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If you are learning Russian, knowing someone’s name is not enough. You also need to know which form of that name to use. The same person might be called: Евге́ния Петро́вна → Евге́ния → Же́ня → Жень → Же́нька → Же́нечка And these are not simply different versions of the same name. Each one tells […]
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10 phrases Russian use in everyday situations Some Russian expressions are difficult to translate — not because the words themselves are difficult, but because English speakers may not say anything at all in the same situation. Someone arrives after traveling. Someone returns to work after being away. Someone gets out of the shower. Someone starts […]
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Wondering how to say “I agree” in Russian? Я согла́сен or Я согла́сна is only the beginning. Russian speakers choose different expressions depending on whether they agree with an opinion or agree to do something—and whether the situation is formal, neutral, colloquial, or slang. If you learned Russian from a textbook, your first instinct when […]
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You look up “I don’t care” in a dictionary and find a long list: Мне всё равно́. Мне без ра́зницы. Мне по́фиг. Мне фиоле́тово. Мне наплева́ть. They may all be translated as I don’t care—but they are not interchangeable. Imagine that you are at a job interview and the interviewer asks: Како́й гра́фик вам подойдёт: […]
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One of the fastest ways to sound more natural in Russian is to stop using the same expression every time you’re surprised. Most textbooks teach only: Я удивлён. I’m surprised. It’s perfectly correct—but native speakers have dozens of other ways to react depending on the situation and the people they’re talking to. Let’s look at […]
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