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The game

Path — speak your way home

A new eastbound line each run. Construct a sentence at every city. The clock only bites when you miss. Amsterdam · Helsinki · Yerevan · Delhi · Manila.

🔥 Good evening — your Russian path

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A ~5-minute daily loop that keeps Russian alive. Start anywhere.

Languages map

Click a country. Start the language.

A world map of courses we actually teach — not a booking map, and not Path.

🎯 Build Challenge

Build a sentence you've never seen

You already know two Russian words. Can you construct a brand-new sentence from them?

I wantquiero

coffeecafé

So how would you say “I want coffee.”?

That's LanguagePath.

The LanguagePath Method™

Reason it out — don't cram it in

You won't memorize phrases. You'll construct real sentences, then listen and rebuild them. Every step reuses what you already built — so the language compounds.

1 · UNDERSTANDGet one piece of the language.

2 · CONSTRUCTBuild a sentence you've never seen.

3 · SAYSay it out loud before you reveal.

4 · HEARListen and compare with the target.

5 · REBUILDReuse those pieces in the next sentence.

Language Bridges™

You're not always starting from zero

Every language you already know hands you free bridges to a new one. Words stick on first contact when you spot the connection.

English — information
French — informations
Spanish — información
Portuguese — informação

Add the languages you already speak in the 🌐 Hub → Settings — then tap ✨ Bridge on any phrase to surface the real cognates and shared roots that make new words click.

Real sentences you'll learn to build in Russian

Build real sentences from pieces you already know. Tap any phrase to hear it — then you'll build them yourself.

What you'll learn in Russian

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Each lesson builds on the last, reusing what you already know. Tap a lesson to jump in.

Explore the Learning Library

Short, interactive pages on specific skills and situations — each one teaches you something real, then hands you straight into a course.

Learn practical Arabic for life in the UAEHow to say greetings in SpanishSpanish numbers 1–20Introduce yourself in SpanishSer vs Estar — the two Spanish 'to be' verbsArabic greetings (MSA)

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Frequently asked questions

Is LanguagePath free?

Yes, every lesson, course and tool is free to use, with no account or sign-up. Two things are optional and paid: LanguagePath Pro ($4.99 a month or $29 a year), which removes ads and adds extra AI practice, and printable Travel Phrase Pack PDFs ($9 per city, or $19 for all 8). Advertising only loads after you consent — the site stays fully usable if you reject it.

Do I need an account?

No. Your progress is saved in your own browser's local storage. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

How is LanguagePath different?

You don't memorize phrases — you reason them out. The teacher gives you a piece, you build real sentences yourself, say them aloud, then reveal and check. Every step reuses what you already built.

Which languages can I learn?

Nine flagship courses (Mandarin, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Telugu, Farsi) plus dozens more in the picker. Each Path rolls a new eastbound line of cities from languages you can practise here.

What is Path?

Path is LanguagePath’s race: construct a sentence at each city. Misses cost days; a clean build costs nothing. The eighty-day clock is the rule, not the title. Explore → Path, or tap Play Path above.

🧠 How this works

Russian — Russian is built the reason-it-out way: you learn the pieces, then construct real sentences yourself. It starts with everyday, useful sentences.

The 3 rules of the method

🗣️ Say everything out loud. Silent reading doesn't build speech. Speak before you reveal.

⏸️ Always pause and try first. When you hit a challenge, actually work it out — getting it slightly wrong is how it sticks. Then tap Reveal.

🔁 Don't fear forgetting. Everything comes back through use in later steps. Keep moving; understanding beats memorizing.

Your course (≈10 min each)

Do roughly one a day. They build in order — each lesson reuses the last.

🎧 Lessons

Tap to begin. Speak each answer aloud before revealing.

🔁 Spaced recall

Your daily warm-up. Sentences you've built come back at growing gaps — but don't recall them from memory. Rebuild each one from its pieces, every time; that's what makes them permanent. Read the English, work it out aloud, then reveal.

🧩 Build

The real test of the method: brand-new sentences you've never seen, made only from words and structures you've already learned. You can't recall these — you have to construct them. That's fluency in miniature.

👂 Listening drills

Real conversations hit your ear with no subtitles. Here you only hear the language — work out the meaning, then reveal. This trains the skill you'll actually use in real conversations.

🗣️ Shadowing

A powerful way to develop more natural rhythm and pronunciation: hear a line and repeat it immediately, copying the rhythm and melody — not translating. 10–15 focused minutes beats an hour of tired mimicry.

✚ Chunk builder

Heard a useful phrase out in the world? Capture it here. Every chunk you save joins your Recall, Listen, Shadow and Quiz automatically — so it actually sticks.

📺 Resources & daily plan

Free listening you can understand and enjoy — the comprehensible-input piece. Mix these with your lessons.

💬 Real conversations

Full exchanges you'll actually have, start to finish. Tap 🔊 on any line, or play the whole conversation. Try covering the English and reading the other language aloud.

🎯 Quiz

Test yourself across everything you've learned. Multiple-choice both ways, plus a typing challenge. You need 80% to call a set solid.

🤖 Conversation partner

The practice no drill gives you: a real back-and-forth. Chat with an AI partner that stays at a beginner level and gently corrects you — a powerful way to turn what you've learned into speech.

🌍 Culture & etiquette

Speaking well is half of it — these unwritten rules will make locals warm to you instantly.

🗂️ Pocket phrases

Grab-and-go reference for real situations — greetings, numbers, emergencies that you just need ready. Search or filter, tap 🔊.

🔊 Sounds

Quick grammar

🌐 Hub

Your command centre — progress across every language, one daily plan, a single review that spans them all, and a phrase explorer that shows how your languages connect.

Learning Russian: a practical guide

This is a written companion to the free Russian course on LanguagePath: what the language is like, how it sounds, the phrases you will use first, how the course is structured, and what to watch out for. Everything here comes from the same lessons you can practise interactively above.

What Russian is like

Russian has no words for a or the — кофе can mean "coffee", "a coffee" or "the coffee". The verb to be is usually dropped in the present: Он студент = he (is) a student. Word order is flexible, so you can move words around for emphasis. One thing to practise: stress. It moves from word to word, so learn each word with its stressed vowel marked — it's the key to being understood.

Words you may already know

🎈 English. Russian has borrowed plenty of words you'll recognise: компьютер (computer), такси (taxi), интернет (internet), кофе (coffee), мама (mum). 🇺🇦 Ukrainian. Russian and Ukrainian are close cousins — much of the alphabet and vocabulary lines up, and a lot of Ukrainian speakers understand Russian (and vice versa). What you learn here will help you in both.

Pronunciation notes

Russian is written in Cyrillic. A handful of letters match English exactly — learn the ones that differ and you can read almost any word aloud.

ы — A deep "i" with the tongue pulled back and the lips relaxed — there is no English match. Copy the audio., as in мы = mih · вы = vih.
э — A crisp, open "e" as in "get" — with no "y" glide before it., as in это = EH-tah · этот = EH-taht.
й — A short "y" as in "yes". It always follows a vowel and never stands alone., as in чай = chai · дай = dai.
ь / ъ — Not sounded on their own. The soft sign ь softens the consonant before it (palatalised); ъ is the rare hard sign., as in пять = pyat · подъезд = pahd-YEHZD.
ж — Like the "s" in "measure" — a voiced "zh"., as in жизнь = zheezn · уже = oo-ZHEH.
ш — Like "sh" in "ship" — but with the tongue tip pulled back, a little deeper., as in школа = SHKOH-lah · хорошо = hah-rah-SHOH.
щ — A long, soft "shch" — like "fresh cheese" squeezed together. It is always soft., as in борщ = borshch · ещё = eh-SHCHYOH.
ц — A crisp "ts" as in "cats" — never a plain "s"., as in царь = tsar · улица = OO-lee-tsa.

First phrases

The pocket phrases below are the ones learners reach for most often. Say each one out loud a few times before moving on.

Russian	Pronunciation	Meaning
Здравствуйте	ZDRAST-vwee-tyeh	Hello (formal)
Привет	pree-VYET	Hi
До свидания	dah svee-DAH-nee-yuh	Goodbye
Как дела?	kak dee-LAH	How are you?
Пожалуйста	pah-ZHAH-loos-tah	Please / you're welcome
Спасибо	spah-SEE-bah	Thank you
Извините	eez-vee-NEE-tyeh	Excuse me / sorry
Да	dah	Yes
Нет	nyeht	No
один	ah-DEEN	1
два	dvah	2
три	tree	3
четыре	chee-TIH-ree	4
пять	pyat	5
вода	vah-DAH	water
хлеб	khlyep	bread
чай	chai	tea
кофе	KOH-feh	coffee
меню	meh-NYOO	the menu
счёт	schyot	the bill
Где...?	gdyeh	Where is...?
налево	nah-LYEH-vah	to the left
направо	nah-PRAH-vah	to the right
прямо	PRYAH-mah	straight ahead
вокзал	vahg-ZAHL	the station
Сколько стоит?	SKOL-kah STOH-eet	How much is it?
У вас есть...?	oo vahs yest	Do you have...?
дорого	DOH-rah-gah	expensive
Я беру	ya bee-ROO	I'll take it
Помогите!	pah-mah-GHEE-tyeh	Help!

How the Russian course is structured

The course has 16 short lessons that build on each other. Each one introduces a few new pieces and then asks you to construct sentences you have never seen, before revealing the answer:

Greetings — hello — Здравствуйте · Привет · До свидания
Polite phrases — Спасибо · Пожалуйста · Извините
Numbers 1–10 — Один · Два · Три · Десять
I want" — хочу & нужно — Я хочу · Мне нужно · Можно
Food & drink — Вода · Хлеб · Чай · Кофе · Счёт
Getting around — Где? · Налево · Направо · Прямо
Questions & "do you have…?" — У вас есть…? · Сколько стоит? · Это
Family & people — Семья · Мама · Папа · Друг
Time, days & weather — Сегодня · Завтра · Какая погода?
Introducing yourself — Меня зовут · Как вас зовут? · Очень приятно
Health & emergency — Помогите! · Врач · Аптека · Я не понимаю
Tying it together — A full day in Russian
Airport & tickets — аэропорт · паспорт · билет · рейс
The taxi — такси · ехать · отель · остановитесь
The hotel — бронь · номер · ключ · ночь
Ask for help — я не понимаю · медленнее · английский

Inside the lessons

Here is how a few of the lessons explain the language, with worked examples and the word-by-word breakdown the course uses.

Greetings — hello

Key pieces: Здравствуйте · Привет · До свидания

Russian has two ways to say hello. The formal Здравствуйте is for strangers, shops and work. The informal Привет is for friends.

Здравствуйте (ZDRAST-vwee-tyeh) — hello (formal)
Привет (pree-VYET) — hi (informal)
До свидания (dah svee-DAH-nee-yuh) — goodbye
Доброе утро (DOH-brah-yeh OO-trah) — good morning

To say “Hello (formal)” in Russian: Здравствуйте (ZDRAST-vwee-tyeh). Built from здравствуйте = hello (formal).

Shorter and friendlier: Привет — hi.

To say “Hi” in Russian: Привет (pree-VYET). Built from привет = hi (informal).

To ask how someone is: Как дела? — literally "how are things?".

Как дела? (kak dee-LAH) — How are you?
Хорошо (hah-rah-SHOH) — well / good
Спасибо (spah-SEE-bah) — thank you

To say “Hello! How are you?” in Russian: Здравствуйте! Как дела? (ZDRAST-vwee-tyeh! kak dee-LAH?). Built from здравствуйте = hello; как дела? = how are you?.

Polite phrases

Key pieces: Спасибо · Пожалуйста · Извините

The word you'll use every single day: Спасибо — thank you.

Спасибо (spah-SEE-bah) — thank you
Пожалуйста (pah-ZHAH-loos-tah) — please / you're welcome
Извините (eez-vee-NEE-tyeh) — excuse me / sorry
Да (dah) — yes
Нет (nyeht) — no

To say “Thank you” in Russian: Спасибо (spah-SEE-bah). Built from спасибо = thank you.

Пожалуйста does two jobs — it means both "please" and "you're welcome".

To say “A coffee, please” in Russian: Кофе, пожалуйста (KOH-feh, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from кофе = coffee; пожалуйста = please.

To get someone's attention or apologise: Извините — excuse me / sorry.

To say “Yes / No” in Russian: Да / Нет (dah / nyeht). Built from да = yes; нет = no.

Numbers 1–10

Key pieces: Один · Два · Три · Десять

Numbers are the fastest win. Listen and repeat the first five: Один, два, три, четыре, пять .

один (ah-DEEN) — 1
два (dvah) — 2
три (tree) — 3
четыре (chee-TIH-ree) — 4
пять (pyat) — 5

To say “Two coffees, please” in Russian: Два кофе, пожалуйста (dvah KOH-feh, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from два = two; кофе = coffee; пожалуйста = please.

Now 6 to 10: Шесть, семь, восемь, девять, десять .

шесть (shest) — 6
семь (syem) — 7
восемь (VOH-syem) — 8
девять (DYEH-vyet) — 9
десять (DYEH-syet) — 10

To say “Three coffees, please” in Russian: Три кофе, пожалуйста (tree KOH-feh, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from три = three; кофе = coffee; пожалуйста = please.

To say “It's five rubles” in Russian: Пять рублей (pyat roo-BLAY). Built from пять = five; рублей = rubles.

I want" — хочу & нужно

Key pieces: Я хочу · Мне нужно · Можно

The magic phrase to ask for anything: Я хочу — I want.

To say “I want tea” in Russian: Я хочу чай (ya hah-CHOO chai). Built from я = I; хочу = I want; чай = tea.

To say you need something, use Мне нужно — I need. For a feminine noun the word changes slightly, e.g. мне нужна вода — same idea.

To say “I need water” in Russian: Мне нужна вода (mnyeh noozh-NAH vah-DAH). Built from мне нужна = I need (fem. object); вода = water.

To ask for permission, use Можно? — may I? / is it OK?

To say “May I?” in Russian: Можно? (MOHZH-nah). Built from можно = may I / is it allowed.

Food & drink

Key pieces: Вода · Хлеб · Чай · Кофе · Счёт

Eating out? The essentials: вода (water), хлеб (bread), чай (tea), кофе (coffee).

вода (vah-DAH) — water
хлеб (khlyep) — bread
чай (chai) — tea
кофе (KOH-feh) — coffee Memory hook: ≈ English coffee.
молоко (mah-lah-KOH) — milk
вино (vee-NOH) — wine Memory hook: ≈ English wine.

To say “Water and bread, please” in Russian: Вода и хлеб, пожалуйста (vah-DAH ee khlyep, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from вода = water; и = and; хлеб = bread; пожалуйста = please.

To order the menu or ask for the bill: меню and счёт .

меню (meh-NYOO) — the menu Memory hook: ≈ English menu.
счёт (schyot) — the bill
вкусно (VKOOS-nah) — tasty / delicious

To say “The bill, please” in Russian: Счёт, пожалуйста (schyot, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from счёт = the bill; пожалуйста = please.

Getting around

Key pieces: Где? · Налево · Направо · Прямо

The most useful question in any city: Где…? — where is…?

Где...? (gdyeh) — Where is...?
налево (nah-LYEH-vah) — to the left
направо (nah-PRAH-vah) — to the right
прямо (PRYAH-mah) — straight ahead
вокзал (vahg-ZAHL) — the station
туалет (too-ah-LYET) — the bathroom Memory hook: ≈ English toilet.

To say “Where is the station?” in Russian: Где вокзал? (gdyeh vahg-ZAHL?). Built from где = where; вокзал = the station.

To say “Where is the bathroom?” in Russian: Где туалет? (gdyeh too-ah-LYET?). Built from где = where; туалет = the bathroom.

Налево and направо tell you which way to turn. Прямо is straight ahead.

To say “Straight ahead, then left” in Russian: Прямо, потом налево (PRYAH-mah, pah-TOM nah-LYEH-vah). Built from прямо = straight ahead; потом = then; налево = to the left.

Questions & "do you have…?"

Key pieces: У вас есть…? · Сколько стоит? · Это

To ask if someone has something: У вас есть…? (formal). With friends, use У тебя есть…?

To say “Do you have a table?” in Russian: У вас есть стол? (oo vahs yest stol?). Built from у вас есть = do you have; стол = a table.

To ask the price: Сколько стоит? — how much does it cost?

To say “How much is this?” in Russian: Сколько это стоит? (SKOL-kah EH-tah STOH-eet?). Built from сколько = how much; это = this; стоит = it costs.

Это = this / it — a very handy little word in shops.

To say “Do you have tea?” in Russian: У вас есть чай? (oo vahs yest chai?). Built from у вас есть = do you have; чай = tea.

Family & people

Key pieces: Семья · Мама · Папа · Друг

Family words: семья (family), мама (mum), папа (dad).

семья (seem-YAH) — family
мама (MAH-mah) — mum
папа (PAH-pah) — dad
брат (braht) — brother Memory hook: ≈ English brother.
сестра (sees-TRAH) — sister Memory hook: ≈ English sister.
друг (droog) — friend

To say “This is my family” in Russian: Это моя семья (EH-tah mah-YAH seem-YAH). Built from это = this is; моя = my (fem.); семья = family.

Мой = my (masculine), моя = my (feminine). семья is feminine, so моя семья.

To say “This is my friend” in Russian: Это мой друг (EH-tah moy droog). Built from это = this is; мой = my (masc.); друг = friend.

Time, days & weather

Key pieces: Сегодня · Завтра · Какая погода?

Today is сегодня , tomorrow is завтра , now is сейчас .

сегодня (see-GOHD-nya) — today
завтра (ZAHF-trah) — tomorrow
вчера (fchee-RAH) — yesterday
сейчас (see-CHAS) — now
день (dyen) — day

To say “See you tomorrow” in Russian: До завтра (dah ZAHF-trah). Built from до = until; завтра = tomorrow.

Ask about the weather: Какая погода?

Какая погода? (kah-KAH-yah pah-GOH-dah) — what's the weather?
дождь (dohzhd) — rain
снег (snyek) — snow
солнце (SOHN-tseh) — sun

To say “It's raining” in Russian: Идёт дождь (ee-DYOT dohzhd). Built from идёт = goes / falls; дождь = rain.

Introducing yourself

Key pieces: Меня зовут · Как вас зовут? · Очень приятно

Introduce yourself: Меня зовут… = my name is…. It literally means "they call me…".

To say “My name is Alex” in Russian: Меня зовут Alex (mee-NYAH zah-VOOT Alex). Built from меня = me; зовут = they call; Alex = your name.

To ask someone's name: Как вас зовут? (formal). For friends: Как тебя зовут?

To say “What's your name?” in Russian: Как вас зовут? (kahk vahs zah-VOOT?). Built from как = how; вас = you (formal); зовут = (they) call.

Очень приятно = pleased to meet you. Lovely to say when you meet someone new.

To say “Pleased to meet you” in Russian: Очень приятно (OH-cheen pree-YAHT-nah). Built from очень = very; приятно = pleased / nice.

Health & emergency

Key pieces: Помогите! · Врач · Аптека · Я не понимаю

The most important words if you need help: Помогите! (help!), врач (doctor), аптека (pharmacy).

Помогите! (pah-mah-GHEE-tyeh) — Help!
врач (vrach) — the doctor
аптека (ahp-TYEH-kah) — the pharmacy
больница (bahl-NEE-tsa) — the hospital
полиция (pah-LEE-tsee-ya) — the police Memory hook: ≈ English police.

To say “Help!” in Russian: Помогите! (pah-mah-GHEE-tyeh). Built from помогите = help.

If you don't understand: Я не понимаю — I don't understand.

To say “I don't understand” in Russian: Я не понимаю (ya neh pah-nee-MAH-yoo). Built from я = I; не = not; понимаю = I understand.

To say “I need a doctor” in Russian: Мне нужен врач (mnyeh NOO-zhen vrach). Built from мне нужен = I need (masc. object); врач = a doctor.

Tying it together

Key pieces: A full day in Russian

Great — you've built a real toolbox. This capstone uses only words you've met. Build each line yourself before revealing.

To say “I want tea, please” in Russian: Я хочу чай, пожалуйста (ya hah-CHOO chai, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from я хочу = I want; чай = tea; пожалуйста = please.

To say “Where is the station?” in Russian: Где вокзал? (gdyeh vahg-ZAHL?). Built from где = where; вокзал = the station.

To say “How much is this?” in Russian: Сколько это стоит? (SKOL-kah EH-tah STOH-eet?). Built from сколько стоит = how much; это = this.

Airport & tickets

Key pieces: аэропорт · паспорт · билет · рейс

You have landed. The building is the аэропорт . Your document is a паспорт .

аэропорт (ah-eh-rah-PORT) — the airport
паспорт (PAS-part) — the passport
билет (bee-LYET) — the ticket
рейс (rayss) — the flight
выход (VIH-khat) — the gate

To say “Where is the airport?” in Russian: Где аэропорт? (gdyeh ah-eh-rah-PORT). Built from где = where; аэропорт = the airport.

To say “Here is my passport” in Russian: Вот мой паспорт (voht moy PAS-part). Built from вот = here is; мой = my; паспорт = passport.

To say “A ticket, please” in Russian: Билет, пожалуйста (bee-LYET, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from билет = ticket; пожалуйста = please.

To say “Where is the gate?” in Russian: Где выход? (gdyeh VIH-khat). Built from где = where; выход = the gate.

The taxi

Key pieces: такси · ехать · отель · остановитесь

The driver is waiting. такси is the word you need. Tell them where to go with я хочу ехать .

такси (tak-SEE) — the taxi
водитель (vah-DEE-teel) — the driver
я хочу ехать (ya hah-CHOO YE-khat) — I want to go
остановитесь здесь (ah-stah-nah-VEE-tes zdyehs) — stop here

To say “Taxi, please” in Russian: Такси, пожалуйста (tak-SEE, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from такси = taxi; пожалуйста = please.

To say “I want to go to the hotel” in Russian: Я хочу ехать в отель (ya hah-CHOO YE-khat v ah-TEL). Built from я хочу ехать = I want to go; в отель = to the hotel.

To say “Stop here, please” in Russian: Остановитесь здесь, пожалуйста (ah-stah-nah-VEE-tes zdyehs, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from остановитесь = stop; здесь = here; пожалуйста = please.

To say “How much is it?” in Russian: Сколько это стоит? (SKOL-kah EH-tah STOH-eet). Built from сколько = how much; это = it; стоит = costs.

The hotel

Key pieces: бронь · номер · ключ · ночь

At the desk: У меня бронь — I have a reservation.

отель (ah-TEL) — the hotel
бронь (bron) — the reservation
номер (NOH-mer) — the room
ключ (klyooch) — the key
одна ночь (ahd-NAH noch) — one night

To say “I have a reservation” in Russian: У меня бронь (oo mee-NYAH bron). Built from у меня = I have; бронь = a reservation.

To say “A room for one night, please” in Russian: Номер на одну ночь, пожалуйста (NOH-mer nah ahd-NOO noch, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from номер = a room; на одну ночь = for one night; пожалуйста = please.

To say “The key, please” in Russian: Ключ, пожалуйста (klyooch, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from ключ = the key; пожалуйста = please.

To say “Where is my room?” in Russian: Где мой номер? (gdyeh moy NOH-mer). Built from где = where; мой номер = my room.

Ask for help

Key pieces: я не понимаю · медленнее · английский

When the language is too fast: Медленнее, пожалуйста — slower, please.

медленнее (MYED-lee-nee-yeh) — slower
ещё раз (eh-SHCHYOH rahs) — again
английский (ahn-GLEEY-skee) — English
вы можете помочь? (vi MOH-zheh-tyeh pah-MOCH) — can you help?

To say “I don't understand” in Russian: Я не понимаю (ya neh pah-nee-MAH-yoo). Built from я = I; не = not; понимаю = I understand.

To say “Slower, please” in Russian: Медленнее, пожалуйста (MYED-lee-nee-yeh, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah). Built from медленнее = slower; пожалуйста = please.

To say “Can you help me?” in Russian: Вы можете мне помочь? (vi MOH-zheh-tyeh mnyeh pah-MOCH). Built from вы можете = can you; мне = me; помочь = help.

To say “Do you speak English?” in Russian: Вы говорите по-английски? (vi gah-vah-REE-tyeh pah ahn-GLEEY-skee). Built from вы говорите = do you speak; по-английски = in English.

Common mistakes and things to watch out for

Здравствуйте (ZDRAST-vwee-tyeh): formal.
Привет (pree-VYET): informal.

Culture and etiquette

Cyrillic is your friend

Don't be scared — a lot of Cyrillic letters match Latin: А, Е, К, М, О, Т look identical to English. You already know half the alphabet; the rest is around 15 new shapes. Learn the sounds below and you can read almost anything.

ты vs вы

Use вы (vy) with strangers, elders and in shops. Use ты (ty) with friends and children. When in doubt, start with вы — moving to ты is a warm sign of friendship, not a slur.

Smiling is reserved

Russians often don't smile at strangers or on the street — it's not rudeness. A smile is a real signal of warmth, not a customer-service habit. Don't take it personally!

What's on the plate

Borscht (борщ), pelmeni dumplings, blini crepes and olivier salad are classics. Tea is a big deal too — offered generously with sweets. Say приятного аппетита — enjoy your meal.

Flowers have rules

If you're invited to someone's home, bring an odd number of flowers — 1, 3, 5… Even numbers are for funerals. It's one of the most-remembered etiquette points.

A little Russian goes far

A "здравствуйте" and "спасибо" open doors. Russians warm up fast to visitors who try their language — effort matters far more than perfect grammar.

Example dialogues

At a café

You: Здравствуйте! Один кофе, пожалуйста. (ZDRAST-vwee-tyeh! ah-DEEN KOH-feh, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah) — Hello! One coffee, please.

Barista: Пожалуйста. Что-нибудь ещё? (pah-ZHAH-loos-tah. shtoh-NEE-boot eh-SHCHYOH?) — Here you are. Anything else?

You: Нет, спасибо. Сколько это стоит? (nyeht, spah-SEE-bah. SKOL-kah EH-tah STOH-eet?) — No, thanks. How much is that?

Barista: Двести рублей. (DVYEH-stee roob-LYAY) — Two hundred rubles.

You: Спасибо большое! (bahl-SHO-yeh spah-SEE-bah) — Thank you very much!

At the station

You: Извините, где вокзал? (eez-vee-NEE-tyeh, gdyeh vahg-ZAHL?) — Excuse me, where's the station?

Local: Прямо, потом налево. (PRYAH-mah, pah-TOM nah-LYEH-vah) — Straight ahead, then left.

You: Спасибо. Один билет до Москвы, пожалуйста. (spah-SEE-bah. ah-DEEN bee-LYET dah mahs-KVEE, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah) — Thanks. One ticket to Moscow, please.

Clerk: Пятьсот рублей. Поезд в три часа. (peet-SOHT roob-LYAY. POH-yezd f tree chee-SAH) — Five hundred rubles. The train at three o'clock.

At a restaurant

Waiter: Добрый вечер! Столик на двоих? (DOH-bree VYEH-cheer! STOH-leek nah dvah-EEKH?) — Good evening! A table for two?

You: Да, пожалуйста. (dah, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah) — Yes, please.

You: Я хочу борщ и чай. (ya hah-CHOO borzhch ee chai) — I want borscht and tea.

Waiter: Отличный выбор! (aht-LEECH-nee VEE-bahr!) — Excellent choice!

You: Счёт, пожалуйста. (schyot, pah-ZHAH-loos-tah) — The bill, please.

Written by the LanguagePath editorial team from our own course material. Pronunciation guides are approximate English respellings; tap any phrase in the app above to hear it. Native-speaker review of every course is ongoing — tell us if you spot an error.