Thursday, January 3, 2008

Russian Phrases (stolen from Catalina's blog)

  1. Preevyet ("hi" - much shorter and easier to say than hello which is zdras-vootye)
  2. Dobre den / ootra / vecher (if you prefer something more formal - "good day, morning, evening")
  3. Kak dela? ("how's it going?")
  4. Normalno (standard answer to #3 meaning "fine")
  5. Kak zavoot? / menya zavoot... ("what is your name? my name is...")
  6. Eezveneetse ("excuse me")
  7. Mozhna? ("may I?" then just pantomine what you want to do)
  8. Ya nee puneemayo ("I don't understand")
  9. Skolka? ("how much?" you can add 'sto-eet' to the end to add "does it cost?" but pointing together with just the one word should get your point across to a vendor who wishes to sell you something)
  10. Ya hachoo ("I want/would like" - for ordering in a restaurant)11. Na starovia ("to your health" - when toasting for the umpteenth time, just before you pour that N=X glass of vodka in the nearest plant)
  11. Shto eta? ("what is it?" not polite to ask when dining at someone's house - especially if you add "the heck" to the middle)
  12. Spaseeba ("thank you" - if done enthusiastically with a smile will label you as a goofy American!)
  13. Doh sveedanya ("goodbye")
  14. Pivo ("beer" - one for the guys), afterward, if needed, gehday twalyet? (self-explanatory)16. Eedtee sooda ("come here")
  15. Eta ("that one" useful when pointing at the pastries)
  16. zdes / tam ("here" or "there" - add to eta if you didn't get the pastry you wanted)
  17. Moe sin / maya dochka ("my son" / "my daughter")
  18. Ya loobloo tebya ("I love you")

4 comments:

Amy said...

Wow Suzanne!!! This is great!!! So helpful...you are saving me so much time!!! This is great!

Angela said...

Wow! Have you been busy?! Thanks so much for sharing this awesome resource!

Chris & Christy said...

Right on, these are definitely the 'must knows' while here in Kaz. These are the ones that I have post marked in my 'Lonely Planet English to Russian' translation book too. You MUST know these!!!!!! :)

Good Post!
Christy

Chris & Christy said...

Forgot to add, they say: pokka or paka here for bye, that is much easier to say than the good-bye you have posted.

paka (p, short o, k, u like ugly)

Christy :)