it means ..." or "So, that means ..."

Таким образом, [ta-kim ob-ra-zom] "So, in this way ..."

Следовательно, [sle-do-va-tel-no] "So, consequently ..."

Memorization Tip: Practice using the different variations of "so" in Russian to make them stick in your memory.

The next word is over. The word "over" can have multiple meanings in English, so we'll explore a few Russian sentences showcasing its versatility.

1. Over as a preposition of location:

English: The book is over there on the table.

Russian: Книга лежит на столе там, за столом.

Книга (knee-ga) - book

лежит (le-zhit) - lies (present tense, 3rd person singular)

на (na) - on

столе (sto-le) - table

там (tam) - there

за (za) - behind

столом (sto-lom) - table (instrumental case)

Key Concept: In this case, "over" conveys the idea of "beyond" or "on the other side of" the table.

1. Over as a preposition of time:

English: The party is over.

Russian: Вечеринка закончилась.

Вечеринка (ve-che-rin-ka) - party

закончилась (za-kon-chi-las') - ended (past tense, feminine singular)

Key Concept: "Over" in this context indicates the completion of an event.

1. Over as a preposition meaning "more than":

English: She is over 30 years old.

Russian: Ей больше 30 лет.

Ей (yei) - her (dative case)

больше (bol-she) - more

30 (trid-tsat') - 30

лет (let) - years

Key Concept: "Over" expresses the idea of exceeding a specific quantity.

1. Over as an adverb:

English: The car drove over the bridge.

Russian: Машина проехала по мосту.

Машина (ma-shi-na) - car

проехала (pra-ye-ha-la) - drove (past tense, feminine singular)

по (pa) - along

мосту (mos-tu) - bridge (dative case)

Key Concept: "Over" in this case indicates movement across a surface or obstacle.

Remember: The exact Russian translation of "over" depends on its specific meaning in the English sentence. Pay close attention to the context to choose the most appropriate preposition or adverb.

The next word is bad. This is a great word to learn because it has a lot of variations in Russian. Let's start with the most basic form of the word.

Sentence: Это плохой день

Breakdown:

Это (pronounced "eh-to") is the word "this". It's used as a subject here.

плохой (pronounced "plo-khoy") is the word "bad" and is used as an adjective to describe the noun "day".

день (pronounced "djen") means "day".

Translation: This is a bad day.

Key Concepts:

Adjectives in Russian: The adjective плохой agrees in gender with the noun it describes. So, if we said плохая (pronounced "plo-kha-ya") it would mean "bad" but would have to be used with a feminine noun. There are variations for all three genders.

Word Order: Russian has a more flexible word order than English. We could write the sentence as День плохой and it would still be grammatically correct. However, the order above is more natural sounding.

Pronunciation Hints:

плохой can be tricky because the "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot" and the "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes" and not like the "y" in "fly"

день is pronounced with a "soft" "d" sound, which is similar to the "d" in "day" but with a slight "y" sound after it.

Variations:

плохо (pronounced "plo-kha") is the neuter form of the word and can be used adverbially. For example, Мне плохо (pronounced "mnye plo-kha") means "I feel bad".

плохой can also be used with a noun to describe a person's character. For example, Плохой человек (pronounced "plo-khoy che-la-vek") means "bad person".

Плохо (pronounced "plo-kha") can be used as an adverb meaning "badly". For example, Я играю плохо (pronounced "ya igra-yu plo-kha") means "I play badly".

English: bad

Russian: плохой (pronounced "plo-khoy")

The next word is for. The word "for" in English can have many meanings in Russian, depending on context. Let's look at some examples:

1. "For" meaning "because"

English: I am staying inside for it is raining.

Russian: Я остаюсь дома, потому что идёт дождь. Ya ostayus' doma, potomu chto idet dozhdy.

Breakdown: Я остаюсь дома - "I am staying home"

Я (ya) - I (pronounced like "ya")

остаюсь (ostayus') - am staying (pronounced like "ostai-yus")

дома (doma) - at home (pronounced like "doh-ma")

потому что (potomu chto) - because (pronounced like "pa-toh-moo chtoh")

идёт (idet) - is going (pronounced like "ee-dyot")

дождь (dozhdy) - rain (pronounced like "dohzhdy")

Key Concept: The word потому что (potomu chto) is a conjunction that introduces a reason or explanation.

1. "For" meaning "during"

English: I worked for two hours.

Russian: Я работал в течение двух часов. Ya rabotal v techenie dvukh chasov.

Breakdown: Я работал в течение двух часов - "I worked during two hours."

Я (ya) - I (pronounced like "ya")

работал (rabotal) - worked (pronounced like "rah-bah-tal")

в течение (v techenie) - during (pronounced like "v ti-che-ni-ye")

двух (dvukh) - two (pronounced like "dvokh")

часов (chasov) - hours (pronounced like "cha-sof")

Key Concept: The phrase в течение (v techenie) is a preposition that means "during" or "for a period of".

1. "For" meaning "to" (as in a purpose or recipient)

English: I bought this book for you.

Russian: Я купил эту книгу для тебя. Ya kupil etu knigu dlya tebya.

Breakdown: Я купил эту книгу для тебя - "I bought this book for you"

Я (ya) - I (pronounced like "ya")

купил (kupil) - bought (pronounced like "koo-peel")

эту (etu) - this (pronounced like "eh-too")

книгу (knigu) - book (pronounced like "k-nee-goo")

для (dlya) - for (pronounced like "dlya")

тебя (tebya) - you (pronounced like "ti-bya")

Key Concept: The preposition для (dlya) is used to indicate the recipient or purpose of an action.

English: for

Russian: для (dlya) - pronounced "dlya"

The next word is drive. The word "drive" can be tricky because it has many meanings in English. Let's look at a simple sentence:

She drove her car to the store.

In Russian, this would be:

Она поехала на машине в магазин.

Она [oh-na] - She
поехала [pa-ye-ha-la] - past tense of ехать (to drive, to go by vehicle)

на [na] - on (used here to indicate the means of transportation)

машине [ma-shee-ne] - car
в [v] - in (used to indicate location)

магазин [ma-ga-zeen] - store

Key concepts:

Verbs of motion: Russian uses different verbs to indicate how someone travels. Ехать is used for driving, riding in a car, train, bus, etc. You'll learn more about these verbs later.

Prepositions: Like English, Russian uses prepositions to indicate location, direction, and other relationships. На and в are important prepositions to master.

Variations:

Present tense: Она едет на машине в магазин. (едет [ye-det] - she is driving)

Past tense, different vehicle: Она поехала на автобусе в магазин. (автобусе [av-to-boo-se] - bus)

Pronunciation tips:

Remember that the Russian "e" sounds like "ye" in "yes"

"sh" in Russian is pronounced with the tongue slightly further back in the mouth than in English.

English: drive (verb) [drahyv]

Russian: ехать [ye-hat']

The next word is wife. English: My wife is a doctor.

Russian: Моя жена врач.

Breakdown:

Моя - my (feminine form, used with feminine nouns) - моя - moh-ya
жена - wife (feminine noun) - жена - zhe-na
врач - doctor (masculine noun) - врач - vrahch

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and nouns must agree in gender. Since "wife" is feminine, the adjective "my" must be in the feminine form (моя).

Noun Declension: Nouns change form depending on their grammatical role in the sentence. In this sentence, "жена" is in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence.

Word Order: The typical word order in Russian is subject-verb-object.

Variations:

Моя супруга врач - My spouse is a doctor. (супруга - spouse, feminine)

У меня жена врач - I have a wife who is a doctor. (у меня - I have)

English: wife - жена - zhe-na

Russian: doctor - врач - vrahch

The next word is like. The word "like" is very versatile in English. It can be used as a preposition, verb, adjective, and even an interjection. In Russian, it can be translated using several words, depending on the context. Let's look at some examples:

1. As a preposition (similar to):

"I like to eat pizza like как /kak/ my mother."

Breakdown:

как /kak/ is a preposition that means "like," "as," or "how."

Sentence Meaning: This sentence implies that the speaker eats pizza in a similar way to their mother.

Variations: You can use the preposition подобно /podobno/ which means "similarly to" or "like." Подобно /podobno/ is more formal than как /kak/.

Translation: "Я люблю есть пиццу как моя мама." /Ya lyublyu est' pitsu kak moya mama./

1. As a verb (to enjoy, to be fond of):

"I like нравится /nravitsya/ to read books."

Breakdown:

нравится /nravitsya/ is a verb meaning "to like" or "to enjoy." It is an impersonal verb, meaning it's used with the dative case.

Sentence Meaning: The speaker expresses their enjoyment of reading.

Variations: The verb любить /lyubit'/ can also be used to express liking, but it's stronger and more emphatic than нравится /nravitsya/.

Translation: "Мне нравится читать книги." /Mne nravitsya chitat' knigi./

1. As an adjective (similar to):

"The dress is like такой /takoy/ a flower."

Breakdown:

такой /takoy/ is an adjective that means "such" or "like this."

Sentence Meaning: The speaker is comparing the dress to a flower, emphasizing its resemblance.

Variations: The word похожий /pohozhiy/ can be used as well. Похожий /pohozhiy/ is more formal than такой /takoy/.

Translation: "Платье такое, как цветок." /Plat'ye takoe, kak tsvetok./

1. As an interjection (similar to "wow" or "oh"):

"Like, ну /nu/ that's amazing!"

Breakdown:

ну /nu/ is an interjection that expresses surprise, excitement, or agreement.

Sentence Meaning: The speaker is expressing excitement or enthusiasm.

Variations: There are many other interjections in Russian that can be used in similar situations, such as ого /ogo/ (wow), вау /vau/ (wow), ух ты /ukh ty/ (wow), and неплохо /neploho/ (not bad).

Translation: "Ну, это потрясающе!" /Nu, eto potryasayushche!/

Remember that these are just a few examples, and the exact Russian translation will depend on the specific context in which you use the word "like." By understanding these variations, you can more effectively express yourself in Russian.

The next word is deal. ## Сделка была заключена на выгодных условиях.

Breakdown:

Сделка (pronounced: [s'd'elka]) - this is the noun for "deal." In this case it is the subject of the sentence. It's a feminine noun that can also mean "transaction" or "agreement."

была (pronounced: [b'ı'la]) - This is the past tense form of the verb "to be" ( быть) which is used in the past tense with feminine nouns. It essentially means "was."

заключена (pronounced: [zaklyuch'ena]) - This is the past participle of the verb "to conclude" ( заключить) which indicates that the deal was completed. The past participle is used in the past tense when the action happened in the past and is complete.

на (pronounced: [na]) - This is a preposition that means "on" or "at." It can also mean "for" or "in" depending on context. In this sentence it indicates the conditions of the deal.

выгодных (pronounced: [v'ı'godn'ıh]) - This is the plural form of the adjective "advantageous" or "favorable" (выгодный).

условиях (pronounced: [usloviyah]) - This is the plural form of the noun "condition" (условие).

Translation: The deal was concluded on favorable terms.

Memorization Tip: Think of "deal" like a "treat" and "transaction" like a "transfer." These are both "actions" so remember the verb "to conclude" ( заключить).

English: deal - [d'il]

Russian: сделка - [s'd'elka]

The next word is process. The word "process" in Russian is процесс (pro-tchess). This word can be a noun or a verb and can be used in many different contexts. Here is a sentence:

Этот процесс занимает много времени. (Eh-tut pra-tchess za-ni-ma-yet mnogo vre-me-ni)

This sentence uses the noun form of the word процесс (pra-tchess). The noun is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Этот (Eh-tut) - This - This is a demonstrative pronoun and it modifies the noun процесс (pra-tchess) which is the subject of the sentence.

процесс (pra-tchess) - Process - the word is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

занимает (za-ni-ma-yet) - Takes - this is the third person singular present tense of the verb занимать (za-ni-mat'). The verb in this sentence agrees with the subject процесс (pra-tchess).

много (mnogo) - Much - This is an indefinite pronoun that modifies the noun времени (vre-me-ni).

времени (vre-me-ni) - Time - The word is in the genitive case, which is used to indicate possession in Russian, as well as other meanings. Here the genitive case shows how much time the process takes.

Translation: This process takes a lot of time.

Variations:

The word процесс (pra-tchess) can also be used as a verb: Процессировать (pra-tchess-ee-ra-vat'). This verb means "to process." The verb can be conjugated in all of the tenses and moods in the Russian language.

Pronunciation:

процесс (pra-tchess) - [pra-tchess] is pronounced with a stress on the second syllable. The 'c' is pronounced like an 's' in the word "process."

Этот (Eh-tut) - The first 'e' is pronounced like the 'e' in the word "bed," the 't' in the second syllable is pronounced like a soft 't', and the 'o' is pronounced like the 'o' in the word "lot."

занимает (za-ni-ma-yet) - This word is pronounced like za-ni-ma-yet with a stress on the first syllable.

много (mnogo) - The 'o' is pronounced like the 'o' in the word "lot."

времени (vre-me-ni) - This word is pronounced like vre-me-ni with a stress on the second syllable.

The next word is senior. The word "senior" can be used as a noun or an adjective.

As a noun, it can refer to a person who is older than someone else.

As an adjective, it describes something related to older people, or something that is higher in rank than something else.

Here is an example sentence with the word "senior" as a noun in the sentence. This sentence is a simple declarative sentence.

Старший брат заботится о младшей сестре.

Старший (pronounced: [staar-shiy] - senior) is the nominative case form of the masculine adjective старший. The nominative case is the form of a word when it is the subject of the sentence.

брат (pronounced: [brat] - brother) is the nominative case form of the noun брат.

заботится (pronounced: [za-bo-ti-tsya] - takes care of) is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb заботиться.

о (pronounced: [o] - about) is a preposition used to show the object of the verb.

младшей (pronounced: [mlad-shey] - younger) is the instrumental case form of the feminine adjective младший. The instrumental case is often used to show the instrument of the action, but also can show the person or thing being acted upon.

сестре (pronounced: [ses-tre] - sister) is the instrumental case form of the noun сестра.

English translation: The older brother takes care of his younger sister.

Now here is an example sentence with the word "senior" as an adjective in the sentence. This sentence is a simple declarative sentence.

Старший менеджер принял важное решение.

Старший (pronounced: [staar-shiy] - senior) is the nominative case form of the masculine adjective старший.

менеджер (pronounced: [me-ne-d-zher] - manager) is the nominative case form of the noun менеджер.

принял (pronounced: [pri-nyal] - took) is the masculine past tense form of the verb принимать.

важное (pronounced: [vazh-noe] - important) is the nominative case form of the masculine adjective важный.

решение (pronounced: [ri-she-ni-ye] - decision) is the nominative case form of the noun решение.

English translation: The senior manager made an important decision.

Remember that старший can be used to refer to either a person or a thing. For example, you could say: Старший класс (pronounced: [staar-shiy klass] - Senior class)

Senior (pronounced: [see-nee-er] - Старший (pronounced: [staar-shiy])

The next word is decrease. The price of gas has decreased recently.

Цена на бензин недавно снизилась.

Breakdown:

Цена [tsena] - The word for "price" in Russian is цена [tsena], and it is feminine in gender.

на [na] - The preposition на [na] means "on" and is used with the word бензин [benzin] because it implies the price is on top of the gasoline.

бензин [benzin] - The word for "gas" in Russian is бензин [benzin].

недавно [nedavno] - The word недавно [nedavno] means "recently." It is an adverb meaning "not long ago".

снизилась [snizilas'] - The word снизилась [snizilas'] means "decreased." It is the past tense, feminine, singular form of the verb снизиться [snizitsya] which means "to decrease".

Translation:

The price of gas has decreased recently.

Key concept: The word "decrease" in this sentence is a verb and is in the past tense, so you need to use the past tense form of the verb "to decrease".

Pronunciation:

цена [tsena] - Say the "ts" as in "tsar". The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

на [na] - Say the "a" as in "father".

бензин [benzin] - Say the "e" as in "bed." The "z" is pronounced as "z" and not like the "s" in "sin."

недавно [nedavno] - The "e" at the end of не [ne] is pronounced as the "e" in "bed."

снизилась [snizilas'] - The "i" at the end is pronounced as the "e" in "bed."

Variations:

The word "decrease" can also be used as a noun, meaning "a reduction in size, amount, or degree." In this case, you would use the noun снижение [snizhenie] in Russian.

For example:

There was a decrease in the number of students enrolled in the program.

Было снижение числа студентов, зачисленных в программу.

Было [bylo] - was
снижение [snizhenie] - decrease
числа [chisla] - number
студентов [studentov] - students
зачисленных [zachislennykh] - enrolled
в [v] - in
программу [programmu] - program

The next word is negative. The word negative in Russian is отрицательный (otritsatel'nyy).

Sentence: Он дал отрицательный ответ на мой вопрос. (On dal otricatel'nyy otvet na moy vopros.)

Breakdown:

Он (on) - he
дал (dal) - gave
отрицательный (otritsatel'nyy) - negative
ответ (otvet) - answer
на (na) - on
мой (moy) - my
вопрос (vopros) - question

Key Concepts:

отрицательный (otritsatel'nyy) is an adjective meaning negative, and it's formed from the verb отрицать (otritsat') which means to deny.

This sentence structure is common in Russian for expressing a response to a question: subject + verb + adjective + noun (object) + preposition + noun.

Pronounciation Tips:

отрицательный (otritsatel'nyy) - Stress the и (i). The ending -ный (-nyy) is pronounced like the English word "knee".

ответ (otvet) - Pronounced like the English word "ot-vet".

вопрос (vopros) - Pronounced like the English word "vo-pros".

English Translation of the sentence: He gave a negative answer to my question.

Variations:

отрицательный (otritsatel'nyy) can also be used as a noun, meaning "negative" or "negation."

The word отрицать (otritsat') can be used to express a denial or rejection, for example: Он отрицал свою вину. (On otrical svoju vinu.) - He denied his guilt.

English: negative - отрицательный (otritsatel'nyy)

The next word is simply. ## Просто он сказал это.

Breakdown:

Просто (prosto) - means "simply," "just," or "plainly." It is an adverb that modifies the verb сказал. Think of it as "in a simple way". The stress is on the first syllable: PRO-sto.

он (on) - "he". This is a pronoun, subject of the verb.

сказал (skazal) - "said". This is the past tense of the verb говорить (govorit) "to speak," or "to say"

это (eto) - "this," or "it". This is a pronoun, the direct object of the verb. Pronounce with a stress on the first syllable: E-to.

Translation: He simply said it.

Variations:

Простой (prostoj) - means "simple" - this is an adjective. This is the masculine form of the adjective.

Простая (prostaya) - "simple" - feminine form.

Простое (prostoye) - "simple" - neuter form.

Простые (prostye) - "simple" - plural form.

Pronunciation:

Просто (prosto) - PRO-sto
он (on) - ON
сказал (skazal) - ska-ZAL
это (eto) - E-to

English: simply

Russian: просто (prosto)

The next word is suffer. ## Страдать (stradat') - to suffer

Sentence:

Он страдает (on stradaet) от сильной головной боли.

Breakdown:

Он - Он (on) - He (masculine pronoun)

страдает - страдает (stradaet) - Present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb страдать (stradat') - to suffer
от - от (ot) - from (preposition)

сильной - сильной (sil'noy) - strong (adjective, feminine, genitive case)

головной - головной (golovnoy) - head (adjective, feminine, genitive case)

боли - боли (boli) - pain (noun, feminine, genitive case)

Translation: He suffers from a strong headache.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: The adjective сильной (sil'noy) and noun боли (boli) must agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Prepositions: The preposition от (ot) is used to indicate the source of something, similar to "from" in English.

Case: The noun боли (boli) is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition от (ot).

Pronunciation:

страдать - страдать (stra-dat') - Stress on the first syllable
сильной - сильной (sil'-noy) - Stress on the first syllable
головной - головной (go-lov-noy) - Stress on the first syllable
боли - боли (bo-li) - Stress on the first syllable

Variations:

Past Tense: страдал (stradal) - suffered (masculine singular), страдала (stradala) - suffered (feminine singular), страдали (stradali) - suffered (plural)

Imperative: страдай (straday) - suffer (informal, singular)

Infinitive: страдать (stradat') - to suffer

English: suffer - /ˈsʌfər/

Russian: страдать (stra-dat')

The next word is mainly. The word "mainly" is an adverb that means "primarily" or "chiefly". It is used to indicate that something is the most important or significant factor.

Here is a Russian sentence using "mainly":

Он занимается главным образом изучением русского языка.

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - on
занимается - engages in, is engaged in (verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) - zəˈnɪmət͡sə
главным - main, primary (adjective, instrumental case) - ˈɡlavnəm
образом - way, manner (noun, instrumental case) - ˈobrazəm
изучением - study, learning (noun, instrumental case) - ɪˈzuʧənɪjəm
русского - Russian (adjective, genitive case) - ˈrusskəɡə
языка - language (noun, genitive case) - jəˈzɨkə

Translation: He is mainly engaged in studying the Russian language.

Key concepts:

Instrumental case: The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or what is used to do something. In this sentence, the instrumental case is used for the words главным (mainly) and образом (way, manner).

Genitive case: The genitive case is used to show possession or a part of something. In this sentence, the genitive case is used for the words русского (Russian) and языка (language).

Pronunciation:

главным - ˈɡlavnəm
образом - ˈobrazəm
изучением - ɪˈzuʧənɪjəm
русского - ˈrusskəɡə
языка - jəˈzɨkə

Variations:

You could replace главным with преимущественно (mainly, predominantly) - prɪɪmuˈʃɛstvɪnə

You could also replace образом with в основном (mainly) - v ɐˈsnovnəm

The next word is unit. This is a simple sentence with the word единица (pronounced: ye-dee-nee-tsa). This is the most common word for "unit".

Эта комната – единица жилья. (eh-ta kom-na-ta - ye-dee-nee-tsa zhil-ya)

This room is a unit of housing.

Breakdown

Эта эта (eh-ta) - This
комната комната (kom-na-ta) - room

– This is a dash. You can also use a comma. It indicates a pause
единица единица (ye-dee-nee-tsa) - unit
жилья жилья (zhil-ya) - housing

Variations
единица измерения (ye-dee-nee-tsa iz-me-re-ni-ya) - unit of measurement

English Translation
единица (ye-dee-nee-tsa) - unit

The next word is language. ## Язык - язык (yazik) - language

The word язык (yazik) is used for both "language" and "tongue" in Russian. It's a great example of how a single word can have multiple meanings, adding richness and complexity to the language.

The sentence is in the nominative case, which is the basic form of a noun.

Sentence: Язык моей (moyey) мамы (mamy) английский (angliyskiy). - My mother's language is English.

Breakdown:

Язык (yazik) - language (nominative case)

моей (moyey) - my (genitive case, used to show possession)

мамы (mamy) - mother (genitive case)

английский (angliyskiy) - English (adjective, used to describe the language)

Key Concepts:

Gender: Язык (yazik) is masculine, so the adjective английский (angliyskiy) agrees in gender.

Case: The genitive case is used to show possession.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English, but the basic structure is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

Pronunciation:

Язык (yazik) - [ya-zik]

моей (moyey) - [moy-ey]

мамы (mamy) - [ma-mi]

английский (angliyskiy) - [an-gliy-skiy]

Translation:

Язык (yazik) - language
моей (moyey) - my
мамы (mamy) - mother
английский (angliyskiy) - English

The next word is term. The word "term" can have many meanings in English, so here's an example using one of its most common meanings:

Sentence:

Этот семестр у нас будет много интересных тем для обсуждения.

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-toht) - This
семестр (see-mestr) - semester
у нас (oo nahs) - we have (literally, "at us")

будет (boo-dyet) - will be
много (mnoh-goh) - many
интересных (in-tee-res-nykh) - interesting (plural, adjective)

тем (tyem) - topics (plural)

для (dlya) - for
обсуждения (ob-soo-zh-de-niya) - discussion

Translation: This semester we will have many interesting topics for discussion.

Key Concepts:

Word Order: Russian word order is often flexible, but the basic structure of the sentence is Subject-Verb-Object.

Case: The word "тем" is in the accusative case, indicating that it is the direct object of the verb.

Pluralization: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings to reflect their grammatical number, so you need to know the plural forms of words like "topic."

Variations of "Term":

срок (srok) - can be used for "term" in the sense of a period of time
условие (usloviye) - can be used for "term" in the sense of a condition

English/Russian Word and Pronunciation:

Term - термин (ter-meen)

The next word is flight. The word полёт (po-lyot) means "flight" in Russian. It can be used to describe the act of flying, the journey itself, or the duration of the flight.

Here is an example sentence:

Самолет совершил полёт из Москвы в Санкт-Петербург. (Sa-ma-lyot sa-ver-shil po-lyot iz Ma-skvy v Sankt-Pe-ter-burg).

Breakdown:

Самолет (sa-ma-lyot) - airplane
совершил (sa-ver-shil) - past tense of the verb совершать (sa-ver-shat') - to perform, to make, to carry out
полёт (po-lyot) - flight
из (iz) - from

Москвы (Ma-skvy) - Moscow
в (v) - to

Санкт-Петербург (Sankt-Pe-ter-burg) - Saint Petersburg

Translation: The airplane made a flight from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.

Key Concepts:

The word полёт (po-lyot) is a masculine noun. Masculine nouns in Russian often end in the letter т (t).

This sentence uses the past tense of the verb совершать (sa-ver-shat'). The past tense of verbs in Russian often ends in the letters л (l) or ла (la).

The prepositions из (iz) and в (v) are used to indicate direction. из (iz) means "from" and в (v) means "to".

Variations:

Полёт (po-lyot) can also be used to describe a space flight. For example: Первый полёт человека в космос. (Per-vy po-lyot che-la-ve-ka v ko-smos) - The first human flight into space.

You can also use the verb лететь (le-tet') to describe the act of flying. This verb is used for both airplanes and birds. For example: Самолет летит в небо. (Sa-ma-lyot le-tit v ne-ba) - The airplane is flying in the sky.

Pronunciation:

полёт (po-lyot) - the "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot" and the "e" is similar to the "e" in "bet".

совершил (sa-ver-shil) - the "o" sound is like the "o" in "hot", the "e" is similar to the "e" in "bet", and the "i" is similar to the "i" in "bit".

из (iz) - the "i" sound is similar to the "i" in "bit".

Москвы (Ma-skvy) - the "y" sound is similar to the "y" in "my".

в (v) - this sound is similar to the English "v" sound.

Санкт-Петербург (Sankt-Pe-ter-burg) - the "e" sound is similar to the "e" in "bet", the "i" is similar to the "i" in "bit", and the "g" is similar to the English "g" sound.

English: Flight

Russian: полёт (po-lyot)

The next word is staff. The word "staff" in English can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

The most common translation is персонал (personal), which refers to the employees of an organization.

Here is an example sentence:

"The staff at the hotel were very friendly."

Персонал в отеле был очень дружелюбным. (Personal v otele byl ochen druzhelyubnym.)

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Персонал (personal) - staff
в (v) - in
отеле (otele) - hotel
был (byl) - was
очень (ochen) - very
дружелюбным (druzhelyubnym) - friendly

Key Concepts:

Персонал (personal) is a masculine noun, so the adjective дружелюбным (druzhelyubnym) agrees in gender.

в (v) is a preposition that means "in" and is used to indicate location.

был (byl) is the past tense of the verb "to be."

Pronunciation:

персонал (personal) - [per-suh-nahl]

в (v) - [v]

отеле (otele) - [uh-te-leh]

был (byl) - [beel]

очень (ochen) - [oh-chen]

дружелюбным (druzhelyubnym) - [dru-zheh-lyub-nim]

Other possible translations of "staff":

штат (shtat) - This translation is more common when referring to the number of employees in an organization. It is pronounced [shtat].

сотрудники (sotrudniki) - This translation refers to the employees as individuals and is pronounced [suh-труд-ни-ki].

By learning these different variations of the word "staff" you can easily adapt your vocabulary to different situations.

The next word is with. The English word "with" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here is an example sentence using the preposition "с" (pronounced "s") which translates to "with" when it refers to accompaniment.

Sentence: Я иду в магазин с другом.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I"

иду (pronounced "ee-doo") means "go" (present tense)

в (pronounced "v") means "to" or "into"

магазин (pronounced "muh-gah-zeen") means "store"

с (pronounced "s") means "with"

другом (pronounced "droo-gum") means "friend" (masculine)

Translation: I am going to the store with a friend.

Key Concepts:

The preposition "с" is used when referring to accompaniment or something being done alongside something else.

The word order in Russian is flexible, but the preposition "с" typically comes before the noun it modifies.

Variations:

Other prepositions can be used to translate "with" depending on context, such as "по" (with something like a tool or method), "на" (with something like a vehicle or surface), and "в" (with a particular characteristic).

Pronunciation Guide:

с - pronounced "s"

Я - pronounced "ya"

иду - pronounced "ee-doo"

в - pronounced "v"

магазин - pronounced "muh-gah-zeen"

другом - pronounced "droo-gum"

English to Russian:

with - с

The next word is hotel. ## Я остановился в отеле на неделю.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced "Ya" - like the "ya" in "yard"). This is the subject pronoun in the sentence.

остановился - stopped, stayed (pronounced "ostanavilsya" - "os" like the "os" in "loss", "ta" like "ta" in "father", "nov" like "nov" in "novel", "il" like the "il" in "will", "sya" like the "sya" in "say"). This is the past tense verb, meaning "I stayed". It is in the masculine singular form because the subject is "I" (masculine).

в - in (pronounced "v" - like the "v" in "very"). This is the preposition used to indicate location.

отеле - hotel (pronounced "atele" - "o" like the "o" in "hot", "te" like the "te" in "tea", "le" like the "le" in "hello"). This is the noun that is the object of the preposition "в". It is in the prepositional case (the "в" triggers the prepositional case for the noun).

на - for (pronounced "na" - like the "na" in "nat"). This is the preposition meaning "for".

неделю - week (pronounced "nedel'yu" - "ne" like the "ne" in "net", "del" like the "del" in "dell", "yu" like the "yu" in "you"). This is the noun that is the object of the preposition "на". It is in the accusative case (the "на" triggers the accusative case for the noun).

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns have different endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. This is called "case" and there are 6 cases in Russian. This sentence demonstrates the prepositional and accusative case. The preposition "в" always takes the prepositional case and the preposition "на" always takes the accusative case.

Gender: Russian nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter. This impacts the noun's endings in different cases. In this example, "отель" is a masculine noun.

Variations of the word отель:

отеля - Hotel (genitive case)

отелю - Hotel (dative case)

отелем - Hotel (instrumental case)

English Translation: I stayed at the hotel for a week.

English Pronunciation of the Word: Hotel - [hoh-tel]

Russian Translation of the Word: Отель - [A-tel']

The next word is within. The English word within can be translated into Russian as внутри (vnu-tree).

Here is an example of how to use the word in a sentence:

Внутри дома было тепло и уютно.

Vnutri doma bylo teplo i uyutno.

Translation: Inside the house, it was warm and cozy.

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Внутри (vnu-tree) - within, inside - this is the key word in the sentence.

дома (do-ma) - house - This is a noun in the genitive case, which means it indicates possession or belonging.

было (by-lo) - was - This is the past tense of the verb "to be."

тепло (tye-plo) - warm - An adjective describing the temperature inside the house.

и (ee) - and - This is a conjunction connecting the two adjectives.

уютно (oo-yut-no) - cozy - Another adjective describing the feeling inside the house.

Key concept: The word внутри (vnu-tree) can be used to indicate location or position within something. It is similar to the English word "inside".

Pronunciation Guide:

внутри - (vnu-tree) - The stress is on the second syllable.

дома - (do-ma) - The stress is on the first syllable.

было - (by-lo) - The stress is on the first syllable.

тепло - (tye-plo) - The stress is on the first syllable.

уютно - (oo-yut-no) - The stress is on the second syllable.

English: within

Russian: внутри (vnu-tree)

The next word is range. The range of this telescope is quite impressive.

Диапазон этого телескопа довольно впечатляющий.

Breakdown:

Диапазон [pronounced dee-ah-pah-zohn] means range. It is a masculine noun.

этого [pronounced eh-toh-voh] means this, in this case, referring to the telescope. It's the masculine form of the genitive case of этот [eh-tot] which means this. It's a demonstrative pronoun.

телескопа [pronounced teh-leh-sko-pah] means telescope. It is a masculine noun in the genitive case. It is a noun and changes case.

довольно [pronounced doh-vohl-nuh] means quite, rather. It's an adverb and can be modified.

впечатляющий [pronounced v-peh-chuh-t-lyah-yu-shchee] means impressive. It's an adjective.

English Translation: The range of this telescope is quite impressive.

Important notes:

Nouns in Russian change forms depending on their role in the sentence, called cases.

Adjectives in Russian also change form to match the gender, number, and case of the noun they modify.

The word диапазон is also used to describe a range of things such as:

A range of colors

A range of emotions

A range of prices

Диапазон is a useful word to know because it can be used in many different contexts.

The next word is then. ## Тогда I went to the store, and тогда I bought some bread. (Я пошел в магазин, и тогда я купил хлеб.)

Breakdown:

Тогда - This word means "then" in Russian. It is used to connect two events in time, indicating that the second event happened after the first.

Тогда is pronounced like "tog-DAH" with the stress on the second syllable.

Variations: There are no variations of this word.

Key Concept: "Тогда" is a temporal conjunction, linking events in chronological order.

Translation:

Тогда - then

The next word is she. Она Она красива. красива

Breakdown:

Она Она is the subject of the sentence, meaning "she". It is in the nominative case, the form of a noun used when it is the subject of the verb. Pronounced "ah-na."

красива красива is an adjective meaning "beautiful". It is in the feminine singular form because it is modifying the feminine noun "она" Она. Pronounced "kra-see-va."

She is beautiful.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter. This affects the form of adjectives and other words that modify them.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence.

Adjectives: Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Variations:

The word "она" Она is used for both "she" and "her".

There are other forms of the adjective "красива" красива, depending on the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies.

Pronunciation:

она Она - "ah-na"

красива красива - "kra-see-va"

The next word is accept. ## Принимаю - Prinimayu - I accept.

Breakdown:

Принимаю - Prinimayu - is the first-person singular present tense form of the verb принимать - prinimat' - which means "to accept."

Grammar:

The verb is conjugated in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now.

The ending -ю - -yu - is used for the first-person singular in the present tense. This ending is very common and easy to remember because it only changes with the verb stem and remains the same for all verbs.

Meaning: This sentence expresses a simple action of accepting something. It can be used in various contexts, such as accepting a gift, an invitation, or an apology.

Variations:

You can replace принимаю - prinimayu - with other forms of the verb принимать - prinimat' - to express different tenses and persons:

Принимал - prinimaL - I accepted (past tense)

Примем - primem - We will accept (future tense)

Принимает - prinimaet - He/She/It accepts (present tense)

Pronunciation:

Принимаю - Prinimayu - The stress falls on the second syllable, и - i - .

Принимать - prinimat' - The stress falls on the third syllable, ма - ma - .

Translation:

Принимаю - Prinimayu - I accept.

Принимать - prinimat' - To accept.

Remember: The stress is crucial for pronunciation. You can check the pronunciation of the Russian words using an online dictionary or a pronunciation app.

The next word is each. ## Каждому студенту нужно учиться каждый день.

Breakdown:

Каждому - To each (dative case of the pronoun каждый "each"). каждому is pronounced: [kahj-duh-mu]

студенту - student (dative case of the noun студент "student"). студенту is pronounced: [stoo-den-too]

нужно - is necessary. нужно is pronounced: [noo-zh-nuh]

учиться - to study. учиться is pronounced: [oo-chee-tsuh]

каждый - each. каждый is pronounced: [kahj-d-y]

день - day. день is pronounced: [d'en']

Meaning: Each student needs to study every day.

Key Concepts:

Dative Case: The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb, or the recipient of an action. Here, the action of studying is happening to each student, hence the dative case of каждому (to each).

Imperative Verbs: нужно is an impersonal verb which implies that something is necessary or required. It is used to express an imperative or obligation.

Present Tense: The verb учиться is in the present tense, suggesting an ongoing action.

Variations:

This sentence can be varied by changing the object. For example, "Каждой девушке нужно учиться каждый день." (Each girl needs to study every day).

The word каждый can also be used to refer to any other objects or people. For instance, "Каждый книга интересна" (Every book is interesting).

Pronunciation:

Remember to pay attention to the stress and intonation of each word. For example, the stress falls on the first syllable of студенту and the second syllable of каждому.

English Translation: each - каждый (pronounced: [kahj-d-y])

The next word is debate. The word "debate" can be translated into Russian as дебаты (pronounced "de-bah-ty"). It is a noun and in this context, refers to a formal discussion on a particular topic in which opposing arguments are put forward.

Example Sentence:

В университете состоялись дебаты о будущем искусственного интеллекта.

В (v) - in, at, on (pronounced "v")

университете (m) - university (pronounced "oo-ni-ver-si-te-te")

состоялись (pl) - took place, occurred, happened (pronounced "so-stoy-a-lis")

дебаты (pl) - debates (pronounced "de-bah-ty")

о (prep) - about, concerning, regarding (pronounced "o")

будущем (n) - future (pronounced "boo-doo-shchem")

искусственного (adj) - artificial (pronounced "is-koos-stven-no-go")

интеллекта (m) - intelligence (pronounced "in-te-lek-ta")

Translation: Debates about the future of artificial intelligence took place at the university.

Key Concepts:

Gender of Nouns: In Russian, nouns have gender. In this sentence, университет is masculine.

Pluralization: The plural form of дебаты is the same as the singular form.

Prepositions: The preposition о is used to express "about" and takes the prepositional case.

Memorization Tip: Associate the word "debate" with the Russian word дебаты by thinking about a formal discussion where people are arguing and debating.

Pronunciation:

дебаты: "de-bah-ty"

университет: "oo-ni-ver-si-te-te"

интеллекта: "in-te-lek-ta"

English: debate /dɪˈbeɪt/

Russian: дебаты /dɪˈbatɪ/

The next word is there. ## There

Sentence: Там стоит большой дом.

Breakdown:

Там (tam) - This is the key word, meaning "there" and functions as an adverb of place. This is the most common word for "there" in Russian. You can use it in various situations.

стоит (stoyit) - This is a verb, meaning "stands" or "is located" and is in the present tense. It is an irregular verb, so keep an eye on its conjugation.

большой (bolshoy) - This is an adjective, meaning "big" or "large," modifying the noun "дом." In this case, it agrees with the noun in gender and number.

дом (dom) - This is a noun meaning "house" and is the subject of the sentence.

Translation: There stands a big house.

Pronunciation:

Там - [tam] - Pronounced like "tam" with the "a" sound as in "father"

стоит - [stoyit] - Pronounced like "stoyit" with the "o" sound as in "go" and the "i" sound as in "machine"

большой - [bolshoy] - Pronounced like "bol-shoy" with the "o" sound as in "go" and the "oy" sound as in "boy"

дом - [dom] - Pronounced like "dom" with the "o" sound as in "go"

Variations:

To say "here" use здесь (zdes) instead of там (tam).

To say "there is a house" use есть (est) followed by the noun and adjective.

"A big house" can also be expressed with the noun and adjective in the reverse order, " дом большой"

Key Concept: Word order in Russian sentences is relatively free, but the verb typically occupies the second position.

The next word is executive. English: The company's executive team met to discuss the new marketing strategy.

Russian: Исполнительный комитет компании собрался, чтобы обсудить новую маркетинговую стратегию.

Breakdown:

Исполнительный (ispolnitel'nyy) - adjective, meaning "executive" (pronounced: is-pol-nee-tel-nee)

комитет (komitet) - noun, meaning "committee" (pronounced: kuh-mee-tet)

компании (kompanii) - noun, meaning "company" (pronounced: kum-pah-nee-ee)

собрался (sobralsya) - verb, past tense of "to gather" (pronounced: suh-brahl-sya)

чтобы (chtoby) - conjunction, meaning "in order to" (pronounced: shtoh-buh)

обсудить (obsuditi) - verb, infinitive "to discuss" (pronounced: ob-soo-deet)

новую (novuyu) - adjective, meaning "new" (pronounced: noh-voo-yoo)

маркетинговую (marketinkovuyu) - adjective, meaning "marketing" (pronounced: mar-keh-tin-guh-voo-yoo)

стратегию (strategiyu) - noun, meaning "strategy" (pronounced: stra-teh-gee-yoo)

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender with the nouns they modify. Here, "Исполнительный" (ispolnitel'nyy) is masculine, agreeing with the masculine noun "комитет" (komitet).

Prepositional phrases: The phrase "компании" (kompanii) is in the genitive case, which is used after prepositions like "от" (ot) (from) or "для" (dlya) (for), but it is not used after the preposition "чтобы" (chtoby) which uses the accusative.

Infinitive verbs: The infinitive form of the verb in Russian ends in "-ть" (-t']).

Variations:

"Исполнитель" (ispolnitel) - noun, meaning "executive" (pronounced: is-pol-nee-tel)

"исполнять" (ispolnyat') - verb, meaning "to execute" (pronounced: is-pol-nyat)

English translation of the word: executive

Russian translation of the word: исполнительный (ispolnitel'nyy)

The next word is decade. The word "decade" in Russian is десятилетие (pronounced "dyeh-syah-tee-lye-tee-yeh"). It's a noun and means a period of ten years.

The sentence:

В этом десятилетии произошло много изменений. В этом десятилетии произошло много изменений.

Breakdown:

В этом В этом - In this (prepositional phrase) - This is a combination of the preposition в (pronounced "v") meaning "in" and the demonstrative pronoun это (pronounced "eh-to") meaning "this". Demonstrative pronouns point out specific nouns.

десятилетии десятилетии - Decade (prepositional case) - The noun десятилетие is in the prepositional case, which is used after prepositions like в (in), на (on), о (about).

произошло произошло - happened (past tense, neuter gender) - This is the past tense of the verb произойти (pronounced "pro-ee-zay-tee") meaning "to happen". The ending "-ло" denotes the neuter gender.

много много - many (indeclinable adjective) - Много is an indeclinable adjective, meaning it doesn't change form regardless of the noun it modifies. It indicates a large quantity.

изменений изменений - changes (genitive plural) - The noun изменение (pronounced "ee-z-mye-nye-nee-yeh") is in the genitive plural case, which is used to show possession or a general relationship.

Translation: In this decade, many changes happened.

Key Concept: Russian uses a system of cases, which are grammatical forms of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns that indicate their function in a sentence.

Pronunciation:

Десятилетие десятилетие - "dyeh-syah-tee-lye-tee-yeh"

В этом В этом - "v eh-tom"

Произошло произошло - "pro-ee-zay-sh-lo"

Много много - "mnogo"

Изменений изменений - "ee-z-mye-nye-nee-yeh"

The next word is insurance. ## Страховка на машину необходима для безопасности.

Breakdown:

Страховка [stra-HOv-ka] - This is the noun for "insurance" and it is feminine in Russian. It is a key word and must be memorized for future use.

на [na] - This is the preposition meaning "on" or "for". It is used to indicate what the insurance is for.

машину [ma-SHEE-noo] - This is the accusative case of the noun meaning "car". It is feminine and we are using the accusative case because it is the direct object of the preposition на. Be careful to not confuse this with машина [ma-SHEE-na] which is the nominative (subject) case of the noun.

необходима [ne-ab-ha-DEE-ma] - This is the feminine singular form of the adjective meaning "necessary" or "required." It agrees in gender with the noun страховка.

для [dlya] - This is the preposition meaning "for" or "in order to". It is used to indicate the purpose of the insurance.

безопасности [bi-za-PA-sna-sti] - This is the genitive case of the noun meaning "safety". It is feminine and we are using the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition для. Be careful not to confuse this with the nominative case безопасность [bi-za-PA-snas]t which means "safety".

Meaning: "Car insurance is necessary for safety."

Variations:

You can use the same sentence structure to discuss insurance for other things, such as your house or your health. Just replace the word for "car" with the appropriate noun.

Pronunciation:

Страховка [stra-HOv-ka]

на [na]

машину [ma-SHEE-noo]

необходима [ne-ab-ha-DEE-ma]

для [dlya]

безопасности [bi-za-PA-sna-sti]

English Translation:

insurance - страховка [stra-HOv-ka]

on - на [na]

car - машина [ma-SHEE-na]

necessary - необходимый [ne-ab-ha-DEE-my]

for - для [dlya]

safety - безопасность [bi-za-PA-snas]t

The next word is performance. The actress's игровая роль in the play was met with great applause. Игровая роль means "acting role," and here it is used in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence. The word игровая is an adjective and can be used to describe anything related to acting, such as an игровая площадка (acting stage) or игровая карьера (acting career). It is formed from the noun игра (game, play) by adding the suffix - овой to create an adjectival form. It is pronounced like "ee-gra-vo-vuh".

English Translation:

The actress's acting role in the play was met with great applause.

Russian Words and Pronunciation:

игровая (ee-gra-vo-vuh) - acting
роль (rol') - role
площадка (plo-shchad-ka) - stage
карьера (kar-ye-ra) - career
игра (ee-gra) - game, play

The next word is element. This sentence uses the word элемент (eh-leh-MENT) which means “element” in English. It is a masculine noun and can be used in a variety of contexts, like in chemistry, literature, or even just in everyday speech.

The sentence:

Этот элемент важен для понимания текста. (eh-toht eh-leh-MENT vah-zhin dlya pa-nee-ma-nee-ya tehk-sta)

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-toht) - This (masculine nominative singular)

элемент (eh-leh-MENT) - Element (masculine nominative singular)

важен (vah-zhin) - Important (masculine nominative singular)

для (dlya) - for
понимания (pa-nee-ma-nee-ya) - understanding (genitive singular)

текста (tehk-sta) - text (genitive singular)

Meaning:

This element is important for understanding the text.

Variations:

элементы (eh-leh-MEN-ty) - elements (plural)

элементарный (eh-leh-men-TAR-ny) - elementary (adjective)

элементарно (eh-leh-men-TAR-no) - elementary (adverb)

English/Russian Translations:

Element - элемент (eh-leh-MENT)

The next word is assessment. ## Оценка студентов была очень строгой.

Breakdown:

Оценка (otsenka) - assessment (pronounced "ah-TSEN-ka") This is a noun. It can be used as a singular or plural noun.

студентов (studentov) - students (pronounced "stoo-DEN-tov") This is a noun in the genitive case, so it is like saying "of students".

была (byla) - was (pronounced "buh-LA") This is a past tense verb in the feminine singular form. It agrees with the feminine noun оценка.

очень (ochen') - very (pronounced "OH-chen") This is an adverb.

строгой (strogoy) - strict (pronounced "STRO-goy") This is an adjective in the feminine singular form, agreeing with the noun оценка.

Translation: The assessment of the students was very strict.

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of the noun determines the form of the adjective and verb that agree with it. Here, the noun оценка is feminine, so the adjective строгой and verb была are also in the feminine singular form.

Case: Russian nouns change their form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, студентов is in the genitive case, indicating possession or "of".

Agreement: Adjectives and verbs must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Memorization tip: Remember that the word оценка is feminine. This will help you remember to use the feminine singular forms of adjectives and verbs when describing it.

Pronunciation guide:

оценка (otsenka) - "ah-TSEN-ka"

студентов (studentov) - "stoo-DEN-tov"

была (byla) - "buh-LA"

очень (ochen') - "OH-chen"

строгой (strogoy) - "STRO-goy"

The next word is about. The English word "about" has many uses and can be tricky, so let's break down how it works in Russian!

The Russian equivalent of "about" depends on the context.

1. "About" as a preposition meaning "concerning" or "regarding":

о (o) (pronounced like the English word "o")

Example Sentence: Я говорю о книге. (Ya govoru o knige.)

Breakdown: Я (Ya) - I, говорю (govoru) - speak/talk, о (o) - about, книге (knige) - book.

Translation: I am talking about the book.

1. "About" as an adverb meaning "approximately":

около (okolo) (pronounced "oh-koh-loh")

Example Sentence: Около десяти человек пришло на встречу. (Okolom desyati chelovek prishlo na vstrechu.)

Breakdown: Около (okolo) - about, десяти (desyati) - ten, человек (chelovek) - people (plural), пришло (prishlo) - came, на (na) - to/on, встречу (vstrechu) - meeting.

Translation: About ten people came to the meeting.

Key Points

Be careful with the preposition о (o). It's often used before words in the accusative case.

Около (okolo) is more versatile, often used with numbers and times.

Pronunciations:

о (o) - "o" like the English "o" in "hot"

около (okolo) - "oh-koh-loh"

The next word is data. The word data in Russian is данные данные. The word данные is plural. The singular form of this word is данное данное. This word is declined according to the gender, number and case of the noun. Note that in this sentence, the word данные is in the nominative case.

This sentence illustrates how to use the word данные данные in a sentence:

Эти данные очень важны. Эти данные очень важны.

Эти Эти - these
данные данные - data
очень очень - very
важны важны - important

This sentence translates to "These data are very important." Note that the word данные данные is in the nominative case and важны важны is in the nominative case, plural, and agreeing with the subject данные данные.

Pronunciation Guide
данные данные - dah-nuh-yee (the 'y' sound at the end is almost silent)

Эти Эти - eh-tee
очень очень - oh-chen
важны важны - vahzh-nuh

Data - данные данные (dah-nuh-yee)

The next word is serve. The word "serve" in English has several meanings in Russian, depending on the context. Here's an example using the meaning of "to serve" as in providing food or drink:

Sentence: Официант официант обслужил обслужил нас прекрасно.

Breakdown:

Официант (ah-fi-tsian-t) - This is the noun "waiter" in Russian. It refers to the person who serves food and drinks in a restaurant.

обслужил (ab-slu-zheel) - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to serve" - обслуживать (ab-slu-zhi-vat). It indicates that the waiter "served" the customers.

нас (nas) - This is the accusative case of the pronoun "we," which is the object of the verb обслужил - "served us."

прекрасно (pre-kras-no) - This is an adverb meaning "beautifully" or "perfectly." It modifies the verb обслужил - "served beautifully" or "served perfectly."

Translation: The waiter served us perfectly.

Key Concepts:

Gender in Russian Nouns: Russian nouns have gender, and the gender of the noun determines the ending of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with it. In this example, the noun официант is masculine, so the verb обслужил has a masculine ending.

Case in Russian Nouns and Pronouns: Russian nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence. In this example, the pronoun нас is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb.

Adverbs in Russian: Adverbs in Russian typically end in -о or -е and modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Variations:

The verb обслуживать can also mean "to service," as in servicing a car.

The word обслуживание (ab-slu-zhi-va-ni-ye) is the noun form of the verb and means "service."

English Pronunciation:

официант - ah-fi-tsian-t
обслужил - ab-slu-zheel
нас - nas
прекрасно - pre-kras-no

English Translation:

Официант - waiter
обслужил - served
нас - us
прекрасно - perfectly

The next word is fairly. The word "fairly" in English can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context and the intended meaning. Here are a few examples:

1. Довольно (pronounced: dav-ol'-nə) This is a good general translation for "fairly" when it means "to a moderate degree" or "somewhat."

Example: "It's fairly cold outside today." Сегодня на улице довольно холодно. (pronounced: si-vód-nya na ú-li-tse dav-ól-nə ho-lód-nə)

Grammatical breakdown: сегодня (today), на улице (on the street/outside), довольно (fairly), холодно (cold).

Key concept: Довольно is an adverb and is often used with adjectives to modify their intensity.

1. Справедливо (pronounced: spra-vye-dli-və) This is a good translation for "fairly" when it means "justly" or "equitably."

Example: "The judge ruled fairly in the case." Судья вынес справедливое решение по делу. (pronounced: su-d'ya vi-nes spra-vye-dli-və-e ri-she-ni-e pa dye-lu)

Grammatical breakdown: Судья (judge), вынес (pronounced: vi-nes (past tense, masculine form), справедливое (fair), решение (decision), по делу (in the case).

Key concept: Справедливо is an adverb and can be used with verbs and nouns.

1. Относительно (pronounced: ət-na-si-təl-nə) This is a good translation for "fairly" when it means "relatively" or "in comparison to something else."

Example: "The price of gas is fairly high this month." Цена на бензин относительно высока в этом месяце. (pronounced: tse-na na ben-zin at-na-si-təl-nə vi-sa-ka v e-tam mye-sa-tse)

Grammatical breakdown: Цена (price), на бензин (on gasoline), относительно (relatively), высока (high), в этом месяце (this month).

Key concept: Относительно is an adverb and is often used to compare one thing to another.

Word and Pronunciation Summary:

fairly (English)

довольно (Russian) pronounced: dav-ol'-nə
справедливо (Russian) pronounced: spra-vye-dli-və
относительно (Russian) pronounced: ət-na-si-təl-nə

The next word is branch. This is a great word to learn as it has several different meanings in Russian. The sentence I will provide is using the meaning of "branch" as a part of a tree.

На дереве много веток.

Breakdown

На - on, upon, at - na
дереве - tree - dereve
много - many, much, a lot - mnogo
веток - branches - vetok

Meaning

There are many branches on the tree.

Variations
ветка - branch (singular) - vetka
ветви - branches (plural) - vetvi
ветки - branches (plural) - vetki

Pronunciation

На - na - sounds like "nah"

дереве - dereve - sounds like "deh-reh-veh"

много - mnogo - sounds like "mnoh-goh"

веток - vetok - sounds like "veh-tok"

English: branch

Russian: ветка - vetka

The next word is individual. Each person is unique and has their own individual qualities.

Каждый человек уникален и обладает своими индивидуальными качествами.

Breakdown:

Каждый (kahj-dee) - means "each" or "every" and is a masculine nominative singular pronoun.

человек (che-la-vek) - means "person" or "human" and is a masculine nominative singular noun.

уникален (oo-nee-kah-len) - means "unique" and is an adjective in the masculine nominative singular form.

и (ee) - means "and" and is a conjunction.

обладает (ob-la-da-yet) - means "possesses" or "has" and is a verb in the 3rd person singular present tense.

своими (sva-ee-mee) - means "their" or "his/her own" and is a possessive pronoun in the masculine/feminine/neuter plural form.

индивидуальными (in-dee-vee-doo-al-ni-mi) - means "individual" and is an adjective in the masculine/feminine/neuter plural form.

качествами (kah-che-stva-mi) - means "qualities" and is a noun in the plural form.

Key Concepts:

This sentence showcases the use of the masculine singular form of nouns and adjectives when referring to a single person.

The verb "обладает" (ob-la-da-yet) is often used to describe possession of qualities or characteristics.

The possessive pronoun "своими" (sva-ee-mee) emphasizes that the qualities are unique to the individual.

Pronunciation Hints:

"ч" (ch) is pronounced like the "ch" in "chair".

"е" (e) at the end of a word is usually pronounced like a soft "eh" sound, unless it is stressed.

The "й" (y) at the end of a word is pronounced like a soft "ee" sound.

English Translation: Each person is unique and has their own individual qualities.

Russian Translation: Каждый человек уникален и обладает своими индивидуальными качествами.

The next word is stay. ## Останься (ostan'sya) - Stay.

Breakdown:

Останься (ostan'sya) is the imperative form of the verb оставаться (ostavatsya) - to stay. It is used to tell someone to stay. The "сь" at the end makes it the singular imperative form.

Imperative verbs are used to give commands or make requests.

Variations:

Останьтесь (ostan'tes) - Stay (plural) - This is the plural form of the imperative.

Оставайтесь (ostavaites) - Stay (plural, polite form) - This is the polite way to ask multiple people to stay.

Оставайся (ostavaisa) - Stay (informal, singular) - This is the informal way to tell someone to stay.

Pronunciation:

Останься (ostan'sya) - The stress is on the second syllable, "stan". The "s" at the end is soft.

Останьтесь (ostan'tes) - The stress is on the second syllable, "stan". The "s" at the end is soft.

Translation:

Останься - Stay.

Останьтесь - Stay (plural).

Оставайтесь - Stay (plural, polite).

Оставайся - Stay (informal, singular).

Key Concept: The imperative form of verbs is an important part of Russian grammar. It allows you to give commands and make requests.

English: stay /ˈsteɪ/

Russian: оставаться (ostavatsya) /ɐˈstɑvət͡sːə/

The next word is reference. The word "reference" is a very useful word in the Russian language, as it can be used in many different contexts. Here is a sentence using "reference":

В своей статье он сделал ссылку на классическую работу Льва Толстого.

V svoey stat'ye on sdelal ssylku na klassicheskuyu rabotu L'va Tolstogo.

In his article, he referenced the classic work of Leo Tolstoy.

Breakdown:

В svoey stat'ye - In his article (prepositional phrase)

В - in (preposition)

svoey - his (possessive adjective)

stat'ye - article (feminine noun in the locative case)

on - he (pronoun)

sdelal - made (past tense verb)

ssylku - reference (noun in the accusative case)

na - on (preposition)

klassicheskuyu - classical (adjective in the accusative case)

rabotu - work (feminine noun in the accusative case)

L'va - Leo (proper noun)

Tolstogo - Tolstoy (proper noun in the genitive case)

Key concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence (subject, object, etc.). This is called case. In this sentence, the noun ssylku is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb sdelal.

Prepositions: Prepositions, like в and на are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. For example, в indicates location. Prepositions often govern the case of the noun or pronoun that follows them.

Possessive adjectives: Possessive adjectives, like svoey, show possession.

Proper nouns: Proper nouns, like L'va and Tolstogo, are names of specific people, places, or things. Proper nouns are capitalized in Russian.

Variations:

The word ссылка can also mean "link" in the context of the internet.

The word ссылаться (to reference, to cite) is the verb form of ссылка.

Pronunciation:

В - V (as in "very")

своей - svoey (like "sway" with a "y" sound at the end)

статье - stat'ye (like "stat" with a "y" sound at the end)

он - on (like "own")

сделал - sdelal (like "sdell" with an "al" sound at the end)

ссылку - ssylku (like "sill" with a "koo" sound at the end)

на - na (like "nah")

классическую - klassicheskuyu (like "klass" with a "i-che-skoo-yoo" sound at the end)

работу - rabotu (like "ra-bo-too" with the stress on the "o" )

Льва - L'va (like "Lyva" )

Толстого - Tolstogo (like "Tol-sto-go")

Translation:

reference - ссылка (ssylka)

in - в (v)

his - свой (svoy)

article - статья (stat'ya)

he - он (on)

made - сделал (sdelal)

on - на (na)

classic - классический (klassicheskiy)

work - работа (rabota)

Leo - Лев (Lev)

Tolstoy - Толстой (Tolstoy)

The next word is will. ## Я буду читать эту книгу завтра.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced "ya") - This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun "I" in Russian, used as the subject of the sentence.

буду - will (pronounced "boo-doo") - This is the future tense of the verb "to be" (быть - "byt"). It's used to express future actions.

читать - to read (pronounced "chee-taht") - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to read," and in this sentence, it's used in the future tense with the auxiliary verb "буду".

эту - this (pronounced "eh-too") - This is the accusative case of the demonstrative adjective "this." It modifies the noun "book."

книгу - book (pronounced "knee-goo") - This is the accusative case of the noun "book." It's the object of the verb "читать".

завтра - tomorrow (pronounced "zahv-tra") - This is an adverb of time indicating when the action will take place.

Translation: I will read this book tomorrow.

Key Concepts:

Future Tense: In Russian, the future tense is formed using the auxiliary verb "быть" (to be) in the present tense, followed by the infinitive of the main verb.

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used for direct objects of verbs. This means the noun/pronoun directly receiving the action of the verb is in the accusative case.

Word Order: Russian is a flexible language, and word order can sometimes be changed for emphasis or stylistic purposes. However, in this sentence, the basic word order is subject-verb-object.

Variations of "буду":

"будешь" - you (singular, informal) will

"будет" - he/she/it will

"будем" - we will

"будете" - you (plural, informal) will

"будут" - they will

Pronunciation:

я - ya
буду - boo-doo
читать - chee-taht
эту - eh-too
книгу - knee-goo
завтра - zahv-tra

English to Russian Translation: Will - буду (boo-doo)

The next word is production. Sentence: На фабрике производится много продукции.

Breakdown:

Фабрика (pronounced fah-bree-ka) - means 'factory' in Russian and is in the nominative case, serving as the subject of the sentence.

Производится (pronounced pro-iz-vo-dit-sya) - is the passive form of the verb 'to produce' in the present tense, indicating that the production is happening now.

Много (pronounced mnogo) means 'many' or 'a lot' and modifies продукции

Продукции (pronounced pro-duk-tsii) is in the genitive case, since it's the object of the verb.

Key concept: The use of the passive voice in Russian is common when the action is more important than the agent performing it.

Variations:

The sentence can be modified to indicate the specific type of product being made, for example: "На фабрике производят машины (Na fabrike proizvodjat mashiny) - 'They produce cars at the factory'.

Translation:

Production - производство (pronounced pro-iz-vod-stvo)

The next word is aim. The Russian sentence using the English word "aim" is:

Он целился в мишень.

Breakdown:

Он - He (masculine pronoun, nominative case) - on
целился - aimed (past tense, masculine singular, imperfect aspect) - tselil'sya
в - in/at (preposition) - v
мишень - target - mishen'

Key Concept: The verb "целиться" (tselil'sya) is an imperfective verb meaning "to aim," indicating an ongoing action. This contrasts with the perfective verb "поцелить" (potselil') which would be used for a completed action, like "He aimed and hit the target."

Variations:

To express "aim at" you can use the preposition "на" (na) instead of "в" (v)

Translation: He aimed at the target.

The next word is alternative. ## Альтернатива (al'ternati'va)

Sentence: У меня есть альтернатива (al'ternati'va) – я могу пойти в кино вместо театра.

Breakdown:

Альтернатива (al'ternati'va) – alternative, noun, feminine

У меня есть – I have
пойти (pay-tee) – to go
в кино (v ki-no) – to the cinema
вместо (vmes-to) – instead of
театра (tee-a-tra) – theater

Meaning: I have an alternative – I can go to the cinema instead of the theater.

Key Concepts:

Альтернатива (al'ternati'va) is a feminine noun, so it uses the feminine singular form of “есть” (est') – “есть” (est') means “to be” or “to have” and agrees with the noun in gender and number.

Вместо (vmes-to) is a preposition that means “instead of” and is followed by the genitive case of the noun.

Variations:

You can also use альтернативный (al'ternati'vnyy) as an adjective meaning "alternative."

The plural form of альтернатива (al'ternati'va) is альтернативы (al'ternati'vy).

Pronunciation Tips:

Альтернатива (al'ternati'va) – Stress the first syllable, and pronounce the "a" in "altern" like the "a" in "father."

Альтернативный (al'ternati'vnyy) – Stress the first syllable, and pronounce the "a" in "altern" like the "a" in "father."

English Translation: alternative / al-tur-nuh-tiv

Russian Translation: альтернатива / al'ternati'va

The next word is analysis. ## Анализ этого текста показывает, что автор имеет глубокое понимание темы.

Breakdown:

Анализ (ah-nah-leez) - Analysis
этого (eh-toh-voh) - This (genitive case)

текста (teks-ta) - Text (genitive case)

показывает (pah-kah-zy-vah-yet) - Shows, indicates (present tense, 3rd person singular)

что (shtoh) - That
автор (av-tor) - Author
имеет (ee-me-yet) - Has (present tense, 3rd person singular)

глубокое (gloo-bo-koe) - Deep (adjective, neuter)

понимание (pah-nee-mah-nee-ye) - Understanding (neuter noun)

темы (te-my) - Theme, topic (genitive case)

This sentence demonstrates the use of the genitive case in Russian. The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of an action.

Translation:

"The analysis of this text shows that the author has a deep understanding of the topic."

Key concepts:

Genitive case: The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of an action.

Present tense: The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now.

Neuter gender: The neuter gender is used for words that do not have a definite gender, such as objects and concepts.

Helpful hint for pronunciation: Remember that the stress in Russian words is usually on the penultimate syllable, the second to last syllable.

The next word is contract. The word "contract" in Russian is контракт (pronounced: kon-trakt). This is a masculine noun and thus takes the masculine ending in the nominative singular, -т (pronounced: -t).

Let's put it in a sentence:

Он подписал контракт на новую работу.

(Ohn pod-pi-sal kon-trakt na no-vuyu ra-bo-tu)

English Translation: He signed a contract for a new job.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He (pronoun, nominative case)

подписал (pod-pi-sal) - signed (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

контракт (kon-trakt) - contract (noun, masculine, nominative singular)

на (na) - on, for (preposition)

новую (no-vuyu) - new (adjective, feminine, accusative singular)

работу (ra-bo-tu) - work (noun, feminine, accusative singular)

Key Concepts:

Nouns: In Russian, nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and cases. The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence, the accusative case is used for the direct object.

Adjectives: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Prepositions: Prepositions in Russian often govern a specific case, in this case, the preposition на (na) governs the accusative case.

Variations:

You can use the plural form of контракт (kon-trakt) which is контракты (kon-trak-ty).

Контракт (kon-trakt) can be used in various contexts like: a marriage contract (брачный контракт (brach-ny kon-trakt)), a rental contract (арендный контракт (a-rend-ny kon-trakt)), etc.

Pronunciation:

контракт (kon-trakt): The 'k' at the end is pronounced with a slight aspiration like the 'h' in 'ahem'.

подписал (pod-pi-sal): The 'п' (p) is pronounced like the 'p' in 'pin'. The 'с' (s) is pronounced like the 's' in 'sun'.

новую (no-vuyu): The 'о' (o) is pronounced like the 'o' in 'not'. The 'ю' (yu) is pronounced like the 'u' in 'flute'.

English and Russian Translations:

Contract: контракт (kon-trakt)

The next word is wine. The sentence:

Я люблю красное вино.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronoun). The Я is pronounced "ya." It's the subject of the sentence.

люблю - I love (verb, present tense, first person singular). The люблю is pronounced "lyublyu." This is the verb in the sentence.

красное - red (adjective). The красное is pronounced "krasnoe." It modifies the noun вино.

вино - wine (noun). The вино is pronounced "vino." This is the object of the sentence, the thing that is being loved.

Key concept: The word вино is a noun. It can be modified with adjectives like красное (red). It can also be modified by other adjectives, such as белое (white), розовое (rose), сладкое (sweet), or сухое (dry). These adjectives are all neuter, because they are modifying a neuter noun (вино).

Translation: I love red wine.

Pronunciation:

wine - [waɪn]

вино - [vɪˈno]

The next word is cost. The cost of living in Moscow is very high.

Стоимость жизни в Москве очень высока.

Стоимость (stoymоst) is a noun meaning cost. The stress is on the third syllable. It can be used with the genitive case (as shown above) or the nominative case. Стоимость is feminine.

жизни (zhizni) is the genitive case of жизнь (zhizn) meaning life. It is feminine.

в (v) is a preposition meaning in.

Москве (Moskve) is the prepositional case of Москва (Moskva) meaning Moscow. It is feminine.

очень (ochen) is an adverb meaning very.

высока (vysoka) is an adjective meaning high. It is feminine.

Translation:

Стоимость - cost - stoymоst
жизни - life - zhizni
в - in - v

Москве - Moscow - Moskve
очень - very - ochen
высока - high - vysoka

The next word is version. The word "version" in Russian is версия (pronounced "ver-si-ya"). It is a feminine noun and can be used in many ways, but the most common is when talking about different variations of something, like a story, a document, or a piece of software. You can use it to describe the way someone tells a story or to talk about different versions of a film.

Here is an example:

У меня есть две версии этой истории.

Breakdown:

У (oo) - preposition meaning "at, by, with, near"

меня (mye-nya) - personal pronoun meaning "me"

есть (yest') - verb meaning "to be" or "to have"

две (dve) - number meaning "two"

версии (ver-sii) - feminine plural of the word "version"

этой (eh-toy) - feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this"

истории (is-tor-ii) - feminine noun meaning "story"

Translation: I have two versions of this story.

Remember: The key to mastering Russian is practice and repetition. Write this sentence down several times, try to say it out loud, and even try to make your own sentences using the word версия.

English: version

Russian: версия (ver-si-ya)

The next word is overall. English: The overall performance of the team was excellent.

Russian: В целом команда показала отличный результат.

Breakdown:

В целом - This is a prepositional phrase that means "overall" or "on the whole." It is pronounced [v tseh-lum].

команда - means "team." It is pronounced [kuh-man-duh]

показала - is the past tense, feminine form of the verb "to show," [pa-ka-za-la]

отличный - is an adjective that means "excellent." It is pronounced [at-lich-niy].

результат - is a noun that means "result." It is pronounced [ri-zul-taht].

Translation: Overall, the team showed an excellent result.

Variations:

В целом can also be used to mean "generally" or "in general."

The word команда can also be used in the plural form, команды [kuh-man-di], which means "teams."

The verb показала can be used in the masculine form, показал [pa-ka-zal], or in the neutral form, показало [pa-ka-za-lo].

Key Concepts:

Russian grammar uses different forms of verbs and adjectives to agree with the gender of the noun they describe.

Prepositional phrases are often used in Russian to express concepts that are conveyed by single words in English.

Pronunciation Tips:

Pay attention to the stress in Russian words. It is often placed on the penultimate syllable (the second to last syllable).

Learn the basic vowel sounds in Russian and how they differ from English vowel sounds.

Practice pronouncing the consonant sounds in Russian, which can be different from their English counterparts.

The next word is quick. The word "quick" in English has multiple meanings, which will be reflected in the Russian translations.

Sentence 1: He quickly ran to the store.

Он быстро побежал в магазин.

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced: "ohn") - He (pronoun)

быстро (pronounced: "bystro") - quickly (adverb)

побежал (pronounced: "pabye-zhal") - ran (verb in past tense)

в (pronounced: "v") - to (preposition)

магазин (pronounced: "ma-ga-zeen") - store (noun)

Key Concept:

The adverb быстро modifies the verb побежал, indicating the manner in which the action occurred.

Sentence 2: It was a quick meal.

Это был быстрый обед.

Breakdown:

Это (pronounced: "eh-to") - It (pronoun)

был (pronounced: "byl") - was (verb in past tense)

быстрый (pronounced: "bystry") - quick (adjective)

обед (pronounced: "o-byed") - meal (noun)

Key Concept:

The adjective быстрый describes the noun обед.

Important Note:

The word "quick" can also be translated as скорый (pronounced: "sko-ry") in certain contexts, like "a quick trip" (скорая поездка (pronounced: "sko-raya pa-yezdka")).

Word and Pronunciation:

Quick - быстрый (pronounced: "bystry")

The next word is kind. ## Он был очень добрым к ней.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - ohn
был - was (verb "to be", masculine singular, past tense) - beel
очень - very (adverb) - oh-chen
добрым - kind (adjective, masculine singular, instrumental case) - dob-rim
к - to (preposition) - k
ней - her (pronoun, feminine, dative case) - ney

Meaning: He was very kind to her.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their forms depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, the adjective добрым is in the instrumental case because it describes the way the action is performed.

Gender: Russian nouns and adjectives have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The noun Он (He) is masculine, which influences the form of the verb был and the adjective добрым.

Variations of the Word "Kind":

добрый (masculine singular, nominative case) - good, kind
добрая (feminine singular, nominative case) - good, kind
доброе (neuter singular, nominative case) - good, kind
добрые (plural, nominative case) - good, kind

Pronunciation Guide:

Он - [ohn]

был - [beel]

очень - [oh-chen]

добрым - [dob-rim]

к - [k]

ней - [ney]

English Translation: kind - kind [kaind]

Russian Translation: добрый - [dob-ree]

The next word is display. The word "display" can be used in Russian in a few different ways. Here is an example:

Sentence:

В музее выставляется экспозиция старинных икон.

Vystavlyaetsya eksponziya starinnykh ikon v muzee.

Breakdown:

Выставляется (vystavlyaetsya) - This is the third person singular present tense of the passive verb выставлять (vystavlyat). It means "is being displayed". The stress is on the second syllable. (Vih-STAHV-lyah-et-syah)

Экспозиция (eksponziya) - This is a noun that means "exhibition" or "display". The stress is on the third syllable (ehk-spoh-ZEE-tsiya)

Старинных (starinnykh) - This is the genitive plural form of the adjective старинный (starinny), meaning "ancient" or "old". The stress is on the second syllable (stah-REE-nnykh)

Икон (ikon) - This is the genitive plural form of the noun икона (ikona) meaning "icon". The stress is on the first syllable (ee-KOHN).

В музее (v muzee) - This means "in the museum". The stress is on the first syllable (v moo-ZEE-yeh).

Translation:

An exhibition of ancient icons is being displayed at the museum.

Helpful Tips:

The passive voice is frequently used in Russian when talking about displays or exhibitions.

The word выставка (vystavka) is a common noun for "exhibition" or "display".

The word экспонат (eksponat) means "exhibit" and is the noun for a single item on display.

English Translation:

display: выставлять (vystavlyat) - (vih-STAHV-lyat)

display: экспозиция (eksponziya) - (ehk-spoh-ZEE-tsiya)

The next word is grant. The English word "grant" can be translated into Russian as предоставить (pre-dos-ta-vit'). This verb means "to provide" or "to give." In this sentence, it is used in the infinitive form, which means "to grant."

Sentence:

Правительство предоставило грант на исследования. (Pra-vi-tel-stv-o pre-dos-ta-vi-lo grant na is-sled-o-va-ni-ya).

Breakdown:

Правительство (Pra-vi-tel-stv-o) - Government
предоставило (pre-dos-ta-vi-lo) - past tense of предоставить (pre-dos-ta-vit'), meaning "provided"

грант (grant) - grant
на (na) - on, for
исследования (is-sled-o-va-ni-ya) - research

Translation: The government granted a grant for research.

Key Concepts:

The verb предоставить (pre-dos-ta-vit') is a common verb used to express the action of providing something.

The word грант (grant) is a loanword borrowed directly from English.

Pronunciation Guide:

предоставить (pre-dos-ta-vit') - stress on the second syllable
правительство (pra-vi-tel-stv-o) - stress on the third syllable
грант (grant) - stress on the first syllable
исследования (is-sled-o-va-ni-ya) - stress on the third syllable

The next word is maintain. ## Сохраняйте спокойствие и поддерживайте концентрацию.

Сохраняйте - Imperative form, plural, "You (pl.) maintain" (sah-hran-YAY-te)

спокойствие - noun, "calmness, peace of mind" (spa-KOY-stvee-yeh)

и - conjunction, "and" (ee)

поддерживайте - Imperative form, plural, "You (pl.) maintain, support" (pad-der-ZHIV-ay-te)

концентрацию - noun, "concentration" (kan-tsen-TRA-tsii-yu)

Translation: Maintain your composure and keep your concentration.

Key Concepts:

The imperative mood is used to give commands or instructions.

In Russian, the imperative mood is different for singular and plural forms of "you".

The word поддерживайте is also used to mean "support" in addition to "maintain".

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in Сохраняйте falls on the third syllable.

The stress in поддерживайте falls on the third syllable.

The stress in концентрацию falls on the third syllable.

The "y" sound in спокойствие is like the "y" in "yes".

The "c" in концентрацию is pronounced like the "s" in "sun".

English Word: Maintain

Russian Word: сохранять (sah-hran-YAT')

English Word: Concentration

Russian Word: концентрация (kan-tsen-TRA-tsii-ya)

The next word is rich. The wealthy businessman built a luxurious mansion in the countryside.

Богатый бизнесмен построил роскошный особняк в деревне.

Breakdown:

Богатый - bogatyj - rich (adjective) - pronounced "bah-GAH-tee"

бизнесмен - biznesmen - businessman (noun) - pronounced "bee-ZNEES-men"

построил - postroil - built (verb) - pronounced "pah-STROY-eel"

роскошный - roskoshnyj - luxurious (adjective) - pronounced "rah-SKOHSH-nee"

особняк - osobnyak - mansion (noun) - pronounced "ah-SOB-nyak"

в - v - in (preposition) - pronounced "v"

деревне - derevne - countryside (noun) - pronounced "dye-REHV-nye"

Key Concepts:

Gender: The adjective богатый agrees in gender with the noun it modifies, бизнесмен (masculine). Note the ending -ый.

Case: The adjective роскошный agrees in case with the noun it modifies, особняк (nominative). Note the ending -ый.

Prepositions: The preposition в is used to indicate location.

Word order: The typical word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object.

Variations:

The adjective богатый can be used in other forms:

Feminine: богатая (bogataya) - rich (e.g., богатая женщина - a rich woman)

Neuter: богатое (bogatoe) - rich (e.g., богатое наследство - a rich inheritance)

Plural: богатые (bogatye) - rich (e.g., богатые люди - rich people)

The next word is base. The word "base" has several meanings in English, so to construct a Russian sentence, we need to clarify which meaning we are focusing on. Let's look at an example using "base" in the context of a foundation:

Sentence: The foundation of the house is built on a solid base.

Russian: Фундамент дома построен на прочном основании

Breakdown:

Фундамент (foon-DA-ment) - foundation - This is the noun for the base of a structure, which is built upon.

дома (DO-ma) - house - This is the genitive case of the noun дом (dom), meaning "of the house." The genitive case is used after prepositions like "на" (on).

построен (pa-STROY-en) - built - This is the past participle of the verb строить (stro-it'), meaning "to build."

на (na) - on - This is a preposition that indicates location.

прочном (PROCH-nom) - solid - This is the adjective "solid" in the locative case. The locative case is used after prepositions like "на" (on) to indicate the location of the action.

основании (as-na-VA-nii) - base - This is the noun "base" in the locative case.

Translation: The foundation of the house is built on a solid base.

Key concepts:

Nouns and their cases: Russian nouns have different forms depending on their function in a sentence, called cases.

Prepositions: Prepositions like "на" (on) require specific noun cases.

Past participles: Past participles are used to describe a completed action.

Helpful Hints for Pronunciation:

The stress in Russian words is always on a particular syllable. It can be tricky to guess, so you need to look it up.

The letter "о" (o) in Russian can sound like a short "o" or a long "o" depending on the context. Listen carefully to how the vowel is pronounced in different words.

The letter "е" (e) at the end of a word can be pronounced like the "e" in "get" or the "e" in "bet," depending on whether the next word starts with a vowel or consonant.

English and Russian translation of word and pronunciation:

base - основание (as-na-VA-nii)

The next word is deny. The word "deny" in Russian is отрицать (pronounced ot-ri-tsat'). It can be used in many ways, just like its English counterpart. For example, we can use it to say that someone is refusing to admit something.

Here's a sentence using this word:

Он отрицал свою вину, но доказательства были против него.

Here's a breakdown:

Он (on) - he
отрицал (ot-ri-tsal) - denied (past tense, masculine singular)

свою (svo-yu) - his/her/its own (possessive adjective, feminine singular)

вину (vi-nu) - guilt
но (no) - but
доказательства (do-ka-za-tel'-stva) - evidence (plural)

были (by-li) - were (past tense, plural)

против (pro-tiv) - against
него (ne-go) - him

Translation: He denied his guilt, but the evidence was against him.

The word отрицать is a verb that can be conjugated in various tenses and aspects. It's important to remember that in Russian, verbs are often changed based on the gender and number of the subject. For example, if the subject were feminine, the verb would be отрицала (ot-ri-tsa-la) instead of отрицал (ot-ri-tsal).

Key Concept: The concept of denial is a universal human experience. In Russian, the verb отрицать captures this sentiment, and its various forms allow for expressing it in a nuanced and precise manner.

Pronunciation Guide:

отрицать (ot-ri-tsat') - The stress is on the second syllable.

вину (vi-nu) - The stress is on the first syllable.

доказательства (do-ka-za-tel'-stva) - The stress is on the third syllable.

English/Russian Translation:

Deny: отрицать (ot-ri-tsat')

The next word is love. Sentence: Я люблю тебя.

Breakdown:

Я - This is the pronoun "I" in the nominative case. It is the subject of the sentence. It's pronounced like "ya".

люблю - This is the verb "to love" in the present tense, first person singular. It is conjugated to match the subject "I". It's pronounced like "lyublyu".

тебя - This is the pronoun "you" in the accusative case. It is the direct object of the sentence. It's pronounced like "tebya".

Meaning: I love you.

Variations:

You can change the subject pronoun to any other person, such as ты (you) or он (he), and the verb will have to be conjugated accordingly. For example, Ты любишь меня (You love me).

You can also use different tenses of the verb, such as the past tense любил (loved) or the future tense буду любить (will love).

Pronunciation:

Я - "ya"

люблю - "lyublyu"

тебя - "tebya"

English/Russian Translation:

Love - любовь (lyubov)

The next word is wonderful. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Russian language!

The word "wonderful" can be translated in Russian as прекрасный (pronounced: pre-KRAHS-nuy).

Here is a sentence using the word:

Это прекрасная возможность узнать больше о русском языке. (eh-tuh pre-KRAHS-naya vaz-MOZH-nost' u-ZNAT' bol-she ah ruh-s-kam ya-zu-KEE)

Breakdown:

Это (eh-tuh) - This
прекрасная (pre-KRAHS-naya) - wonderful, beautiful, excellent (feminine form of прекрасный)

возможность (vaz-MOZH-nost') - opportunity, possibility
узнать (u-ZNAT') - to learn, to find out
больше (bol-she) - more
о (ah) - about
русском (ruh-s-kam) - Russian (masculine form of русский)

языке (ya-zu-KEE) - language

Key Concepts:

The word прекрасный (pre-KRAHS-nuy) can be used to describe something that is visually beautiful, or something that is excellent in quality, or something that makes you feel good.

The word прекрасный (pre-KRAHS-nuy) is an adjective that changes form depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. For example, прекрасная (pre-KRAHS-naya) is the feminine form.

Variations:

красивый (kra-SI-vuy) - beautiful (masculine)

красивая (kra-SI-vaya) - beautiful (feminine)

красивое (kra-SI-voe) - beautiful (neuter)

чудесный (chu-DEHS-nuy) - wonderful, marvelous

Pronunciation Hints:

прекрасный (pre-KRAHS-nuy) - The "s" sounds like a "sh" sound.

возможность (vaz-MOZH-nost') - The "ж" sounds like a "zh" sound, and the "о" sounds like the "o" in "hot."

узнать (u-ZNAT') - The "з" sounds like a "z" sound.

русский (ruh-s-kiy) - The "с" sounds like a "s" sound, and the "к" sounds like a "k" sound.

English Translation: This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Russian language.

Word & Pronunciation:

Wonderful: прекрасный (pre-KRAHS-nuy)

The next word is commercial. This коммерческий фильм очень интересный.

Breakdown:

This sentence translates to "This commercial film is very interesting."

коммерческий (kommercheskiy) - This is an adjective meaning "commercial". It can also describe things related to business or trade. Note that in Russian, adjectives change their endings depending on the noun they modify. In this case, the adjective ends in -ий (-iy) because it modifies the masculine noun "фильм". It can be pronounced like "ka-mer-che-skiy."

фильм (film) - This is a masculine noun meaning "film". The 'l' is pronounced as a 'w' sound.

очень (ochen') - This is an adverb meaning "very". It is often used to intensify an adjective. Pronunciation is like "o-chen."

интересный (interesnyy) - This is an adjective meaning "interesting". Like "коммерческий", it changes its ending to agree with the noun it modifies. In this case, it ends in -ый (-iy). Pronunciation is like "in-te-res-niy."

Variations:

You can also say коммерческое кино (kommercheskoye kino), which means "commercial cinema", where "кино" is a neutral noun.

The word "commercial" can also be used as a noun in Russian, as in коммерция (kommersiya) meaning "commerce".

Translation:

коммерческий (kommercheskiy) - commercial
фильм (film) - film
очень (ochen') - very
интересный (interesnyy) - interesting

The next word is general. The word "general" in Russian is общий (pronounced "ob-shchiy"). It can also be used as an adjective, meaning "common" or "shared."

Here's an example sentence:

У нас общие интересы.

У - (oo) preposition meaning "at" or "with"

нас - (nas) pronoun meaning "we"

общие - (obshchiye) adjective meaning "common" or "shared"

интересы - (interesy) noun meaning "interests"

Translation: We have common interests.

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Интересы is a plural noun and is considered feminine. This is important because it changes the form of the adjective общие to match the gender.

Case: The noun интересы is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence. This is the basic form of the noun.

Variations:

The adjective общий can also be used in its masculine form общий (pronounced "obshchiy") and feminine form общая (pronounced "obshchaya").

Pronunciation:

общий - (ob-shchiy) The "sh" sound is similar to the "sh" in "ship" but slightly softer.

интересы - (interesy) The "e" at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bet" or "set."

English: general /ˈdʒɛnərəl/

Russian: общий /ˈob.ʃtʃɪj/

The next word is organization. ## Организация (or-ga-ni-za-tsiya) конференции (kon-fe-ren-tsii) прошла (pra-shla) гладко (glad-ka) .

This sentence translates to: The organization of the conference went smoothly.

Организация (or-ga-ni-za-tsiya) is the noun meaning "organization" . Notice that this is a feminine noun, so the adjective гладко (glad-ka) changes to match.

конференции (kon-fe-ren-tsii) is the noun meaning "conference".

прошла (pra-shla) is the past tense of the verb "to go" in the feminine form to match the noun организация. This verb is irregular and doesn't follow the normal past tense rules.

гладко (glad-ka) is the adverb meaning "smoothly". This is an important word to remember as it's used in many contexts.

Helpful tip: Notice how the adjective гладко (glad-ka) changes to match the noun it's describing. In this case, it's feminine to match организация.

English: organization / ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃən/

Russian: организация /ərɡənɪˈzat͡sɪjə/

English: conference / ˈkɒnfərəns/

Russian: конференция /kənferˈɛnt͡sɪjə/

English: smooth / smʊð/

Russian: гладко /ˈɡlatkə/

The next word is generation. The word "generation" in Russian is поколение (pokolenie).

Here's a sentence using this word:

Это поколение выросло в эпоху интернета. (Eto pokolenie vyroslo v epokhu interneta.)

Breakdown:

Это (eto) - This (pronoun, nominative case) (e-to)

поколение (pokolenie) - Generation (noun, nominative case) (po-ko-le-ni-ye)

выросло (vyroslo) - Grew up (verb, past tense, neuter gender, singular) (vy-ros-lo)

в (v) - In (preposition) (v)

эпоху (epokhu) - Epoch, era (noun, accusative case) (e-po-khu)

интернета (interneta) - Internet (noun, genitive case) (in-ter-ne-ta)

Translation: This generation grew up in the era of the internet.

Key Concepts:

Gender in Russian: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). This affects the form of the adjective and verb that modifies it. In this sentence, "generation" is neuter, so the verb "grew up" is in the neuter form.

Cases in Russian: Nouns and pronouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence (subject, object, etc.). This is called case. Here, "generation" is in the nominative case (subject) and "internet" is in the genitive case (of the internet).

Variations of "generation":

поколения (pokoleniya) - Generations (plural nominative) (po-ko-le-ni-ya)

поколению (pokoleniyu) - To a generation (dative case) (po-ko-le-ni-yu)

поколениями (pokoleniyami) - By generations (instrumental case) (po-ko-le-ni-ya-mi)

Pronunciation:

поколение (po-ko-le-ni-ye) - The stress is on the second syllable, "ko."

выросло (vy-ros-lo) - The stress is on the second syllable, "ros."

эпоху (e-po-khu) - The stress is on the first syllable, "e."

интернета (in-ter-ne-ta) - The stress is on the third syllable, "ter."

English/Russian translation and pronunciation:

generation - поколение (po-ko-le-ni-ye)

The next word is recent. The sentence:

Недавняя статья в журнале "Нью-Йорк Таймс" обсуждала политические изменения в России.

Breakdown:

Недавняя (pronounced: neh-DAH-vnya-ya) - This is the feminine form of the adjective "recent". The ending "-яя" makes the adjective feminine, and it must agree with the noun it describes.

статья (pronounced: stah-TYA) - means "article" in this context and is feminine.

в (pronounced: v) - means "in"

журнале (pronounced: zhoor-NAH-lee) - means "magazine" and is masculine, so the preposition "в" has a different form than if the noun was feminine.

"Нью-Йорк Таймс" (pronounced: NYOO-york TAYmz) - the name of the famous newspaper is borrowed directly from English, but the pronunciation is adapted to Russian sounds.

обсуждала (pronounced: ab-soozh-DAH-la) - means "discussed" and is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "обсуждать" (to discuss). It agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence, "статья".

политические (pronounced: pah-lee-TEE-chee-skiye) - means "political" and is an adjective modifying "изменения" (changes).

изменения (pronounced: iz-me-NE-niya) - means "changes" and is a noun that is plural and neuter.

в (pronounced: v) - means "in"

России (pronounced: rah-SEE-ee) - means "Russia". The ending "-ии" is the feminine form of the preposition "в" when it precedes a feminine noun.

Variations:

The adjective "недавняя" can also be used with masculine and neuter nouns. You just need to change the ending to "-ний" for masculine nouns (e.g., недавний - "recent" (masculine)), or "-нее" for neuter nouns (e.g., недавнее - "recent" (neuter)).

"обсуждать" is a very common verb and you can use it with many different subjects and objects. For example, "Они обсуждали новую книгу." (They discussed the new book.)

Translation:

Recent - недавний (neh-DAH-vnee)

Article - статья (stah-TYA)

Magazine - журнал (zhoor-NAH-l)

New York Times - "Нью-Йорк Таймс" (NYOO-york TAYmz)

Discussed - обсуждала (ab-soozh-DAH-la)

Political - политический (pah-lee-TEE-chee-ski)

Changes - изменения (iz-me-NE-niya)

In - в (v)

Russia - Россия (rah-SEE-ya)

The next word is heat. The sun солнце (pronounced soln-tse) греет (pronounced gree-et) the earth землю (pronounced zem-lyu) with its heat.

Солнце (soln-tse) is the nominative form of the noun солнце (sun). It is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case. Греет (gree-et) is the third-person singular present tense of the verb греть (to heat). Землю (zem-lyu) is the accusative form of the noun земля (earth). It is the object of the verb греет (gree-et), so it is in the accusative case.

This sentence demonstrates the use of the verb греть (to heat) in the present tense. The verb греть (to heat) can also be used in other tenses, such as the past tense грело (gree-lo) or the future tense будет греть (boo-det gree-et).

The word тепло (pronounced tep-lo) is another word for "heat." Тепло (tep-lo) is a noun, while греть (gree-et) is a verb.

English: heat

Russian: тепло (pronounced tep-lo) or жар (pronounced zhar)

English: to heat

Russian: греть (pronounced gree-et)

The next word is sit. The word "sit" in English can be translated to the Russian verb сидеть (pronounced "see-det"). The sentence below uses the imperfective form of this verb, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions. Let's look at the sentence:

Я сижу на стуле.

Я (pronounced "ya") is the subject pronoun "I" in Russian.

сижу (pronounced "see-joo") is the imperfective form of the verb "to sit". It denotes a continuous action.

на (pronounced "na") is the preposition "on".

стуле (pronounced "stoo-lee") is the noun "chair".

Translation: I am sitting on a chair.

Here are some other forms of the verb "сидеть":

сидел (pronounced "see-del") - past tense, masculine singular
сидела (pronounced "see-dee-la") - past tense, feminine singular
сидело (pronounced "see-dee-lo") - past tense, neuter singular
сидели (pronounced "see-dee-li") - past tense, plural

English: sit /sɪt/

Russian: сидеть /sɪˈdʲetʲ/

The next word is communication. ## Коммуникация между людьми очень важна.

Breakdown:

Коммуникация (pronounced: kom-mu-ni-ka-tsiya) - This is the noun form of "communication" in Russian. It refers to the act or process of exchanging information, ideas, or feelings.

между (pronounced: mezhdoo) - This preposition means "between" and is used to indicate the relationship between two or more entities.

людьми (pronounced: lyud-mi) - This is the plural form of the noun "человек" (pronounced: che-lo-vek), meaning "person". So "людьми" means "people".

очень (pronounced: o-chen) - This is an adverb meaning "very". It intensifies the adjective that follows.

важна (pronounced: vazh-na) - This is the feminine form of the adjective "важный" (pronounced: vazh-ny), meaning "important". It is used to describe the noun "коммуникация".

Meaning: Communication between people is very important.

Key Concepts:

Noun declension: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. The word "коммуникация" is in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence.

Adjective agreement: Adjectives in Russian must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here, the adjective "важна" agrees with the noun "коммуникация" in gender (feminine) and number (singular).

Preposition usage: Prepositions in Russian are very important for understanding the relationships between words in a sentence.

English Translation of Words:

Коммуникация - communication
между - between
людьми - people
очень - very
важна - important

The next word is force. The word сила (pronounced [hee-la] - the "l" is soft like in the english word "sail") means "force."

Here is an example sentence:

Сила природы непреодолима.

Сила (sila - force) - The subject of the sentence, in the nominative case

природы (prirody - nature) - A noun in the genitive case, indicating possession, here "of nature"

непреодолима (nepreodolima - unconquerable) - The predicate adjective describing the subject "force"

This sentence has a simple subject-predicate structure.

Translation: The force of nature is unconquerable.

Key Concepts

Сила is a feminine noun, which you can tell because the ending of the adjective непреодолима ends in an "a" (feminine). For masculine nouns, the ending would be an "ый" and for neuter nouns, the ending would be an "ое"

природа is a feminine noun. However, when used in this sentence, it is in the genitive case because it modifies the noun сила. In the genitive case, the noun usually ends in a "ы" or an "и" The genitive case can express possession, or a relationship of belonging.

Variations of the word сила
сильный (strong - masculine)

сильная (strong - feminine)

сильное (strong - neuter)

силой (by force - instrumental case)

силы (forces - plural)

Pronunciation notes

The "l" in сила is soft, like in the English word "sail".

The "о" in природа is pronounced like the "o" in the English word "hot".

The "е" in непреодолима is pronounced as a very short "e" as in the English word "bed".

English: force [fors]

Russian: сила [hee-la]

The next word is job. The word работа (pronounced ra-bo-ta) means "job" or "work" in Russian.

Here's an example sentence:

У меня интересная работа.

U menya interesnaya ra-bo-ta.

У u (pronounced oo) means "at" or "with" in this context.

меня menya (pronounced me-nya) means "me"

интересная interesnaya (pronounced in-te-res-na-ya) means "interesting".

работа ra-bo-ta (pronounced ra-bo-ta) means "job" or "work". It can also be used to refer to the place of work.

Translation: I have an interesting job.

Key concepts:

Gender: The word работа is feminine in Russian. So the adjective интересная must agree with it in gender.

Cases: In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their role in the sentence. Here, работа is in the nominative case (subject of the sentence), and интересная is in the nominative case as well, to agree with the noun.

Variations:

The word работа can be used in different contexts.

You can say искать работу (is-kat' ra-bo-tu) (to look for a job).

Or найти работу (na-yti ra-bo-tu) (to find a job).

You can also say ходить на работу (ho-dit' na ra-bo-tu) (to go to work).

English: job, work

Russian: работа (pronounced ra-bo-ta)

The next word is secret. The word "secret" in Russian is секрет (pronounced "see-kret"). It is a masculine noun, meaning it will take masculine endings in the plural. We can see this in the example sentence below:

Он хранил секрет от всех.

- Он (pronounced "ohn") is the masculine pronoun "he"

- хранил (pronounced "hra-neel") is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb хранить (pronounced "hra-neet") meaning "to keep", "to hold" or "to store"

- секрет (pronounced "see-kret") is the masculine singular noun "secret"

- от (pronounced "ot") means "from" or "of"

- всех (pronounced "vseh") is the genitive plural form of все (pronounced "vse") meaning "all" or "everyone"

Translation: He kept the secret from everyone.

Variations:

секретный (pronounced "see-kret-ni") is the adjective meaning "secret" as in "secret information".

секретно (pronounced "see-kret-no") is the adverb meaning "secretly".

English: secret / see-kret

Russian: секрет / see-kret

The next word is another. ## Another

Sentence: У меня есть ещё один вопрос. U menya est' yeshchyo odin vopros.

Breakdown:

ещё yeshchyo (pronounced: ye-SHCHO) is an adverb meaning "another" or "more". It is often used before a noun or pronoun, and can be placed before or after the verb, depending on emphasis.

У u (pronounced: oo) is a preposition meaning "at" or "by".

меня menya (pronounced: me-NYA) is a pronoun meaning "me".

есть est' (pronounced: YEST') is the verb "to be", used in the present tense.

один odin (pronounced: ah-DEEN) means "one".

вопрос vopros (pronounced: vuh-PROS) means "question".

Variations:

You can also use ещё один yeshchyo odin (pronounced: ye-SHCHO ah-DEEN) which means "another one".

If you want to emphasize "another", you can use ещё раз yeshchyo raz (pronounced: ye-SHCHO raz) which means "once more".

English: I have another question.

Russian: У меня есть ещё один вопрос. U menya est' yeshchyo odin vopros.

Word and Pronunciation:

another: ещё yeshchyo (pronounced: ye-SHCHO)

The next word is standard. This is a standard example of how to write a formal letter.

Это стандартный пример того, как написать формальное письмо.

Breakdown:

Это - this, it (pronounced Eh-to)

стандартный - standard (pronounced stan-dART-nuy)

пример - example (pronounced pree-MEHR)

того, - of that, (pronounced toh-voh)

как - how (pronounced kahk)

написать - to write (pronounced na-pee-SAT')

формальное - formal (pronounced for-MAL-nuy)

письмо - letter (pronounced pee-SY-moh)

Key Concepts

Это - a demonstrative pronoun, meaning "this" or "that." It can be used to refer to a singular noun, such as an object or an idea.

стандартный - an adjective meaning "standard," "typical," or "usual." It is used to describe something that is considered normal or expected.

формальное - An adjective meaning "formal." It is used to describe something that is official or serious.

Variations of the word стандарт
стандартный - standard (adjective)

стандарт - standard (noun)

Pronunciation Hints:

стандартный - Stress the second syllable, "stan."

формальный - Stress the second syllable, "mal."

письмо - Stress the second syllable, "sy."

English Translation: This is a standard example of how to write a formal letter.

Russian Translation: Это стандартный пример того, как написать формальное письмо.

The next word is loss. The sentence is: Я потерял ключ от машины.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, subject of sentence)

потерял (poterial) - lost (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

ключ (klyuch) - key (masculine noun)

от (ot) - from, of (preposition)

машины (mashiny) - car (feminine noun)

Key Concepts

Gender Agreement - In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and adjectives, pronouns, and verbs must agree in gender with the noun. In this sentence, the verb потерял (poterial) is masculine to agree with the masculine noun ключ (klyuch).

Prepositions - Russian uses prepositions frequently, and they are essential to understand the meaning of the sentence. Here, the preposition от (ot) clarifies that the key is specifically for the car.

Variations:

The verb потерял (poterial) could be changed for other tenses. For example, Я потеряю ключ (Ya poterayu klyuch) - I will lose the key, or Я теряю ключ (Ya teryаyu klyuch) - I am losing the key.

The noun ключ (klyuch) could be replaced with other nouns to create different sentences. For example, Я потерял телефон (Ya poterial telefon) - I lost the phone.

Pronunciation

Я (Ya) - Pronounced like the English "ya"

потерял (poterial) - Pronounced like "pah-tye-ryal"

ключ (klyuch) - Pronounced like "klyooch"

от (ot) - Pronounced like "ot"

машины (mashiny) - Pronounced like "ma-shee-ni"

English Translation: I lost the car key.

The next word is federal. The word "federal" in Russian is федеральный (pronounced fay-der-al-niy).

Sentence: Россия — федеративное государство. (pronounced ra-see-ya — fay-der-ah-teev-nay-ye guh-suh-dar-stvuh).

Breakdown:

Россия (pronounced ra-see-ya) - Russia. This is the name of the country.

федеративное (pronounced fay-der-ah-teev-nay-ye) - This is the adjective form of the noun федерация (pronounced fay-der-at-siy-a) which means federation.

государство (pronounced guh-suh-dar-stvuh) - State or country.

Meaning: Russia is a federal state.

Key Concepts:

федеративный (pronounced fay-der-ah-teev-nay-ye) - This adjective is used to describe a country that is made up of smaller units, like states or provinces, that have some degree of autonomy.

Variations:

федерация (pronounced fay-der-at-siy-a) - This is the noun form of federal and means federation.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "e" in федеральный (pronounced fay-der-al-niy) sounds like the "e" in "bed".

The "a" in федерация (pronounced fay-der-at-siy-a) is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

English/Russian translation:

federal: федеральный (pronounced fay-der-al-niy)

The next word is respect. The word "respect" is a very important one in all languages. In Russian, it is уважение (oo-va-zhe-ni-ye). The key here is to remember the ж which sounds similar to the English "zh" as in "treasure". The word уважение can be used in a sentence to show respect for someone.

The sentence we will use is: "He deserves respect."

Here is the Russian sentence:

Он заслуживает уважения. (on za-slu-zhi-va-yet oo-va-zhe-ni-ya)

This sentence uses the nominative case for он (on) which is he. The word заслуживает (za-slu-zhi-va-yet) means deserves and it is in the singular, third person present tense. The word уважения is the genitive case of уважение (oo-va-zhe-ni-ya) which means respect. The word уважения is used here because it follows the verb заслуживает (za-slu-zhi-va-yet) which is a transitive verb that requires a direct object in the genitive case.

English | Russian | Pronunciation

------- | -------- | --------
respect | уважение | oo-va-zhe-ni-ye
deserves | заслуживает | za-slu-zhi-va-yet
he | он | on

The next word is well. ## Ну, хорошо (Nu, khoroshó)

Breakdown:

Ну (Nu) - This is an interjection that softens the tone and introduces the following statement. It can be translated as "well," "okay," or "right." It's pronounced like "noo."

хорошо (khoro-shó) - This means "good" or "well." It is a common word and its pronunciation is straightforward.

Sentence meaning: This is a simple and versatile phrase, much like the English "well." It expresses agreement, acceptance, or a transition to a new point. Think of it as a "soft start" for your next sentence!

Key Concept: Russian uses a lot of interjections like Ну (Nu) to add nuance and feeling to their sentences. It's a key aspect of their language and can change the whole tone of what you are saying!

Variations:

Хорошо (khoro-shó) can be used independently and is the most common way to say "good" or "well."

Ну да (Nu da) is a combination of Ну (Nu) and да (da), which means "yes." It expresses agreement in a slightly more conversational way.

Pronunciation: "Noo, khoro-shó"

English translation: Well, good.

The next word is trust. ## Доверие is a key concept in building relationships, both personal and professional. It's the foundation for a strong bond.

Sentence: Я доверяю своим друзьям. Доверие - это основа крепких отношений.

Breakdown:

Я доверяю своим друзьям. - I trust my friends. The verb доверять (to trust) is in the present tense, first person singular.

Доверие - это основа крепких отношений. - Trust is the foundation of strong relationships. The word доверие is a noun in the nominative case. The word основа (foundation) is a feminine noun in the nominative case.

крепких is the genitive plural of the adjective крепкий (strong). The word отношений (relationships) is a plural noun in the genitive case.

это is a demonstrative pronoun that means 'this'. The word основа (foundation) is feminine, so the demonstrative pronoun agrees and is это (this).

Note: The ending of the word доверие is pronounced like the 'ya' sound in 'yard'.

Key Concepts:

Доверие (da-ve-ree-ye) is a noun and is pronounced like 'dough-vair-ee-yeh'

доверять (da-ve-ryat) is the verb and is pronounced like 'dough-vair-yat'

Translation:

Trust: Доверие (da-ve-ree-ye)

To Trust: доверять (da-ve-ryat)

The next word is various. ## Various

The word "various" in Russian is разнообразный (pronounced raz-no-ob-raz-ny). It is an adjective that describes something as having many different types or forms.

Here's a sentence using this word:

В этом магазине представлено множество разнообразных товаров. В этом магазине представлено множество разнообразных товаров.

В этом магазине В этом магазине (In this store) - Here, в is the preposition "in" and it precedes the noun магазин (store).

представлено представлено (is presented) - This is the past participle of the verb представлять (to present), conjugated in the passive voice. The "e" at the end denotes the neuter gender, as the subject is the plural noun товары (goods).

множество множество (a lot, a multitude) - This is a noun, and in this case, it functions as a quantifier, meaning "many."

разнообразных разнообразных (various) - This is the genitive plural form of the adjective разнообразный (various), modifying the noun товаров (goods). The genitive case is used after the quantifier множество (a lot).

товаров товаров (goods) - This is the genitive plural form of the noun товар (good).

Translation: In this store, a multitude of various goods are presented.

Memorization Tip: Think of the word разнообразный as having "разный" (different) embedded in it. This can help you remember the meaning and associate it with the concept of variety.

Pronunciation Guide:

разнообразный (raz-no-ob-raz-ny) - The "o" in разно is pronounced like the "o" in "lot." The "o" in образный is pronounced like the "o" in "not."

English: Various

Russian: разнообразный (raz-no-ob-raz-ny)

The next word is ahead. The word "ahead" in English can be translated in several ways in Russian, depending on the context. Here's one way:

Sentence: Он шёл впереди всех.

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced "ohn") - He (masculine pronoun)

шёл (pronounced "shol") - He was going (past tense of идти "to go")

впереди (pronounced "vpi-ri-dee") - ahead of
всех (pronounced "vseh") - everybody

Translation: He was going ahead of everybody.

Key Concepts:

Впереди is a preposition that indicates position in front of something or someone.

The word "ahead" can also be translated with the preposition перед (pronounced "pe-red") which means "in front of". For example, you could say: Он сидел перед всеми. (He was sitting in front of everybody)

Pronunciation Guide:

впереди - Emphasize the first syllable (в), the second syllable (пе) is short and the third syllable (ре) is long. The final syllable is short (ди).

Variations:

Впереди can also be used with other verbs, for example:

Он бежал впереди всех. (He was running ahead of everybody)

Она стояла впереди. (She was standing ahead)

English to Russian: ahead - впереди (vpi-ri-dee)

The next word is depend. The word "depend" in Russian is зависеть (zavisēt'). It is a verb and can be used in a variety of ways.

Here is a Russian sentence using "depend":

Всё зависит от того, как ты себя чувствуешь. (Vsë zavisiet ot togo, kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh.)

Breakdown:

Всё (Vsë) means "everything"

зависит (zavisiet) is the third person singular present tense of зависеть (zavisēt') which means "depends".

от (ot) means "from"

того (togo) is the genitive case of то (to) which means "that"

как (kak) means "how"

ты (ty) means "you"

себя (sebya) means "yourself"

чувствуешь (chuvstvuyesh) is the second person singular present tense of чувствовать (chuvstvovat') which means "feel".

English Translation: Everything depends on how you feel.

Variations of "depend":

Зависеть от (Zavisēt' ot) means to depend on. The preposition от (ot) is required after the verb.

Pronunciation:

зависеть (zavisēt') - (za-vee-set') The stress is on the second syllable, and the 'e' sound in the first syllable is like the 'e' in "bet". The 'e' sound in the second syllable is like the 'e' in "bed". The 't' at the end is silent.

от (ot) - (ot)

English and Russian translation of "depend":

English: depend

Russian: зависеть (zavisēt')

The next word is action. The Russian sentence is: Он совершил героический поступок.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

совершил - He accomplished (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

героический - Heroic (adjective, masculine singular)

поступок - Action (noun, masculine singular)

The sentence translates to "He accomplished a heroic action."

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender, and the adjectives and verbs must agree with the noun's gender. Поступок is masculine, so the adjective героический must also be masculine, and the verb совершил must be in the masculine singular form.

Pronunciation:

Он - Pronounced like "ohn"

совершил - Pronounced like "suh-vyer-sheel"

героический - Pronounced like "geh-roy-ee-ches-key"

поступок - Pronounced like "pah-stoop-ok"

Variations of поступок:

поступки (plural) - actions

English word: action

Russian word: поступок (pah-stoop-ok)

The next word is end. The word "end" in Russian can be expressed in various ways depending on the context. Here is an example using the word "конец" конец:

Sentence:

Фильм подошел к концу. Фильм подошел к концу.

Breakdown:

Фильм Фильм (film) - This is the subject of the sentence, and it is in the nominative case. You can pronounce it as "feel'm". The 'm' at the end is very soft, barely audible.

подошел подошел (approached) - This is the verb in the past tense, singular, masculine. You can pronounce it as "pah-dah-shool".

к к (to, towards) - This is a preposition, indicating direction. You can pronounce it as "k". It is very similar to the 'k' sound in English.

концу концу (end) - This is a noun in the dative case. You can pronounce it as "kan-tsoo". The 'ts' is similar to the 'ts' in the English word "cats".

Meaning:

The film approached its end.

Key Concept:

This sentence demonstrates how the dative case is used to express the direction of movement.

Variations:

You can also use the word "закончился" закончился (ended) to express the same idea, as in: "Фильм закончился". Фильм закончился. The pronunciation of this word is "zah-kon-chi-lsya".

Translation:

end - конец (kan-ets)

film - фильм (feel'm)

approached - подошел (pah-dah-shool)

to, towards - к (k)

end - концу (kan-tsoo)

The next word is estimate. The English word "estimate" has two meanings, to guess or to make an assessment of value.

The Russian sentence will use the meaning of "guess," and it will be:

Я оцениваю, что он приедет завтра

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced [ya]

оцениваю - I estimate (verb, present tense, 1st person singular) - pronounced [ah-tse-nee-vah-yoo]

что - that (conjunction) - pronounced [chtoh]

он - he (pronoun, nominative case) - pronounced [ohn]

приедет - will arrive (verb, future tense, 3rd person singular) - pronounced [pri-ye-det]

завтра - tomorrow (adverb) - pronounced [zahv-tra]

Translation: I estimate that he will arrive tomorrow.

Key concepts:

The Russian verb оценивать [ah-tse-nee-vat'] (to estimate) is very versatile and can be used to express many different types of judgments.

The word что [chtoh] functions similarly to the English word "that" and is used to introduce a subordinate clause.

Pronunciation guide:

о - [ah]

це - [tse]

ни - [nee]

ва - [vah]

ю - [yoo]

English: estimate (verb) - [es-tuh-meyt]

Russian: оценивать - [ah-tse-nee-vat']

The next word is shoe. Я купил новые туфли сегодня.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I (subject pronoun)

купил купил (kupil) - past tense of the verb 'to buy', masculine singular form
новые новые (novyye) - new (adjective, plural) - Key concept: Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number and case.

туфли (tufli) - shoes (plural) - Key concept: In Russian, there is a distinction between singular and plural forms for nouns.

сегодня (segodnya) - today (adverb)

This sentence means, "I bought new shoes today."

Pronunciation Notes:

туфли (tufli) - The "ф" is pronounced like the "f" in "foot." The "и" at the end is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

сегодня (segodnya) - The "д" is pronounced like the "d" in "day." The "я" is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard."

English to Russian Translation:

shoe - туфля (tuflya) - singular
shoe - туфли (tufli) - plural

The next word is one. ## Один студент пришел на урок.

Breakdown:

Один (pronounced: ah-deen) is the Russian word for "one". It's a masculine singular adjective and agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

студент (pronounced: stoo-dent) is the Russian word for "student", also masculine singular.

пришел (pronounced: pree-shool) is the past tense masculine singular verb "to come".

на (pronounced: nah) is the preposition "on/to/at" and is used in the context of location.

урок (pronounced: oo-rok) is the Russian word for "lesson".

Meaning: One student came to the lesson.

Variations:

The number "one" can vary depending on the gender of the noun it modifies:

одна (pronounced: ahd-nah) - feminine

одно (pronounced: ahd-no) - neuter

You can also use the word один as a pronoun meaning "one" or "someone".

Один из них был высокий. (One of them was tall)

Pronunciation guide:

о - (o) as in "go"

д - (d) as in "day"

и - (ee) as in "see"

н - (n) as in "no"

сту - (stoo)

ден - (den)

т - (t) as in "ten"

при - (pree)

шел - (shool)

на - (nah)

у - (oo)

рок - (rok)

English translation: one - один

Russian translation: one - один

The next word is left. The book was оставлен на the table.

The word оставлен ostavlen is the past participle of the verb оставлять ostavlyat, meaning "to leave." It is used in the passive voice, meaning the book was left by someone else, not the subject of the sentence.

На na means "on" and the word столе stole means "table."

Breakdown:

оставлен ostavlen (past participle of оставлять ostavlyat (to leave)) - left
на na (on) - on
столе stole (table) - table

Translation: The book was left on the table.

Pronunciation:

оставлен ostavlen - "oh-STAHV-lyen"

на na - "nah"

столе stole - "STOH-lye"

The next word is yesterday. Вчера я пошёл в магазин.

Breakdown:

Вчера (vchera) - yesterday. It is a simple word for yesterday, the emphasis is on the first syllable.

я (ya) - I. Pronoun in nominative case. Pronounced like "ya" in "yard".

пошёл (poshyol) - went. Past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "идти" (to go). The emphasis is on the second syllable.

в (v) - in, into. Preposition. Pronounced like "v" in "very".

магазин (magazin) - store. Emphasis on the second syllable.

Translation: Yesterday I went to the store.

Key Concepts:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the past tense in Russian.

It also shows the use of prepositions and how they are used with nouns.

Be sure to learn how to conjugate verbs, particularly the verb "идти" (to go).

Pronunciation:

Вчера (vchera) - emphasis on the first syllable
я (ya) - pronounced like "ya" in "yard"

пошёл (poshyol) - emphasis on the second syllable
в (v) - pronounced like "v" in "very"

магазин (magazin) - emphasis on the second syllable

The next word is stuff. ## Вещи (vesh-chi)

Sentence: У меня много вещей в моём чемодане. (oo myen'ya mnogo vesh-chey v ma-yom chi-ma-da-nye).

Breakdown:

Вещи (vesh-chi) is the plural form of the word "thing". It's pronounced as "vesh-chi" and means "things" in the plural.

У меня (oo myen'ya) - This is a common phrase in Russian. It literally translates to "at me" but means "I have".

много (mnogo) - this is the word for "much" or "many". It can be used with both singular and plural nouns.

в моём (v ma-yom) - This is a possessive adjective, meaning "in my".

чемодане (chi-ma-da-nye) - This is the word for "suitcase".

Translation: I have a lot of things in my suitcase.

Key Concept: The use of plural nouns in Russian. The ending of the noun changes to indicate a plural. In this case, вещь (vesh) becomes вещи (vesh-chi).

Pronunciation guide:

вещи (vesh-chi): Say "vesh" like the English "vesh" with a slight "ch" sound at the end, similar to the "ch" in "chair". The "i" sound is similar to the "i" in "machine".

The next word is please. The word "please" in Russian is пожалуйста (pozhaluysta). It is used to politely request something or express gratitude. It is pronounced similarly to "pozhaloosta" with the emphasis on the second syllable, "lu".

Example sentence:

Можно мне, пожалуйста, чашку кофе? (Mozno mne, pozhaluysta, chashku kofe?)

Breakdown:

Можно (Mozno) - Can (pronounced like "mozhno")

мне (mne) - me (pronounced like "mnye")

пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - please (pronounced like "pozhaloosta")

чашку (chashku) - cup (pronounced like "chashkoo")

кофе (kofe) - coffee (pronounced like "koffee")

Translation: Can I please have a cup of coffee?

Helpful tip: The phrase пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) can be used in many situations, such as asking for help, making a request, or thanking someone. It's a very versatile and commonly used word in Russian.

English: please / пожалуйста (pozhaluysta)

The next word is majority. The большинство (bol'shinstvo) студентов (studentov) уже (uzhe) сдали (sdali) экзамен (ekzamen).

Breakdown:

большинство (bol'shinstvo) - This word means "majority" in Russian. The stress is on the first syllable, "bol". It is a noun and is in the nominative case. It is used with singular or plural nouns and is often followed by the preposition из (iz) meaning "of". For example, большинство из нас (bol'shinstvo iz nas) means "the majority of us".

студентов (studentov) - This is the genitive plural of студент (student), meaning "students".

уже (uzhe) - This word means "already".

сдали (sdali) - This is the past tense of the verb сдать (sdat') meaning "to pass" (an exam). The stress is on the first syllable, "s".

экзамен (ekzamen) - This means "exam". The stress is on the second syllable, "za".

Translation: The majority of the students have already passed the exam.

Pronunciation Guide:

большинство (bol'shinstvo) - The 'o' sound in большинство is like the "o" in "lot", and the 'o' in студентов is like the "o" in "hot".

уже (uzhe) - The 'e' sounds like the "e" in "bed"

сдали (sdali) - The 'a' in сдали sounds like the 'a' in "father".

Variations:

большинство (bol'shinstvo) can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and it can be followed by the preposition из (iz), which means "of". For example, большинство из нас (bol'shinstvo iz nas) means "the majority of us".

The verb сдать (sdat') can also be used to mean "to give up" or "to surrender". For example, Он сдался врагу (On sdalsya vragu) means "He surrendered to the enemy".

The next word is shake. The word "shake" in English has a few different meanings, and thus, can be translated into different Russian words depending on the context.

Here are a few examples:

1. To move back and forth quickly:

Потрясти - potriast'i (to shake, to jolt)

In this sentence, the verb потрясти is used in the imperative form, which means it is a command.

Потрясти - potriast'i (to shake, to jolt) - pronounced: pa-tryas-tee

Потряси - potrias'i (shake, singular, informal, imperative, you) - pronounced: pa-tryas-ee

Потрясите - potrias'ite (shake, plural, informal, imperative, you) - pronounced: pa-tryas-ee-tay

This verb can be used for shaking a bottle, shaking a person's hand, shaking a tree, etc. The verb потрясти is a perfective verb, meaning it describes a completed action. It is the past tense of трясти - tryast'i (to shake)

1. To move from side to side, usually in a gentle way:

Качать - kachat' (to rock, to sway, to shake)

Качать - kachat' (to rock, to sway, to shake) - pronounced: ka-chat'

Качай - kachaj (rock, sway, shake, singular, informal, imperative, you) - pronounced: ka-chai

Качайте - kachajte (rock, sway, shake, plural, informal, imperative, you) - pronounced: ka-chai-tay

This verb can be used for shaking a baby, shaking a head, shaking a hand in greeting, etc.

1. To be nervous, to tremble:

Трястись - triast'is' (to tremble, to shake)

Трястись - triast'is' (to tremble, to shake) - pronounced: tryas-tees'

This verb is used to describe a person's body shaking from fear, cold, or excitement.

1. To mix something together by moving it quickly:

Встряхнуть - vstriahnut' (to shake, to stir)

Встряхнуть - vstriahnut' (to shake, to stir) - pronounced: v-stryah-khnut'

Встряхни - vstriahni (shake, singular, informal, imperative, you) - pronounced: v-stryahk-nee

Встряхните - vstriahnite (shake, plural, informal, imperative, you) - pronounced: v-stryahk-nee-tay

This verb can be used to shake a cocktail, shake a salad, shake a spice container, etc. This is a perfective verb meaning that it is a completed action. The imperfect form is встряхивать - vstriahkivaet'

Here are some examples of how these verbs can be used in sentences:

Потряси бутылку - potrias'i butylku (Shake the bottle.) - pronounced: pa-tryas-ee boo-tyl-koo

Качай голову - kachaj golovu (Shake your head.) - pronounced: ka-chai go-lo-voo

Он трясется от холода - on triasetsa at kholoda (He is shaking from the cold.) - pronounced: on tryas-et-sa at ho-lo-da

Встряхни салат - vstriahni salat (Shake the salad.) - pronounced: v-stryahk-nee sa-lat

These are just a few examples, and there are many other ways to translate "shake" into Russian. The best translation will depend on the specific context.

The next word is category. The word "category" in Russian is категория (pronounced kuh-tee-GOH-ree-ya). It's a feminine noun, so you'll need to use the feminine singular form of the adjective if you want to describe it. Here is an example:

Эта книга относится к категории научной фантастики.

Эта (eh-ta) - this
книга (knih-ga) - book
относится (ot-no-si-tsa) - refers to, belongs to
к (k) - to
категории (kuh-tee-GOH-ree-ee) - category
научной (na-OOCH-noy) - scientific
фантастики (fan-TAH-sti-kee) - science fiction

Translation: This book belongs to the category of science fiction.

Key Concepts:

Feminine nouns: In Russian, nouns have genders. "Category" is a feminine noun, so adjectives and pronouns modifying it must agree in gender.

Prepositions: The preposition "к" (k) is used with "category" to indicate belonging or association.

Word order: The sentence follows a typical SVO (subject-verb-object) structure.

Variations:

категорический (kuh-tee-goh-REE-ches-kiy) - categorical (adjective)

категорически (kuh-tee-goh-REE-ches-ki) - categorically (adverb)

Pronunciation Tips:

"Г" (G) is pronounced like the "g" in "go".

"Я" (ya) at the end of a word is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard".

"И" (i) at the end of a word is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

English: category / Russian: категория (kuh-tee-GOH-ree-ya)

The next word is particularly. This sentence uses the word особенно (pronounced oh-SO-ben-no) which means "particularly" or "especially". It is an adverb, meaning it describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In this sentence, it describes the adjective "хороший" (good).

Этот фильм особенно хороший. (eh-tot film oh-SO-ben-no ho-RO-shiy)

This movie is particularly good.

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-tot) - This (masculine singular)

фильм (film) - movie
особенно (oh-SO-ben-no) - particularly, especially
хороший (ho-RO-shiy) - good (masculine singular)

Key Concept:

The word особенно (oh-SO-ben-no) is an adverb and is used to emphasize a quality or characteristic. It often comes before the adjective or adverb it modifies.

Variations:

The word особенно (oh-SO-ben-no) can also be used with a noun to emphasize a specific thing or person. For example, Я особенно люблю шоколад (ya oh-SO-ben-no lyu-blyu sha-ko-lad) - I particularly love chocolate.

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember that the stress falls on the second syllable in особенно (oh-SO-ben-no).

The "о" in особенно (oh-SO-ben-no) sounds like the "o" in "hot" and the "о" in хороший (ho-RO-shiy) sounds like the "o" in "lot".

English Translation: particularly - особенно (oh-SO-ben-no)

The next word is replace. The word "replace" in Russian is заменить (pronounced za-mee-neet').

Let's look at an example sentence:

"The old TV needs to be replaced with a new one."

In Russian:

Старый телевизор нужно заменить новым. (pronounced sta-ryy tee-lee-vee-zor noozh-no za-mee-neet' no-vym).

Breakdown:

Старый (pronounced sta-ryy) - Old (masculine singular adjective)

телевизор (pronounced tee-lee-vee-zor) - Television (masculine noun)

нужно (pronounced noozh-no) - Needs to (impersonal verb)

заменить (pronounced za-mee-neet') - Replace (verb in infinitive form)

новым (pronounced no-vym) - New (masculine singular adjective in instrumental case)

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns and adjectives have genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This influences the form of the words, especially in cases.

Cases: Russian has six grammatical cases that determine the function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. In this example, the adjective новым (new) is in the instrumental case, which is used to indicate the means or instrument by which something is done.

Infinitive form: The verb заменить is in the infinitive form, which is the base form of the verb (to replace). The infinitive form is used when you are talking about the action in general, not in a specific tense.

Pronunciation tips:

е (pronounced [ee]) is like the "e" in "bed"

о (pronounced [oh]) is like the "o" in "go"

ы (pronounced [ee]) is like the "ee" in "see"

и (pronounced [ee]) is like the "ee" in "see"

а (pronounced [ah]) is like the "a" in "father"

English-Russian Translation of Key Words:

Replace - заменить (pronounced za-mee-neet')

The next word is perfect. This is a very useful word in Russian, as it can be used in a variety of contexts.

Sentence:

Эта картина эта картина идеальна идеальна.

Breakdown:

эта (eh-ta) - this, feminine nominative singular - This word refers to the feminine noun картина (picture).

картина (kar-tee-na) - picture, feminine nominative singular - Note that the ending а indicates that the noun is feminine.

идеальна (ee-dee-al-na) - perfect, feminine nominative singular - This word is an adjective, so it must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. It agrees with the noun картина which is feminine, singular, and nominative.

идеальна (ee-dee-al-na) - - this word is the predicate of the sentence.

Translation:

This picture is perfect.

Key Concept: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify.

Variations:

идеальный (ee-dee-al-nyy) - perfect, masculine nominative singular
идеальное (ee-dee-al-noe) - perfect, neuter nominative singular
идеальные (ee-dee-al-nye) - perfect, plural nominative
идеально (ee-dee-al-no) - perfect, neuter nominative singular - Often used as an adverb

Pronunciation Hints:

The letter "я" я sounds like the "ya" in "yard".

The letter "е" е at the end of a word sounds like the "ye" in "yes" when it is unstressed.

The letter "а" а at the end of a word sounds like the "a" in "father".

English: perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/

Russian: идеальный (ee-dee-al-nyy)

The next word is nation. Россия – великая нация.

Breakdown:

Россия - This is the noun for "Russia". It is pronounced [ROH-see-yah] in English. The stress is on the second syllable.

великая - This is the feminine form of the adjective "great". It's pronounced [vye-LEE-kah-yah]

нация - This is the noun "nation". It's pronounced [NAH-tsee-yah].

Full sentence: Russia is a great nation.

Key concepts:

This sentence uses the nominative case, the most basic form of a noun in Russian. The noun "Russia" is the subject of the sentence, meaning it is performing the action of "being" a great nation.

The adjective "great" (великая) is in the feminine form to agree with the feminine noun "nation" (нация). This is an important grammatical rule in Russian that helps to ensure clarity and smooth flow in the language.

Pronunciation notes:

Pay close attention to the stress in Russian words. This will help you to sound more natural.

The soft sign ь at the end of великая is silent but important for the grammar.

The next word is reason. The word "reason" in Russian is причина (pri-chi-na). This word is a feminine noun and is pronounced like "pri-chee-na". It can also function as an adjective when used in the following form:

разумный (ra-zum-ny). This word is masculine, pronounced like "ra-zoom-ny", and means "reasonable".

Here is a sentence using the noun form of the word:

У него была веская причина не приходить на работу. (oo nye-vo by-la ve-ska-ya pri-chi-na ne pri-kha-dit' na ra-bo-tu).

This sentence means "He had a good reason not to come to work".

Let's break down the sentence:

У него (oo nye-vo) means "he has" or "he had" and is a short form of the preposition "у" (u), meaning "at" or "with", and the pronoun "он" (on) meaning "he".

была (by-la) is the past tense form of the verb "быть" (byt'), meaning "to be".

веская (ve-ska-ya) means "good", "strong" or "valid" and is an adjective modifying the noun "причина". It is pronounced like "ve-ska-ya".

причина (pri-chi-na) meaning "reason", is the noun that acts as the subject of the sentence.

не (ne) means "not" and is a negation used with the verb "приходить".

приходить (pri-kha-dit') means "to come" and is an infinitive verb.

на работу (na ra-bo-tu) means "to work". "На" (na) meaning "on" or "to" is a preposition and "работу" (ra-bo-tu) is a feminine noun meaning "work".

So, the whole sentence means "He had a good reason not to come to work".

Reason: причина (pri-chi-na)

Reasonable: разумный (ra-zum-ny)

The next word is participate. ## Участвовать (oo-chast-vo-vat) in the event.

Sentence: Мы хотим участвовать в этом мероприятии. (My ho-tim oo-chast-vo-vat v e-tom me-ro-pri-ya-tii.)

Breakdown:

Мы (my) - We (pronoun, nominative case)

хотим (ho-tim) - want (verb, present tense, plural, indicative mood)

участвовать (oo-chast-vo-vat) - to participate (infinitive verb)

в (v) - in (preposition)

этом (e-tom) - this (demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular, locative case)

мероприятии (me-ro-pri-ya-tii) - event (noun, neuter singular, locative case)

Key Concepts:

Участвовать (oo-chast-vo-vat) is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing action. The perfective form is поучаствовать (po-oo-chast-vo-vat), which describes a completed action.

The word order in Russian is generally more flexible than in English. In this sentence, the verb (хотим) comes before the object (участвовать).

The locative case is used with prepositions like в (v) to indicate location.

Translation: We want to participate in this event.

Pronunciation:

Участвовать (oo-chast-vo-vat) - The "o" sounds like the "o" in "hot". The stress is on the second syllable.

Мы (my) - The "ы" sound is like the "i" in "machine".

хотим (ho-tim) - The "о" sound is like the "o" in "hot". The "и" sound is like the "i" in "machine".

в (v) - The "в" sound is like the "v" in "very".

этом (e-tom) - The "э" sound is like the "e" in "met". The "о" sound is like the "o" in "hot".

мероприятии (me-ro-pri-ya-tii) - The "о" sound is like the "o" in "hot". The "и" sound is like the "i" in "machine". The stress is on the fourth syllable.

The next word is garden. The English word "garden" translates to сад (pronounced "sad") in Russian. It can be used in many different contexts. For example, you might say "Я люблю гулять в саду" (pronounced "Ya lyublyu gul'yat' v sadu"). This means "I love to walk in the garden."

Let's break down this sentence:

Я (pronounced "Ya") - This is the Russian word for "I."

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") - This is the verb "to love" in the present tense, first person singular.

гулять (pronounced "gul'yat'") - This is the verb "to walk" in the infinitive form.

в (pronounced "v") - This is the preposition "in."

саду (pronounced "sadu") - This is the word "garden" in the prepositional case. It is used to indicate the location of the action.

Here are some other ways to use the word сад (pronounced "sad") in a sentence:

Он работал в саду весь день (pronounced "On rabotal v sadu ves' den'") - "He worked in the garden all day."

Дети играли в саду (pronounced "Deti igrali v sadu") - "The children played in the garden."

Key Concepts:

Case: The word сад (pronounced "sad") can change depending on its grammatical function in a sentence. In the example sentences above, you can see that it changes from the nominative case (сад, pronounced "sad") to the prepositional case (саду, pronounced "sadu"). This is a key feature of Russian grammar.

Prepositions: Prepositions like в (pronounced "v") are very important in Russian. They show the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence.

Word and Pronunciation:

Garden: сад (pronounced "sad")

The next word is themselves. Они сами решили пойти в кино.

Breakdown

Они (ah-nee) - They - This is the nominative plural pronoun for "they" in Russian.

сами (sah-mee) - themselves - This is a reflexive pronoun that is used to emphasize that the action is being performed by the subject of the sentence. It is a very common and useful word in Russian.

решили (ree-shee-lee) - decided - The past tense of the verb решить (ree-sheet') - to decide
пойти (pah-ee-tee) - to go - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to go" in Russian. The ending -и (ee) signals that the verb is infinitive
в (v) - in - This is a preposition that is used to indicate location. In this case, it is used to indicate that the action of going is taking place "in" the cinema.

кино (kee-noh) - cinema - This is the Russian word for "cinema."

Meaning of the sentence

They decided to go to the cinema themselves.

Variations

You can replace они (ah-nee) with other pronouns like мы (my) - we, вы (vy) - you (plural), or я (ya) - I.

You can replace кино (kee-noh) with other locations like театр (thee-ahtr) - theatre or магазин (mah-gah-zeen) - store

Pronunciation Notes

The stress in Russian is on the penultimate syllable (the second syllable from the end).

The и (ee) at the end of words like решили (ree-shee-lee) and пойти (pah-ee-tee) are very soft, almost like a "y" sound.

Pay attention to the vowels in Russian. They are pronounced differently than in English.

English and Russian Translation of Word
themselves - сами (sah-mee)

The next word is decide. The Russian sentence is: Он должен решить, что делать дальше.

Breakdown:

Он Он (pronunciation: ohn) - He
должен должен (pronunciation: dolzhin) - must, should (in the sense of obligation)

решить решить (pronunciation: rishiť) - to decide (infinitive verb form)

что что (pronunciation: chto) - what
делать делать (pronunciation: dye'lat') - to do (infinitive verb form)

дальше дальше (pronunciation: dal'she) - further, next, onward

Key Concepts:

This sentence uses the infinitive form of the verbs "решить" and "делать". Infinitives are the base form of a verb and often used with "to".

The word должен (must, should) is an example of a modal verb. Modal verbs are used to express a range of meanings such as obligation, possibility, or permission.

Translation: He must decide what to do next.

Variations:

The sentence can be made more specific by replacing что делать with a more concrete phrase. For example: Он должен решить, куда ехать (He must decide where to go).

должен can be replaced by other modal verbs like может (can), хочет (wants), нужно (needs), to express different shades of meaning.

Pronunciation:

решить - The "и" at the end is pronounced like "ee" in "see". The "щ" at the end is a soft consonant sound like "sh" in "shoe".

делать - The "е" at the end is pronounced like "ye" in "yes". The "а" is pronounced like "ah" in "father".

English Word: Decide [dih-sahyd]

Russian Word: решить [ri-shiť]

The next word is consider. The word "consider" can be translated into Russian using the verb рассматривать (rassmatrivat').

Sentence:

Он рассматривает возможность переезда в другой город.

Breakdown:

Он (on) - He (subject pronoun)

рассматривает (rassmatrivat) - considers (present tense, 3rd person singular)

возможность (vozmozhnost') - possibility (noun, feminine)

переезда (pereezda) - moving (genitive case of the noun переезд (pereezd) - moving)

в (v) - in, to (preposition)

другой (drugoy) - other (adjective, masculine singular)

город (gorod) - city (noun, masculine)

Translation: He is considering the possibility of moving to another city.

Pronunciation:

рассматривать (rassmatrivat') - Stress on the second syllable, the "т" sound is soft, like the "t" in "tune."

возможность (vozmozhnost') - Stress on the second syllable, the "о" sound is like the "o" in "hot."

переезда (pereezda) - Stress on the first syllable, the "е" sound is like the "e" in "bed."

другой (drugoy) - Stress on the first syllable, the "у" sound is like the "oo" in "moon."

Variations of рассматривать (rassmatrivat'):

рассмотреть (rassmotret') - to consider (infinitive form)

рассмотрен (rassmotren) - considered (past participle, masculine singular)

рассмотрена (rassmotrena) - considered (past participle, feminine singular)

Key Concept:

рассматривать (rassmatrivat') is a versatile verb that can be used to express the idea of considering, examining, or reviewing something.

English: consider

Russian: рассматривать (rassmatrivat')

The next word is tell. ## Расскажи мне, пожалуйста, о твоей семье.

Breakdown:

Расскажи (Tell, narrate, relate) - This verb is in the imperative mood, second person singular, meaning "tell me." It comes from the verb рассказывать (to tell, to narrate) and the ending - и is the ending for imperative verbs in this form.

мне (me) - Dative case pronoun. It is used as the indirect object of the verb расскажи (tell me)

пожалуйста (please) - This word is a polite request. It's used to soften the command.

о (about, concerning) - This is a preposition that governs the prepositional case. It is used to connect the verb "tell" with its object.

твоей (your) - This is a possessive adjective in the genitive case, singular, feminine. It agrees with the noun that follows.

семье (family) - This noun is in the prepositional case, singular, feminine. It is governed by the preposition о.

Meaning: "Please, tell me about your family."

Variations:

Расскажи can also be used in the plural, Расскажите (tell us) and in the past tense, рассказал (told) or рассказала (told).

The word о can be used with many other nouns, like о книге (about a book), о работе (about work), or о путешествии (about a trip)

Pronunciation:

Расскажи - rass-ka-zhi
мне - mnye
пожалуйста - pa-zhal-sta
о - ah
твоей - tva-ey
семье - syem-ye

English to Russian: Tell - рассказать (rass-ka-zat')

The next word is fall. The leaves падают from the trees in the autumn.

Breakdown:

падают - The verb 'to fall' in the present tense, third-person plural. The 'a' sound at the end of this word is like the 'a' in 'father'. It is pronounced [pa-da-yut]. Note how the -ют ending means the verb is in the third-person plural, meaning it is referring to multiple subjects. The ending -ют is added to verbs that end in -ать, -ять, -еть, -оть, -уть. Think of it as a -they ending like in English.

осенью - The word for 'autumn' is pronounced [o-syen-yu] with a soft 'y' sound at the end. You could also say 'в осень' which literally translates to 'in autumn' to emphasize the time period.

с - The preposition 'from'

деревьев - The word for trees. The ending -ьев is a plural form that is added to nouns ending in -ево. It is pronounced [dye-rye-vyef] with a soft 'y' sound at the end.

Translation:

The leaves fall from the trees in the autumn.

Word and Pronunciation:

Fall - падать (pa-dat')

Autumn - осень (o-syen')

The next word is weekend. ## Weekend Sentence:

В эти выходные я поеду в деревню к бабушке.

Breakdown:

В эти выходные - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "on this weekend."

В - "in", "on" - [vee]

эти - "these" - [eh-tee]

выходные - "weekend" - [vuh-huh-d-nee] - This word can be used for a single day or the whole weekend. For example: "В субботу выходной" - "Saturday is a day off."

я - "I" - [ya]

поеду - "I will go" - [puh-ye-doo] - This is the future tense of the verb ехать - "to go" - [ye-hat]

в - "to" - [v]

деревню - "village" - [dyer-ev-nyoo]

к - "to" - [k]

бабушке - "grandmother" - [ba-boo-sh-kye]

Key Concept: This sentence uses the future tense of the verb ехать - "to go" - [ye-hat]

Translation: This weekend I will go to my grandmother's village.

Weekend: выходные - [vuh-huh-d-nee]

The next word is skin. English: The cat's skin is soft.

Russian: У кошки мягкая кожа

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with." It's used here to indicate possession (the cat has soft skin).

кошки (kosh-ki) - This is the genitive case of the noun кошка (kosh-ka) meaning "cat." It's used because the word кожа (kozha) "skin" is directly affected by the cat's possession of it.

мягкая (myag-kaya) - This is the feminine form of the adjective "soft." It agrees in gender with the noun кожа.

кожа (kozha) - This is the noun "skin."

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This is crucial to correct grammar.

Genitive Case: The genitive case is often used to indicate possession, as in "the cat's skin."

Pronunciation Tips:

У (oo) - The "u" sound is like the "oo" in "moon."

кошки (kosh-ki) - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot." The "k" at the end of the word is a soft "k" sound.

мягкая (myag-kaya) - The "g" is pronounced like the "g" in "gem."

кожа (kozha) - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

Word and Pronunciation Translations:

Skin: кожа (kozha)

Soft: мягкий (myagkiy) (masculine), мягкая (myagkaya) (feminine), мягкое (myagkoye) (neuter)

The next word is anything. ## Anything

Sentence: У меня нет ничего интересного.

Breakdown:

У меня - This translates to "I have" and is the nominative case of the pronoun "я" (I).

нет - This translates to "there is not" or "I don't have." It is in the singular form, which agrees with the noun "ничего"

ничего - This is the negative form of "что-то" (something) and acts as a noun in this sentence, meaning "nothing."

интересного - This is the genitive case of the adjective "интересный" (interesting), which modifies the noun "ничего" and adds detail about the "nothing."

Translation: I don't have anything interesting.

Key Concept: In Russian, the negative word "ни" (nothing) takes the form of "ничего" when used with the word "что" (what). This is one example of how Russian grammar utilizes prefixes to change meaning and grammatical function.

Pronunciation:

У меня - (oo myen-ya)

нет - (nyet)

ничего - (ni-che-vo)

интересного - (in-tye-re-sno-vo)

English to Russian: Anything - что-нибудь (chto-ni-boot')

The next word is carefully. ## Carefully

The English word "carefully" translates to осторожно (ostorozhno) in Russian. This word is an adverb meaning "with care" or "with caution." It can be used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, indicating that an action is being performed with a high degree of attention and precision.

Sentence Example:

Он осторожно открыл дверь. (On ostrozhno otkryl dver')

Breakdown:

Он (On) - he
осторожно (ostorozhno) - carefully
открыл (otkryl) - opened (past tense, masculine singular)

дверь (dver') - door

Translation: He carefully opened the door.

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and past tense verbs agree in gender with the noun they modify. Here, the verb открыл (otkryl) agrees with the masculine noun дверь (dver').

Word Order: Russian word order is generally flexible, but in this sentence, the adverb осторожно (ostorozhno) modifies the verb открыл (otkryl) and is placed before it.

Pronunciation:

осторожно (ostorozhno) - "uh-stuh-ROH-zh-nuh"

Он (On) - "ohn"

открыл (otkryl) - "uh-TKRIHL"

дверь (dver') - "dvyer"

Variations:

The word осторожно (ostorozhno) can also be used as an interjection, meaning "be careful!" or "watch out!"

Translation:

carefully - осторожно (ostorozhno)

The next word is suggestion. The professor suggests that students practice their grammar.

Профессор предлагает студентам попрактиковаться в грамматике.

Breakdown:

Профессор (professor) - pronounced [pra-fye-sor]

предлагает (suggests) - pronounced [prid-la-ga-yet]

студентам (to the students) - pronounced [stoo-den-tam]

попрактиковаться (to practice) - pronounced [pa-prak-tee-ka-vat-sa]

в (in) - pronounced [v]

грамматике (grammar) - pronounced [gra-ma-tee-ke]

Key Concepts:

Предлагать (to suggest) is an irregular verb in the present tense, the ending changes based on the subject. In this sentence, the subject is singular third person (Профессор), so the ending is -ет.

Попрактиковаться is a reflexive verb, meaning the action is done to oneself. This is reflected in the ending -ся.

Variations:

Предложение (suggestion) - pronounced [prid-la-zhe-ni-ye] - This is the noun form of the verb.

Предложить (to suggest) - pronounced [prid-la-zhit'] - This is the infinitive form of the verb.

English Translation:

The professor suggests that the students practice grammar.

Russian Translation:

Профессор предлагает студентам попрактиковаться в грамматике.

The next word is former. The word "former" in Russian is бывший (buh-vuh-shee) and it can be used as an adjective or a noun. In this example, we will use it as an adjective.

Он был бывшим президентом России. (ohn byl buh-vuh-sheem pree-zee-den-tom Ra-see-ee)

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He
был (byl) - was
бывшим (buh-vuh-sheem) - former
президентом (pree-zee-den-tom) - president

России (Ra-see-ee) - of Russia

This sentence translates to "He was the former president of Russia."

Remember, the "ы" in бывшим has a very short, almost silent sound like the "y" in "myth."

Variations:

The feminine form of бывший is бывшая (buh-vuh-sha-ya).

The plural form is бывшие (buh-vuh-shee-ye) for both masculine and feminine genders.

Pronunciation guide:

бывший (buh-vuh-shee)

президент (pree-zee-dent)

Россия (Ra-see-ee)

English: former /ˈfɔːrmər/

Russian: бывший (buh-vuh-shee)

The next word is safety. The Russian sentence is: Безопасность – это важно для всех.

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Безопасность (pronounced: [bee-zah-pah-snast'] ) - This is the noun "safety" in the nominative case, meaning it is the subject of the sentence. The word can be used in the singular or plural form, the plural form of Безопасность is безопасности. It can also be used in other cases, such as the genitive case (безопасности), dative case (безопасности), accusative case (безопасность), instrumental case (безопасностью), and prepositional case (безопасности). These cases are used to indicate the relationship of the noun to other words in the sentence.

это (pronounced: [eh-tuh]) - This is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "it." It is used to refer to something that has already been mentioned.

важно (pronounced: [vahzh-nuh]) - This is the adjective "important" in the neuter singular form. The word is used in the nominative case, which means it acts as a predicate. It can also be used in other cases to indicate its relationship to other words in the sentence, the plural form is важны.

для (pronounced: [dlya]) - This is the preposition "for." It is used to indicate the purpose or beneficiary of something. The preposition is followed by the genitive case of the noun.

всех (pronounced: [vseh]) - This is the pronoun "all" in the genitive case, which indicates that something belongs to all. It is used after the preposition для.

The sentence means: "Safety is important for everyone."

English: Safety

Russian: Безопасность (pronounced: [bee-zah-pah-snast'])

The next word is invite. The word "invite" in Russian is приглашать (priglashat'). You can think of this as "to invite" rather than the noun "invitation". It's important to know that the verb changes slightly depending on the grammatical context.

Let's look at an example sentence:

Я приглашаю вас на вечеринку. (Ya priglashayu vas na vecherinku.)

Here is a breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
приглашаю (priglashayu) - I invite
вас (vas) - you (plural)

на (na) - to
вечеринку (vecherinku) - party

Translation: I invite you to the party.

Important Note:

In this sentence, the verb приглашаю (priglashayu) is conjugated to agree with the subject "I".

The word "you" is plural because it is addressed to two or more people. If it were to be singular, it would be тебя (tebya).

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - sounds like "Ya" (like the "ya" in "yacht")

приглашаю (priglashayu) - sounds like "pri-gla-sha-yoo"

вас (vas) - sounds like "vas"

на (na) - sounds like "na"

вечеринку (vecherinku) - sounds like "ve-che-rin-koo"

English: invite / in-vite

Russian: приглашать (priglashat') / pri-gla-shaat'

The next word is bottom. The word "bottom" can be translated into Russian in several ways depending on the context. Here's a sentence using one of the most common translations, дно (pronounced "dno").

Sentence: На дне озера лежат камни.

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at (preposition) (pronounced "nah")

дне (dne) - bottom (pronounced "dnye")

озера (ozera) - lake (pronounced "oz-eh-rah")

лежат (lezhat) - lie, are lying (present tense, plural) (pronounced "leh-zhat")

камни (kamni) - stones (pronounced "kam-nee")

Translation: On the bottom of the lake lie stones.

Key Concept: The word дно (dno) refers to the lowest point of something, typically a container or body of water.

Pronunciation Tip: The д (d) sound in Russian is similar to the "d" sound in English, but it is often slightly more guttural. The н (n) sound is similar to the English "n," but it can be pronounced with a slightly more nasal quality.

Other possible translations:

нижняя часть (nizhnyaya chast) - lower part (pronounced "nee-zh-nyah-yah chahst")

основание (osnovanie) - base, foundation (pronounced "as-nah-vah-nee-yeh")

English word: bottom /ˈbɑː.təm/

Russian word: дно /ˈdnɔ/

The next word is transport. The sentence is: Студенты используют общественный транспорт, чтобы добраться до университета.

Breakdown:

Студенты (pronounced [stuˈdɛnti]) - students (nominative plural)

используют (pronounced [ɪsˈpɔljujʊt]) - use (present tense, 3rd person plural)

общественный (pronounced [ˈɔbʃɪstvɪnːɪj]) - public
транспорт (pronounced [trɐnˈspɔrt]) - transport
чтобы (pronounced [ˈʃtoːbə]) - in order to
добраться (pronounced [dɐˈbrat͡sə]) - to get to (infinitive)

до (pronounced [dɐ]) - to
университета (pronounced [unɪvɪrsɪˈtɛtə]) - university (genitive case)

The sentence means: Students use public transport to get to the university.

Key concepts:

Gender and Case: Russian nouns have gender and case. Транспорт is masculine, and it is in the nominative case here because it is the subject of the verb. Университета is masculine, but it is in the genitive case because it follows the preposition до.

Prepositions: The preposition до always takes the genitive case.

Infinitives: The infinitive form of verbs in Russian ends in -ть.

Variations:

Транспорт can also be used in singular form. For example: Студент использует транспорт, чтобы добраться до университета. - The student uses transport to get to the university.

You can replace общественный with other adjectives like личный (personal) or частный (private).

Pronunciation guide:

студенты - Stress on the first syllable. "stu" rhymes with "too," "den" rhymes with "then," and "ty" rhymes with "tee."

используют - Stress on the second syllable. "is" rhymes with "iss," "pol" rhymes with "pole," "y" is like the "ee" in "see," and "ut" rhymes with "put."

общественный - Stress on the second syllable. "ob" rhymes with "aub," "she" rhymes with "she," "stv" sounds like the "st" in "street," and "en" rhymes with "then."

транспорт - Stress on the second syllable. "tran" rhymes with "train," "sport" is the same as the English word.

чтобы - Stress on the first syllable. "ch" is pronounced like the "ch" in "church," "to" rhymes with "toe," and "by" rhymes with "bee."

добраться - Stress on the second syllable. "do" rhymes with "doe," "bra" rhymes with "bra," "tsa" rhymes with "tsa," and "ya" is like the "ya" in "yacht."

до - Stress on the only syllable. It is pronounced like the English word "do."

университета - Stress on the fourth syllable. "uni" rhymes with "uni," "ver" rhymes with "fir," "si" rhymes with "see," "te" rhymes with "tay," and "ta" rhymes with "ta."

English: transport - транспорт (pronounced [trɐnˈspɔrt])

The next word is assume. ## Предположим что завтра будет хорошая погода.

Breakdown:

Предположим (pred-po-lo-zhim) - This is the imperative form of the verb "предполагать" (pred-po-la-gat') meaning "to assume". It is used to make a suggestion or to propose a hypothetical scenario.

что (chto) - This is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause. It means "that" and is often used to introduce information that clarifies or explains the main clause.

завтра (zav-tra) - This is a noun meaning "tomorrow".

будет (boo-det) - This is the future tense of the verb "быть" (byt') meaning "to be". It indicates that something will happen in the future.

хорошая (ho-ro-sha-ya) - This is the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective "хороший" (ho-ro-shiy) meaning "good".

погода (pa-go-da) - This is a noun meaning "weather".

Translation: Let's assume that tomorrow will be good weather.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Form: The imperative form of a verb is used to give commands or make suggestions.

Subordinate Clause: A subordinate clause is a clause that depends on a main clause for its meaning. It is often introduced by a conjunction such as "that" or "because".

Future Tense: The future tense of a verb indicates that an action will take place in the future.

Pronunciation Guide:

Предположим: pred-po-lo-zhim
что: chto
завтра: zav-tra
будет: boo-det
хорошая: ho-ro-sha-ya
погода: pa-go-da

Variations of the word:

Предполагать (pred-po-la-gat') - To assume (verb, infinitive form)

Предположение (pred-po-lo-zhe-ni-ye) - Assumption (noun)

Предположительный (pred-po-la-ga-tel'-nyy) - Assumed, hypothetical (adjective)

English word: Assume

Russian word: Предполагать (pred-po-la-gat')

The next word is low. The word "low" can be used in a variety of ways in Russian, depending on the context. Here is one example of how the word "low" could be used in a sentence.

The Russian sentence is: Цена на бензин сейчас низкая

English translation: The price of gasoline is currently low.

Breakdown:

Цена (pronounced "tse-na") - This is the word for "price". It is a feminine noun, meaning that it takes the feminine form of adjectives, such as "низкая".

на (pronounced "na") - This is a preposition meaning "on" or "at". In this case, it is used to indicate the object of the price, gasoline.

бензин (pronounced "ben-zeen") - This is the word for "gasoline".

сейчас (pronounced "say-chas") - This is an adverb meaning "now" or "currently".

низкая (pronounced "niz-kaya") - This is the feminine form of the adjective "низкий" (pronounced "niz-kiy") meaning "low". It agrees in gender with the noun "цена".

Important Concepts

Case: Russian nouns have six cases that indicate their function in the sentence. In this sentence, "цена" is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Gender: Russian nouns have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The gender of a noun determines the form of adjectives that modify it. In this sentence, "цена" is feminine, so the adjective "низкая" must also be feminine.

Agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. In this sentence, "низкая" agrees with "цена" in gender (feminine), number (singular), and case (nominative).

Variations of the word "low"

The word "низкий" can also be used to describe a person's height, for example, "Он низкий" (pronounced "on niz-kiy") which translates to "He is short".

Other synonyms for "low" include "малый" (pronounced "ma-liy"), "невысокий" (pronounced "ne-vyso-kiy"), and "маленький" (pronounced "ma-len-kiy").

English and Russian Translation

Low: низкий (pronounced "niz-kiy")

Low (feminine): низкая (pronounced "niz-kaya")

The next word is fix. The word "fix" can be used in a variety of contexts in Russian, and it's important to be aware of the different ways it can be translated. In the context of repairing something, we would use the verb починить (pochinit'). This verb is pronounced like "po-chi-neet," with the stress on the second syllable.

Here is a sample sentence:

Мне нужно починить свой телефон. [Mne nuzhno pochinit' svoi telefon.]

Breakdown:

Мне [Mne] is the dative case of the pronoun я [ya] (I). This means "to me" and is used with verbs that take an indirect object. Pronounced "mnye."

нужно [nuzhno] is the impersonal form of the verb "to be necessary". Pronounced "noozh-no".

починить [pochinit'] is the infinitive form of the verb "to fix." Pronounced "po-chi-neet."

свой [svoi] is the possessive adjective meaning "my" or "mine." Pronounced "svoi."

телефон [telefon] is the noun meaning "telephone." Pronounced "te-le-fon."

Translation: "I need to fix my phone."

Variations:

You can also use the verb ремонтировать (remontirovat') meaning "to repair." This verb is pronounced like "re-mon-ti-ro-vat'."

Example:

Мне нужно отремонтировать свой автомобиль. [Mne nuzhno otremontirovat' svoi avtomobil'.]

Translation: "I need to fix my car."

Note: There are many ways to say "to fix" in Russian, depending on the context. Here are a few other possibilities:

исправить (ispravit'] – to correct; to amend. Pronounced "is-pra-veet."

устранить (ustranit'] – to eliminate; to remove. Pronounced "oos-tra-neet."

Example:

Нужно исправить эту ошибку. [Nužno ispravit' ètu ošibku.]

Translation: "It is necessary to fix this mistake."

закрепить (zakrepit'] – to fix; to secure; to fasten. Pronounced "za-kre-peet."

прикрепить (prikrepit'] – to attach; to fix. Pronounced "pri-kre-peet."

Example:

Нужно закрепить это винт. [Nužno zakrepit' ètot vint.]

Translation: "It is necessary to fix this screw."

This is just a taste of the many ways to say "fix" in Russian! By familiarizing yourself with these variations, you'll be able to express yourself more accurately and naturally in the language.

The next word is facility. The word "facility" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the specific context.

Here's an example sentence:

"The new hospital has excellent медицинские / mĭdĭtsīnskĭyə (medical) учреждения / uchrĭzhdyēnĭyə (establishments, facilities).

Here's a breakdown:

медицинские / mĭdĭtsīnskĭyə (medical): This adjective describes the type of facilities, emphasizing that they are related to healthcare. It's important to note the stress on the second syllable, mĭdĭtsīnskĭyə.

учреждения / uchrĭzhdyēnĭyə (establishments, facilities): This noun refers to the buildings or institutions themselves. The stress is on the fourth syllable, uchrĭzhdyēnĭyə.

The sentence can be translated as: "The new hospital has excellent medical facilities."

Additional Information:

You can also use the word удобства / udóbstvə (convenience, facilities) to refer to facilities in a more general sense.

The word объект / ab'yekt (object, facility) is also used to refer to a specific facility, often in a technical context.

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember the stress in Russian words is often different from English.

Pay attention to the sounds that are unique to the Russian language, such as the "sh" sound in учреждения / uchrĭzhdyēnĭyə and the "ch" sound in медицинские / mĭdĭtsīnskĭyə.

Word & Pronunciation:

Facility (English) / удобства / udóbstvə (Russian)

Facility (English) / учреждения / uchrĭzhdyēnĭyə (Russian)

Facility (English) / объект / ab'yekt (Russian)

The next word is think. ## Я думаю, что он прав.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced YA)

думаю - think (pronounced DOO-ma-yu)

что - that (pronounced CHTO)

он - he (pronounced ON)

прав - right (pronounced PRAV)

Meaning: "I think that he is right."

Key concept:

The verb думать (to think) is irregular in the present tense, and its conjugation is important for understanding the sentence. Here, the form думаю is the 1st person singular present tense, indicating that the speaker is the one thinking.

Variations:

Он думает, что я не прав. (He thinks that I am wrong)

Мы думаем о том, что будем делать дальше. (We are thinking about what we will do next)

English Translation: Think - думать (doo-mat')

The next word is context. Let's start with a simple sentence to illustrate the concept of "context".

English: The context of the conversation changed the meaning of his words.

Russian: Контекст разговора изменил смысл его слов. Kontekst razgovora izmenil smysl yego slov.

Breakdown:

Контекст (Kontekst) - This is the word for "context" in Russian. It's pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable: KON-tekst.

разговора (razgovora) - This is the genitive case of the noun разговор (razgovor), which means "conversation". It is pronounced raz-GO-vor-a with emphasis on the second syllable. Remember, the genitive case is used after prepositions like "of" or "about".

изменил (izmenil) - This is the past tense of the verb изменить (izmenit) which means "to change". It is pronounced iz-ME-nil with emphasis on the second syllable.

смысл (smysl) - This is the noun "meaning" and pronounced SMYSL with emphasis on the first syllable.

его (yego) - This is the possessive pronoun "his", pronounced ye-GO with emphasis on the first syllable.

слов (slov) - This is the genitive plural of the noun слово (slovo) which means "word". It is pronounced slov with emphasis on the first syllable.

This sentence illustrates how context can change the interpretation of words.

Key Concept: Russian grammar is more complex than English grammar and often requires declension and conjugation of words.

The next word is floor. The word "floor" in English can be translated into Russian as пол (pol) which is masculine. The plural form is полы (poly). The word can also be translated as этаж (etazh) which means "story" of a building, and is masculine. Its plural form is этажи (etazhi). Here is an example of how the word пол (pol) can be used in a sentence:

На полу лежал ковёр (Na polu lezhal kovyor).

На (na) - on (preposition)

полу (polu) - floor (dative case)

лежал (lezhal) - lay (past tense, masculine singular)

ковёр (kovyor) - rug (masculine)

This means "There was a rug on the floor."

Pronunciation:

пол (pol) - "pol" (like the English word "pole" but with an "o" sound at the end)

полы (poly) - "po-lee"

этаж (etazh) - "eh-tazh"

этажи (etazhi) - "eh-ta-zhee"

English: floor

Russian: пол (pol)

Pronunciation: "pol" (like the English word "pole" but with an "o" sound at the end)

The next word is software. The word "software" in Russian is программное обеспечение (pronounced: pro-GRAM-noe ob-es-pe-CHE-niye). This is a noun and it can be used in singular or plural. It is a compound noun made of two words: программный (pro-GRAM-ny) meaning “programmatic” and обеспечение (ob-es-pe-CHE-niye) meaning “provision,” “supply” or “support.”

Here is an example sentence using "software" in Russian:

Компания разрабатывает новое программное обеспечение для мобильных устройств. (kom-PA-niya raz-ra-BA-ty-va-et NO-voe pro-GRAM-noe ob-es-pe-CHE-niye dlya mo-BI-l'nykh u-STROY-stv).

This translates to "The company is developing new software for mobile devices."

Breakdown:

Компания (kom-PA-niya) - company (noun, feminine)

разрабатывает (raz-ra-BA-ty-va-et) - develops (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense)

новое (NO-voe) - new (adjective, neuter)

программное обеспечение (pro-GRAM-noe ob-es-pe-CHE-niye) - software (noun, neuter)

для (dlya) - for (preposition)

мобильных (mo-BI-l'nykh) - mobile (adjective, plural)

устройств (u-STROY-stv) - devices (noun, plural)

Key Concept:

The sentence uses the verb "разрабатывает" (raz-ra-BA-ty-va-et) which means "develops" and it is in the third person singular present tense, as it describes the action of a single company.

Pronunciation tips:

The stress in Russian words falls on the vowel that is before the last consonant in the word.

The letter "е" (ye) at the end of a word is pronounced like the "e" in the English word "the".

The letter "ы" (y) is pronounced like the "i" in the English word "bird".

English translation:

software: программное обеспечение (pro-GRAM-noe ob-es-pe-CHE-niye)

The next word is write. Let's begin! Please provide the English word you would like me to use in a Russian sentence. I will then provide you with a breakdown of the sentence, including grammar, meaning, variations of the word, and translations, all formatted for easy translation using eSpeak.

I am excited to embark on this linguistic journey with you!

The next word is laugh. Sentence: Девушка смеялась над шуткой.

Breakdown:

Девушка (pronounced: dye-voo-shka) - This is the noun "girl" in the nominative case. This case is used when the noun is the subject of the sentence.

смеялась (pronounced: smi-ya-las) - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "to laugh" - смеяться (smi-ya-tsya).

над (pronounced: nad) - This is the preposition "over" or "at"

шуткой (pronounced: shoot-koy) - This is the noun "joke" in the instrumental case, used to indicate the object of the action.

Translation: The girl laughed at the joke.

Variations:

The verb смеяться has many forms depending on the tense, person, number, and gender. Here are some examples:

Я смеюсь (ya smi-yus) - I am laughing

Он смеётся (on smi-yo-t-sya) - He is laughing

Мы смеялись (my smi-ya-lis) - We were laughing

Они смеются (a-nee smi-yu-tsya) - They are laughing.

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. This is known as case. The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence. The instrumental case is used to indicate the object of the action.

Verb conjugation: In Russian, verbs change form to reflect tense, person, number, and gender.

Pronunciation Guide:

Девушка (dye-voo-shka) - The "sh" sound is similar to the English "sh" sound. The "ka" sound is similar to the "ka" in "car."

смеялась (smi-ya-las) - The "ya" sound is similar to the English "ya" in "yard." The "la" sound is similar to the "la" in "lady."

над (nad) - The "d" sound is similar to the English "d" sound.

шуткой (shoot-koy) - The "sh" sound is similar to the English "sh" sound. The "koy" sound is similar to the "koy" in "boy."

English and Russian Translation:

laugh - смеяться (smi-ya-tsya)

The next word is application. The word заявка (zayavka) is used for a formal request, a written application.

Here is a sentence:

Я подал заявку на получение стипендии.

Ya podal zayavku na polucheniye stipendii.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

подал (podal) - past tense of the verb "to submit"

заявку (zayavku) - application (noun, accusative case)

на (na) - on, for (preposition)

получение (polucheniye) - obtaining (noun)

стипендии (stipendii) - scholarship (noun, genitive case)

Meaning: I submitted an application for a scholarship.

Key Concepts:

The noun заявка (zayavka) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb подал (podal).

The noun стипендии (stipendii) is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition на (na).

Variations:

Заявка (Zayavka) is the nominative case and is used as the subject of a sentence.

Заявке (Zayavke) is the dative case and can be used for the indirect object of a sentence or for the object of a preposition like к (k) (to), по (po) (according to).

Pronunciation:

заявка (zayavka) - say-YAV-ka

стипендии (stipendii) - sti-PEN-dee-ee

English: application

Russian: заявка (zayavka)

The next word is ad. The word "ad" is short for "advertisement". Advertisements are everywhere, in newspapers, on billboards, and even on the internet! In Russian, the word for "advertisement" is реклама (reklama) pronounced like "re-kla-ma". It's a noun, so it changes depending on the number and case.

Here is a sentence using the word реклама (reklama) in the nominative case:

Я видел интересную рекламу на автобусной остановке. (Ya videl interesnuyu reklamu na avtobusnoy ostanovke.)

This sentence is about seeing an advertisement.

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - "I", personal pronoun, nominative case, pronounced like "ya"

видел (videl) - "saw", past tense of the verb "видеть" (videt) - "to see", pronounced like "vi-dyel"

интересную (interesnuyu) - "interesting", adjective, feminine, accusative case, pronounced like "in-te-res-noo-yoo"

рекламу (reklamu) - "advertisement", noun, feminine, accusative case, pronounced like "re-kla-moo"

на (na) - "on", preposition, pronounced like "na"

автобусной (avtobusnoy) - "bus", adjective, feminine, genitive case, pronounced like "av-to-bus-noy"

остановке (ostanovke) - "stop", noun, feminine, genitive case, pronounced like "os-ta-nov-ke"

Translation: I saw an interesting advertisement at the bus stop.

Memorization tip: Think of "re" in "reklama" like "re" in "record" since advertising is about getting people to remember something.

Pronunciation: Remember to stress the first syllable in each word, especially реклама (reklama), so it's "RE-kla-ma", not "re-KLA-ma".

Word variations: реклама (reklama) is a noun, so it has different forms depending on the number and case. The accusative case, as used in the sentence, is рекламу (reklamu).

English: ad, advertisement

Russian: реклама (reklama)

The next word is natural. The word "natural" in Russian is естественный (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-yi). Let's see how it can be used in a sentence:

Sentence:

Этот процесс является естественным.

Breakdown:

Этот (pronounced: EH-toht) means "this" and is the masculine nominative singular form of the demonstrative pronoun.

процесс (pronounced: proh-TSEHSS) means "process". Here, it is in the nominative singular case.

является (pronounced: yav-LYAH-yet-syah) means "is". It's the present tense, third person singular form of the verb быть (pronounced: BITT) meaning "to be".

естественным (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-yim) means "natural" and is an adjective in the masculine nominative singular form, agreeing with the noun процесс.

Translation: This process is natural.

Variations of естественный (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-yi):

естественная (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-ah-yah) - feminine nominative singular.

естественное (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-uh-ye) - neuter nominative singular.

естественные (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-yi-ye) - plural nominative.

Key Concept:

Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they modify in gender, number and case. This is a very important concept to understand in order to form correct sentences.

English-Russian Translation:

Natural - естественный (pronounced: yest-YEH-stv-in-n-yi)

The next word is black. The word "черный" черный (pronounced "CHERN-ee") in Russian means "black." It is an adjective and can be used to describe a noun, like in the following example:

"Я вижу черную кошку." Я вижу черную кошку. (pronounced "YA vee-joo CHERN-oo-yoo KOSH-koo") - "I see a black cat."

The word "черный" черный can also be used as a noun. This means that it refers to the color black itself. For example,

"Я люблю черный цвет." Я люблю черный цвет. (pronounced "YA lyu-blyu CHERN-ee tsvet") - "I love the color black."

Key Concepts:

Gender: "Черный" черный is a masculine adjective. Its feminine form is "черная" черная and its neuter form is "черное" черное. Remember that in Russian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. So, if the noun is feminine, the adjective would also be feminine, and so on.

Pronunciation: The “ч” ч sound in Russian is pronounced similar to the "ch" in the English word "chair."

English - Russian
black - черный черный (pronounced "CHERN-ee")

The next word is situation. The word "situation" translates to ситуация (pronounced [sɪtʊˈatsɪjə]) in Russian. It is a feminine noun, meaning that it uses feminine grammatical endings.

Here is a sample sentence:

Ситуация (situatsiya) была (byla) очень (ochen') сложной (slozhnoy).

Ситуация (situatsiya) - This is the word we are focusing on, meaning "situation". It is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

была (byla) - This is the past tense of the verb "to be" (быть [byt']). It is conjugated to agree with the feminine subject. It sounds similar to the English "be" sound.

очень (ochen') - This means "very" and is an adverb. The pronunciation is very close to "oh-chin".

сложной (slozhnoy) - This means "difficult" or "complex". It is an adjective, and the feminine form agrees with the noun ситуация (situatsiya).

The whole sentence means "The situation was very difficult."

English: situation - ситуация (situatsiya)

Russian: ситуация - ситуация (situatsiya)

English: very - очень (ochen')

Russian: очень - очень (ochen')

English: difficult - сложной (slozhnoy)

Russian: сложной - сложной (slozhnoy)

The next word is expand. The word "expand" can be translated into Russian as расширять (rasshiryat') or расширить (rasshirit').

расширять (rasshiryat') is the imperfective verb form of the verb meaning "to expand" or "to enlarge". It is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action.

расширить (rasshirit') is the perfective verb form meaning "to expand" or "to enlarge". It is used to describe a completed or one-time action.

Here is a sample sentence using the verb расширить (rasshirit'):

Он решил расширить свой бизнес, открыв новый магазин. (On reshil rasshirit' svoj biznes, otkryv novyj magazin.)

Breakdown:

Он (on) - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

решил (reshil) - decided (past tense, masculine singular)

расширить (rasshirit') - to expand (perfective verb, infinitive)

свой (svoj) - his (possessive adjective, masculine singular)

бизнес (biznes) - business (noun, masculine singular, nominative case)

открыть (otkryt') - to open (perfective verb, infinitive)

новый (novyj) - new (adjective, masculine singular)

магазин (magazin) - store (noun, masculine singular, accusative case)

Translation: He decided to expand his business by opening a new store.

Pronunciation:

расширять (rasshiryat') - "rah-SHEE-ryat'"

расширить (rasshirit') - "rah-SHEE-rit'"

он (on) - "ohn"

решил (reshil) - "ree-SHEEL"

свой (svoj) - "svoy"

бизнес (biznes) - "bee-ZNESS"

открыть (otkryt') - "at-KREE-t'"

новый (novyj) - "NO-vee"

магазин (magazin) - "ma-gah-ZEEN"

Helpful Hint:

Remember that in Russian, verbs are conjugated to agree with the subject in gender, number and case. You can use this sentence as a template to change the subject and the verb accordingly. For example:

Она решила расширить свой бизнес, открыв новый магазин. (Ona reshila rasshirit' svoj biznes, otkryv novyj magazin.) - She decided to expand her business by opening a new store.

English - Russian:

expand - расширять (rasshiryat') / расширить (rasshirit')

The next word is stock. The word "stock" has many different meanings in English. In this case, we are looking at the meaning of "stock" as something that is stored or held for future use, or something that is available for purchase or sale.

Here is a sentence using the Russian word запас (zapas), which can be used to mean "stock" in this context.

У нас есть большой запас продуктов на случай чрезвычайной ситуации. (U nas est' bol'shoy zapas produktov na sluchay chrezvychaynoy situatsii.)

Breakdown:

У нас (U nas) - This is a contraction of у нас (u nas), meaning "we have." The word у (u) is a preposition meaning "at" or "with," and нас (nas) is the genitive case of the pronoun мы (my), meaning "we."

есть (est') - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, 3rd person plural, which means "there is" or "there are."

большой (bol'shoy) - This is the adjective "big" or "large" in the masculine singular nominative case.

запас (zapas) - This is the noun "stock" or "reserve" in the masculine singular nominative case.

продуктов (produktov) - This is the genitive plural of the noun продукт (produkt), meaning "product" or "food."

на случай (na sluchay) - This means "in case of" or "for the event of."

чрезвычайной ситуации (chrezvychaynoy situatsii) - This means "emergency situation."

Translation: We have a large stock of food in case of an emergency.

Variations of запас (zapas):

запасы (zapasy) - This is the plural form of запас (zapas).

запастись (zapastis') - This is a verb meaning "to stock up."

резерв (rezerv) - This is another word for "reserve" or "stock," often used in a more formal context.

Pronunciation Guide:

запас (zapas) - The "a" in запас (zapas) is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The "c" is pronounced like the "s" in "sin." The "s" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "s" in "bus."

продуктов (produktov) - The "u" in продуктов (produktov) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon." The "o" in продуктов (produktov) is pronounced like the "o" in "hot." The "k" is pronounced like the "k" in "king." The "t" is pronounced like the "t" in "tin."

English and Russian Translation:

| English | Russian |

|---|---|

| stock | запас (zapas) |

The next word is disease. The Russian word for disease is болезнь (pronounced bo-lez-n). It is a feminine noun and can be used in the nominative, accusative or prepositional cases.

Here is an example of how it could be used in a sentence:

У меня была серьезная болезнь.

This sentence means "I had a serious disease".

У (oo) is a preposition that means "at" or "with". It is used before a noun in the genitive case.

меня (me-nya) is the pronoun "me" in the genitive case.

была (buh-la) is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the feminine singular.

серьезная (se-r'yoz-na-ya) is the adjective "serious" in the feminine singular.

болезнь (bo-lez-n) is the noun "disease".

Disease - болезнь (bo-lez-n)

The next word is surround. The word окружать (okruzhát´) means "to surround" in Russian. It is a verb of the first conjugation, so it takes the ending -ю/-ешь/-ет/-ем/-ете/-ют in the present tense.

Here is a sentence using окружать (okruzhát´):

Горы окружают город. (Gory okruzháyut gorod.)

This sentence translates to "Mountains surround the city."

Breakdown:

Горы (Gory) - Mountains (plural, nominative case)

окружают (okruzháyut) - surround (3rd person plural, present tense)

город (gorod) - city (singular, accusative case)

Key Concepts

Gender: Горы (Gory) is feminine, so the verb окружать (okruzhát´) must be conjugated accordingly.

Case: город (gorod) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb окружать (okruzhát´).

Word Order: The word order in Russian is generally more flexible than in English, but the typical order is subject-verb-object.

Pronunciation Guide:

окружать (okruzhát´): The stress falls on the second syllable. The "ж" sound is similar to the "zh" in "vision". The "а" at the end is pronounced with a short, open sound, similar to the "a" in "father".

Variations:

окружить (okruzhit´) - to surround (perfect aspect, past tense)

окружение (okruzheniye) - surrounding (noun)

English-Russian Translation:

Surround - окружать (okruzhát´)

The next word is possible. ## Возможно он придёт завтра.

Breakdown:

Возможно (voz-MOZH-no) - This is the key word in this sentence, meaning "possible" or "maybe." It is an adverb and is used to express uncertainty.

возможно is the nominative case, it's a neuter form.

The accusative form is возможный

The genitive form is возможного

он (on) - This is a personal pronoun meaning "he".

It is in the nominative case.

It is used as the subject of the verb.

придёт (pri-DYOT) - This is the future tense of the verb "to come" ( приходить - pri-ho-DIT'). It is conjugated in the 3rd person singular.

The -т ending denotes 3rd person singular.

завтра (ZAV-tra) - This is an adverb meaning "tomorrow." It is used to indicate the time of the action.

Translation: It is possible he will come tomorrow.

Key Concept: This sentence demonstrates how to express possibility in Russian using the word возможно.

Pronunciation Hints:

возможно (voz-MOZH-no) - The stress falls on the second syllable.

он (on) - The stress falls on the first syllable.

придёт (pri-DYOT) - The stress falls on the second syllable.

завтра (ZAV-tra) - The stress falls on the first syllable.

The next word is remain. The word оставаться (ostavát'sya) means "to remain" or "to stay." This is a verb of motion and is used to describe staying in a specific place or state. It is a very useful verb that can be used in many contexts.

Here's an example of a sentence:

Он остался дома, чтобы закончить работу. (On ostalsya doma, chtoby zakonchit' rabotu.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

остался (ostalsya) - remained (past tense, masculine singular, verb of motion)

дома (doma) - at home (prepositional case, meaning "in the house")

чтобы (chtoby) - in order to (conjunction, introduces a purpose clause)

закончить (zakonchit') - to finish (verb, infinitive)

работу (rabotu) - the work (accusative case, object of the verb)

Translation: He stayed home to finish his work.

This sentence demonstrates the use of оставаться (ostavát'sya) to express the idea of staying in a particular place. This verb is conjugated in the past tense, reflecting the action that has already occurred.

Memorization Tip: Think of оставаться (ostavát'sya) as similar to the English word "remain" or "stay." Both imply a state of not moving or changing.

Pronunciation:

оставаться (ostavát'sya) - ost-ah-vah-t'sya (stress on the first syllable)

Он (On) - on (short "o" sound, like the "o" in "hot")

дома (doma) - doh-ma (stress on the first syllable)

чтобы (chtoby) - shtoh-buh (stress on the first syllable)

закончить (zakonchit') - zah-kon-chit' (stress on the first syllable)

работу (rabotu) - rah-boh-tu (stress on the first syllable)

English and Russian Translation of the word:

Remain (English) - оставаться (ostavát'sya) (Russian)

The next word is land. The word "land" can be translated in many different ways in Russian depending on the context. Here's an example using the word земля (zemlya), which is the most common way to refer to "land" as a general concept.

Sentence:

Земля круглая (Zemlya kruglaya).

Breakdown:

Земля (zemlya) - This is the noun for "land" or "earth". Pronunciation: "zem-LYA". Note the stress is on the second syllable.

круглая (kruglaya) - This is the feminine adjective meaning "round". Pronunciation: "kroog-la-ya" (the "g" is soft, like "j" in "gem")

Земля круглая (Zemlya kruglaya) - The literal translation is "Earth is round".

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Земля is feminine, hence the feminine adjective круглая. This is an important concept in Russian grammar.

Word Order: In this sentence, the noun Земля comes before the adjective круглая. This is typical for Russian sentence structure.

Variations:

земля can also refer to soil or ground.

Other words for "land" include:

почва (pochva) - soil

суша (susha) - land (as opposed to water)

территория (territoriya) - territory

страна (strana) - country

English and Russian Translation:

Land: земля (zemlya)

The next word is commit. The word "commit" can be translated into Russian as "совершать" (pronounced [so-ver-shaht] - "so" as in "so" "ver" as in "very" "shat" as in "shatter" with the "t" sound very light.)

Here is a simple sentence:

Он совершил ошибку. (pronounced [on so-ver-shil a-shib-ku] - "on" as in "on" "so" as in "so" "ver" as in "very" "shil" as in "shrill" "a" as in "ah" "shib" as in "ship" "ku" as in "cook")

This sentence literally translates to "He committed a mistake." The verb совершать (so-ver-shat) is in the past tense, as indicated by the ending "-л". The word ошибку (pronounced [a-shib-ku] - "a" as in "ah" "shib" as in "ship" "ku" as in "cook") is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb.

Here are some other ways to say "commit" in Russian:

делать (pronounced [de-lat] - "de" as in "day" "lat" as in "lathe" with the "th" sound very light) - This is a more general verb meaning "to do" or "to make." It is often used in the context of committing a crime, such as "делать преступление" (pronounced [de-lat pre-stup-le-ni-ye] - "de" as in "day" "lat" as in "lathe" with the "th" sound very light "pre" as in "pretty" "stup" as in "stoop" "le" as in "lay" "ni" as in "knee" "ye" as in "yes") meaning "to commit a crime."

посвящать (pronounced [pa-svya-shat] - "pa" as in "pa" "svya" as in "sway" "shat" as in "shatter" with the "t" sound very light) - This verb means "to dedicate" or "to devote." It is often used in the context of committing oneself to a cause or a goal, such as "посвящать себя науке" (pronounced [pa-svya-shat se-bya na-u-ke] - "pa" as in "pa" "svya" as in "sway" "shat" as in "shatter" with the "t" sound very light "se" as in "say" "bya" as in "bye" "na" as in "nah" "u" as in "oo" "ke" as in "key" ) meaning "to dedicate oneself to science."

Helpful Pronunciation Tip: Russian has a lot of soft consonants. You can think of them as a "y" sound after the consonant. For example, ть (pronounced [t'] - "t" as in "tea" followed by a light "y")

English Word: Commit

Russian Word: совершать (so-ver-shat) - to commit, to perform

English Word: Mistake

Russian Word: ошибка (a-shib-ka) - mistake

The next word is decision. The English word "decision" translates to решение [ree-shee-nee-ye] in Russian.

Here is a sample sentence:

Он принял решение уйти с работы. [ohn pree-nyal ree-shee-nee-ye oo-ee-tee s ra-bo-ty]

Breakdown:

Он [ohn] - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

принял [pree-nyal] - took (past tense, masculine, singular, of the verb принимать [pree-nee-mat'] to take, to accept, to adopt)

решение [ree-shee-nee-ye] - decision (noun, neuter, nominative case)

уйти [oo-ee-tee] - to leave (infinitive verb)

с [s] - with (preposition)

работы [ra-bo-ty] - work (noun, feminine, genitive case)

The sentence translates to "He made a decision to leave his job."

Key Concepts:

Cases: Nouns and pronouns in Russian change form depending on their function in the sentence.

Verb Conjugation: Verbs change their endings based on the person, number, tense, and gender of the subject.

Variations:

решение [ree-shee-nee-ye] can also be used in the plural form: решения [ree-shee-nee-ya] (decisions).

The verb принимать [pree-nee-mat'] has various forms and tenses.

Pronunciation:

решение [ree-shee-nee-ye] - The "e" in the first syllable is pronounced like the "e" in "bed". The second syllable "she" sounds like the "she" in "she".

принял [pree-nyal] - The "i" in the first syllable is pronounced like the "i" in "machine".

уйти [oo-ee-tee] - The "i" in the first syllable is pronounced like the "i" in "machine".

English: decision [dih-sih-zhuh]

Russian: решение [ree-shee-nee-ye]

The next word is history. История - istoríya - History (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ya)

The sentence:

Я изучаю историю России. - Ya izuchayu istoriyu Rossii. - I am studying the history of Russia.

Breakdown

Я - Ya - I (pronounced: ya) - This is the subject pronoun in the nominative case and is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence.

изучаю - izucháyu - studying (pronounced: ee-zoo-cha-yoo) - This is the present tense, 1st person singular form of the verb изучать - izuchát’ - to study (pronounced: ee-zoo-chat’). This verb is conjugated by changing the ending to agree with the subject in person and number.

историю - istoríyu - history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-yoo) - This is the accusative case of история - istoríya - history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ya) and is used as the direct object of the verb изучаю - izucháyu - studying (pronounced: ee-zoo-cha-yoo).

России - Rossii - of Russia (pronounced: Ro-see-ee) - This is the genitive case of Россия - Rossiya - Russia (pronounced: Ro-see-ya) and is used to show possession. It is a noun in the genitive case, indicating possession or belonging, answering the question "whose?".

Key Concepts

История - istoríya - History (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ya) - The word is feminine and can be used in various cases:

Nominative: история - istoríya - History (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ya)

Genitive: истории - istorii - of history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ee)

Dative: истории - istorii - to/for history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ee)

Accusative: историю - istoríyu - history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-yoo)

Instrumental: историей - istóriej - by history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ey)

Prepositional: об истории - ob istórii - about history (pronounced: ob ee-sto-ree-ee)

Case endings: In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. These changes are called cases.

Variations

The word история - istoríya - history (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ya) can be used in many different ways. For example, you can say изучать историю - izuchát’ istóriiyu - to study history (pronounced: ee-zoo-chat’ ee-sto-ree-yoo), писать историю - pisát’ istóriiyu - to write history (pronounced: pee-sat’ ee-sto-ree-yoo), or читать историю - chitát’ istóriiyu - to read history (pronounced: chee-tat’ ee-sto-ree-yoo).

Translation

История - istoríya - History (pronounced: ee-sto-ree-ya)

Я - Ya - I (pronounced: ya)

изучаю - izucháyu - studying (pronounced: ee-zoo-cha-yoo)

России - Rossii - of Russia (pronounced: Ro-see-ee)

The next word is continue. Please provide me with an English word so I can craft a Russian sentence for you.

The next word is political. The word "political" in Russian is политический (politicheskiy). It is an adjective, meaning "relating to politics".

Here is a sentence using the word:

Политическая ситуация в стране очень сложная. (Politicheskaya situatsiya v strane ochen' slozhnaya.)

This translates to: The political situation in the country is very complex.

Let's break it down:

Политическая (Politicheskaya) - The adjective "political". The ending "-ая" indicates the feminine grammatical gender of the noun it modifies, which is "ситуация". It is pronounced like "po-lee-tee-che-ska-ya".

ситуация (situatsiya) - The noun "situation", meaning a set of circumstances. It is pronounced like "see-too-ah-tsee-ya".

в (v) - The preposition "in". It is pronounced like "v".

стране (strane) - The noun "country". It is pronounced like "stra-ne".

очень (ochen') - The adverb "very". It is pronounced like "o-chen'".

сложная (slozhnaya) - The adjective "complex". The ending "-ая" indicates the feminine grammatical gender of the noun it modifies, which is "ситуация". It is pronounced like "slozh-na-ya".

Variations:

The word политический (politicheskiy) can be used in many other contexts related to politics, such as политический анализ (politicheskiy analiz) (political analysis), политический деятель (politicheskiy deyatel') (political figure), and политическая партия (politicheskaya partiya) (political party).

Pronunciation Tips:

Pay attention to the stress in the words. For example, in ситуация (situatsiya), the stress is on the second syllable.

The letter "ы" (ы) is pronounced like the "i" in "bit".

The letter "ч" (ч) is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

The letter "щ" (щ) is pronounced like the "shch" in "machine".

English translation of the word: political, relating to politics

Russian translation of the word: политический (politicheskiy)

The next word is government. The Russian word for government is правительство (pronounced pra-vee-tel-stvuh).

Sentence:

Российское правительство работает над решением проблемы безработицы.

Breakdown:

Российское (pronounced ras-see-skuh-eh) - Russian, adjective. Here, it modifies the noun правительство.

правительство (pronounced pra-vee-tel-stvuh) - government, noun.

работает (pronounced ra-boh-tay-et) - works, verb in the present tense, 3rd person singular.

над (pronounced nad) - over, preposition.

решением (pronounced ri-she-ni-yem) - solution, noun, instrumental case.

проблемы (pronounced pra-blee-my) - problem, noun, genitive case.

безработицы (pronounced byez-ra-boh-tee-tsy) - unemployment, noun, genitive case.

Translation:

The Russian government is working on a solution to the problem of unemployment.

Key Concepts:

Case System: Russian is a highly inflected language, with nouns changing their form (ending) to indicate their grammatical function in a sentence. In the sentence, правительство is in the nominative case because it is the subject. решением is in the instrumental case because it functions as the object of the preposition над. проблемы and безработицы are in the genitive case because they are the objects of the preposition над.

Variations of the word правительство:

правительственный - governmental, adjective.

правительница - female ruler, noun.

Pronunciation:

правительство (pra-vee-tel-stvuh)

Российское (ras-see-skuh-eh)

работает (ra-boh-tay-et)

над (nad)

решением (ri-she-ni-yem)

проблемы (pra-blee-my)

безработицы (byez-ra-boh-tee-tsy)

English-Russian translation:

government - правительство (pra-vee-tel-stvuh)

The next word is especially. ## Especially

Russian Sentence: Он особенно любит читать книги по истории.

English Translation: He especially enjoys reading books about history.

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced: ohn) - He (subject pronoun)

особенно (pronounced: as-soh-beh-nuh) - especially, particularly (adverb)

любит (pronounced: lyoo-beet) - loves (verb in present tense, 3rd person singular)

читать (pronounced: chi-taht') - to read (verb in infinitive form)

книги (pronounced: k-nee-gee) - books (noun, plural)

по (pronounced: pah) - about (preposition)

истории (pronounced: ee-stoh-ree-ee) - history (noun)

Key Concepts:

особенно is a versatile adverb that can be used in many contexts to emphasize something. It can be placed before or after the verb, but it usually comes before.

The word особенно has a few variations:

в особенности (pronounced: v ah-soh-beh-nuh-stee) - especially, particularly (more formal)

особливо (pronounced: ah-soh-blee-vuh) - especially, particularly (informal)

Notice the use of the infinitive form of the verb читать after the verb любит. This is a common pattern in Russian for expressing liking or disliking something.

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember that the stress in Russian words is typically on the last syllable, unless otherwise indicated.

Pay attention to the vowel sounds, as they can differ from English pronunciation.

Practice saying the words slowly and carefully at first, and then gradually increase your speed.

English: Especially

Russian: особенно

The next word is paper. The word "paper" in English translates to бумага (pronounced boo-MAH-gah) in Russian. This word is feminine and has the same form in both singular and plural. Let's look at a sentence.

У меня есть бумага для письма. (oo mye-nyah yest boo-MAH-gah dlyah pee-SYMA)

Breakdown:

У (oo) is the preposition "at" or "with" and is used here as a part of the phrase "у меня" which means "with me."

меня (mye-nyah) is the pronoun "me." It can be used in both nominative and accusative cases.

есть (yest) is the verb "to be" in the present tense. It's used in the third person singular form.

бумага (boo-MAH-gah) is the noun "paper." In this sentence it's used in the nominative case.

для (dlyah) is the preposition "for".

письма (pee-SYMA) is the noun "letter." Here it is in the genitive case which signifies possession, i.e., "for a letter."

English Translation: I have paper for writing.

Paper: бумага (boo-MAH-gah)

Writing: письма (pee-SYMA)

The next word is relate. The word "relate" in English can be translated to Russian as связывать (svyazyvat').

Sentence:

Эти события связаны между собой. (Eti sobytiya svyazany mezhdu soboy.)

Breakdown:

Эти (eti) - these (plural, nominative case) - sounds like "eh-tee"

события (sobytiya) - events (plural, nominative case) - sounds like "suh-bee-tee-ya"

связаны (svyazany) - related (past tense, passive voice) - sounds like "svee-zah-nee"

между (mezhdu) - between - sounds like "mezh-doo"

собой (soboy) - each other (reflexive pronoun) - sounds like "suh-boy"

Translation: These events are related to each other.

Key Concepts:

Passive Voice: The sentence uses the passive voice, which emphasizes the action being performed on the subject rather than the actor.

Reflexive Pronoun: The reflexive pronoun собой (soboy) indicates that the events are related to themselves, rather than to something else.

Variations of the word "relate" in Russian:

отношение (otnoshenie) - relationship (noun) - sounds like "ut-nah-sheh-nee-ye"

связь (svyaz') - connection (noun) - sounds like "svee-yaz'"

Pronunciation:

связывать (svyazyvat') - sounds like "svee-zah-vee-vat"

отношение (otnoshenie) - sounds like "ut-nah-sheh-nee-ye"

связь (svyaz') - sounds like "svee-yaz'"

The next word is expect. ## Sentence:

Я ожидаю хороших результатов от этой работы.

Ya ozhidayu horoshikh rezultatov ot etoy raboty.

Breakdown:

ожидаю ozhidayu - This is the present tense of the verb "to expect". It is conjugated in the first person singular. This means "I expect". The "a" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

хороших horoshikh - This is the genitive plural form of the adjective "хороший" horoshiy (good). Genitive case is used after prepositions like "от" ot (from) and after words that indicate possession or belonging.

результатов rezultatov - This is the genitive plural form of the noun "результат" rezultat (result). Again, the genitive case is used here because of the preposition "от" ot.

от ot - This is a preposition that means "from". It is followed by the genitive case.

этой etoy - This is the feminine genitive singular form of the pronoun "этот" etot (this).

работы raboty - This is the genitive singular form of the noun "работа" rabota (work). Again, the genitive case is used here because of the preposition "от" ot.

Meaning:

This sentence means "I expect good results from this work".

Variations:

You can change the tense of the verb "to expect" to create different meanings:

Я ожидал Ya ozhidal - I expected (past tense)

Я буду ожидать Ya budu ozhidat - I will expect (future tense)

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: This case is used to indicate possession, belonging, or the object of a preposition. It is important to learn the genitive forms of nouns and adjectives.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. Many prepositions require a particular case.

Pronunciation:

ожидаю ozhidayu - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot". The "a" at the end is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

хороших horoshikh - The "o" in "хороших" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot". The "х" at the end is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

результатов rezultatov - The "е" in "результатов" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed".

от ot - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

этой etoy - The "е" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed".

работы raboty - The "а" is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

English and Russian translation:

expect - ожидать ozhidat

The next word is enable. ## Sentence:

Эта кнопка включает свет.

Breakdown:

Эта - This (feminine nominative singular) - Pronounced: [eh-ta]

кнопка - button (feminine nominative singular) - Pronounced: [k-nop-ka]

включает - enables (3rd person singular present tense of verb включать (to enable)) - Pronounced: [v-klu-cha-yet]

свет - light (masculine nominative singular) - Pronounced: [sv-yet]

Translation:

This button enables the light.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender. The noun кнопка (button) is feminine, hence the feminine form of the adjective эта (this).

Verb Conjugation: The verb включать (to enable) changes form depending on the subject and tense. In this sentence, it's in the 3rd person singular present tense, which is включает.

Word Order: Russian word order is more flexible than English. In this sentence, the subject (кнопка) comes before the verb (включает), but the object (свет) follows the verb.

Variations:

Эта кнопка включает свет в комнате. - This button enables the light in the room.

Эта кнопка включает телевизор. - This button enables the television.

English Translation of the Word:

Enable: включать (v-klu-chat')

The next word is wash. The Russian sentence is:

Пожалуйста, помойте руки перед едой.

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (Pozhaluysta) - Please - (poh-ZHA-loo-y-stuh)

помойте (pomoyte) - wash (plural imperative form of the verb "мыть" (myt') - to wash) - (puh-MOY-tee)

руки (ruki) - hands (plural noun) - (roo-kee)

перед (pered) - before - (peh-red)

едой (yedoy) - meal (instrumental case of the noun "еда" (yeda) - food) - (yeh-DOH-y)

Meaning:

"Please wash your hands before eating."

Key Concepts:

Imperative mood: The verb "помойте" is in the imperative mood, which is used to give commands or make requests.

Plural form: The imperative verb "помойте" is in the plural form because it is directed at more than one person.

Instrumental case: The noun "едой" is in the instrumental case, which is used to indicate the means by which something is done. In this case, it indicates that the hands are being washed before the meal.

Variations:

You can also say "Помой руки" (Pomoy ruki) - "Wash your hands" - (puh-MOY roo-kee) which is in the singular imperative form of the verb. This form is typically used when addressing one person.

Pronunciation:

Пожалуйста (poh-ZHA-loo-y-stuh)

помойте (puh-MOY-tee)

руки (roo-kee)

перед (peh-red)

едой (yeh-DOH-y)

English Translation of Words:

Wash - мыть (myt') - (mewt')

Hands - руки (ruki) - (roo-kee)

Before - перед (pered) - (peh-red)

Meal - еда (yeda) - (yeh-DAH)

The next word is object. The word "object" can be a noun or verb, and in Russian, its translation depends on its function in the sentence.

Here's a sentence using "object" as a noun, meaning "item" or "thing":

На столе лежал красивый объект.

Breakdown:

На [pronunciation: na] - preposition, meaning "on"

столе [pronunciation: stole] - noun, meaning "table"

лежал [pronunciation: lezhal] - verb, meaning "lay" (past tense, masculine singular)

красивый [pronunciation: krasivyy] - adjective, meaning "beautiful"

объект [pronunciation: obyekt] - noun, meaning "object"

Translation: A beautiful object lay on the table.

Important concept: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here, красивый agrees with объект because it is masculine and singular.

Variations:

The word объект is also used in a more technical sense, such as "objective" or "target". For example, Цель – это военный объект. (The target is a military object.)

Pronunciation:

объект - [o-bye-ekt]

English to Russian translation:

object - объект [o-bye-ekt]

The next word is edge. The word "edge" has several meanings in English, but in this example, we will use the meaning of "border" or "boundary."

The sentence will be: "На краю леса растут высокие деревья."

краю [kra-yu] is the dative case of край [krai] meaning "edge" or "border." The "y" at the end is soft and pronounced like the "y" in "you."

леса [lye-sa] is the genitive case of лес [lyes] meaning "forest." The "e" in лес is a soft "e" sound. The "a" at the end of леса is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

растут [ras-toot] is the third person plural present tense of the verb расти [ras-tee] meaning "to grow." The "oo" sound at the end is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon."

высокие [vi-so-ki-ye] is the plural form of the adjective высокий [vi-so-kiy] meaning "tall." The "y" at the end is pronounced like the "y" in "you."

деревья [dye-rye-vya] is the plural form of the noun дерево [dye-rye-vo] meaning "tree." The "ya" at the end is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard."

Translation: On the edge of the forest grow tall trees.

Key Concepts:

This sentence uses the dative case of край, which is used to indicate the location of something.

The genitive case of лес is used to show possession or belonging, in this case, the forest belongs to the edge.

The verb расти is an irregular verb that needs to be memorized.

The adjective высокий is an example of an adjective that changes form based on the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

Memorization Tip: Try to memorize these words and their forms by creating flashcards or using a language learning app. You can also practice using these words in other sentences to help solidify your understanding.

The next word is learn. Я хочу учить русский язык.

Я - I
хочу - want (to do) - pronounced [ho-choo]

учить - to learn - pronounced [oo-chit']

русский - Russian - pronounced [roo-skee]

язык - language - pronounced [yah-zeek]

This sentence means "I want to learn the Russian language".

The word учить is in the infinitive form. This is the base form of the verb. You can also use this verb with other pronouns, such as ты (you) and он (he). For example, Ты хочешь учить русский язык? (Do you want to learn Russian?).

Key concept: In Russian, verbs are conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence. So, the ending of the verb will change depending on who is doing the action.

Helpful hint: Pay attention to the ending of the verb. This will help you to understand who is performing the action in the sentence.

English: learn - [lɜːrn]

Russian: учить - [oo-chit']

The next word is lack. The word "lack" in English can be translated to Russian as "нехватка" (pronounced: neh-kvat-ka) which means "shortage" or "deficiency". It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as "lack of sleep" or "lack of resources".

Here is an example sentence:

У него нехватка времени на учёбу.

(Pronounced: U nyevo nekhvatka vremeni na uchyобу)

Translation: He lacks time for studying.

Breakdown:

У (pronounced: u) - preposition meaning "at", "with", or "by"

него (pronounced: nyego) - pronoun meaning "he"

нехватка (pronounced: nekhvatka) - noun meaning "lack"

времени (pronounced: vremeni) - noun meaning "time"

на (pronounced: na) - preposition meaning "on" or "for"

учёбу (pronounced: uchyобу) - noun meaning "studies"

Key concepts:

The word "нехватка" is a noun and it is used with the genitive case.

The preposition "на" is used to show the purpose of the time.

This sentence is in the present tense and it uses the nominative case for the subject ("он").

Variations:

The word "нехватка" can also be used with other prepositions, such as "в" (in) or "из" (from).

The sentence can be made negative by adding the word "нет" (no) before "нехватка".

The sentence can be made past tense by changing the verb to "не хватало" (lacked).

English and Russian translation:

Lack: нехватка (neh-kvat-ka)

The next word is neither. The word "neither" is often used in English when discussing two options and rejecting both. In Russian, we use the word ни (pronounced "nee") which means "neither."

Here is a sentence using ни:

Я не люблю ни чай, ни кофе.

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "ya") means "I."

не (pronounced "nyeh") means "not."

люблю (pronounced "lyublyu") means "love."

ни (pronounced "nee") means "neither"

чай (pronounced "chay") means "tea."

ни (pronounced "nee") means "neither"

кофе (pronounced "kofe") means "coffee."

Translation: I love neither tea nor coffee.

Key Concepts:

ни is a negative word, similar to "not" and "no" in English.

ни must be used twice in this sentence because we are negating two things.

Pay attention to the correct placement of ни in the sentence.

Pronunciation Notes:

ни is pronounced like the English word "knee" but without the "e" sound.

The letter я is pronounced "ya," like the English word "ya" in "yeah".

The letter е is pronounced like the English word "yeh" but shorter.

The letter ч is pronounced like the English "ch" in "chair."

The letter к is pronounced like the English "k" but with a slight "h" sound at the end.

English: neither / Russian: ни (pronounced "nee")

The next word is horse. The Russian word for "horse" is лошадь (pronounced "lo-shad"). It is a feminine noun.

Here's a simple sentence using the word:

У меня есть красивая лошадь. У меня есть красивая лошадь.

Breakdown:

У меня У меня - This is a possessive phrase meaning "I have".

У У - This preposition is used to indicate possession and is pronounced "oo".

меня меня - This is the object pronoun meaning "me".

есть есть - This is the verb "to have" or "there is/are" and pronounced "yest". It is a very common verb.

красивая красивая - This is the feminine adjective meaning "beautiful". The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes.

лошадь лошадь - This is the feminine noun "horse".

Translation:

I have a beautiful horse.

Pronunciation Hints:

лошадь лошадь - Focus on the "o" and "a" sounds, the "sh" sound is very similar to the English "sh".

красивая красивая - The stress is on the second syllable.

Variations:

You can use the plural form of "лошадь" лошадь which is лошади (pronounced "lo-sha-dee") to mean "horses".

There are other words for "horse" in Russian, but "лошадь" лошадь is the most common.

English: horse - лошадь (lo-shad)

The next word is contain. This bottle бутылка буты́лка (boo-tyl-ka) contains содержит соде́ржит (suh-dye-rzhit) wine вино вино́ (vee-noh).

Breakdown:

содержит is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb содержать (suh-dye-r-zhat') to contain. The ending '-т' indicates that the subject is singular and the verb is in the present tense.

бутылка is the nominative singular form of the noun бутылка, which means "bottle".

вино is the nominative singular form of the noun вино, which means "wine".

Key Concepts:

The verb содержать is a transitive verb, meaning that it takes a direct object. The direct object is what is being contained. In this case, the direct object is the noun вино.

The verb содержать can also be used in a figurative sense, meaning "to include" or "to encompass". For example, you could say that a book книга кни́га (knee-ga) contains содержит a lot of information информации информа́ции (in-for-mat-sii).

Variations:

The past tense of содержать is содержал (suh-dye-r-zhal) for masculine singular, содержала (suh-dye-r-zhah-la) for feminine singular, and содержало (suh-dye-r-zhah-loh) for neuter singular.

The plural forms of the verb are содержат (suh-dye-r-zhat) for masculine and neuter plurals, and содержат (suh-dye-r-zhat) for feminine plural.

The past participle of содержать is содержащий (suh-dye-r-zhash-chiy) for masculine singular, содержащая (suh-dye-r-zhash-chaya) for feminine singular, and содержащее (suh-dye-r-zhash-chee) for neuter singular.

Pronunciation:

содержит (suh-dye-rzhit)

бутылка (boo-tyl-ka)

вино (vee-noh)

English Translation: The bottle contains wine.

The next word is relatively. The word "relatively" can be translated into Russian in several ways, depending on the context. Here is a common translation using the word относительно (pronounced "at-na-see-tel-na").

Sentence:

Эта проблема относительно проста. (pronounced "eh-ta pra-ble-ma at-na-see-tel-na pro-sta")

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This
проблема (pra-ble-ma) - problem
относительно (at-na-see-tel-na) - relatively
проста (pro-sta) - simple

Translation: This problem is relatively simple.

Key Concepts:

Относительно (at-na-see-tel-na) is a preposition that indicates a relative comparison. It means "in relation to" or "compared to."

Variations:

Сравнительно (srav-ni-tel-na) - comparatively

Отно́сительно (at-no-see-tel-na) - (more formal than относительно)

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in относительно (at-na-see-tel-na) falls on the third syllable.

The "o" in относительно (at-na-see-tel-na) is pronounced like the "o" in "hot" or "lot."

The "e" at the end of проста (pro-sta) is silent.

English: relatively, comparatively, in relation to, compared to

Russian: относительно (at-na-see-tel-na), сравнительно (srav-ni-tel-na), Отно́сительно (at-no-see-tel-na)

The next word is obviously. ## Obviously

English Sentence: It is obviously clear that the sky is blue.

Russian Sentence: Совершенно очевидно, что небо синее.

Breakdown:

Совершенно (pronounced suh-ver-shen-no) means "completely" or "entirely". It is an adverb, modifying the adjective очевидно.

очевидно (pronounced uh-che-vid-no) means "obviously" and is an adjective. It is the key word in our sentence.

что (pronounced shto) means "that" and is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause.

небо (pronounced ne-bo) means "sky" and is the subject of the subordinate clause.

синее (pronounced see-nye) means "blue" and is the predicate adjective of the subordinate clause. Note the "-е" ending on the adjective, indicating the neuter gender of the noun "sky" (небо).

Variations:

Очевидно, что... (pronounced uh-che-vid-no, shto...) is a very common phrase meaning "It is obvious that..."

Очевидно can also be used as an adverb, meaning "obviously" without a subordinate clause. For example, "Очевидно, он не прав." (pronounced uh-che-vid-no, on ne prav) - "Obviously, he is wrong."

English translation: completely obvious, that the sky is blue

Word & Pronunciation:

Obviously: очевидно (pronounced uh-che-vid-no)

The next word is pack. The word "pack" in English can mean many things, and it can be used as a noun, verb, or adjective. In Russian, it has a lot of variation in meaning as well. Here is a sentence that demonstrates "pack" as a noun:

Он взял свою сумку и упаковал ее в чемодан.

Он он (he) is the subject of the sentence, a third person singular pronoun.

взял взял (took) is the past tense of the verb "брать" брать (to take) and agrees with the subject "он" он (he).

свою свою (his) is a possessive adjective, meaning "his".

сумку сумку (bag) is a noun, feminine, in the accusative case.

и и (and) is a conjunction.

упаковал упаковал (packed) is the past tense of the verb "упаковать" упаковать (to pack) and agrees with the subject "он" он (he).

её её (it, referring to the bag) is a pronoun in the accusative case, agreeing with the noun "сумку" сумку (bag).

в в (in) is a preposition that indicates location.

чемодан чемодан (suitcase) is a noun, masculine, in the accusative case.

So the meaning of the sentence is: "He took his bag and packed it into a suitcase."

Pronunciation Guide:

он [ahn]

взял [vzyal]

свою [svoyu]

сумку [soomkoo]

и [ee]

упаковал [oopakav-al]

её [ee-yo]

в [v]

чемодан [chima-dan]

English: pack

Russian: упаковка [oopa-kovka] (noun, feminine) or упаковывать [oopa-kov-ivat'] (verb)

The next word is quite. The word "quite" in English can be tricky because it can be used to mean several different things. It's often used to intensify an adjective or adverb, meaning "very" or "to a considerable extent." It can also be used to mean "fairly" or "somewhat." It's important to pay attention to the context to know which meaning is intended.

Here is a Russian sentence using "quite" in the sense of "very":

Он был довольно уставшим после долгого дня.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case, pronounced like "ohn")

был - was (verb "to be" in the past tense, masculine singular, pronounced like "beel")

довольно - quite (adverb, pronounced like "davol'no")

уставшим - tired (adjective, masculine singular, instrumental case, pronounced like "oo-stav-sheem")

после - after (preposition, pronounced like "pos-lay")

долгого - long (adjective, masculine singular, genitive case, pronounced like "dol-goh-voh")

дня - day (noun, masculine, genitive case, pronounced like "dnya")

Translation: He was quite tired after a long day.

Key Concepts:

Adverb: довольно modifies the adjective уставшим

Instrumental Case: The adjective уставшим is in the instrumental case because it's used after the verb "to be" (был).

Variations:

The word "quite" can also be translated into Russian as вполне (vpolne) or достаточно (dostatochno). These variations may have slightly different nuances of meaning, and the choice depends on the context of the sentence.

Pronunciation:

довольно - [davol'no]

уставшим - [oo-stav-sheem]

после - [pos-lay]

долгого - [dol-goh-voh]

дня - [dnya]

The next word is go. Let's explore the verb "to go" in Russian.

The sentence: Я иду в университет.

Breakdown:

Я - I. This is the subject pronoun for the first person singular. Я is pronounced like "ya".

иду - present tense of the verb "to go" идти, meaning "I am going." It is conjugated in the first person singular. It is pronounced "ee-doo".

в - preposition "to" or "into." Pronounced "v".

университет - university. Pronounced "oo-nee-ver-see-teet".

Variations of the verb "to go":

Идём - we are going (first person plural)

Идёте - you are going (second person plural, informal)

Идут - they are going (third person plural)

This sentence is a great example of using the present tense of the verb "to go" in Russian. You can use it to talk about where you're going and what you're doing.

English: I am going to the university.

Russian: Я иду в университет.

Go - идти (pronounced "ee-dee-tee")

University - университет (pronounced "oo-nee-ver-see-teet")

The next word is change. The word "change" in English can be translated into Russian in a few ways depending on the context. Here is a sentence showing one way:

Sentence: Он изменил свой взгляд на жизнь.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: [ahn]) - He
изменил (pronunciation: [ee-zmye-neel]) - changed (masculine past tense of the verb изменить (to change)

свой (pronunciation: [svoy]) - his (possessive adjective, meaning "belonging to him")

взгляд (pronunciation: [vzglyad]) - view, outlook (noun)

на (pronunciation: [na]) - on, upon (preposition)

жизнь (pronunciation: [zhyzn]) - life (noun)

Translation: He changed his outlook on life.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and verbs agree in gender with the noun they modify. Here, изменил (changed) is masculine to agree with он (he) and свой (his) is also masculine.

Prepositions: The preposition на (on, upon) is used to indicate the object of the view (life).

Variations of the word "change":

изменять (to change) - This is the infinitive form of the verb.

изменение (change) - This is the noun form of the verb.

измениться (to change, to become different) - This is a reflexive verb that means to change oneself.

Pronunciation Tips:

и sounds like the "ee" in "see"

з sounds like the "z" in "zoo"

м sounds like the "m" in "moon"

н sounds like the "n" in "no"

ь is a soft sign and does not have a sound of its own, but influences the preceding consonant.

English Translation and Pronunciation:

change: [cheynj]

изменить: [ee-zmye-neet']

The next word is quality. The word "quality" in Russian is качество (pronounced kah-che-stvo). The ending "ство" is a common suffix used to form nouns in Russian that signify a quality or state. It is a very versatile word that can be used in many contexts. Here is an example sentence:

Качество этой книги очень высокое.

This translates to "The quality of this book is very high."

Breakdown:

Качество (kah-che-stvo): This is the noun "quality." The stress is on the second syllable, "che."

этой (eh-toy): This is the feminine form of the possessive adjective "this." It agrees in gender with the noun "book" (which is feminine in Russian).

книги (k-ni-gi): This is the genitive case of the noun "book." The genitive case is used to indicate possession.

очень (o-chen'): This is the adverb "very."

высокое (vi-so-kye): This is the neuter form of the adjective "high." It agrees in gender with the noun "quality."

Key concept: The sentence demonstrates how Russian adjectives agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. In this case, the adjective высокое ("high") is neuter and singular to match the noun качество ("quality").

Pronunciation guide:

качество (kah-che-stvo): The stress is on the second syllable, "che."

этой (eh-toy): The stress is on the first syllable, "eh."

книги (k-ni-gi): The stress is on the second syllable, "ni."

очень (o-chen'): The stress is on the first syllable, "o."

высокое (vi-so-kye): The stress is on the second syllable, "so."

English translation: quality - качество (kah-che-stvo)

The next word is usually. ## Обычно я хожу в магазин по субботам.

Breakdown:

Обычно (pronounced "ah-bee-ch-no") means "usually" in Russian. It's an adverb that modifies the verb. It signifies a common or habitual action.

я (pronounced "ya") is the pronoun "I" in Russian.

хожу (pronounced "ho-zhu") is the verb "to go" in the present tense, first person singular. This form indicates that the speaker regularly goes to the store.

в (pronounced "v") is the preposition "in" or "to" in Russian. It indicates the destination.

магазин (pronounced "ma-ga-zeen") is the noun "store" in Russian.

по (pronounced "pa") is the preposition "on" in Russian. It indicates the day of the week.

субботам (pronounced "soo-ba-tam") is the plural noun "Saturdays" in Russian.

Key Concept: The sentence structure in Russian often follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern.

Translation: I usually go to the store on Saturdays.

Word & Pronunciation:

Usually - Обычно (ah-bee-ch-no)

Go - хожу (ho-zhu)

Store - магазин (ma-ga-zeen)

Saturdays - субботам (soo-ba-tam)

Variations:

обычно can be replaced with часто (cha-sto), which means "often." This adds another layer of frequency to the statement.

в субботу (v soo-ba-too) - singular form of Saturdays, meaning "on Saturday"

You can also use по воскресеньям (pa vas-kre-sen-yam) - "on Sundays"

Memorization Tip: Connect the word обычно to the English word "usual" to help remember its meaning. The "usual" action in the sentence is going to the store on Saturdays.

The next word is form. The word "form" in English has many meanings and can be used in various contexts. In Russian, there are several words that can translate "form," depending on the specific meaning.

Here is a sentence using the word форма (pronounced "for-ma" with a short "o") meaning "shape" or "form".

Sentence:

Эта форма очень красивая.

[Translation: This form is very beautiful.]

Breakdown

Эта (pronounced "eh-ta") is a demonstrative adjective meaning "this" and it is used to identify the форма.

форма (pronounced "for-ma") is a noun and refers to the shape or form of the object being discussed.

очень (pronounced "oh-chen") is an adverb that means "very".

красивая (pronounced "kra-si-va-ya") is an adjective meaning "beautiful" and describes the форма.

The sentence is in the present tense and uses the nominative case for форма since it is the subject of the sentence.

Other meanings of "form":

бланк (pronounced "blank") - This word means "form" in the sense of a document or paper with blank spaces to be filled in.

Example: Заполните бланк заявки. (Fill out the application form).

форма (pronounced "for-ma") - This word is also used to describe a specific type or style, such as a form of government or a type of art.

Example: Эта форма искусства очень популярна. (This form of art is very popular).

Tips for pronunciation:

Pay attention to the stress in the words.

Practice the sounds of the Russian letters а, е, о, и, and у, as they are not pronounced exactly like their English counterparts.

Remember that ы (pronounced "uh") is a separate vowel sound that does not exist in English.

English-Russian Translation:

form: форма (pronounced "for-ma")

The next word is could. The word "could" in English expresses the ability or possibility of doing something in the past, but it can also be used to ask for permission or make a polite request. In Russian, the word "could" has several translations depending on the context.

The sentence below uses the Russian word мог (pronounced "mohg") which means "could" or "was able to".

Он мог бы помочь тебе.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He
мог (mohg) - could
бы (buh) - would (this is a particle that adds a conditional meaning to the verb)

помочь (pah-mohch) - help
тебе (tye-bye) - you (dative case)

Translation: He could have helped you.

Variations:

If you want to express that someone was able to do something in the past, you can use the past tense of the verb "мочь" (moch), which is "мог" (mohg) for the masculine singular.

If you want to ask permission, you would use the word "можно" (mozh-no), which means "can." For example, "Можно ли мне войти?" (Mozh-no lee mnye voy-tee?) Means "Can I come in?"

If you want to make a polite request, you would use the word "могли бы" (mog-li bi) which means "could" or "would you mind." For example, "Вы могли бы, пожалуйста, передать мне соль?" (Vi mog-li bi, pozhaluysta, perye-dat mnye sol?) Means "Could you please pass me the salt?"

Pronunciation:

мог (mohg) - The "g" sound is similar to the "g" in "go".

бы (buh) - The "b" sound is similar to the "b" in "but".

помочь (pah-mohch) - The "ч" (ch) sound is similar to the "ch" in "chair."

English Translation and Pronunciation:

Could - (ko͝od)

мог (mohg)

The next word is reader. The word "reader" in Russian can be читатель (chita-tel) which is a noun meaning a person who reads. This is the most common way to say "reader" in Russian. It is a masculine noun.

Example sentence:

Этот читатель любит читать книги о путешествиях. (etot chita-tel lyubit chit-at' kni-gi o pu-teshest-vi-yakh)

Breakdown:

Этот (etot) - This (masculine form of "this" or "that").

читатель (chita-tel) - reader
любит (lyubit) - loves
читать (chit-at') - to read
книги (kni-gi) - books
о (o) - about
путешествиях (pu-teshest-vi-yakh) - travel

Translation: This reader loves to read books about travel.

Key concepts:

- The verb "to read" in Russian is читать (chit-at'), which is an irregular verb.

- The word for "book" is книга (kni-ga).

- The word for "travel" is путешествие (pu-teshest-vie), which can be used both as a noun (journey, trip) and a verb (to travel).

Pronounciation
читатель (chita-tel) - "chee-ta-tel"

книга (kni-ga) - "k-ni-ga"

путешествие (pu-teshest-vie) - "poo-tye-shest-vie"

You can also use чтение (ch-te-ni-ye) ("ch-te-ni-ye") which is a noun for "reading", but it implies the act of reading rather than the person reading. It is a neutral noun.

Example sentence:

Чтение - это увлекательное хобби. (ch-te-ni-ye - eto uvleka-tel-noye hobbi)

Breakdown:

Чтение (ch-te-ni-ye) - reading
это (eto) - this/that
увлекательное (uvleka-tel-noye) - fascinating, captivating
хобби (hobbi) - hobby

Translation: Reading is a fascinating hobby.

The next word is sun. The sun is shining brightly today.

Солнце сегодня светит ярко.

Солнце (pronounced: [SOHN-tse]) - sun
сегодня (pronounced: [si-GOHD-nya]) - today
светит (pronounced: [SVEH-tit]) - shines
ярко (pronounced: [YAR-ka]) - brightly

Key concepts:

Word order: The subject (Солнце) comes first, followed by the verb (светит), then the adverb (ярко), and finally the time expression (сегодня). This is a typical word order for declarative sentences in Russian.

Present tense: The verb (светит) is in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now.

Adverb: The word (ярко) describes how the sun shines.

Variations:

You can use different adverbs to describe how the sun shines, such as:

слабо (pronounced: [SLA-ba]) - weakly

тепло (pronounced: [TYEP-la]) - warmly

тускло (pronounced: [TOOS-kla]) - dimly

Translation:

The sun today shines brightly.

The next word is fail. The student провалил экзамен.

Провалил is the masculine past tense form of the verb провалить meaning "to fail."

Экзамен means "exam."

The word провалить is a very common verb that can also be used to describe failing a test, a mission, or even a plan.

провалил (pronounced: pra-va-leel) - failed
экзамен (pronounced: ek-za-men) - exam

The student failed the exam.

The next word is question. The word "question" in Russian is вопрос (pronounced voh-pross).

Example Sentence:

У меня есть вопрос к вам. Вы можете мне помочь?

Breakdown:

У меня есть (oo-mye-nya-yest) means "I have"

вопрос (voh-pross) means "question"

к вам (k vam) means "to you"

Вы (vi) means "you" (formal, used when addressing someone you don't know well)

можете (mo-zhuh-tye) means "can" (formal, used with Вы)

мне (mnyeh) means "me"

помочь (pa-mohch) means "help"

Translation:

I have a question for you. Can you help me?

Key Concepts:

Formal vs. Informal: In Russian, there are formal and informal ways to address people. You would use the formal "Вы" with a professor or someone you don't know well. With close friends and family, you would use "ты".

Word Order: Russian word order can be quite flexible, but the subject usually comes before the verb.

Pronunciation:

вопрос (voh-pross)

Вы (vi)

можете (mo-zhuh-tye)

мне (mnyeh)

помочь (pa-mohch)

Variations:

The word "вопрос" can also be used in the plural form, "вопросы" (voh-pro-sy) meaning "questions".

This sentence provides a good example of how to use the word "question" in a formal context. Remember, practice makes perfect!

The next word is beat. The word "beat" in English can be used as a verb or a noun, meaning "to strike repeatedly" or "a regular pulsation," respectively. In the following sentence, we use the verb "to beat."

Сердце сильно билось в груди.

This translates to: The heart beat strongly in the chest.

The Russian word билось [bee-lohss] is in the past tense and is the neuter gender form of the verb бить [beet'] which means "to beat".

Note that the Russian word for "heart" сердце [ser-d-tse] is neuter gender. This means that we use the neuter gender form of the verb "to beat" билось [bee-lohss].

In this sentence, the word сильно [see-l'-no] "strongly" is an adverb modifying the verb билось [bee-lohss] It is used to describe the intensity of the beating.

The preposition в [v] "in" is used to show the location of the beating. The word груди [groo-dee] "chest" is in the nominative case because it is the object of the preposition в [v].

The sentence uses the past tense, which is indicated by the ending -лось [-lohss] of the verb билось [bee-lohss]. This indicates that the beating happened in the past.

Here are some other ways the word "beat" can be translated into Russian:

"To beat" (as a verb) бить [beet'], победить [puh-bee-dee-t'] (to defeat, to win)

"Beat" (as a noun) удар [oo-dar] (blow, strike)

Remember to practice the pronunciation of these Russian words to improve your fluency.

The next word is otherwise. ## Otherwise

The word "otherwise" can be used to express an alternative or a consequence.

Example Sentence:

Я бы пошёл на вечеринку, но я болею. В противном случае, я бы пошёл.

Breakdown:

Я Я (Ya) - I (pronoun) - pronounced "Ya"

бы бы (by) - would (particle) - pronounced "bee"

пошёл пошёл (poshol) - went (verb) - pronounced "pah-shohl"

на на (na) - to/on/at (preposition) - pronounced "na"

вечеринку вечеринку (vecherinku) - party (noun) - pronounced "ve-che-rin-koo"

но но (no) - but (conjunction) - pronounced "no"

я я (ya) - I (pronoun) - pronounced "Ya"

болею болею (boleiu) - am sick (verb) - pronounced "bah-lay-yoo"

В противном случае В противном случае (V protivnom sluchae) - Otherwise - pronounced "V pro-teev-nahm slu-cha-ye"

я я (ya) - I (pronoun) - pronounced "Ya"

бы бы (by) - would (particle) - pronounced "bee"

пошёл пошёл (poshol) - went (verb) - pronounced "pah-shohl"

Translation:

"I would go to the party, but I am sick. Otherwise, I would go."

Key Concepts:

Conditional Clauses: The sentence uses a conditional clause with "бы" (would) to express a hypothetical situation.

Particle "бы": The particle "бы" is used to express hypothetical situations, possibilities, or wishes.

Preposition "В" and "противном случае": The preposition "В" is used with "противном случае" to express "in the opposite case."

Variations of "иначе" (otherwise):

В противном случае (V protivnom sluchae) is the most common and formal variation.

Иначе (inache) is a more informal and casual variation.

English Translation: otherwise - иначе (inache) - pronounced "ee-na-che"

The next word is say. English Sentence: He said that he was going to the store.

Russian Sentence: Он сказал, что он пойдёт в магазин.

Breakdown:

Он (Ohn) - He
сказал (ska-zal) - said. This is the past tense of the verb сказать (ska-zat') - to say. This verb is irregular, and it's important to learn its different forms.

что (chto) - that
он (ohn) - he
пойдёт (pay-dyot) - will go. This is the future tense of the verb идти (ee-tee) - to go. The future tense in Russian is formed by combining the verb идти with the appropriate ending. In this case, the ending is -ёт (-yot) because the subject is он (ohn) - he.

в (v) - to/in, used for direction
магазин (ma-ga-zeen) - store

Translation: He said that he would go to the store.

Key Concept: The verb сказать (ska-zat') - to say is irregular, but it is very common and you will see it frequently. It's worth learning its various forms.

Variations:

сказала (ska-za-la) - she said
сказали (ska-za-li) - they said.

English to Russian Translation: say - сказать (ska-zat')

The next word is realize. ## Я я реализую свою свою мечту. мечту.

Breakdown:

Я я - I (pronunciation: [ya])

реализую reali-zu-yu - realize (present tense, 1st person singular)

свою svo-yu - my (feminine singular)

мечту mech-tu - dream (feminine singular)

. - period

Meaning: I am realizing my dream.

Key concepts:

Verbs in Russian: Russian verbs change their endings depending on the person, number, and tense.

Possessive adjectives: In Russian, possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.) agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Variations:

Present tense:

Ты ty реализуешь reali-zu-yesh свою svo-yu мечту mech-tu. - You are realizing your dream.

Он on реализует reali-zu-yet свою svo-yu мечту mech-tu. - He is realizing his dream.

Она ona реализует reali-zu-yet свою svo-yu мечту mech-tu. - She is realizing her dream.

Past tense:

Я ya реализовал reali-zo-val свою svo-yu мечту mech-tu. - I realized my dream. (masculine singular)

Я ya реализовала reali-zo-va-la свою svo-yu мечту mech-tu. - I realized my dream. (feminine singular)

Pronunciation:

реализовать reali-zo-vat' - realize (verb infinitive)

мечта mech-ta - dream

English to Russian translation:

realize - реализовать reali-zo-vat'

The next word is traffic. The word "traffic" in Russian is трафик (pronounced "trah-fik"). It is often used to refer to the amount of internet traffic a website receives.

Here is a Russian sentence using "traffic":

Сайт получает много трафика.

Сайт (pronounced "sahyt") means "website."

получает (pronounced "poluchayet") means "receives."

много (pronounced "mnogo") means "a lot of".

трафика (pronounced "trah-fika") means "traffic."

Translation: "The website receives a lot of traffic."

Key Concepts:

The word "traffic" is a cognate, meaning it is similar in form and meaning to the English word.

The Russian word for "website" is сайт, which is also a cognate.

The sentence uses the present tense of the verb "to receive." The present tense is formed by adding the ending -ет to the verb stem. In this case, the verb stem is получа and the present tense ending is ет.

Variations:

The word трафик can also refer to traffic on the road. For example, you could say В городе много трафика. ("There is a lot of traffic in the city.")

The word трафик can be used in other contexts as well, such as in the context of marketing or advertising.

Pronunciation:

трафик (pronounced "trah-fik")

сайт (pronounced "sahyt")

получает (pronounced "poluchayet")

много (pronounced "mnogo")

English Translation: traffic - трафик (pronounced "trah-fik")

The next word is confidence. У него у него (u ni-vo) - he has, it is his
нет нет (nyet) - no
сомнений сомнений (som-nye-niy) - doubts
в в (v) - in
своих своих (svoi-kh) - his own
способностях способностях (sposob-nos-tyakh) - abilities

He has no doubt in his own abilities.

This sentence uses the preposition в (v) which means "in." В (v) often works in conjunction with the noun to show the object of an action or a characteristic of the subject.

Key Concepts

- In Russian, the preposition comes before the noun.

- нет (nyet) is a very important word that means "no."

- сомнений (som-nye-niy) - This word is in the genitive case which is used to show possession. In this case, it is the object of the preposition в (v). The genitive case can be used to show the object of other prepositions.

Translation

- Confidence: уверенность (u-vy-ren-nost)

- Abilities: способности (sposob-nos-ti)

The next word is conflict. The conflict between the two countries has been going on for decades.

Конфликт между двумя странами продолжается уже десятилетия.

Breakdown:

Конфликт ([kon-f-likt]) - conflict
между ([m-zh-doo]) - between
двумя ([dv-oo-mya]) - two
странами ([stra-na-mi]) - countries
продолжается ([pra-dal-zha-yet-sa]) - continues
уже ([oo-zhe]) - already
десятилетия ([d-say-tye-le-ti-ya]) - decades

Key Concepts:

The word конфликт is masculine and can be used for both internal and external conflict.

The preposition между is used to indicate "between" two or more things.

The word страна is feminine and means "country."

The present tense of the verb продолжаться is used to describe an ongoing action.

The adverb уже is used to indicate that something has already happened.

The word десятилетия is a plural noun meaning "decades."

Variations of the word "conflict":

конфликтующий ([kon-f-likt-oo-yu-sh-chiy]) - conflicting
конфликтовать ([kon-f-likt-ov-at]) - to conflict

The next word is video. The word видео (pronounced vee-dee-oh) is a noun and means "video" in English.

Here is a sentence using this word:

Я люблю смотреть видео на YouTube. Я (pronounced ya) means "I", люблю (pronounced lyublyu) means "love", смотреть (pronounced smotret') means "to watch", на (pronounced na) means "on", and YouTube is a proper noun, pronounced just like in English.

Translation: I love to watch videos on YouTube.

Key concept: The word видео is a neuter noun and takes the nominative case because it is the direct object of the verb смотреть.

Variation: You can also use the word видео in the plural form, видео (pronounced vee-dee-oh), meaning "videos".

Pronunciation hints: The letter е at the end of the word видео is pronounced like the "e" in "the". The letter о is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

The next word is economic. The Russian sentence is: Экономика России развивается быстро.

Breakdown:

Экономика (ekonomika) - This is the noun for "economics" or "economy." The stress is on the second syllable, "no." Think of it as "eh-koh-NOH-mee-ka."

России (Rossii) - This is the genitive case of Россия (Rossiya), which means "Russia." The stress is on the second syllable, "si." Think of it as "roh-SEE-ya." The genitive case is used to show possession, just like the English 's. Here, it shows that the economy belongs to Russia.

развивается (razvivaetsya) - This is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb развиваться (razvivat'sya), which means "to develop" or "to grow." The stress is on the third syllable, "va." Think of it as "rahz-vee-VAH-yet-syah." In this context, it means "is developing."

быстро (bystro) - This is an adverb meaning "quickly" or "rapidly." The stress is on the first syllable, "by." Think of it as "BISS-troh."

Full Sentence Translation: The economy of Russia is developing quickly.

English Word: economic

Russian Word: экономический (ekonomicheskiy)

Pronunciation: eh-koh-NOH-mee-ches-kee

English Word: economy

Russian Word: экономика (ekonomika)

Pronunciation: eh-koh-NOH-mee-ka

The next word is organize. The word "organize" in Russian is организовать (or-ga-ni-zo-vat').

Here is a sentence using the word:

Нам нужно организовать конференцию по русской литературе.

Breakdown:

Нам (nam) - This is the dative case of the pronoun мы (my) meaning 'we'. It means "to us".

нужно (noozh-no) - This is the short form of the adjective необходимый (ne-ob-ho-di-my) meaning "necessary".

организовать (or-ga-ni-zo-vat') - This is the infinitive form of the verb meaning "to organize"

конференцию (kon-fe-ren-tsiu) - This is the accusative case of the noun конференция (kon-fe-ren-tsia) meaning "conference".

по (pa) - This preposition means "about" or "on"

русской (rus-skoi) - This is the dative case of the adjective русский (rus-skii) meaning "Russian".

литературе (li-te-ra-tu-re) - This is the dative case of the noun литература (li-te-ra-tu-ra) meaning "literature".

Translation: We need to organize a conference on Russian literature.

Key Concept: The Russian language uses different cases for nouns and adjectives, depending on their function in the sentence. This can make it challenging for English speakers to learn, but it is important to master these cases to understand Russian grammar.

Pronunciation: Remember that the stress in Russian words is not always predictable. Pay close attention to the stress markers in the breakdown.

English to Russian: organize - организовать (or-ga-ni-zo-vat')

The next word is marriage. The word "marriage" in Russian is брак (pronounced brahk). It's a masculine noun.

Here's a sentence:

Брак должен быть основан на любви и взаимном уважении.

Брак (brahk) - marriage (masculine noun)

должен (dolzhen) - should, must, has to (verb, masculine singular)

быть (byt') - to be (verb, infinitive)

основан (osnovan) - founded, based (past participle, masculine singular)

на (na) - on, upon (preposition)

любви (lyubvi) - love (feminine noun)

и (i) - and (conjunction)

взаимном (vzaimnom) - mutual (adjective, masculine singular)

уважении (uvazhenii) - respect (neuter noun)

Translation: Marriage should be based on love and mutual respect.

Key Concept: Russian grammar is highly inflected, meaning that words change form depending on their role in a sentence. Here we see the masculine singular forms of the adjectives and past participles, as well as the use of prepositions.

Variations:

The adjective взаимный (vzaimny) can be used in different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies. For example, it could be взаимная (vzaimnaya) for a feminine noun or взаимные (vzaimnye) for a plural noun.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "a" in брак (brahk) has a similar sound to the "a" in "father".

The "o" in должен (dolzhen) sounds like the "o" in "hot".

The "u" in уважении (uvazhenii) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon".

The stress is on the first syllable in most Russian words.

English: marriage /ˈmærɪdʒ/

Russian: брак /brak/

The next word is stage. The English word "stage" can have multiple meanings in Russian. Here is one example sentence:

Актеры вышли на сцену.

Breakdown:

Актеры (pronounced: ahk-TYOR-ee) - actors (plural)

вышли (pronounced: VISH-lee) - past tense of the verb "to go out"

на (pronounced: nah) - on (preposition)

сцену (pronounced: STSE-noo) - stage (noun, feminine)

Meaning: The actors went out onto the stage.

Variations:

сцена (pronounced: STSE-na) - stage (noun, feminine, singular)

сценический (pronounced: stse-NI-ches-kiy) - stage (adjective)

Key Concept: The word сцена is a noun that can be used to refer to a stage in a theater, or more generally, a stage in a process.

English: stage / steɪʤ/

Russian: сцена /stse-na/

The next word is site. The word "site" in English can be used as a noun meaning a place, location, or position. It can also be used as a verb meaning to place or position something.

Here is a Russian sentence using the noun form of "site" :

На этом сайте есть много интересной информации.

Breakdown:

На (pronounced "na") - This is a preposition meaning "on" or "at". Prepositions show the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence.

этом (pronounced "eh-tom") - This is a demonstrative adjective meaning "this". Demonstrative adjectives show which item you are referring to. In this case, it is modifying the noun "site".

сайте (pronounced "sahy-tee") - This is the noun form of the word "site" in Russian.

есть (pronounced "yest") - This is a verb meaning "there is/are". In this context, it is referring to the existence of information.

много (pronounced "mnogo") - This is an adjective meaning "much" or "many". It modifies the noun "information".

интересной (pronounced "in-te-res-noy") - This is an adjective meaning "interesting". The ending "ой" makes it feminine to agree with the noun "information".

информации (pronounced "in-for-mat-sii") - This is the noun form of the word "information" in Russian. It is the direct object of the verb "есть".

Translation: There is a lot of interesting information on this site.

Pronunciation Key
а - pronounced like the "a" in "father"

е - pronounced like the "e" in "bed"

и - pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

о - pronounced like the "o" in "hot"

у - pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

ы - pronounced like the "y" in "my"

э - pronounced like the "e" in "get"

ю - pronounced like the "u" in "flute"

я - pronounced like the "ya" in "yard"

Word Variations:

Сайт (pronounced "sahyt") - This is the masculine form of the word "site".

Сайтe (pronounced "sahy-tee") - This is the plural form of the word "site".

сайты (pronounced "sahy-ty") - This is the plural form of the word "site".

English Translation: site - сайт

The next word is survey. The word survey can be translated into Russian as опрос (pronounced [uh-prohs]), which is a noun meaning "survey, poll, questionnaire."

Here is an example sentence:

Профессор провёл опрос студентов о их любимых книгах.

Breakdown:

Профессор (pronounced [pruh-fye-sor]) - Professor
провёл (pronounced [pruh-vyohl]) - past tense of the verb проводить (to conduct, to carry out)

опрос (pronounced [uh-prohs]) - survey
студентов (pronounced [stoo-den-taff]) - students (genitive plural)

о (pronounced [uh]) - about
их (pronounced [eehkh]) - their
любимых (pronounced [lyoo-bee-mikh]) - favorite (plural)

книгах (pronounced [k-nee-gahk]) - books (prepositional plural)

Translation: The professor conducted a survey of the students about their favorite books.

Variations of the word опрос:

анкета (pronounced [ahn-kye-ta]) - questionnaire
социологический опрос (pronounced [suh-tsi-uh-loh-gee-ches-kee uh-prohs]) - sociological survey

Helpful hints on pronunciation:

The stress in Russian words is usually on the penultimate syllable (the second to last syllable).

The letter "о" (pronounced [oh]) is often reduced to a short "uh" sound in unstressed syllables.

The letter "е" (pronounced [ye]) at the end of a word is usually silent.

English to Russian: survey - опрос (pronounced [uh-prohs])

The next word is holiday. The word "holiday" in English has a few meanings. It could refer to a vacation or a day that is celebrated with a break from work or school. In Russian, there are two words that are relevant. The first is праздник (pronounced prazdnik) and the second is каникулы (pronounced kanikuly).

The word праздник can refer to a religious or secular holiday or celebration, such as Christmas or New Year's Day. This word can also refer to a day off work or school. It is most similar to the English word holiday in the sense that it's a day for celebration or a day off.

The word каникулы refers to a vacation period, especially for students. This word is often used to refer to a break from school, such as summer vacation.

Here is a sentence using both words:

Мы любим праздники, особенно новогодние каникулы! Мы любим праздники, особенно новогодние каникулы! (pronounced My lyubim prazdniki, osobenno novogodnie kanikuly!)

Breakdown:

Мы (pronounced my) - We
любим (pronounced lyubim) - love
праздники (pronounced prazdniki) - holidays
особенно (pronounced osobenno) - especially
новогодние (pronounced novogodnie) - New Year's
каникулы (pronounced kanikuly) - vacation

Translation: We love holidays, especially the New Year's vacation!

Key Concepts:

праздник and каникулы are both important words to learn for understanding holidays and vacations in Russian.

The word особенно (especially) is a useful word to know when you want to emphasize something.

Pronunciation Hints:

The "ы" sound in мы is similar to the "ee" sound in the English word "see".

The "и" sound in любим is similar to the "ee" sound in the English word "see".

The "е" sound in праздники is similar to the "e" sound in the English word "bed".

The "о" sound in особенно is similar to the "o" sound in the English word "go".

The "а" sound in новогодние is similar to the "a" sound in the English word "father".

The "у" sound in каникулы is similar to the "oo" sound in the English word "moon".

English-Russian Translation:

Holiday - праздник (prazdnik) or каникулы (kanikuly)

The next word is visitor. The word "visitor" in Russian is визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) and is a noun that means a person who is visiting a place. Here is an example sentence using "visitor":

Визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) посетил (pronounced pa-see-teel) музей (pronounced moo-zay).

The sentence means: "The visitor visited the museum".

Breakdown

Визитёр - The noun визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) means "visitor". It is in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

посетил - This is the past tense of the verb посещать (pronounced pa-see-chat') which means "to visit". In this sentence, it is in the masculine singular form because the subject визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) is masculine.

музей - This is the noun музей (pronounced moo-zay) meaning "museum". It is in the accusative case, which is the object of the verb.

In Russian, the accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb. This means that the object is directly affected by the action of the verb.

In this sentence, the visitor (subject) is the one who is doing the action of visiting the museum (object). This means the museum is directly affected by the visitor.

Important Note:

The word визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) can be used for both men and women, but the masculine form is more common.

You can easily use визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) in a sentence with other verbs that are related to visiting, such as:

прийти (pronounced pree-tee) - "to come"

уйти (pronounced oo-tee) - "to leave"

осмотреть (pronounced ah-sma-tree-t') - "to inspect"

English Translation
визитёр (pronounced vee-zee-tyor) - visitor
посетил (pronounced pa-see-teel) - visited
музей (pronounced moo-zay) - museum

The next word is public. The word "public" can be tricky in Russian, as it has different meanings depending on the context. Here's a sentence using a common variation:

Эта информация является общедоступной

Eta informatsiya yavlyaetsya obshchedostupnoy

This information is publicly available.

Breakdown:

Эта Eta - This (feminine singular) (pronounced like "Eh-ta")

информация informatsiya - Information (pronounced like "in-for-mat-see-ya")

является yavlyaetsya - is (pronounced like "yav-lyay-et-sya")

общедоступной obshchedostupnoy - publicly available (pronounced like "ob-shche-do-stup-noy")

Key concepts:

The word "public" in Russian is often expressed with the adjective общественный obshchestvennyy (pronounced like "ob-shchest-ven-nyy").

The word общедоступный obshchedostupnyy (pronounced like "ob-shche-do-stup-nyy") is a more specific adjective meaning publicly available or accessible.

The feminine singular form of the adjective общедоступный obshchedostupnyy is общедоступная obshchedostupnaya.

English to Russian:

Public: общественный obshchestvennyy (pronounced like "ob-shchest-ven-nyy")

Publicly available: общедоступный obshchedostupnyy (pronounced like "ob-shche-do-stup-nyy")

The next word is responsible. The English word "responsible" can be translated into Russian as ответственный (pronounced ot-vet-stven-nyy). It can also be used as an adjective, "ответственная" otvetstvennaya (pronounced ot-vet-stven-naya) for feminine nouns and "ответственное" otvetstvennoe (pronounced ot-vet-stven-noe) for neuter nouns. It's important to note that in Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Here is a sample sentence:

Студентка была ответственной и всегда сдавала домашние задания вовремя. (pronounced stu-dent-ka byla ot-vet-stven-naya i vseg-da zda-va-la da-mash-nie za-da-niya vo-vrem-ya).

Breakdown:

Студентка (pronounced stu-dent-ka) - means "female student"

была (pronounced byla) - past tense of "to be," meaning "was"

ответственной (pronounced ot-vet-stven-noy) - means "responsible" and agrees with "studentka"

и (pronounced i) - means "and"

всегда (pronounced vseg-da) - means "always"

сдавала (pronounced zda-va-la) - past tense of "to submit," meaning "submitted"

домашние (pronounced da-mash-nie) - means "homework"

задания (pronounced za-da-niya) - means "assignments"

вовремя (pronounced vo-vrem-ya) - means "on time"

Translation:

The student was responsible and always submitted her homework on time.

The word ответственный (pronounced ot-vet-stven-nyy) is a very useful word to know in Russian. It is used in many different contexts, so learning how to use it correctly is essential for good communication.

English: responsible

Russian: ответственный (pronounced ot-vet-stven-nyy)

The next word is attempt. The English word "attempt" can be translated into Russian as попытка (pronounced "pa-pyt-ka") which means "attempt" or "effort." The word is feminine in gender and in the nominative case (the subject of a sentence). The word попытка is also used in the accusative case when referring to a direct object, such as in "Я сделал попытку" (I made an attempt), or the prepositional case with the preposition "о" (about), such as in "Говорили о попытке бежать" (They talked about an attempt to escape). Here is an example sentence using this word:

Он сделал попытку решить задачу, но у него ничего не вышло. (Ohn sdyelal pa-pyt-ku ri-shit za-da-chu, no u nye-vo ni-che-vo ne vy-shlo.)

English translation: He attempted to solve the problem, but he didn't succeed.

This sentence uses the verb сделать (sdyelat) which means "to do" or "to make" and the noun задача (za-da-cha) which means "task" or "problem".

English: attempt попытка (pa-pyt-ka)

Russian: попытка popytka (pa-pyt-ka)

The next word is count. English: I counted three students in the classroom.

Russian: Я посчитал трёх студентов в аудитории. Ya poschital tryokh studentov v auditorii.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (personal pronoun, nominative case)

посчитал poschital - counted (past tense, masculine singular, perfective aspect) - "chi" sounds like "chee"

трёх tryokh - three (accusative case, masculine, plural) - "yo" in "tryokh" sounds like "yo" in "yo-yo"

студентов studentov - students (accusative case, masculine, plural) - "o" in "studentov" sounds like "o" in "not"

в v - in (preposition) - "v" sounds like "v" in "vest"

аудитории auditorii - classroom (prepositional case, feminine, singular) - "i" in "auditorii" sounds like "ee" in "see"

Key Concepts:

Perfective vs. Imperfective Aspect: Russian verbs have two aspects: perfective and imperfective. The perfective aspect emphasizes the completion of the action, while the imperfective aspect focuses on the action itself. In the sentence, посчитал poschital is perfective, indicating that the counting action was completed.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb.

Gender and Number: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural). The gender and number of a noun determine the form of the adjective or pronoun that modifies it.

Variations of the Word:

считать schitat (to count) - imperfective aspect.

подсчитать podschitat (to count up) - perfective aspect.

пересчитать pereschitat (to recount) - perfective aspect.

English: count (noun) [kaʊnt]

Russian: счёт schyot (count, score)

English: count (verb) [kaʊnt]

Russian: считать schitat (to count)

The next word is because. The word "because" in Russian is потому что (pronounced "pa-ta-moo chta").

Here is an example sentence:

Я не пошёл в кино, потому что был занят. (pronounced "Ya nye pashol v kino, pa-ta-moo chta byl zanyat").

Breakdown:

Я (pronounced "Ya") - I
не (pronounced "nye") - not
пошёл (pronounced "pashol") - went (masculine past tense of идти (pronounced "idti") - to go)

в (pronounced "v") - to, into
кино (pronounced "kino") - cinema
потому что (pronounced "pa-ta-moo chta") - because
был (pronounced "byl") - was (masculine past tense of быть (pronounced "byt") - to be)

занят (pronounced "zanyat") - busy

Translation: I didn't go to the cinema because I was busy.

Key concepts:

Word order: The word order in Russian is subject-verb-object.

Case endings: In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this case, the noun кино is in the accusative case because it is the object of the verb пошёл.

Prepositions: Prepositions in Russian are often followed by a specific case. The preposition в is followed by the accusative case.

Tenses: Russian verbs have different forms for different tenses. In this sentence, the verb пошёл is in the past tense.

Gender agreement: The adjective занят agrees in gender with the subject Я.

Variations:

You can use так как (pronounced "tak kak") - as, since, because in place of потому что in many cases.

You can also use из-за (pronounced "iz-za") - because of to show that something is the reason for something else, but it’s usually used in negative sentences. For example, Я не пошёл в кино из-за дождя (pronounced "Ya nye pashol v kino iz-za dozhdya") - I didn’t go to the cinema because of the rain.

Pronunciation:

потому что - "pa-ta-moo chta"

так как - "tak kak"

из-за - "iz-za"

English translation: Because

Russian translation: потому что

The next word is official. The word "official" can be translated into Russian as официальный (pronounced ah-fee-tsee-al-niy).

Here's an example of how to use it in a sentence:

Это официальный документ. (Eh-to ah-fee-tsee-al-niy da-koo-ment.)

This is an official document.

Breakdown:

Это (Eh-to) - This (it is a demonstrative pronoun, used to point out something)

официальный (ah-fee-tsee-al-niy) - official (an adjective, describing the document)

документ (da-koo-ment) - document (a noun)

Key Concepts:

Adjectives: In Russian, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in gender, number and case. In this sentence, официальный agrees with the masculine singular noun документ.

Word Order: While Russian word order is generally more flexible than English, the basic word order in this sentence is Subject - Adjective - Noun.

Variations of "Official":

The word официальный can also be used as a noun, meaning "official" or "person in authority". For example: Он был официальным представителем компании. (He was the company's official representative).

English Translation of Words:

официальный (ah-fee-tsee-al-niy) - official
документ (da-koo-ment) - document

Это (Eh-to) - This

The next word is person. The word человек (chelovek) means "person" in Russian. It is a noun, meaning it is a thing or a person. You can use it in a sentence like:

Я видел человека на улице. (Ya videl cheloveka na ulitse.)

This means: "I saw a person on the street".

The word человек (chelovek) is pronounced like "che-lo-vek".

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced as "Ya")

видел (videl) - saw (pronounced as "vi-del")

человека (cheloveka) - person (pronounced as "che-lo-ve-ka")

на (na) - on (pronounced as "na")

улице (ulitse) - street (pronounced as "oo-lit-se")

"Person" in Russian can also be люди (lyudi) in the plural.

Example: Люди стоят в очереди. (Lyudi stoyat v ocheredi). This means: "People are standing in line."

Люди (lyudi) - People (pronounced "lyu-di")

стоят (stoyat) - are standing (pronounced "stoy-at")

в (v) - in (pronounced "v")

очереди (ocheredi) - line (pronounced "o-che-re-di")

Remember that человек (chelovek) is singular and люди (lyudi) is plural. The word человек (chelovek) is very common and useful in Russian.

The next word is positive. The sentence:

У него положительное отношение к жизни.

Breakdown:

У него - This is the genitive case of the pronoun "he" and means "he has". У is a preposition that means "at" or "by" here. него is the genitive form of он (he).

положительное - This is the adjective meaning "positive". It is in the nominative case and is modifying the noun отношение (attitude)

отношение - This is the noun meaning "attitude". It is in the nominative case and is the subject of the sentence.

к жизни - This is the dative case of the noun жизнь (life) meaning "to life".

English Translation: He has a positive attitude towards life.

Key Concepts:

The genitive case in Russian often translates to "of" or "having" in English.

The dative case in Russian often translates to "to" or "for" in English.

Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.

Pronunciation:

У него - [oo nyeh-goh]

положительное - [puh-luh-jee-teel-nyeh]

отношение - [at-nah-sheh-nee-yeh]

к жизни - [k zhi-zni]

Variations:

положительный - masculine form of the adjective
положительная - feminine form of the adjective
положительное - neuter form of the adjective
положительные - plural form of the adjective

English: Positive - [pah-zuh-tiv]

Russian: положительный - [puh-luh-jee-teel-ny]

The next word is failure. Он потерпел неудачу в своих попытках

- This sentence means "He failed in his attempts"

- Он - he. Pronounced like "on" but with a short "o" sound.

- потерпел - past tense of the verb "to suffer," but in this context, it means "to fail" Pronounced like "po-ter-pel"

- неудачу - failure. Pronounced like "ny-oo-da-choo"

- в - in. Pronounced like "v"

- своих - his. Pronounced like "svo-ikh"

- попытках - attempts. Pronounced like "pa-pyt-kahkh"

This is a good example of how a single word in English can have several different meanings in Russian. "To fail" is expressed with the verb "to suffer," which is a bit odd for English speakers.

- потерпеть - to suffer (in general). Pronounced like "po-ter-pet' "

- неудача - failure. Pronounced like "ny-oo-da-cha"

Be sure to practice pronouncing these words!

The next word is glass. The word "glass" in Russian is стекло (steklo). It is pronounced [s't'ekl'o] - the "e" sounds like the "e" in "bed," the "k" is a hard "k" sound, and the "l" is pronounced with a soft "l" sound. The "o" is like the "o" in "go."

Here is an example of how you can use the word in a sentence:

Я люблю пить воду из стеклянного стакана.

This sentence translates to: "I like to drink water from a glass cup."

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I - This is the nominative case of the personal pronoun "I." Pronunciation is [ya].

люблю (lyublyu) - I love/like - This is the present tense of the verb "любить" (lyubit') - to love/like. Pronunciation is [lyublyu].

пить (pit') - to drink - This is the infinitive form of the verb "пить" (pit'). Pronunciation is [p'it'].

воду (vodu) - water - This is the accusative case of the noun "вода" (voda) - water. Pronunciation is [v'o'du].

из (iz) - from - This is a preposition that indicates origin. Pronunciation is [iz].

стеклянного (steklyannogo) - glass - This is the genitive case of the adjective "стеклянный" (steklyannyy) - glass. Pronunciation is [s't'ekl'yan'n'ago].

стакана (stakana) - cup - This is the genitive case of the noun "стакан" (stakan) - cup. Pronunciation is [st'akan'a].

Key Concept: The use of the genitive case (стеклянного and стакана) after the preposition из is important to understand. The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging. In this case, it is indicating the water is "from" the "glass" cup.

Variations:

The word "glass" can also be used as a noun, referring to a drinking glass itself. For example:

У меня есть два стеклянных стакана. - "I have two glass cups."

The adjective form is стеклянный (steklyannyy), meaning "glass." There are many other variations, but these are the most common.

Translation of Words:

стекло - glass
стеклянный - glass (adjective)

стакан - cup

Pronunciation Guide:

с - [s]

т - [t]

е - [e] (like "e" in "bed")

к - [k] (hard "k")

л - [l] (soft "l")

о - [o] (like "o" in "go")

н - [n]

г - [g]

а - [a] (like "a" in "father")

й - [y]

я - [ya]

в - [v]

д - [d]

The next word is satisfy. The word satisfy in Russian is удовлетворять удовлетворять. The verb удовлетворять удовлетворять is a transitive verb meaning "to satisfy," "to meet," or "to fulfill."

Here is an example of how it is used in a sentence:

Эта книга полностью удовлетворяет мои потребности в чтении. Эта книга полностью удовлетворяет мои потребности в чтении.

Breakdown of the sentence:

Эта Эта - this (feminine, singular) pronounced eh-ta
книга книга - book (feminine, singular) pronounced k-nee-ga
полностью полностью - completely, fully, entirely pronounced pol-nost-yu
удовлетворяет удовлетворяет - satisfies (3rd person singular, present tense) pronounced oo-dov-let-vor-ya-yet
мои мои - my (plural) pronounced moi
потребности потребности - needs (plural) pronounced pa-treb-nas-ti
в в - in (preposition) pronounced v
чтении чтении - reading (prepositional case) pronounced ch-te-nii

Translation: This book fully satisfies my reading needs.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects the declension of the noun and the choice of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with the noun. In this sentence, the noun книга книга is feminine, so the adjective эта Эта (this) must also be feminine.

Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. In the sentence above, книга книга is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence, and чтении чтении is in the prepositional case because it is used with the preposition в в (in).

Verb Conjugation: Verbs in Russian change form depending on the person, number, and tense. In this sentence, the verb удовлетворяет удовлетворяет (satisfies) is in the 3rd person singular, present tense.

Pronunciation:

The key to pronouncing Russian words correctly is to pay attention to the stress. In Russian, the stress is always on one syllable within a word. In this sentence, the stress is on the second syllable of the words эта Эта, книга книга, полностью полностью, удовлетворяет удовлетворяет, мои мои, потребности потребности, and чтении чтении.

English and Russian Translation:

Satisfy - удовлетворять удовлетворять - oo-dov-let-vor-ya-t

The next word is sale. The word "sale" in English can translate to several different words in Russian, depending on the context. Here's a breakdown of one way to use the word:

Sentence:

В магазине распродажа одежды.

Breakdown:

В - This is the preposition "in" and it is always followed by the prepositional case, which is the word "магазине" (store).

магазине - This word means "store". The ending "е" indicates the prepositional case and is pronounced with a soft 'e' sound.

распродажа - This word means "sale" in the context of a store. The 'ж' is pronounced like a 'zh' in English and is a soft sound. It is a feminine noun. The ending 'а' indicates nominative case and is pronounced like a short 'a' sound.

одежды - This word means "clothes." The ending 'ы' indicates genitive case and is pronounced like a short 'y' sound.

Translation:

There is a sale on clothes in the store.

Key Concepts:

This sentence utilizes the concept of case in Russian, which is used to show the relationship of a noun to other words in the sentence.

The use of the preposition "в" with the prepositional case is common in Russian and is important to remember.

Pronunciation guide:

В - [v]

магазине - [ma-ga-zee-nye]

распродажа - [ras-pra-da-zha]

одежды - [ah-dyezh-dy]

English: sale - [seyl]

Russian: распродажа - [ras-pra-da-zha]

The next word is someone. ## Someone

English: Someone is coming to visit me today.

Russian: Сегодня ко мне придёт кто-то в гости.

Breakdown:

Сегодня - today (pronounced: see-voh-dnya)

ко мне - to me (pronounced: kah mnye)

придёт - will come (pronounced: pree-dyot)

кто-то - someone (pronounced: kto-ta)

в гости - to visit (pronounced: f gos-tee)

Key Concepts:

кто-то is an indefinite pronoun meaning "someone" or "somebody". It is formed by adding the suffix -то to the interrogative pronoun кто (who). This suffix adds an indefinite meaning.

в гости is a prepositional phrase meaning "to visit". It is formed by the preposition в (in, to) and the noun гости (guests).

Variations:

Кто-нибудь (pronounced: kto-ni-boot) is another indefinite pronoun meaning "someone" or "somebody". It is more formal than кто-то.

Кто-нибудь can also be used to mean "anyone" in a question.

English Translation: Today someone will come to visit me.

Word Pronunciation:

Сегодня - see-voh-dnya
ко мне - kah mnye
придёт - pree-dyot
кто-то - kto-ta
в гости - f gos-tee

The next word is hot. The weather is very hot today.

Сегодня очень жарко

Breakdown

The word сегодня (pronounced: see-voh-dnya) means "today." It is a noun, so it declines in cases, and in this sentence it is in the nominative case since it is the subject of the sentence.

The word очень (pronounced: oh-chen) means "very." It is an adverb, which modifies adjectives or other adverbs.

The word жарко (pronounced: zhar-ko) means "hot." It is an adjective. In this sentence it is in the nominative case since it is the predicate of the sentence.

Variations:

The word жарко can be used for weather, but also to describe objects, like a cup of coffee: Кофе очень горячий (pronounced: koh-fe oh-chen gar-ya-chiy) - "The coffee is very hot."

This is also a great opportunity to learn the opposite. The word холодно (pronounced: ho-lod-no) means "cold." The sentence Сегодня очень холодно (pronounced: see-voh-dnya oh-chen ho-lod-no) means "Today is very cold."

Translation:

сегодня - today - see-voh-dnya
очень - very - oh-chen
жарко - hot - zhar-ko

The next word is death. The word "death" in Russian is смерть (pronounced "smert").

Here is a sentence using the word:

Смерть пришла внезапно. Он еще вчера был здоров.

This translates to: "Death came suddenly. He was still healthy yesterday."

Breakdown:

Смерть (smert) - death (feminine noun, nominative case)

пришла (prishla) - came (past tense, feminine singular, from the verb приходить (prikhodit) - to come)

внезапно (vnezapno) - suddenly (adverb)

Он (on) - he (masculine pronoun, nominative case)

еще (eshche) - still (adverb)

вчера (vchera) - yesterday (adverb)

был (byl) - was (past tense, masculine singular, from the verb быть (byt) - to be)

здоров (zdorov) - healthy (adjective, masculine singular, nominative case)

Key Concepts:

The Russian language uses grammatical gender, so nouns and adjectives must agree in gender. In this case, "death" (смерть) is feminine, so the verb (пришла) and the adjective (здоров) must also be feminine.

The word "death" in Russian, unlike in English, is feminine.

Pronunciation:

Смерть (smert) - The "c" is like the "s" in "sin". The "т" is like the "t" in "time" but with the tip of your tongue slightly closer to the roof of your mouth.

пришла (prishla) - The "щ" sound is produced by pressing the tip of your tongue against the back of your upper teeth and then forcing air out from the sides of your mouth.

внезапно (vnezapno) - "вне" (vne) sounds like "vnay".

Он (on) - Sounds like "own" but with the "n" slightly more nasal.

еще (eshche) - The "е" is like the "e" in "get" but slightly longer.

вчера (vchera) - The "ч" sound is similar to the "ch" in "church".

был (byl) - The "ы" sound is like the "y" in "my" but slightly shorter.

здоров (zdorov) - The "о" is like the "o" in "hot".

English Translation: Death / smert'

The next word is citizen. The word "citizen" in Russian is гражданин (pronounced grah-zhda-neen).

Here's an example of how to use it in a sentence:

Он является гражданином России.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He

является (yavlyayetsya) - is (present tense, 3rd person singular)

гражданином (grazhdaninom) - citizen (instrumental case)

России (Rossii) - of Russia (genitive case)

Meaning: He is a citizen of Russia.

Key concept: The instrumental case is used to show the agent or instrument of an action, in this case, the person who holds citizenship.

Variations:

The word гражданин can be used for both men and women, but for a woman, you would use the feminine form гражданка (grazhdanka).

Гражданин is a noun, so it can be used in other grammatical cases, such as nominative (гражданин - citizen), accusative (гражданина - citizen), and genitive (гражданина - of the citizen).

English to Russian translation:

Citizen - гражданин (grah-zhda-neen)

Citizen (female) - гражданка (grazhdanka)

The next word is paint. The Russian sentence is:

Я люблю рисовать картины.

Breakdown:

Я - Ya - I - pronounced like "ya" (like the "ya" in "yard")

люблю - lyublyu - love - pronounced like "lyoo-blyoo" (the "oo" is like the "oo" in "moon")

рисовать - risovat' - to paint - pronounced like "ree-so-vat'" (the "v" is like the "v" in "vat")

картины - kartiny - paintings - pronounced like "kar-tee-nee" (the "y" is a very soft consonant, almost silent)

Key Concepts:

Я (I) is the subject of the sentence, and the verb люблю (love) is conjugated in the first person singular to agree with the subject.

рисовать (to paint) is an infinitive verb.

картины (paintings) is the direct object of the verb рисовать (to paint).

Translation: I love to paint pictures.

Variations of "paint":

краска - kraska - paint (the substance) - pronounced like "krahs-ka" (the "a" is like the "a" in "father")

красить - krasit' - to paint (the action) - pronounced like "krah-sit'"

покрасить - pokrasiť - to paint (a finished action) - pronounced like "po-krah-sit'"

Pronunciation Hints:

Russian stress is predictable. In this sentence, the stress falls on the first syllable of the last word.

The soft sign ' at the end of a word indicates that the preceding consonant is soft.

Pay attention to the "oo" and "a" vowel sounds.

English: paint

Russian: краска (pronounced: "krahs-ka")

English: paint

Russian: рисовать (pronounced: "ree-so-vat'")

The next word is benefit. The sentence is: "Эта программа принесёт много пользы обществу."

Here is the breakdown:

Эта (pronounced eh-ta) - This. This is the feminine nominative form of the demonstrative pronoun "этот" этот (eh-tot) which is used to refer to a singular feminine noun.

программа (pronounced proh-grahm-ma) - Program. This is a feminine noun and in this sentence it is in the nominative case.

принесёт (pronounced pree-nyo-syot) - will bring. This is the third person singular future tense of the verb "принести" принести (pree-nye-s-tee) - to bring, to deliver, to yield.

много (pronounced m-noh-guh) - much, many. This is an indeclinable adjective and it modifies the noun "пользы"

пользы (pronounced pohl-zy) - benefit, advantage. This is the genitive case of the feminine noun "польза" (pohl-za). This is a common form used after the preposition "для" для (dlya) which means "for". The genitive case is often used to show possession, but is also used after prepositions. Remember the genitive case is used to answer the question "whose?" or "of what?"

обществу (pronounced ohb-sh-est-voo) - to society. This is the dative case of the noun "общество" (ohb-sh-est-vo) which means "society". It is in the dative case because it is the indirect object of the verb "принесёт". The dative case can be used to show the recipient or beneficiary of an action.

English Translation: This program will bring much benefit to society.

Word Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This
программа (proh-grahm-ma) - Program
принесёт (pree-nyo-syot) - will bring
много (m-noh-guh) - much, many
пользы (pohl-zy) - benefit, advantage
обществу (ohb-sh-est-voo) - to society

Key Concepts:

Demonstrative pronouns

Feminine nouns

Third person singular future tense

Indeclinable adjectives

Genitive Case

Dative Case

The next word is inside. The Russian word for "inside" is внутри (pronounced vnu-tree). It is a preposition and requires the genitive case.

Here is an example sentence:

Книга лежит внутри коробки. (The book lies inside the box.)

Breakdown

Книга (kni-ga) - book (nominative case)

лежит (le-zhit) - lies (present tense, 3rd person singular)

внутри (vnu-tree) - inside (preposition)

коробки (ka-rob-ki) - box (genitive case)

Key concepts:

Prepositions: Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. They often require a specific case for the noun following them.

Genitive Case: The genitive case in Russian is used to show possession or belonging. For example, "коробки" is the genitive case of "коробка" (box).

Variations:

в (v) is another preposition that means "in" or "inside." It often refers to a larger space, whereas внутри suggests being enclosed or contained within something.

Pronunciation hints:

The "i" in внутри is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

The "к" in коробка is pronounced like the "k" in "kick."

The "г" in коробка is pronounced like the "g" in "girl."

English: inside

Russian: внутри (vnu-tree)

The next word is collection. Sentence: У меня есть большая коллекция книг.

Breakdown:

коллекция (kollektsiya) - collection, noun, feminine. The word коллекция is a noun and in this sentence it is in the nominative case (subject of the sentence). It is used for a collection of any kind - stamps, coins, books, etc. The stress is on the second syllable - kolLEKtsiya.

книг (knig) - books, noun, plural, genitive case. The word книга (kniga) is a noun and in this sentence it is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition у (u) (at, by, near, with). The word книга is feminine. The stress is on the first syllable - KNIga. The plural is книги (knigi).

у (u) - at, by, near, with, preposition.

меня (menya) - me, personal pronoun, genitive case. This is the object of the preposition у. The stress is on the first syllable - MEnya.

есть (est') - there is, verb, present tense, 3rd person singular. The stress is on the last syllable - est'.

большая (bolshaya) - big, large, adjective, feminine. The stress is on the first syllable - BOLshaya.

Translation: I have a big collection of books.

Pronunciation Guide:

коллекция - kolLEKtsiya
книг - knig
у - u
меня - MEnya
есть - est'

большая - BOLshaya

The next word is likely. The word "likely" in English expresses probability. In Russian, this can be conveyed in a few ways, but a common one is using the word вероятно (pronounced "ve-ro-yat-no").

Here is a sentence using вероятно:

Вероятно, завтра будет дождь. (ve-ro-yat-no, zav-tra bu-det dozhdt)

This translates to: It is likely to rain tomorrow.

Breakdown:

Вероятно (ve-ro-yat-no) - likely
завтра (zav-tra) - tomorrow
будет (bu-det) - will be
дождь (dozhdt) - rain

Key Concept:

In Russian, the word order is often more flexible than in English. We could also say: Дождь, вероятно, будет завтра. (dozhdt, ve-ro-yat-no, bu-det zav-tra). The meaning remains the same.

Variations:

The word вероятно is often used in formal contexts. In informal speech, you might hear наверное (na-ve-r-no) or возможно (voz-mozh-no) instead.

The verb будет (bu-det) is the future tense of the verb "to be".

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress is always on the first syllable of вероятно (ve-ro-yat-no).

The "y" sound in вероятно is similar to the "y" in "yes."

The "zh" sound in дождь is similar to the "s" in "vision."

English/Russian Translation:

likely - вероятно (ve-ro-yat-no)

The next word is prepare. The word "prepare" in Russian is подготовить (podgotovit'). It is a verb, meaning to make something ready or to get ready for something.

The sentence: Я готовлюсь к экзамену по русскому языку. (Ya gotovlus' k ekzameny po russkomu yazyku.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I, (pronounced "ya")

готовлюсь (gotovlus') - I prepare myself, (pronounced "gah-tohv-lyoos'")

к (k) - to, (pronounced "k")

экзамену (ekzameny) - exam, (pronounced "ek-zah-men-oo")

по (po) - on, (pronounced "pah")

русскому (russkomu) - Russian, (pronounced "roos-skah-moo")

языку (yazyku) - language, (pronounced "yah-zy-koo")

This sentence means "I am preparing for the Russian language exam". It is an example of the imperfective aspect of the verb, indicating that the action is ongoing. It is in the present tense, meaning that the action is happening now.

The word подготовить (podgotovit') can also be used in the perfect aspect, подготовить (podgotovit'), which indicates that the action is completed. This form can be used in the past tense, for example:

Я подготовил все необходимые материалы. (Ya podgotovil vse neobkhodimye materialy.) - "I prepared all the necessary materials." (pronounced "Ya pahd-gah-toh-veel vse ne-ahb-kha-dee-mee mah-te-ree-ah-lee.")

English: Prepare

Russian: подготовить (podgotovit')

Pronunciation: pahd-gah-toh-veet'

The next word is that. The word "that" can be used in many ways in English, so to make a Russian sentence using it, we need to figure out what function it has in the sentence. We will use the example "That is a cat."

In this example, "that" is a demonstrative adjective that refers to a specific cat. It is similar to "this" but indicates something further away.

Это кошка eto koshka.

Breakdown:

Это eto - this/that. Pronounced like "eh-toh" It is used to point out a specific thing or person.

кошка koshka - cat. Pronounced like "kosh-ka"

Translation: That is a cat.

Key Concepts:

Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out specific things or people. The main ones in Russian are это eto (this/that) and то to (that).

The word order in Russian is generally subject-verb-object.

"That" can also be a pronoun, conjunction, or adverb, each with its own translation in Russian.

The next word is stick. The word "stick" in English can have many meanings, which are reflected in different Russian words and grammatical constructions. In the sentence below, we use the word палка (palka) which means "stick" and is used in the context of a physical object.

Sentence: Я взял палку и пошел в лес. (Ya vzyal palku i poshel v les.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun) - pronounced Ya
взял (vzyal) - took (past tense verb, masculine singular) - pronounced vzyal
палку (palku) - stick (accusative case, feminine singular) - pronounced palku
и (i) - and (conjunction) - pronounced i
пошел (poshel) - went (past tense verb, masculine singular) - pronounced poshel
в (v) - in (preposition) - pronounced v
лес (les) - forest (accusative case, masculine singular) - pronounced les

Key Concepts:

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb, and it is the case used for things that are directly acted upon by the verb. In this sentence, the палка is the direct object of the verb взял (took).

Gender: Russian nouns have genders, which influence the forms of adjectives and verbs that modify them. The word палка is feminine, so the verb взял needs to be in the masculine form to agree with the pronoun Я (I), and the word палку needs to be in the accusative feminine form to match the verb взял (took).

Translation: I took a stick and went into the forest.

Pronunciation Guide:

палка - pal-ka
взял - vzyal
лес - les

Variations:

Other ways to say "stick" in Russian:

ветка (vetka) - branch, twig (feminine)

прут (prut) - rod, stick (masculine)

трость (trost') - cane, walking stick (feminine)

Keep in mind that the word палка is the most common and general term for "stick" in Russian. The other words carry specific connotations.

The next word is attitude. The word "attitude" is a noun that refers to a person's feelings or opinions about something. In Russian, it is translated as "отношение" otnoshenie, which can be either singular or plural, depending on the context.

Here is an example sentence:

У него хорошее отношение к работе. U nego khoroshee otnoshenie k rabote.

Translation: He has a good attitude toward work.

Breakdown:

У него - "u nego" - This is a combination of the preposition у (u) which means "at," "near," or "by" when followed by a noun, and the pronoun него (nego) which means "him." It is used to indicate possession or belonging.

хорошее (horoshee) - This is the adjective "хороший" (horoshiy) which means "good."

отношение (otnoshenie) - This is the noun "отношение" (otnoshenie) meaning "attitude" or "relationship."

к (k) - This is the preposition "к" (k) meaning "to," "toward," or "towards."

работе (rabote) - This is the noun "работа" (rabota) meaning "work."

Pronunciation:

У (oo) - The "u" sound is similar to the English "oo" in "moon."

него (ni-go) - This is pronounced similar to the English "knee-go."

хорошее (ho-rosh-ee-ye) - The "o" sounds are similar to the English "o" in "hot."

отношение (ot-no-she-ni-ye) - The "o" sound is similar to the English "o" in "hot."

к (k) - This is pronounced similar to the English "k" in "kite."

работе (ra-bo-tye) - The "o" sounds are similar to the English "o" in "hot."

Word: Attitude

English: attitude

Russian: отношение (otnoshenie)

The next word is gas. ## Газ горит в печи.

Breakdown:

Газ (gaz) - This is the noun "gas" in Russian. The "g" sound is similar to the "g" in "gate," while the "a" sound is similar to the "a" in "father." The stress is on the first syllable.

горит (gorit) - This is the present tense verb "burns." The "g" sound is similar to the "g" in "gate," while the "o" sound is similar to the "o" in "go." The stress is on the first syllable.

в (v) - This is the preposition "in." The "v" sound is similar to the "v" in "victory."

печи (pechi) - This is the noun "oven" in the genitive case, which is used after prepositions like "в" ("in"). The "p" sound is similar to the "p" in "pen," while the "e" sound is similar to the "e" in "bed." The stress is on the second syllable.

Meaning: "Gas burns in the oven."

Key Concepts:

Gender: Газ is masculine, which is why the preposition "в" is followed by the genitive case of печь.

Verb Conjugation: The verb "горит" is in the third person singular present tense, meaning "it burns."

Variations:

This sentence can be used with other types of fuel as well. For example, you could say: "Дрова (drova) - firewood" or "уголь (u-gol) - coal."

You can also use this sentence to talk about things that are not literally burning, but are metaphorically "burning" like passions or desire.

Remember, the "g" sound in Russian is often pronounced with a slight "h" sound after it, as in the word "gate."

Translation:

Gas - газ (gaz)

Burns - горит (gorit)

In - в (v)

Oven - печь (pech)

The next word is child. The Russian word for "child" is ребенок (rebyónok).

Here is a sentence:

Маленький ребенок играет в саду. (Málen'kiy rebyónok igraet v sadú.)

This sentence means: "The little child is playing in the garden."

Breakdown:

Маленький (Málen'kiy) - "little" or "small" - This is an adjective modifying the noun "child". The ending changes depending on the gender and number of the noun.

ребенок (rebyónok) - "child" - This is a noun.

играет (igraet) - "is playing" - This is the present tense of the verb "to play" играть (igrát').

в (v) - "in" - This is a preposition.

саду (sadú) - "garden" - This is a noun in the prepositional case.

Important Points:

In Russian, nouns have different endings depending on their grammatical case (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, prepositional). In this sentence, "child" is in the nominative case and "garden" is in the prepositional case.

The adjective "little" (маленький (málen'kiy)) agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies - in this case, the noun "child" is masculine and singular, so the adjective also takes the masculine singular form.

Pronunciation:

ребенок (rebyónok) - the stress is on the second syllable, and the "o" sounds like the "o" in "hot."

играет (igraet) - the stress is on the second syllable, and the "a" sounds like the "a" in "father".

саду (sadú) - the stress is on the second syllable, and the "u" sounds like the "oo" in "moon."

Translation:

child - ребенок (rebyónok)

little - маленький (málen'kiy)

playing - играет (igraet)

in - в (v)

garden - саду (sadú)

The next word is completely. ## Completely

Sentence: Он полностью понял задачу.

Breakdown:

Он Он - he (pronoun, nominative case, masculine gender, singular)

полностью полностью - completely (adverb, meaning "in full", "entirely", "thoroughly")

понял понял - understood (verb, past tense, masculine gender, singular)

задачу задачу - task (noun, accusative case, feminine gender, singular)

Meaning: He completely understood the task.

Variations:

The adverb полностью can be replaced with other synonyms like совершенно (completely, absolutely) or целиком (entirely, wholly).

Key concepts:

The use of the accusative case for the noun задачу because it is the direct object of the verb понял.

The past tense verb понял is conjugated according to the gender of the subject (he).

Pronunciation:

Он - [OHN]

полностью - [POL'nost'yu]

понял - [PON'yal]

задачу - [za'datchu]

Translation:

completely - полностью (pol'nost'yu)

The next word is part. The word "part" in English can have many meanings in Russian, depending on the context. Here's an example:

Sentence: Он сыграл главную роль в этом фильме.

Breakdown:

Он [pronunciation: ohn] He
сыграл [pronunciation: sygral] played (masculine past tense, singular)

главную [pronunciation: glavnuyu] main (feminine, accusative case)

роль [pronunciation: rol] role (feminine, accusative case)

в [pronunciation: v] in (preposition)

этом [pronunciation: etom] this (masculine, nominative case)

фильме [pronunciation: filmie] film (masculine, prepositional case)

Translation: He played the main role in this film.

Key concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their endings depending on their function in the sentence. In this case, "роль" is in the accusative case because it's the direct object of the verb "сыграл."

Gender: Russian nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter, and this affects the endings of adjectives and verbs that agree with them.

Variations of the word "part":

часть [pronunciation: chast] - part (of something)

роль [pronunciation: rol] - role, part (in a play, film, etc.)

деталь [pronunciation: detal] - detail, part (of a machine, etc.)

сторона [pronunciation: strana] - side, part (of a story, etc.)

English word and pronunciation: part [pahrt]

Russian word and pronunciation: часть [pronunciation: chast]

The next word is reply. Let's begin! I am excited to help you learn Russian. Tell me a word and I will craft a Russian sentence for you using it. I will explain the grammar, meaning, variations and pronunciation of the word as well. I will ensure the sentence is ready to be translated using espeak.

The next word is far. The word "far" can be translated in Russian using several different words and grammatical structures depending on the context.

The most basic translation is далеко (pronounced dah-li-koh) meaning "far" in the sense of distance. We can use it in a sentence like this:

Дом находится далеко от школы. (pronounced dom nah-kho-di-tsa da-li-koh at shko-ly)

Дом (pronounced dom) - house
находится (pronounced nah-kho-di-tsa) - is located
далеко (pronounced dah-li-koh) - far
от (pronounced at) - from
школы (pronounced shko-ly) - school

Translation: The house is located far from the school.

далеко can also be used to describe a point in the future.

Это событие произойдет далеко в будущем. (pronounced e-ta sab-i-ti-ye pro-izoy-dyot da-li-koh v bu-du-shchem)

Это (pronounced e-ta) - this
событие (pronounced sab-i-ti-ye) - event
произойдет (pronounced pro-izoy-dyot) - will happen
далеко (pronounced dah-li-koh) - far
в (pronounced v) - in
будущем (pronounced bu-du-shchem) - future

Translation: This event will happen far in the future.

The word "far" can also be used as an adverb meaning "to a great extent" or "very much"

Я очень далеко от дома. (pronounced ya o-chen da-li-koh at do-ma)

Я (pronounced ya) - I
очень (pronounced o-chen) - very
далеко (pronounced dah-li-koh) - far
от (pronounced at) - from
дома (pronounced do-ma) - home

Translation: I am very far from home.

далеко (pronounced dah-li-koh) - far

The next word is cheap. This shirt is very дешёвый (dyoshёvyy).

Breakdown:

дешёвый (dyoshёvyy) means "cheap" in Russian.

Pronunciation: The ё is pronounced like the "yo" in "yo-yo".

Stress: The stress is on the first syllable, де

Gender: This word is masculine. It changes its ending to дешёвая (dyoshёvaya) for feminine, дешёвое (dyoshёvoe) for neuter, and дешёвые (dyoshёvye) for plural.

Translation: This shirt is very cheap.

Key concept: The word дешёвый (dyoshёvyy) is an adjective. Like many adjectives in Russian, it changes its ending to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In this example, it agrees with the masculine noun, рубашка (rubashka), which means "shirt".

The next word is afternoon. The Russian word for "afternoon" is послеобед (posleobed).

Here is a sentence:

Я люблю гулять в послеобеденное время. (Ya lyublyu gulyat' v posleobednennoe vremya.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case) - [ya] (like "ya" in "yacht")

люблю (lyublyu) - I love (verb, present tense, 1st person singular) - [lyoob-lyoo]

гулять (gulyat') - to walk, to stroll (verb, infinitive) - [goo-lyat']

в (v) - in (preposition) - [v] (like "v" in "very")

послеобеденное (posleobednennoe) - afternoon (adjective, neuter gender) - [pos-le-o-bed-nen-noe]

время (vremya) - time (noun, neuter gender) - [vrem-ya]

Key concepts:

The adjective послеобеденное (posleobednennoe) is in the neuter gender to agree with the noun время (vremya).

The preposition в (v) is used to indicate location.

English Translation: I love to walk in the afternoon.

Pronunciation Guide:

послеобед (posleobed) - [pos-le-o-bed]

послеобеденное (posleobednennoe) - [pos-le-o-bed-nen-noe]

Word and Pronunciation:

afternoon - послеобед (posleobed) - [pos-le-o-bed]

The next word is we. We will begin with a simple sentence using the English word "we."

Sentence: Мы идём в парк.

Breakdown:

Мы - This is the nominative plural pronoun "we" in Russian. It is pronounced as "my" like the English word "my."

идём - This is the present tense verb "to go" in the first person plural form. It is pronounced like "ee-dyom."

в - This is the preposition "in" or "to" in Russian, and pronounced like "v."

парк - This is the noun "park" and is pronounced "park."

Translation: We are going to the park.

Key concepts:

The Russian language uses grammatical cases for nouns and pronouns. The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence.

The verb conjugation in Russian depends on the person and number of the subject.

Variations:

To say "we went to the park" you would use the past tense of the verb: Мы шли в парк. (pronounced "my shli v park")

To say "we will go to the park" you would use the future tense of the verb: Мы пойдём в парк. (pronounced "my poydyom v park")

Word Pronunciation:

We: Мы (my)

Go: идём (ee-dyom)

In/To: в (v)

Park: парк (park)

The next word is which. The English word "which" can be used in Russian in several ways. It can be used as a relative pronoun or an interrogative pronoun.

Here is a sentence demonstrating the use of "which" as a relative pronoun:

Я знаю девушку, которая учится в университете.

Translation: I know a girl who studies at the university.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced 'ya')

знаю - know (pronounced 'z-na-yu')

девушку - girl (pronounced 'dye-vush-ku')

которая - who (pronounced 'ka-to-ra-ya')

учится - studies (pronounced 'oo-chit-sya')

в - in (pronounced 'f')

университете - university (pronounced 'oo-ni-ver-si-te-te')

Key concept: This sentence demonstrates the use of the relative pronoun которая (who) to connect the two clauses. The first clause, Я знаю девушку, introduces the girl. The second clause, которая учится в университете, provides more information about her. This is similar to how the relative pronoun "which" is used in English.

Here is a sentence demonstrating the use of "which" as an interrogative pronoun:

Какую книгу ты читаешь?

Translation: Which book are you reading?

Breakdown:

Какую - Which (pronounced 'ka-koo-yu')

книгу - book (pronounced 'k-nee-gu')

ты - you (pronounced 'ty')

читаешь - are reading (pronounced 'chi-ta-yesh')

Key concept: This sentence uses the interrogative pronoun какую (which) to ask a question about a specific book.

English: which

Russian: которая (pronounced 'ka-to-ra-ya') - who

Russian: какая (pronounced 'ka-ka-ya') - which

Russian: какую (pronounced 'ka-koo-yu') - which (accusative case)

The next word is novel. The word роман (roman) can mean "novel" in Russian. Here is a simple sentence using that word:

Он читал интересный роман. (On chital interesnyj roman.)

Breakdown of Sentence:

Он (on) - He (nominative case masculine pronoun)

читал (chital) - read (past tense masculine singular verb)

интересный (interesnyj) - interesting (masculine singular adjective)

роман (roman) - novel (masculine noun)

Meaning: He read an interesting novel.

Key Concepts:

Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify.

In this sentence, the adjective интересный (interesnyj) agrees with the noun роман (roman) in being masculine singular.

Pay attention to the endings of the words.

Pronunciation:

роман (roman) (like "roh-mahn")

он (on) (like "ohn")

читал (chital) (like "chee-tal")

интересный (interesnyj) (like "in-ter-es-ny")

Variations:

роман (roman) can also be used as an adjective to mean "romantic," as in:

"Romantic" - романтический (romantičeskij)

English Translation:

novel - роман (roman)

The next word is behind. The English word "behind" can be used in Russian to express the idea of being located at the back of something or someone.

Sentence:

Он стоял за деревом.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: [ohn]) - he
стоял (pronunciation: [sta-yaal]) - stood (past tense, masculine singular)

за (pronunciation: [za]) - behind
деревом (pronunciation: [dye-re-vam]) - tree (instrumental case, singular)

Translation: He stood behind the tree.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: In Russian, the preposition за (behind) is used to express location.

Case: The word деревом (tree) is in the instrumental case, which is used to indicate the object with which something is done or by which something is done.

Variations:

The preposition за can also be used with other words, such as домом (house), стулом (chair), or машиной (car).

The verb стоять (to stand) can be conjugated in other tenses and forms.

Pronunciation:

за - [za]

деревом - [dye-re-vam]

English-Russian Word Equivalents:

behind - за
tree - дерево

The next word is hide. The Russian sentence is: Он спрятал ключ в ящике

Breakdown:

Он is the pronoun "he". Pronounced like "on" in the word "gone".

спрятал is the verb "to hide" in the past tense. The "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father", and the "l" is like the "l" in "ball". The "T" at the end is a soft "T" sound like the "T" in "butter".

ключ is the noun "key". Pronounced like "klyooch". The "ch" at the end is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

в is the preposition "in". Pronounced like the "v" in "very".

ящике is the noun "drawer". Pronounced like "yah-shchee-kee". The "e" at the end is very subtle. The "sh" is pronounced like the "sh" in "ship".

The sentence translates to: He hid the key in the drawer.

Key concept: the Russian verb "to hide" (прятать) is a perfective verb, meaning it describes an action that is complete. The past tense form of this verb is спрятал. The imperfective form of this verb (прятать) is used to describe an action that is ongoing or repeated.

English: hide [hayd]

Russian: прятать [pryatat']

The next word is join. The word "join" in Russian can be translated using the verb присоединиться (pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya). It means "to join" in the sense of becoming a part of something or someone.

Let's look at an example sentence:

Я хочу присоединиться к вашей команде. (Ya khochu pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya k vash-ey ko-man-de).

Breakdown of the sentence:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, pronounced "ya")

хочу (khochu) - want (verb, pronounced "kho-chu")

присоединиться (pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya) - to join (verb, pronounced "pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya")

к (k) - to (preposition, pronounced "k")

вашей (vash-ey) - your (possessive adjective, pronounced "vash-ey")

команде (ko-man-de) - team (noun, pronounced "ko-man-de")

Translation: I want to join your team.

Key Concepts:

The verb присоединиться (pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya) is a perfective verb, meaning it describes a completed action.

The preposition к (k) is used to indicate direction or movement towards something.

The possessive adjective вашей (vash-ey) agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (команде (ko-man-de)).

Variations:

присоединяться (pri-so-ye-dee-nya-tsya) - to join (imperfective verb, describes an ongoing action)

Pronunciation:

присоединиться (pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya) - "pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya"

Я (Ya) - "ya"

хочу (khochu) - "kho-chu"

к (k) - "k"

вашей (vash-ey) - "vash-ey"

команде (ko-man-de) - "ko-man-de"

English Translation: join - "join"

Russian Translation: присоединиться (pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya) - "pri-so-ye-dee-nee-tsya"

The next word is effort. The word уси́лия (pronounced oo-see-lee-ya) means effort. It is in the nominative plural and the feminine gender. In Russian, nouns are gendered and can be singular or plural. The sentence below is a simple sentence with the subject уси́лия (effort), the verb требу́ются (are required), and the object для (for) and достиже́ния (achievement) and це́ли (goal).

Уси́лия (oo-see-lee-ya - effort) требу́ются (tre-boo-yut-sa - are required) для (dlya - for) достиже́ния (das-tee-zheni-ya - achievement) це́ли (tse-li - goal).

Translation: Efforts are required for the achievement of the goal.

Here are some variations of the word уси́лия:

уси́лие (oo-see-li-ye - effort, singular, neuter gender)

уси́ленный (oo-see-len-ny - strengthened, masculine gender, adjective)

уси́ленная (oo-see-len-na-ya - strengthened, feminine gender, adjective)

English: Effort - уси́лия (oo-see-lee-ya)

The next word is real. The word "real" can be used in Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here's an example:

Sentence: Это реальный шанс изменить свою жизнь.

Breakdown:

Это - This (pronounced: eh-toh)

реальный - real (pronounced: ree-al-niy) - Adjective used to describe the "chance"

шанс - chance (pronounced: shahn-s) - The noun in the sentence
изменить - to change (pronounced: iz-mye-nit') - The verb in the sentence
свою - one's, your (pronounced: svoy-oo) - Possessive pronoun used to emphasize "your" life
жизнь - life (pronounced: zhizn') - The noun in the sentence.

Translation: This is a real chance to change your life.

Key Concepts:

реальный - Adjectives in Russian typically end in "-ый" (pronounced: -iy) or "-ая" (pronounced: -aya) for feminine nouns.

шанс - Nouns in Russian have grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter). шанс is a masculine noun.

изменить - Verbs in Russian conjugate to match the subject of the sentence. In this case, "to change" is conjugated as изменить to match the masculine noun, шанс.

Variations of the Word "Real":

реальный (adjective) - real, actual
реально (adverb) - really, actually
реальность (noun) - reality

English Translation:

Real - реальный (ree-al-niy)

The next word is activity. Деятельность деятельности is the genitive case of деятельность. Genitive case is used to show possession or belonging.

The sentence is: Ученики любят заниматься разными видами деятельности.

Breakdown:

Ученики (oo-CHAY-nee-kee) - students (plural)

любят (LYOO-byat) - love (present tense, 3rd person plural)

заниматься (za-nee-MA-tsa) - to engage in, to be involved in (imperfective verb)

разными (RAZ-ni-mi) - different (plural, instrumental case)

видами (VEE-da-mi) - types (plural, instrumental case)

деятельности (dee-YA-tel-nas-tee) - activity (genitive case)

English translation: Students like to engage in different types of activity.

Деятельность (dee-YA-tel-nas-tee) - activity
деятельности (dee-YA-tel-nas-tee) - activities

The next word is win. The word "win" is represented by the Russian word выиграть (pronounced [vee-ee-grah-ty]). It's a verb, meaning "to win."

Here is an example sentence using this verb:

Мы выиграли футбольный матч. (pronounced [Mee vy-ee-grah-lee foot-bohl-niy match])

Мы мы (pronounced [mee]) - means "we" (nominative case plural)

выиграли выиграли (pronounced [vy-ee-grah-lee]) - past tense of the verb выиграть (pronounced [vee-ee-grah-ty])

футбольный футбольный (pronounced [foot-bohl-niy]) - is an adjective meaning "football"

матч матч (pronounced [match]) - means "match" (as in a sports game)

English Translation: We won the football match.

Key concept: In Russian, verbs change their ending depending on the subject (who is performing the action). Here, the verb выиграть (pronounced [vee-ee-grah-ty]) takes the ending -ли (pronounced [-lee]) to indicate the past tense plural subject "we."

There are many different ways to say "win" in Russian depending on the context.

победить (pronounced [pa-bye-dee-ty]) - this verb is used for winning a competition, a battle, or a struggle.

завоевать (pronounced [za-va-ye-vat]) - this verb is used for winning something through effort or hard work.

получить (pronounced [pa-loo-chi-ty]) - this verb is used for winning something by chance or luck.

English-Russian word pairs
win - выиграть (pronounced [vee-ee-grah-ty])

we - мы (pronounced [mee])

football - футбольный (pronounced [foot-bohl-niy])

match - матч (pronounced [match])

The next word is hall. The word зал (pronounced "zal") means "hall" in Russian and is a very common word, particularly for spaces used for events or gatherings. It can be used to refer to:

Concert Hall: концертный зал (pronounced "kantsertny zal")

Ballroom: балльный зал (pronounced "ballny zal")

Meeting Hall: заседательный зал (pronounced "zasedatelny zal")

The sentence I'll use is:

В большом зале проходил концерт. (pronounced "v bal'shom zalye prokhodil kantsert")

Breakdown:

В (pronounced "v") - in
большом (pronounced "bal'shom") - big, large
зале (pronounced "zale") - hall (in this case, the noun is in the prepositional case)

проходил (pronounced "prokhodil") - was taking place, was happening
концерт (pronounced "kantsert") - concert

Translation: A concert was taking place in the large hall.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have gender, and зал (pronounced "zal") is masculine.

Prepositional Case: The preposition в (pronounced "v") requires the noun to be in the prepositional case, so we use the ending -е (pronounced "-ye")

Past Tense: The verb проходил (pronounced "prokhodil") is in the past tense, which is a common tense used when describing events that have already happened.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "л" (pronounced "l") sound in Russian is slightly different from English, and may sound more like a "w" at times.

The "е" (pronounced "ye") in зале (pronounced "zale") is a soft "e" sound, similar to the "e" in the word "bed".

English: Hall / зал (pronounced "zal")

Russian: Concert / концерт (pronounced "kantsert")

The next word is environmental. The окружающая среда is important for our well-being.

Breakdown:

окружающая [a-kru-zha-yu-shcha-ya] (feminine, nominative singular) means "surrounding". It comes from the verb окружать [a-kru-zhat'] "to surround"

среда [sree-da] (feminine, nominative singular) means "environment" in the sense of the surroundings. It is related to the word среда [sree-da] which means "Wednesday"

The sentence is in the nominative case. The adjective, окружающая [a-kru-zha-yu-shcha-ya] agrees in gender and number with the noun, среда [sree-da]

Translation:

окружающая [a-kru-zha-yu-shcha-ya] - surrounding
среда [sree-da] - environment

Variations:

You can use the masculine singular form of окружающая [a-kru-zha-yu-shchiy] if you are referring to something that is masculine. For example, "The окружающий [a-kru-zha-yu-shchiy] мир [meer] (world) is changing."

The plural forms of окружающая [a-kru-zha-yu-shchie] (masculine) or окружающие [a-kru-zha-yu-shchie] (feminine) are used when referring to multiple surroundings. For example, "The окружающие [a-kru-zha-yu-shchie] деревья [dye-rev-ya] (trees) are beautiful."

Key Concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Nominative case: The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence.

Feminine nouns: The feminine gender in Russian often corresponds to the English feminine gender, but it also includes nouns that are not typically seen as feminine in English.

The next word is trade. The Russian sentence is: Торговля с Китаем процветает.

Breakdown:

Торговля (pronounced: [tor-goh-vlya]) - This is the noun form of the verb торговать (to trade). It is the subject of the sentence and means "trade".

с (pronounced: [s]) - This is a preposition meaning "with".

Китаем (pronounced: [kee-tay-em]) - The noun Китай (China) in the instrumental case, which is used to indicate the instrument or means by which an action is performed. It acts as the object of the preposition с.

процветает (pronounced: [pra-tsve-tay-et]) - This is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb процветать (to flourish). It is the predicate of the sentence.

Meaning: Trade with China is flourishing.

Variations:

You could replace Китаем with another country or region to talk about trade with that place.

The verb процветать can also be used to describe other things that are flourishing, such as businesses or relationships.

Pronunciation Guide:

Торговля: [tor-goh-vlya]

с: [s]

Китаем: [kee-tay-em]

процветает: [pra-tsve-tay-et]

English Translation: Trade (pronounced: treyd)

Russian Translation: Торговля (pronounced: [tor-goh-vlya])

The next word is opinion. ## Мнение моей подруги о этом вопросе отличается от моей.

Breakdown

Мнение (mnyeniye) - opinion - pronounced mnyeh-nyeh-ni-yeh
моей (moyey) - my - pronounced moy-ey
подруги (podrugi) - friend (female) - pronounced pod-roo-gi
о (o) - about - pronounced o
этом (etom) - this - pronounced eh-tom
вопросе (voprose) - question - pronounced vop-ro-sy
отличается (otlichaetsya) - differs - pronounced ot-li-cha-yet-sya
от (ot) - from - pronounced ot
моей (moyey) - my - pronounced moy-ey

Meaning My friend's opinion on this matter differs from mine.

Key Concepts

The word Мнение (mnyeniye) is a noun and is in the nominative case.

моей (moyey) is a possessive adjective and is in the genitive case. It modifies подруги (podrugi).

подруги (podrugi) is a noun in the genitive case and is the object of the preposition о (o).

этом (etom) is a pronoun that is in the nominative case.

вопросе (voprose) is a noun in the prepositional case.

отличается (otlichaetsya) is a verb in the present tense. It is in the third person singular.

от (ot) is a preposition
моей (moyey) is a possessive adjective and is in the genitive case.

Variations

The word Мнение (mnyeniye) can also be used in the plural form: Мнения (mneniya) - opinions.

The possessive adjective моей (moyey) can also be used in the masculine form моего (moyeyo) - my and the neuter form моего (moyeyo) - my.

Pronunciation

Мнение (mnyeniye) - mnyeh-nyeh-ni-yeh
моей (moyey) - moy-ey
подруги (podrugi) - pod-roo-gi
о (o) - o
этом (etom) - eh-tom
вопросе (voprose) - vop-ro-sy
отличается (otlichaetsya) - ot-li-cha-yet-sya
от (ot) - ot
моей (moyey) - moy-ey

English Translation: My friend's opinion about this matter differs from mine.

The next word is partner. The word "partner" can be translated as партнёр (pronounced "part-nyor") in Russian. It is used to refer to a business partner, a dance partner, or a romantic partner.

Here is a simple sentence:

У него есть партнёр по бизнесу. У (oo) is a preposition meaning "at," "него" (nyeh-go) is the masculine singular possessive pronoun "his," "есть" (yest') means "there is," "партнёр" (part-nyor) is the noun "partner," "по" (po) is the preposition "by" or "for," and "бизнесу" (bee-z-nyeh-soo) is the dative form of the noun "business."

Translation: He has a business partner.

Here are a few other ways to use the word партнёр (part-nyor) :

Она (ah-na) танцует с партнёром (part-nyo-rom). (She is dancing with a partner.)

Я (ya) ищу партнёра (part-nyo-ra) для проекта. (I am looking for a partner for the project.)

English: partner / Russian: партнёр (part-nyor)

The next word is correct. The word "correct" in Russian is правильный (pra-vee-l'n-yi). The sentence could be:

Этот ответ правильный. (eh-tot ot-vet pra-vee-l'n-yi).

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-tot) - This (masculine nominative singular)

ответ (ot-vet) - answer (masculine nominative singular)

правильный (pra-vee-l'n-yi) - correct (masculine nominative singular)

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Nominative Case: The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence.

Singular: The sentence uses the singular form of the adjective.

Variations of правильный (pra-vee-l'n-yi):

правильная (pra-vee-l'n-aya) - correct (feminine nominative singular)

правильное (pra-vee-l'n-oye) - correct (neuter nominative singular)

правильные (pra-vee-l'n-ye) - correct (plural)

Pronunciation:

правильный (pra-vee-l'n-yi): The stress is on the second syllable.

Translation:

правильный (pra-vee-l'n-yi) - correct

Этот ответ правильный. (eh-tot ot-vet pra-vee-l'n-yi) - This answer is correct.

The next word is regard. The word "regard" in English has many meanings. It can mean to look at, to think about, or to show respect. We'll use it in this sentence as a verb meaning to think about or consider.

Sentence:

Я считаю его хорошим другом. Я всегда с уважением отношусь к нему.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronunciation: ya)

считаю (schitayu) - I consider (pronunciation: chee-tay-oo) - present tense, first person singular.

его (yego) - him (pronunciation: yeh-go)

хорошим (khoroshim) - good (pronunciation: ho-roh-shim) - adjective in the instrumental case
другом (drugom) - friend (pronunciation: droo-gom) - noun in the instrumental case.

Я (Ya) - I (pronunciation: ya)

всегда (vsegda) - always (pronunciation: vseg-da)

с (s) - with (pronunciation: s)

уважением (uvazheniem) - respect (pronunciation: oo-vah-zheh-nee-em) - noun in the instrumental case.

отношусь (otnoshus) - I relate (pronunciation: ot-no-shoos) - verb in present tense, first person singular.

к (k) - to, towards (pronunciation: k)

нему (nemu) - to him (pronunciation: nye-moo) - pronoun in the dative case.

Translation:

I consider him a good friend. I always treat him with respect.

Key Concepts:

Instrumental Case: The instrumental case is used to show how something is done. In this sentence, хорошим (khoroshim) and другом (drugom) are in the instrumental case because they show how the speaker considers the person. уважением (uvazheniem) is also in the instrumental case because it shows how the speaker relates to the person.

Dative Case: The dative case is used to show the indirect object of the verb. In this sentence, нему (nemu) is in the dative case because it shows who the speaker relates to.

Present Tense Verb Conjugation: The verbs in this sentence, считаю (schitayu) and отношусь (otnoshus) are both conjugated in the present tense, first person singular.

Variations:

The word "regard" can also be used as a noun, meaning "respect" or "attention." For example, "He showed no regard for the law."

The word "regard" can also be used as a preposition, meaning "in relation to." For example, "With regard to your question, I can't answer it."

Pronunciation Guide:

считаю (schitayu) - chee-tay-oo
его (yego) - yeh-go
хорошим (khoroshim) - ho-roh-shim
другом (drugom) - droo-gom
всегда (vsegda) - vseg-da
уважением (uvazheniem) - oo-vah-zheh-nee-em
отношусь (otnoshus) - ot-no-shoos
к (k) - k
нему (nemu) - nye-moo

The next word is group. Sentence: Студенты собрались в группу, чтобы обсудить проект.

Breakdown:

Студенты (students) - студент (student) is the singular form, and студенты (students) is the plural. You can pronounce it as stoo-den-tee.

собрались (gathered) - This is the past tense, plural form of the verb собираться (to gather). собираться is a very common and useful verb. You can pronounce it as suh-bee-rah-liss.

в (in) - в is a preposition, meaning "in" or "into." You can pronounce it as v
группу (group) - группа (group) is a feminine noun, so you need to use the feminine form of the preposition в, which is в. You can pronounce it as groop-poo.

чтобы (in order to, so that) - This is a conjunction that introduces a purpose clause. You can pronounce it as chtoh-buh
обсудить (to discuss) - This is the infinitive form of the verb. You can pronounce it as ob-soo-deet'.

проект (project) - проект is a masculine noun. You can pronounce it as pro-ekt

Translation: The students gathered into a group to discuss the project.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian nouns have gender, and this affects the form of adjectives, pronouns, and certain prepositions.

Verb Conjugation: Verbs change their form depending on the person, number, and tense.

Prepositions: Russian prepositions are often followed by specific case forms of nouns.

English and Russian Word Translations and Pronunciation:

Group: группа (groop-pah)

Students: студенты (stoo-den-tee)

The next word is successful. The sentence: Её усилия были успешными . Она добилась своего .

Breakdown:

Её - Her (pronounced "ye-yo" with the stress on the first syllable)

усилия - efforts (pronounced "oo-see-lee-ya" with the stress on the first syllable). In Russian, this word is in the plural form, so we know there are multiple efforts.

были - were (pronounced "bee-lee" with the stress on the first syllable)

успешными - successful (pronounced "oo-spyeh-sh-nuh-mee" with the stress on the second syllable). This is the adjective form of "successful" and is used to describe the efforts.

Она - She (pronounced "ah-na" with the stress on the first syllable)

добилась - achieved (pronounced "duh-bee-lahs" with the stress on the second syllable)

своего - her own (pronounced "svah-ye-vo" with the stress on the second syllable). This is a possessive adjective that shows what she achieved was hers. It can mean that she reached a personal goal or that she was successful in a way that was uniquely hers.

Translation: Her efforts were successful. She achieved her own goal.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: The adjective успешными is in the feminine plural form to agree in gender and number with the noun усилия (efforts). This is an important concept in Russian grammar, as adjectives, pronouns, and verbs must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.

Possessive Adjectives: The word своего is a possessive adjective. This means it shows ownership. It agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case. It is a common word in Russian and is often used to emphasize the connection between a person and something that belongs to them.

Word Pronunciation:

успешный - successful (pronounced "oo-spyeh-sh-niy" with the stress on the second syllable)

успешная - successful (pronounced "oo-spyeh-sh-naya" with the stress on the second syllable)

The next word is press. The word "press" can be used in various ways in English, and thus it has different translations in Russian depending on the context.

Here is an example using "press" as a noun referring to a news organization:

Пресса сильно критиковала правительство за его решение.

Breakdown:

Пресса (Press-sa) - This word refers to the press, media, or news organizations. The stress is on the first syllable.

сильно (Sil'-no) - This means "strongly" or "intensely." The stress is on the first syllable.

критиковала (Kri-ti-ko-va-la) - This is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb "to criticize." It implies the press, which is feminine in Russian, was criticizing. The stress is on the third syllable.

правительство (Pra-vi-tel'-stvo) - This is the noun "government." The stress is on the third syllable.

за (Za) - This is the preposition "for" or "because of." It is pronounced the same as the English word "za" but shorter.

его (ye-vo) - This is the pronoun "his." It is pronounced with a soft "g" at the end. The stress is on the first syllable.

решение (re-she-ni-ye) - This is the noun "decision." The stress is on the second syllable.

Translation:

The press strongly criticized the government for its decision.

Other variations of "press" in Russian:

Нажать (Na-zhat') - to press (a button, a key, etc.) This verb is used for physical actions involving pressing.

Прессовать (Pres-so-vat') - to press (something) This verb means to compress or squeeze something.

Remember to pay attention to the context of the word "press" in English to determine the most accurate translation in Russian.

English: press

Russian: пресса / нажать / прессовать

The next word is side. The word "side" in English can have many meanings in Russian. It depends on the context, and the specific meaning is conveyed through different Russian words.

Here's a sentence using the Russian word for "side" in the context of a location:

Я сижу на стороне улицы, наблюдая за прохожими.

Я (Ya) - I (pronunciation: ya)

сижу (siju) - I sit (pronunciation: see-joo)

на (na) - on (pronunciation: nah)

стороне (storone) - side (pronunciation: sto-ro-neh)

улицы (ulitsy) - street (pronunciation: oo-lee-tsy)

наблюдая (nablyudaya) - observing (pronunciation: nah-blyoo-da-ya)

за (za) - for (pronunciation: za)

прохожими (prohozhimi) - passersby (pronunciation: pro-ho-zhee-mee)

Translation: I am sitting on the side of the street, observing the passersby.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: The word на (na) is a preposition that means "on" or "at." It's used with the word стороне (storone) to indicate a specific location.

Present tense: The verb сижу (siju) is in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now.

Other Russian words for "side":

боковая (bokovaya) - side (lateral, usually referring to a part of something)

сторона (storona) - side (general term, often used in phrases like "on the other side")

край (kray) - edge, side (used for physical boundaries)

Remember: The specific word you choose will depend on the context of the sentence.

The next word is time. ## Время летит

Breakdown:

Время (vremя) - means "time" and is a noun in the nominative case. It's pronounced like "vrem-ya".

летит (letit) - means "flies" and is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb "лететь" (letet'). It is pronounced like "leh-tit".

Meaning: Time flies.

Key Concepts:

Nominative case: The nominative case is the most basic form of a noun and is used when the noun is the subject of a sentence.

3rd person singular present tense: The 3rd person singular present tense is used to describe actions that a single person or thing is doing in the present.

Transitive vs. Intransitive verbs: "Лететь" is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. It is also a verb of motion.

Variations of время:

времени (vremeni) - genitive case, used to indicate possession
времени (vremeni) - accusative case, used to indicate the object of a verb
времени (vremeni) - prepositional case, used with prepositions

Translation:

Время - time / vrem-ya
летит - flies / leh-tit

The next word is who. English: Who is that man?

Russian: Кто этот человек? [KTO eh-toht CHE-loh-vehk?]

Breakdown:

Кто [KTO] - who (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

этот [eh-toht] - this (masculine singular, agrees with человек)

человек [CHE-loh-vehk] - man, person (masculine singular, nominative case)

? - question mark

Key concepts:

Nominative case: The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence. Кто is the subject in this sentence, so it's in the nominative case.

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives and pronouns agree in gender with the noun they modify. Этот is masculine singular to agree with человек.

Word order: In Russian, the word order is more flexible than in English. The subject can come after the verb, but in this sentence, it is before the verb.

Pronunciation notes:

Кто [KTO] - the [K] is pronounced like the [k] in "kick." The [o] is pronounced like the [o] in "go."

этот [eh-toht] - the [e] is pronounced like the [e] in "bed." The [o] is pronounced like the [o] in "go." The [t] is pronounced like the [t] in "time."

человек [CHE-loh-vehk] - the [ч] is pronounced like the [ch] in "chair." The [е] is pronounced like the [e] in "bed." The [к] is pronounced like the [k] in "kick." The [о] is pronounced like the [o] in "go." The [в] is pronounced like the [v] in "vine." The [е] is pronounced like the [e] in "bed." The [к] is pronounced like the [k] in "kick."

English: who (pronoun)

Russian: кто [KTO]

The next word is telephone. The Russian sentence is:

Я позвонил по телефону.

Breakdown:

Я - This is the subject pronoun, meaning "I". It is pronounced like "ya"

позвонил - This is the past tense verb "to call". It is pronounced like "pa-zva-neel" - note the stress on the first syllable. You can use the word звонить (zva-neet) to express "to call" as well, but it's in the infinitive form.

по - This is a preposition meaning "by". It is pronounced like "pa". This is often used to show how something is done.

телефону - This is the dative case of the word телефон, meaning "telephone". The dative case is used to show the indirect object of the verb, and indicates that the telephone is the means of communication. It is pronounced like "te-le-fo-noo".

English translation: "I called by telephone."

Key concepts:

Pronoun cases: Russian has six cases for nouns and pronouns, each indicating a different grammatical function. The dative case is used to show the indirect object of a verb.

Verb tenses: Russian verbs have different forms depending on the tense. The past tense is used to describe an action that happened in the past.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.

Variations:

Я звонил по телефону - "I was calling by telephone" (The imperfective form of the verb звонить ).

Он позвонил по телефону - "He called by telephone."

Она позвонила по телефону - "She called by telephone."

Pronunciation:

Я - ya
позвонил - pa-zva-neel
по - pa
телефону - te-le-fo-noo

English Translation: telephone - телефон (te-le-fon)

The next word is water. The sentence is: Я пью воду.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I, Pronoun. This is one of the most important words to learn in Russian, and is very easy to pronounce. "Ya" sounds like "ya" in "yard."

пью (pyu) - drink, verb. The verb "to drink" in the present tense, first person singular. This is the present tense of the verb пить. This word is easy to say. Sound it out "pyu."

воду (vodu) - water, noun. The word вода (pronounced "vah-duh") is the feminine form of the word for "water." This is the accusative case of the noun вода. The ending is important and changes based on the context of the sentence. For example, if you are saying "the water is cold" the word water would be вода but in this sentence, we are saying "I am drinking the water" so it is воду.

Translation: I drink water.

Key concept: This sentence highlights the use of the present tense in Russian. The verb пью is conjugated in the first person singular, which means it is used when the speaker is talking about themselves.

Pronunciation:

Я - "Ya" - like the "ya" in "yard."

пью - "pyu"

воду - "vodu"

English: water - /ˈwɔːtər/

Russian: вода - /vəˈda/

The next word is study. Я ya учусь uchusʹ в v университете universitete.

Breakdown:

Я ya - I (pronoun, nominative case, always the same in Russian) [pronounced: ya]

учусь uchusʹ - I am studying (verb, present tense, 1st person singular) [pronounced: oo-chooss]

в v - in (preposition) [pronounced: v]

университете universitete - university (noun, prepositional case, used with the preposition 'в') [pronounced: oo-ni-ver-si-te-te]

Key Concept: The verb учиться uchitʹsya - to study is conjugated in the present tense with the ending -юсь -yusʹ for the 1st person singular.

Translation: I am studying at the university.

English: study - учиться uchitʹsya (pronounced: oo-chit-sya)

The next word is excellent. This is an excellent example of a sentence:

Это прекрасный пример предложения.

Breakdown:

Это (eh-tuh) is the nominative case of the pronoun "this". This case is used for the subject of a sentence.

прекрасный (pre-krahs-nyy) is an adjective meaning "beautiful" or "excellent".

пример (pree-meer) is a noun meaning "example".

предложения (prehd-lah-zhe-nee-ya) is the genitive case of the noun "sentence". This case is used after prepositions or other words requiring the genitive case.

Translation: This is an excellent example of a sentence.

Excellent - прекрасный (pre-krahs-nyy)

Sentence - предложение (prehd-lah-zhe-nee-ya)

The next word is high. The word "high" in English has several meanings, so we'll explore a few variations in Russian.

1. High as in tall:

Высокий дом. Высокий человек.

Высокий vysoki - (adjective) high, tall. Pronunciation: vi-soh-kee
дом dom - (noun) house. Pronunciation: dom
человек chelovek - (noun) person. Pronunciation: che-la-vek

This sentence means "The house is tall" or "The person is tall." Remember that the adjective высокий (vysoki) agrees in gender with the noun it modifies.

1. High as in altitude:

Он летел на большой высоте.

Он on - (pronoun) he. Pronunciation: on
летел letel - (verb) flew (past tense). Pronunciation: le-tel
на na - (preposition) on, at, to. Pronunciation: na
большой bolshoy - (adjective) big, large. Pronunciation: bol-shoy
высоте vy'soti - (noun) altitude, height. Pronunciation: vi-soh-ti

This sentence means "He flew at a high altitude."

1. High as in a high price:

Цена на эту машину очень высокая.

Цена tsena - (noun) price. Pronunciation: tse-na
на na - (preposition) on, at, to. Pronunciation: na
эту etu - (pronoun) this. Pronunciation: eh-tu
машину mashinu - (noun) car. Pronunciation: ma-shee-nu
очень ochen' - (adverb) very. Pronunciation: o-chen
высокая vysokaya - (adjective) high. Pronunciation: vi-soh-ka-ya

This sentence means "The price of this car is very high." Remember, adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

By learning different usages of высокий (vysoki), you will be able to talk about many different things!

The next word is basis. The word основа (osnova) means "basis" and is a feminine noun in Russian. Here is an example sentence:

Эта теория основана на фактах. (Eta teoriya osnovana na faktakh.)

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine nominative singular) - pronounced as 'eh-ta'

теория (teoriya) - theory (feminine nominative singular) - pronounced as 'tyeo-ree-ya'

основана (osnovana) - is based (feminine past passive participle) - pronounced as 'as-no-va-na'

на (na) - on (preposition) - pronounced as 'na'

фактах (faktakh) - facts (plural prepositional case) - pronounced as 'fak-takh'

Translation: This theory is based on facts.

Variations:

основание (osnovanie) is another word for "basis" which is a neuter noun. It is used more frequently for a physical foundation or basis of an organization.

основываться (osnovyvatsya) is the verb "to be based"

Pronunciation notes:

о is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

а is pronounced like the "a" in "father."

The ы is pronounced like the "ee" in "see."

The е in теория is pronounced like the "ye" in "yes."

The stress in основа is on the second syllable, сно.

English - basis

Russian - основа (osnova) - pronounced 'as-no-va'

The next word is without. The sentence:

Он пришёл на встречу без документов.

Translation: He came to the meeting without documents.

Breakdown:

Он - on - he, masculine pronoun, nominative case.

пришёл - prishol - came, past tense, masculine singular verb form.

на - na - on, preposition, used with the accusative case to indicate direction.

встречу - vstrechu - meeting, feminine noun, accusative case.

без - bez - without, preposition, used with accusative case.

документов - dokumentov - documents, masculine noun, plural, accusative case.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions and Cases: Russian prepositions require specific grammatical cases for the nouns that follow them. In this case, the prepositions "на" and "без" require the accusative case.

Gender and Number: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and number (singular or plural). These characteristics must be considered when choosing the correct verb form and when declining nouns (changing their endings based on their grammatical role in the sentence).

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs are conjugated to agree in person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural) with the subject.

Pronunciation:

Он - on - [awn]

пришёл - prishol - [pri-shohl]

на - na - [nah]

встречу - vstrechu - [vstreh-choo]

без - bez - [bez]

документов - dokumentov - [duh-koo-men-tov]

English word: without - [with-out]

Russian word: без - bez - [bez]

The next word is prevent. The word "prevent" is a verb meaning to stop something from happening. In Russian, the verb for "prevent" is предотвращать (pronounced pre-do-tvra-shchat').

Here is a sentence using предотвращать:

Необходимо предотвратить распространение вируса.

Breakdown:

Необходимо (neh-ab-ho-di-mo) is an adverb meaning "necessary". It is used to emphasize the importance of preventing the spread of the virus.

предотвратить (pre-do-tvra-tit') is the infinitive form of the verb "to prevent". Here, it is in the imperative mood, which means it is a command or request.

распространение (ras-pro-stra-ne-ni-ye) is the noun form of the verb "to spread".

вируса (vi-ru-sa) is the genitive case of the noun "virus". The genitive case is used to show possession or a relationship between two nouns.

Translation:

It is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.

Variations:

The verb предотвращать can be conjugated to express different tenses and moods. For example, the past tense is предотвратил (pre-do-tvra-til) for masculine, предотвратила (pre-do-tvra-ti-la) for feminine, and предотвратило (pre-do-tvra-ti-lo) for neuter.

You can also use the verb избегать (iz-be-gat') to mean "to avoid" or "to prevent".

Pronunciation:

предотвращать (pre-do-tvra-shchat')

необходимо (neh-ab-ho-di-mo)

распространение (ras-pro-stra-ne-ni-ye)

вируса (vi-ru-sa)

English: prevent /prɪˈvɛnt/

Russian: предотвращать /prɪdɐvɾɐˈʃatʲ/

The next word is brother. ## У меня есть брат.

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "with," but in this case, it signifies possession. Think of it as "I have..."

меня (myen-ya) - This is the personal pronoun "me," but in this case, it means "my."

есть (yest') - This is the verb "to be" or "to have," indicating possession.

брат (brat) - This is the noun "brother."

Translation: I have a brother.

Variations:

У меня есть два брата (oo myen-ya yest' dva bra-ta) - I have two brothers.

У меня есть сестра (oo myen-ya yest' sis-tra) - I have a sister.

Pronunciation:

брат (brat) - The "a" sound is like the "a" in "father."

сестра (sis-tra) - The "e" sound is like the "e" in "bed."

Key Concept: The preposition у (oo) is important in expressing possession in Russian. It translates to "at" or "with," but in this context, it signifies "I have."

English: Brother - брат (brat)

Russian: Brother - брат (brat)

The next word is election. The upcoming выборы президента are generating a lot of discussion in the media.

Breakdown:

выборы (vy-bo-ry) - plural noun, elections, literally "choices"

президента (pre-zi-den-ta) - genitive case of the noun президент (pre-zi-dent) - president
генерируют (ge-ne-ri-ru-yut) - 3rd person plural present tense of the verb генерировать (ge-ne-ri-ro-vat') - to generate
много (mnoh-go) - much, a lot, many
дискуссий (dis-kus-siy) - plural noun, discussions, literally "arguments"

в (v) - preposition, in

СМИ (SMI) - abbreviation of средства массовой информации (sred-stva mas-so-voy in-for-ma-tsii) - mass media, literally "means of mass information"

Key Concepts:

The Russian language uses different cases for nouns depending on their function in a sentence. The genitive case is used to indicate possession, like "of the president."

Russian verbs have different endings depending on the person and number of the subject. Here, the verb генерируют (generate) is in the third person plural because the subject is plural (выборы - elections).

The preposition в (in) is used to indicate location and can be combined with different nouns, like в Москве (in Moscow) or в университете (in the university).

Translation:

The upcoming elections of the president are generating a lot of discussion in the media.

Pronunciation Guide:

выборы: [vi-bo-ri]

президента: [pre-zi-den-ta]

генерируют: [ge-ne-ri-ru-yut]

много: [mnoh-go]

дискуссий: [dis-kus-siy]

в: [v]

СМИ: [SMI]

The next word is at. The English word "at" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here is a sentence using the preposition "в" в (pronounced "v").

Sentence:

Я Я (I) сижу сижу (sit) в в (in/at) библиотеке библиотеке (library).

Breakdown:

Я Я (I): The pronoun "Я" Я (pronounced "Ya") is the nominative case of the first person singular pronoun, meaning "I" in English.

сижу сижу (sit): The verb "сижу" сижу (pronounced "si-zhu") is the present tense, first person singular form of the verb "сидеть" сидеть (to sit).

в в (in/at): The preposition "в" в (pronounced "v") is used to indicate location, meaning "in" or "at" in English.

библиотеке библиотеке (library): The word "библиотеке" библиотеке (pronounced "bi-bli-o-te-ke") is the prepositional case of the noun "библиотека" библиотека (library). It is important to note that in Russian, prepositions often require the noun following them to be in a specific case.

Translation: I am sitting in the library.

Key Concept: The preposition "в" в (pronounced "v") is a versatile preposition used to express location, similar to the English preposition "in" or "at".

Variations:

The preposition "в" в (pronounced "v") can be used with other prepositions to create different meanings. For example, "на" на (on) + "в" в (in) = "на в" на в (on in) meaning "in on" in English.

Pronunciation:

в в - pronounced "v"

библиотеке библиотеке - pronounced "bi-bli-o-te-ke"

сижу сижу - pronounced "si-zhu"

Я Я - pronounced "Ya"

English to Russian:

at - в в (pronounced "v")

library - библиотека библиотека (pronounced "bi-bli-o-te-ka")

The next word is switch. The word "switch" has a few different meanings in Russian, so I will provide a sentence demonstrating each one.

1. To switch/change (something)

Переключите канал на другой.

Pereključite kanal na drugoj.

Breakdown:

Переключите Pereključite is the imperative form of the verb "to switch" - per-e-klyu-chi-te
канал kanal is the word for "channel" - ka-nal
на na is the preposition "on" or "to" - na
другой drugoj is the word for "other" or "another" - dru-goy

Translation:

Switch the channel to another one.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Verbs in Russian: The imperative form is used to give commands or make requests. It is formed by adding the ending -те [-te] to the stem of the verb.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. In this sentence, the preposition на na is used to show that the channel is being switched to something else (another channel).

1. Switch (as in a light switch)

Включите свет с помощью выключателя.

Vklyuchite svet s pomoshch'yu vyklyuchatelya.

Breakdown:

Включите Vklyuchite is the imperative form of the verb "to switch on" - vklyu-chi-te
свет svet is the word for "light" - svet
с помощью s pomoshch'yu is the prepositional phrase "with the help of" - s pomoshch'yu
выключателя vyklyuchatelya is the word for "switch" - vyklyu-cha-te-lya

Translation:

Turn on the light with the switch.

Key Concepts:

Imperative Verbs in Russian: The imperative form is used to give commands or make requests. It is formed by adding the ending -те [-te] to the stem of the verb.

Prepositional Phrases in Russian: Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition and modify a noun or pronoun. In this sentence, the prepositional phrase с помощью s pomoshch'yu modifies the noun выключателя vyklyuchatelya (switch).

1. Switch (as in a change in a situation)

Переключатель настроения у нее работает отлично.

Pereključatel' nastroeniya u nee rabotaet otlično.

Breakdown:

Переключатель Pereključatel' is the word for "switch" - pe-re-klyu-cha-tel'

настроения nastroeniya is the word for "mood" - nas-tro-e-ni-ya
у u is the preposition "at" or "with" - u
нее nee is the pronoun "her" - ne-e
работает rabotaet is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb "to work" - ra-bo-ta-et
отлично otlično is the word for "perfectly" or "excellently" - ot-li-ch-no

Translation:

Her mood switch works perfectly.

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian: Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas. Nouns have different genders, numbers, and cases. In this sentence, Переключатель Pereključatel' (switch) is a masculine noun, while настроения nastroeniya (mood) is a neuter noun.

Pronouns in Russian: Pronouns are words that replace nouns. In this sentence, the pronoun нее nee (her) replaces the noun "woman."

Pronunciation:

Переключите Pereključite - per-e-klyu-chi-te
канал kanal - ka-nal
на na - na
другой drugoj - dru-goy

Включите Vklyuchite - vklyu-chi-te
свет svet - svet
с помощью s pomoshch'yu - s pomoshch'yu
выключателя vyklyuchatelya - vyklyu-cha-te-lya

Переключатель Pereključatel' - pe-re-klyu-cha-tel'

настроения nastroeniya - nas-tro-e-ni-ya
у u - u
нее nee - ne-e
работает rabotaet - ra-bo-ta-et
отлично otlično - ot-li-ch-no

English Russian Pronunciation

Switch Переключатель pe-re-klyu-cha-tel'

Switch выключатель vyklyu-cha-te-lya

To switch Переключить pe-re-klyu-chi-t'

To switch on Включить vklyu-chi-t'

To switch off Выключить vyklyu-chi-t'

The next word is cultural. ## Культурный человек должен уважать другие культуры.

Breakdown:

Культурный человек - This phrase means "cultured person" or "a person of culture." Культурный (kul'turnый) is an adjective meaning "cultural," and человек (chelovek) is the noun "person."

должен - This verb means "should" or "must." It's an auxiliary verb, and in this sentence, it's conjugated in the masculine singular form.

уважать - This verb means "to respect." The pronunciation is close to "oo-va-zhat'." It is conjugated in the infinitive form (to respect).

другие - This word is a pronoun and means "other."

культуры - This is the plural form of the noun культура (kul'tura), which means "culture." It's important to note that the ending "–ы" indicates the plural form of the noun.

Sentence Meaning: A cultured person should respect other cultures.

Variations:

Культурные (kul'turnye) - the plural form of the adjective культурный - meaning "cultural" (referring to multiple people or things).

Культура (kul'tura) - the singular form of the noun культуры - meaning "culture."

Pronunciation Guide (approximate):

Культурный - [kul'turnый]

человек - [chelovek]

должен - [dolzhen]

уважать - [oo-va-zhat']

другие - [drugie]

культуры - [kul'tury]

English Translation: Cultural [kul'turnый] person [chelovek] should [dolzhen] respect [oo-va-zhat'] other [drugie] cultures [kul'tury].

The next word is user. Okay, let's begin! I'm ready to help you with your Russian vocabulary building. I will provide you with a Russian sentence, a breakdown of its grammar and meaning, and some helpful hints for pronunciation. Remember, it is important to practice both reading and speaking aloud to improve your fluency! Let's get started.

The next word is a. The word "a" is an indefinite article in English. In Russian, we use the words один (odin) for masculine, одна (odna) for feminine, and одно (odno) for neuter. They translate to "one" but function as indefinite articles in certain contexts.

Example Sentence:

У меня есть один друг. (U menya est odin drug.)

Breakdown:

У (U) - preposition, meaning "at" or "with" in this context. It's pronounced like the "oo" in "boot" but shorter.

меня (menya) - pronoun, meaning "me". It's pronounced like "men-ya"

есть (est) - verb, meaning "to have". It's pronounced like "est"

один (odin) - indefinite article, meaning "a" or "one" in this context. It's pronounced like "oh-deen"

друг (drug) - noun, meaning "friend". It's pronounced like "droog"

Meaning: I have a friend.

Key Concept: Russian does not have a single word equivalent to the English indefinite article "a" or "an". Instead, we use the words один (odin), одна (odna), and одно (odno) which translate to "one", but act as indefinite articles in the context of a singular noun.

Pronunciation Guide:

один (odin) - oh-deen
одна (odna) - od-na
одно (odno) - od-no

English: a

Russian: один (odin), одна (odna), одно (odno)

The next word is section. The word "section" can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. Here is an example using the word in the context of a book:

В этой книге есть отдельный раздел, посвященный истории России.

Breakdown:

В - [v] - This is a preposition meaning "in" or "within" and is used here to indicate the location of the section within the book.

этой - [eh-toy] - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this," indicating that the book is the one being referred to.

книге - [k-nee-geh] - This is the feminine form of the noun "book."

есть - [yest'] - This is the present tense of the verb "to be," used in this context to indicate existence.

отдельный - [at-dye-l'nyy] - This adjective means "separate" or "individual."

раздел - [ra-z-dye-l] - This is the noun "section" and refers to a part of the book that deals with a specific topic.

посвященный - [pa-svyah-shchen-nyy] - This is the past participle of the verb "to dedicate" and indicates that the section is dedicated to something.

истории - [is-to-ree] - This is the feminine form of the noun "history."

России - [ra-see-ee] - This is the feminine form of the noun "Russia."

Translation: "This book has a separate section dedicated to the history of Russia."

Variations:

"Раздел" - [ra-z-dye-l] - This word is more general and can be used to refer to any part of a larger whole.

"Глава" - [gla-va] - This word refers to a chapter in a book.

"Часть" - [chast'] - This word is more general and can be used to refer to any part of something.

Pronunciation Tips:

The letter "е" is pronounced as a short "e" sound in English.

The letter "и" is pronounced as a "ee" sound in English.

The letter "о" is pronounced as an "o" sound in English.

The letter "я" is pronounced as "ya" sound in English, except at the end of a word, where it is pronounced as "a."

English-Russian Translation:

Section - раздел [ra-z-dye-l]

The next word is discussion. The professor cleared his throat and addressed his students. "Today, we will be discussing the complexities of the Russian language. For instance, the word обсуждение (pronounced ahb-soo-zh-DEH-nee-yeh) can be used as a noun to mean ‘discussion’ or ‘debate’. It is the noun form of the verb обсуждать (pronounced ahb-soo-zh-DAHT') meaning 'to discuss'. Let's take a look at an example of обсуждение in a sentence."

The professor continued, "Let's say that we are going to have a обсуждение (ahb-soo-zh-DEH-nee-yeh) about the novel 'War and Peace'. We could say:

"У нас будет обсуждение (oo NAHSS boo-dyet ahb-soo-zh-DEH-nee-yeh) романа 'Война и мир' (rah-MAHN-ah 'Voy-nah ee meer') tomorrow."

У нас (oo NAHSS) translates to ‘we have’ будет (boo-dyet) means ‘will be’ роман (rah-MAHN) means ‘novel’

The sentence means: "We will have a discussion about the novel 'War and Peace' tomorrow."

Discussion (English) - обсуждение (ahb-soo-zh-DEH-nee-yeh) (Russian)

The next word is piece. ## Кусок торта был очень вкусный.

Breakdown:

Кусок ([koo]sok) - A piece (of something) – This word is masculine and can be used for a piece of food, a piece of cloth, a piece of furniture etc. It has a plural form, куски ([koo]ski). Remember, the ‘к’ in кусок is a soft 'k' sound, like the 'k' in the English word "key". Also, куски is pronounced with a short 'i' sound, as in the English word "bit".

торта ([tor]ta) - A cake – This is a masculine noun, so the ending is -a. Remember, the ‘т’ is pronounced as an unvoiced 't' sound, as in the English word "talk".

был ([byl] ) - Was - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb быть ([byt']) "to be". The 'ь' in был is a soft sign, and it is not pronounced. The 'ы' is pronounced as a short 'i' sound.

очень ([o]chen') - Very – This word is an adverb, meaning "very" or "extremely". It's quite versatile and can be used with adjectives, adverbs, and even verbs. Remember, the 'ч' is pronounced as the 'ch' in the English word "church".

вкусный ([v]kusnyj) - Tasty - This word is an adjective, meaning "tasty" or "delicious". It can be used to describe food, drinks, and sometimes even experiences. It has masculine, feminine and neuter forms, and can be used in the plural as well. It is pronounced with a short 'u' sound, similar to the 'u' in the English word "put".

Translation:

The piece of cake was very tasty.

Pronunciation:

[koo]sok [tor]ta [byl] [o]chen' [v]kusnyj.

Helpful hints:

This sentence demonstrates a common structure used in Russian, with the subject coming first, followed by the verb, then the object, then any modifiers.

The adjective вкусный follows the noun торт, making it clear that it modifies the noun.

It's useful to practice saying the words aloud to get a feel for the pronunciation.

This sentence can help you to learn the declension of nouns, the conjugation of verbs, and the use of adjectives.

The next word is science. ## Наука - Nauka (pronounced: NAW-ka)

Sentence: Наука - это очень важная область человеческой деятельности.

Breakdown:

Наука (NAW-ka) - noun, "science"

это (EH-tuh) - pronoun, "it" (can also mean "this")

очень (OH-chen) - adverb, "very"

важная (VAHZH-naya) - adjective, "important"

область (OH-blast) - noun, "field" or "area"

человеческой (che-luh-VEH-che-skey) - adjective, "human"

деятельности (dee-yah-tel-nus-ti) - noun, "activity"

Translation: Science is a very important field of human activity.

Key Concepts:

Наука is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine form of adjectives like важная.

область is a noun that can be either masculine or feminine, but in this sentence it is used as feminine because it modifies the feminine noun наука.

Variations:

The word наука can be used in many different contexts. For example, you could say:

Я изучаю науку. (Yah iz-oo-chah-yu NAW-ku) - I study science.

Это достижение науки. (EH-tuh das-tee-zhe-nee NAW-ki) - This is a scientific achievement.

Наука движется вперед. (NAW-ka dvee-zhet-sah vpeer-yod) - Science is moving forward.

Pronunciation Guide:

а (ah) - like the "a" in "father"

е (eh) - like the "e" in "bed"

и (ee) - like the "ee" in "see"

о (oh) - like the "o" in "go"

у (oo) - like the "oo" in "moon"

ы (uh) - like the "a" in "about"

й (y) - like the "y" in "yes"

ь (soft sign) - does not make a sound, but softens the preceding consonant.

ъ (hard sign) - does not make a sound, but makes the preceding consonant hard.

The next word is importance. ## Важность этого решения нельзя недооценивать. Важность is the noun form of the adjective важный which means "important" In this sentence, we see the use of the genitive case, the noun form важность is followed by the preposition этого which is the genitive form of этот "this". The verb нельзя "cannot" is followed by the infinitive недооценивать "to underestimate"

Breakdown

Важность - vazhnost (importance)

этого - ehtogo (of this)

решения - resheniya (solution)

нельзя - nelzya (cannot)

недооценивать - nedoocenivat (to underestimate)

Translation: The importance of this solution cannot be underestimated.

Key Concepts

Genitive Case: In this sentence, the genitive case is used to show possession or relation. Важность is the importance of something.

Infinitive: The infinitive form of verbs in Russian ends in -ть. Here, the verb недооценивать is in the infinitive form.

Pronunciation Guide:

Важность - vazhnost (Stress on the first syllable, "zh" as in "azure")

этого - ehtogo (Stress on the second syllable, "eh" as in "bet")

решения - resheniya (Stress on the first syllable, "sh" as in "ship")

нельзя - nelzya (Stress on the first syllable, "z" as in "zoo")

недооценивать - nedoocenivat (Stress on the third syllable, "oo" as in "food", "sh" as in "ship")

The next word is usual. This is a great example of a word with many nuances and usages in Russian. Here is an example:

Sentence: Он обычно ходит в университет пешком.

Breakdown:

Он - he (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

обычно - usually (adverb) This word is commonly used to express habitual actions. It's very important to remember the ending, as it is one of the most common adverbs in the language!

ходит - goes (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense)

в - to (preposition)

университет - university (masculine noun, accusative case)

пешком - on foot (adverb)

Meaning: He usually walks to university.

Translation:

Он - ahn (sounds like 'on')

обычно - obychno (sounds like 'o-bee-ch-no')

ходит - hodit (sounds like 'ho-deet')

в - v (sounds like 'v')

университет - universitet (sounds like 'oo-nee-ver-si-tet')

пешком - peshkom (sounds like 'pesh-kom')

Variations of обычно:

обычный - usual, ordinary, common. This is the adjective form.

обычай - custom, habit. This is the noun form.

Key Concepts: The sentence demonstrates the use of the present tense in Russian, which is formed differently from English. It also shows the use of prepositions, which are very important in Russian grammar.

The next word is final. The word "final" can be used in a variety of contexts, but in Russian, it is most commonly translated as финальный (final'nyy) when referring to the end of something, like a competition, a project, or a performance.

Here is an example sentence:

Финальный концерт был очень успешным (final'nyy kontsert byl ochen' uspeshnym).

Финальный (final'nyy) is the adjective form of "final." This word is pronounced "fee-nal'ny," with stress on the second syllable.

концерт (kontsert) means "concert." The stress is on the first syllable, "kon."

был (byl) is the past tense of "to be" and means "was" - pronounced "beel".

очень (ochen') means "very" - pronounced "och-en'".

успешным (uspeshnym) is the adjective form of "successful." The word "uspeshny" is pronounced "oo-speh-shny" with stress on the first syllable.

Translation: The final concert was very successful.

Other ways to translate "final" in Russian:

конечный (konechnyy) is also often used and means "final" in the sense of "ending" or "ultimate." The word is pronounced "ka-nehch-ny" with stress on the first syllable.

последний (posledniy) means "last" and can also be used to refer to something that is final. The stress is on the second syllable "posled" - pronounced "pa-sled-nee".

Learning these different translations of "final" will allow you to express yourself more accurately and fluently in Russian.

The next word is president. The президент России Владимир Путин является главой государства.

Breakdown:

президент (prez-ee-dent) - president (masculine noun)

России (Ross-ee-ee) - of Russia (genitive case of Россия (Ross-ee-ya), Russia)

Владимир (Vlah-dee-mir) - Vladimir (proper noun, masculine)

Путин (Poo-tin) - Putin (proper noun, masculine)

является (ya-vlya-yet-sya) - is (present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb являться (ya-vlyat-sya), to be)

главой (gla-voy) - head (instrumental case of голова (ga-la-va), head)

государства (ga-su-dar-stva) - state (genitive case of государство (ga-su-dar-stva), state)

Meaning: The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is the head of state.

Key Concepts:

Noun Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this example, we see the genitive case (России and государства) used to indicate possession or belonging, and the instrumental case (главой) used to show the means or instrument of an action.

Word Order: While Russian word order is more flexible than English, the sentence structure is generally subject-verb-object.

Present Tense: The verb является is in the present tense, indicating a current state or fact.

Variations of президент:

президентом (prez-ee-den-tom) - by the president (instrumental case)

президенту (prez-ee-den-tu) - to the president (dative case)

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress: In Russian, stress is not always predictable and can change the meaning of a word. In the example, stress falls on the first syllable of президент, России, Владимир, Путин, является, and государства.

Vowel Sounds: Pay attention to the vowel sounds. The "e" in президент is pronounced like the "e" in "bed". The "o" in России is pronounced like the "o" in "hot".

Consonant Sounds: The "c" in России is pronounced like an "s". The "ч" in является is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

Translation: президент (president) России (of Russia) Владимир (Vladimir) Путин (Putin) является (is) главой (head) государства (of state).

The next word is save. ## The word "save" in Russian:

The word "save" in Russian can be expressed in a few ways depending on the context.

1. сохранить (so-khra-neet')

This is the most common verb for "save" in Russian. It translates to "to save" or "to preserve."

This verb is used when you want to save something from being lost or destroyed.

It can be used for both tangible and intangible things.

Example: Сохраните эту фотографию на свой компьютер (so-khra-nee-tee eh-tu fa-ta-gra-fi-yu na svoy kom-pyu-ter) - Save this photo on your computer.

Breakdown:

Сохраните (so-khra-nee-tee) - Imperative form of the verb сохранить (so-khra-neet') - "save"

эту (eh-tu) - this (feminine)

фотографию (fa-ta-gra-fi-yu) - photograph (feminine)

на (na) - on

свой (svoy) - your

компьютер (kom-pyu-ter) - computer

1. спасти (spa-stee)

This word is more specifically used for "to save" someone from danger or harm.

It also can be used when you want to save someone or something from a difficult situation.

Example: Он спас ребёнка от пожара (on spas re-byon-ka ot pa-zha-ra) - He saved the child from the fire.

Breakdown:

Он (on) - He

спас (spas) - saved (past tense masculine singular)

ребёнка (re-byon-ka) - child (masculine)

от (ot) - from

пожара (pa-zha-ra) - fire (masculine)

1. сохраняться (so-khra-nya-tsa)

This is the reflexive form of сохранить (so-khra-neet') and means "to be saved" or "to remain."

This verb emphasizes the state of being preserved.

Example: Эти воспоминания сохранятся в моей памяти навсегда (eh-ti vospominaniya so-khra-nyat-sa v moyey pa-myati navse-gda) - These memories will remain in my memory forever.

Breakdown:

Эти (eh-ti) - these

воспоминания (vospominaniya) - memories (plural)

сохранятся (so-khra-nyat-sa) - will remain (future tense plural)

в (v) - in

моей (moyey) - my (feminine)

памяти (pa-myati) - memory (feminine)

навсегда (navse-gda) - forever

Remember: The choice of the word depends on the context of your sentence. Practice using these different forms and you'll be able to express "save" in a variety of ways.

Pronunciation:

сохранить (so-khra-neet') - The "kh" sound is similar to the "ch" in the word "loch"

спасти (spa-stee) - The "s" at the end is pronounced like the "s" in "bus"

сохраняться (so-khra-nya-tsa) - The "nya" sound is similar to the "ny" in the word "canyon"

English Translation: save

Russian Translation: сохранять (so-khra-nyat')

The next word is sight. ## Sight

The word "sight" can be translated into Russian as зрение (zreniye), which is a noun meaning "the ability to see." It can also be translated as видение (videniye), which is also a noun, but it carries the connotation of a "vision" or a "view" of something.

Let's look at a sentence:

У меня хорошее зрение, но я не вижу птиц в небе. (U menya khoroshye zreniye, no ya ne vizhu ptits v nebe.)

Breakdown:

У (u) - preposition, meaning "at" or "with" in this case
меня (menya) - personal pronoun, meaning "me" or "I"

хорошее (khoroshye) - adjective, meaning "good"

зрение (zreniye) - noun, meaning "sight"

но (no) - conjunction, meaning "but"

я (ya) - personal pronoun, meaning "I"

не (ne) - negative particle, meaning "not"

вижу (vizhu) - verb, meaning "see"

птиц (ptits) - noun, plural, meaning "birds"

в (v) - preposition, meaning "in"

небе (nebe) - noun, meaning "sky"

Translation: I have good sight, but I don't see birds in the sky.

Key Concepts:

Зрение (zreniye) - refers to the ability to see. It's a broader term than "видение" (videniye)

Видение (videniye) - refers to a specific vision, a view of something, or an idea.

Word Order: Russian word order is flexible, but the verb typically appears at the end of a sentence.

Prepositions: Russian prepositions are essential for understanding the grammatical relationship between words.

Pronunciation Hints:

зрение (zreniye) - pronounced similarly to "zren-ye-ye", with the stress on the second syllable.

видение (videniye) - pronounced similarly to "vi-de-ni-ye", with the stress on the third syllable.

English and Russian Translation of "sight"

Sight: зрение (zreniye) - "ability to see"

Sight: видение (videniye) - "vision" or "view"

The next word is express. The word "express" in English can have multiple meanings and be used in various grammatical contexts. In this sentence, we will use the verb form of "express" meaning "to communicate" or "to show." Let's examine the sentence:

Он выразил свое мнение. [awn vyirazil sva-ye mnyenye]

Breakdown:

Он [awn] - He. This is the masculine pronoun "he." Pronounced "ohn."

выразил [vyirazil] - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to express" (which is выразить [vyirazit]). The pronunciation is close to "veer-ah-zeel."

свое [sva-ye] - his/her/its own. This is a possessive pronoun, and it is in the masculine singular form to agree with the subject. It is pronounced "svah-ye."

мнение [mnyenye] - opinion. Pronounced like "mnyen-yeh"

Translation: He expressed his opinion.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs conjugate based on person, number, and tense. The verb "express" (выразить [vyirazit]) in the past tense, masculine singular form is выразил [vyirazil].

Possessive Pronouns: In Russian, possessive pronouns indicate ownership and agree with the noun they modify.

Variations:

Она выразила свое мнение. [ah-nah vyirazila sva-ye mnyenye] - She expressed her opinion.

Они выразили свое мнение. [ah-nee vyirazili sva-ye mnyenye] - They expressed their opinion.

English to Russian translation:

express - выразить [vyirazit]

opinion - мнение [mnyenye]

The next word is doctor. The word "doctor" in Russian is врач (pronounced vrahch). It is a masculine noun and the ending "-ч" makes it sound like the English "ch" in "church". It is one of the most common words used in Russia, so it is a great word to learn right away!

Here's a sentence:

Врач осмотрел пациента. (Vrach osmotrel patsienta.)

Врач (Vrach) - This is the nominative form of the noun "doctor", used for the subject of the sentence, This is a masculine noun and ends in "-ч" which sounds like "ch" in the English "church".

осмотрел (osmotrel) - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to examine". It is a perfective verb and means that the action of examining is complete.

пациента (patsienta) - This is the accusative case of the noun "patient". It is masculine and singular and is used because it is the direct object of the verb. It ends in "-а", which sounds like the English "ah" in the word "father".

Translation: The doctor examined the patient.

Word and Pronunciation:

врач - vrahch - doctor
осмотрел - osmotrel - examined
пациента - patsienta - patient

The next word is place. The word "place" in English can be translated into Russian as место (pronounced "myes-to").

Here is a sentence using the word место in Russian:

Я люблю это место (Ya lyublyu eto mesto).

Let's break it down:

Я (Ya) - "I" - The subject of the sentence.

люблю (lyublyu) - "love" - Verb in the present tense.

это (eto) - "this" - Demonstrative adjective.

место (mesto) - "place" - Noun, object of the verb.

The sentence translates to "I love this place".

Important Note: The word место can also mean "position" or "space" in Russian, so you need to understand the context to determine its meaning.

Pronunciation:

место - [myes-to]

Я - [Ya]

люблю - [lyublyu]

это - [eto]

The next word is peace. The word "peace" in Russian is мир (pronounced meer). This word is a noun and is used in the nominative case (the subject of the sentence). In this case, the sentence we will use is:

Мир вас ожидает.

Breakdown:

Мир (meer) - Peace (nominative case)

вас (vas) - You (accusative case)

ожидает (ozhidaet) - awaits (third person singular, present tense)

The sentence means "Peace awaits you." This is a common expression in Russian to wish someone well and convey peacefulness.

Variations:

The word "peace" can be used in other grammatical cases, such as:

миру (miru) - To peace (dative case)

мира (mira) - Of peace (genitive case)

миром (mirom) - With peace (instrumental case)

мире (mire) - In peace (prepositional case)

Pronunciation:

мир - meer
вас - vas
ожидает - ozhidaet

English: peace - мир (meer)

The next word is employ. The Russian sentence is:

Компания нанимает новых сотрудников.

Breakdown:

Компания kompaniya - company - [kahm-pahn-ee-ya]

нанимает naнимает - employs - [nah-nee-may-et]

новых novykh - new - [noh-vuhkh]

сотрудников sotrudnikov - employees - [suh-trood-nee-kahv]

Explanation:

This sentence uses the verb нанимать naнимать - to employ, to hire, to recruit. This verb can be used in various tenses and can be conjugated for different subjects.

Key Concept:

This sentence uses the present tense of the verb нанимать naнимать - to employ, to hire, to recruit. The verb нанимать naнимать is in the third person singular, which means the subject is a company.

Translation:

The company is hiring new employees.

Variations:

The verb нанимать naнимать can also be used in the past tense and future tense, and can be conjugated for different subjects.

Pronunciation:

Компания kompaniya - [kahm-pahn-ee-ya]

нанимает naнимает - [nah-nee-may-et]

новых novykh - [noh-vuhkh]

сотрудников sotrudnikov - [suh-trood-nee-kahv]

Word and Pronunciation:

Employ - [ihm-ploi] - нанимать naнимать - [nah-nee-may-et]

The next word is entire. The word "entire" in English means "whole" or "complete." In Russian, it is translated as весь (pronounced "ves").

Here's an example sentence:

Весь город был украшен к празднику.

Весь (ves) - entire, whole
город (gor-od) - city
был (byl) - was (past tense of "to be")

украшен (ukrashen) - decorated (past participle of "to decorate")

к (k) - to, towards
празднику (prazdniku) - holiday

This sentence translates to: "The entire city was decorated for the holiday."

The word "весь" can also be used with other nouns to indicate completeness. For example:

Весь день (ves den) - the whole day

Весь мир (ves mir) - the whole world

Весь путь (ves put) - the entire journey

Keep in mind that the ending of "весь" will change depending on the grammatical case of the noun it modifies.

English: entire

Russian: весь (ves)

The next word is document. The word "document" in Russian is документ (dokument). It's pronounced like "doh-koo-ment" with the emphasis on the first syllable.

Here is an example sentence:

У меня есть важный документ, который я должен отдать в университет.

This translates to: I have an important document that I need to turn in to the university.

Breakdown:

У меня - (u menya) - "I have" (Literally: "With me"). This is a common phrase in Russian to express possession. Pronunciation: "oo menya."

есть - (est) - "is" or "there is." Pronunciation: "yest."

важный - (vazhnyy) - "important." Pronunciation: "vahzh-niy."

документ - (dokument) - "document" Pronunciation: "doh-koo-ment."

который - (kotoryy) - "which" or "that" (relating to a preceding noun). Pronunciation: "koh-toh-riy."

я - (ya) - "I." Pronunciation: "ya."

должен - (dolzhen) - "must" or "have to." Pronunciation: "dohl-zhin."

отдать - (otdat) - "to give" or "to turn in." Pronunciation: "ot-dat."

в - (v) - "in" or "to" (used before prepositions of location). Pronunciation: "v."

университет - (universitet) - "university." Pronunciation: "oo-ni-ver-si-tet."

Helpful hints for pronunciation:

Remember that the "e" at the end of a word is usually silent. So документ sounds more like "doh-koo-ment" than "doh-koo-ment-eh."

In general, Russian vowels have a more open sound than English vowels. So "o" sounds more like "oh" than "aw" and "a" sounds more like "ah" than "ay."

"zh" in Russian is pronounced like the "s" in the English word "pleasure."

Variations:

You can also use the feminine form of the word "document" which is документа (dokumenta) for a female document.

The plural of "document" is документы (dokumenty).

Remember, practice makes perfect! So try saying the sentence out loud a few times and be sure to work on your pronunciation.

The next word is return. The word "return" can be used in a variety of ways in Russian. It can be used to indicate returning something, going back, or even coming back to a previous topic.

Here is an example sentence:

Я вернул книгу в библиотеку.

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced: Ya)

вернул (vernul) - returned (pronounced: vyer-nool) - This is the masculine past tense of the verb вернуть (vernut') - to return.

книгу (knigu) - book (pronounced: k-nee-goo) - This is the accusative case of книга (kniga). The accusative case is used for direct objects in Russian sentences.

в (v) - in (pronounced: v) - This preposition is used to indicate location.

библиотеку (biblioteku) - library (pronounced: bee-blee-ah-tay-koo) - This is the accusative case of библиотека (biblioteka).

Translation: I returned the book to the library.

Other examples of вернуть (vernut'):

Вернись домой! (Vernis' domoy!) - Go back home!

Я верну тебе деньги завтра. (Ya vernu tebye dengi zavtra) - I will return your money tomorrow.

Remember: The word вернуть (vernut') is a very versatile verb in Russian and can be used in many different contexts.

English: return, to return

Russian: вернуть (vernut')

The next word is worth. This book is стоит reading.

Breakdown:

стоит - This is the стоит (pronounced "stoh-eet") which means "worth" or "it is worth" in this sentence. The word is used in the singular, nominative form and it is an infinitive.

читать - "to read"

книга - "book"

Sentence Meaning: This book is worth reading.

Variations:

сто́ит can be used in many contexts with a slight change in meaning.

стоит купить "worth buying"

стоит попробовать "worth trying"

стоит посмотреть "worth watching"

стоит подумать "worth thinking about"

Translation:

стоит - worth
читать - to read
книга - book

The next word is threat. The Russian word for "threat" is угроза (pronounced "oo-gro-za"). This word is a feminine noun, so it will take the feminine form of adjectives and verbs in the sentence.

Here is an example sentence:

Эта угроза безопасности может привести к серьезным последствиям. (pronounced "eh-ta oo-gro-za bi-zo-pa-sno-sti mo-zhet pri-ve-sti k se-r'yoz-nym pos-led-stvi-yam.")

This sentence means "This threat to security can lead to serious consequences."

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine form)

угроза (oo-gro-za) - threat (feminine noun)

безопасности (bi-zo-pa-sno-sti) - security (feminine, genitive case, "of security")

может (mo-zhet) - can (verb in the third person singular, present tense)

привести (pri-ve-sti) - to lead (verb in the infinitive form)

к (k) - to (preposition)

серьезным (se-r'yoz-nym) - serious (plural, masculine, dative case, "to serious")

последствиям (pos-led-stvi-yam) - consequences (plural, masculine, dative case, "to consequences")

Key Concept: Notice how the noun "security" is in the genitive case, as it is governed by the preposition "to" (к). Also, the adjectives "serious" and "consequences" are in the dative case because they are the objects of the preposition "to."

Variations of "Threat":

The word "threat" in Russian can be expressed with different variations depending on the context. Here are some examples:

Опасность (o-pas-nost') - danger

Риск (risk) - risk

Угрожающий (oo-gro-zha-yu-shchiy) - threatening (adjective)

English Translation:

Threat: угроза (oo-gro-za)

The next word is life. Жизнь прекрасна и полна неожиданностей.

Breakdown:

Жизнь (pronounced: [zhyzn'] - "life") is the subject of the sentence.

прекрасна (pronounced: [prekrasna] - "beautiful") is the predicate, describing the subject.

и (pronounced: [i] - "and") connects the two parts of the sentence.

полна (pronounced: [polna] - "full") describes the subject further.

неожиданностей (pronounced: [neozhidannosty] - "surprises") is the object of the preposition "полна".

The sentence translates to "Life is beautiful and full of surprises".

Key Concepts:

The sentence uses the nominative case for the subject and the predicate.

прекрасна is an adjective in the feminine singular form, agreeing with the feminine singular noun Жизнь.

The preposition полна is followed by the genitive case, which is why we have неожиданностей (the genitive plural of неожиданность - "surprise").

Variations:

You can change the subject to something else, like любовь (pronounced: [lyubov'] - "love"). "Любовь прекрасна и полна неожиданностей." (Love is beautiful and full of surprises).

Pronunciation Tips:

Remember to pronounce the "ж" in Жизнь as a soft "zh" sound, like the "s" in "pleasure".

The "е" at the end of прекрасна is pronounced as a soft "a" sound, similar to the "a" in "father".

The "о" in полна is pronounced as a short "o" sound, similar to the "o" in "hot".

The "и" at the end of неожиданностей is pronounced as a soft "ee" sound, similar to the "ee" in "see".

English Translation: Life / Жизнь

Beautiful / прекрасна

And / и

Full / полна

Of surprises / неожиданностей

The next word is eventually. ## Eventually

Sentence: Он, в конце концов, сдался.

Breakdown:

Он (pronunciation: ohn) - He
в конце концов (pronunciation: v kantse kantsov) - eventually, finally, in the end - This phrase is a common way to express the idea of something happening after a long time. It literally translates to "in the end of ends".

сдался (pronunciation: sdalsya) - gave up, surrendered. This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to give up".

Meaning: He eventually gave up.

Variations of в конце концов:

в итоге (pronunciation: v itoge) - eventually, in the end - This is a more neutral and less emphatic way to say "eventually".

наконец (pronunciation: nakanets) - finally, at last - This expresses a sense of relief or expectation that something has happened after a long wait.

Translation:

Он - He
в конце концов - eventually
сдался - gave up

English: He eventually gave up.

Pronunciation Guide:

Он - ohn
в конце концов - v kantse kantsov
сдался - sdalsya

The next word is customer. The word "customer" in Russian is клиент (pronounced klee-YENT). It is a masculine noun, meaning it changes its ending depending on the grammatical case.

Here is a sentence using this word:

Клиент заказал столик на двоих.

Klient zakazal stolik na dvoikh.

Breakdown:

Клиент (klient) - customer (nominative case)

заказал (zakazal) - ordered (past tense, masculine singular)

столик (stolik) - table (nominative case)

на (na) - on, for (preposition)

двоих (dvoikh) - two (genitive case, used after the preposition на)

Translation: The customer ordered a table for two.

Key concepts:

Grammatical cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. Here, the word клиент is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence, while двоих is in the genitive case, indicating possession or "of."

Gender of nouns: In Russian, nouns have gender, which affects their endings and the agreement of adjectives and verbs. Клиент is masculine, hence the verb заказал has the masculine past tense ending.

Variations:

Клиентка (klientka) - female customer (feminine form)

Клиенты (klienti) - customers (plural form)

Pronunciation:

клиент (klient) - klee-YENT
заказал (zakazal) - zah-KAH-zah-l
столик (stolik) - STOH-lik
на (na) - nah
двоих (dvoikh) - dvah-IKH

The next word is exercise. Sentence: Он регулярно занимается спортом, чтобы поддерживать себя в хорошей физической форме.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - он - (awn)

регулярно - regularly (adverb) - регулярно - (ri-gu-lyar-no)

занимается - is engaged in (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense) - занимается - (za-ni-ma-yet-sya)

спортом - sports (noun, instrumental case) - спортом - (spor-tom)

чтобы - in order to (conjunction) - чтобы - (chto-by)

поддерживать - to maintain (verb, infinitive) - поддерживать - (pod-der-zhi-vat')

себя - oneself (pronoun, accusative case) - себя - (se-bya)

в - in (preposition) - в - (v)

хорошей - good (adjective, feminine, genitive case) - хорошей - (ho-ro-shey)

физической - physical (adjective, feminine, genitive case) - физической - (fi-zi-ches-koy)

форме - form (noun, prepositional case) - форме - (for-me)

Key Concepts:

Instrumental Case: The instrumental case is used to indicate the means or instrument by which something is done. The word спортом is in the instrumental case because it signifies "by means of sports."

Infinitive: The infinitive is the base form of a verb. It is used to express the action of the verb without indicating a specific tense or person. The word поддерживать is in the infinitive form because it is the base form of the verb "to maintain."

Conjunction: A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses. The word чтобы is a conjunction that connects the two clauses in the sentence.

Translation: He regularly exercises to maintain his good physical condition.

Word and Pronunciation:

Exercise - упражнение (u-prazh-ne-ni-ye)

The next word is wall. The word стена (pronounced ste-na) means "wall" in Russian. It is a feminine noun, so it will take feminine endings in the genitive (сте́ны) and prepositional (сте́не) cases. You can use the word стена to describe any kind of wall, be it a physical wall or a metaphorical one.

Here is a sentence using the word стена:

Эта стена очень толстая.

This sentence translates to "This wall is very thick." It uses the feminine nominative form of стена (стена) because it is the subject of the sentence.

Breakdown of the sentence:

Эта (pronounced e-ta) is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this" and agrees in gender with стена.

стена (pronounced ste-na) is the feminine nominative form of the noun "wall".

очень (pronounced o-chen) is an adverb meaning "very".

толстая (pronounced tol-staya) is the feminine nominative form of the adjective "thick".

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and this will determine which adjective endings are used.

Cases: Russian nouns have six cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional) which change the ending of the noun depending on its grammatical role in the sentence.

Agreement: Adjectives must agree in gender, number and case with the noun they are describing.

Translation:

Эта - This
стена - wall
очень - very
толстая - thick

The next word is himself. Он сам сделал это. Он сам сделал это.

Breakdown:

Он - [ahn] - He (nominative case)

сам - [sam] - himself (this word is invariable, no declension)

сделал - [s'dyelal] - did (masculine past tense, singular)

это - [ehto] - this (neuter nominative case)

Meaning: He did it himself.

Key Concepts:

The word сам (himself) can be used to emphasize that someone did something on their own without any help.

The use of the masculine past tense of the verb сделал (did) is because the subject is masculine (Он - he).

Variations of the word "himself":

сама - herself (feminine)

само - itself (neuter)

сами - themselves (plural)

Pronunciation guide:

Он - [ahn] - like "own" but with a short "o" sound

сам - [sam] - like "same"

сделал - [s'dyelal] - the "s" is pronounced like "s" in "see" and the "d" is similar to the "d" in "day", but with a slight "y" sound before it. The "l" is pronounced like "l" in "light".

это - [ehto] - like "eh-toe"

English - Russian translation:

Himself - сам

The next word is dangerous. This is a great word to work with. Dangerous опасный (pronounced: a-pahs-nuh-ee) is an adjective, so we can use it to describe a noun. In this sentence we will use it to describe a place.

Эта дорога очень опасная. (pronounced: eh-ta da-ro-ga o-chin a-pahs-nuh-ya. )

Here is the breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine singular) - a demonstrative pronoun. We use the feminine form because дорога (da-ro-ga) (road) is feminine in Russian.

дорога (da-ro-ga) - road - a noun in the nominative case.

очень (o-chin) - very - an adverb
опасная (a-pahs-nuh-ya) - dangerous - an adjective in the feminine singular nominative case.

The sentence means: "This road is very dangerous."

Important note: the ending of the adjective опасная (a-pahs-nuh-ya) is -ая (-aya) because the noun дорога (da-ro-ga) is feminine. In Russian, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Here are other forms of dangerous опасный (a-pahs-nuh-ee):

опасный (a-pahs-nuh-ee) - masculine singular
опасное (a-pahs-nuh-ye) - neuter singular
опасные (a-pahs-nuh-ye) - plural (all genders)

English: dangerous опасный (a-pahs-nuh-ee)

The next word is wide. The river is wide.

Река широкая.

Reka shirokaya.

This sentence uses the feminine nominative singular form of the adjective "широкий" shirokaya, meaning "wide." The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun "река" reka, which is feminine and singular. This means that the adjective must end in "-ая."

You can also say, "Река широкая" Reka shirokaya.

Here are some other forms of the adjective "широкий" shirokaya:

Masculine singular: широкий shirokay

Feminine singular: широкая shirokaya

Neuter singular: широкое shirokoe

Plural: широкие shirokie

Pronunciation:

река reka: "reh-ka" with the "e" like in "bed"

широкая shirokaya: "shee-ro-ka-ya" with the "i" like in "machine" and the "o" like in "hot"

широкая shirokaya: "shee-ro-ka-ya"

English: wide

Russian: широкий shirokay

The next word is idea. У меня есть интересная идея для нашего следующего проекта.

идея (ideya) is a feminine noun that means idea, notion, or concept.

The sentence means "I have an interesting idea for our next project".

The word интересная (interesnaya) is the feminine form of the adjective интересный (interesnyy), which means interesting.

The word наш (nash) means "our" and is the masculine form of the possessive adjective.

The word проект (proekt) means "project" and is a masculine noun.

У меня (u menya) means "I have" and is a common Russian phrase.

есть (est') means "there is" or "there are".

Pronunciation:

идея (ee-DEH-ya)

интересная (in-ter-ES-na-ya)

наш (nash)

проект (pro-EKT)

У меня (oo me-nya)

есть (YEST)

English Translation: I have an interesting idea for our next project.

The next word is door. The word "door" in Russian is дверь (pronounced dvyer). It is a feminine noun. Here is a sentence:

Дверь закрыта.

Translation: The door is closed.

Breakdown:

Дверь (dvyer) - door. This is the nominative case, which is used for the subject of a sentence.

закрыта (zakryta) - closed. This is the feminine past participle of the verb закрыть (zakryt), which means "to close." The past participle agrees in gender with the noun дверь (dvyer). The ending а (a) is the feminine singular ending for past participles.

Key concept: In Russian, adjectives and past participles (like "closed") agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Variations:

You can use other verbs with дверь (dvyer) such as:

открыть (otkryt) - to open

открыть (otkryt) - to open

постучать (postuchat) - to knock

Pronounciation Guide:

дверь (dvyer) - The д (d) sounds like the "d" in "door." The в (v) sounds like the "v" in "victory." The ь (y) is a soft sign that makes the е (e) sound softer, similar to the "e" in "the."

закрыта (zakryta) - The з (z) sounds like the "z" in "zebra." The к (k) sounds like the "k" in "kite." The р (r) sounds like the "r" in "run." The ы (y) is a stressed vowel and is pronounced as a long "i" as in "machine." The т (t) sounds like the "t" in "table." The а (a) sounds like the "a" in "father."

English Translation of the words:

door - дверь (dvyer)

closed - закрыта (zakryta)

The next word is ready. Let's begin! I am ready to help you learn Russian.

The next word is confirm. The English word "confirm" can be translated into Russian as подтверждать (podтверждать) which means "to confirm".

Here is a sentence using the word:

Он подтвердил, что приедет завтра. (On podtverdil, chto priedet zavtra.)

Breakdown:

Он (On) - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - он (on) pronounced as "ohn"

подтвердил (podtverdil) - confirmed (verb, past tense, masculine, singular) - подтверждать (podtverzhdat') pronounced as "paht-tyer-zh-daht'"

что (chto) - that (conjunction) - что (chto) pronounced as "chtoh"

приедет (priedet) - will come (verb, future tense, third person, singular) - приезжать (priezhzhat') pronounced as "pree-ye-zhat'"

завтра (zavtra) - tomorrow (adverb) - завтра (zavtra) pronounced as "zahv-tra"

Translation:

He confirmed that he will come tomorrow.

Key Concepts:

The verb подтверждать (podtverzhdat') is an irregular verb, so it's important to learn its different forms.

The word order in Russian is different from English, so it's important to pay attention to the placement of words in a sentence.

Variations:

You can also use the verb убеждать (ubezhdat') which means "to convince" to express a similar meaning.

Pronunciation:

The stress in the word подтверждать (podtverzhdat') is on the second syllable: pod-tver-zh-dat'.

English Translation and Pronunciation:

Confirm - подтверждать (podtverzhdat') pronounced as "paht-tyer-zh-daht'"

The next word is dream. ## Мне приснился удивительный сон

Breakdown:

Мне - (Pronounced "mnye") means "to me" and is the dative case of the pronoun "я" (I). In this case, it functions as the indirect object of the verb "приснился".

приснился (Pronounced "prisnil-syah") is the past tense, masculine, singular form of the verb "сниться" (to dream). It's used with the dative case of the person having the dream, so "to me" is used, not "I". This is a common pattern in Russian, where the object is often in the dative case when it is receiving an action.

удивительный (Pronounced "oo-dee-vee-tel-niy") means "amazing" or "wonderful" and modifies the noun "сон".

сон (Pronounced "son") means "dream" or "sleep".

Translation: I had an amazing dream.

Key Concept: In Russian, the verb "сниться" (to dream) takes the dative case of the person experiencing the dream. This is different from English, where we would use the nominative case ("I dreamed").

Variations:

To say "I dreamed about something", you would use the preposition "о" with the accusative case: Мне приснился сон о… (mnye prisnil-syah son o…)

To say "I often dream about something", you would use the verb "сниться" in the present tense: Мне часто снится… (mnye chasto snitsya…).

Pronunciation Notes:

"у" (u) in удивительный is pronounced like "oo" in "moon"

"е" (e) in приснился is pronounced like "ye" in "yes"

English to Russian translation of words:

Dream: сон (son)

Amazing: удивительный (oo-dee-vee-tel-niy)

The next word is team. English Word: Team

Russian Sentence:

Наша команда выиграла чемпионат.

Breakdown:

Наша Наша (nasha) - This word means "our" and is in the nominative case, indicating it is the subject of the sentence.

команда команда (kamanda) - This word means "team" and is also in the nominative case, as it's the subject of the verb.

выиграла выиграла (vyigrala) - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "to win" (vyigrat').

чемпионат чемпионат (chempionat) - This means "championship" and is in the accusative case as it is the direct object of the verb.

Meaning: Our team won the championship.

Variations:

The word for "team" can also be used in the plural, like "команды" команды (kamandy). This form would be used if there were more than one team involved in the championship.

Pronunciation:

Наша Наша (nasha) - "NAH-sha"

команда команда (kamanda) - "kuh-MAN-duh"

выиграла выиграла (vyigrala) - "vye-ee-GRAH-luh"

чемпионат чемпионат (chempionat) - "chem-pee-OH-nat"

English Translation: Our team won the championship.

Russian Translation: Наша команда выиграла чемпионат.

The next word is scale. The word шкала (shka-la) is the most common Russian word for "scale". This noun is feminine and can be used in many different contexts. For example,

Шкала (shka-la) температуры (tem-pe-ra-too-ry) - the temperature scale.

Шкала (shka-la) оценки (o-tsen-ki) - the grading scale.

It can also refer to the scale of a map or the scale of a musical instrument.

Sentence: На этой шкале (na eh-toy shka-le) измеряется (iz-me-rya-et-sya) давление (dav-le-ni-ye).

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at
этой (eh-toy) - this (feminine)

шкале (shka-le) - scale
измеряется (iz-me-rya-et-sya) - is measured (impersonal)

давление (dav-le-ni-ye) - pressure

Translation: On this scale, pressure is measured.

Word & Pronunciation:

Scale: шкала (shka-la)

The next word is delivery. The доставка продуктов была быстрой и эффективной.

Breakdown:

доставка (dah-STAHV-kah) - This is the noun "delivery." It is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence. The ending "-ка" indicates the feminine noun.

продуктов (pra-DOK-taff) - This is the genitive plural form of the noun "product." It is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition "of." The ending "-ов" marks the genitive plural of masculine nouns.

была (buh-LAH) - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "to be." It agrees with the subject "доставка."

быстрой (BIST-roy) - This is the instrumental case of the adjective "fast" to modify the noun "delivery." It is in the feminine singular form because it agrees with the noun.

эффективной (eh-fek-TEE-vnoy) - This is the instrumental case of the adjective "effective" to modify the noun "delivery". It is in the feminine singular form because it agrees with the noun.

Translation:

The delivery of the products was fast and efficient.

Variations:

доставлять (dah-stahv-LYAT) - To deliver (verb)

доставка (dah-STAHV-kah) - Delivery (noun)

доставщик (dah-STAHV-shchik) - Delivery person (noun)

The next word is machine. This machine is very expensive.

Эта машина очень дорогая.

Breakdown:

Эта - This. Pronunciation: eh-ta. This is a demonstrative pronoun, it points to something specific.

машина - machine. Pronunciation: ma-shee-na. This is a noun, it names a thing. Note that this word is feminine, so the adjective дорогая (expensive) changes its ending to agree in gender.

очень - very. Pronunciation: oh-chen. This is an adverb, it modifies the adjective дорогая.

дорогая - expensive. Pronunciation: da-ra-ga-ya. This is an adjective, it describes the noun машина.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and adjectives have to agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Word Order: The basic word order in this sentence is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

Variations:

You can use the plural form of машина, which is машины (ma-shee-ny), to talk about multiple machines.

You can replace дорогая with other adjectives to describe the machine, such as новая (new) or старая (old).

English Translation:

Эта - This
машина - machine
очень - very
дорогая - expensive

The next word is daily. ## Ежедневно я хожу в университет. Ежедневно means "daily," "every day," or "on a daily basis."

Breakdown:

Ежедневно (pronounced "ye-zhe-dnev-no") is an adverb meaning "daily." It is formed from the adjective ежедневный (pronounced "ye-zhe-dnev-niy") meaning "daily." Adverbs are often formed by adding the suffix "-но" to adjectives.

я (pronounced "ya") means "I."

хожу (pronounced "kho-zhu") is the first person singular present tense form of the verb ходить (pronounced "kha-dit") meaning "to go" or "to walk." ходить is a verb of motion, meaning it describes movement.

в (pronounced "v") means "to" or "into."

университет (pronounced "u-ni-ver-si-tet") means "university."

The sentence means "I go to university every day" or "I go to university daily."

Key Concepts:

Russian verbs are conjugated (change form) to agree with the subject.

Adverbs are used to modify verbs and adjectives.

Verbs of motion often have different forms depending on the direction of movement.

Variations:

You can substitute other verbs for ходить such as ездить (pronounced "ye-zdit") meaning "to travel," ходить (pronounced "kha-dit") meaning "to walk," or ходить (pronounced "kha-dit") meaning "to go."

Translation:

Ежедневно (pronounced "ye-zhe-dnev-no") - daily
я (pronounced "ya") - I
хожу (pronounced "kho-zhu") - go
в (pronounced "v") - to
университет (pronounced "u-ni-ver-si-tet") - university

The next word is bring. The word "bring" in Russian is принести (priniesti).

The sentence is:

Пожалуйста, принесите мне чашку кофе. (Pozhaluysta, prinesite mne chashku kofe.)

Пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) means "please" and is pronounced like "pozha-loo-sta"

принести (prinesti) is the imperative form of the verb приносить (prinosit) meaning "to bring" and is pronounced like "pri-nes-tee"

мне (mne) means "me" and is pronounced like "mnye"

чашку (chashku) means "cup" and is pronounced like "cha-sh-koo"

кофе (kofe) means "coffee" and is pronounced like "koh-fe"

English Translation: Please bring me a cup of coffee.

Key Concepts:

The verb принести (prinesti) is an irregular verb, so it's important to memorize its forms.

The imperative form of a verb is used to give a command or request.

The word order in Russian is typically Subject-Verb-Object, but in this sentence, the object (чашку кофе) precedes the verb (принести) because it is emphasized.

Variations:

The verb принести (prinesti) can also be used in other contexts, such as:

Я принесла тебе подарок. (Ya prinesla tebye podarok) - I brought you a gift.

Он принесет нам книги. (On prineset nam knigi) - He will bring us books.

Pronunciation:

принести (prinesti) - "pri-nes-tee"

Пожалуйста (pozhaluysta) - "pozha-loo-sta"

мне (mne) - "mnye"

чашку (chashku) - "cha-sh-koo"

кофе (kofe) - "koh-fe"

English and Russian Translation:

Bring: принести (prinesti)

The next word is hit. The word "hit" can be translated in Russian as удар (pronounced oo-dar). It is a masculine noun meaning "blow, hit, strike".

Sentence:

Он получил удар по голове. (pronounced on pa-loo-cheel oo-dar pa ga-la-vye)

Breakdown:

Он (pronounced on) - he
получил (pronounced pa-loo-cheel) - received, got
удар (pronounced oo-dar) - blow, hit, strike
по (pronounced pa) - preposition meaning "on" or "at"

голове (pronounced ga-la-vye) - head

Translation: He received a blow to the head.

Other Variations of the word "hit" in Russian:

ударить (pronounced oo-da-reet) - to hit, to strike (verb)

попадание (pronounced pa-pa-da-niye) - hit, impact (noun)

попадать (pronounced pa-pa-dat) - to hit, to strike (verb)

Key Concepts:

The word удар (pronounced oo-dar) is a masculine noun that means "blow, hit, strike".

The preposition по (pronounced pa) is used to indicate the location of the hit.

Pronunciation Notes:

The letter "у" in удар (pronounced oo-dar) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon".

The letter "а" in удар (pronounced oo-dar) is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

The letter "р" in удар (pronounced oo-dar) is pronounced like the "r" in "red".

English and Russian Translation:

hit - удар (pronounced oo-dar)

The next word is background. The word "background" can be translated into Russian as фон (fon). It is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form of the adjective "background" which is задний (zadniy).

Here is a sentence:

У этой картины красивый задний фон. (U etoy kartiny krasivyy zadniy fon.)

This sentence translates to: "This picture has a beautiful background."

Breakdown:

У (u) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "by," but in this case, it signifies possession and translates to "this."

этой (etoy) - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this."

картины (kartiny) - This is the feminine noun "picture."

красивый (krasivyy) - This is the masculine adjective "beautiful."

задний (zadniy) - This is the masculine adjective "background."

фон (fon) - This is the masculine noun "background."

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns and adjectives change form depending on their role in the sentence. The noun картины (kartiny) is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition "at."

Gender: Nouns and adjectives in Russian have grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. This affects the form of the adjectives that modify them.

Adjectives: Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Pronunciation:

фон (fon) - Pronounced like "fon" in English.

задний (zadniy) - Pronounced like "zad-niy" in English.

Word variations:

фон (fon) is the most common word for "background" in Russian. There are other words that can be used in specific contexts, such as задний план (zadniy plan) which translates to "background plan."

English translation:

background: фон (fon)

picture: картины (kartiny)

beautiful: красивый (krasivyy)

this: этой (etoy)

This sentence provides a great example of how gender and case affect the form of Russian nouns and adjectives. Practice saying this sentence aloud, focusing on the pronunciation of each word. Remember to pay attention to the genders and cases of each word, as this will help you to build a solid foundation for understanding Russian grammar.

The next word is herself. Она сама пошла в магазин. Она сама пошла в магазин.

Breakdown:

Она Она (She) - This is the nominative case of the pronoun "она" она, meaning "she." Pronounced as "ah-na."

сама сама (herself) - This word is used to emphasize that the action is performed by the subject alone. It is an adjective meaning "herself," "himself," or "itself," and it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Pronounced as "sah-ma."

пошла пошла (went) - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb "идти" идти (to go). Pronounced as "pah-shla."

в в (to, into) - This is a preposition that means "to" or "into." Pronounced as "v."

магазин магазин (store) - This is a masculine noun. Pronounced as "muh-gah-zeen."

Meaning:

She went to the store by herself.

Key Concepts:

Pronoun Case: Russian pronouns have different forms depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. In this case, "она" она is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Reflexive Pronoun: "Сама" сама is a reflexive pronoun that reflects the action back on the subject.

Gender Agreement: Adjectives in Russian must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Variations:

If the subject were male, we would use "сам" сам (himself).

If the subject were plural, we would use "сами" сами (themselves).

English to Russian:

Herself - сама (sah-ma)

Himself - сам (sam)

Themselves - сами (sah-mee)

The next word is technical. This sentence highlights the use of the word технический (tekhnicheskiy), which means "technical" in English. It is an adjective, and we use it to describe something related to technology or engineering.

The word технический (tekhnicheskiy) is pronounced: "tekh-ni-che-skiy." Notice the stress is on the third syllable "che".

Sentence: Этот проект имеет технические сложности (Etot proekt imeet tekhnicheskie slozhnosti)

Breakdown:

Этот (Etot) - This (pronunciation: "eh-tot")

проект (proekt) - Project (pronunciation: "pro-ekt")

имеет (imeet) - Has (pronunciation: "ee-meet")

технические (tekhnicheskie) - Technical (pronunciation: "tekh-ni-che-ski-ye")

сложности (slozhnosti) - Difficulties (pronunciation: "slozh-nos-ti")

Translation: This project has technical difficulties.

Variations:

Технический (tekhnicheskiy) - technical (masculine singular)

Техническая (tekhnicheskaya) - technical (feminine singular)

Техническое (tekhnicheskoye) - technical (neuter singular)

Технические (tekhnicheskie) - technical (plural)

Key concept: Russian adjectives like технический (tekhnicheskiy) change form based on the gender and number of the noun they modify. This is called grammatical gender and number agreement.

Memorization Tip: Think of "technology" and "technical" when trying to remember the meaning of технический (tekhnicheskiy).

The next word is administration. The Russian word for "administration" is администрация (pronounced: ad-mee-nee-stra-tsee-ya). It is a feminine noun and is declined like the word "машина" (machine).

Here is an example sentence:

Администрация университета объявила о новых правилах посещения библиотеки.

Администрация (administration) - This is the nominative case, and it is the subject of the sentence.

университета (of the university) - This is the genitive case and modifies the noun администрация.

объявила (announced) - This is the past tense of the verb объявить (to announce). It is in the feminine singular form, agreeing with the subject администрация.

о (about) - This is a preposition.

новых (new) - This is the plural form of the adjective новый (new) and modifies the noun правилах.

правилах (rules) - This is the prepositional case of the noun правило (rule). It is used after the preposition о.

посещения (visiting) - This is the genitive case of the noun посещение (visiting) and modifies the noun правилах.

библиотеки (library) - This is the genitive case of the noun библиотека (library) and modifies the noun посещения.

English Translation: The university administration announced new rules for visiting the library.

Key Concept: The noun администрация is a feminine noun and is declined like the word машина (machine). The genitive case is used to show possession or to modify a noun. The past tense of verbs in Russian can be tricky because it changes depending on the gender of the subject.

Pronunciation:

администрация (ad-mee-nee-stra-tsee-ya)

университета (oo-nee-ver-see-tay-ta)

объявила (ob-ya-vee-la)

о (ah)

новых (no-vikh)

правилах (pra-vee-lakh)

посещения (pa-see-shchen-iya)

библиотеки (bee-blee-ah-tay-kee)

English: administration, администрация (ad-mee-nee-stra-tsee-ya)

English: university, университет (oo-nee-ver-see-tet)

English: announced, объявила (ob-ya-vee-la)

English: new, новый (no-vy)

English: rules, правила (pra-vee-la)

English: visiting, посещение (pa-see-shchen-ie)

English: library, библиотека (bee-blee-ah-tay-ka)

The next word is television. English: I watch television every day.

Russian: Я смотрю телевизор каждый день.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronoun, subject of the sentence) - [ya]

смотрю смотрю - I watch (present tense verb, 1st person singular) - [smot-ryu]

телевизор телевизор - television - [te-le-vi-zor]

каждый каждый - every (adjective) - [kazh-dy]

день день - day - [djen']

Key Concepts:

Verb Conjugation: The verb "смотреть" смотреть (to watch) is conjugated in the present tense, 1st person singular, agreeing with the subject "я" Я (I).

Word Order: The typical word order in Russian is Subject-Verb-Object. However, in this sentence, the object "телевизор" телевизор (television) precedes the verb "смотрю" смотрю (watch) for emphasis.

Variations:

The word "телевизор" телевизор (television) can also be used in the plural form, "телевизоры" телевизоры (televisions).

The verb "смотреть" смотреть can be conjugated in different tenses and moods, allowing for different ways to express the action of watching.

Pronunciation:

Я: [ya] - pronounced similar to the English "ya" but with a slightly shorter vowel sound.

Смотрю: [smot-ryu] - the "ю" ю sound is similar to the English "oo" sound in "moon."

Телевизор: [te-le-vi-zor] - stress falls on the fourth syllable.

Каждый: [kazh-dy] - the "д" д at the end is pronounced as a soft sound, similar to the English "d" in "road."

День: [djen'] - stress falls on the first syllable.

English Translation: I watch television every day.

The next word is museum. ## Я посетил музей современного искусства.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronoun, nominative case). Я is pronounced like "Ya".

посетил - visited (verb, past tense, masculine singular). посетил is pronounced like "pa-see-teel".

музей - museum (noun, masculine singular). музей is pronounced like "moo-zay".

современного - modern (adjective, genitive case, masculine singular). современного is pronounced like "suv-re-men-nuh-guh".

искусства - art (noun, genitive case, neuter singular). искусства is pronounced like "is-koos-stva".

Meaning: I visited the museum of modern art.

Key Concepts:

Case: Nouns and adjectives in Russian change their form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Here, the noun музей (museum) is in the nominative case, as it is the subject of the sentence. The adjective современного (modern) is in the genitive case, because it modifies the noun музей.

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The gender of a noun determines the form of adjectives and pronouns that modify it. In this example, музей (museum) is masculine.

Tense: The verb посетил (visited) is in the past tense. It indicates that the action happened in the past.

Variations:

Я посетила музей современного искусства. - I (feminine) visited the museum of modern art.

Мы посетили музей современного искусства. - We visited the museum of modern art.

Он посетил музей современного искусства. - He visited the museum of modern art.

English Translation: museum - музей (moo-zay)

The next word is he. ## He

Sentence: Он пришёл домой.

Breakdown:

Он Он - This is the nominative case of the pronoun "he." It is used as the subject of the sentence. Think of "he" as the person who does the action of the sentence. Pronunciation: [ahn]

пришёл пришёл - This is the past tense of the verb "to come" приходить (pronounced [pri-kha-dee-t'] and means "to arrive"). The ending "-л" signifies the masculine singular past tense. Think of it as the action the subject does. Pronunciation: [pri-shool]

домой домой - This word means "home" and is used here as an adverb. Think of it as where the action takes place. Pronunciation: [da-moy]

Translation: He came home.

Key concepts:

Nominative case: This is the basic form of a noun or pronoun, used when it is the subject of a sentence.

Past tense: This tense describes an action that happened in the past.

Adverb: This is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Variations:

Она пришла домой. Она пришла домой. (She came home) - The pronoun changes to "она" она (she) to match the feminine singular gender.

Они пришли домой. Они пришли домой. (They came home) - The pronoun changes to "они" они (they) to match the plural gender.

Pronunciation:

He: Он - [ahn]

Came: пришёл - [pri-shool]

Home: домой - [da-moy]

The next word is improve. The word "improve" in Russian is улучшать (pronounced oo-loo-ch-shaht).

Here is a sentence using it:

Он старался улучшить свои навыки игры на гитаре.

Breakdown:

Он (ohn) - He
старался (stah-rahl-syah) - tried
улучшить (oo-loo-ch-shit) - improve
свои (svoi) - his (possessive adjective)

навыки (nah-vy-ki) - skills
игры (ee-gri) - playing (in this case, refers to a game, such as guitar)

на (nah) - on
гитаре (gee-tah-re) - guitar

Translation: He tried to improve his guitar playing skills.

Variations:

Улучшать (oo-loo-ch-shaht) - To improve

Улучшение (oo-loo-ch-sheh-nee-yeh) - Improvement

Улучшенный (oo-loo-ch-shen-nyy) - Improved (masculine)

Улучшенная (oo-loo-ch-shen-na-ya) - Improved (feminine)

Улучшенное (oo-loo-ch-shen-noe) - Improved (neuter)

Pronunciation Hints:

у is pronounced like "oo" in "food"

л is pronounced like "l" in "love"

ч is pronounced like "ch" in "chair"

ш is pronounced like "sh" in "ship"

т is pronounced like "t" in "time"

р is pronounced like "r" in "red"

е is pronounced like "eh" in "bet"

и is pronounced like "ee" in "see"

й is pronounced like "y" in "yes"

English: Improve

Russian: Улучшать (oo-loo-ch-shaht)

The next word is school. Я ya (I) хожу hozhu (go) в v (to) школу shkolu (school).

Breakdown:

Я ya (I): This is the subject pronoun "I" in Russian. It is pronounced like the English "ya."

хожу hozhu (go): This is the present tense verb "to go" in Russian. It is conjugated to the first person singular, which means "I go". The "zh" sound is similar to the "s" in "pleasure".

в v (to): This is the preposition "to" in Russian. It is pronounced like the English "v".

школу shkolu (school): This is the accusative case of the noun "school" in Russian. The accusative case is used when the noun is the direct object of a verb. The "sh" sound is similar to the "sh" in "ship".

Meaning: I go to school.

Variations:

"Я ya (I) иду idu (go) в v (to) школу shkolu (school)." This sentence is very similar, but it uses the verb "иду idu (go)" instead of "хожу hozhu (go)." "Иду idu (go)" is a more formal verb and is often used in writing.

English Pronunciation of Russian Words:

ya - ya
hozhu - ho-zhu
v - v
shkolu - shko-lu

English to Russian Translation:

School - shkola

To go - idti

I - ya

The next word is easily. ## Easily

The word "easily" can be translated into Russian using the adverb легко (pronounced: lyek-ko).

Here's an example sentence:

Он легко справился с заданием. Он легко справился с заданием.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (nominative case)

легко легко - easily (adverb)

справился справился - coped, managed (past tense, masculine singular)

с с - with (preposition)

заданием заданием - task (instrumental case)

Translation: He easily coped with the task.

Key concept: Adverbs in Russian often end in "-о" or "-е" and modify verbs or adjectives.

Variations:

легко легко - easily (adverb)

легкий легкий - easy (adjective)

Pronunciation:

легко легко - lyek-ko
легкий легкий - lyek-kiy

English to Russian: easily - легко легко

The next word is moreover. Кроме того он был очень умным.

Кроме того - [krómi togó] - (KROH-mee toh-GOH) - "Moreover" - This word is used to add a second point to something already mentioned.

он - [on] - (OHN) - "He" - This is the masculine pronoun
был - [byl] - (BIHL) - "was" - This is the past tense of the verb "to be"

очень - [óchen'] - (OH-chyn) - "very" - This word modifies the adjective and emphasizes the quality of being smart
умным - [úmnym] - (OOM-nim) - "smart" - This is the masculine form of the adjective "умный" [úmnyj] - The ending of this adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes.

English Translation: Moreover, he was very smart.

Russian Translation: Кроме того он был очень умным.

The next word is ride. The English word "ride" can be translated in Russian as ездить (pronounced "yezd-it"), which is a verb meaning "to travel by vehicle". It is a common verb and can be used with many different types of vehicles, such as cars, buses, trains, or bicycles. The verb ездить is conjugated like all verbs in the present tense in Russian, meaning the ending changes depending on who is doing the action. For example, "I ride" is я езжу (ya yezzhu), "you ride" is ты ездишь (ty yezdish), and "he/she/it rides" is он/она/оно ездит (on/ona/ono yezdit).

Here is an example sentence:

English: I like to ride my bicycle in the park.

Russian: Мне нравится ездить на велосипеде в парке. (Mne nravitsya yezdit' na velosipede v parke.)

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Мне (mne) - to me, it is a dative case pronoun and indicates who likes riding a bike
нравится (nravitsya) - it is pleasing, it is a verb in the present tense, third person singular
ездить (yezdit) - to ride, an infinitive verb, but it is being used in a verb phrase with the verb "нравится"

на (na) - on, preposition that shows what is being ridden
велосипеде (velosipede) - bicycle, prepositional case
в (v) - in, preposition that shows where the person rides the bike
парке (parke) - park, prepositional case

English Translation and Pronunciation

Ride - ездить (pronounced "yezd-it")

The next word is lie. The Russian word for "lie" is ложь pronounced "lozh" (the "zh" sound is like the "s" in "pleasure"). This word is feminine, meaning it takes on feminine grammatical endings, just like the English word "woman".

Here's a sentence using it:

Он сказал ложь. - He told a lie.

Он - "On" - He, pronounced like "own"

сказал - "skazal" - Said, pronounced like "ska-zal"

ложь - "lozh" - Lie, pronounced like "losh"

The word "lie" can also be a verb in Russian, лгать (pronounced "lgat").

Let's look at another sentence:

Не лги мне! - Don't lie to me!

Не - "Ne" - Not, pronounced like "nyeh"

лги - "lgi" - Lie, pronounced like "lgi"

мне - "mne" - to me, pronounced like "mnyeh"

Remember, the key to pronunciation is to listen carefully and practice often. Happy studying!

The next word is technology. ## Технология играет важную роль в современном мире.

Breakdown:

Технология (tekh-no-loh-gi-ya) - technology. This is a feminine noun, so we use the feminine singular form of the verb играет (plays).

играет (ee-gra-yet) - plays. This is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb играть (to play).

важную (vazhnuyu) - important. This is the accusative case of the adjective важный (important). The accusative case is used when the noun is the direct object of a verb.

роль (rol') - role. This is a feminine noun, so we use the accusative singular feminine form of the noun.

в (v) - in. This is a preposition that introduces the location of the action.

современном (so-vre-men-nom) - modern. This is the prepositional case of the adjective современный (modern). The prepositional case is used after prepositions like в.

мире (mee-re) - world. This is a masculine noun, so we use the prepositional singular masculine form of the noun.

Translation:

Technology plays an important role in the modern world.

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), which affects the form of adjectives and other words that modify them.

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence (subject, direct object, etc.).

Prepositions: Russian prepositions often govern a specific case of the noun that follows them.

Pronunciation:

Технология (tekh-no-loh-gi-ya)

играет (ee-gra-yet)

важную (vazhnuyu)

роль (rol')

в (v)

современном (so-vre-men-nom)

мире (mee-re)

Variations:

The word технология is often used in its plural form технологии (tekh-no-loh-gi-i) to refer to different types of technology.

Note: You can replace the word роль with the word значение (zna-che-ni-ye), which means "significance" or "importance". This will make the sentence slightly more formal.

The next word is put. ## Положи книгу на стол.

Breakdown:

Положи - Put (imperative, singular, masculine) - [pa-la-ZHEE]

книгу - book - [KNEE-goo]

на - on - [na]

стол - table - [stohL]

Meaning: Put the book on the table.

Key Concepts:

This sentence uses the imperative mood, which is used to give commands or instructions.

The verb Положи is conjugated in the masculine singular form, because the subject "book" is understood to be masculine.

The preposition на is used to indicate location.

Variations:

You can use the feminine singular form Положи for a feminine object (e.g., Положи ручку на стол - Put the pen on the table).

The plural form Положите can be used to give a command to multiple people (e.g., Положите книги на стол - Put the books on the table).

Pronunciation:

Положи - [pa-la-ZHEE]

книгу - [KNEE-goo]

на - [na]

стол - [stohL]

English and Russian Translation:

Put - положить

Book - книга

On - на

Table - стол

The next word is less. The word "less" can be tricky, because it functions as both an adjective and an adverb in English. However, in Russian, we use two different words, depending on context. We'll use the word меньше (pronounced "myen-she") which is an adjective/adverb meaning "smaller" or "less."

Example:

У меня меньше денег, чем у тебя.

У меня (oo myen-ya) - "I have" (literally, "at me").

меньше (myen-she) - "less"

денег (deen-yig) - "money" (plural, genitive case)

чем (chem) - "than"

у тебя (oo tyeb-ya) - "you have" (literally "at you").

Translation: I have less money than you.

Key Concept: Russian adjectives and adverbs often change form based on the noun or verb they modify. Here, меньше is in the nominative case because it is modifying the noun денег (money).

Variations:

The word меньше can also be used in comparisons. For example, Этот дом меньше, чем тот (eh-tot dom myen-she, chem tot) - This house is smaller than that one.

Word Pronunciation:

меньше (myen-she)

денег (deen-yig)

The next word is thing. This is a simple example to get us started!

English: This is a thing.

Russian: Это вещь.

Breakdown:

Это это is the Russian word for "this" (pronounced eh-toh). It is used as a demonstrative pronoun, meaning it points to a specific thing.

вещь veshch is the Russian word for "thing" (pronounced vyeshch). It is a feminine noun, so it requires the feminine form of the demonstrative pronoun.

Key concepts:

Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) are used to point out specific things.

Nouns in Russian have genders, which affects the form of other words that modify them (like pronouns and adjectives).

Pronunciation:

это is pronounced eh-toh
вещь is pronounced vyeshch

English-Russian word translation:

Thing - вещь

This - это

The next word is flow. The river река река [reka] flows течёт [techet] smoothly плавно [plavno] through the valley долина [dalina].

Breakdown:

река [reka] (river) is the subject of the sentence and is in the nominative case. It is feminine and singular in this case. Notice the stress is on the first syllable of this word.

течёт [techet] (flows) is the verb. It is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb течь [tech] (to flow). In Russian, verbs are conjugated to match the subject in number and gender.

плавно [plavno] (smoothly) is an adverb modifying the verb. It describes the manner in which the river flows. Notice that Russian adverbs often end in -о or -е.

долина [dalina] (valley) is the object of the preposition через [cherez] (through) and is in the accusative case. The valley is what the river flows through.

Variations of течь [tech]:

текла [tekla] (she flowed), past tense, feminine singular.

течёт [techet] (it flows) present tense, neuter singular.

текут [tekut] (they flow) present tense, plural.

Translation:

река [reka] - river [re-ka]

течёт [techet] - flows [tye-chet]

плавно [plavno] - smoothly [plav-no]

долина [dalina] - valley [da-lee-na]

The next word is roll. The word "roll" can be translated in Russian as катить (katit') which is a verb meaning "to roll" and is used for objects that are rolling.

Sentence: Я люблю катать мяч по траве. (Ya lyublyu katat' myach po trave.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case)

люблю (lyublyu) - I love (verb, present tense, 1st person singular)

катать (katat') - to roll (verb, infinitive, used with a direct object)

мяч (myach) - ball (noun, masculine, accusative case)

по (po) - along, on (preposition, followed by the dative case)

траве (trave) - grass (noun, feminine, dative case)

Translation: I love to roll the ball on the grass.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns change their form depending on their role in the sentence.

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings to agree with the subject.

Infinitive: The base form of a verb, often used with "to" in English.

Pronunciation:

катить (katit') - The stress is on the first syllable. The "k" sound is like the "k" in "kick," the "a" is like the "a" in "father," the "t" is like the "t" in "time," and the "i" is like the "ee" in "see."

мяч (myach) - The stress is on the first syllable. The "m" sound is like the "m" in "moon," the "ya" is like the "ya" in "yard," and the "ch" is like the "ch" in "church."

траве (trave) - The stress is on the second syllable. The "t" sound is like the "t" in "time," the "ra" is like the "ra" in "rat," and the "ve" is like the "ve" in "very."

Variations of the word катить (katit'):

катаю (katayu) - I am rolling (present tense, 1st person singular)

катала (katala) - I rolled (past tense, feminine singular)

катать (katat') - to roll (infinitive)

катился (katilsya) - he/she/it rolled (past tense, masculine singular)

English: roll /roʊl/

Russian: катить (katit') /kɐˈtʲitʲ/

The next word is never. ## Никогда не будет слишком поздно учиться.

Breakdown:

Никогда ([nee-]koh-gda) - Never - This word is used at the start of a sentence and is similar to the English "never". It is an adverb of time and has an emphasis on the negation of an action.

не ([nyeh]) - not - This is a negation particle in Russian, similar to the English "not". It is added to a verb to make it negative.

будет ([boo]det) - will be - This is the future tense of the verb "to be". It is used in conjunction with the negation particle не to express that something will not happen.

слишком ([slee]sh-kum) - too - This is an adverb that means "too" or "excessively". It emphasizes the degree of something.

поздно ([pohz]d-nuh) - late - This word is an adverb of time and indicates that something is happening after the appropriate time. It can also be used as an adjective.

учиться ([oo-chee]tsuh) - to learn - This is a verb meaning "to learn" or "to study". It is a very common verb in Russian, as learning is a very important aspect of life.

Meaning: It is never too late to learn.

Variations:

The word никогда is often used in emphatic statements to express strong negation.

The word поздно can be used in the phrase поздно вечером ([pohz]d-nuh [vyeh]cheh-ruh-m), which means "late in the evening".

The verb учиться can be used in the phrase учиться в школе ([oo-chee]tsuh [v] [shkoh]lee) which means "to study in school".

Translation:

Never not will be too late to learn.

The next word is type. The word "type" has several Russian translations, depending on the context. Here is an example using the translation "тип" (pronounced "teep") which means "type" or "kind":

Sentence:

Этот тип музыки мне нравится.

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-toht) - This
тип (teep) - type
музыки (moo-zy-kee) - music (genitive case)

мне (mnye) - to me (dative case)

нравится (nrav-it-sya) - I like

Key Concepts:

The word "тип" is a masculine noun and is used to describe a category or kind of something.

The genitive case of "музыка" (музыки) is used after the word "тип" because it's indicating the type of music.

The verb "нравится" (to like) is used with the dative case pronoun "мне" (to me)

Translation:

This type of music I like.

English: type /taɪp/

Russian: тип /teep/

The next word is relation. The word "relation" in English has many meanings, but in this example, we'll focus on its meaning as a connection between people or things.

The Russian word for "relation" is отношение (otnosheniye). The е at the end is pronounced like the "e" in "bed". It is a noun and can be used in both singular and plural forms.

Here is a Russian sentence using the word:

У меня хорошие отношения с моими родителями.

Here is a breakdown:

У (u) - This is a preposition that means "at" or "with". It is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon".

меня (menya) - This is a personal pronoun that means "me" or "I" and is pronounced like "men-ya".

хорошие (horoshiye) - This is an adjective that means "good" and is pronounced like "ho-ro-shi-ye".

отношения (otnosheniya) - This is the plural form of the noun отношение and means "relations" or "relationships" and is pronounced like "ot-no-she-ni-ya".

с (s) - This is a preposition that means "with" and is pronounced like the "s" in "sun".

моими (moyimi) - This is a possessive pronoun that means "my" and is pronounced like "moy-i-mi".

родителями (roditelyami) - This is the plural form of the noun родитель (roditel) which means "parent" and is pronounced like "ro-di-te-ly-a-mi".

Here is the English translation of the Russian sentence:

"I have a good relationship with my parents".

Word and Pronunciation:

Relation - отношение (otnosheniye)

The next word is ever. The word "ever" can be used in Russian in a few different ways. Here is an example of its use in a sentence:

Sentence: Я никогда не видел такой красивый закат. Никогда раньше.

Breakdown:

Я - I
никогда - never, pronunciation: [nee-kahg-da] (note the hard G sound, not a soft G)

не - not
видел - saw, past tense masculine singular verb
такой - such
красивый - beautiful
закат - sunset
раньше - before, earlier. pronunciation: [rahn-she]

Translation: I have never seen such a beautiful sunset. Never before.

Key Concepts:

Никогда means "never" and is used with the past tense.

Не is used with verbs to indicate negation, meaning "not."

In Russian, the adjective красивый changes depending on the noun it describes. In this case, it is masculine because закат (sunset) is masculine.

The word раньше means "before" or "earlier." It is often used to emphasize that something has never happened before.

Variations:

The word никогда is used with the past tense to indicate that something has never happened. You can use it with any verb.

You can also use никогда with the present tense to indicate that something will never happen.

Pronunciation:

никогда - [nee-kahg-da]

не - [nyet]

видел - [vee-dyel]

такой - [ta-koy]

красивый - [kra-see-vee]

закат - [za-kat]

раньше - [rahn-she]

English: ever

Russian: никогда

The next word is town. The word "town" is a common noun. In Russian, it translates to город (pronounced "go-rot"). In this sentence, "город" is in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

Я живу в маленьком городе.

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I, personal pronoun, nominative case
живу (zhivu) - live, verb in the present tense, 1st person singular
в (v) - in, preposition
маленьком (malen'kom) - small, adjective in the nominative case, masculine, singular
городе (gorode) - town, noun in the prepositional case

Translation: I live in a small town.

Key Concept:

The Russian word город (pronounced "go-rot") has different endings depending on the case. In this sentence, it is in the prepositional case, which is used after prepositions such as в (v) - in.

Memorization:

Think of город (pronounced "go-rot") as a "city" or a "town" that is large enough to have its own government.

Notice the "o" sound at the end of город (pronounced "go-rot").

Remember that в (v) - in, is used with the prepositional case.

маленький (pronounced "malen'kiy") is a common adjective in Russian that means "small."

Pronunciation:

город (pronounced "go-rot")

в (pronounced "v")

маленький (pronounced "malen'kiy")

English/Russian Translations:

town - город (pronounced "go-rot")

small - маленький (pronounced "malen'kiy")

live - живу (pronounced "zhivu")

in - в (pronounced "v")

The next word is past. The word "past" in English has several meanings, but the most common are "the time before now" and "to go beyond." In Russian, there are several ways to express the concept of "past," depending on the context.

Let's look at an example using the meaning of "past" as "the time before now":

Russian Sentence: Он уже прошёл этот путь.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - Он - [ahn]

уже - already (adverb) - уже - [oo-zhuh]

прошёл - past (verb, masculine, past tense, perfect aspect) - прошёл - [prah-shohl]

этот - this (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - этот - [eh-taht]

путь - way, path (noun, masculine, nominative case) - путь - [poot']

Translation: He has already passed this way.

Key Concepts:

Past Tense: In Russian, verbs have a past tense, which indicates that the action happened before the present moment. The past tense form of a verb changes depending on the gender and number of the subject.

Perfect Aspect: The perfect aspect in Russian indicates that an action has been completed.

Pronoun Cases: Russian pronouns change their form depending on their function in the sentence.

Variations:

Прошёл (masculine singular) can change to прошла (feminine singular), прошло (neuter singular), or прошли (plural) depending on the gender and number of the subject.

Pronunciation: The "h" in прошёл is silent.

English to Russian: past - прошлое - [prah-shloh-yeh]

The next word is distance. The distance between the two cities is quite significant.

Расстояние между двумя городами довольно большое. Rastoyanie mezhdu dvumya gorodami dovol'no bolshoe.

Breakdown:

Расстояние - This is the noun rasstoyanie meaning 'distance'. You can use the same word in the plural, расстояния - rasstoyaniya. It is pronounced like 'ras-stoy-a-ni-ye'.

между - This is the preposition mezhdu, meaning 'between', and is pronounced like 'mezh-doo'.

двумя is the instrumental case of the numeral два, meaning 'two', and is pronounced like 'dvumya'.

городами - The word gorod means 'city', and is pronounced like 'gor-od'. In this sentence, we have the plural instrumental case of gorod, meaning 'by/with cities'. It is pronounced like 'gor-od-a-mi'.

довольно is an adverb meaning 'quite' or 'fairly', and is pronounced like 'do-vol'no'.

большое is the adjective meaning 'big', and is pronounced like 'bol'shoye'. This is the neuter gender form of the adjective as it describes the distance which is neuter.

Translation:

Расстояние - Distance (ras-stoy-a-ni-ye)

между - Between (mezh-doo)

двумя - Two (dvumya)

городами - Cities (gor-od-a-mi)

довольно - Quite (do-vol'no)

большое - Big (bol'shoye)

Key Concept:

The instrumental case is used to indicate 'by' or 'with' and is often used to show the means by which an action is performed. Here, it is used to indicate the cities between which the distance is measured.

The next word is dress. The word "dress" in English can be used as both a noun and a verb. Here's how it works in Russian:

Noun

The word for "dress" as a noun is платье (pronounced "plat-ye")

Verb

The verb for "dress" in Russian is одеваться (pronounced "ah-dye-vat-sa"). This is a reflexive verb, meaning it acts upon the subject. You can use the verb одеть (pronounced "ah-det'") when you are dressing someone else.

Sentence

Он оделся в красное платье. Он оделся в красное платье.

"Он" = "He"

"оделся" = past tense of the verb "одеваться" - "he dressed himself"

"в" = preposition meaning "in" or "into"

"красное" = "red" (adjective - masculine singular)

"платье" = "dress"

Translation: He dressed in a red dress.

Key Concept: Russian uses gendered nouns and adjectives. "Платье" is a feminine noun. This means that the adjective must agree in gender and number. In this example, the adjective is "красное" - the masculine singular form of the adjective "красный" (red).

Variations:

You can also say "Она оделась в красное платье." Она оделась в красное платье. - "Она" = "She" and "оделась" is the past tense of the verb "одеваться" - "she dressed herself".

Pronunciation Tips:

"о" as in "hot"

"е" as in "met"

"ы" as in "by"

"а" as in "father"

"я" as in "yard"

"у" as in "rule"

"д" as in "door"

"с" as in "sun"

English: dress

Russian: платье (plat-ye)

English: to dress

Russian: одеваться (ah-dye-vat-sa)

The next word is event. The word "event" in Russian is событие (pronounced suh-BY-tee-ye). It is a noun, and it is used to describe any happening or occurrence. It can be both singular and plural. It is often used in conjunction with prepositions such as на (na - on) or в (v - in). For example, we could say:

На вечеринке было много интересных событий. (Na vecherinke bylo mnogo interesnykh sobytiy.)

This translates to: “There were many interesting events at the party.”

событие (so-BY-tee-ye) - event
вечеринка (ve-che-RIN-ka) - party
было (by-LO) - there was/were
много (MNOh-go) - many
интересных (in-te-RES-nykh) - interesting
на (na) - on

The next word is tear. The sentence is: "У меня слезы на глазах от этой грустной истории." U menya slezy na glazakh ot etoy grustnoy istorii.

This sentence means “I have tears in my eyes from this sad story.”

Breakdown

У (oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "near," but it functions as the possessive pronoun "my" in this case.

меня (menya) - This is the personal pronoun "me" in the genitive case, which is used to show possession. It translates to "my" in this sentence.

слезы (slyozi) - This is the plural noun for “tears.” It is in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

на (na) - This is the preposition "on."

глазах (glazakh) - This is the plural noun "eyes" in the prepositional case, which is used with prepositions.

от (ot) - This is the preposition “from.”

этой (etoy) - This is the demonstrative adjective "this" in the feminine form.

грустной (grustnoy) - This is the adjective “sad” in the feminine form to agree with the noun “story”

истории (istorii) - This is the noun “story” in the feminine form and the prepositional case.

The key concept here is the use of the prepositional case to show location. The prepositional case is formed by adding the ending “-е” or “-и” to the noun, depending on its gender.

Variations

"Слезы" slezy is the plural form of the noun "tear.” You can use the singular form “слеза” sleza (slye-za) if you want to say “one tear.” However, in this sentence, the plural “tears” is more appropriate.

Pronunciation

У (oo)

меня (menya)

слезы (slyozi)

на (na)

глазах (glazakh)

от (ot)

этой (etoy)

грустной (grustnoy)

истории (istorii)

English-Russian Word Translation
tear - слеза sleza (slye-za)

tears - слезы slezy (slyozi)

The next word is box. The word "box" in Russian is коробка (pronounced "ka-ROH-bka"). It is a feminine noun, so you will need to use the feminine form of the adjective if you are describing the box.

Here is a sentence using the word:

Я положил книгу в коробку.

Я (ya) - I
положил (pa-la-ZHIL) - put (masculine past tense)

книгу (KNEE-goo) - book (feminine noun)

в (v) - in
коробку (ka-ROH-bka) - box

Translation: I put the book in the box.

This sentence is in the past tense. You can use the present tense:

Я кладу книгу в коробку.

Я (ya) - I
кладу (kla-DOO) - put (present tense)

книгу (KNEE-goo) - book (feminine noun)

в (v) - in
коробку (ka-ROH-bka) - box

Translation: I am putting the book in the box.

You can also use this word in the plural, коробки (ka-ROH-bki).

English - box, Russian - коробка (ka-ROH-bka)

The next word is anyone. The English word "anyone" can be used to express the concept of a person or people that are indefinite. In Russian, this is expressed through the word кто-нибудь ("kto-nibud"). This word is a combination of the pronoun "кто" (who) and the indefinite particle "нибудь" (any, someone, anyone).

Here is an example of a sentence using this word:

Я не знаю, кто-нибудь здесь говорит по-английски?

This sentence means "I don't know, does anyone here speak English?"

Let's break down the sentence:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced "ya")

не (Ne) - not (pronounced "nye")

знаю (Znayu) - know (pronounced "zna-yoo")

кто-нибудь (Kto-nibud) - anyone (pronounced "kto-ni-boot")

здесь (Zdes) - here (pronounced "z-des")

говорит (Govorit) - speaks (pronounced "go-vo-rit")

по-английски (Po-angliyski) - in English (pronounced "po-ang-lee-y-ski")

? (pronounced "ee") - a question mark

This sentence is an example of a yes/no question, which is asked by using a rising intonation at the end.

The next word is if. The word "if" in English is expressed in Russian with the word если (pronounced "yes-lee"). This word is a conjunction that introduces a conditional clause.

Here is an example of a sentence using если:

Если ты будешь учиться, ты сможешь поступить в университет.

Breakdown:

Если (yes-lee) - if
ты (ty) - you
будешь (boo-desh) - will be (future tense)

учиться (oo-chee-tsya) - to study
ты (ty) - you
сможешь (smo-zhesh) - will be able to
поступить (pas-too-peet) - to enter
в (v) - in
университет (oo-nee-ver-see-tet) - university

Translation: If you study, you will be able to enter university.

Key Concepts:

The word если introduces a conditional clause.

The verb "to be" in the future tense is used with будешь to express the action of studying.

The word сможешь is used to express ability in the future tense.

Note that если is similar to "if" in English. However, unlike "if" in English, Russian uses a different grammatical structure to express the future tense.

English: if

Russian: если (yes-lee)

The next word is agree. The word "agree" in Russian is соглашаться (pronounced "suh-glah-shaht-syah"). It's a verb, meaning "to agree" and is used in the infinitive form.

In a sentence, you might use it like this:

Я соглашаюсь с вашим предложением. Я (pronounced "ya") means "I", соглашаюсь (pronounced "suh-glah-shah-yus") means "agree" (present tense, 1st person singular), с (pronounced "s") means "with", вашим (pronounced "vah-sheem") means "your", предложением (pronounced "prid-lah-zhe-ni-em") means "proposal"

Translation: I agree with your proposal.

Key Concepts:

The verb соглашаться is an irregular verb. The ending changes depending on the person and tense. For example, the third person singular present tense is соглашается (pronounced "suh-glah-sha-yet-syah").

The preposition с is used to indicate agreement with something.

The word предложение can also mean "offer" or "suggestion".

Variations:

The word согласие (pronounced "suh-glah-si-ye") is a noun meaning "agreement".

The adjective согласный (pronounced "suh-glah-sny") means "agreeable" or "consenting".

Pronunciation:

The stress in соглашаться is on the second syllable.

The "sh" sound in соглашаться is similar to the "sh" sound in English.

The "y" sound in соглашаюсь is similar to the "y" sound in English "you".

English: agree /əˈɡriː/

Russian: соглашаться /səɡlɐˈʃatsə/

The next word is personal. The word personal in Russian is личный (lichnyy). It is an adjective, meaning belonging to a particular person, and can be used in many ways, such as personal belongings, personal life, or personal opinion.

In this example, we will use it in the sentence:

У меня есть личные вещи в этой сумке. (U menya est' lichnye veshchi v etoy sumke.)

Breakdown:

У (U) - This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with".

меня (menya) - This is the personal pronoun meaning "me".

есть (est') - This is the verb "to have" in the present tense.

личные (lichnye) - This is the plural form of the adjective личный (lichnyy) meaning "personal".

вещи (veshchi) - This is the plural noun meaning "things" or "belongings".

в (v) - This is a preposition meaning "in".

этой (etoy) - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this".

сумке (sumke) - This is the feminine form of the noun "bag" or "purse".

Translation: I have personal things in this bag.

Key Concept: The noun вещи (veshchi) is plural, so we use the plural form of the adjective личный (lichnyy), which is личные (lichnye).

Pronunciation:

личный (lichnyy) - lee-ch-nuh

У (U) - oo
меня (menya) - meh-nyah
есть (est') - yest'

вещи (veshchi) - veh-shchi
в (v) - v
этой (etoy) - eh-toy
сумке (sumke) - soom-keh

English: personal - purr-suh-nul

Russian: личный (lichnyy) - lee-ch-nuh

The next word is other. The word "other" in English can be translated into Russian as другой (pronounced "droo-goy") or иной (pronounced "ee-noy").

Here is a sentence using другой:

У меня есть другая книга.

У (oo) - preposition, "at" or "by"

меня (men-ya) - personal pronoun, "me"

есть (yest) - verb "to have"

другая (droo-ga-ya) - feminine form of другой
книга (k-nee-ga) - noun, "book"

This sentence translates to "I have another book."

Другой is more common in everyday speech and writing.

Иной is a more formal and poetic word. It often conveys a sense of something being different or unique.

Other related words:

другие (droo-gee-ye) - plural of другой - "others"

по-другому (pa-droo-go-moo) - adverb, "differently"

English: other

Pronunciation: uh-thur

Russian: другой

Pronunciation: droo-goy

The next word is practice. ## Практика (praktika) - Practice

Sentence: Ежедневная практика поможет вам улучшить владение русским языком. (ezhednevnaya praktika pomozhet vam uluchshit' vladenie russkim yazykom)

Breakdown:

Ежедневная (ezhednevnaya) - daily, everyday - The "е" sounds like the "e" in "bed". The "я" sounds like the "ya" in "yard". This is an adjective, meaning it describes a noun, in this case, практика.

практика (praktika) - practice - The "и" sounds like the "ee" in "see".

поможет ( pomozhet) - will help - The "о" sounds like the "o" in "hot". The "ж" sounds like the "zh" in "pleasure".

вам (vam) - you (plural, formal, or informal) - This is the dative case, meaning it's the indirect object of the verb "поможет" (will help).

улучшить (uluchshit') - to improve - The "щ" sounds like the "shch" in "scratch".

владение (vladenie) - mastery - The "е" sounds like the "ye" in "yes".

русским (russkim) - Russian (adjective) - The "с" sounds like the "s" in "sin".

языком (yazykom) - language - The "я" sounds like the "ya" in "yard". This is the instrumental case, meaning it's the tool used to do the action of the verb "улучшить" (to improve).

Meaning: Daily practice will help you improve your Russian language skills.

Key concepts:

Adjectives: Words that describe nouns, often ending in "-ая", "-ый", or "-ое". They agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Case: Different forms of nouns and adjectives depending on their function in a sentence. There are six cases in Russian: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental, and Prepositional.

Verb conjugation: Changing the form of a verb to agree with the subject in person and number. The verb "поможет" (will help) is in the 3rd person singular, meaning it agrees with the subject "практика" (practice).

Plural forms: Russian nouns and adjectives have different forms for singular and plural. In this sentence, "вам" (you) is plural.

Instrumental case: This case is used to show the tool or means used to do something. For example, in this sentence, языком (language) is the tool used to improve.

Pronunciation guide:

е (ye) like the "e" in "bed"

я (ya) like the "ya" in "yard"

и (ee) like the "ee" in "see"

о (o) like the "o" in "hot"

ж (zh) like the "zh" in "pleasure"

щ (shch) like the "shch" in "scratch"

с (s) like the "s" in "sin"

English: Practice - /ˈpræk.tɪs/

Russian: практика (praktika) - /ˈpraktɪkə/

The next word is phone. The word телефон (pronounced: te-le-FON) means "phone" in Russian. It's a noun, so it changes depending on its grammatical role in a sentence. It's used in the nominative case here, which means it's the subject of the sentence.

Here's an example:

У меня есть телефон.

Translation: I have a phone.

У (pronounced: oo) is a preposition that means "at" or "by" in this context. It is often used to indicate possession.

меня (pronounced: meh-nya) is a personal pronoun that means "me" or "I" in the genitive case.

есть (pronounced: yest') is a verb meaning "to be" or "to have."

телефон (pronounced: te-le-FON) is the noun "phone" in the nominative case.

This sentence demonstrates a simple way to express possession in Russian. You can replace "телефон" with other nouns to say "I have a [noun]".

Key concepts:

Nouns: Russian nouns change their form depending on their grammatical role in a sentence (case).

Prepositions: Prepositions like у are important for showing relationships between words in a sentence.

Personal Pronouns: Personal pronouns like меня can change form depending on their role in a sentence (case).

Pronunciation:

телефон: te-le-FON

У: oo
меня: meh-nya
есть: yest'

Translation:

телефон: phone

У: at/by
меня: me/I
есть: to be/to have

The next word is believe. Я ya (I) верю (believe) в (in) тебя (you).

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I, the subject pronoun.

верю (ver-yoo) - the verb "to believe" in the present tense, first-person singular (I believe).

в (v) - the preposition "in"

тебя (tye-bya) - the object pronoun "you" in the accusative case.

Sentence Meaning: I believe in you.

Key Concept: The verb верить (ve-ri-t') is an irregular verb in Russian. It is conjugated as follows:

Я верю (ya ve-ryoo) - I believe

Ты веришь (ty ve-rish) - You believe

Он/Она/Оно верит (on/ona/ono ve-rit) - He/She/It believes

Мы верим (my ve-rim) - We believe

Вы верите (vy ve-ri-te) - You (plural) believe

Они верят (oni ve-ryat) - They believe

Pronunciation:

верю (ver-yoo) - The "ю" at the end sounds like the "oo" in "moon".

в (v) - A simple "v" sound.

тебя (tye-bya) - The "я" at the end sounds like the "ya" in "yard".

English Translation: Believe - верить (ve-ri-t')

The next word is spend. ## Я провожу много времени, читая книги

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
провожу (provozhu) - present tense of the verb "to spend" (provodit') in the 1st person singular
много (mnogo) - much, a lot
времени (vremeni) - genitive case of "time" - the noun is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition в (v) (in), which is implied in the phrase "spending time"

читая (chitaya) - present participle of the verb "to read" (chitat')

книги (knigi) - plural form of the word "book" (kniga) in the accusative case - the noun is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "to read"

Key Concepts:

Present Tense: The present tense is used to describe an action that is happening now.

Genitive Case: The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a preposition.

Present Participle: The present participle is a verbal adjective that describes an action or state that is happening at the same time as the main verb.

Accusative Case: The accusative case is used to show the direct object of a verb.

Translation: I spend a lot of time reading books.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - Ya (like the 'ya' in 'yacht')

провожу (provozhu) - pro-vo-zhu (like the 'vo' in 'vote' and 'zhu' as the 'z' sound in 'azure')

много (mnogo) - mnogo (like 'mno' in 'money' and 'go' as in 'go')

времени (vremeni) - vre-me-ni (like 'vre' in 'very' and 'me' in 'me')

читая (chitaya) - chi-ta-ya (like 'chi' in 'cheese' and 'ta' in 'table')

книги (knigi) - kni-gi (like 'kni' in 'knife' and 'gi' in 'gig')

Variations:

Я трачу много времени на чтение книг (Ya trachu mnogo vremeni na chtenie knig) - This sentence also means "I spend a lot of time reading books."

Я люблю проводить время, читая книги (Ya lyublyu provodiť' vremya, chitaya knigi) - This sentence means "I love spending time reading books."

Memorization:

To memorize this sentence, try to associate the words with similar English words: провожу (provozhu) sounds like "provoke" which can help you remember that it means "spend."

много (mnogo) sounds like 'mango' and книги (knigi) sounds like 'knee' - use these to remember the words for 'much' and 'books.' времени (vremeni) sounds like 'very many'

The next word is equal. The word "equal" in Russian is равный (pronounced "rav-nuh"). It is an adjective that can be used to describe things that are the same size, amount, or value. It is a gendered adjective, meaning it will change form depending on the gender of the noun it describes.

Here is a Russian sentence using "equal":

Все люди равны перед законом. (Vse lyudi ravny pered zakonom.)

Breakdown:

Все (Vse) - This means "all" and is a pronoun.

люди (lyudi) - This means "people" and is a noun. It is plural.

равны (ravny) - This is the masculine plural form of "equal." It agrees with the plural noun "people."

перед (pered) - This means "before" and is a preposition.

законом (zakonom) - This means "law" and is a noun in the instrumental case, which is used with the preposition "перед."

Translation:

All people are equal before the law.

Variations of the word "equal":

равно (ravno) - This is the adverb form of "equal" and means "equally."

равенство (ravenstvo) - This means "equality."

Pronunciation guide:

равный (rav-nuh) - The "a" in "rav" is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."

равно (rav-noh) - The "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

равенство (rav-en-stvuh) - The "e" in "rav" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed." The "o" in "stvuh" is pronounced like the "o" in "hot."

English: equal (rav-nuh)

Russian: равный (rav-nuh)

The next word is reach. The English word "reach" can be used as a verb, meaning to arrive at a destination, to touch something with one's hand, or to extend something to a certain point. It can also be a noun, referring to the act of reaching or a distance that can be reached.

Here is a Russian sentence using "reach" as a verb:

Мы не смогли дотянуться до верхушки дерева

Breakdown:

Мы (we) - This is the nominative plural pronoun. The "ы" at the end of this word is pronounced with a similar sound to the english "ee" in the word "see".

не (not) - This is the negation particle. The "е" at the end of this word sounds similar to the english "e" in the word "get".

смогли (were able to) - This is the past tense of the verb "мочь" (to be able to). This word is pronounced with a similar sound to "smoh-glee".

дотянуться (to reach) - This is the verb "тянуться" (to stretch) in the infinitive form. The "тя" sounds like "ty" in the word "type".

до (to) - This is a preposition that indicates movement towards a destination. This word sounds like "doh"

верхушки (top) - This is the genitive singular noun form of the word "верхушка" (top). The "и" at the end of this word sounds similar to "ee" in the word "see".

дерева (tree) - This is the genitive singular noun form of the word "дерево" (tree). This word is pronounced like "dere-va".

Translation:

We were not able to reach the top of the tree.

Variations:

Дойти (to reach) - This verb is used when discussing reaching a destination or a specific point.

Достичь (to achieve, to reach) - This verb is used when referring to achieving a goal or reaching a higher level.

Pronunciation Guide:

Мы (my) - Sound similar to the english "mee" in "see"

не (ne) - Sound similar to the english "neh" in "net"

смогли (smoh-glee) - The first syllable sounds like "smoh" and the second syllable sounds like "glee"

дотянуться (doh-tyanut-sa) - This is a bit more tricky, but try to break it down: the first part "до" sounds like "doh" , the second part "тя" sounds like "ty" and the last part "нуться" sounds like "nut-sa"

до (doh) - Sound similar to the english "doh" in "do"

верхушки (ver-hush-kee) - The first part "вер" sounds like "ver" in the english word "very" and the last part "ушки" sounds like "ush-kee"

дерева (dere-va) - The first part "де" sounds like "de" in the english word "deer" and the last part "рева" sounds similar to "re-va"

English: Reach

Russian: Достигать (dosti-gat)

The next word is property. The word собственность (pronounced sob-stven-nost) in Russian means "property" and refers to something that belongs to someone or is owned by someone.

Here's an example sentence:

Эта квартира является моей собственностью.

Breakdown:

Эта (pronounced eh-ta) - This
квартира (pronounced kvar-tee-ra) - Apartment
является (pronounced ya-vly-ay-et-sya) - is
моей (pronounced ma-ey) - My
собственностью (pronounced sob-stven-nost-yu) - Property

Translation: This apartment is my property.

Key Concepts:

собственность (pronounced sob-stven-nost) can also be used in a broader sense to refer to anything that someone owns or possesses.

The noun собственность is feminine, so the adjective моей (my) is also in the feminine form.

Memorization Tip: Think of the word собственность as "something that is owned" or "belongings."

The next word is mark. The word "mark" in English can have many meanings. In this example, we will focus on the meaning of a "mark" as a visible sign or indication.

Here is a sentence using the word "mark" in Russian:

На столе остался след от чашки.

Breakdown:

На - na - preposition, meaning "on," pronounced "na"

столе - stole - noun, meaning "table," pronounced "stoh-leh"

остался - ostalsya - verb, meaning "remained," pronounced "ah-stal-sya"

след - sled - noun, meaning "mark" "trace," pronounced "slet"

от - ot - preposition, meaning "from" pronounced "ot"

чашки - chashki - noun, meaning "cup," pronounced "chah-shki"

Key concepts:

This sentence is in the past tense, the verb остался indicates that the action has already occurred.

The word след has several meanings, including mark, track, trace, and footprint.

The preposition от is used to indicate the source of the mark.

Translation: "There was a mark from a cup left on the table".

Pronunciation: "Na stoh-leh ah-stal-sya slet ot chah-shki."

Variations:

The word след can be used in many different contexts. For example, you could say Следы от обуви - Sledy ot obuv - meaning "shoe marks" or Следы от шин - Sledy ot shin - meaning "tire marks."

English Word: mark - [mahrk]

Russian Word: след - [slet]

The next word is station. The word "station" in English can translate to several different words in Russian, depending on the context.

Here is a sentence that uses the word станция (pronounced stahn-tsee-ya), which is the most common translation of “station” and refers to a place where trains, buses, or other vehicles stop:

Я вышел на станции метро. (Ya vyshel na stantsii metro).

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I. (Pronounced ya)

вышел (vyshel) - past tense masculine verb "to exit" (pronounced vee-shel)

на (na) - on, at, in, to (pronounced nah)

станции (stantsii) - station, singular, feminine form (pronounced stahn-tsee-ya)

метро (metro) - subway (pronounced met-roh)

Translation: I exited at the metro station.

Variations
станция (stantsiya) - can be used for train stations as well, or even a radio station, but the context will usually make it clear.

вокзал (vokzal) - is another word for train station, a little more formal, but less common in modern speech. (pronounced vok-zahl)

Key Concepts:

Russian nouns have gender and number. The noun станция (stantsiya) is feminine and in this sentence it is in the singular form.

Russian prepositions take different forms depending on the case of the noun they govern. на (na) in this example governs the prepositional case of станции (stantsii).

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in станция (stantsiya) is on the second syllable.

метро (metro) is pronounced like “metro” in English, except the “o” is pronounced like the “o” in “lot”

The letter “я” (ya) is pronounced like the “ya” in “yard.”

Word and Pronunciation Translation:

Station - станция (pronounced stahn-tsee-ya)

The next word is solution. The word "solution" in Russian is решение (resheniye). It is a noun, and in this sentence it is in the nominative case. We know it is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the verb "is" является (yavlyayetsya).

Решение (resheniye) является (yavlyayetsya) важным (vazhnym) шагом (shagom) в (v) решении (reshenii) проблемы (problemy).

The solution is an important step in solving the problem.

Let's break down the sentence:

Решение (resheniye) - solution - pronounced "re-she-nee-ye" with the emphasis on the second syllable.

является (yavlyayetsya) - is, serves as - pronounced "ya-vly-a-yet-sya" with emphasis on the second syllable.

важным (vazhnym) - important - pronounced "vazh-nym" with the emphasis on the first syllable.

шагом (shagom) - step - pronounced "sha-gom" with the emphasis on the first syllable
в (v) - in - pronounced "v"

решении (reshenii) - solution (prepositional case) - pronounced "re-she-nii" with emphasis on the second syllable.

проблемы (problemy) - problem - pronounced "pra-ble-my" with emphasis on the first syllable

Notice how the word "solution" is used twice in this sentence. In the first instance it is in the nominative case and in the second instance it is in the prepositional case. The prepositional case is used after the preposition в (v).

Remember that in Russian, nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. This is known as declension.

Solution: решение (resheniye) - pronounced "re-she-nee-ye" with the emphasis on the second syllable.

The next word is sector. ## Сектор производства автомобилей в России быстро развивается.

Breakdown:

Сектор (sektor) - This is the noun 'sector' and is pronounced like "sek-tor". It refers to a specific part or area of something.

производства (proizvodstva) - This is the genitive case of the noun "production" (pronounced "pro-iz-vod-stva"). It is used here because the sector is of something.

автомобилей (avtomobiley) - This is the genitive plural of the noun "car" (pronounced "av-to-moh-bee-ley"). It indicates the type of production.

в (v) - This is the preposition "in" (pronounced "v").

России (Rossii) - This is the prepositional case of the noun "Russia" (pronounced "Ros-si-i").

быстро (bystro) - This is the adverb "quickly" (pronounced "bis-tro").

развивается (razvivaetsya) - This is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb "to develop" (pronounced "raz-vi-va-yet-sya").

Translation:

The automotive production sector in Russia is developing quickly.

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: The genitive case is used to show possession or a relationship of belonging.

Prepositional Case: The prepositional case is used with prepositions like "in" and "on."

Word Order: Russian sentence structure can be flexible, but often follows subject-verb-object order.

Hints for Pronunciation:

Russian vowels are pronounced differently than English vowels. "A" is closer to the "a" in "father," "E" is like the "e" in "bed," "O" is like the "o" in "hot."

Russian consonants are generally pronounced in a more straightforward way than English consonants.

English: sector /ˈsɛktər/

Russian: сектор /ˈsɛktər/

The next word is take. The word "take" in English can be used in many ways, but let's look at one simple sentence:

English: I will take the book.

Russian: Я возьму книгу.

Breakdown:

Я - I (pronounced like "ya")

возьму - future tense of the verb "to take" (pronounced like "voz'moo")

книгу - the book (pronounced like "k'nee-goo")

Variations: In this sentence, you can change "book" for any noun, for example: телефон (pronounced like "te-le-fon") which means "phone", or чашку (pronounced like "cha-sh-koo") which means "cup".

Important Note: The verb брать (pronounced "brat'") which means "to take" is very versatile. You'll see it in many different forms!

English: take

Russian: брать (pronounced like "brat'")

The next word is tend. The word "tend" has several meanings in English, and we can use different Russian words to convey each of them. Here's an example of how it can be used in Russian, along with a breakdown:

Sentence: Она склонна к пессимизму.

Breakdown:

Она - She (pronoun, feminine, nominative case) - pronounced [ah-nah]

склонна - tends (adjective, feminine, singular, nominative case) - pronounced [sklohn-nah]

к - to, towards (preposition) - pronounced [k]

пессимизму - pessimism (noun, masculine, dative case) - pronounced [peh-sih-mee-zmu]

Meaning: She tends towards pessimism.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have genders. The adjective склонна changes to agree with the noun она, which is feminine.

Cases: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. Here, пессимизму is in the dative case because it follows the preposition к.

Variations of "Tend": In this sentence, "tend" is used to express a general inclination or tendency. This is similar to the English phrase "is prone to".

Translation:

она - She
склонна - tends
к - to
пессимизму - pessimism

The next word is attack. The Russian word for "attack" is атака (pronounced ah-TAH-ka). It's a noun, so it can be used as the subject or object of a sentence.

Here is an example of a sentence:

Враг начал атаку на город. (Vrah nachal ataku na gorod.)

Враг (pronounced vrahg) - enemy
начал (pronounced nachal) - began
атаку (pronounced ataku) - attack
на (pronounced na) - on
город (pronounced gorod) - city

This sentence translates to "The enemy began an attack on the city."

Key Concepts:

The word атака is a noun, so it can be used as the subject or object of a sentence.

начал is a verb in the past tense, meaning "began".

на is a preposition, meaning "on".

Variations:

атаковать (pronounced atakovat) is the verb form of "attack" meaning "to attack".

атака can be used in a variety of contexts, such as military attacks, cyberattacks, or even attacks of disease.

Pronunciation:

атака (ah-TAH-ka)

Враг (vrahg)

начал (nachal)

на (na)

город (gorod)

English to Russian:

attack - атака (ah-TAH-ka)

The next word is occasion. The word "occasion" in English can refer to a specific time or event, or a reason or purpose for something. In Russian, the word случай (pronounced sloo-chai) is often used to translate "occasion" when referring to a specific time or event. It is a noun, meaning "case" or "occasion".

Here is an example sentence:

У меня был случай встретить его на улице. У меня был случай встретить его на улице.

Breakdown:

У меня - У меня - This means "I have" or "I had". It is the genitive case of the personal pronoun "я" (ya - I).

был - был - This is the past tense of the verb "быть" (byt - to be).

случай - случай - This is the noun "occasion" or "case". In this sentence, it refers to a specific event.

встретить - встретить - This is the infinitive form of the verb "to meet".

его - его - This is the accusative case of the personal pronoun "он" (on - he). It is used here because "встретить" (to meet) is a transitive verb that requires an object.

на улице - на улице - This means "in the street". "Улица" (oo-lit-sa) is the noun "street", and "на" (na) is a preposition that indicates location.

Translation: I had an occasion to meet him on the street.

Note: The word "случай" случай is also used to describe a random or unexpected event, which is a slightly different meaning from "occasion" as it is used in the example sentence.

Pronunciation:

Occasion (oh-kay-zhun)

Случай (slooch-ay)

The next word is boy. ## Мальчик играет в футбол.

Breakdown:

Мальчик (mal'chik) - This is the noun "boy" in Russian. It's masculine and singular.

Мальчик - mal'chik - Pronounced "mal'chik"

играет (igraet) - This is the present tense, third-person singular form of the verb "to play" (играть - igrat').

играет - igraet - Pronounced "ee-gra-yet"

в футбол (v futbol) - This is the preposition "in" (в - v) followed by the noun "football" (футбол - futbol). It shows what the boy is playing.

в - v - Pronounced "v"

футбол - futbol - Pronounced "foot-bol"

Translation: The boy plays football.

Key Concept: The Russian word order can be flexible, unlike English. You could also say: В футбол играет мальчик. The focus changes, but the meaning stays the same.

Variations of "Boy":

мальчики (mal'chiki) - Boys (plural)

мальчики - mal'chiki - Pronounced "mal'chiki"

мальчишка (mal'chishka) - Boy (informal, sometimes used for a mischievous boy)

мальчишка - mal'chishka - Pronounced "mal'chishka"

Pronunciation Tips:

The "ch" sound in Russian is similar to the "ch" in the English word "chair".

The "л" (l) at the end of Мальчик is silent.

The stress in Мальчик is on the first syllable.

English : boy

Russian: мальчик - mal'chik

The next word is blood. The Russian sentence is: У него пошла кровь из носа.

Breakdown:

У - This is the preposition "at" or "with". It is pronounced like "oo".

него - This is the pronoun "him" or "he". It is pronounced like "nyeh-go".

пошла - This is the past tense of the verb "to go" in the feminine form. It is pronounced like "pah-shla".

кровь - This is the noun "blood". It is pronounced like "krohv".

из - This is the preposition "from". It is pronounced like "eez".

носа - This is the noun "nose". It is pronounced like "no-sa".

Meaning:

The sentence translates to "He had a nosebleed." This sentence uses the verb "to go" in a metaphorical sense, referring to the blood flowing from his nose.

Variations:

The noun "blood" can be used in many other contexts in Russian, such as in phrases like кровь в жилах (blood in the veins) or кровь на руках (blood on the hands).

Pronunciation:

У - "oo"

него - "nyeh-go"

пошла - "pah-shla"

кровь - "krohv"

из - "eez"

носа - "no-sa"

Translation:

кровь - blood / krohv
носа - nose / no-sa

The next word is drink. The word "drink" in Russian is пить (pronounced "peet"). It is an irregular verb and changes its form depending on the person, number, tense and mood. Here is an example sentence:

Он пьет воду. Он пьет воду.

Он Он (pronunciation: "on") means "he".

пьет пьет (pronunciation: "pyot") is the present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb "пить" пить (pronunciation: "peet").

воду воду (pronunciation: "vodu") means "water".

The sentence translates to "He drinks water". Here are some other examples of how the verb "пить" пить (pronunciation: "peet") can be used:

Я пью кофе. Я пью кофе. (pronunciation: "Ya p'yu kofe") "I drink coffee."

Мы пьем чай. Мы пьем чай. (pronunciation: "My p'yom chai") "We drink tea."

Она пьет сок. Она пьет сок. (pronunciation: "Ona p'yot sok") "She drinks juice."

You can see that the verb "пить" пить (pronunciation: "peet") changes slightly depending on the subject, but it always follows the same pattern.

Drink - пить (pronunciation: "peet")

The next word is where. ## Where is the library?

Где находится библиотека?

Breakdown:

Где (pronounced "G-dye") means "where" and is used in questions. It acts as an interrogative word similar to "where" in English.

находится (pronounced "na-kho-dee-tsa") is the present tense form of the verb находиться (pronounced "na-kho-dee-tsa") meaning "to be located, to be situated". It's a common verb for indicating location. The verb is conjugated to agree with the subject. Here, the subject is the library (библиотека), which is feminine.

библиотека (pronounced "bee-b-lee-o-te-ka") means "library" and is feminine in gender.

? indicates a question in Russian.

Translation: Where is the library?

Pronunciation guide:

Где - G-dye
находится - na-kho-dee-tsa
библиотека - bee-b-lee-o-te-ka

Key concept:

The word order in Russian questions is similar to English. The question word (Где - where) comes first, followed by the subject (библиотека - library) and the verb (находится - is located).

Variation of Где (where):

Куда (pronounced "koo-da") - where (to) (used when you are asking about direction or movement)

Откуда (pronounced "ot-koo-da") - where (from) (used when asking about origin)

The next word is star. The word звезда (pronounced zvyaz-da) means "star" in Russian. It is a feminine noun, so we need to use the feminine form of the adjective to describe it. For example, "bright star" would be яркая звезда (pronounced yarkaya zvyaz-da).

Here is a sentence using the word звезда:

На небе сияла яркая звезда. (pronounced Na nebe si-ya-la yarkaya zvyaz-da.)

Breakdown:

На (pronounced na) - on
небе (pronounced nebe) - sky
сияла (pronounced si-ya-la) - shone (past tense, feminine form)

яркая (pronounced yarkaya) - bright (feminine form)

звезда (pronounced zvyaz-da) - star

Translation: A bright star shone in the sky.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This affects the form of adjectives and verbs that agree with the noun.

Case: The form of a noun changes depending on its role in the sentence. In this case, звезда is in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of the sentence.

Variations:

Plural: The plural form of звезда is звезды (pronounced zvyaz-dy).

Diminutive: звездочка (pronounced zvyaz-dach-ka) is a diminutive form of звезда and means "little star".

English translation of words:

звезда (pronounced zvyaz-da) - star
яркая (pronounced yarkaya) - bright
небе (pronounced nebe) - sky
сияла (pronounced si-ya-la) - shone
на (pronounced na) - on

The next word is might. ## Он мог бы пойти в магазин (On mog bi poyti v magazin)

Breakdown:

Он Он (on) - He
мог мог (mog) - could, was able to. Note: This is the masculine singular past tense form of the verb мочь мочь (moch') - to be able to, to be capable of, to might. Key concept: мочь мочь (moch') is an irregular verb. You will need to learn its forms.

бы бы (by) - would. Note: This is the conditional particle and is only used in conjunction with the past tense. Key concept: бы бы (by) is often used to express possibility or hypothetical situations.

пойти пойти (poyti) - to go (infinitive). Key concept: пойти пойти (poyti) is a perfective verb. It implies a completed action and has only one form.

в в (v) - in, to (preposition)

магазин магазин (magazin) - store

Translation: He might go to the store.

Pronounciation:

Он Он (on) - sounds like "awn"

мог мог (mog) - sounds like "mohg"

бы бы (by) - sounds like "bee"

пойти пойти (poyti) - sounds like "poy-tee"

в в (v) - sounds like "v"

магазин магазин (magazin) - sounds like "ma-ga-zeen"

Variations:

Она могла бы пойти в магазин Она могла бы пойти в магазин (Ona mogla bi poyti v magazin) - She might go to the store.

Мы могли бы пойти в магазин Мы могли бы пойти в магазин (My mogli bi poyti v magazin) - We might go to the store.

Они могли бы пойти в магазин Они могли бы пойти в магазин (Oni mogli bi poyti v magazin) - They might go to the store.

English: might

Russian: мочь (moch')

Pronounciation: (moch') sounds like "mohch"

The next word is award. The professor presented the student with an award for her outstanding academic achievements.

Russian: Профессор вручил студентке награду за её выдающиеся достижения в учёбе.

Breakdown:

Профессор (Professor) - pra-FEH-sor
вручил (presented) - vru-CHEEL - This is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb "to present"

студентке (to the student) - stu-DEN-tke - This is the dative case of "student"

награду (award) - na-GRAH-doo
за (for) - za
её (her) - ee-YO
выдающиеся (outstanding) - vy-da-YU-shchee-sya
достижения (achievements) - das-tee-ZHEH-nee-ya
в (in) - v
учёбе (study, academic learning) - oo-CHYO-bye

Key concepts:

Case: In this sentence, the dative case is used for "student" (to the student) which is the indirect object of the verb "to present."

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender. "награда" is a feminine noun, which is reflected in the word ending.

Word variations: The verb "to present" (вручить) has many variations in Russian, depending on the tense, person, and number.

English translation: The professor presented the student with an award for her outstanding academic achievements.

Pronunciation:

Профессор - pra-FEH-sor
вручил - vru-CHEEL
студентке - stu-DEN-tke
награду - na-GRAH-doo
за - za
её - ee-YO
выдающиеся - vy-da-YU-shchee-sya
достижения - das-tee-ZHEH-nee-ya
в - v
учёбе - oo-CHYO-bye

Word: Award, награда (na-GRAH-da)

The next word is wonder. ## Wonder

The English word "wonder" can have several meanings in Russian, and the choice of the Russian word depends on the context. Here's a sentence using one of the meanings of "wonder":

Sentence:

Я удивляюсь красоте этого сада. Ya udivlyayus' krasote etogo sada.

Breakdown:

удивляюсь udivlyayus' - This is the present tense, first person singular form of the verb "удивляться udivlyatsya" - to wonder, to be amazed, to be surprised. The pronunciation of удивляюсь udivlyayus' is similar to "oo-dee-vlyah-yus" with the emphasis on the first syllable. The "s" at the end is soft, almost like an "s" followed by a "y." You can also use the verb "восхищаться voskhishchatsya" which means to admire, to marvel, to be in awe, pronounced similarly to "vos-hee-shcha-tsa" with the emphasis on the second syllable.

красоте krasote - This is the dative case of the noun красота krasоta (beauty), meaning "to the beauty." Pronunciation of this word is similar to "kra-so-te" with emphasis on the first syllable.

этого etogo - This is the genitive case of the demonstrative pronoun этот etot (this), meaning "of this." The pronunciation of this word is "eh-to-go" with emphasis on the second syllable.

сада sada - This is the genitive case of the noun сад sad (garden). The pronunciation of this word is similar to "sa-da" with emphasis on the first syllable.

Translation: I wonder at the beauty of this garden.

Key concepts:

Cases: Russian nouns and pronouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. This is called declension, and the different forms are called cases. In this sentence, we have the dative case (used for the indirect object) and the genitive case (used for possession or belonging).

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs are conjugated, meaning they change form to reflect the person, number, and tense of the speaker. The present tense form of the verb "удивляться udivlyatsya" is used here.

Word order: While word order in Russian can be more flexible than in English, the typical structure in a declarative sentence is subject-verb-object.

Word Translation and Pronunciation:

Wonder: удивление udivlenie (oo-dee-vleh-nee-yeh)

Wonder: восхищение voskhishchenie (vos-hee-shche-nee-yeh)

The next word is road. The word "road" in Russian is дорога (pronounced: da-ROH-gah). It is a feminine noun, meaning that it uses the feminine grammatical gender in Russian.

Here is an example sentence:

Я иду по дороге в университет.

Я (Ya) - I
иду (i-doo) - I go
по (pah) - on
дороге (da-ROH-gah) - road
в (v) - to
университет (oo-ni-ver-si-TEHT) - university

Translation: I am going down the road to the university.

Key concept: The preposition по is used to indicate motion along a surface. The preposition в indicates direction towards a location.

Variations of the word: дорога can be used in the plural form, дороги, meaning "roads". It can also be used in the genitive case, дороги, meaning "of the road", "on the road".

Pronunciation guide:

дорога - da-ROH-gah
я - ya
иду - i-doo
по - pah
в - v
университет - oo-ni-ver-si-TEHT

English: Road

Russian: дорога (da-ROH-gah)

The next word is understand. ## Sentence: Я понимаю, что ты говоришь. Ya ponimayu, chto ty govorish.

Breakdown:

Я Ya - I (Nominative case, subject of the sentence) (pronunciation: ya)

понимаю ponimayu - understand (Present tense, 1st person singular) (pronunciation: pə-ni-ˈma-yu)

что chto - that (Conjunction, introducing a subordinate clause) (pronunciation: chto)

ты ty - you (Nominative case, subject of the subordinate clause) (pronunciation: ty)

говоришь govorish - are saying (Present tense, 2nd person singular) (pronunciation: gə-və-ˈrish)

Meaning: I understand what you are saying.

Variations:

Понимать ponimat' is the infinitive form of the verb. (pronunciation: pə-ni-ˈmat')

Понял ponyal is the masculine past tense form. (pronunciation: pə-ˈnyal)

Поняла ponyala is the feminine past tense form. (pronunciation: pə-ˈnyə-lə)

Поняли ponyali is the plural past tense form. (pronunciation: pə-ˈnyə-li)

English to Russian: understand - понимать (pronunciation: pə-ni-ˈmat')

The next word is actor. The English word "actor" translates to the Russian word актёр (pronounced "ak-tyor"). It can also be spelled актёр (pronounced "ak-tyer"), but this is less common.

The sentence is "Он известный актёр". This translates to "He is a famous actor".

The sentence uses the masculine singular form of the noun актёр (pronounced "ak-tyor"). There are also the feminine singular актриса (pronounced "ak-trisa") and the plural forms актёры (pronounced "ak-tyory") and актрисы (pronounced "ak-trisy"). The word известный (pronounced "iz-vest-ny") means "famous".

English: actor /ˈæk.tər/

Russian: актёр /akˈtʲɵr/

The next word is service. The word "service" in Russian is служба (pronounced "sloozh-ba"). It can be a noun meaning "service" in general, "department," "duty," or "military service". It can also be a verb meaning "to serve".

Here is an example sentence using служба:

Он работает в службе безопасности.

This sentence means "He works in the security service".

Here is a breakdown:

Он (pronounced "ohn") - he
работает (pronounced "ra-bo-ta-yet") - works
в (pronounced "v") - in
службе (pronounced "sloozh-be") - service (in this case, department)

безопасности (pronounced "bee-za-pas-nas-tee") - security

Key Concept: служба is a versatile word that can be used in many contexts.

Pronunciation:

служба - "sloozh-ba"

безопасности - "bee-za-pas-nas-tee"

English and Russian Translation of Word:

Service: служба (sloozh-ba)

The next word is task. ## Задача (pronounced: za-DA-cha)

Sentence: У меня есть задача сделать домашнее задание до завтра. У меня есть задача сделать домашнее задание до завтра.

Breakdown:

Задача (za-DA-cha): This is the noun meaning "task" or "assignment". It's a feminine noun, which means it uses the feminine gender agreement.

У (oo): This is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and it precedes the noun меня ("me").

меня (mih-NYA): This is the personal pronoun meaning "me".

есть (YEST'): This is the verb "to be" or "to have". It is conjugated in the present tense, 3rd person singular, which means "he/she/it has" or "there is/are".

сделать (s-DE-lat'): This is the verb "to do" or "to make" in the infinitive form. Here it's used as an infinitive complement to the verb есть.

домашнее (da-MA-sh-nee-ye): This is the adjective meaning "homework" or "home-related" modifying the noun задание ("assignment").

задание (za-DA-ni-ye): This is the noun meaning "assignment" or "task". It's a neuter noun, which means it uses the neuter gender agreement.

до (dah): This is a preposition meaning "until" or "before".

завтра (ZA-v-tra): This is the noun meaning "tomorrow".

Translation: I have a task to do my homework by tomorrow.

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: Russian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter) and the articles, adjectives, and verbs must agree with the gender of the noun. This is a core concept to understand in Russian grammar.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs conjugate in different forms depending on the person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular, plural), tense (present, past, future), and mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive).

Helpful Hints:

Задача is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.

У is a very short and simple word, pronounced "oo".

меня is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.

есть is pronounced with stress on the first syllable.

сделать is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.

домашнее is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.

задание is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.

до is pronounced with stress on the first syllable.

завтра is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.

English-Russian Word Translation & Pronunciation:

task - задача (za-DA-cha)

The next word is onto. The word "onto" in English can be used in several different contexts. Let's explore some Russian equivalents for each usage:

1. Movement from one location to another:

Sentence: The cat jumped на стол и сел на него.

Breakdown: на стол (na stol) - onto the table. The preposition на стол (na stol) indicates movement from one place (the floor) to another (the table). The word стол (stol) is the direct object of the preposition на (na). и (i) is the conjunction "and". сел (sel) - sat down. на него (na nego) - onto it. него (nego) is the pronoun "it" (masculine, singular, accusative case) and the direct object of the preposition на (na).

1. Continuing to a new subject or topic:

Sentence: We've talked about the weather, now let's move к the main topic.

Breakdown: к (k) is a preposition meaning "to" or "towards." к (k) is followed by the dative case, which is the case that indicates the recipient of an action. главной теме (glavnoy teme) - the main topic. главной (glavnoy) - main - is in the feminine, singular, dative case. теме (teme) - topic - is in the feminine, singular, dative case.

1. Adding something to something else:

Sentence: He put a new layer of paint на the old one.

Breakdown: на (na) is a preposition meaning "on" or "onto" на (na) is followed by the accusative case. старый (staryy) - old - is a masculine, singular, accusative case adjective. слой (sloy) - layer - is a masculine, singular, accusative case noun.

Key Concept: The prepositions на (na) and к (k) are important to learn in Russian. They are used frequently in many different contexts.

Pronunciation:

на (na) - sounds like "nah"

стол (stol) - sounds like "stole"

и (i) - sounds like "ee"

сел (sel) - sounds like "sel"

него (nego) - sounds like "nyeh-go"

к (k) - sounds like "k"

главной (glavnoy) - sounds like "glav-noy"

теме (teme) - sounds like "te-mye"

старый (staryy) - sounds like "star-ee"

слой (sloy) - sounds like "sloy"

Translation:

onto на (na) - "on" or "onto"

table стол (stol) - "table"

and и (i) - "and"

sat down сел (sel) - "sat down"

it него (nego) - "it" (masculine, singular)

to к (k) - "to" or "towards"

main главной (glavnoy) - "main"

topic теме (teme) - "topic"

old старый (staryy) - "old"

layer слой (sloy) - "layer"

Remember, it's important to practice using these prepositions in different contexts to become comfortable with them. You can use flash cards or online resources to practice your Russian vocabulary and grammar. Good luck with your studies!

The next word is smoke. The word дым (pronounced [dihm]) means "smoke" and is a masculine noun. This word is used to refer to the visible vapor that is produced by burning something. It is used in many contexts and is an important part of the Russian language.

Sentence:

Дым от костра поднимался к небу. (pronounced [dihm at kastra padnimaлся k nebu])

Breakdown:

Дым - Smoke (masculine noun)

от - from (preposition)

костра - bonfire (masculine noun, genitive case)

поднимался - was rising (imperfect past tense, masculine singular)

к - to (preposition)

небу - sky (neuter noun, dative case)

Translation:

The smoke from the bonfire was rising to the sky.

Variations:

дымок (pronounced [dim'ak]) means "little smoke," "wisp of smoke."

дымчатый (pronounced [dim'chaty]) means "smoky."

Pronunciation:

дым - [dihm]

костер - [kast'er]

небо - [n'eb'a]

поднимался - [pad'nima'lsya]

The next word is heart. У меня большое сердце.

U menya bolshoe serdtse.

Breakdown:

У меня - This is the possessive form of "I have". The у acts like a preposition, it means "at", "by", "with", etc. Think of it as a "marker" for the possessive case. We use the меня after it to say that the thing is associated with "me". Remember, these words are part of the nominative case. The меня in this case is actually a combination of the preposition у and the word я (I).

большое is the adjective "big" or "large". Note that adjectives are always in agreement with the nouns they describe. The noun сердце is in the nominative singular form, so the adjective needs to be in the nominative singular form as well. This form of the adjective is masculine singular.

сердце - this is the noun "heart". It is in the nominative singular form. This is the masculine singular form.

Key Concepts:

Possessive Case: In Russian, possessive phrases use a specific form of the pronoun and often involve a preposition (like у ) to mark the possession.

Adjective Agreement: Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.

Nominative Case: This is the "default" case for subjects in sentences.

Translation: I have a big heart.

Pronunciation:

у - [oo]

меня - [menya]

большое - [bolshoy-eh]

сердце - [serdtse]

Variations:

сердечный (adj) - heartfelt, hearty, cordial - [serdechniy]

сердечко (noun) - little heart - [serdechko]

сердечно (adv) - cordially, heartily - [serdechno]

Helpful Hints:

The "e" at the end of сердце and большое is pronounced like the "e" in "the".

The "o" in большое is pronounced more like the "o" in "go"

Сердце can be used to mean "heart" in its metaphorical meaning of "love", "compassion", and "kindness" as well.

The next word is period. The word "period" can be used in several different ways in Russian, depending on the context. Here are a few examples:

1. Period of Time:

Sentence: Этот период времени был очень трудным для нашей семьи.

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-toht) - This

период (pee-ree-od) - Period

времени (vree-me-ni) - of time

был (beel) - was

очень (o-chen) - very

трудным (trood-nim) - difficult

для (dlya) - for

нашей (na-shey) - our

семьи (se-m'yi) - family

Translation: This period of time was very difficult for our family.

Key concept: Период (pee-ree-od) is a noun meaning "period" in the sense of a span of time. Note that времени (vree-me-ni) is a genitive case noun, which means "of time." This case of noun is used to show possession or belonging.

Variations:

Период (pee-ree-od) can be used to refer to other periods like the "Renaissance period" or "the Cold War period."

1. Full Stop (punctuation):

Sentence: Пожалуйста, поставьте точку в конце предложения.

Breakdown:

Пожалуйста (pa-zhal-sta) - Please

поставьте (pas-tav-te) - put (imperative form)

точку (toch-koo) - dot (noun)

в (v) - in

конце (kan-tse) - end

предложения (pred-la-zhe-ni-ya) - sentence

Translation: Please put a period at the end of the sentence.

Key Concept: Точка (toch-ka) is a noun that refers to the punctuation mark "period" (full stop). Notice that the word поставьте (pas-tav-te) is an imperative form of the verb. This form is used to give a command or request.

Variations:

In Russian, the period is called точка (toch-ka).

You can also use точка с запятой (toch-ka s za-pya-toy) for semicolon, вопросительный знак (va-pras-i-tel-niy znak) for question mark, and восклицательный знак (vas-kli-tsa-tel-niy znak) for exclamation mark.

Pronunciation:

период (pee-ree-od) - Emphasize the first syllable "pee".

точка (toch-ka) - The "ch" is similar to the "ch" in the English word "chair."

Remember: The Russian language is rich and complex. Practice these sentences to build your vocabulary and fluency.

The next word is some. The word "some" can be tricky in Russian because it depends on the context. Here are a couple of examples with breakdown to help.

Example 1:

English: I have some apples.

Russian: У меня есть яблоки (pronounced ya-blo-ki).

Breakdown:

The word у (pronounced u) is a preposition meaning "at" or "with" and is used here to indicate possession.

меня (pronounced mi-nya) is the object pronoun "me."

есть (pronounced yest) means "to be" or "to have." In this case, it's used to indicate possession.

яблоки (pronounced ya-blo-ki) means "apples."

In this example, the word "some" is implied in the use of the plural noun яблоки (pronounced ya-blo-ki). The sentence does not specify a number of apples, but the use of the plural indicates there are more than one.

Example 2:

English: Some people like to eat apples.

Russian: Некоторые (pronounced nek-o-to-rye) люди любят есть яблоки (pronounced ya-blo-ki).

Breakdown:

Некоторые (pronounced nek-o-to-rye) is the Russian word for "some" or "some people." The word can stand alone but it is often used with the word люди (pronounced lyu-di) which means "people." This is a good way to use the word in a sentence.

любят (pronounced lyu-byat) means "love" or "like."

есть (pronounced yest) means "to eat."

яблоки (pronounced ya-blo-ki) means "apples."

Key Concepts:

Implied meaning: In the first example, "some" is implied because the sentence is talking about more than one apple.

Specific word: In the second example, the word "some" is directly translated using the word некоторые (pronounced nek-o-to-rye).

Variations:

The word некоторые (pronounced nek-o-to-rye) can be used with different words to create different meanings. For example, you can say некоторые книги (pronounced nek-o-to-rye kni-gi) which means "some books."

English translation of the word:

Some: некоторые (pronounced nek-o-to-rye)

Russian translation of the word:

Некоторые: Some

The next word is speech. The professor cleared his throat and began his речь [reech] (speech).

Breakdown
речь [reech] is the noun for speech in Russian. The ending -чь is a soft sign, which has no sound in Russian. So the pronunciation is similar to 'reach' in English.

речь [reech] is a feminine noun and takes the feminine singular form of the adjective in this case.

The word речь [reech] can also mean a formal address, as in a political speech.

You can also use промолвленный [pra-molv-len-nyi] (spoken, uttered) to describe something said.

Translation:

The professor cleared his throat and began his speech.

English: speech / [reech]

Russian: речь / [reech]

The next word is green. The grass is green.

Трава зелёная. Trava zelenaya.

Breakdown

Трава Trava - "grass" - is the subject of the sentence, pronounced like "tra-va".

зелёная zelenaya - "green" is an adjective modifying the noun. "Green" is pronounced like "ze-le-na-ya".

The word order is "subject, adjective", making the sentence very simple.

Memorization

Remember the "a" at the end of the word зелёная zelenaya - this "a" is the feminine ending of the adjective, indicating that it is modifying a feminine noun like трава trava ("grass").

Variations
зелёный zelenyi is the masculine form of the adjective, used for masculine nouns such as дом dom "house".

зелёное zelenoe is the neuter form, used for neuter nouns like дерево derevo "tree".

English - Russian Translations
green - зелёный zelenyi
grass - трава trava

The next word is print. The word "print" can be used in Russian in a few ways, depending on the context. Let's look at one example:

Sentence: Он печатает книгу на принтере.

Breakdown:

Он - He. (This is the nominative case of the pronoun "he". The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence). Pronounced: ohn.

печатает - prints. This is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb печатать (to print). The "т" is pronounced like the "t" in "table", but the "а" is pronounced as in "father". The final "е" is not pronounced.

книгу - book. This is the accusative case of the noun книга. The accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb. This noun has the feminine gender and the ending changes in different cases. Pronounced: k'nee-goo (the ' indicates a soft "g" sound).

на - on. This is a preposition. Pronounced: nah.

принтере - printer. This is the prepositional case of the noun принтер. Pronounced: p'rin-t'er-eh.

English Translation: He is printing a book on the printer.

Key Concepts:

The verb печатать (to print) can also be used in the past tense (e.g., печатал - printed), the future tense (e.g., будет печатать - will print), and in other forms.

The noun принтер (printer) is masculine and is used in the prepositional case in this example.

The Russian word печатать (to print) is used when talking about physical printing, for example, using a printer. For other kinds of printing, such as "printing a design on fabric" you would use a different verb.

Variations:

Она печатает письмо. (She is printing a letter).

Мы печатали фотографии. (We printed photos).

Pronunciation guide for Russian words:

а - like the "a" in "father"

е - like the "e" in "bed"

и - like the "ee" in "see"

о - like the "o" in "lot"

у - like the "oo" in "moon"

ы - like the "y" in "fly"

я - like the "ya" in "yard"

English Translation: Print.

Russian Translation: печать Pronounced: p'e-chat'.

The next word is top. The word "top" can be used in many ways in Russian. We'll look at it as a noun meaning the highest point.

The sentence is:

На вершине горы стоит красивый дом.

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at (preposition)

вершине (vershine) - top (feminine noun)

горы (gory) - mountain (feminine noun)

стоит (stoyit) - stands (present tense verb)

красивый (krasivyy) - beautiful (adjective)

дом (dom) - house (masculine noun)

Pronunciation:

На (na) - "nah"

вершине (vershine) - "ver-shee-neh"

горы (gory) - "gor-ee"

стоит (stoyit) - "stoy-it"

красивый (krasivyy) - "kra-see-vee"

дом (dom) - "dom"

The sentence means: "On the top of the mountain stands a beautiful house."

Key concept: In Russian, nouns have grammatical genders. So, we have to use the correct form of adjectives and other words that agree with the noun.

Variations:

Вершина (vershina) - the top (singular noun)

Вершины (vershiny) - the tops (plural noun)

Верхушка (verkushka) - the top (more informal)

English: top /tɑːp/

Russian: вершина /vɪrˈʃɪnə/

The next word is fish. The word рыба (pronounced ree-buh) is a feminine noun in Russian and means "fish" in English. It is often used in plural form.

Here is an example sentence:

Я люблю есть рыбу.

Ya lyublyu yest' rybu.

This means, "I love to eat fish."

Я (pronounced Ya) means "I"

люблю (pronounced lyublyu) means "I love"

есть (pronounced yest') means "to eat"

рыбу (pronounced ree-buh) means "fish"

The sentence is in the present tense. The verb люблю (lyublyu) is in the first person singular form of the present tense. The verb есть (yest') is also in the present tense, but it's in the infinitive form.

Another way to say "I love to eat fish" is Я люблю рыбу.

Ya lyublyu rybu..

This is a shorter way to say it and omits the verb "to eat" which is implied.

You could also say Мне нравится есть рыбу.

Mne nravitsa yest' rybu.

This means "I like to eat fish."

Мне (pronounced Mne) means "to me"

нравится (pronounced nravitsa) means "I like"

You can use these phrases to practice using the word рыба in different contexts.

English: fish

Russian: рыба (pronounced ree-buh)

The next word is maybe. The word "maybe" in Russian can be expressed in several ways, depending on the context and desired level of formality.

Here is a sentence using the word "возможно" возможно which means "maybe" or "possibly" in English:

Возможно, завтра будет дождь.

Breakdown:

Возможно - (pronounced "voz-MOZH-no") is an adverb meaning "maybe" or "possibly."

завтра - (pronounced "ZAHV-tra") means "tomorrow."

будет - (pronounced "BOO-det") is the future tense of the verb "to be."

дождь - (pronounced "DOSHT") means "rain."

Translation: Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

Key Concepts:

Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In this sentence, возможно modifies the verb будет.

Future Tense: The future tense in Russian is formed using the auxiliary verb будет followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

Variations:

Может быть (pronounced "MO-zhet BYT") is another common way to express "maybe," and it literally means "it could be." This phrase is more informal than возможно.

Вероятно (pronounced "ve-RO-yat-no") means "probably" and is a more formal way to express "maybe."

English to Russian:

Maybe - возможно / может быть / вероятно

The next word is global. The word "global" in English means "relating to the whole world" and in Russian it can be translated as "глобальный (glo-bah-l'niy) ".

Here is an example sentence:

"Глобальное потепление является серьезной проблемой для всего человечества. (glo-bah-l'niy pa-ti-ple-ni-ye ya-vly-yet-sa syo-ryoz-noy pra-ble-moy dlya vsyo-go che-la-ve-che-stva)."

Breakdown:

"Глобальное (glo-bah-l'niy)" - adjective meaning "global"

"потепление (pa-ti-ple-ni-ye)" - noun meaning "warming"

"является (ya-vly-yet-sa)" - verb "is"

"серьезной (syo-ryoz-noy)" - adjective meaning "serious"

"проблемой (pra-ble-moy)" - noun meaning "problem"

"для (dlya)" - preposition meaning "for"

"всего (vsyo-go)" - pronoun meaning "all"

"человечества (che-la-ve-che-stva)" - noun meaning "humanity"

Key concepts:

The Russian word "глобальный" (glo-bah-l'niy) is used to describe things that are relevant to the entire world.

This sentence is in the present tense.

The subject of this sentence is "Глобальное потепление" (glo-bah-l'niy pa-ti-ple-ni-ye), which is singular and neuter.

Word variations:

There are no major variations of "глобальный" (glo-bah-l'niy) but it is often used as a noun, meaning "the globe". It is usually written "глобус" (glo-bus) in this case.

Pronunciation:

"глобальный" (glo-bah-l'niy) is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable.

The letter "г" (g) is pronounced like the "g" in "go".

The letter "л" (l) is pronounced like the "l" in "love".

The letter "б" (b) is pronounced like the "b" in "boy".

The letter "а" (a) is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

The letter "й" (y) is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

English: global /ˈɡloʊbəl/

Russian: глобальный (glo-bah-l'niy)

The next word is support. The word "support" can be translated into Russian in many different ways, depending on the context.

Here is an example of the use of the word "support" in a sentence:

"I support the right of every individual to express their opinion freely."

Here is the Russian translation of that sentence:

"Я поддерживаю право каждого человека свободно выражать свое мнение."

Ya podderzhivayuyu pravo kazhdogo cheloveka svobodno vyrazhat' svoe mnenie.

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Я поддерживаю - "I support"

Я - "I" pronounced as "ya"

поддерживаю - "support" pronounced as "podderzhivayuyu"

право каждого человека - "the right of every individual"

право - "right" pronounced as "pravo"

каждого - "every" pronounced as "kazhdogo"

человека - "individual, person" pronounced as "cheloveka"

свободно выражать - "to express freely"

свободно - "freely" pronounced as "svobodno"

выражать - "to express" pronounced as "vyrazhat'"

свое мнение - "their opinion"

свое - "their" pronounced as "svoe"

мнение - "opinion" pronounced as "mnenie"

Key concepts:

The verb поддерживать ("podderzhivat'") is an irregular verb. It is conjugated in the present tense as follows:

я поддерживаю - "I support"

ты поддерживаешь - "you support"

он/она/оно поддерживает - "he/she/it supports"

мы поддерживаем - "we support"

вы поддерживаете - "you (plural) support"

они поддерживают - "they support"

The noun право ("pravo") can be used in the singular or plural. When it is in the plural, it is права ("prava").

The word каждый ("kazhdый") means "every" and is used to refer to a single person or thing. When referring to more than one person or thing, the word все ("vse") is used, meaning "all."

The word свободно ("svobodno") is an adverb meaning "freely."

Translation of words:

support - поддерживать - "podderzhivat'"

right - право - "pravo"

every - каждый - "kazhdый"

individual - человек - "chelovek"

freely - свободно - "svobodno"

express - выражать - "vyrazhat'"

opinion - мнение - "mnenie"

Remember, the best way to learn a language is to practice! You can use this example sentence as a starting point and try to create other sentences using the word "support" in different contexts.

The next word is package. The English word "package" can be translated into Russian as посылка (posylka) or пакет (paket).

Let's take a look at a sentence using посылка:

Я отправил посылку своей сестре в Америку.

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case, subject of the sentence) - Pronounced "Ya"

отправил (otpravil) - sent (verb, past tense, masculine singular, agreeing with the subject "Я") - Pronounced "ot-pra-veel"

посылку (posylku) - package (noun, accusative case, direct object of the verb) - Pronounced "po-syl-ku"

своей (svoey) - my (possessive adjective, feminine singular, agreeing with the noun "сестре") - Pronounced "svo-ey"

сестре (sestre) - sister (noun, dative case, indirect object of the verb) - Pronounced "ses-tre"

в (v) - in (preposition) - Pronounced "v"

Америку (Ameriku) - America (noun, accusative case, object of the preposition "в") - Pronounced "Ah-me-ri-ku"

Translation: I sent a package to my sister in America.

Key Concepts:

The Russian language uses different cases for nouns and pronouns depending on their function in the sentence.

Prepositions take specific cases, making it important to understand which case to use with each preposition.

Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.

Variations:

пакет (paket) - This word is more commonly used for a smaller package, like a package of letters or a small parcel.

Pronunciation Tips:

The "ы" sound in Russian is similar to the "i" in "bird".

The "о" sound is similar to the "o" in "hot".

The "е" sound is similar to the "ye" in "yet".

The stress in the word посылка (posylka) is on the second syllable, "syl".

English: package

Russian: посылка (posylka), пакет (paket)

The next word is expression. ## Expression

The Russian word for "expression" is выражение (vyrazheniye). It is pronounced like "vuh-ruh-ZHEN-ee-yeh." The stress is on the second syllable, "ZHEN."

Here's a sample sentence:

Её выражение лица было полным удивления.

Её (ye-YO) - "her" (feminine singular possessive pronoun)

выражение (vuh-ruh-ZHEN-ee-yeh) - "expression"

лица (lee-TSA) - "face"

было (buh-LO) - "was" (past tense of "быть" - to be)

полным (POHL-nuhm) - "full"

удивления (oo-dee-VLEH-nee-ya) - "surprise"

Translation: Her expression was full of surprise.

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter. Выражение is neuter.

Case: Nouns in Russian change form depending on their role in a sentence. In this sentence, выражение is in the nominative case (subject) and лица is in the genitive case (possessive).

Variations of the word выражение:

Выразить (vuh-RA-zee-t') - to express

Выразительный (vuh-ruh-zee-TEE-lyuh-niy) - expressive

English: Expression - Pronunciation: ek-SPRESH-uhn

Russian: Выражение - Pronunciation: vuh-ruh-ZHEN-ee-yeh

The next word is tough. This task is трудный (trúdnyy).

Breakdown:

трудный (trúdnyy) is an adjective meaning "difficult" or "tough."

The sentence is a simple declarative sentence: "This task is difficult."

Variations:

трудный (trúdnyy) can be used to describe any task or situation that is difficult, challenging, or demanding.

It can be used with both masculine and feminine nouns.

For example:

трудный вопрос (trúdnyy vápros) - a difficult question

трудная задача (trúdnaya zadacha) - a tough task

Pronunciation:

трудный (trúdnyy) - the "y" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "y" in "yes," and the "u" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

Translation:

трудный (trúdnyy) - tough, difficult

The next word is brief. The word "brief" can be used as an adjective or a verb. In Russian, it is most commonly used as an adjective, meaning "short" or "concise."

Here's a simple example:

Краткая речь была информативной.

Kratkaya rech byla informativnoy.

Breakdown:

Краткая Kratkaya - "brief" or "short" - adjective, feminine singular form (this form is used with feminine nouns like речь - speech)

речь rech - "speech" - feminine noun

была byla - "was" - verb "to be" in the past tense, feminine singular form

информативной informativnoy - "informative" - adjective, feminine singular form

The sentence means "The brief speech was informative."

Key Concepts:

Adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

For example, the adjective краткий kratkiy ("brief") changes its form to agree with the noun речь rech ("speech").

Variations:

краткий kratkiy (masculine singular) - "brief"

краткое kratkoe (neuter singular) - "brief"

краткие kratkie (plural) - "brief"

You can use the verb кратко kratko ("briefly") to describe the duration of an action.

For example, Он кратко рассказал о своем путешествии. On kratko rasskazal o svoem puteshestvii. (He briefly talked about his trip.)

Pronunciation:

Краткая Kratkaya - "KRAHT-kya-ya" (stress on the first syllable)

речь rech - "RECH" (stress on the first syllable)

была byla - "BI-la" (stress on the first syllable)

информативной informativnoy - "in-for-ma-TI-vnoy" (stress on the fourth syllable)

English: Brief

Russian: краткий kratkiy ("KRAHT-kiy")

The next word is involve. ## Он вовлечён в этот проект.

Breakdown:

Он Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case) - pronounced like "ohn"

вовлечён вовлечён - involved (past participle, masculine, singular) - pronounced like "voh-vlyo-chyon"

в в - in (preposition) - pronounced like "v"

этот этот - this (demonstrative adjective, masculine, singular) - pronounced like "eh-tot"

проект проект - project (noun, masculine, singular) - pronounced like "pro-ekt"

Meaning: He is involved in this project.

Key Concepts:

Past Participles: In Russian, past participles are often used to form passive voice. In this sentence, "вовлечён" is a past participle and indicates that the subject (he) is being acted upon by the verb "to involve."

Prepositions: In Russian, prepositions are essential to understanding the relationships between words in a sentence. The preposition "в" в indicates that he is "in" the project.

Variations:

The verb "вовлечь" вовлечь (to involve) can be used in various tenses and forms depending on the context.

The word "проект" проект can also be used in other forms, such as plural (проекты проекты) or feminine (проектная проектная).

Translation:

involve - вовлечь вовлечь (pronounced like "voh-vlyech")

The next word is between. The word "between" in English can be translated into Russian using the preposition "между" (pronounced "mezh-doo").

Here is a simple sentence:

The book is between the two chairs.

In Russian, it would be:

Книга находится между двумя стульями.

Here is a breakdown:

Книга (pronounced "knee-gah") - This is the word for "book."

находится (pronounced "nah-kho-dee-tsa") - This is the verb "to be located" or "to be found." It is in the present tense, singular form.

между (pronounced "mezh-doo") - This is the preposition "between."

двумя (pronounced "dvoo-mya") - This is the instrumental case of the word "two," which is used to denote the location "between."

стульями (pronounced "stool-ya-mee") - This is the plural form of the word "chair" in the instrumental case.

Key concept: Russian uses different cases for nouns and adjectives depending on their function within the sentence, a concept called declension. For example, the word for "two" changes to "двумя" in the instrumental case because it is describing the location where the book is found.

Variations of "между":

среди (pronounced "sree-dee") - This means "among."

посреди (pronounced "pah-sree-dee") - This means "in the middle of."

English Translation:

между - between

Книга - book
находится - is located
двумя - by two
стульями - chairs

The next word is blow. The wind ветер [ve-tyer] (pronounced "vey-ter") is blowing дует [doo-yet] (pronounced "doo-yet") strongly сильно [seel-no] (pronounced "seel-no").

Breakdown:

ветер [ve-tyer] - wind. This is the noun in the sentence, in the nominative case. Note that the "е" in the word ветер is pronounced like the "e" in "bet"

дует [doo-yet] - This is the present tense of the verb "to blow," which is дуть [doot'] (pronounced "doot"). You can change this verb to different tenses like "blowing" дующий [doo-yu-shchiy] (pronounced "doo-yoo-shchiy") or "blew" дул [dool] (pronounced "dool").

сильно [seel-no] - This is the adverb meaning "strongly," which is an adjective in Russian. It modifies the verb дует . This word can also be used as a noun meaning "strength."

Translation:

The wind ветер is blowing дует strongly сильно.

English: blow / дуть [doot'] (pronounced "doot")

Russian: дуть [doot'] (pronounced "doot")

The next word is small. The word "small" in Russian is маленький (malen'kiy), which is an adjective meaning "small" or "little". It's used to describe something that is of a small size or quantity.

Let's see it in a sentence:

У меня есть маленькая собачка. (U menya est' malen'kaya sobachka.) - "I have a small dog."

Here's a breakdown:

У (u) - preposition "at" or "with", here indicating possession - pronounced like "oo"

меня (menya) - pronoun "me" - pronounced like "menya"

есть (est') - verb "to be" or "to have" - pronounced like "yest"

маленькая (malen'kaya) - adjective "small" - pronounced like "malen'kaya"

собачка (sobachka) - noun "dog" - pronounced like "sobachka"

Key concept: The adjective маленький (malen'kiy) agrees in gender with the noun it modifies. Here, the noun собачка (sobachka) is feminine, so we use the feminine form of the adjective маленькая (malen'kaya).

Other forms of the adjective:

маленький (malen'kiy) - masculine
маленькая (malen'kaya) - feminine
маленькое (malen'koye) - neuter

Pronunciation guide:

маленький - malen'kiy
собачка - sobachka

У - u
меня - menya
есть - est'

The next word is principle. This principle is based on the laws of physics.

Этот принцип основан на законах физики.

Breakdown:

Этот - This (masculine singular, nominative case) - pronounced like "eh-toht"

принцип - principle - pronounced like "prin-tsip"

основан - is based (masculine singular, past tense, passive voice of the verb основывать - to base) - pronounced like "ah-sno-van"

на - on - pronounced like "nah"

законах - laws (plural, prepositional case of the noun закон - law) - pronounced like "za-ko-nahkh"

физики - physics - pronounced like "fi-zi-ki"

Key concepts:

основан is a common passive verb ending and can be easily identified by the -н at the end.

законах shows the prepositional case of nouns.

на is a common preposition that can be used with different cases depending on the context.

Translation:

Этот - This
принцип - principle
основан - is based
на - on
законах - laws
физики - physics

Pronunciation:

принцип - "prin-tsip"

основан - "ah-sno-van"

законах - "za-ko-nahkh"

физики - "fi-zi-ki"

The next word is share. The word "share" can be used in Russian in many ways. One example is:

Поделитесь с нами вашими мыслями.

Padelities' s nami vashimi myslyami.

English Translation: Share your thoughts with us.

Breakdown:

Поделитесь Padelities' is the imperative verb form of "to share". This is the verb conjugated in the imperative mood, which is used to give commands or make requests. This word is pronounced like "pah-dye-lee-tee-s"

с s is a preposition that means "with" and is pronounced like "s".

нами nami is the pronoun "us" in the instrumental case and is pronounced like "na-mee".

вашими vashimi is the possessive adjective "your" and is pronounced "vah-shee-mee".

мыслями myslyami is the noun "thoughts" and is pronounced like "miss-lya-mee".

Key Concept: The instrumental case is used to show how something is done or with what instrument it is done. Here the instrumental case shows how the sharing is done, with your thoughts.

Other ways to say "share":

разделить razdelyit'/hi] (to divide, to split)

поделиться padelit'sya (to share something with someone)

общий obshchiy (common, shared)

English | Russian | Pronunciation

------- | -------- | --------
share | делиться | delit'sya
share | поделиться | padelit'sya
share | разделить | razdelyit'/hi]

The next word is name. Как тебя зовут? Как means "how" and тебя is the accusative form of the pronoun "you". The question "Как тебя зовут?" asks "How are you called?" or "What is your name?" The word зовут is the third person plural present tense of the verb "to call". It is similar to the English "they call you" but in this sentence it asks a question. зовут is pronounced roughly like "zah-voot". The whole sentence would be pronounced "kack tih-byah zah-voot?".

English: What is your name?

Russian: Как тебя зовут?

The word имя is also used for "name". It can be used in this sentence, but is not as common as зовут. имя is pronounced "ee-mya".

English: name

Russian: имя

The next word is field. The word "field" in English has many meanings. It can refer to a grassy area, a space for a sport, a field of study, or even a field of work. Let's look at a Russian sentence using the word поле (pronounced "po-le") which means "field" in the sense of a grassy area.

Russian: На поле росла трава. (Pronounced: "Na po-le ras-la tra-va")

Breakdown:

На (pronounced "na") - This is a preposition meaning "on" or "in". It's used to indicate a location.

поле (pronounced "po-le") - This means "field".

росла (pronounced "ras-la") - This is the past tense of the verb "to grow" and is in the feminine singular form.

трава (pronounced "tra-va") - This means "grass".

Translation: Grass was growing in the field.

Key Concept: The Russian word поле is a noun, and it is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Variations:

The word поле can be used in other contexts, for example:

Футбольное поле (pronounced "Fut-bol-noe po-le") - "Football field"

Поле битвы (pronounced "Po-le bit-vy") - "Battlefield"

Pronunciation:

поле (pronounced "po-le")

трава (pronounced "tra-va")

The next word is example. Please provide an English word for me to use in a Russian sentence. I will then provide you with the sentence, a breakdown of the grammar, the meaning, variations of the word in question, and a translation of the words. I will also highlight key concepts and provide helpful hints on how to pronounce each word in English. Finally, I will enclose any Russian words with the markers and , so you can translate the sentence using eSpeak later.

The next word is experiment. ## Эксперимент проводился в лаборатории.

Breakdown:

Эксперимент (ek-s-peh-ri-ment) - experiment - This is the noun form of the word experiment, and it is the subject of the sentence.

проводился (pra-va-dee-lsya) - was conducted - This is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "проводить" (to conduct), which is conjugated to agree with the masculine noun subject.

в (v) - in - This is a preposition indicating location.

лаборатории (la-ba-ra-to-rii) - laboratory - This is the feminine singular noun form of the word "лаборатория".

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives and verbs must agree with the gender of the noun they modify. In this sentence, the verb "проводился" is masculine singular to agree with the masculine singular noun "эксперимент".

Prepositions: Prepositions like "в" (in) are crucial for understanding the relationship between words in a sentence.

Noun Cases: The noun "лаборатория" appears in the prepositional case, which is used after prepositions like "в".

Translation:

The experiment was conducted in the laboratory.

Pronunciation:

Эксперимент (ek-s-peh-ri-ment)

проводился (pra-va-dee-lsya)

в (v)

лаборатории (la-ba-ra-to-rii)

Variations:

Эксперименты (ek-s-peh-ri-men-ty) - experiments (plural)

Экспериментальный (ek-s-peh-ri-men-tal-ny) - experimental (adjective)

Экспериментировать (ek-s-peh-ri-men-ti-ra-vat) - to experiment (verb)

The next word is weather. Погода сегодня прекрасная.

Breakdown:

Погода (pa-GO-da) means "weather".

сегодня (si-GO-dnya) means "today" - note the stress in the word.

прекрасная (pre-KRA-sna-ya) means "beautiful" or "wonderful" - it is the feminine form of the adjective. It is used here because Погода is a feminine noun.

Translation:

The weather today is wonderful.

Key concept: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Variations of the word "weather":

погода (pa-GO-da) is the singular form of the noun.

погоды (pa-GO-dy) is the genitive singular form.

погоды (pa-GO-dy) is also the nominative plural form.

погодам (pa-GO-dam) is the dative plural form.

погоду (pa-GO-du) is the accusative singular form.

погодой (pa-GO-doi) is the instrumental singular form.

погоде (pa-GO-de) is the prepositional singular form.

English: weather [we-ther]

Russian: погода pa-GO-da

The next word is game. The Russian word for game is игра (pronounced ee-gra).

Here's a sentence using the word:

Дети играют в футбол на улице.

This translates to "The children are playing football in the street."

Breakdown:

Дети (pronounced dye-tee) - This is the plural form of the word ребенок (ree-byo-nok), which means "child".

играют (pronounced ee-gra-yut) - This is the 3rd person plural present tense of the verb играть (ee-grat'), meaning "to play".

в (pronounced v) - This is a preposition meaning "in" or "at", in this case, it indicates the activity they're playing.

футбол (pronounced foot-bol) - This is the word for "football".

на (pronounced na) - This is a preposition meaning "on".

улице (pronounced oo-lee-tse) - This is the singular form of the noun улица (oo-lee-tsa), meaning "street".

Key concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Игра is a feminine noun, so the adjective детская (dye-tskaya) meaning "children's" would be used to describe it.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. In this example, игра is in the nominative case because it's the subject of the sentence.

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs have different forms depending on the person, number, and tense. In this example, играют is the 3rd person plural present tense form of играть.

Variations:

The word игра can also be used to refer to a game in the sense of a play, a theatrical performance, or a competition.

English to Russian Translation:

Game - игра (ee-gra)

Children - дети (dye-tee)

Play - играть (ee-grat')

Football - футбол (foot-bol)

Street - улица (oo-lee-tsa)

The next word is test. Let's start with a simple sentence using the word "test" in Russian:

Студент сдал тест.

Breakdown:

Студент - student (pronounced: stu-DYENT) - This is the subject of the sentence. It is in the nominative case, which is the basic form of a noun.

сдал - passed (pronounced: s-DAHL) - This is the past tense verb, conjugating to the masculine singular to agree with the subject. It indicates an action that has been completed.

тест - test (pronounced: TEST) - This is the direct object of the verb. It is in the accusative case, showing that the student did something to the test.

The sentence translates to: "The student passed the test."

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. This is called "case". We saw the nominative (subject) and accusative (object) case.

Gender: Russian nouns have grammatical gender, either masculine, feminine, or neuter. Here, студент is masculine.

Verb Conjugation: Verbs change form based on the subject of the sentence. Here, the verb сдал is conjugated for the masculine singular subject.

Variations:

If the student were female, we would change the noun to студентка (pronounced: stu-DYEN-tkah) and the verb to сдала (pronounced: s-DAH-lah).

If we were talking about multiple students, we would change the noun to студенты (pronounced: stu-DYEN-ty) and the verb to сдали (pronounced: s-DAH-lee).

Pronunciation Hints:

The stress (accent) in Russian is always on a particular syllable, and it can change the meaning of a word. Pay attention to the pronunciation notes I provide.

The letter "е" is pronounced like the "e" in "bet" if it is stressed. If it is unstressed, it is a soft "e" sound similar to the "i" in "bit".

The letter "ы" is a short "i" sound.

"д" at the end of a word is usually pronounced like a "t" sound in English.

Word Translation & Pronunciation:

test - тест (pronounced: TEST)

The next word is favorite. My favorite book is "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy.

Моя любимая книга - "Война и мир" Льва Толстого.

Breakdown:

Моя (pronounced: moh-YA) - my (feminine, singular, nominative case)

любимая (pronounced: lyoo-BEE-ma-ya) - favorite (feminine, singular, nominative case)

книга (pronounced: KNEE-ga) - book (feminine, singular, nominative case)

- - dash, connecting the subject and the predicate

"Война и мир" (pronounced: voy-NA ee MEER) - "War and Peace" (title of a book)

Льва (pronounced: LYva) - Leo (genitive case, referring to Tolstoy)

Толстого (pronounced: TOL-stuh-vuh) - Tolstoy (genitive case)

Key Concepts:

Gender - In Russian, nouns have gender. In this sentence, the nouns книга (book) and любимая (favorite) are both feminine. This means that adjectives and pronouns that modify them must agree in gender.

Case - Russian nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence. Here, the word книга (book) is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence. The word любимая (favorite) is also in the nominative case because it functions as an adjective modifying the noun. The words Льва (Leo) and Толстого (Tolstoy) are in the genitive case because they are used to show possession of the book.

Word Order - While Russian word order is generally less flexible than English, it can be manipulated for stylistic effect. In this sentence, the order is Subject-Predicate-Object for clarity.

Variations:

The adjective любимый (pronounced: lyoo-BEE-my) is the masculine form of любимая and would be used if you were talking about a favorite book written by a male author. For example: Мой любимый автор - Александр Пушкин. (My favorite author is Alexander Pushkin).

The neutral form of this adjective is любимое (pronounced: lyoo-BEE-muh-yeh) and would be used to describe an inanimate object. For example: Мое любимое блюдо - борщ. (My favorite dish is borscht).

English-Russian Translation:

favorite: любимый (masculine) / любимая (feminine) / любимое (neutral) - pronounced: lyoo-BEE-my / lyoo-BEE-ma-ya / lyoo-BEE-muh-yeh

The next word is egg. ## Я люблю есть яйца на завтрак. Я люблю есть яйца на завтрак.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronounced ya)

люблю люблю - love (pronounced lyublyu)

есть есть - to eat (pronounced yest')

яйца яйца - eggs (pronounced yaytsa)

на на - on (pronounced na)

завтрак завтрак - breakfast (pronounced zavtrak)

This sentence is in the present tense. It is a simple sentence with a subject (я Я), verb (люблю люблю), and object (яйца яйца). The phrase "на завтрак" на завтрак indicates the time of day when the action takes place.

Key Concepts:

Gender: "Яйца" яйца is a plural noun, and in Russian, nouns have gender. In this case, "яйца" яйца is neuter. The gender of the noun affects the form of adjectives and verbs that modify it.

Cases: "Яйца" яйца is in the accusative case, which is used for direct objects.

Variations:

The verb "люблю" люблю can be conjugated to other forms depending on the subject and tense. For example, "он любит" он любит (he loves), "мы любим" мы любим (we love).

You can replace "яйца" яйца with other foods, like "овощи" овощи (vegetables), "фрукты" фрукты (fruits), or "мясо" мясо (meat).

Pronunciation:

Я: Я - Ya
люблю: люблю - Lyublyu
есть: есть - Yest'

яйца: яйца - Yaytsa
на: на - Na
завтрак: завтрак - Zavtrak

English Translation: I like to eat eggs for breakfast.

Russian Translation: Я люблю есть яйца на завтрак. Я люблю есть яйца на завтрак.

The next word is push. The word "push" can be translated into Russian as толкнуть (tolknut').

Here's a sentence:

Он толкал дверь, но она не открылась. Он толкал дверь, но она не открылась.

This translates to: He pushed the door, but it didn't open.

Breakdown:

Он Он (on) - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case)

толкал толкал (tolkal) - pushed (verb, past tense, masculine, singular)

дверь дверь (dver') - door (noun, feminine, accusative case)

но но (no) - but (conjunction)

она она (ona) - it (pronoun, feminine, nominative case)

не не (ne) - not (negation)

открылась открылась (otkrylas') - opened (verb, past tense, feminine, singular)

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). This influences the form of adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that agree with them.

Cases: Russian has six grammatical cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, and prepositional). These indicate the role of a noun in a sentence.

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs conjugate according to person, number, tense, and gender.

Pronunciation:

Толкнуть толкнуть (tolk-nút') - stress on the second syllable

Дверь дверь (dver') - stress on the first syllable

Открылась открылась (at-krí-las') - stress on the third syllable

Variations:

The verb "толкнуть" толкнуть (tolknut') can also be used in the present tense, such as "он толкает" он толкает (on tolkaet) - he pushes. You can also use the infinitive form "толкнуть" толкнуть (tolknut') - to push.

Translation:

Push - толкнуть (tolknut')

The next word is produce. ## Производить ( proizvodit')

Sentence:

Эта фабрика производит автомобили. (Eta fabrika proizvodit avtomobili.)

Breakdown:

Эта (Eta) - This (feminine singular) [ee-ta]

фабрика (fabrika) - factory [fa-bree-ka]

производит (proizvodit) - produces (3rd person singular present tense of производить - proizvodit') [pro-ee-z-vo-deet]

автомобили (avtomobili) - cars [av-ta-ma-bee-lee]

Meaning: This factory produces cars.

Key Concepts:

Производить (proizvodit') is a verb meaning "to produce" or "to manufacture".

It is a perfective verb indicating a completed action.

The third-person singular present tense of производить (proizvodit') is производит (proizvodit).

Variations:

Произвести (proizvesti) is the perfective aspect of the verb, meaning "to produce" or "to manufacture" in a completed sense.

Производство (proizvodstvo) is the noun form of the verb, meaning "production" or "manufacture".

Pronunciation:

Производить (proizvodit') - [pro-ee-z-vo-deet']

Произвести (proizvesti) - [pro-ee-z-vees-tee]

Производство (proizvodstvo) - [pro-ee-z-vod-stvuh]

English: Produce, Production

Russian: Производить (proizvodit'), Произвести (proizvesti), Производство (proizvodstvo)

The next word is mistake. ## Ошибка ошибки ошибок

Ошибка (osh-ee-b-ka) mistake (noun, feminine, singular)

ошибки (osh-ee-b-ki) mistakes (noun, feminine, plural)

ошибок (osh-ee-bok) mistakes (noun, masculine, plural)

Sentence:

Я сделал ошибку. (Ya sdelal osh-ee-b-ku) I made a mistake.

Breakdown:

Я (ya) - I (pronoun, nominative case, singular)

сделал (sdelal) - made (past tense, masculine singular, verb "делать" (to do, to make))

ошибку (osh-ee-b-ku) - mistake (noun, accusative case, singular)

Key Concepts:

Noun Cases: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. In this example, ошибку is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "делать" (to make).

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings based on the subject and tense. In this example, сделал is conjugated in the past tense, masculine singular form, to match the subject Я.

Variations:

Я совершил ошибку (Ya sovershil osh-ee-b-ku) - I committed a mistake (formal)

Я допустил ошибку (Ya dopustil osh-ee-b-ku) - I made a mistake (formal)

Note: The verb делать (to make, to do) is a very common and versatile verb in Russian. It can be used in many different contexts and has a lot of variations, depending on the tense, mood, and subject.

The next word is second. The word "second" in English can mean a few things in Russian. We can use it to describe the order of something, like "the second day" or "the second car". We can also use it to describe a unit of time, like "one second". Let's see a few examples:

1. Describing order:

Вторая машина была красная. (Vtoraya mashina byla krasnaya.)

Translation: The second car was red.

Breakdown:

Вторая (Vtoraya) - This is the feminine form of the word "second" and is used because the word "машина" (mashina) is feminine. You will learn more about genders later on! The "а" at the end is pronounced like the "a" in "father".

машина (mashina) - This word means "car" and is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable: ma-SHY-na.

была (byla) - This word means "was" and is pronounced like "bi-la". It is the past tense of the verb "to be".

красная (krasnaya) - This word means "red" and is pronounced like "kras-na-ya". It is the feminine form of the word "red".

Второй день был холодный. (Vtoroy den byl kholodnyy.)

Translation: The second day was cold.

Breakdown:

Второй (Vtoroy) - This is the masculine form of the word "second" and is used because the word "день" (den) is masculine. The "о" at the end is pronounced like the "o" in "go".

день (den) - This word means "day" and is pronounced like "den".

был (byl) - This word means "was" and is pronounced like "bil". It is the masculine past tense of the verb "to be".

холодный (kholodnyy) - This word means "cold" and is pronounced like "ho-lod-nyy". It is the masculine form of the word "cold".

1. Describing time:

Он ожидал её две секунды. (On ozhidal ee dve sekundy.)

Translation: He waited for her for two seconds.

Breakdown:

две (dve) - This word means "two" and is pronounced like "dve". It is the feminine form of the number "two".

секунды (sekundy) - This word means "seconds" and is pronounced like "se-kun-dy".

Learning Tip: Remember that in Russian, many words have different forms depending on the gender of the noun they modify. You will learn more about this as you progress in your studies.

Pronunciation:

второй (Vtoroy) - v-to-ROY
вторая (Vtoraya) - v-to-RA-ya
секунда (sekunda) - se-KUN-da

English: second

Russian: второй (Vtoroy) (masculine), вторая (Vtoraya) (feminine), секунда (sekunda) (feminine)

The next word is again. ## Опять я потерял ключ.

Breakdown:

Опять (Again) This is a common adverb in Russian, meaning "again" or "once more". It is pronounced as "ah-pyat'" with the stress on the first syllable. You might also see снова (snova), which is another way to say "again".

я (I) is the nominative form of the personal pronoun "I", pronounced "ya".

потерял (lost) is the past tense, masculine singular form of the verb терять (to lose). The ending -л indicates the past tense, masculine singular. It's pronounced "pa-tye-ral".

ключ (key) is a masculine noun and pronounced "klyuch" (the 'ch' is like the "ch" in "church").

Translation: Again I lost my key.

Key Concepts:

Word Order: In Russian, the word order is more flexible than in English. Here the subject (я) precedes the verb (потерял).

Gender Agreement: In Russian, nouns and adjectives must agree in gender. The masculine gender of the noun ключ (key) determines the masculine form of the verb потерял (lost).

Tense: Russian verbs have multiple forms to indicate tense. Here, the past tense (-л ending) is used to show that the action already occurred.

Variations:

Ещё раз (ye-shcho raz) - "Once more"

Заново (za-nova) - "Again" (with the implication of starting over)

Pronunciation Guide:

Опять (ah-pyat')

я (ya)

потерял (pa-tye-ral)

ключ (klyuch)

The next word is writer. The Russian word for "writer" is писатель (pronounced [pee-sah-tel]). Here is a sentence using the word:

Он известный писатель.

This translates to: He is a famous writer.

Breakdown:

Он [ohn] - He
известный [ee-z-veh-st-nuh-y] - famous
писатель [pee-sah-tel] - writer

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify. In this case, the adjective известный is masculine singular because it is modifying the masculine noun писатель.

Word Order: In Russian, the word order is more flexible than in English, allowing for different emphasis depending on where you place the words. Here, the emphasis is on the writer being famous.

Variations: The word писатель is a masculine noun. The feminine form is писательница (pronounced [pee-sah-tel-ni-tsa]).

This example sentence uses the word писатель in its basic form, but there are other ways you can use the word:

Писательница - Writer (feminine)

Писательство - Writing (as a profession)

Писать - To write

The next word is forward. The word "forward" in English can be used as an adjective, verb or adverb. The Russian word вперёд (vperёд) can also be used as an adjective, verb, and adverb. It is pronounced vpyer-yod. Let's start with the example using the adverb "forward" in English.

English: The cat walked forward.

Russian: Кот пошёл вперёд (Kot poshёl vperёд).

Breakdown:

Кот (Kot) means "cat" and is pronounced kot.

пошёл (poshёl) is the masculine past tense of the verb идти (idti) which means "to go". The pronunciation is pa-shol.

вперёд (vperёд) means "forward" and is pronounced vpyer-yod.

Important: When talking about movement, the Russian language often uses the preposition в (v) which means "into" or "in" . вперёд (vperёд) is a combination of в (v) and перёд (perёд) which means "front."

Variations:

There are many ways to express the concept of "forward" in Russian. вперёд (vperёд) is a very common one. Other options include:

впереди (vperedí) is pronounced vpyer-ye-dee.

вперед (vpered) is pronounced vpyer-yed.

Translation: "forward" - вперёд (vperёд), "cat" - кот (kot) , "went" - пошёл (poshёl)

The next word is despite. The word "despite" in Russian is несмотря на (pronounced nye-smat-rya na) and is used to express that something happens regardless of something else. It's a preposition followed by the accusative case.

Let's look at an example:

Несмотря на дождь, мы пошли гулять. (pronounced nye-smat-rya na dosht, my pashli gulyat)

Breakdown:

Несмотря (nye-smat-rya) is the preposition, meaning "despite"

на (na) is a preposition meaning "on" but in this case it acts as a connector between the preposition "despite" and the noun that follows
дождь (dosht) is the noun "rain" and is in the accusative case because of the preposition "despite"

мы (my) is the pronoun "we"

пошли (pashli) is the verb "to go" in the past tense
гулять (gulyat) is the infinitive verb "to walk"

Translation: Despite the rain, we went for a walk.

Key Concepts:

The accusative case is used after prepositions like несмотря на (nye-smat-rya na). This means you need to change the ending of the noun. For example, дождь (dosht) becomes дождь (dosht)

Несмотря на (nye-smat-rya na) can be used with a variety of nouns and verbs to create different sentences.

Pronunciation:

несмотря на (nye-smat-rya na) is pronounced "nye-smat-rya na"

дождь (dosht) is pronounced "dosht"

мы (my) is pronounced "my"

пошли (pashli) is pronounced "pashli"

гулять (gulyat) is pronounced "gulyat"

Word translations:

despite: несмотря на (nye-smat-rya na)

rain: дождь (dosht)

we: мы (my)

went: пошли (pashli)

walk: гулять (gulyat)

The next word is word. The word you provided is "word". Let's explore how to use this in a Russian sentence.

Sentence:

Он сказал только одно слово: "спасибо".

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, nominative case, masculine)

сказал - said (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

только - only (adverb)

одно - one (pronoun, nominative case, neuter)

слово - word (noun, nominative case, neuter)

спасибо - thank you (interjection)

Meaning: He said only one word: "thank you".

Key Concepts:

Case: In Russian, nouns and pronouns change form depending on their function in the sentence. Here, слово is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), and this affects the form of adjectives and pronouns that agree with them. слово is neuter, so the adjective одно (one) agrees with it in form.

Word Order: Russian is a more flexible language than English, allowing for different word orders. The verb in this sentence, сказал, is at the beginning of the sentence, which is common in Russian.

Pronunciation:

Он - Pronounced like "ohn"

сказал - Pronounced like "ska-zal"

только - Pronounced like "tol-ko"

одно - Pronounced like "ad-no"

слово - Pronounced like "slo-vo"

спасибо - Pronounced like "spa-si-ba"

Variations of Word:

Plural: слова - words (pronounced "slo-va")

Genitive Case: слова - of the word (pronounced "slo-va")

English Translation: word - слово (pronounced "slo-vo")

The next word is animal. The word животное (pronounced [zhi-VOT-nuh]) is a common noun meaning "animal" in Russian. It is a masculine noun.

Here is a sentence using животное in its singular form:

Это интересное животное.

Это (pronounced [EH-tuh]) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this".

интересное (pronounced [in-teh-REHS-nuh-yeh]) is an adjective meaning "interesting".

животное (pronounced [zhi-VOT-nuh]) is the noun meaning "animal".

The sentence translates to: This is an interesting animal.

The plural form of животное is животные (pronounced [zhi-VOT-nuh-yeh]).

English: animal, животное (pronounced [zhi-VOT-nuh])

The next word is host. The word "host" in English can be translated into Russian using the word хозяин (pronounced [ho-zya-in]) meaning "male host" or хозяйка (pronounced [ho-zyay-ka]) meaning "female host".

Here is an example sentence using the word хозяйка:

Хозяйка приготовила (pronounced [pri-go-to-vi-la]) вкусный (pronounced [vkus-nyy]) ужин (pronounced [oo-zhin]).

Breakdown:

Хозяйка (hostess, female host)

приготовила (prepared, past tense, feminine singular)

вкусный (delicious)

ужин (dinner)

Meaning: The hostess prepared a delicious dinner.

Key Concepts:

In Russian, nouns have gender.

The word хозяин is masculine, and the word хозяйка is feminine.

The ending of the verb приготовила changes to reflect the gender of the noun (hostess) in the sentence.

Translation:

Хозяйка - Hostess (pronounced [ho-zyay-ka])

приготовила - prepared (pronounced [pri-go-to-vi-la])

вкусный - delicious (pronounced [vkus-nyy])

ужин - dinner (pronounced [oo-zhin])

The next word is opportunity. У него есть прекрасная возможность поехать в Америку.

U nego est prekrasnaya vozmozhnost poekhat' v Ameriku.

Breakdown:

У него U nego - He has, literally "at him"

есть est' - is, exists.

прекрасная prekrasnaya - wonderful, beautiful, excellent (feminine form)

возможность vozmozhnost' - opportunity, possibility, chance
поехать poekhat' - to go (infinitive), "to travel by vehicle"

в v - to, in, into, at (preposition)

Америку Ameriku - America

Key Concept: The word "opportunity" is translated as возможность vozmozhnost' in this sentence. Note that возможность vozmozhnost' is a feminine noun, so the adjective прекрасная prekrasnaya agrees in gender. You may hear возможность vozmozhnost' pronounced вазможнасть vazmozhnast' in Russian.

Pronunciation:

возможность vozmozhnost' - (voh-mohj-nost')

прекрасная prekrasnaya - (pre-krahs-nuh-yah)

поехать poekhat' - (po-ye-hat')

English Translation: He has a wonderful opportunity to go to America.

Variations:

You can also use this phrase for other opportunities by substituting the place or activity. For example:

"He has a wonderful opportunity to learn Russian." У него есть прекрасная возможность учить русский язык. U nego est' prekrasnaya vozmozhnost' uchit' russkiy yazyk.

"She has a wonderful opportunity to work in a new company." У нее есть прекрасная возможность работать в новой компании. U nee est' prekrasnaya vozmozhnost' rabotat' v novoy kompanii.

You can use возможность vozmozhnost' as a singular or plural noun. The singular form is used when it means "possibility" or "chance" such as "There is a possibility that the train will be delayed." Есть возможность, что поезд опоздает. Est' vozmozhnost', chto poezd opozdayet. The plural form can be used to refer to different opportunities, such as "There are many opportunities for students to study abroad." Есть много возможностей для студентов учиться за границей. Est' mnogo vozmozhnostey dlya studentov uchit'sya za granitsey.

The next word is music. ## Музыка очень важна для меня.

Breakdown:

Музыка (muzy-ka) - music. The word ends in a soft sign, ь, which is silent but impacts the pronunciation of the preceding consonant. This я is pronounced like the English "ya" in "yard."

очень (o-chen') - very
важна (vazh-na) - important. This word is in the feminine form, which is used to describe feminine nouns.

для (dlya) - for. This word is a preposition and requires the genitive case.

меня (me-nya) - me. This is the genitive form of the personal pronoun "I," which is used after prepositions.

Meaning: Music is very important to me.

Variations:

The word for "music" is the same in singular and plural, unlike English. You can say я люблю музыку (ya lyublyu muzyku) - I love music, or я люблю музыку России (ya lyublyu muzyku Rossii) - I love Russian music.

You can also use the masculine form важен (vazh-en) if you are talking about something that is important, but masculine. For example, Спорт важен для здоровья. (Sport vazhen dlya zdorovya) - Sport is important for health.

Key Concept: Like in English, Russian nouns have genders. It is important to learn the gender of a noun so you can choose the correct form of adjectives and other words that agree with it in gender.

Pronunciation:

Музыка (muzy-ka)

очень (o-chen')

важна (vazh-na)

для (dlya)

меня (me-nya)

The next word is revenue. ## Доход компании за этот год составил миллион рублей.

Breakdown:

Доход (pronounced: [duh-KHOD] ) means "revenue" or "income". It is a masculine noun.

компании (pronounced: [kum-PA-nee-yi] ) means "company" - it is a feminine noun.

за (pronounced: [za] ) means "for" - it is a preposition.

этот (pronounced: [EH-tut] ) means "this" - it is an adjective.

год (pronounced: [got] ) means "year" - it is a masculine noun.

составил (pronounced: [suh-STAH-veel] ) means "made up" or "amounted to" - it is the past tense of the verb составлять (to make up or to amount to).

миллион (pronounced: [mi-lee-OHN] ) means "million".

рублей (pronounced: [roo-BLAY] ) means "rubles".

Meaning: The company's revenue for this year amounted to one million rubles.

Key Concepts:

Case agreement: Notice how the noun доход (revenue) agrees in case with the preposition за (for).

Gender agreement: Notice how the adjective этот (this) agrees in gender with the noun год (year).

Variations:

Доходы (pronounced: [duh-KHOD-ee] ) means "revenues" or "incomes" - it is the plural form of the noun доход (revenue).

доходный (pronounced: [duh-KHOD-nuy] ) means "profitable" - it is an adjective.

Translation:

Revenue - доход (pronounced: [duh-KHOD] )

Company - компания (pronounced: [kum-PA-nee-yi] )

This - этот (pronounced: [EH-tut] )

Year - год (pronounced: [got] )

Made up - составил (pronounced: [suh-STAH-veel] )

Million - миллион (pronounced: [mi-lee-OHN] )

Rubles - рублей (pronounced: [roo-BLAY] )

The next word is treatment. The patient received a лечение лечения for their illness.

Breakdown:

лечение лечения is the word for treatment. It is a noun that can take different forms based on gender and the case.

In this sentence, the word is in the nominative case and is singular. The nominative case is the subject of the sentence, like "The patient."

In the genitive case, the ending is лечения. This is the object of the preposition "for", like "for their illness".

пациент пациента means patient, it is a noun that has a masculine ending.

получил means received and is in the masculine past tense
болезнь болезни means illness, it is a noun that has a feminine ending.

Variations:

The word лечение can also be used as a verb, meaning "to treat."

Врач лечит пациента. (The doctor treats the patient.)

Pronunciation:

лечение le-che-ni-ye
пациент pa-tsi-ent
получил pa-loo-chil
болезнь ba-lez-n

Translation:

Treatment: лечение le-che-ni-ye

Patient: пациент pa-tsi-ent

Received: получил pa-loo-chil

Illness: болезнь ba-lez-n

The next word is shift. The word "shift" has many meanings in English. Here are a few examples of how it can be used in Russian.

Sentence: Рабочий сменил смену (rabochiy smenil smenu)

Breakdown:

Рабочий (rabochiy) - worker, the subject of the sentence, masculine, singular, nominative case (pronunciation: ra-bo-chiy, stress on the second syllable)

сменил (smenil) - changed, past tense, masculine, singular, verb conjugated to match the subject, (pronunciation: s-me-nil, stress on the second syllable)

смену (smenu) - shift, accusative case of feminine noun смена (smena), direct object of the verb, (pronunciation: s-me-nu, stress on the first syllable)

Translation: The worker changed shifts.

Key Concepts:

The Russian verb сменить (smenit) (pronunciation: s-me-nit, stress on the second syllable) means "to change" and can be used in many contexts. It is often used to talk about shifts in work, but also to indicate a change of clothing, a change in plans, or a change in opinion.

The noun смена (smena) (pronunciation: s-me-na, stress on the first syllable) is used to describe a shift in work, as well as a change in something like a guard shift or a team shift.

Variations:

смена (smena) is a feminine noun, so its accusative case form is смену (smenu) when it is the direct object of the verb.

The verb сменить (smenit) is conjugated according to the subject. For example, if the subject was a female worker, the verb would be сменила (smenila) (pronunciation: s-me-ni-la, stress on the second syllable).

English/Russian Word/Pronunciation:

Shift: смена (smena) (pronunciation: s-me-na, stress on the first syllable)

Change: сменить (smenit) (pronunciation: s-me-nit, stress on the second syllable)

The next word is conference. The word конференция (konferentsiya) means "conference" in Russian. It is a feminine noun, so it takes feminine endings in the grammatical cases. Here's an example sentence using конференция:

На конференции обсуждались актуальные проблемы экономики.

Breakdown:

На (na) - on, at, in (preposition, indicates location)

конференции (konferentsii) - conference (feminine noun, in the prepositional case)

обсуждались (obsuzhdalisi) - were discussed (verb, past tense, plural, passive voice)

актуальные (aktual'nye) - current, topical (adjective, plural, nominative case)

проблемы (problemy) - problems (noun, plural, nominative case)

экономики (ekonomiki) - economics (feminine noun, genitive case)

Translation:

"At the conference, current problems of the economy were discussed."

Pronunciation:

конференция (konferentsiya) - "kon-fer-EN-tsiya"

обсуждались (obsuzhdalisi) - "ob-soo-zhDA-li-s"

актуальные (aktual'nye) - "ak-too-AL'n-ye"

проблемы (problemy) - "pra-BLE-my"

экономики (ekonomiki) - "e-ka-NO-mi-ki"

Key Concept: The sentence demonstrates the use of the prepositional case in Russian, which is used to indicate location or association. Remember, the prepositional case is typically used with prepositions like на (na) "on, at, in".

Variations:

The word конференция can also be used in the plural form, конференции (konferentsii).

The verb обсуждать (obsuzhdat') "to discuss" can be used in different tenses and forms to indicate different time frames and actions.

The next word is see. I see a beautiful bird in the sky.

Я вижу красивую птицу в небе.

Breakdown:

Я Я - I (pronounced "ya")

вижу вижу - see (pronounced "vee-zhoo") This is the present tense of the verb "видеть" видеть (to see).

красивую красивую - beautiful (pronounced "kra-see-voo-yoo") - This is the feminine accusative form of the adjective "красивый" красивый (beautiful).

птицу птицу - bird (pronounced "ptee-tsoo") This is the feminine accusative form of the noun "птица" птица (bird).

в в - in (pronounced "v")

небе небе - sky (pronounced "nye-bye")

Key Concepts

Accusative Case - In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their form depending on their function in a sentence. The accusative case is used for direct objects. In this sentence, we are seeing the bird, so "птицу" птицу (bird) is in the accusative case.

Gender Agreement - Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Since "птица" птица (bird) is feminine, the adjective "красивый" красивый (beautiful) must also be feminine. The feminine accusative form of "красивый" красивый is "красивую" красивую.

Variations of the word "see":

видеть видеть (to see) - This is the infinitive form of the verb.

вижу вижу (I see) - This is the present tense, first person singular form of the verb.

видели видели (they saw) - This is the past tense, plural form of the verb.

Translation:

English: I see a beautiful bird in the sky.

Russian: Я вижу красивую птицу в небе.

The next word is assess. The English word "assess" means to evaluate or judge something. In this sentence, we're using it to talk about how a professor might evaluate a student's work.

Sentence:

Профессор профессор (professor - pra-fye-sor) должен должен (must - dol-zhin) оценить оценить (assess - ah-tse-neet) работу работу (work - ra-bo-tu) студента студента (student - stu-den-ta).

Breakdown:

Профессор (pra-fye-sor) is the nominative case of the noun "professor" and it is the subject of the sentence.

должен (dol-zhin) is the masculine singular form of the verb "должен" (must). It agrees in gender and number with the subject "профессор".

оценить (ah-tse-neet) is the infinitive form of the verb "оценить" (to assess).

работу (ra-bo-tu) is the accusative case of the noun "работа" (work) and it is the direct object of the verb "оценить".

студента (stu-den-ta) is the genitive case of the noun "студент" (student) and it acts as a modifier of "работу".

Key Concept:

The use of the infinitive "оценить" (ah-tse-neet) in this sentence is crucial. It highlights the action of assessing without specifying who is doing the assessing. You could also use other verb forms like "оценивает" (ah-tse-ni-vayt) - "is assessing" or "оценил" (ah-tse-nil) - "assessed".

Translation:

The professor must assess the student's work.

Pronunciation:

Профессор - pra-fye-sor
должен - dol-zhin
оценить - ah-tse-neet
работу - ra-bo-tu
студента - stu-den-ta

The next word is band. The word "band" can be translated into Russian as группа (pronounced "groo-pa") in the context of a musical group.

Here is a sentence using группа:

Я люблю эту группу, потому что их музыка очень энергичная. (Ya lyublyu etu gruppu, po tomu chto ikh muzyka ochen' energichnaya.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I
люблю (lyublyu) - love
эту (etu) - this (feminine)

группу (gruppu) - band (feminine)

потому что (po tomu chto) - because
их (ikh) - their (masculine/feminine plural)

музыка (muzyka) - music
очень (ochen') - very
энергичная (energichnaya) - energetic (feminine)

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). группа (gruppu) is a feminine noun. This means that adjectives and pronouns that modify it will also be in the feminine form. For example, эту (etu) is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this".

Case: In Russian, nouns change form depending on their function in a sentence. This is called "case". In the sentence above, группу (gruppu) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb "love".

Word Order: In Russian, word order is more flexible than in English. The subject (Я (Ya)) can come before or after the verb (люблю (lyublyu)).

Variations:

группа (gruppu) can also be used to refer to a group of people in general, such as a group of friends or a group of students.

English Translation:

I love this band because their music is very energetic.

Pronunciation:

группа (groo-pa) - The "g" is pronounced like the "g" in "gem" and the "p" is pronounced like the "p" in "pepper".

музыка (moo-zy-ka) - The "y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes".

энергичная (en-er-gee-ch-na-ya) - The "ch" is pronounced like the "ch" in "church".

The next word is require. The word "require" in English means to need something. It can be used in a variety of situations.

The Russian word for "require" is требовать (pronounced "tre-bo-vat"). It is a verb, which means it describes an action. The ending "-vat" is a common ending for verbs in Russian.

Here is an example sentence using this verb:

Этот проект требует много времени и усилий.

Let's break it down:

Этот (pronounced "eh-tot") means "this"

проект (pronounced "pra-yek-t") means "project"

требует (pronounced "tre-bu-yet") means "requires" (third person singular present tense of требовать).

много (pronounced "mnogo") means "much" or "many"

времени (pronounced "vre-me-ni") means "time"

и (pronounced "i") means "and"

усилий (pronounced "oo-si-liy") means "effort"

Translation: This project requires a lot of time and effort.

Other forms of the verb:

требуют (pronounced "tre-bu-yut") - they require (plural)

требовала (pronounced "tre-bo-va-la") - she required (past tense)

требовал (pronounced "tre-bo-val") - he required (past tense)

The word "require" in English, and its Russian equivalent требовать are very useful words to know for everyday communication.

The next word is pound. The English word "pound" can refer to both a unit of weight and a verb meaning to hit something forcefully. We will examine both meanings in this sentence:

Я сильно ударил по столу кулаком, и он задрожал.

Breakdown:

Я я - I (pronoun, nominative case)

сильно сильно - strongly (adverb) - pronounced "see-l'no"

ударил ударил - hit (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced "oo-da-reel"

по по - on, at (preposition) pronounced "pa"

столу столу - table (noun, dative case) - pronounced "sto-loo"

кулаком кулаком - fist (noun, instrumental case) - pronounced "koo-la-kom"

и и - and (conjunction)

он он - it (pronoun, nominative case)

задрожал задрожал - trembled (verb, past tense, masculine singular) - pronounced "za-dra-zhal"

Key Concepts:

Case: The sentence illustrates the use of the dative and instrumental cases. The dative case is used for the indirect object (the table) and the instrumental case is used for the tool used to perform the action (the fist).

Verb Conjugation: The verbs "ударил" and "задрожал" are conjugated in the past tense. This form of the verb changes depending on the gender and number of the subject.

Adverbs: The adverb "сильно" modifies the verb "ударил", indicating the manner in which the action was performed.

Variations:

"Ударить" can be used with a variety of objects and instruments.

The word "сильно" can be replaced with other adverbs like "легко" легко (easily) or "нежно" нежно (gently).

Translation:

I hit the table hard with my fist, and it trembled.

English: pound - фунт /foon-t/

Russian: pound - фунт /foon-t/

The next word is per. The word "per" in English can be used in a number of ways. It can be a preposition like "per day," "per hour," or "per person." In this case, we can use it in the Russian sentence:

Он зарабатывает сто долларов в час.

Он (he), зарабатывает (earns), сто (one hundred), долларов (dollars), в (in), час (hour).

This sentence translates to: "He earns one hundred dollars per hour".

в час is the prepositional phrase that means per hour. The preposition в means "in." час is a masculine noun, which makes the preposition в remain in the accusative case.

Key concepts:

The prepositional phrase в час (per hour) is essential to conveying the meaning of "per" in this context.

Russian prepositions often change form depending on the grammatical case of the noun they govern.

Knowing the gender of nouns will help you use the correct preposition.

Pronunciation:

Он - [awn]

зарабатывает - [zə-rə-bət-ı-vət]

сто - [stoh]

долларов - [dol-lə-rof]

в - [v]

час - [cha:s]

Translation:

per - в (v)

hour - час (cha:s)

The next word is wear. The Russian sentence is: Он носит шляпу

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, masculine, nominative case). This word is pronounced like the English word "on" but with a short "o" sound.

носит - wears (verb, present tense, 3rd person singular). Pronounced like "no-sit" with the "o" sound being closer to the "o" in "hot" than "bone". The ending "ит" is the 3rd person singular present tense ending for verbs.

шляпу - hat (noun, feminine, accusative case). Pronounced like "shlyah-poo" with the "sh" sound being the same as the English "sh" and the "lyah" sound like the "lia" in "liar". The ending "у" in the accusative case is used for feminine nouns.

This sentence means "He wears a hat".

The word носить (to wear) is a very common verb in Russian. It can be used with many different objects, such as clothes, jewelry, and even glasses.

Variations of носить include:

ношу - I wear (1st person singular, present tense)

носишь - you wear (2nd person singular, present tense)

носит - he/she/it wears (3rd person singular, present tense)

носят - they wear (3rd person plural, present tense)

носил - he/she/it wore (past tense, masculine singular)

носила - she wore (past tense, feminine singular)

носили - they wore (past tense, plural)

To practice, try to make sentences using other forms of носить with different objects.

English: wear

Russian: носить

Pronunciation: no-sit

The next word is cancer. Рак может быть очень опасным заболеванием.

Breakdown:

Рак (Rak) - Cancer. It's pronounced like "rock" with a slight "r" sound at the end.

может (mozhet) - can, may, is able to. It's pronounced similar to "mo-zhet"

быть (byt') - to be. It's pronounced similar to "bit" with a slight "y" sound at the end.

очень (ochen') - very, extremely. It's pronounced like "o-chen" with a slight "y" sound at the end.

опасным (opasnym) - dangerous. It's pronounced like "o-pas-nim".

заболеванием (zabolevaniem) - disease. It's pronounced like "za-bo-le-va-ni-em"

Sentence meaning: Cancer can be a very dangerous disease.

Key Concepts:

Рак is a noun in this sentence.

может is an auxiliary verb, indicating possibility.

быть is the infinitive form of the verb "to be".

очень is an adverb modifying the adjective опасным.

опасным is an adjective, modifying the noun заболеванием.

заболеванием is a noun in the instrumental case.

Variations:

раковые (rakovyye) - cancerous (adjective)

рак (rak) - cancer (noun)

онкологический (onkologicheskiy) - oncological (adjective)

English translation: Cancer can be a very dangerous disease.

The next word is immediately. The word "immediately" translates to немедленно (nemedlenno) in Russian. It's an adverb, meaning "without delay" or "right away."

Here's an example sentence:

Я немедленно позвонил ей, как только узнал новость. (Ya nemedlenno pozvonil ey, kak tol'ko uznal novosti.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronoun)

немедленно (nemedlenno) - immediately (adverb)

позвонил (pozvonil) - called (verb, past tense masculine singular)

ей (ey) - her (pronoun)

как только (kak tol'ko) - as soon as (conjunction)

узнал (uznal) - learned (verb, past tense masculine singular)

новость (novost') - news (noun, feminine singular)

Translation: I immediately called her as soon as I heard the news.

Pronunciation:

немедленно (nemedlenno) - neh-MEH-dleh-nuh
позвонил (pozvonil) - puh-zvah-NEEL
ей (ey) - eh-ee
как только (kak tol'ko) - kak TOL'kuh
узнал (uznal) - oo-ZNAHL
новость (novost') - NOH-vuhst'

Variations:

The word немедленно (nemedlenno) is often used in formal settings. In informal situations, you can use:

сразу (srazu) - right away
прямо сейчас (pryamo seychas) - right now

Memorization Tip:

Think of the word "mediate" in English. Немедленно (nemedlenno) means to act without delay, which is similar to how a mediator tries to reach a resolution quickly.

Word Translation:

immediately - немедленно (nemedlenno)

right away - сразу (srazu)

right now - прямо сейчас (pryamo seychas)

The next word is ring. The word кольцо (kol'tso) means "ring" in Russian, referring to a piece of jewelry worn on the finger. It is a neuter noun, so it takes the neuter declension.

Here is a sentence using the word кольцо:

На её пальце было красивое золотое кольцо.

На (na) means "on" and is a preposition.

её (eyo) is the genitive case of the feminine pronoun она (ona) meaning "she." It is used to show possession, meaning "her" in this case.

пальце (pal'tse) is the prepositional case of the noun палец (palets) meaning "finger."

было (bylo) is the past tense of the verb "to be" in the neuter form. This is because the subject of the sentence is кольцо which is neuter.

красивое (krasivoye) means "beautiful" and is an adjective modifying кольцо.

золотое (zolotoe) means "golden" and is another adjective modifying кольцо.

кольцо (kol'tso) is the noun "ring" and the subject of the sentence.

Translation: On her finger was a beautiful golden ring.

Pronunciation:

кольцо (kol'tso): kol-tso (emphasis on the first syllable)

красивое (krasivoye): kra-si-vo-ye
золотое (zolotoe): zo-lo-to-ye

Key Concepts:

The word кольцо (kol'tso) is a neuter noun, which means it takes the neuter declension. This is important to keep in mind when using it in sentences.

The preposition на (na) is used to indicate location and can be translated as "on."

The genitive case is used to show possession and can be translated as "of" or "her" in this case.

Remember that the word кольцо (kol'tso) can also be used figuratively to refer to a circle or a loop.

The next word is fast. The Russian word for fast is быстрый (pronounced "by-stree"). This word is an adjective, meaning it describes a noun. It can be used to describe a person, an object, or an action.

Here is a sample sentence:

Он бежал быстро по улице. (Он бежал быстро по улице.)

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun, nominative case)

бежал - ran (verb, past tense, masculine singular)

быстро - fast (adverb)

по - along (preposition)

улице - street (noun, dative case)

Translation: He ran fast down the street.

Variations:

You can use the word быстро as an adverb (like in the sentence above). It will modify a verb.

You can also use the word быстрый as an adjective. It will modify a noun.

Here is an example using быстрый as an adjective:

У меня есть быстрый автомобиль. (У меня есть быстрый автомобиль.)

Breakdown:

У меня - I have (pronoun, possessive case)

есть - there is (verb, present tense)

быстрый - fast (adjective, masculine singular)

автомобиль - car (noun, masculine singular)

Translation: I have a fast car.

Key Concepts:

This sentence uses the masculine singular form of the adjective быстрый.

The word order in Russian is more flexible than in English. The sentence structure will change depending on the meaning that you want to convey.

Pronunciation:

быстрый (by-stree)

быстро (by-stro)

The next word is nice. The word "nice" in English can be translated into Russian in a few ways, depending on the context.

1. приятный (priyatnyy) - Pleasant

This is a very common translation of "nice" and is used to describe something that is enjoyable or agreeable. This is pronounced "pree-yat-nee" and the "y" at the end is very soft, almost like a "yuh."

Example sentence:

Погода сегодня очень приятная. (Pogoda segodnya ochen' priyatnaya.)

Breakdown:

Погода (pogoda) - Weather
сегодня (segodnya) - today
очень (ochen') - very
приятная (priyatnaya) - nice (feminine form)

Translation: The weather today is very nice.

1. хороший (horoshiy) - Good

This is another common translation of "nice" and is used to describe something that is of high quality or desirable. This is pronounced "ho-roh-shee" and the "y" is very soft, almost like a "yuh".

Example sentence:

У тебя очень хороший вкус. (U tebya ochen' horoshiy vkus.)

Breakdown:

У тебя (u tebya) - You have
очень (ochen') - very
хороший (horoshiy) - nice (masculine form)

вкус (vkus) - taste

Translation: You have very nice taste.

1. милый (milyy) - Cute

This translation is used to describe something that is charming or appealing. This is pronounced "mee-lee" and the "y" is very soft, almost like a "yuh".

Example sentence:

У нее очень милый кот. (U nee ochen' milyy kot.)

Breakdown:

У нее (u nee) - She has
очень (ochen') - very
милый (milyy) - cute (masculine form)

кот (kot) - cat

Translation: She has a very cute cat.

Remember, the best translation of "nice" will depend on the context of the sentence.

The next word is tape. I can help you learn some Russian with the English word "tape". Here's a sentence using the word "tape" and how to break it down.

Sentence:

У меня есть кассета с записью концерта. Кассета сделана из ленты.

Breakdown:

У меня есть кассета - I have a cassette.

У (oo) - is a preposition and means "at" or "with". It is used here to show possession. It sounds similar to the English "oo"

меня (minya) - means "me", but it's used here as the possessive pronoun "my". It sounds similar to "me-nya".

есть (yest') - means "to be" or "to have". It sounds like "yest" but with the "t" very short.

кассета (kasseta) - is a cassette tape. The "k" is a hard sound like "k" in "kite", and the "s" is like an "s" in "sin". The "e" at the end is a very short sound, similar to the "e" at the end of the word "the".

с записью концерта - with a recording of the concert.

с (s) - is a preposition meaning "with", sounds like the English "s".

записью (zapisyu) - means "recording". The "z" is soft, like the "s" in "vision". The "y" at the end is a very short "y" sound, similar to the "i" in "bit".

концерта (kontserta) - means "concert". The "c" is hard like the "k" in "cat".

Кассета сделана из ленты - The cassette is made of tape.

сделана (sdelana) - is the feminine past participle of the verb "to make" - сделать (sdelat'). It is used here with the feminine noun кассета.

из (iz) - is a preposition that means "from" or "of". It sounds very similar to the English "is".

ленты (lenty) - means "tape". The "l" is a soft "l" like the "l" in "light".

Variations:

The word лента can also refer to a ribbon.

English and Russian Translation:

tape - лента (lyen-ta)

cassette - кассета (kas-se-ta)

I hope this helps you! Keep practicing!

The next word is oil. ## Нефть является важным источником энергии для многих стран.

Breakdown:

Нефть (pronounced [nyeft'] - oil) is the subject of the sentence.

является (pronounced [yavlyayetsya] - is) is the verb, a form of the verb "to be" in the present tense.

важным (pronounced [vazhnym] - important) is an adjective modifying the noun "источником".

источником (pronounced [istochnikom] - source) is a noun in the instrumental case, indicating the instrument or means by which something happens. It is also in the masculine singular form.

энергии (pronounced [energii] - energy) is a noun in the genitive case, showing possession. The genitive case is often used to show what something is "of" or "from." In this case, it is the "source of energy."

для (pronounced [dlya] - for) is a preposition indicating the purpose or intended recipient.

многих (pronounced [mnohgih] - many) is an adjective in the genitive case, modifying the noun "стран".

стран (pronounced [stran] - countries) is a noun in the genitive case, indicating the countries "for which" oil is an important source of energy.

Key Concepts:

Word Order: The word order in Russian is generally Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). However, adjectives often come before the noun they modify.

Cases: Russian nouns and adjectives have six cases. The case of a word indicates its function in the sentence. The most common cases are:

Nominative: Subject of the sentence

Genitive: Possession, belonging to

Accusative: Direct object

Dative: Indirect object

Instrumental: Means by which something happens

Prepositional: Prepositional phrase

Variations:

The word "нефть" can also be used in the plural form: нефти (pronounced [nefti]) - oils.

The word "важный" can be used in the feminine and neuter forms as well: важная (pronounced [vazhnaya]) - important (feminine) and важное (pronounced [vazhnoe]) - important (neuter).

Translation:

Oil is an important source of energy for many countries.

The next word is suggest. Я Я (Ya) - I
предлагаю предлагаю (predlagayu) - suggest (present tense, 1st person singular)

вам вам (vam) - you (formal, plural)

пойти пойти (payti) - to go (infinitive)

в в (v) - in, to (preposition)

кино кино (kino) - cinema

Breakdown:

The sentence is in the present tense, and it uses the first person singular form of the verb "предлагать" предлагать (predlagat'), which means "to suggest." The subject is "я" я (Ya), meaning "I."

The object of the suggestion is "пойти в кино" пойти в кино (payti v kino), meaning "to go to the cinema."

The sentence is addressed to a group of people, so the formal plural pronoun "вам" вам (vam) is used.

Pronunciation:

Я (Ya) - "Ya" as in "yard"

предлагаю (predlagayu) - "pred-la-gay-oo"

вам (vam) - "vam" as in "van"

пойти (payti) - "poy-tee"

в (v) - "v" as in "very"

кино (kino) - "kee-no"

Translation:

I suggest you go to the cinema.

Variations:

You can also use the informal plural pronoun "тебе" тебе (tebe) if you are speaking to a group of friends.

Key Concept:

This sentence demonstrates the use of the imperative mood in Russian, which is used to give commands or suggestions.

Translation of words:

Suggest - предлагать (predlagat')

I - я (Ya)

You (formal, plural) - вам (vam)

To go - пойти (payti)

In, to - в (v)

Cinema - кино (kino)

The next word is main. The main point of the lecture was about the history of the Russian language.

Главный (pronounced: [hlav-niy]) point of the lecture was about the history of the Russian language.

Главный (glavnyy) is the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective главный (glavnyy), meaning "main" or "principal". It is one of the most common adjectives in Russian.

You can also use this adjective in other grammatical cases:

главной (glavnoy) (feminine nominative singular) - "the main" (e.g., главная тема (glavnaya tema) - "the main topic")

главное (glavnoe) (neuter nominative singular) - "the main" (e.g., главное дело (glavnoe delo) - "the main thing")

главных (glavnykh) (plural nominative) - "the main" (e.g., главные события (glavnye sobytiya) - "the main events")

Remember: The ending of the adjective главный (glavnyy) will change depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

English: main

Russian: главный (glavnyy)

The next word is this. This is a demonstrative pronoun, meaning it points to a specific thing. In Russian, it is это (eh-tuh), pronounced like "eh-toe."

Sentence: Это моя книга. (eh-tuh ma-ya kni-ga)

Breakdown:

Это (eh-tuh) - this. The pronoun is in nominative case, meaning it is the subject of the sentence.

моя (ma-ya) - my, possessive adjective in feminine form.

книга (kni-ga) - book, in nominative case.

Translation: This is my book.

Key concept: The grammatical case of pronouns and nouns is important in Russian. It shows the role of the word in a sentence.

Memorization Tip: Think of это (eh-tuh) as sounding like "eh-toe" when you say it.

Pronunciation:

Это (eh-tuh) - eh-toe
моя (ma-ya) - ma-ya
книга (kni-ga) - kni-ga

The next word is apart. The word "apart" can be tricky to translate into Russian because it has many meanings. The Russian language often uses different prepositions or verbs to express the same concept depending on the context.

Here is an example using the word "apart" in the sense of "separated":

Они сидят отдельно друг от друга.

Breakdown:

Они - pronoun "they" (pronounced like "ah-nee")

сидят - verb "to sit" (pronounced like "see-dyat") - present tense, plural form
отдельно - adverb "separately" (pronounced like "at-dyel-no")

друг от друга - phrase "from each other" (pronounced like "drook at droo-gah")

Translation: They are sitting apart from each other.

Key Concepts:

Russian uses prepositions like от (pronounced like "ot") meaning "from" to express separation.

отдельно (pronounced like "at-dyel-no") can be used as an adverb meaning "separately" or "independently".

Variations:

You can also use the preposition порознь (pronounced like "pah-rozn") meaning "separately" or "apart".

In some cases, you can use the verb разделиться (pronounced like "raz-dy-lee-tsa") meaning "to separate" to express the idea of being apart.

Pronunciation Guide:

отдельно (pronounced like "at-dyel-no") - Stress on the second syllable
друг от друга (pronounced like "drook at droo-gah") - Stress on the first syllable of each word

English: apart

Russian: отдельно (pronounced like "at-dyel-no")

The next word is affect. The weather can влиять /vliyat'/ on your mood.

Breakdown:

влиять /vliyat'/ - to affect, to influence. This verb is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing or repeated action. The perfective form of this verb is повлиять /povliyat'/, which describes a completed action.

The sentence structure: The subject of the sentence is the weather, and the object is your mood. The verb влиять /vliyat'/ connects the two. This sentence follows the basic Subject-Verb-Object structure common in Russian.

Variations:

влиять на /vliyat' na/ - to affect something (e.g., влиять на /vliyat' na/ решение /reshenie/ - to affect the decision).

влияние /vliyanie/ - influence, effect (noun).

Translation:

Weather: погода /pa-go-da/

Mood: настроение /na-stro-ye-ni-ye/

Pronunciation:

влиять /vliyat'/ - stress on the second syllable.

на /na/ - stress on the first syllable.

решение /reshenie/ - stress on the second syllable.

влияние /vliyanie/ - stress on the first syllable.

The next word is basically. Sentence: По сути, он сказал, что мы должны уйти.

Breakdown:

По сути - This phrase means "basically" or "in essence" and is often used to summarize a point. It literally translates to "by essence." The pronunciation is "po soo-tee." The ending of сути changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

он - This means "he" and is pronounced "on."

сказал - This means "said" and is pronounced "ska-zal." This is the past tense masculine form of the verb сказать (to say).

что - This means "that" and is pronounced "chto."

мы - This means "we" and is pronounced "my."

должны - This means "must" or "should" and is pronounced "dol-zh-ny." It is a modal verb that expresses obligation or necessity.

уйти - This means "to leave" and is pronounced "oo-tee." This is the infinitive form of the verb, but it is used here in the context of the modal verb должны.

Translation: Basically, he said that we should leave.

Word and Pronunciation:

Basically: По сути (po soo-tee)

The next word is village. The Russian word for "village" is деревня (pronounced "de-re-v-nya").

Here is a sentence using the word:

Он жил в маленькой деревне. Он жил в маленькой деревне.

Он - Он (pronouced "on") - He. This is the masculine pronoun used for a male subject.

жил - жил (pronounced "zhyl") - lived. This is the past tense of the verb "жить" жить (pronounced "zhyt"), meaning "to live".

в - в (pronounced "v") - in. This is a preposition meaning "in". In this context, it is used to show location.

маленькой - маленькой (pronounced "ma-len-koy") - small. This is the feminine form of the adjective "маленький" маленький (pronounced "ma-len-kiy"). Note the adjective changes in gender to match the noun it describes, in this case "деревня" деревня.

деревне - деревне (pronounced "de-re-v-ne") - village. This is the prepositional case of the noun "деревня" деревня. Note the ending changes in declension to match the preposition "в" в.

English Translation: He lived in a small village.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter). Adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender with the nouns they modify.

Declension: Nouns change form depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. This is called declension.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun and other words in the sentence.

Variations of the word:

The word "деревня" деревня can also be used in the plural form: "деревни" деревни (pronounced "de-re-v-ni") which means "villages".

Pronunciation Tips:

е - is pronounced like the "e" in "bed"

я - is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard"

и - is pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

й - is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

soft sign (ь) - does not have a sound but softens the preceding consonant
hard sign (ъ) - does not have a sound but separates vowels

English Translation:

village: деревня (pronounced "de-re-v-nya")

small: маленький (pronounced "ma-len-kiy")

lived: жил (pronounced "zhyl")

in: в (pronounced "v")

he: он (pronounced "on")

The next word is announce. The sentence is: Президент объявил о новых мерах по борьбе с пандемией.

Breakdown:

Президент (Prezident) - President, pronounced "preh-zi-dent".

объявил (obyavil) - past tense masculine form of the verb "объявить" (obyavit') - to announce, pronounced "uh-byah-veel".

о (o) - preposition meaning "about" or "of", pronounced "oh".

новых (novykh) - plural form of the adjective "новый" (novy) meaning "new", pronounced "noh-vuhkh".

мерах (merakh) - plural form of the noun "мера" (mera) meaning "measure", pronounced "meh-rakh".

по (po) - preposition meaning "for" or "by", pronounced "poh".

борьбе (bor'be) - dative case form of the noun "борьба" (bor'ba) meaning "struggle", pronounced "bor'beh".

с (s) - preposition meaning "with", pronounced "s".

пандемией (pandemiyey) - instrumental case form of the noun "пандемия" (pandemiya) meaning "pandemic", pronounced "pan-deh-mee-ey".

Key concept: This sentence demonstrates the use of the dative case with the preposition "по" (po), which is commonly used to express purpose or means.

Translation: The president announced new measures to combat the pandemic.

English word: announce /əˈnaʊns/

Russian word: объявить /əˈbjævɪtʲ/

The next word is length. The length of the table is two meters.

Длина стола два метра.

Длина (dli-na) - is the noun "length". You can also use this word as an adjective, meaning "long".

стола (sta-la) - is the genitive case of the noun "стол" (stol), meaning "table".

два (dva) - is the number "two".

метра (me-tra) - is the noun "meter", used here in the genitive case.

In this sentence, "Длина" is the subject, "стола" is the genitive case of the noun "стол" and modifies "Длина", and "два метра" is the predicate. The sentence follows the basic Subject-Verb-Object structure of Russian.

Translation:

Длина (dli-na) - length
стола (sta-la) - table
два (dva) - two
метра (me-tra) - meters

The next word is choose. ## Выбирайте Выбирай Выбери

The word выбирать (pronounced [vee-bee-raht'] ) is a verb that means 'to choose' in English. It has multiple forms.

Выбирайте (pronounced [vee-bee-ray-tee]) is the imperative plural form meaning 'choose' (used when speaking to multiple people).

Выбирай (pronounced [vee-bee-ray]) is the imperative singular form meaning 'choose' (used when speaking to one person).

Выбери (pronounced [vee-bee-ree]) is the imperative singular form in the past tense meaning 'choose' (used when speaking to one person about an action that happened in the past).

Here's an example sentence with the word выбирать in the imperative plural:

Выбирайте цвет, который вам нравится. (pronounced [vee-bee-ray-tee tsvyet, ka-tor-ee vam nrav-it-sa])

English Translation: Choose the color that you like.

Breakdown:

Выбирайте (pronounced [vee-bee-ray-tee]) - choose (imperative plural)

цвет (pronounced [tsvet]) - color
который (pronounced [ka-tor-ee]) - which
вам (pronounced [vam]) - you (indirect object)

нравится (pronounced [nrav-it-sa]) - like (present tense, 3rd person singular)

Key Concept: The imperative form is used to give commands or instructions.

Pronunciation Tip: Russian vowels are pronounced similar to their English counterparts. The stress in the words is on the last syllable.

English Translation: Choose

Russian Word: выбирать

Pronunciation: [vee-bee-raht']

The next word is copy. The word "copy" in Russian is копия (pronounced: [koh-pee-ya]) and it's a noun. This sentence demonstrates its use:

У меня есть копия этой книги. (Oo mee-nya yest koh-pee-ya eh-toy k-nee-gee)

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is a preposition meaning "at", "by", "with", or "near" and it's used here to show possession.

меня (mee-nya) - This is a pronoun meaning "me". It's the object of the preposition у, which is similar to saying "with me".

есть (yest) - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, similar to "there is" or "there are".

копия (koh-pee-ya) - This is the noun "copy" and it's the subject of the sentence.

этой (eh-toy) - This is a possessive adjective, "this". It modifies the noun книги, meaning "this book".

книги (k-nee-gee) - This is the noun "book" and it's the object of the preposition этой.

This sentence means: "I have a copy of this book."

Variations:

The plural of копия is копии (pronounced [koh-pee-ee]).

You can also use копия as a verb, meaning "to copy". For example: Я копирую эту картину. (pronounced [Ya koh-pee-roo-yoo eh-too kar-tee-noo]) meaning "I am copying this picture".

Pronunciation tips:

к - (k) like in "cat"

о - (o) like in "go"

п - (p) like in "pen"

и - (ee) like in "see"

я - (ya) like in "yard"

е - (ye) like in "yes"

English: copy [kah-pee]

Russian: копия [koh-pee-ya]

The next word is soldier. The word soldier in Russian is солдат (pronounced sul-DAHT).

Here's a sentence:

Солдат стоял на стороже.

Breakdown:

Солдат (sul-DAHT) - soldier (masculine noun)

стоял (sta-YAL) - stood (past tense of the verb стоять (sta-YAT) - to stand)

на (nah) - on (preposition)

стороже (sta-RO-zhe) - guard, watch

Translation: The soldier stood on guard.

Key concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). Солдат is masculine.

Case: Russian nouns change form depending on their function in the sentence (nominative, accusative, etc.). Here, Солдат is in the nominative case (subject of the verb).

Tense: Russian verbs are conjugated to indicate tense. стоял is the past tense of стоять.

Variations of the word:

Plural: солдаты (sul-DAH-ty) - soldiers

Formal: воин (VO-in) - warrior (more formal, often used in historical contexts)

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress in солдат falls on the second syllable (ДАТ).

The 'o' in стоял and стороже is pronounced like the 'o' in "hot."

The 'e' at the end of стороже is pronounced like the 'e' in "the."

English: soldier, sul-DAHT

Russian: солдат, sul-DAHT

The next word is clear. The word "clear" can have many meanings in English. In this example, we will focus on the meaning of "clear" as in "the sky is clear."

The Russian word for "clear" in this context is ясный (pronounced YAS-nui). It is an adjective and can be used to describe things that are transparent, easy to see through, or free from obstructions.

Here is an example sentence:

Небо ясное, но холодно. (pronounced NYE-bo YA-snue, no ho-LOD-no)

Breakdown:

Небо (pronounced NYE-bo) - sky
ясный (pronounced YA-snui) - clear
но (pronounced no) - but
холодно (pronounced ho-LOD-no) - cold

Translation: The sky is clear, but it is cold.

Key Concepts:

Ясный is a common adjective in Russian and is often used to describe the weather.

The word order in Russian sentences can be different from English. Notice how the adjective ясный comes after the noun Небо.

The word но (but) is used to connect two contrasting ideas.

Variations:

The adjective ясный can also be used in other contexts, such as describing a person's mind or a situation.

Pronunciation Hints:

The letter "я" (pronounced YA) is similar to the "ya" in "yard."

The letter "с" (pronounced s) is similar to the "s" in "sun."

The letter "н" (pronounced n) is similar to the "n" in "night."

The letter "й" (pronounced y) is similar to the "y" in "yes."

English: Clear

Russian: ясный (pronounced YA-snui)

The next word is description. The Russian word for "description" is описание (opisanie). It is a noun and is in the nominative case. It is pronounced (ah-pee-SAH-nee-yeh)

Here is an example of the word in a sentence.

Я прочитал описание книги, и теперь мне очень хочется ее прочитать. (Ya prochital opisanie knigi, i teper' mne ochen' khochetsia ee prochitat').

Translation: I read the description of the book, and now I really want to read it.

Breakdown

Я (Ya) - I - subject pronoun
прочитал (prochital) - read - past tense, masculine, singular verb
описание (opisanie) - description - noun
книги (knigi) - book - genitive case (of the book)

и (i) - and - conjunction
теперь (teper') - now - adverb
мне (mne) - to me - dative case
очень (ochen') - very - adverb
хочется (khochetsia) - want - impersonal verb in the present tense
ее (ee) - it - accusative case (object of the verb)

прочитать (prochitat') - to read - infinitive

Key Concepts

The noun описание (opisanie) is declined like other nouns ending in -ние.

In this example, the noun is in the nominative case, the case used for the subject of the sentence.

The verb прочитать (prochitat') is a perfective verb, meaning that it describes an action that is completed.

The verb хочется (khochetsia) is an impersonal verb. It describes a feeling, a state of being. It is often used to express desire.

Pronunciation
описание (ah-pee-SAH-nee-yeh)

книги (KNEE-gee)

прочитать (prah-chee-TAHT')

хочется (HOH-chet-syah)

Translation
описание (opisanie) - description
книги (knigi) - book
прочитать (prochitat') - to read
хочется (khochetsia) - to want

The next word is invest. ## Я инвестирую в акции.

Breakdown:

Я ya - I (pronunciation: ya)

инвестирую investirúyu - present tense of the verb "to invest" (pronunciation: in-ve-sti-roo-yoo)

в v - in (pronunciation: v)

акции aktsii - stocks, shares (pronunciation: ak-tsii)

Meaning: I invest in stocks.

Key Concept: The verb "инвестировать" investiróvat' (to invest) is an irregular verb that has different forms depending on the tense.

Variations: This sentence can be modified to express different tenses:

Прош. вр.: Я инвестировал в акции. (Past tense: I invested in stocks).

Будущ. вр.: Я буду инвестировать в акции. (Future tense: I will invest in stocks).

English Translation: I invest in stocks.

Word and Pronunciation:

Invest: инвестировать (in-ve-sti-ro-vat')

Stocks/Shares: акции (ak-tsii)

The next word is seek. ## Seeking Knowledge

English: I seek knowledge to improve myself.

Russian: Я ищу знания, чтобы улучшить себя.

Breakdown:

Я - Ya - I (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

ищу - ishchu - I seek (present tense, 1st person singular, verb "искать" - to seek)

знания - znaniya - knowledge (plural noun, accusative case, object of the verb "искать")

чтобы - chtoby - in order to (conjunction, introduces purpose clause)

улучшить - uluchshit' - to improve (infinitive verb, part of the purpose clause)

себя - sebya - myself (reflexive pronoun, object of the verb "улучшить")

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change form depending on their function in the sentence (e.g., subject, object). In this case, "knowledge" is the direct object of the verb "seek," so it's in the accusative case.

Infinitive: The infinitive form of a verb is the basic form, without conjugation (e.g., "to improve"). Infinitives often follow conjunctions like "чтобы" (in order to).

Reflexive Pronoun: The reflexive pronoun "себя" (myself) is used when the action of the verb is directed back to the subject.

Variations:

искать - iskat' - to seek (verb)

поиск - poisк - search, seeking (noun)

ищущий - ishchuyushchiy - seeking (adjective)

Pronunciation:

Я - Ya - Ya
ищу - ishchu - ish-choo
знания - znaniya - znah-ni-ya
чтобы - chtoby - shto-by
улучшить - uluchshit' - oo-loo-ch-sht'

себя - sebya - se-bya

English Translation: I seek knowledge, in order to improve myself.

Russian Translation: Я ищу знания, чтобы улучшить себя.

The next word is friend. У меня много друзей. U menya mnogo druzey.

Breakdown:

У меня U menya - This is the possessive form of "I" ("my") and means "I have." It uses the genitive case of the pronoun "я" ya (I).

много mnogo - This means "many" or "a lot of". It is an indeclinable adjective, meaning it does not change its form depending on the noun it modifies.

друзей druzey - This is the genitive plural form of the noun "друг" drug (friend). The ending "-ей" -ey indicates the plural form in the genitive case.

Translation: I have many friends.

Pronunciation:

У меня U menya - "oo menya"

много mnogo - "mnogo"

друзей druzey - "druzey"

Variations:

Друг drug (masculine singular) - friend (male)

Подруга podruga (feminine singular) - friend (female)

Друзья druzya (masculine plural) - friends (male)

Подруги podrugi (feminine plural) - friends (female)

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: This case is used to express possession, belonging, or a part of something. It is often translated as "of" in English.

Plural Forms: Russian nouns have different plural forms, and these can change depending on the case.

Indeclinable Adjectives: Some adjectives do not change their form depending on the noun they modify.

English: friend

Russian: друг drug - pronounced "droog"

The next word is problem. Sentence: У меня у меня (u menya) есть есть (est') проблема проблема (problema) с моей моей (moyey) машиной машиной (mashinoy).

Breakdown:

У меня (у меня) means "I have" - this is a common phrase used to express possession in Russian. It is similar to "I have" in English. The word u (у) is a preposition meaning "at, by, near, with," but it is often used in expressions of possession. It is pronounced like "oo"

есть (есть) means "there is" or "there are". It's very common, and we use it all the time. Think of it as a simple verb "to be" in English. It is pronounced like "est" in English, but the 't' is slightly softer.

проблема (проблема) means "problem". It's a simple word that you'll encounter often, pronounced like "pra-ble-ma"

с (с) is a preposition meaning "with". It is similar to the English word "with". It is pronounced like "s".

моей (моей) means "my". It's a possessive adjective indicating ownership. This means "my" and is pronounced "moy-ey".

машиной (машиной) means "car". It is a noun and is pronounced "ma-shee-noy"

Translation: I have a problem with my car.

Key Concepts:

Prepositions: "У" (у) and "с" (с) are prepositions that indicate location or direction.

Possession: "У меня" (у меня) is a common phrase used to express possession in Russian.

Possessive Adjectives: "моей" (моей) is a possessive adjective used to indicate ownership.

Helpful Pronunciation Tips:

"У" (у) is pronounced like "oo".

"С" (с) is pronounced like "s".

"Есть" (есть) is pronounced like "est" in English, but with a softer 't'.

"Проблема" (проблема) is pronounced like "pra-ble-ma".

"Моя" (моя) is pronounced like "moy-ya".

"Машина" (машина) is pronounced like "ma-shee-na".

This sentence is a great example of how to express a simple idea in Russian. The words are all common and useful, and the grammar is relatively straightforward. With a little practice, you'll be able to use this sentence and its variations to talk about your own problems.

The next word is original. The word "original" in Russian is оригинальный (pronounced or-ee-gee-NAHL-nee).

Here is a sentence using the word:

Эта картина очень оригинальна.

This painting is very original.

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine singular)

картина (kar-TEE-na) - painting
очень (OH-chen) - very
оригинальна (or-ee-gee-NAHL-na) - original (feminine singular)

Key concepts:

Gender agreement: In Russian, adjectives (like оригинальный) need to agree in gender with the noun they modify. Оригинальный is masculine, оригинальная is feminine, and оригинальное is neuter.

Adjectives: Adjectives in Russian come after the noun they modify.

Variations:

оригинальный (masculine singular)

оригинальное (neuter singular)

оригинальные (plural)

Pronunciation:

Remember that the stress in Russian words can change the meaning. In оригинальный, the stress is on the third syllable, наль. This also applies to the adjective forms in the variations above.

English to Russian Translation
original - оригинальный (or-ee-gee-NAHL-nee)

The next word is gather. The word "gather" has several Russian translations depending on the context. Here is an example using the word "собрать" sobrat', which means to gather, collect, or assemble.

Sentence:

Студенты собрались в аудитории, чтобы послушать лекцию. Studen'ty sobralis' v auditorii, chtoby poslushat' lektsiyu.

Breakdown:

Студенты Studen'ty (students) - This is the plural form of the word "студент" student.

собрались sobralis' (gathered) - This is the past tense, plural form of the verb "собрать" sobrat', meaning "to gather."

в аудитории v auditorii (in the auditorium) - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "in the auditorium."

чтобы послушать лекцию chtoby poslushat' lektsiyu (to listen to the lecture) - This is a subordinate clause that expresses the purpose of the gathering.

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugations: In Russian, verbs change form depending on the person, number, and tense. Notice how "собрать" sobrat' changes to "собрались" sobralis' in the past tense, plural form.

Prepositional phrases: These phrases give information about time, place, or manner and often start with prepositions like "в" v (in).

Subordinate clauses: These clauses provide more information about the main clause and often start with conjunctions like "чтобы" chtoby (in order to).

Pronunciation:

Студенты Studen'ty - Pronounced "stoo-DEN-tee"

собрались sobralis' - Pronounced "suh-BRAH-lees"

в аудитории v auditorii - Pronounced "v aw-dee-TOH-ree-ee"

чтобы послушать лекцию chtoby poslushat' lektsiyu - Pronounced "chtoh-buh pah-SLOO-shaht' LEK-tsee-yoo"

English Translation: The students gathered in the auditorium to listen to the lecture.

Variations:

The word "собрать" sobrat' is versatile. Here are a few variations:

Собрать вещи Sobrat' veshchi (To gather belongings)

Собрать информацию Sobrat' informatsiyu (To gather information)

Собрать всех Sobrat' vseh (To gather everyone)

English & Russian Translation:

Gather - собрать sobrat' (soh-BRAHT')

The next word is river. The река течёт через лес.

Breakdown:

река (pronounced: [ri-ka] ) - river - This is the noun in the nominative case.

течёт (pronounced: [ti-chot] ) - flows - This is the verb in the present tense, third person singular. It describes the action of the river.

через (pronounced: [che-rez] ) - through - This is a preposition that indicates movement through something.

лес (pronounced: [lyes] ) - forest - This is the noun in the accusative case, which is used with prepositions. It indicates the location of the action.

Meaning: The river flows through the forest.

Variations of the word "river" in Russian:

речка (pronounced: [rech-ka] ) - small river
ручей (pronounced: [roo-chay] ) - brook
поток (pronounced: [pa-tok] ) - stream

Translation of the sentence:

The river flows through the forest.

Река течёт через лес.

The next word is feature. This house has a unique особенность - a fireplace in the living room.

особенность - особенности (plural)

Breakdown

This sentence uses the noun особенность which means "feature" or "characteristic". The word особенность is feminine and changes its ending in the plural to особенности. It is used to describe a distinctive quality or attribute of something.

Pronunciation
особенность - [ah-SO-byen-nast]

особенности - [ah-SO-byen-nas-tee]

Translation

This house has a unique feature - a fireplace in the living room.

The next word is position. The Russian word for "position" is позиция (pozitsiya). It is a feminine noun, which means it takes the feminine form of adjectives and pronouns when modifying it.

Here is an example sentence:

Какая у вас позиция по этому вопросу? (Kakaya u vas pozitsiya po etomu voprosu?)

This sentence translates to: "What is your position on this issue?". It uses the nominative case of the noun позиция (pozitsiya) since it is the subject of the sentence.

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Какая (kakaya) - This is an interrogative adjective meaning "what" and it agrees with the noun позиция (pozitsiya) in gender, number, and case.

у вас (u vas) - This is a prepositional phrase meaning "at you" and it is in the genitive case because it is the object of the preposition у (u).

позиция (pozitsiya) - This is the noun meaning "position" and it is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

по (po) - This is a preposition meaning "on".

этому (etomu) - This is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" and it is in the dative case because it is the object of the preposition по (po).

вопросу (voprosu) - This is a noun meaning "issue" and it is in the dative case because it is the object of the preposition по (po).

Key Concepts:

Gender: Позиция (pozitsiya) is a feminine noun.

Case: The case of a noun determines its function in a sentence. In this example, the noun позиция (pozitsiya) is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Agreement: Adjectives and pronouns must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. In this example, the adjective Какая (kakaya) agrees with the noun позиция (pozitsiya) in feminine gender, singular number, and nominative case.

Pronunciation:

позиция (pozitsiya) - [po-zi-tsi-ya]

Какая (kakaya) - [ka-ka-ya]

у вас (u vas) - [oo vas]

по (po) - [po]

этому (etomu) - [eh-to-mu]

вопросу (voprosu) - [vo-pro-su]

English Translation: "Position" - позиция (pozitsiya)

The next word is teach. The sentence is: Преподаватель учит студентов.

Breakdown:

Преподаватель (Pre-po-da-va-tel') - This is the noun, "teacher." This is the masculine form. There is a feminine form, преподавательница (Pre-po-da-va-tel'-ni-tsa).

учит (oo-chit) - This is the verb, "teaches." This is the 3rd person singular, present tense form of the verb учить (oo-chit'). This verb is also used for "to learn," the only difference being the preposition. For example, Я учу английский язык (Ya oo-chu an-glee-skee ya-zike) means, "I am learning the English language."

студентов (stu-den-tov) - This is the noun, "students." This is the plural form of the noun студент (stu-dent), which is masculine. There is a feminine form, студентка (stu-dent-ka).

Translation:

The teacher teaches the students.

English translation and pronunciation of words:

Teach - учить (oo-chit')

Students - студенты (stu-den-ty)

Teacher - преподаватель (Pre-po-da-va-tel')

The next word is own. The word "own" in English can be used in a variety of ways, but most often it will mean belonging to someone. The Russian word for "own" is свой (pronounced "svoy").

Here is a sentence using the word:

У меня есть своя собака. (oo myenya yest' svoya sabaka).

У меня (oo myenya) means "I have".

есть (yest') means "have". It is a verb, meaning that it changes depending on the subject and time.

своя (pronounced "svoya") means "my own". The word свой (svoy) changes form depending on the gender of the object you are talking about. In this case, it is feminine because it describes "собака", which is feminine.

собака (sabaka) means "dog".

So the full sentence means "I have my own dog." This sentence indicates that the dog is not shared with anyone else.

Here are some variations:

У него есть своя машина. (oo nyego yest' svoya mashina) - He has his own car.

У нее есть своя комната. (oo nyeeyo yest' svoya komnata) - She has her own room.

У нас есть свой дом. (oo nas yest' svoy dom) - We have our own house.

У меня есть своя мечта. (oo myenya yest' svoya mechta) - I have my own dream.

own - свой (svoy)

my own - своя (svoya), feminine.

your own - своя (svoya), feminine, свой (svoy) masculine, свое (svoye) neuter
his own - свой (svoy)

her own - своя (svoya)

our own - свой (svoy)

their own - свой (svoy)

Hints on Pronunciation:

Remember to stress the first syllable of свой (svoy)

The "y" sound in своя (svoya) is a bit softer than the English "y" sound.

The final consonant sound in свой (svoy) is similar to the English "v" but is pronounced with your lips together, as if you were going to make a "b" sound.

The word собака (sabaka) has a similar vowel sound to the "a" in "father" or "car".

The "к" at the end of собака (sabaka) sounds like the English "k" but with your lips slightly together.

The next word is reform. The Russian word for reform is реформа (pronounced reh-FOR-ma). The word is feminine, so it takes the feminine ending -а (-a) like the English word "reform."

Here is a sentence using the word:

В России в 1917 году произошла революция, которая привела к радикальной реформе общества.

В России (pronounced V ra-SEE-ee) = In Russia
в 1917 году (pronounced v 1917 ga-DOO) = in 1917
произошла (pronounced pro-ee-zah-SHLA) = happened
революция (pronounced re-va-LYOO-tsi-ya) = revolution
которая (pronounced ka-TO-ra-ya) = which
привела (pronounced pri-ve-LA) = led to
к (pronounced k) = to
радикальной (pronounced ra-dee-KA-l'noy) = radical
реформе (pronounced reh-FOR-me) = reform
общества (pronounced ob-SHCHE-stva) = society

The sentence means: In Russia in 1917, a revolution occurred that led to a radical reform of society.

The word реформа can also be used as a verb. For example, you could say:

Правительство реформирует систему образования.

Правительство (pronounced pra-VY-tel-stva) = government
реформирует (pronounced reh-for-MI-ru-yet) = reforms
систему (pronounced si-STE-mu) = system
образования (pronounced ob-ra-zo-VA-ni-ya) = education

This means: The government is reforming the education system.

Key Concepts

Gender - Russian nouns have gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. You must use the correct form of the adjective or verb that agrees with the noun's gender. The noun реформа is feminine.

Case - Russian nouns have six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional. The case of a noun determines its function in a sentence and how it interacts with other words.

Tense - Russian verbs conjugate (change form) to show tense, person, and number. You must learn the different verb conjugations to speak and write Russian correctly.

Pronunciation Tips

Stress - Stress in Russian is unpredictable and must be learned for each word. The word реформа is stressed on the second syllable.

Soft Signs - The soft sign ь at the end of words like реформа make the preceding consonant soft. It is usually pronounced as a "y" sound at the end of a word, but it does not have a sound of its own.

Palatalization Many Russian consonants, especially at the end of words, have a palatalized sound which is a sound like a combination of the consonant and a "y".

English Translation

Reform реформа (reh-FOR-ma)

The next word is whereas. ## Whereas

The English word "whereas" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context.

1. тогда как (toгда kak) / в то время как (v to vremya kak)

This translation is used when you want to contrast two ideas or situations. It is similar to the English "while" or "on the other hand."

Example:

English: Whereas some people enjoy the cold weather, others prefer the warmth of summer.

Russian: Тогда как (toгда kak) некоторые люди (nekotorye lyudi) любят (lyubyat) холодную погоду (kholodnuyu pogodu), другие предпочитают (drugie predpochitayut) тепло (teplo) лета (leta).

Breakdown:

Тогда (toгда) - then
как (kak) - as
некоторые люди (nekotorye lyudi) - some people
любят (lyubyat) - like, love
холодную погоду (kholodnuyu pogodu) - cold weather
другие (drugie) - others
предпочитают (predpochitayut) - prefer
тепло (teplo) - warmth
лета (leta) - summer

Pronunciation:

тогда как (toгда kak) - TOG-da KAK
в то время как (v to vremya kak) - v TO VRE-mya KAK

2. в то время как (v to vremya kak)

This translation is used when you want to emphasize that something happened at a different time or in a different context. It is similar to the English "while."

Example:

English: The first film was made in black and white, whereas the second one was in color.

Russian: Первый фильм (Pervyy film) был снят (byl snyat) в черно-белом (v chorno-belom), в то время как (v to vremya kak) второй (vtoroy) был цветным (byl tsvetnym).

Breakdown:

Первый фильм (Pervyy film) - the first film
был снят (byl snyat) - was filmed
в черно-белом (v chorno-belom) - in black and white
второй (vtoroy) - the second
был цветным (byl tsvetnym) - was in color

Pronunciation:

в то время как (v to vremya kak) - v TO VRE-mya KAK

Note: The word как (kak) - like, as - can be used on its own in informal settings, but тогда как (toгда kak) and в то время как (v to vremya kak) are more formal and are used in writing and formal speech.

The next word is procedure. The word "procedure" in Russian is процедура (pro-tse-doo-ra). It's a feminine noun and is pronounced like "pro-tse-doo-ra."

Here is a sentence using the word:

В больнице есть строгая процедура для приема пациентов.

В больнице есть строгая процедура для приема пациентов.

Breakdown:

В (v) - In (preposition)

больнице (bol-nit-se) - hospital (feminine noun)

есть (est') - there is/are (verb "to be")

строгая (stro-ga-ya) - strict (feminine adjective)

процедура (pro-tse-doo-ra) - procedure (feminine noun)

для (dlya) - for (preposition)

приема (pri-ye-ma) - reception (masculine noun)

пациентов (pa-tsi-en-tov) - patients (masculine plural noun)

Translation: There is a strict procedure in the hospital for receiving patients.

Key Concepts:

Nouns in Russian have genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

Adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number and case.

The word процедура is a feminine noun.

Prepositions can be tricky, but are essential for understanding the relationship between words in a sentence.

Variations:

The word "procedure" can be used in a variety of contexts, but in this example it is used in a formal context, like a hospital.

Pronunciation Guide:

процедура (pro-tse-doo-ra) - emphasize the "tse" and "doo" sounds.

строгая (stro-ga-ya) - emphasize the "stro" and "ga" sounds.

приема (pri-ye-ma) - emphasize the "ye" and "ma" sounds.

English and Russian Translations:

Procedure - процедура (pro-tse-doo-ra)

The next word is method. ## Метод исследования должен быть строгим и логичным.

Breakdown:

Метод исследования (Method of research) - This is the subject of the sentence.

Метод (Method) - pronounced like "meh-tohd"

исследования (Research) - pronounced like "iss-sled-o-va-ni-ya"

должен быть (Must be) - This is the verb phrase.

должен (Must) - pronounced like "dol-zhen"

быть (Be) - pronounced like "bit'"

строгим и логичным (Strict and logical) - These are the adjectives describing the method.

строгим (Strict) - pronounced like "stroh-gim"

и (And) - pronounced like "ee"

логичным (Logical) - pronounced like "loh-gi-ch-nim"

Key Concept: The sentence highlights the importance of rigorous and logical methodology in research.

Variations:

Методика (Methodology) - This word is often used interchangeably with метод and can be used in this sentence as well. Pronounced like "mee-to-dee-ka"

Translation:

Метод (Method) - method
исследования (Research) - research
должен (Must) - must
быть (Be) - be
строгим (Strict) - strict
и (And) - and
логичным (Logical) - logical

The next word is equipment. The sentence is: "У нас есть все необходимое оборудование для проведения эксперимента."

This sentence means: "We have all the necessary equipment to conduct the experiment."

Breakdown of the sentence:

У нас У нас - This is a grammatical phrase meaning "we have." oo nas
есть есть - This means "to be" or "there is." yest
все все - This means "all". vsyo
необходимое необходимое - This means "necessary". neobhodimoe
оборудование оборудование - This means "equipment" - oborudovanie
для для - This means "for" - dlya
проведения проведения - This means "conducting" - provezdeniya
эксперимента эксперимента - This means "experiment" - eksperimenta

Key Concepts:

Gender in Russian: In this example, the noun оборудование оборудование is a neuter noun. So, it requires a neuter form of the verb есть есть, which in this case is simply "есть" есть. The pronoun все все (all) also agrees in gender.

Cases in Russian: The word оборудование оборудование is in the Nominative case. The word эксперимента эксперимента is in the Genitive case. It can be tricky to know when to use which case. It requires practice and understanding of declensions.

Prepositions: The preposition для для (for) governs the Genitive case. This means the word after для для should be in the Genitive form.

Variations of the Word оборудование оборудование:

оборудовать оборудовать - to equip (verb). oborudovat
оборудованный оборудованный - equipped (adjective). oborudovannyy

Translation
оборудование оборудование - equipment - oborudovanie

The next word is summer. Лето - leto (pronounced leh-toh) - This is the nominative case of the noun лето which means "summer."

Sentence: Лето было жарким и солнечным. leto bylo zharkim i solnechnym

Breakdown:

Лето - leto - Summer (nominative case)

было - bylo - was (past tense of the verb быть - to be)

жарким - zharkim - hot (instrumental case of adjective жаркий - hot)

и - i - and
солнечным - solnechnym - sunny (instrumental case of adjective солнечный - sunny)

Meaning: Summer was hot and sunny.

Key Concepts:

Cases in Russian: Russian nouns change their form depending on their function in a sentence. The nominative case is the basic form of the noun, like "summer" in English. Other cases, such as the instrumental, are used to show the noun's relationship to other words in the sentence.

Adjectives agree with nouns: In Russian, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in both gender and number. Лето (summer) is neuter, so the adjectives жаркий (hot) and солнечный (sunny) are also in the neuter gender.

Pronunciation:

Лето - leto (leh-toh) - The "e" at the end of the word is pronounced as a short "e" sound.

было - bylo (bee-loh)

жарким - zharkim (zhar-kim)

и - i (ee)

солнечным - solnechnym (sol-neh-chim)

Translation: Summer / лето - leto (leh-toh)

The next word is ask. The word "ask" in English can be translated into Russian as спрашивать (sprashivat').

Here is an example sentence:

Я спрашиваю тебя, где ты был? (Ya sprashivayut tebya, gde ty byl?)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I

спрашиваю (sprashivayut) - asking

тебя (tebya) - you

где (gde) - where

ты (ty) - you

был (byl) - were

Meaning: I am asking you, where were you?

Key Concepts:

The verb спрашивать (sprashivat') is conjugated depending on the subject (I, you, he, etc.).

The word order in Russian is often different than English.

You need to use the correct case ending for the words. In this case, the word тебя (tebya) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb.

Pronunciation:

спрашивать (sprashivat') - spraw-shee-vat'

Я (Ya) - ya

тебя (tebya) - te-bya

где (gde) - gde

ты (ty) - ty

был (byl) - byl

Variations:

The verb спрашивать (sprashivat') can also be used in the past tense, спросил (sprosil) for masculine, спросила (sprosila) for feminine and спросило (sprosilo) for neuter.

Translation:

English: ask

Russian: спрашивать (sprashivat')

The next word is fee. The word "fee" in English can be used to describe a charge for a service. In Russian, it is often translated as плата (pronounced "pla-ta").

Here is an example sentence using плата:

English: The university charges a fee for late registration.

Russian: Университет взимает плату за позднюю регистрацию. (pronounced "oo-ni-ver-si-tet vzi-ma-yet pla-tu za pozd-nyu-yu re-gis-tra-tsiu").

Breakdown:

Университет (oo-ni-ver-si-tet) - University.

взимает (vzi-ma-yet) - is taking, is charging. It is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb взимать (vzi-mat') which means "to take".

плату (pla-tu) - fee, charge.

за (za) - for
позднюю (pozd-nyu-yu) - late. This is the accusative case of поздний (pozd-niy) which means "late".

регистрацию (re-gis-tra-tsiu) - registration.

Key concept: The word плата can be used for a wide variety of charges, including entrance fees, tuition fees, service fees, and even parking fees.

Pronunciation tips:

Remember that the "u" in Университет (oo-ni-ver-si-tet) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon".

The "y" in взимает (vzi-ma-yet) is a soft "y" sound, almost like the "i" in "bit".

The "y" in позднюю (pozd-nyu-yu) is also a soft "y" sound.

English-Russian translation of the word:

Fee: плата (pla-ta)

The next word is establish. The Russian sentence using the English word establish is:

Он установил новый рекорд по бегу.

Breakdown:

Он он (pronunciation: ohn) - He
установил ustanovil (pronunciation: oo-stah-no-veel) - past tense, masculine singular form of the verb "to establish" or "to set". The verb is "устанавливать" ustanavlivat'.

новый novyy (pronunciation: noh-vuh-ee) - new
рекорд rekord (pronunciation: ree-kohrd) - record
по po (pronunciation: pah) - preposition meaning "by" or "in"

бегу begu (pronunciation: bee-goo) - running

Translation: He established a new record in running.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). The noun "рекорд" rekord is masculine, which is why the verb "установил" ustanovil is in the masculine singular form.

Prepositions: Prepositions in Russian often have different meanings than in English. In this sentence, "по" po indicates the category or type of record.

Variations:

The verb "устанавливать" ustanavlivat' can also mean "to install" or "to set up."

English and Russian Translation:

Establish - устанавливать ustanavlivat' (oo-stah-nahv-lee-vaht')

Record - рекорд rekord (ree-kohrd)

The next word is arrest. The police арестовали the suspect.

Breakdown:

арестовали (arestavali) is the past tense, plural form of the verb арестовать (arestovat'), which means "to arrest."

The past tense in Russian is used to describe events that have already happened.

Note that the verb ending changes depending on the subject of the sentence. Here the subject is plural полиция (politsiya) which means 'police'.

In this sentence, the verb is in the past tense, indicating that the arrest has already taken place.

The sentence follows the standard subject-verb-object structure.

Translation:

The police arrested the suspect.

Key Concepts:

Verb conjugation: Verbs in Russian change their endings depending on the subject, tense, and mood.

Past tense: The past tense in Russian is formed by adding a suffix to the verb stem.

Subject-verb-object structure: This is the most common word order in Russian sentences.

Pronunciation:

арестовали (arestavali): ah-re-stah-vah-lee
полиция (politsiya): pah-lee-tsee-yah

Variations:

арест (arest) - noun, meaning "arrest"

арестованный (arestovanyy) - adjective, meaning "arrested"

арестовывать (arestovyvat') - verb, meaning "to arrest" (present tense)

English: Arrest

Russian: арест (arest) ah-rest

The next word is south. The sun sets in the юг [south/yug].

Breakdown:

юг [south/yug] - This is the word for "south." The "г" at the end of юг is pronounced like the "g" in "go" or "girl." You can pronounce "юг" as "yoog."

Солнце садится на юге. - This sentence literally means "The sun sets in the south." The word for "sun" is солнце [solntse/sol-n-tse] and you can pronounce it as "sol-n-tse." "садится" means "sets" and is the third person singular form of the verb садиться [saditsya/sa-dee-tsa] which means "to sit down." The word на [na/na] means "on" or "in."

Key Concept: This sentence is a simple example of a common Russian grammatical construction: subject + verb + preposition + object. The subject is солнце [solntse/sol-n-tse], the verb is садится [saditsya/sa-dee-tsa], the preposition is на [na/na], and the object is юг [south/yug].

Variations: You can use the word юг [south/yug] in a variety of ways, including: на юге [in the south/na yuge], с юга [from the south/s yuga], and к югу [towards the south/k yugu].

Translation: The sun sets in the south.

English and Russian Translation:

south - юг [south/yug]

The next word is husband. ## Мой муж работает инженером.

Breakdown:

Мой - This is the possessive adjective meaning "my." It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, which is "husband" in this case. This word is pronounced like "moy" (rhymes with "boy").

муж - This is the noun "husband". It is masculine and singular. Pronunciation: "mOOZH" (the "oo" sound is like the "oo" in "moon")

работает - This is the present tense, third person singular verb "works." The ending "-ет" signifies that the subject is he, she, or it. Pronunciation: "ra-BO-ta-yet" (the "o" is short, as in "hot")

инженером - This is the instrumental case of the noun "engineer." It signifies the means by which the action is performed. Pronunciation: "in-zhe-NE-rom" (the "e" in "in" is like the "e" in "met")

Translation: My husband works as an engineer.

Key Concepts:

Possessive Adjectives: These adjectives show ownership or possession. In Russian, they agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Noun Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. This is known as "case."

Verb Conjugation: Russian verbs change form depending on the person, number, and tense.

Variations of "husband":

супруг (soo-P-rook) - This word is more formal and can refer to both a male and female spouse.

женатый мужчина (zhe-NA-ty muzh-chi-na) - This literally translates to "married man". This is a more formal way of referring to a husband.

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress: In Russian, the stress is not always predictable and can change the meaning of a word. Make sure to pay attention to the stress marks in dictionaries or online resources.

Vowels: The vowels in Russian are pronounced differently than in English. Practice listening to native speakers and using online pronunciation tools.

Consonants: Russian has many consonants that are not present in English, such as "щ" (щ) and "ж" (ж). Practice these sounds with the help of a tutor or online resources.

The next word is little. The word "little" in English can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context and the part of speech. Here is an example of "little" used as an adjective in a sentence:

Sentence: The little girl played with her dolls.

Russian: Девочка играла с куклами.

Breakdown:

Девочка (pronounced: dye-voch-ka) - This is the subject of the sentence and is the feminine form of the noun "child" (ребёнок). It can be used to mean “girl.”

играла (pronounced: ee-grah-la) - This is the past tense, feminine singular form of the verb “to play” (играть). It means "played."

с (pronounced: s) - This is the preposition "with". It links the noun "girl" to the noun "dolls."

куклами (pronounced: kook-la-mee) - This is the plural form of the noun "doll" (кукла) which means “dolls.” It is in the instrumental case which indicates how something is done, or "with what.”

Translation: The girl played with dolls.

Key concept: The sentence uses a noun in the feminine gender (Девочка) and the verb is conjugated in the feminine past tense (играла) to match the gender of the noun. This is important in Russian grammar, as the verb must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

Pronunciation tip: Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet. It is important to learn the sounds of the letters and the rules for pronouncing words. For example, the letter "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "bed" or the "a" in "father." The letter "o" can be pronounced as in the English word "go."

English: Little / Pronunciation: lih-tuhl

Russian: маленький (male) / Pronunciation: mah-lyen-kiy

Russian: маленькая (female) / Pronunciation: mah-lyen-kaya

The next word is square. The word "square" can be used in Russian to refer to a geometric shape, a public square, or even a person who is old-fashioned. Here's an example using the word in its geometric sense:

Квадрат (pronounced: [kvah-draht]) - This is the most common word for "square" in Russian. It's a noun and can be used to refer to the shape itself or to a physical object that is square.

У этого стола квадратная форма (pronounced: [oo eh-tuh-voh stuh-lah kvah-draht-nah-ya for-mah])

У (pronounced: [oo]) - This is the preposition "at" or "with" and is used here to mean "this table has..."

этого (pronounced: [eh-tuh-voh]) - This means "this" and is the masculine form of the word.

стола (pronounced: [stu-lah]) - This means "table" and is the genitive case of the word стол (pronounced: [stol]).

квадратная (pronounced: [kvah-draht-nah-ya]) - This means "square" and is the feminine form of the adjective квадратный (pronounced: [kvah-draht-ny]).

форма (pronounced: [for-mah]) - This means "shape" or "form".

English translation: This table has a square shape.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns are assigned gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. This means that the adjective квадратный (pronounced: [kvah-draht-ny]) will change its ending depending on the gender of the noun.

Cases: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function in a sentence (e.g., subject, object, etc.). This is called "case" and the genitive case is used here to show possession.

Pronunciation:

Квадрат (pronounced: [kvah-draht])

У (pronounced: [oo])

этого (pronounced: [eh-tuh-voh])

стола (pronounced: [stu-lah])

квадратная (pronounced: [kvah-draht-nah-ya])

форма (pronounced: [for-mah])

The next word is hope. The word "hope" in Russian is надежда (pronounced: nah-dye-zh-da). Here is an example of how to use it in a sentence:

Я надеюсь (ya nah-dye-yus), что ты почувствуешь (chto ty pa-chuv-stvoo-yesh) себя лучше (se-bya looch-she) завтра. (I hope that you feel better tomorrow.)

Breakdown:

Я надеюсь (ya nah-dye-yus) - "I hope" Надеюсь is the first person singular present tense form of the verb надеяться (nah-dye-yat-sya) which means "to hope".

что ты почувствуешь (chto ty pa-chuv-stvoo-yesh) - "that you feel" The word что (chto) means "that". Почувствуешь is the second person singular future tense form of the verb чувствовать (chuv-stvo-vat) which means "to feel". Ты (ty) means "you".

себя лучше (se-bya looch-she) - "yourself better". Себя (se-bya) means "yourself". Лучше (looch-she) means "better".

Variations of надежда (nah-dye-zh-da):

Надежный (nah-dye-zh-ny) - (adjective) reliable, trustworthy

Надеяться (nah-dye-yat-sya) - (verb) to hope

Pronunciation Guide:

The "e" in надеюсь (nah-dye-yus) is like the "e" in "get" or "bet"

The "o" in почувствуешь (pa-chuv-stvoo-yesh) is like the "o" in "go" or "no"

The "y" in себя (se-bya) is like the "y" in "yes" or "my"

Translation:

Hope - надежда (nah-dye-zh-da)

I hope - Я надеюсь (ya nah-dye-yus)

You feel - Ты чувствуешь (ty chuv-stvoo-yesh)

Better - лучше (looch-she)

Tomorrow - завтра (zav-tra)

The next word is rate. The word "rate" can be translated into Russian in a few different ways, depending on the context. Here is an example using the word in the context of "rate of speed":

Sentence: Скорость автомобиля была очень высокой.

Breakdown:

Скорость [skoh-rast'] - This is the Russian word for "speed." It is a feminine noun, so the adjective "high" must be in the feminine form.

автомобиля [av-ta-ma-bee-lya] - This is the genitive case of автомобиль [av-ta-ma-bee-l'] meaning "car." It is used to indicate possession.

была [buh-la] - This is the past tense of the verb "to be," meaning "was."

очень [oh-chen'] - This is the word for "very."

высокой [vi-soh-kay] - This is the feminine form of the adjective "high."

Translation: The car's speed was very high.

Variations:

Скорость can be used to refer to many different rates, such as "rate of growth" or "rate of change." To differentiate the meaning, you can add a word that specifies the type of rate, like "рост" [rost] ("growth") or "изменения" [iz-me-ne-ni-ya] ("changes").

The word "rate" is sometimes used in English to refer to a "price" or "cost." In Russian, this would be translated using the word цена [tse-na] ("price") or стоимость [stoy-i-mast'] ("cost").

Pronounciation Notes:

Remember that Russian stress is unpredictable and must be learned.

The letter "ы" is a short, unstressed vowel that often sounds similar to the vowel in "bird" or "stir" but slightly more open.

English and Russian Translation:

Rate: Скорость [skoh-rast']

The next word is color. The Russian word for "color" is цвет (pronounced tsvyet). It's a noun and can be used in various contexts.

Here is a sentence:

У этой книги красивый цвет. (oo eh tay knih krasivui tsv'et)

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "with", used here to indicate possession. It's a very common word and easy to remember.

этой (eh toy) - This is the feminine form of the demonstrative adjective "this", meaning "this" or "this one". "This" can also be этот (eh tot) (masculine) or это (eh to) (neuter)

книги (knih) - This is the genitive case of the feminine noun "book". The genitive case is used to show possession, and in this instance, it means "of this book". Nouns in Russian have six cases. The genitive case is used with words like "of", "from", and "for". You will see this case a lot so you need to master it. Try to memorize this word and practice the genitive case as much as possible. It's one of the most important cases in Russian!

красивый (krasivui) - This is the masculine form of the adjective "beautiful". It is an adjective describing the "color" of the book. Adjectives in Russian agree with the noun they describe in gender, number and case. Beautiful can also be красивая (krasivaia) for feminine and красивое (krasivoe) for neuter.

цвет (tsv'et) - This is the noun "color". It is in the nominative case, the base case of Russian nouns. Nouns change form depending on the case.

Translation: This book has a beautiful color.

Pronunciation tips:

ц (ts) is pronounced like the "ts" in "cats"

в (v) is pronounced like the "v" in "vet"

е (eh) is pronounced like the "e" in "wet"

т (t) is pronounced like the "t" in "ten"

к (k) is pronounced like the "k" in "kite"

н (n) is pronounced like the "n" in "not"

и (i) is pronounced like the "ee" in "see"

г (g) is pronounced like the "g" in "gate"

а (a) is pronounced like the "a" in "father"

й (y) is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

с (s) is pronounced like the "s" in "sun"

у (oo) is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon"

й (y) is pronounced like the "y" in "yes"

Key concepts:

Case: The genitive case is used to show possession.

Gender: Nouns and adjectives in Russian have gender.

Agreement: Adjectives agree with the noun they describe in gender, number and case.

English Translation: Color / цвет (pronounced tsvyet)

The next word is buy. The word купить (koo-peeť) means "to buy" in Russian. It is a verb that is conjugated, meaning it changes form depending on the subject and tense.

Here is an example of how to use купить in a sentence:

Я хочу купить новый телефон. Я хочу купить новый телефон. (Ya khochu kupit' novyy telefon.)

This sentence means "I want to buy a new phone".

Я - Я (Ya) - I, subject pronoun
хочу - хочу (khochu) - want, verb in the first person singular present tense
купить - купить (kupit') - to buy, infinitive
новый - новый (novyy) - new, adjective
телефон - телефон (telefon) - phone, noun

Key Concepts:

Infinitive: The infinitive form of a verb is the base form of the verb, which is usually preceded by "to" in English. The infinitive of купить is купить (kupit').

Subject Pronouns: Subject pronouns indicate who or what is performing the action of the verb. In the sentence above, the subject pronoun is Я (Ya) - I.

Present Tense: The present tense describes an action that is happening now. In the sentence above, the verb хочу (khochu) is in the present tense.

Adjectives: Adjectives describe nouns. In the sentence above, the adjective новый (novyy) describes the noun телефон (telefon).

Variations:

купите (koo-pee-tee) - "buy" (plural imperative form)

купи (koo-pee) - "buy" (singular imperative form)

куплю (koo-plyu) - "will buy" (first person singular future tense)

купили (koo-pee-lee) - "bought" (plural past tense)

English Translation of Word and Pronunciation
купить (koo-peeť) - to buy

The next word is major. This is a very important word to know when talking about studies and careers! Let's learn it.

Here is a sentence using the word мажор (pronounced: mah-zhor):

Он учится на мажоре в консерватории.

Breakdown:

Он - He (pronoun) on
учится - studies (verb) oo-chee-tsa
на - on (preposition) na
мажоре - major (noun, masculine) mah-zhor-e
в - in (preposition) v
консерватории - conservatory (noun, feminine) kan-ser-va-tor-ee

Translation: He is majoring in музыка (music) moo-zy-ka at the conservatory.

Key concept: мажор (major) is a noun, but it can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is important or significant. For example, you can say мажорный предмет (major subject) mah-zhor-niy pre-d-met to refer to a core course in your studies.

The next word is when. English: When will you come to visit us?

Russian: Когда ты приедешь к нам в гости?

Breakdown:

Когда (kahg-DAH) - This word is very versatile and is used for questions about time, like 'when,' 'what time,' 'how long,' 'since when,' etc. You will see it used in a lot of different contexts.

ты (tuh) - means 'you' and is used when addressing one person informally. In this sentence, the speaker is addressing a friend or someone younger than them.

приедешь (pri-YEH-dish) - This is the future tense of the verb приехать (pri-YEH-hat) which means 'to arrive,' 'to come,' or 'to get here.' You will use this verb a lot if you are talking about travel, visiting, or coming to an event.

к (k) - This preposition means 'to' or 'towards.' It's similar to the English 'to.'

нам (nahm) - This is the dative case of the pronoun мы (muh) which means 'we.' It's used to indicate the direction of the action.

в (f) - This preposition means 'in' or 'at.'

гости (GOH-sti) - This word means 'guests' or 'visiting' and is commonly used to refer to a visit to someone's home.

Translation: Когда (kahg-DAH) - when, ты (tuh) - you, приедешь (pri-YEH-dish) - will come, к (k) - to, нам (nahm) - us, в (f) - in, гости (GOH-sti) - visit.

The next word is message. The professor says, "Let's look at the word сообщение (soo-shche-ni-ye) which means 'message'. It's a noun, and it can be used in various contexts.

Here's a simple sentence:

Я получил сообщение от друга. (Ya poluchil soobscheniye ot druga.)

Breakdown:

Я (Ya) - I (pronounced 'ya')

получил (poluchil) - received (pronounced 'po-loo-cheel')

сообщение (soobscheniye) - message (pronounced 'soo-shche-ni-ye')

от (ot) - from (pronounced 'ot')

друга (druga) - friend (pronounced 'droo-ga')

This sentence means "I received a message from a friend."

Key points:

The word сообщение (soobscheniye) can refer to any type of message, such as a text, email, or letter.

The word от (ot) is a preposition that means "from".

The word друга (druga) is in the genitive case because it's the object of the preposition от (ot).

English: Message, pronounced 'mes-ij'

Russian: сообщение, pronounced 'soo-shche-ni-ye'

The next word is account. The word счёт (schyot) means "account" in Russian. It is a masculine noun, which means it is declined differently in different grammatical cases.

Example Sentence:

У меня есть банковский счёт в этом банке.

U menya est' bankovskiy schyot v etom banke.

Translation: I have a bank account at this bank.

У (u) - This is a preposition that means "at" or "with" and is used before a noun in the genitive case. Pronounced: oo
меня (menya) - This is a personal pronoun in the genitive case, meaning "me" or "my" in this instance. Pronounced: myen-ya
есть (est') - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, third person singular. Pronounced: yest'

банковский (bankovskiy) - This is an adjective meaning "bank" and is used to describe the noun "account." Pronounced: bank-of-skiy
счёт (schyot) - This is the noun meaning "account." Pronounced: shchyot
в (v) - This is a preposition meaning "in" or "at." Pronounced: v
этом (etom) - This is a demonstrative pronoun, meaning "this" Pronounced: eh-tom
банке (banke) - This is the noun "bank" in the prepositional case. Pronounced: ban-keh

Key Concepts:

Noun Declension: In Russian, nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical case. This means you must be careful to use the correct ending when using a noun in a sentence.

Prepositions: Prepositions are words that connect a noun to other words in a sentence. They often indicate location, direction, or time.

Variations:

счёт (schyot) can also mean "bill" or "check" depending on the context.

банковский счёт (bankovskiy schyot) can be shortened to just счёт (schyot) if the context is clear.

English to Russian: Account - счёт (schyot)

Pronunciation: shchyot

The next word is deep. The word глубокий (gloo-bo-kee) can be used to describe something that is deep in the literal sense, like a well or a lake, or in a figurative sense, like someone's thoughts or emotions. Here's an example:

Он погрузился в глубокие размышления. (On pogruzilsya v gлубoкие razmyshleniya.)

Breakdown:

Он (on) - He
погрузился (pogruzilsya) - past tense of the verb погружаться (pogruzhat'sya) - to immerse, to plunge
в (v) - in
глубокие (gлубoкие) - deep (plural form of глубокий (gloo-bo-kee))

размышления (razmyshleniya) - thoughts, reflections (plural noun)

Translation: He immersed himself in deep thoughts.

Key Concept: The use of the preposition в (v) with погрузился (pogruzilsya) is important. It denotes the direction of the action and shows that the person is moving into a state of deep thought.

Pronunciation:

глубокий (gloo-bo-kee) - the 'g' sound is similar to the 'g' in 'go' but slightly softer. The 'o' sound is similar to the 'o' in 'hot'.

погрузился (pogruzilsya) - the 'g' sound is similar to the 'g' in 'go' but slightly softer. The 'y' at the end of the word is a soft sound, almost like a 'ee' in 'see'.

Variations:

глубина (gloo-bee-na) - depth (noun)

глубоко (gloo-bo-ko) - deeply (adverb)

глубокий (gloo-bo-kee) - deep (adjective)

English: deep

Russian: глубокий (gloo-bo-kee)

The next word is adult. English Sentence: The adult is responsible for their own actions.

Russian Sentence: Взрослый ответствен за свои действия.

Breakdown:

Взрослый (vzroslyy) - This word is an adjective, meaning "adult." It can also function as a noun. The stress in this word is on the first syllable. It is pronounced like "vzroh-s-lee."

ответствен (otvetstven) - This word is an adjective meaning "responsible." It's an irregular adjective, meaning its ending changes depending on its grammatical function. The stress is on the second syllable. It's pronounced like "ah-tv-et-s-v-en".

за (za) - This is a preposition meaning "for". It is pronounced "za".

свои (svoi) - This is a possessive pronoun meaning "his/her/its/their" or "one's own". It is pronounced like "s-vo-ee" with a very soft "i" sound.

действия (deystviya) - This is a noun meaning "actions." The stress is on the second syllable. It is pronounced like "day-stv-ee-ya".

Key Concepts:

Gender Agreement: In Russian, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. In this sentence, the adjective ответствен (otvetstven) agrees with the noun взрослый (vzroslyy), which is masculine.

Possessive Pronouns: Russian possessive pronouns are more complex than in English. The pronoun свои (svoi) indicates that the actions are those of the adult themselves.

Translation of Words:

Adult: взрослый (vzroslyy)

Responsible: ответствен (otvetstven)

For: за (za)

Own: свои (svoi)

Actions: действия (deystviya)

Pronunciation Tips:

Russian has many sounds that don't exist in English, so it's important to pay attention to pronunciation.

Practice the sounds of вз (vz), ч (ch), щ (shch), and ж (zh).

Use online dictionaries or language learning resources for phonetic transcriptions and audio examples.

The next word is financial. The Russian word for “financial” is финансовый (finansovy) which is pronounced "fi-NAN-suh-vuh" with a stress on the third syllable, “NAN”.

Here is a simple sentence using the word:

Финансовый (finansovy) рынок (rynok) сейчас (seychas) очень (ochen) нестабилен (nestabilen).

Breakdown:

Финансовый (finansovy) - financial (fi-NAN-suh-vuh) This word can be used as an adjective, a noun, or an adverb. It is a commonly used word in financial contexts.

рынок (rynok) - market (REE-nuk) The word рынок (rynok) can also be used to describe a “market” of ideas or a “market” of people.

сейчас (seychas) - now (say-CHAS) This word is commonly used to indicate a present time.

очень (ochen) - very (OH-chen) A commonly used word, it is useful to know, as it comes up frequently.

нестабилен (nestabilen) - unstable (ny-stah-BEE-len) The stress is on the third syllable, “BEE”.

The sentence literally translates to “The financial market is now very unstable.”

Key concept: The sentence uses the word “финансовый” as an adjective modifying the word “рынок”. It also uses the adjective “нестабилен” to describe the market. Both adjectives use a masculine singular form because “рынок” is a masculine noun.

Variations:

The word “финансовый” can be used as a noun (meaning “the financial sector”) or as an adverb (meaning “financially”).

Финансовый (finansovy) сектор (sektor) - Financial sector

Он (on) финансово (finansovo) независим (nezavisim) - He is financially independent.

Pronunciation: Remember to focus on the stress pattern when practicing the pronunciation of these words.

The next word is report. The word "report" in Russian is отчёт (otchyot). This word can be used as both a noun and a verb.

Here's a sentence using "report" as a noun:

Я получил отчёт о проведённом исследовании.

Я (Ya) - I (pronunciation: ya)

получил (poluchil) - received (pronunciation: pah-loo-cheel)

отчёт (otchyot) - report (pronunciation: at-chyot)

о (o) - about (pronunciation: oh)

проведённом (provedenom) - conducted (pronunciation: prah-vye-dyon-nom)

исследовании (issledovanii) - research (pronunciation: iss-lye-doh-vah-nee)

Translation: I received the report about the conducted research.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have gender. Отчёт (otchyot) is masculine. You can tell it is masculine because the ending is -ёт (-yot).

Cases: Отчёт (otchyot) is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Let's look at a sentence using "report" as a verb:

Преподаватель попросил студентов отчитаться о проделанной работе.

Преподаватель (Prepodavatel) - Teacher (pronunciation: pre-pah-dah-vah-tel)

попросил (poprosil) - asked (pronunciation: pah-prah-seel)

студентов (studentov) - students (pronunciation: stu-den-tov)

отчитаться (otchitat'sya) - to report (pronunciation: at-chee-tah-t'sya)

о (o) - about (pronunciation: oh)

проделанной (prodelannoy) - done (pronunciation: prah-dye-lahn-noy)

работе (rabote) - work (pronunciation: rah-boh-tye)

Translation: The teacher asked the students to report on the work they had done.

Key Concepts:

Infinitive: The infinitive form of the verb "report" is отчитываться (otchityvatsya).

Imperative mood: The verb отчитаться (otchitat'sya) is in the imperative mood, which is used to give commands or make requests.

Word and Pronunciation:

Report (noun): отчёт (otchyot) - at-chyot

Report (verb): отчитываться (otchityvatsya) - at-chee-tah-t'sya

The next word is title. The word "title" in Russian is название (pronounced "naz-vah-nee-yeh"). It is a noun, so it will change form to agree with the noun it modifies.

Here is an example:

Название книги очень интересное.

Название - Title, this is the nominative case, so it is the subject of the sentence.

книги - Book, this is the genitive case, so it is modifying the title. It is feminine and singular, so the ending of название is changed to е.

очень - Very
интересное - Interesting. The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, so it ends in е
очень - Very. This is an adverb, so it will not change.

Translation: The title of the book is very interesting.

название - naz-vah-nee-yeh - title
книга - kni-gah - book
очень - o-chen - very
интересный - in-te-res-niy - interesting

The next word is need. ## Мне нужно купить продукты.

Breakdown:

Мне (Pronounced: Mnye) is the dative case of the pronoun "I" which means "to me".

нужно (Pronounced: noozhno) is the impersonal verb "to be needed".

купить (Pronounced: koo-peet') is the infinitive form of the verb "to buy".

продукты (Pronounced: pro-dook-ti) is the plural noun meaning "groceries" or "food products".

Sentence meaning: I need to buy groceries.

Key Concepts:

Dative Case: The dative case in Russian is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb. It is often used with verbs that express necessity, obligation, or desire.

Impersonal Verbs: Impersonal verbs in Russian are verbs that do not have a subject. They are used to express states or actions that are not attributed to a specific person or thing.

Infinitive Form: The infinitive form of a verb in Russian is the basic form of the verb. It is used after certain verbs, such as "to want", "to need", or "to be able".

Variations:

You can use other verbs instead of "to buy", such as "to get", "to pick up", or "to order". For example: Мне нужно получить продукты. (Mnye noozhno poluchit' produkty - I need to get groceries).

You can also use different pronouns instead of "I", such as "you" (Тебе - tebye), "he" (Ему - yemu), "she" (Ей - ey), "we" (Нам - nam), or "they" (Им - im). For example: Тебе нужно купить хлеб. (Tebye noozhno kupit' khleb - You need to buy bread).

English & Russian Translation:

Need: нужда (noozhda) - a state of needing something

Need: нуждаться (noozhdat'sya) - to need something

The next word is movie. Я ya (I) хочу haCHu (want) посмотреть pasmatret' (to watch, infinitive form) фильм film (movie).

Breakdown:

This sentence means "I want to watch a movie."

Я ya is the personal pronoun "I" in the nominative case, and it's the subject of the sentence. It is pronounced like "ya"

хочу haCHu is the verb "want" in the present tense, first person singular. It is pronounced like "ha-choo"

посмотреть pasmatret' is the infinitive form of the verb "to watch." It is pronounced like "pas-mat-ret'"

фильм film is the noun "movie." It is pronounced like "film"

The sentence follows the basic subject-verb-object order.

Key Concepts:

Infinitive verbs: In Russian, the infinitive is the base form of the verb. It ends in -ть -t' (e.g., смотреть smatret' - to watch).

Present tense verbs: The present tense of verbs in Russian changes depending on the person and number.

Variations:

You can replace "фильм film" with any other type of film, such as "сериал serial" (TV series) or "мультфильм multfilm" (cartoon).

You can also change the verb "хочу haCHu" to "люблю lyublyu" (love) to express a stronger preference for watching movies.

English & Russian Translation and Pronunciation:

Movie: фильм film (pronounced like "film")

The next word is funny. This sentence uses the word смешной (sme-sh-noy) meaning "funny" in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of a sentence. It is an adjective and can be used to describe people, places, or things.

Этот фильм очень смешной. (eh-tot film o-chen' sme-sh-noy)

This film is very funny.

Breakdown of the Sentence:

Этот (eh-tot) means "this" and is a demonstrative pronoun.

фильм (film) means "film"

очень (o-chen') means "very" and is an adverb.

смешной (sme-sh-noy) means "funny" and is an adjective in the nominative case.

Variations:

смешная (sme-sh-na-ya) - funny (feminine)

смешное (sme-sh-noe) - funny (neuter)

смешные (sme-sh-nye) - funny (plural)

Pronunciation Guide:

смешной (sme-sh-noy) - "sme" as in "smell," "sh" as in "ship," "noy" as in "noise"

English to Russian Translation:

Funny - смешной (sme-sh-noy)

The next word is yes. Let's begin! I'm excited to help you learn Russian. Tell me the English word you'd like to see in a Russian sentence. I'll make it easy to understand and translate with Espeak. Just provide me with a word and I'll do the rest!

The next word is combine. The word combine can be used in a variety of ways in Russian, depending on the context.

Here is one example:

Он сочетает в себе красоту и интеллект.

Он [on] - he
сочетает [suh-chi-tay-et] - combines
в себе [f sy-bye] - in himself/herself
красоту [kra-so-too] - beauty
и [ee] - and
интеллект [in-tel-leckt] - intellect

Translation: He combines beauty and intellect.

Key concepts:

The verb сочетать [suh-chi-tay-et] means "to combine" or "to unite". You can use this verb for many things, such as colors, ideas, or even people.

в себе [f sy-bye] means "within oneself" or "in himself/herself." This is a common phrase to indicate that something is an inherent quality of a person.

Variations:

The verb сочетать [suh-chi-tay-et] can be conjugated to different tenses, such as present tense, past tense, future tense, and imperative.

English: Combine

Russian: сочетать [suh-chi-tay-et]

The next word is employee. The word "employee" in Russian is сотрудник (pronounced "so-труд-nik").

The sentence:

Этот сотрудник работает в компании уже пять лет. (eh-tut сотрудник ra-bo-ta-et v kom-pa-nii u-zhe pyat' let)

Breakdown:

Этот (eh-tut) - this (masculine singular)

сотрудник (so-труд-nik) - employee (masculine singular)

работает (ra-bo-ta-et) - works (present tense, 3rd person singular)

в (v) - in
компании (kom-pa-nii) - company (feminine singular)

уже (u-zhe) - already
пять (pyat') - five
лет (let) - years (plural)

Key Concepts:

Gender: Nouns in Russian have grammatical genders. сотрудник is masculine, so we use the masculine form of "this" (Этот).

Tense: Russian verbs change form to indicate present, past, or future tense. работает is in the present tense.

Cases: Nouns change form depending on their role in the sentence. Here, сотрудник is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence.

Variations:

сотрудница (so-труд-ni-tsa) - employee (feminine singular)

сотрудники (so-труд-ni-ki) - employees (plural)

Pronunciation:

сотрудник (so-труд-nik) - emphasis on the second syllable
работает (ra-bo-ta-et) - emphasis on the second syllable
компания (kom-pa-nii) - emphasis on the first syllable

English Translation: "This employee has been working in the company for five years."

The next word is sum. ## Сумма заказов составляет десять тысяч рублей.

Breakdown:

Сумма (pronounced [soo-ma]) - noun, means "sum" or "total"

заказов (pronounced [za-ka-zov]) - noun, plural of "заказ", means "orders"

составляет (pronounced [sa-sta-vlya-yet]) - verb, 3rd person singular present tense of "составлять", means "constitutes" or "amounts to"

десять (pronounced [dye-syat]) - numeral, means "ten"

тысяч (pronounced [ty-syach]) - noun, plural of "тысяча", means "thousands"

рублей (pronounced [roo-bley]) - noun, plural of "рубль", means "rubles"

Translation: The sum of the orders amounts to ten thousand rubles.

Key Concepts:

Noun Cases: Notice how the noun "заказ" changes to заказов in the plural form and the genitive case. This is a common pattern in Russian.

Verb Conjugation: The verb "составлять" is conjugated in the present tense, 3rd person singular form. Learn the conjugations of common verbs to understand how they change in different situations.

Gender Agreement: The noun "сумма" is feminine. This impacts the agreement of adjectives and verbs when used in a sentence.

Variations:

Сумма is a versatile word that can be used in many situations.

Заказ (pronounced [za-kaz]) - noun, means "order"

составить (pronounced [sa-sta-vit]) - verb, infinitive form, means "to constitute" or "to amount to"

тысяча (pronounced [ty-syacha]) - noun, means "thousand"

рубль (pronounced [roo-bly]) - noun, means "ruble"

English Translation of Russian Words:

Сумма - sum
заказ - order
составлять - to constitute
десять - ten
тысяча - thousand
рубль - ruble

The next word is fly. The word "fly" in English can be used as a verb or a noun. Let's look at it as a verb, meaning "to move through the air." Here is a Russian sentence using the verb "to fly":

Птица летит над лесом.

Breakdown:

Птица (pronounced "p-tee-tsa") - This is the noun meaning "bird" in the nominative case (the subject of the sentence). It is feminine, singular.

летит (pronounced "lee-teet") - This is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb "to fly," лететь (pronounced "lee-teet").

над (pronounced "naht") - This is a preposition meaning "over, above."

лесом (pronounced "lee-som") - This is the noun "forest" in the instrumental case, which is used with the preposition "над." It is masculine, singular.

Translation: The bird is flying over the forest.

Variations:

To indicate the bird's direction, we can add the preposition "в" (into, to) and the accusative case of the noun: Птица летит в лес. (The bird is flying into the forest).

We can use other subjects for the sentence, such as a plane, a drone, a kite, or even a person in a dream.

Key concept: The use of different cases of nouns in Russian grammar is essential for understanding the relationships between words in a sentence.

Pronunciation:

Птица (p-tee-tsa)

летит (lee-teet)

над (naht)

лесом (lee-som)

English to Russian: fly - лететь (lee-teet)

The next word is library. The sentence is: "Я люблю ходить в библиотеку, чтобы читать книги." Я люблю ходить в библиотеку, чтобы читать книги.

Breakdown:

Я [ya] - I

люблю [lyublyu] - I love (present tense)

ходить [hodit'] - to go (infinitive)

в [v] - in

библиотеку [biblioˈteku] - library (accusative case)

чтобы [chtoby] - in order to (conjunction)

читать [chitat'] - to read (infinitive)

книги [knihi] - books (accusative case)

Key concepts:

Accusative case: Used to indicate the direct object of a verb. In this sentence, "библиотеку" and "книги" are in the accusative case because they are the objects of the verbs "ходить" and "читать" respectively.

Infinitive: The basic form of a verb, often used after prepositions.

Conjunctions: Words that connect clauses. "чтобы" connects the two clauses in this sentence.

Variations:

The sentence could be shortened to "Я люблю ходить в библиотеку." [ya lyublyu hodit' v biblioˈteku] (I love to go to the library.)

The verb "читать" could be replaced with another verb, such as "брать" [brat'] (to take), resulting in: "Я люблю ходить в библиотеку, чтобы брать книги." [ya lyublyu hodit' v biblioˈteku, chtoby brat' knihi] (I love to go to the library to take out books.)

Pronunciation:

библиотека - [biblioˈteku]

biblio - like the word "bible"

teka - like the word "take" but with the "k" sounding more like the "k" in "kick"

English translation: "I love to go to the library in order to read books."

Library: библиотека [biblioˈteka]

The next word is addition. ## Добавление (dobavleniye) - Addition

Sentence:

К сумме добавили ещё сто рублей. (K summe dobavili yeshche sto rubley.)

Breakdown:

К (k) - to, towards (preposition)

сумме (summe) - sum (feminine, dative case)

добавили (dobavili) - added (past tense, masculine plural form of the verb добавить (dobavit'))

ещё (yeshche) - still, yet, more
сто (sto) - one hundred
рублей (rubley) - rubles (plural)

Meaning: They added another one hundred rubles to the sum.

Key concepts:

Case system: Russian nouns change their endings depending on their role in the sentence. Here, сумма (summa) is in the dative case because it is the indirect object of the verb добавить (dobavit').

Verb conjugation: Russian verbs change their endings depending on the person, number, and tense. Here, the verb добавить (dobavit') is in the past tense, masculine plural form.

Pronunciation:

Добавление (dobavleniye) - stress on the second syllable, "doh-bahv-leh-nee-yeh"

добавили (dobavili) - stress on the second syllable, "doh-bahv-ee-lee"

Variations:

Добавлять (dobavlyat') - to add (infinitive)

Добавляю (dobavlyayu) - I am adding (present tense, first person singular)

Добавлю (dobavlyu) - I will add (future tense, first person singular)

English and Russian Translation:

Addition - Добавление (dobavleniye)

Add - Добавить (dobavit')

The next word is propose. The professor proposes a new project to the students.

Преподаватель предлагает студентам новый проект.

Breakdown:

Преподаватель (pre-po-da-va-tel') - The word преподаватель is the noun for "professor" or "teacher."

предлагает (pre-d-la-ga-yet) - This is the third-person singular present tense of the verb предлагать (pre-d-la-gat') which means "to propose," "to offer," or "to suggest."

студентам (stu-den-tam) - This is the dative case of студент (stu-dent), which means "student." Dative case is used when the object is the indirect receiver of the action.

новый (no-vyy) - This is the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective новый, meaning "new."

проект (pro-ekt) - This is the noun for "project."

The sentence is in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now. The sentence structure is straightforward: subject (Преподаватель), verb (предлагает), object (студентам) and noun (проект). The word order is subject-verb-object.

Variations:

The verb предлагать can be used in different tenses, moods, and voices. For example:

Я предлагаю тебе пойти в кино (ya pre-d-la-ga-yu te-bye poy-ti v ki-no) - I propose to you to go to the cinema. (present tense)

Он предложил мне помочь ему (on pre-d-lo-zhil mne pa-moch' ye-mu) - He proposed to me to help him. (past tense)

Translation:

The professor proposes a new project to the students.

English: propose (pro-pose)

Russian: предлагать (pre-d-la-gat')

The next word is damage. The storm caused significant ущерб to the crops.

Breakdown:

ущерб (pronounced oo-shcherb) is a noun meaning "damage," "loss," or "harm." It is often used in the context of material damage, like to property or crops. It is a masculine noun.

причинить (pronounced pri-chi-nit) means "to cause" or "to inflict."

значительный (pronounced zna-chi-tel-niy) means "significant" or "considerable."

Sentence Structure:

The sentence is a simple declarative sentence following the subject-verb-object structure.

Subject: The storm (буря - буря)

Verb: caused (причинила - причинила)

Object: significant damage (значительный ущерб - значительный ущерб)

Variations:

You can also use the verb нанести (pronounced na-nes-ti) which means "to inflict" or "to cause." For example: "The storm inflicted significant damage to the crops." (Буря нанесла значительный ущерб урожаю - Буря нанесла значительный ущерб урожаю).

Translation:

Damage: ущерб (oo-shcherb)

Significant: значительный (zna-chi-tel-niy)

Helpful Hint: The word ущерб is related to the word ущербный (pronounced oo-shcherb-niy) which means "damaged" or "deficient."

The next word is both. Both of us are studying the Russian language.

Мы оба изучаем русский язык.

Breakdown:

Мы (pronounced like "mı") - we (nominative case, subject of the sentence)

оба (pronounced like "oh-ba") - both (masculine plural)

изучаем (pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yem") - present tense verb "to study" (we are studying)

русский (pronounced like "roo-skee") - Russian (adjective)

язык (pronounced like "ya-zık") - language

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and pronouns change their endings depending on their function in the sentence (nominative, accusative, genitive, etc.). This sentence uses the nominative case for "мы" (we) because it is the subject.

Gender Agreement: Adjectives in Russian agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. In this case, "русский" (Russian) agrees with "язык" (language) which is masculine.

Plural Forms: "Оба" is used for both masculine and feminine nouns in the plural form.

Word Pronunciation:

мы - pronounced like "mı"

оба - pronounced like "oh-ba"

изучаем - pronounced like "ee-zoo-cha-yem"

русский - pronounced like "roo-skee"

язык - pronounced like "ya-zık"

English Translation of Sentence: We both are studying the Russian language.

The next word is competition. The word "competition" is конкуренция /kon-koo-ren-tsiya/ in Russian. This word is a feminine noun and is often used in the context of business, sports, or any situation where individuals or groups are vying for the same prize or goal.

Here is a sentence using this word:

На рынке существует большая конкуренция среди производителей автомобилей. /Na rynke sushchestvuet bol'shaya konkurentsiya sredi proizvoditelej avtomobilej./

Breakdown:

На /na/ - on (preposition, used with the dative case)

рынке /rynke/ - market (masculine noun in the prepositional case)

существует /sushchestvuet/ - exists (verb, 3rd person singular, present tense)

большая /bol'shaya/ - big, large (feminine adjective, nominative case)

конкуренция /kon-koo-ren-tsiya/ - competition (feminine noun, nominative case)

среди /sredi/ - among (preposition, used with the genitive case)

производителей /proizvoditelej/ - producers (masculine noun in the genitive case)

автомобилей /avtomobilej/ - cars (masculine noun in the genitive case)

Translation: There is a lot of competition among car manufacturers in the market.

Key concepts:

The use of the dative case after the preposition на /na/

The use of the preposition среди /sredi/ to indicate "among"

The genitive case used after prepositions and to show possession.

The word "competition" can be singular or plural: конкуренция /kon-koo-ren-tsiya/ (singular) and конкуренции /kon-koo-ren-tsii/ (plural).

Pronunciation:

конкуренция /kon-koo-ren-tsiya/
рынок /ryn-ok/
производитель /pro-iz-vo-di-tel/
автомобиль /av-to-mo-bil/

Variations:

The word конкуренция /kon-koo-ren-tsiya/ can also be used in the context of a specific type of competition:

конкуренция за место /kon-koo-ren-tsiya za mesto/ - competition for a place

конкуренция за победу /kon-koo-ren-tsiya za pobedu/ - competition for victory

Learning about this common Russian word and its variations can help you understand and speak about a wide range of topics in Russian.

The next word is map. ## Карта города очень подробная.

Breakdown:

Карта (pronounced [kar-ta]) - This is the noun "map" in the nominative case. The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence.

города (pronounced [gor-o-da]) - This is the noun "city" in the genitive case. The genitive case is often used to show possession. Think "of the city"

очень (pronounced [o-chen]) - This is the adverb "very". It modifies the adjective "detailed".

подробная (pronounced [pad-rob-naya]) - This is the adjective "detailed" in the nominative case. The nominative case is used to describe the subject of the sentence.

Meaning: The map of the city is very detailed.

Variations:

карта (pronounced [kar-ta]) - The word карта can be used for any type of map.

подробный (pronounced [pad-rob-nyy]) - The masculine form of the adjective "detailed".

подробная (pronounced [pad-rob-naya]) - The feminine form of the adjective "detailed".

подробное (pronounced [pad-rob-noe]) - The neuter form of the adjective "detailed".

Translation:

Карта - map
города - city
очень - very
подробная - detailed

The next word is spirit. The word "spirit" in English can have many different meanings. In Russian, you'll use different words depending on the specific meaning of "spirit."

Here is a sentence using the word дух duh, meaning "spirit" in the sense of "mood" or "attitude."

У него был боевой дух. U nego byl boyevoy duh.

This sentence literally translates to "He had a fighting spirit."

у u (preposition) - means "at", "with", "near", or "by". It is the genitive case of the pronoun он on, meaning "he".

него nego - pronoun, meaning "him" or "his". It is the genitive case of the pronoun он on, meaning "he".

был byl - past tense of the verb быть byt meaning "to be".

боевой boyevoy - adjective, meaning "fighting" or "combat".

дух duh - masculine noun, meaning "spirit" (in the sense of mood or attitude).

Key concept: You can use this word, дух duh, to describe someone's mood or attitude. For example, you might say: Она была в хорошем духе. Ona byla v horoshem duhe. ("She was in a good mood").

Pronunciation Notes:

у u - pronounced like the English word "oo" as in "moon".

него nego - pronounced "neh-goh"

был byl - pronounced "beel"

боевой boyevoy - pronounced "boy-eh-voy"

дух duh - pronounced "dooh"

English: Spirit - pronounced "spir-it"

Russian: дух duh - pronounced "dooh"

The next word is contribution. ## Вклад в науку был значительным.

Breakdown:

Вклад ([v]klad[/v]) - Noun, meaning "contribution". This word is masculine and can be used in a variety of contexts, such as contributions to a project, a society, a cause, or to knowledge.

в ([v]v[/v]) - Preposition meaning "in" or "to", indicating the direction or target of the contribution.

науку ([n]auku[/n]) - Noun, meaning "science". This word is feminine.

был ([b]yl[/b]) - Verb "to be" in the past tense, masculine singular form. It indicates that the contribution was in the past.

значительным ([zn]achitel'nym[/zn]) - Adjective meaning "significant", modifying the noun "contribution". This word is masculine and ends in -ым, which is the masculine singular form of the adjective in the instrumental case.

Translation: The contribution to science was significant.

Key Concepts:

Case: Russian nouns and adjectives change their form based on their function in a sentence. The instrumental case is used to show the tool or means by which an action is performed. In this sentence, the adjective "значительным" is in the instrumental case because it describes the "contribution" as the means of achieving something.

Gender: Russian nouns and adjectives have grammatical gender. This means they have different forms depending on their gender. The noun "вклад" is masculine and the adjective "значительным" is masculine singular.

Pronunciation Tips:

Вклад - ([v]klad[/v]) The "к" is pronounced with a hard "k" sound. The "л" is pronounced with a soft "l" sound.

науку - ([n]auku[/n]) The "у" is pronounced like the "oo" in "moon".

значительным - ([zn]achitel'nym[/zn]) The "ч" is pronounced like the "ch" in "church". The "и" at the end is pronounced like the "ee" in "see".

English and Russian Translation of the Word:

Contribution: Вклад ([v]klad[/v])

The next word is tourist. The word турист (pronounced too-REEst) means "tourist" in Russian.

Here is a simple sentence using the word:

В России много туристов.

Breakdown:

В (pronounced v) means "in" and is used before the name of a country.

России (pronounced rah-SEE-ee) means "Russia" and is a noun in the prepositional case.

много (pronounced MNOh-gah) means "many" and is an adjective.

туристов (pronounced too-REE-stov) means "tourists" and is a noun in the genitive case.

The sentence structure is subject-verb-object. The subject is implied, but you can add "There" or "It" if you want. The verb is "is" or "are" implied.

English Translation: There are many tourists in Russia.

Key Concept: The genitive case in Russian is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a preposition. It is important to learn how to decline nouns in the genitive case in order to speak and write Russian correctly.

Pronunciation Tips:

The stress is on the second syllable of турист and туристов.

The letter "и" is pronounced like the English "ee" in "see."

The letter "о" is pronounced like the English "o" in "hot."

The letter "р" is pronounced like the English "r" but with a slight vibration of the tongue.

Word and Pronunciation:

tourist - турист (pronounced too-REEst)

The next word is smile. The English word "smile" translates to улыбка (pronounced "oo-lyb-ka") in Russian. It's a noun, and you can use it in various ways to express happiness, amusement, or even politeness.

Here's an example sentence:

Она улыбнулась мне, когда я вошел в комнату. (pronounced "ah-na oo-lyb-noo-las mnye, ka-g-da ya vah-shool v kom-na-too")

This translates to "She smiled at me when I entered the room".

Here's a breakdown:

Она (ah-na) - she
улыбнулась (oo-lyb-noo-las) - smiled (past tense, feminine form)

мне (mnye) - to me (dative case, used to indicate the recipient of the action)

когда (ka-g-da) - when
я (ya) - I
вошел (vah-shool) - entered (past tense, masculine form)

в (v) - in (preposition)

комнату (kom-na-too) - room (accusative case, used to indicate the object of the verb)

Key concept:

улыбка (oo-lyb-ka) is a noun and it is feminine.

Variations:

улыбаться (oo-lyb-at-sa) - to smile (verb)

улыбчивый (oo-lyb-chiv-iy) - smiling (adjective, masculine)

улыбчивая (oo-lyb-chiv-aya) - smiling (adjective, feminine)

улыбчивое (oo-lyb-chiv-oye) - smiling (adjective, neuter)

Remember, the word улыбка (oo-lyb-ka) is a great way to express a positive emotion in Russian.

English to Russian:

Smile - улыбка (oo-lyb-ka)

The next word is represent. The word "represent" in Russian is представлять (pronounced pre-d-stah-vlyat'). This verb has many variations based on tense and person, but the root remains the same.

Here is a sentence using представлять in the present tense:

Эта картина представляет собой шедевр. (eh-ta kar-tee-na pre-d-stah-vly-a-et sa-boy she-de-vr)

Breakdown:

Эта (eh-ta) - This (feminine nominative singular)

картина (kar-tee-na) - Painting (feminine nominative singular)

представляет (pre-d-stah-vly-a-et) - represents (3rd person singular present tense)

собой (sa-boy) - itself
шедевр (she-de-vr) - masterpiece (masculine nominative singular)

Meaning: This painting represents a masterpiece.

Key Concepts:

представлять (pre-d-stah-vlyat') is a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts, including:

To introduce someone or something: Позвольте мне представить вам моего друга. (Pozvol'te mne predstavit' vam moego druga) - Allow me to introduce you to my friend.

To depict or portray: Фотография представляет собой яркую память о поездке. (Fotografiya predstavlyaet soboy yarkuyu pamyat' o poezdke) - The photograph represents a vivid memory of the trip.

To symbolize or stand for: Голубь представляет мир. (Golub' predstavlyaet mir) - The dove represents peace.

Pronunciation Notes:

The stress in представлять (pre-d-stah-vlyat') falls on the second syllable, ста (stah).

Pay attention to the soft consonant sounds at the end of some words, such as картина (kar-tee-na) and шедевр (she-de-vr).

English Translation: represent /ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt/

Russian Translation: представлять (pre-d-stah-vlyat')

The next word is step. The word "step" can be used in a variety of ways in Russian, so it is important to be aware of the context in which you are using it. The most common usage of "step" is as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

Here is an example of the noun usage of "step" in Russian.

Sentence: Студент сделал шаг вперёд.

Translation: The student took a step forward.

Breakdown:

Студент - Student, pronounced [stu-dent]

сделал - past tense, masculine singular of the verb "to do" pronounced [s-dyel-al]

шаг - step, pronounced [shahkh]

вперёд - forward, pronounced [f-pyer-yot]

Key Concepts:

шаг is a masculine noun, so the adjective and verb will agree in gender.

вперёд is a preposition meaning "forward".

Variations:

шаги - steps (plural) pronounced [shah-gi]

шажок - small step, pronounced [shah-zhok]

English to Russian: step - шаг

The next word is concept. ## Концепция этого фильма основана на реальном случае.

Breakdown:

Концепция - kontsepciya - (feminine noun) concept
этого - etogo - (masculine singular) of this, this
фильма - fil'ma - (masculine noun) film
основана - osnovana - (feminine past participle) is based
на - na - (preposition) on
реальном - real'nom - (masculine adjective) real
случае - sluchae - (masculine noun) case, incident

Meaning: The concept of this film is based on a real case.

Key Concepts:

Gender: In Russian, nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neuter). This influences the declension of the noun and the form of the adjectives and pronouns that agree with them. Here, концепция is feminine and фильм is masculine.

Case: Nouns change their form depending on their role in the sentence. This is called case. The word концепция is in the nominative case (subject of the verb), and фильма is in the genitive case (possession).

Past Participle: The past participle, like основана, functions as an adjective and agrees with the noun in gender, number and case.

Pronunciation:

Концепция - kon-tsep-tsiya
этого - eh-to-go
фильма - fil'ma
основана - os-no-va-na
на - na
реальном - re-al'nom
случае - slu-cha-ye

Translation:

Concept - Концепция kontsepciya

The next word is cup. ## У меня есть красивая чашка.

Breakdown:

У (oo) - This is the preposition "at" or "with" and is used with the genitive case, which indicates possession.

меня (muh-nya) - This is the personal pronoun "me". It's in the genitive case, showing that the cup belongs to me.

есть (yest) - This is the verb "to be" or "to have", and in this sentence it means "I have". It is in the present tense, third person singular.

красивая (kra-see-vuh-ya) - This is an adjective meaning "beautiful". It's in the feminine form because the noun "cup" is feminine in Russian.

чашка (chah-sh-ka) - This is the noun "cup".

Meaning: "I have a beautiful cup."

Key Concepts:

Genitive Case: The genitive case is used to show possession or belonging.

Gendered Nouns: Russian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, or neuter), and adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Pronunciation:

У (oo) - Say "oo" as in "moon".

меня (muh-nya) - Say "muh" as in "mud", "nya" as in "nya" (a cat's meow).

есть (yest) - Say "yest" as in "yes", but with a slightly softer "s".

красивая (kra-see-vuh-ya) - Say "kra" as in "car", "see" as in "see", "vuh" as in "put", "ya" as in "ya" (as in "yeah" but with a shorter sound).

чашка (chah-sh-ka) - Say "chah" as in "chat", "sh" as in "ship", "ka" as in "car".

Variations:

У него есть чашка. - He has a cup.

У неё есть чашка. - She has a cup.

У нас есть чашка. - We have a cup.

English and Russian translation of the word "cup":

English: Cup

Russian: чашка (chah-sh-ka)

The next word is temperature. ## Температура сегодня приятная.

Breakdown:

Температура (pronounced: tem-per-ah-too-rah) - This is the noun "temperature." It is feminine in gender and singular.

сегодня (pronounced: see-vod-nya) - This is the adverb "today." It is always used with the nominative case, so it will never change form.

приятная (pronounced: pree-yat-naya) - This is the adjective "pleasant," in the feminine singular form.

Key Concepts:

Gender: Russian nouns have gender, which is either masculine, feminine, or neuter. Gender impacts the agreement of adjectives, pronouns, and other parts of speech. Here, the noun "температура" is feminine, so the adjective "приятная" must also be feminine.

Case: Russian nouns change their form depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. This is called case. Here, "температура" is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

Agreement: Adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they are modifying. In this sentence, the adjective "приятная" agrees with the noun "температура" by being feminine and in the nominative case.

Translation: The temperature today is pleasant.

Pronunciation guide:

Температура (tem-per-ah-too-rah)

сегодня (see-vod-nya)

приятная (pree-yat-naya)

Variations:

The word "temperature" can be used as a verb meaning "to take someone's temperature": измерить температуру (iz-me-reet' tem-per-ah-too-roo)

English: temperature - температура (tem-per-ah-too-rah)

The next word is nuclear. English: The nuclear reactor is a powerful source of energy.

Russian: Ядерный реактор - мощный источник энергии. Yadernyy reaktor - moshchnyy istochnik energii.

Breakdown:

Ядерный Yadernyy - nuclear. This is the adjective form of the noun ядро yadro (nucleus). The stress in this word is on the second syllable. Pronunciation: yah-der-niy
реактор reaktor - reactor. The stress is on the first syllable. Pronunciation: ree-ak-tor
мощный moshchnyy - powerful. The stress is on the second syllable. Pronunciation: mosh-chniy
источник istochnik - source. The stress is on the first syllable. Pronunciation: is-toch-nik
энергии energii - of energy. This is the genitive case of the noun энергия energiya (energy). The stress is on the second syllable. Pronunciation: en-er-gii

Variations:

ядерный yadernyy can also be used as a noun, meaning "nucleus".

Key Concepts:

The genitive case is used to indicate possession or belonging.

The stress in Russian words is often unpredictable, so it is important to learn the stress pattern for each word.

English Translation: Nuclear reactor - powerful source of energy.

The next word is fear. English word: fear

Russian sentence: Я боюсь высоты.

Breakdown:

Я - means "I" and is pronounced like "ya"

боюсь - means "fear" and is pronounced like "boy-us"

высоты - means "height" and is pronounced like "vuh-sah-tuh"

Translation: I am afraid of heights.

Key Concept: In Russian, the verb "to fear" (бояться - pronounced "bah-yat-sa") changes its ending depending on who is doing the fearing. Since the subject is "I", the verb becomes "боюсь".

Variations:

If the subject was "he", the verb would be "боится" (pronounced "boy-it-sa")

If the subject was "they" the verb would be "боятся" (pronounced "boy-at-sa")

Pronunciation Help:

The "y" in я is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."

The "y" in высоты is pronounced like the "i" in "high."

The stress in боюсь is on the first syllable.

English: fear / страх (pronounced "strakh")

Russian: страх / fear

The next word is white. The word "white" in Russian is белый (pronounced "bye-lee").

Here is a simple sentence using the word:

Снег белый (Sneg bely).

This translates to "The snow is white".

Breakdown of the Sentence:

Снег (Sneg) - This is the noun meaning "snow". It's pronounced "snyeg" in English. You can remember this word by thinking about the similar word "snow" in English.

белый (Bely) - This is the adjective meaning "white". It's pronounced "bye-lee" in English.

is (pronounced "ee-st") - This is the verb "to be" in the present tense, third person singular. It is not written or spoken in Russian, but is implied.

Variations of the Word:

белая (pronounced "bye-laya") is the feminine form of the adjective. It is used for feminine nouns like девушка (devushka), meaning "girl".

белый (pronounced "bye-lee") is the masculine form of the adjective. It is used for masculine nouns like снег (sneg), meaning "snow".

белое (pronounced "bye-lay-eh") is the neuter form of the adjective. It is used for neuter nouns like солнце (solntse), meaning "sun".

Pronunciation Notes:

In Russian, the stress in a word is always on a specific syllable. In the word белый (Bely), the stress is on the first syllable.

When saying the word "белый" (pronounced "bye-lee") in English, try to emphasize the "e" sound in the second syllable.

English to Russian Translation:

White - белый (pronounced "bye-lee")