Do you speak English? in Russian: How to say?

Jun 23, 2020 | How to say it in Russian?

Usually, when you want to ask do you speak English? in Russian, you most likely need the formal version of the question, which is:

– Вы говори́те по-англи́йски?
[vy ga-va-rée-tye pa-ang-léeî-skee]

This form (вы говори́те) can be also used in informal situations when you are talking to a few people.

If you are talking to a friend, relative or a child, you can say:

– Ты говори́шь по-англи́йски?
[ty ga-va-réesh’ pa-ang-léeî-skee]

Говори́те/говори́шь are different forms of the verb говори́ть (to speak). You can find the conjugation of the verb говорить here.

По-англи́йски literally means in English. If you like, you can find the Russian names of countries and languages here.

Sometimes you need to know is there anybody around who speaks English, in this case you can say:

– Кто-нибу́дь здесь говори́т по-англи́йски?
[kto-nee-bút’ sdyes’ ga-va-réet pa-ang-léeî-skee]
Is there anybody speaking English here?

Or:

– С кем я могу́ поговори́ть по-англи́йски?
[s kyem ya ma-gú pa-ga-va-réet’ pa-ang-léeî-skee]
Who can I speak English to?

Listen to "Do you speak English?" in Russian

The audio recording includes all the examples (in bold and blue) listed above.

говори́ть

[gavaréet'] Verb , imperfective

to talk, to speak

Все сотру́дники оте́ля поголо́вно говоря́т как ми́нимум на ру́сском и англи́йском.

fsye satrúdneekee atélya pagalóvna gavaryát kak méeneemum na rúskam ee angléeskam

All hotel employees without exception speak at least Russian and English.
На каки́х иностра́нных языка́х ты говори́шь?

na kakéeh eenastránnyh yazykáh ty gavaréesh

What foreign languages do you speak?
Я могу́ чита́ть по-ру́сски, но говори́ть мне сло́жно.

ya magú cheetát' parúskee, no gavaréet' mnye slózhna

I can read in Russian, but it's difficult for me to talk.