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Why learn Russian?
Russian is spoken by over 250 million people and is the most widely spoken Slavic language and one of the six official UN languages. It is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, which most learners can read within a few weeks of focused practice.
In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Russian is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Russian belongs to the Indo-European (Slavic) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Ukrainian, Polish or Bulgarian.
The 50 most common Russian words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Russian sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | и | ee | and |
| 2 | в | v | in |
| 3 | не | nye | not (negation) |
| 4 | на | nah | on |
| 5 | я | yah | I |
| 6 | быть | bit' | be |
| 7 | он | ohn | he |
| 8 | с | s | with |
| 9 | что | shtoh | what |
| 10 | а | ah | but |
| 11 | по | pah | by |
| 12 | это | EH-tah | this |
| 13 | она | ah-NAH | she |
| 14 | этот | EH-taht | this |
| 15 | к | k | to |
| 16 | но | noh | but |
| 17 | они | ah-NEE | they |
| 18 | мы | mih | we |
| 19 | как | kahk | how |
| 20 | из | eez | from |
| 21 | у | oo | at |
| 22 | который | kah-TOH-riy | which |
| 23 | то | toh | that |
| 24 | за | zah | behind |
| 25 | свой | svoy | own |
| 26 | весь | vyes' | all |
| 27 | год | goht | year |
| 28 | от | aht | from |
| 29 | так | tahk | so |
| 30 | о | oh | about |
| 31 | для | dlyah | for |
| 32 | ты | tih | you (informal) |
| 33 | же | zheh | (emphatic particle) |
| 34 | мочь | mohch' | can |
| 35 | вы | vih | you (formal/plural) |
| 36 | человек | cheh-lah-VYEK | person |
| 37 | такой | tah-KOY | such |
| 38 | знать | znaht' | know |
| 39 | сказать | skah-ZAHT' | say |
| 40 | только | TOHL'-kah | only |
| 41 | или | EE-lee | or |
| 42 | ещё | yee-SHCHOH | still |
| 43 | бы | bih | would |
| 44 | себя | see-BYAH | self |
| 45 | один | ah-DEEN | one |
| 46 | время | VRYEH-myah | time |
| 47 | если | YES-lee | if |
| 48 | наш | nahsh | our |
| 49 | очень | OH-cheen' | very |
| 50 | когда | kag-DAH | when |
Useful phrases in Russian
- Привет · pree-VYET · Hello / Good day
- Как дела? · kak dee-LAH · How are you?
- Спасибо · spah-SEE-bah · Thank you
- Пожалуйста · pah-ZHAH-luh-stah · Please
- Меня зовут... · mee-NYA zah-VOOT · My name is...
- Где...? · gdye · Where is...?
- До свидания · duh svee-DAH-nee-ya · Goodbye
- Извините · eez-vee-NEE-tye · Excuse me
- Я не понимаю · ya nye puh-nee-MAH-yu · I don't understand
- Вы можете мне помочь? · vy MOH-zhih-tye mnye pah-MOCH · Can you help me?
- Сколько это стоит? · SKOL-ka EH-ta STOH-eet · How much is it?
- До завтра! · da ZAHF-tra · See you tomorrow!
Learn Russian with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Russian, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Russian learning community
Collaborate with native Russian speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
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Frequently asked questions about learning Russian
How difficult is it to learn Russian?
Russian has a different alphabet and a case system that take time, but its vocabulary is regular and its pronunciation is mostly phonetic. The Foreign Service Institute rates it at roughly 1,100 hours of study - very achievable with consistent practice.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Russian?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Russian?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level within 12-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 255 million people across 4 countries speak Russian, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Russian vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Russian pronunciation hard?
Russian pronunciation is largely phonetic once you know the alphabet, though consonant clusters and word stress take practice. Regular listening helps the sounds become natural.
How do I get Free Russian speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Russian alphabet first?
Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet of 33 letters, which most learners can read after a few weeks of focused practice - so it's worth learning early. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.