Russian words for beginners

In the section “Russian Words for Beginners” you can find basic Russian vocabulary that will help you to gain some confidence in making basic conversations and don’t look for your words when you want to express some simple ideas in Russian.

This section is not for complete beginners. If you are a complete beginner, we recommend you to start here: Survival Russian – Russian for dummies.

Every word comes with a picture, two examples and an audio recorded by a native Russian speaker. Click on the word or a picture for more details.

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я́сно [yás-na] Adverb

clear; (it is) fine (about the weather)

Examples

C у́тра я́сно, на не́бе ни о́блачка.

s ut-rá yás-na, na nyé-bye nee ób-lach-ka

The weather is fine from the morning, there's not a single cloud in the sky.
Тебе́ всё я́сно?

tee-byé fsyo yás-na

Is everything clear (to you)?

доро́га [da-ró-ga] Noun, feminine

road, way; trip, journey

Examples

Доро́га домо́й заняла́ у меня́ полчаса́.

da-ró-ga da-móî za-nee-lá u mee-nyá pol-chi-sá

The journey home took me half an hour.
Не перебега́й доро́гу на кра́сный!

nye pye-rye-bee-gáî da-ró-gu na krás-nyî

Do not run across the road at the red light!

пры́гать [prý-gat'] Verb, imperfective. Perfective - пры́гнуть

to jump, to hop, to bounce

Examples

Ты когда́-нибудь пры́гал с парашю́том?

ty kag-dá nee-bút' prý-gal s pa-ra-shú-tam

Have you ever jumped with a parachute?
Переста́нь пры́гать по крова́ти!

pee-rees-tán' prý-gat' pa kra-vá-tee

Stop jumping on the bed!

как дела́? [kak dee-lá] Phrase

how are you?

Examples

Ну как дела́ в шко́ле?

nu kak dee-láf shkó-lye

So how are things at school?
Как дела́? Всё в поря́дке?

kak dee-lá? fsyo f pa-ryát-kye?

How are you doing? Is everything fine?

чёрный [chyór-nyî] Adjective

black

Examples

Како́го цве́та твоя́ маши́на? - Чёрного.

ka-kó-va tsvyé-ta tva-yá ma-shée-na? - chyór-na-va

What color is your car? - It's black.
На расстоя́нии в 200 световы́х лет от це́нтра на́шей гала́ктики учёные обнару́жили втору́ю гига́нтскую чёрную дыру́.

na ras-ta-yá-nee-ee v dvyés-tee svye-ta-výh lyet at tsént-ra ná-sheî ga-lák-tee-kee u-chyó-ny-ye ab-na-rú-zhee-lee fta-rú-yu gee-gánts-ku-yu chyór-nu-yu dy-rú

At a distance of 200 light-years from the center of our galaxy, scientists discovered a second giant black hole.

покупа́ть [pa-ku-pát'] Verb, imperfective. Perfective - купи́ть

to buy, to purchase

Examples

Фру́кты и о́вощи я покупа́ю в ла́вке за угло́м.

frúk-ty ee ó-va-schee ya pa-ku-pá-yu v láf-kye za ug-lóm

Fruits and vegetables I buy in a shop around the corner.
Где́ вы покупа́ете тако́й вку́сный хлеб?

gdye vy pa-ku-pá-ee-tye ta-kóî fkús-nyî hlyep

Where do you buy such delicious bread?

же́нщина [zhén-schee-na] Noun, feminine

woman

Examples

Уступи́те ме́сто бере́менной же́нщине!

us-tu-pée-tye myés-ta bee-ryé-meen-naî zhén-schee-nye

Give your place to a pregnant woman!
Он всегда́ нра́вился же́нщинам.

on vseeg-dá nrá-veel-sya zhén-schee-nam

He was always liked by women.

ма́ленький [má-leen'-keeî] Adjective

little, small

Examples

У неё тро́е дете́й, са́мому ма́ленькому 4 го́да.

u nee-yó tró-ye dee-tyéî, sá-ma-mu má-leen'-ka-mu chee-tý-rye gó-da

She has three children, the youngest is 4 years old.
Назва́ния языко́в в ру́сском пи́шутся с ма́ленькой бу́квы.

naz-vá-nee-ya ya-zy-kóf v rús-kam pée-shu-tsa s má-leen'-kaî búk-vy

The names of the languages in Russian are written with lowercase.

мужчи́на [mu-schée-na] Noun, masculine

man, male

Examples

У него́ есть все ка́чества, кото́рые же́нщина хоте́ла бы ви́деть в мужчи́не.

u nee-vó yest' vsye ká-cheest-va, ka-tó-ry-ye zhén-schee-na ha-tyé-la by vée-dyet' v mu-schée-nye

He has all the qualities that a woman would like to see in a man.
Вы не ви́дели здесь мужчи́ну в се́ром пальто́?

vy nye vée-dee-lee zdyes' mu-schée-nu v syé-ram pal'-tó

Have you seen a man in a gray coat here?

бежа́ть [bee-zhát'] Verb, imperfective, unidirectional. Perfective - побежа́ть, добежа́ть, убежа́ть

to run, to be running

Examples

Он бежа́л от правосу́дия за грани́цу.

on bee-zhal at pra-va-sú-dee-ya za gra-née-tsu

He fled from justice abroad.
Как бы́стро бежит вре́мя!

kak býst-ra bee-zhéet vryé-mya

Time flies (runs) so fast!