This is the toolkit for your first day — the dozen phrases that let you function in Russian before you've learned a single case ending. Treat every phrase here as a single chunk: don't analyse it, just learn the whole thing and the situation where you say it. That's exactly how a child or a traveller picks up a language first, and it works. Each entry comes with its stress, a pronunciation tip where one is genuinely needed, and a note on when to use it. The grammar that explains why these phrases are shaped the way they are is on the other pages — but you don't need it yet to survive.
Greetings and the magic words
| Russian | Pronunciation hint | English / when |
|---|---|---|
| Здра́вствуйте | ZDRA-stvuy-tye (first в is silent) | Hello (formal/anyone) |
| Приве́т | pri-VYET | Hi (informal, friends) |
| Спаси́бо | spa-SEE-ba | Thank you |
| Пожа́луйста | pa-ZHA-lus-ta | Please / You're welcome |
| Извини́те | iz-vi-NEE-tye | Excuse me / Sorry |
| До свида́ния | da svi-DA-ni-ya | Goodbye |
The single most important word is Здра́вствуйте ("hello") — and its one trap is pronunciation. The first в is silent: you say ZDRA-stvuy-tye, not zdra-VST-vuy-tye. Russians cluster the consonants and drop that в entirely. Don't be intimidated by the spelling; the mouth-feel is just "zdrastvuytye".
Здра́вствуйте! Извини́те, пожа́луйста…
Hello! Excuse me, please… (the universal polite opener to a stranger; first в of Здра́вствуйте is silent)
Спаси́бо большо́е!
Thank you very much! (большо́е = 'big', the standard intensifier with спаси́бо)
Yes, no, and "I don't understand"
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Да | da | Yes |
| Нет | nyet | No |
| Я не понима́ю | ya ni-pa-ni-MA-yu | I don't understand |
| Повтори́те, пожа́луйста | pa-fta-REE-tye pa-ZHA-lus-ta | Please repeat that |
| Ме́дленнее, пожа́луйста | MYE-dli-nye-ye | Slower, please |
Извини́те, я не понима́ю. Повтори́те, пожа́луйста.
Sorry, I don't understand. Please repeat that. (the two-phrase rescue when you're lost)
Говори́те ме́дленнее, пожа́луйста.
Please speak more slowly. (говори́те = 'speak', ме́дленнее = 'more slowly')
Language barrier
Two phrases get you through the "I'm a foreigner" moment. Both contain the little adverb pattern по-…-ски / по-…-цки, which Russian uses to say "in (a language)".
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Вы говори́те по-англи́йски? | vy ga-va-REE-tye pa-an-GLEE-ski | Do you speak English? |
| Я не говорю́ по-ру́сски | ya ni-ga-va-RYU pa-ROO-ski | I don't speak Russian |
| Я немно́го говорю́ по-ру́сски | … nim-NO-ga … | I speak a little Russian |
The chunk to memorise is по-англи́йски ("in English") and по-ру́сски ("in Russian"). This по-…-ски form is a fixed adverb — you don't change it, you just swap the language: по-неме́цки ("German"), по-францу́зски ("French"), по-испа́нски ("Spanish"). Don't try to decline it; it never changes.
Извини́те, вы говори́те по-англи́йски?
Excuse me, do you speak English? (the question that finds you help; по-англи́йски is a fixed adverb)
Я не говорю́ по-ру́сски, то́лько немно́го.
I don't speak Russian, only a little. (по-ру́сски, the same fixed по-…-ски pattern)
Getting around and getting help
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Где…? | gdye | Where is…? |
| Где туале́т? | gdye tu-a-LYET | Where is the toilet? |
| Как пройти́ к…? | kak pra-y-TEE k | How do I get to…? |
| Ско́лько сто́ит? | SKOL-ka STO-it | How much is it? |
| Помоги́те! | pa-ma-GEE-tye | Help! |
| Вы́зовите поли́цию / ско́рую | VY-za-vi-tye … | Call the police / an ambulance |
The all-purpose locator is Где…? ("Where is…?") — just point or add a noun: Где метро́? ("Where's the metro?"), Где вы́ход? ("Where's the exit?"). And the single most-searched-for phrase of any trip: Где туале́т?
Извини́те, где туале́т?
Excuse me, where's the toilet? (Где + noun — the workhorse 'where is' question)
Как пройти́ к вокза́лу?
How do I get to the station? (Как пройти́ к + place — asking on foot directions)
Ско́лько сто́ит э́то?
How much does this cost? (Ско́лько сто́ит — the universal price question; point at the thing)
Помоги́те, пожа́луйста! Я потеря́лся.
Help, please! I'm lost. (Помоги́те = 'help!'; потеря́лся = 'I got lost', said by a man — a woman says потеря́лась)
Где ближа́йшая апте́ка?
Where's the nearest pharmacy? (ближа́йшая = 'nearest' — handy add-on to Где)
A day-one mini-dialogue
— Здра́вствуйте! Извини́те, вы говори́те по-англи́йски? — Немно́го. — Где метро́? — Там, напра́во. — Спаси́бо большо́е! — Пожа́луйста.
— Hello! Excuse me, do you speak English? — A little. — Where's the metro? — Over there, to the right. — Thank you very much! — You're welcome. (every line is a survival chunk you now know)
Common Mistakes
❌ Saying Здра́вствуйте as 'zdra-VST-vuy-tye'
The first в is SILENT. Say it 'ZDRA-stvuy-tye' — Russians drop that в entirely.
✅ Здра́вствуйте → 'ZDRA-stvuy-tye'
Hello (the natural pronunciation, with the silent first в)
❌ Я не говорю́ ру́сский.
To say 'I don't speak Russian' use the fixed adverb по-ру́сски, not the noun ру́сский: Я не говорю́ по-ру́сски.
✅ Я не говорю́ по-ру́сски.
I don't speak Russian. (по-ру́сски, the по-…-ски adverb)
❌ Using Приве́т with a police officer or shopkeeper
Приве́т is informal ('hi', for friends). With strangers and officials use Здра́вствуйте.
✅ Здра́вствуйте (to a stranger), Приве́т (to a friend)
Hello (formal) / Hi (informal) — match the formality to the person.
❌ Спаси́бо, when someone thanks YOU.
To answer 'thank you', say Пожа́луйста ('you're welcome'), not Спаси́бо back automatically.
✅ — Спаси́бо! — Пожа́луйста.
— Thank you! — You're welcome. (Пожа́луйста is the reply to thanks)
❌ Pronouncing Ско́лько сто́ит with stress on the last syllables
Stress is on the FIRST syllable of each: SKOL-ka STO-it, not skol-KO sto-IT.
✅ Ско́лько сто́ит? → 'SKOL-ka STO-it'
How much is it? (correct stress: first syllable of each word)
Key Takeaways
- Learn these as whole chunks — you don't need grammar to use them. The system underneath comes later.
- Здра́вствуйте = hello; the first в is silent ("ZDRA-stvuy-tye"). Use Приве́т only with friends.
- Пожа́луйста = please and you're welcome; Извини́те = excuse me and sorry.
- For languages, use the fixed по-…-ски adverb: по-англи́йски, по-ру́сски — never the bare noun, never changing the ending.
- The high-frequency questions: Где…? (where), Ско́лько сто́ит? (how much), Как пройти́ к…? (how to get to), Помоги́те! (help).
Now practice Russian
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Russian→Related Topics
- Greetings and FarewellsA1 — The full hello-and-goodbye system with register. Greetings: Здра́вствуйте (formal/plural, with a silent first в — 'zdrastvuytye'), Здра́вствуй (informal sg), Приве́т (casual), and the time-of-day До́брое у́тро / До́брый день / До́брый ве́чер. Farewells: До свида́ния (formal, 'until the meeting'), Пока́ (casual), До за́втра / До встре́чи / Уви́димся, Споко́йной но́чи. The insight English speakers miss: most farewell-wishes are frozen GENITIVES governed by an implied 'I wish you' — Споко́йной но́чи, Счастли́вого пути́, Всего́ до́брого — so they look like fragments but are genitive objects of жела́ть; and Как дела́? expects a brief positive default, not a real status report.
- Please, Thank You, SorryA1 — The core courtesy formulas. Пожа́луйста is overloaded — 'please' (request), 'you're welcome' (reply to thanks), and 'here you go' (handing something over); context decides. Спаси́бо (thanks; Большо́е спаси́бо; Спаси́бо за + accusative). Replies to thanks: Пожа́луйста, Не за что ('don't mention it'), На здоро́вье (food). Apologies: Извини́те / Извини́ (minor), Прости́те / Прости́ (heavier, 'forgive me'), Прошу́ проще́ния (formal). The insight English speakers miss: пожа́луйста's triple duty; Russians split Извини́те (small) from Прости́те (serious) more than English 'sorry'; and Не за что (lit. 'there's nothing to thank for') is the natural humble reply learners wrongly replace with пожа́луйста.
- Introducing YourselfA1 — The self-introduction routine — and why it secretly drills four A1 cornerstones at once: Меня́ зову́т + name (accusative меня́ 'me' + the name in the NOMINATIVE), Я из + GENITIVE for origin (Я из Аме́рики), the zero copula for profession (Я студе́нт, no 'am'), and Мне + number + лет for age (DATIVE), closed off with the fixed О́чень прия́тно.
- Asking for and Giving DirectionsA2 — Getting around on foot and by transport: asking the way with Как пройти́…? (on foot) vs Как дое́хать…? (by vehicle), both taking до + genitive for the destination; giving directions with imperatives (Иди́те / Поезжа́йте пря́мо, Поверни́те напра́во / нале́во); landmarks with до светофо́ра (до + gen 'as far as'), на углу́ ('on the corner', locative), напро́тив (+ gen) and ря́дом с (+ instrumental).
- ShoppingA2 — Set phrases for shopping, tied to their grammar: asking prices with Ско́лько сто́ит? (singular) vs Ско́лько сто́ят? (plural), the numeral government that decides рубль / рубля́ / рубле́й, paying нали́чными / ка́ртой in the instrumental, плати́ть за + accusative, and survival phrases like Покажи́те, пожа́луйста, Я возьму́ э́то, Где ка́сса?, сда́ча and ски́дка.
- Ты vs Вы: Informal and Formal AddressA1 — Russian forces a choice every time you say 'you': ты (singular, informal — family, close friends, children, peers, animals, God) versus вы (formal address to one person you don't know well, an elder, or a professional — AND the plural 'you'). Covers why вы to one person triggers PLURAL agreement (Вы пришли́?, Вы за́няты?), the capitalised Вы of formal letters, the social rules for who gets which, and the relationship milestone of switching to ты (Дава́й на ты!) — with the transfer errors English speakers make.