The ability to learn Russian words and understand their proper pronunciations, spelling, and context are all vital in speaking and writing the language. Vocabulary and a review of the Russian lexicon can not only inform you of how to speak the language, but also how to understand much of the cultural significance of certain parts of it. From the proper words for people of different age groups, to the differences in verb tenses, it can almost be overwhelming for people who are brand new to Russian.
Thankfully, many of the most basic and common words are easy to memorize. We'll review some of the most commonly used Russian words, along with their spelling and pronunciation. They can help you to begin to practice Russian.
The Most Popular Words in Russian:
Greetings (Salutations)
привет ( Privet)
Goodbye
Прощай (Proschay)
Mother
мама (Mama)
Father
отец (Otets)
School
школа (Shkola)
Job (Employment)
работа (Rabota)
Food
питание (Pitaniye)
Direction (Route)
направление (Napravleniye)
Friend
друг (Drug)
Bathroom
ванная комната (Vannaya komnata)
Money
Деньги (Den'gi)
How to Quickly Learn Russian Words
Practicing vocabulary can help you to speed up your understanding of language. There are a few methods that you can use to memorize these common words.
- Speak with Russians. Reading the words, or even hearing them pronounced, is a good start, but speaking with native Russians can help you to also understand sentence structure, intonation, and even the formal and informal variations of these words. If possible, speak with a native Russian in your area, or use Skype to connect with Russians for the purpose of learning.
- Learn to read Russian. The actual written language of Russian can also help you to better understand the language itself. Knowing the differences between characters can assist you in “sounding words out” once you know what each letter is meant to “say.” Learning the written language can also help you to follow texts so that you can continue your lessons through literature, written exams, newspapers, online sites in Russian, and more.
- Working with a tutor. Part of a more formal education on Russian will be in vocabulary, and a tutor can assist you with an entire educational plan centered on exactly that. Your vocabulary lessons can include practice exams, learning new words for the week, and even focusing on common words that may be immediately beneficial to you depending on your current situation and your goals.
Even learning a small bit of the vocabulary can help you to speak with Russian people if you are interested in visiting Russia for school or employment. Knowing how to ask for directions, for example, can be of great benefit, as can learning the differences between the formal and informal greetings for different people that you may meet.
Russian people, like many people around the world, are also often willing to help foreigners who are clearly making the effort to speak the local language.