Course for absolute beginnersRussian words

*Welcome to the Russian course for beginners!* In this course, we’ll cover essential phrases for everyday conversations. You’ll also discover how and when to use "ты" and "вы", and why that matters in Russian. So let's get started by dividing the greetings: 1) the formal ones we use to talk to a doctor/teacher/older person etc. 2) the informal ones we use with friends/family/kids "Привет" - always informal. "Здравствуйте" - always formal. "Пока" - always informal. "До свидания" - always formal.

*The different forms of 'you' in Russian* The fundamental difference in Russian, compared to English, is the form of the word "you". There is 1) a formal version - "вы" 2) an informal one - "ты" 3) a plural - "вы" The formal 'вы' and the plural 'вы' use the same conjugation and grammatical rules, so they function identically.

*Choosing Between 'Ты' and 'Вы'* 1) Whenever we speak to a respected person - a doctor, a teacher, an elderly person, etc., we must use the formal version "вы." 2) Whenever we speak to a person we are familiar with - sibling, parent, friend, etc., we use the informal version "ты." 3) Whenever we speak to any group of people, we go for "вы."

*Greetings in Russian* You’ve already learned the basics of Russian greetings. Now, let’s discover more useful phrases you’ll often hear in everyday conversations. These expressions will help your Russian sound more natural and friendly.

*Questions: 'Whom?' and 'About whom?'* Now that you already know the difference between "ты" (informal “you”) and "вы" (formal or plural “you”), let’s take the next step. In Russian, these words change their form when we answer the questions: Whom? "Кого?" About whom? "О ком?" The forms are: тебя – from "ты" (informal) вас – from "вы" (formal/plural)

*Making Friends* In this section, you’ll learn phrases to introduce yourself, ask how someone is, invite friends out, and make plans. Ready?

* Where are you from and what languages do you speak? * Good job! Now let’s learn how to tell a friend where you’re from and which languages you speak.

*Russian Genders* In Russian, every noun has a gender: *Masculine* (usually ends in *a consonant*, like "стол" – table) *Feminine* (usually ends in *-а* or *-я*, like "мама" – mom) *Neuter* (usually ends in *-о or -е*, like "молоко" – milk) Adjectives, pronouns, and verbs in the past tense change to match the gender. Example: "Я устал." (masculine – “I am tired”) vs. "Я устала." (feminine).

*Possessive Pronouns - 'My' and 'Your' in Russian* We learned that Russian nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter, and adjectives change to match them (e.g., "интересный фильм", "интересная книга"). Possessive words like *my, your, his, her* also change to match the gender of the noun. For now, just remember these three basic forms for “my” (*мой/моя/моё*): "мой" - for masculine nouns ("мой телефон") "моя" - for feminine nouns ("моя книга") "моё" - for neuter nouns ("моё окно") "мои" - for plural ("мои родители") The same pattern works for “your” ("твой/твоя/твоё") when talking informally to one person.

* Family * Let’s learn some family vocabulary and questions related to it. When talking to members of your family in Russian, you always use "ты" (informal you). There are a few exceptions - some people may still use "Вы" (formal you) with their grandparents, as was more common in the past.

*Why do Russian sentences often have no verb (or subject)?* In English, we must have a verb in a sentence, for example: *My family is big.* or *It is cold.* But in Russian, the verb *to be* ("быть") is usually omitted in the present tense. “Моя семья большая.” – literally: *My family big.* (no *is*) “На улице холодно.” – literally: *Outside cold.* (no *it is*) Also, Russian speakers often drops the subject *it*. Instead of *It is cold,* you just say “Холодно.” (literally: *Cold.*)

*Possessive Pronouns - 'Our' and 'Your' in Plural* We already know: "мой" / "твой" – *my / your (informal)* Now we will learn: "наш" – *our* and "ваш" – *your* (for many people or when speaking politely). They change for gender and number, just like мой: "наш" - masculine ("наш брат" – our brother) "наша" – feminine ("наша мама" – our mom) "наше" – neuter ("наше окно" – our window) "наши" – plural ("наши родители" – our parents) It works exactly the same way for "ваш".

*How are you? Is everything ok?* Let's learn how to check in on your Russian-speaking friends! :)

*How to say 'I have'* In Russian, we don’t say “I have” directly. We say: "У меня есть" - we can literally imagine it as: 'At me there is…' "У меня есть" is used when: You own something: "У меня есть книга." When talking about how you feel, you can also use "У меня". However, in this case, skip “есть”: "У меня всё хорошо." – I’m fine. "У меня болит голова." – I have a headache.

*What are your plans?* This part focuses on words and phrases that help you talk about plans, time, and availability. Ready?

*Sport*

*Days of the week* Ready to master graphs? Let's learn the days of the week!

*I am going to...* In Russian, when you want to say *I’m going to [somewhere]*, and you are walking, you say: "Я иду в" + *place* "в" means *to* (or *into*) Be careful! "Иду" is only for walking. If you're driving, taking a bus, or using transport, you say: "Я еду в..."

*I am going to... (by transport)* Use "еду" when you're going somewhere by *car, bus, train, bike, etc.* It’s the transport version of "иду." "Я еду в аэропорт."