
Grammar
Tackling the Russian Complex Sentence: Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions
From Pushkin to Dostoevsky, Russian literary masters have navigated complex syntax with grace and precision. Yet for all language learners, the complex Russian sentence remains daunting. Mastery of subordinate clauses through conjunctions and relative pronouns may seem a tedious task. However, such mastery enables one to construct eloquent, nuanced sentences rather than simple, choppy phrasebook…
The Genitive Case in Russian: Rules of Usage
First of all, the Russian genitive case is used to show possession and where the person or thing belongs to or what it relates to. The English equivalent of the genitive case is the preposition “of”. Uses of the Genitive The nouns in the genitive answer several questions. I’ll make a list of them with…
Conquer Russian Present Tense: A Step-by-Step Verb Mastery
The present tense in Russian is the easiest tense. Yes, you have to remember the conjugation forms, but the usage is very basic. No perfective forms are used. Unlike English, Russian does not have a direct equivalent of continuous forms using verb forms like “-ing.” Instead, it relies on context and specific time adverbs to…
Надо, Можно, Нельзя: Modal Predicatives Explained
Words like надо, можно and нельзя are called modal particles in Russian. They are a special type of word that expresses modality, which is the attitude of the speaker towards the possibility, necessity, or permissibility of an action or state of being. These words don’t change form to agree with a subject, as verbs do. Instead,…
Vocabulary

A Comprehensive Guide to Tech Terms in Russian
In today’s world, technology is everywhere. That’s why understanding the basics of computer and internet terminology is becoming more important than ever. This article aims to break down the essential vocabulary related to computers and the internet in Russian, making it easier for you to navigate this tech-driven landscape. This guide will help you grasp…
500 Core Russian Nouns to Accelerate Your Language Learning
Learning Russian words is always difficult. It’s best to start with small portions. But if you want to expand your vocabulary, this list will be helpful. Here, I have gathered 500 different Russian nouns. These include objects, phenomena, and various concepts. If you have a good command of Russian, make sure you are familiar with…
15 Russian Verbs for Speaking with Example Sentences
There are many verbs in English that describe speaking. In this post, you will learn all of them. Well, If I don’t forget to mention some. Говори́ть to speak, to talk Я говорю по-английски. – I speak English. Они все говорят, что невиновны. – They all say they’re innocent. Я уже говорил со своим адвокатом. –…

Vegetables in Russian: Vocabulary List with Pronunciation
We already know how to talk about food in Russian. Now it’s time to learn the vegetables names to enhance your vocabulary. картофель [kartofyel’] – potato (informal картошка [kartoshka]) огурец [aguryets] – cucumber (pl. огурцы) томат, помидор – tomato (pl. томаты, помидоры) морковь [markof’] – carrot (informal морковка [markofka]) свёкла [svyokla] – beetroot перец [pyeryets]…

Phrases
Поздравляю! How to Congratulate in Russian
Congratulations – universal expressions of joy and appreciation on momentous occasions. But the specific words and customs around celebrating vary greatly between cultures. In Russia, congratulating someone demands nuance and sincerity. Russian culture deeply values traditions and protocols for honoring major life events. To properly congratulate your Russian friends, colleagues, and hosts, you must learn…
The Art of Indecision: Expressing Uncertainty in the Russian Language
In this short article, I will explain to you how to express uncertainty with verbs and short phrases. Let’s skip the chitchat and get right to the point. When it comes to expressing uncertainty in Russian, there are a few handy tools that can come in quite handy. Let’s kick things off with the versatile verb…
‘Head’ Used in Russian Idioms and Expressions
The following idioms and expressions use the noun голова (head.) Each phrase has a definition and one or two example sentences to help understanding of these common idiomatic expressions. потерять голову – to lose one’s head Человек может потерять голову от любви или горя. – A person can lose one’s head because of love or…
Exclaiming the Unexpected: Surprise Expressions in Russian
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wanted to express surprise or astonishment in Russian, but struggled to find the right words? In this article, we will delve into the art of expressing surprise in the Russian language and explore a range of useful expressions and phrases to help you express astonishment…
Difference Between
Lost in Translation: Why Просить and Спрашивать Are Not Interchangeable
The Russian verbs просить (to request) and спрашивать (to ask) present a common challenge for Russian language learners. At first glance, they may appear to mean the same thing – “to ask.” However, despite what some Russian-English dictionaries suggest, these verbs are not interchangeable. Просить and спрашивать have distinct meanings and uses that learners must…
Горячий vs Жаркий: Are You Using the Right Word for “Hot” in Russian?
Russian has lots of cool words, but sometimes figuring out which one to use can be tricky. This article is here to help! We’ll be looking at two words that both mean “hot” in English: горячий and жаркий. Even though they seem the same, there’s a slight difference. Let’s break it down so you can…
Spotting the Differences Between Говорить, Разговаривать, and Сказать
Russian has multiple verbs that can be translated as “to speak” or “to talk” in English. At first glance, words like говорить, разговаривать and сказать seem interchangeable. However, there are subtle but important differences in how each verb is used. In this post, we will compare these verbs and look at when to use each…
Clearing Up the Confusion Between Где and Куда
In Russian, the words “где” and “куда” are commonly used to express location and direction respectively. Though they both translate to “where” in English, there is an important distinction between their usages that Russian learners must understand. The use of these words varies based on whether the object is in motion or static. In this…