Professional Documents
Culture Documents
600 Russian Phrases
600 Russian Phrases
Hello everyone!
The goal of this book is to teach you Russian phrases (not just individual
Russian words) that can be used in various situations. These phrases are
common expressions used by native speakers. You can sometimes find
some explanations about when to use a phrase or what exactly it means.
For better navigation, you can click on the heads in the table of contents.
You can practice listening to and pronouncing the phrases with the
accompanying MP3s. Enjoy!
BEGINNERS’ PHRASES 5
INTERMEDIATE PHRASES 29
ADVANCED PHRASES 49
Beginners usually know how to read and write in Russian, how to use
simple sentences, how to act and what to say in everyday situations.
So, you have been learning Russian for just a couple of months? Or
maybe you’re planning a trip to Moscow or St. Petersburg? You want to
know how to communicate with native speakers on a basic level? This
section is just right for you!
Below you will find a list of basic words and phrases that Russian native
speakers use every day in different situations (greetings, introductions,
apologizing, invitations)! Even if you’re just starting to learn the Russian
language, you don’t have to use only one way of saying something. It’s
so boring! Next time impress your teacher or your Russian pen pal with
“благодарю” instead of just “спасибо” and with “счастливо” instead of
“до свидания”. And if you’re planning a trip to Russia, learning informal
phrases will be very useful for future communication with native
speakers.
Привет – Hi (informal)
Доброй ночи – Hello (saying at night, not the same with ‘good night’)
Здорово – Hi (informal)
Пока-пока! – Bye-bye!
Спасибо – Thanks
5 Ways of apologizing
Виноват – My fault
Хорошо – Ok
Name 1, это Name 2. Name 2, это name 1 (ex. Маша, это Иван.
Иван, это Маша) – you should place girl/more important person/elder
person first (name 1)
Правда? – Really?
Ясно – Got it
Понятно – Gotcha
Конечно – Sure
Так-так? – Well-well
Продолжай(те) – Go on
Мммм? – Mmmm?
Прошу прощения, боюсь, что мне нужно … – I’m sorry, but I have
to…
Как…? – How…?
Aлло?/Алё – Hello?
Здравствуйте – Hello
Его нет на месте, что ему передать? – He’s not here. Would you like
to leave a message?
Я думаю… – I think…
Согласен – I agree
Точно – True
Верно – Right
Правильно – Absolutely
Не согласен – I disagree
Поздравляю! – Congratulations!
Здорово! – Wonderful!
Превосходно! – Awesome!
Благодарю, я сыт – Thank you, I am full (as a refusal for food offering)
Я ненавижу… – I hate…
Я планирую… – I am planning to …
Я намереваюсь… – I am intended to …
Почему бы нам не… (ex. сделать работу)? – Why don’t we… (ex.
do our job)?
Я фрилансер– I am a freelancer
Я на пенсии – I am retired
Я в поиске – I am in search
Я разведен(а) – I am divorced
Below you will find a list of words and phrases that will help you to
sound more natural. You’ll learn how to go deeper into the dialogue by
checking if the other person understands you, how to speak in different
ways of remembering, forgetting and reminding about things, how to
cheer someone up and so much more.
And don’t forget to listen to mp3 files, because some phrases may
sound surprisingly different from what you expected.
Замечательно! – Excellent!
Тяжело – It is hard
Придётся попотеть – That will break a sweat (to the problem you
going to solve in the future)
Я обещаю… – I promise…
Клянусь, я… – I swear, I…
Я устал – I am tired
Я истощён – I am exhausted
Я проспал – I overslept
Верно – Right
Правильно – True
Он умён – He is smart
Он гений – He is a genius
Он дурак – He is a fool
Advanced level students can speak and understand very well but
sometimes have problems with unfamiliar situations and vocabulary.
They can read Russian nineteenth-century classical literature in the
original and discuss it using specific terms. Also, they can fluently
talk to native speakers about professional matters and everyday
situations. The only problem is the lack of so called informal
vocabulary. Most advanced students still don’t sound natural enough
when they speak Russian.
Below you will find the list of phrases that will help you to enrich your
speaking. You will learn several ways of how to avoid answering a
question, to discuss statistics, to compare things with each other and
so much more! This is the last step to increase your everyday
vocabulary. Good luck!
Не суйте свой нос в чужие дела – Mind your own business (quite
rude, ‘don’t stick your nose in my business’)
Он богатый – He is rich
Он состоятельный – He is wealthy
У него денег куры не клюют – He is filthy rich (‘so much money that
even chickens don’t eat it’)
У него туча денег – He has tons of money (‘туча’ means ‘storm cloud’)
У него денег пруд пруди – He’s making a killing (‘pouring money like
a pond’)
Он знает … как свои пять пальцев – He knows this like the back of
his hand (regarding knowledge) (‘like his 5 fingers’)
Он способный – He is skillful
Фух! – Whew!
Прямо гора с плеч – That’s a huge load off my mind (‘a mountain off
my shoulders’)
Это произойдет уже при нас / это при нас еще не произойдет – I
will/won’t happen in our lifetime
Когда рак на горе свиснет – Someday on a blue moon, when pigs fly
Я заинтригован – I am intrigued
Это ещё не конец света – It’s not the end of the world
Бред – Nonsense
Скотина – Asshole
Он псих – He is a psycho
Ублюдок – Bastard
Сука – Bitch
Он кричал – He yelled
Он орал – He cried
Я шептал – I whispered
Мы беседовали – We talked
Мы болтали – We chatted
Он пробормотал – He mumbled
Он промямлил – He muttered
Он усмехнулся – He grinned
Он нахмурился – He frowned
За … – Here’s to…
Я за рулём – I am driving
Подвыпивший – Tipsy