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Russian Lesson 11
Одиннадцатый Урок

Russian Course
Chapters 1 2                  
Lessons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

 

Congratulations on reaching Russian Lesson 11, the final lesson of Chapter 1. You will listen to another interesting dialog; learn a few new Russian words; do revision on all that you've learnt so far.

Contents on this review of lessons 1 - 11:

Диалог — Dialogue

Словарь — Russian Vocabulary

Review of Russian Lessons 1 — 10

Grammar Review

Домашнее Задание — Homework

Vocabulary Review Lessons 1 — 11

Ответы — Answers

Диалог — Dialogue

Какой кошмар! - What a nightmare!
Лара 1 Привет, Гриша. Как дела? Hi Grisha, How's the going?
Гриша 2 Всё хорошо. А у тебя? Everything's OK/ How about you?
Лара 3 Не спрашивай. Всё плохо. Don't ask. Everything's terrible.
Гриша 4 Почему? Что случилось? Why? What happened?
Лара 5 Ничего. Просто мой курс русского языка. Какой кошмар! Nothing. It's just my Russian course. What a nightmare!
Гриша 6 Не говори! Tell me about it!

Словарь — Russian Vocabulary

4 почему why
4 случилось happened (implies something negative
5 просто (it's) just; simply
5 курс course; class
5 курс русского языка Russian course (lit. course of Russian Language - In Russian you cannot put the adjective русский Russian in front of the word курс to express Russian course. The applies for Russian professor, which is профессор русского языка.
5 кошмар
какой кашмар!		 nightmare (from the French cauchemar)
what a nightmare!
6 не говори tell me about it; you can say that again (lit. don't say that)
 

Review of Russian Lessons 1 - 10
The Sound System of Russian in a Nutshell

Basic sounds: Paired (hard vs. soft) consonants - 1 consonant letter for 2 basic sounds

The letters б в д з л м н п р с т ф can each represent two entirely distinct sounds, one hard (tongue lower in the mouth) the other soft (tongue higher in the mouth). The difference is expressed in the spelling by the following vowel, either Hard-indicating (а э ы о у) or Soft-indicating (я е и ё/е ю)

At the end of a word hardness vs. softness is indicated by the presence or absence of a 'ь': шест vs. шесть

Basic Sounds: Vowels - 2 vowel letters for 1 basic sound

There are only 5 basic vowel sounds in Russian which is roughly represented as {A}, {E}, {I}, {O}, {U}. The 10 vowel letters are used to indicate both the basic vowel sound and the quality of the preceding consonant (hardness or softness; as well as the presence of й).

Basic Sound (Spelling) NOT EQUAL to Pronunciation

Because of vowel reduction, inherently hard and soft consonants, as well as voicing / devoicing of consonants spelling and basic sounds often differs from its pronunciation.

Spelling Pronunciation
довольно давольн<-->
Достоевский д<-->стайефский
сердце сердц<-->

 

Three Ways of Spelling {O}

There are 3 vowel letters used to spell {O}: 'o' after hard consonants, 'ё' after stressed soft consonants, 'e' after unstressed soft consonants and hushers (ц,ч, ш, щ, ж).

To determine whether the unstressed letter 'e' is soft-indicating {E} or {O} you need to find an instance in which the 'e' is stressed — either in the same word (singular vs. plural) or a related word (noun, adjective, verb with the same endings).

  Spelling
Stressed сёстры (plural)
окно
живёт
Unstressed сестра (sg)
сердце (same ending as окно)
работает (same ending as живёт)

 

Spelling Rules: Unpaired Consonants

The Velars: К Г Х

These are the 'fake' spelling rules, where the spelling simply reflects the pronunciation of these consonants before the various vowels. Say and write only:

К Г Х
Hard Soft
ка / га / ха ке / ге / хе
ко / го / хо ки / ги / хи
ку / гу / ху  

*Foreign words may contain 'unacceptable' combinations.

The Hushers: inherently hard - Ж Ш Ц and inherently soft - Ч Щ (Й)

These are the REAL spelling rules, in which the spelling sometimes does not reflect the pronunciation:

Ж Ш Ц Ч Щ
Write Only
{A} ша / жа / ца / ча / ща
{E} ше / же / це / че / ще
{I} ши / жи / ци or ци / чи / щи
{O} Stressed: шо / жо / цо / чо / щё
Unstressed: ше / же / це / че / ще
{U} шу / жу / цу / чу / щу

Again foreign words can violate these rules.

Because of these rules, you get 'misleading' spelling combinations in Russian: спрашивай (soft-indicating vowel following an inherently hard consonant); чай (hard-indicating vowel after an inherently soft consonant).

The Spelling of the Consonant Sound Й

Spelled 2 ways:

  1. The consonant letter 'й'
  2. When a soft-indicating vowel (я, е, ё, ю, but not и) is not immediately preceded by a consonant. There are 3 such cases
    1. at the begining of a word (его)
    2. after any vowel (моя)
    3. after a hard or soft sign (пью I drink, объезд detour)
How 'й' is Represented Spelling
The consonant 'й' мой
я, е, ё, ю at the beginning of a word юмор
я, е, ё, ю after another vowel моя
я, е, ё, ю after 'ь' or 'ъ' пью

 

Vowel Reduction

Vowel reduction applies to vowels and not necessarily to the basic sound the letter represents.

The vowel letters 'a' and 'o' are pronounced [a] either in initial position or 1 syllable before stress. After the stressed syllable or more than one syllable before stress they are reduced to 'schwa' [<-->].

Unstressed letter 'e' and 'я' (and 'a' after 'ч, щ) are pronounced 'schwa' [<-->] in final position. Elsewhere they reduce to [й] ([йи] if word-initial).

Examples:

  Spelling Pronunciation
reduced 'a, o' word-initial отец атец
Аляска Аляска
reduced 'a, o' барабан (drums) б<-->рабан
хорошо х<-->рашо
reduced 'e, я (a)' word-final здание ('е' is {O}) зданий<-->
спальня спальнь<-->
reduced 'е, я (а)' Петербург Питирбург
часы чисы

The vowels э, ы, и, у, ю, ё do not undergo vowel reduction.

Voiced / Voiceless Consonants

Voiced б / бь в / вь г д / дь ж з / зь
Voiceless п / пь ф / фь к т / ть ш с / сь

Voiced consonants becomes voiceless:

  1. at the end of a word: хлеб pronounced [хлеп]
  2. before a voiceless consonant: в Принстоне pronounced [фпринстон<-->]; водка pronounced [водк<-->]

Voiceless consonants becomes voiced before a voiced consonant (with the exception of 'в'): экзамен pronounced [игзамин], but in твой 'т' remains voiceless.

Russian Grammar Review

Formal and Informal Forms of Address in Russian

When addressing one person, a distinction is made between formal and informal forms. Use the informal for friends (the same age as you), children, animals, and God.

  Informal Formal
Persona Pronoun ты вы
Possessives твой, твоя ваш, ваша
What's your name? Как тебя зовут? Как вас зовут?
greetings Привет, Здравствуй Здравствуйте

 

Dictionary Forms of Words

Nouns (and modifiers) have different endings depending on their function in the sentence. Dictionaries list nouns in the singular in the 'subject of the sentence' form.

Dictionary (Subject) Form Other Forms You've Seen
клуб в клубе (Location)
кроват на кравати (Location)
водка водку (Direct Object)
ключ ключи (Plural)

 

Modifiers (adjectives and possesives) are listed in the Masculine singular.

Dictionary Form Other Forms You've Seen
красивый красивая (Feminine)
мой мой (Plural)

 

Gender and Number in Nouns, Possissives / Demonstratives and Adjectives

All nouns, possessives and adjectives are marked for gender and number. As a general rule (to be revised), Masculine nouns end in a consonant (рюкзак, словарь), Neuter nouns end in -o (пальто), and Feminine nouns in -a (сестра). The plural ending for Masculine and Feminine nouns is (ы / и).

Singular Plural
Masculine Neuter Feminine Masc & Fem
- -o -a -ы / и
рюкзак пальто сестра ключи
словарь     фотоаппараты

 

Endings for possessives and adjectives that we've seen so far:

  Singular Plural
  Masculine Neuter Feminine Masc. & Fem.
Possessives мой моё моя мои
Adjectives красивый, младший (haven't seen yet) кравивая, младшая (haven't seen yet)

 

Frozen это Constructions

There are several very common phrases which involve the frozen (unchanging) form это. It is best to learn the patterns, rather than to try to figure out the exact translation of это.

Questions Responses / Statements
Кто Это? Это мой брат.
Это моя сестра.
Что Это? Это фотоаппарат.
Это холодильник.
Это твой брат? Да, Это мой брат.
Нет, Это не мой брат, Это моя собака.
Это ты? Да, Это я.
Нет, Это Элвис Пресли.

 

Word Order

Word order is 'freer' in Russian than in English. Both Кто это? and Это кто? are possible and it means the same thing. You'll see more examples in the next chapter.

Personal Pronouns

Person Singular Plural
1st я мы
2nd ты (informal) вы (pl & informal sg.)
3rd он они
она
оно

 

Negation

Put the negative particle не in front of the word to be negated: мой брат не работает, он учится; Я не всё понимаю. Sometimes не attaches directly to the adjective: Он неплохой актёр.

Location Endings

Used after the preposition в in; at and на on; at.

Endings Dictionary Form Location Form
Most nouns: -е клуб в клубе
стол на столе
книга на книге
Endings in
-ий, -ие, -ия: -ии		 кафетерий в кафетерии
здание в здании
Россия в России
Foreign nouns ending in
-е, -и, -о, -у: no change		 Зимбабве в Зимбабве
Мали в Мали
Чикаго в Чикаго
Гонолулу в Гонолулу
Some nouns in -ь: -и кровать на кровати

 

Numbers 0 - 12

0 = ноль
1 один 7 семь
2 два 8 восемь
3 три 9 девять
4 четыре (ы sandwich) 10 десять
5 пять
(numbers 5 - 20 all end in -ь)		 11 одиннадцать
6 шесть 12 двенадцать

 

The Past Tense

Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter All Genders
-л -ла -ло -ли
я / ты / он сказал я / ты / она сказала оно сказало мы / вы / они сказали

Сказать = to say

Some Present Tense Endings

Note that there are two sets of endings for the Present Tense. For now, just refer to them as Present Tense 1 and Present Tense 2.

Present Tense 1 Present Tense 2
3rd singular 3rd plural 3rd singular 3rd plural
он живёт они живут ухо болит уши болят
сын работает родители работают Маша лежит ключи лежат

 

The Verb To Be in Russian

In the Past Tense, the stem is вы+, to which is added the appropriate Past ending. The stress moves to the ending for the Feminine Singular only:

Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter All Forms
выл выла выло выли

 

Omiting Obvious Possessives

Possessives are often omitted when describing body parts (as well as family relations):

 

Домашнее Задание — Homework

Упражнение 1 - Exercise 1

I strongly suggest that you spend some time (at least 30 minutes) listening to all the recordings of the dialogues in Lessons 1 - 11. Make sure you know all the vocabulary for Chapter 1 listed at the end of this review lesson.

Упражнение 2 - Exercise 2

Correct the violations of spelling rules (not all words have violations):

  1. гытара
  2. жяба
  3. Ельцин
  4. хорошый
  5. Хрущёв
  6. щыт
  7. дорогёй
  8. чюдо
  9. лучшое
  10. кем

Check your answers here

Упражнение 3 - Exercise 3

Explain any 'misleading' spelling combinations (inherently hard consonants followed by a Soft-indicating vowel, or vice versa).

  1. шесть
  2. ничего
  3. щадить
  4. жена
  5. большой
  6. кем
  7. щука
  8. цыган
  9. жир
  10. плечи

Check your answers here

Упражнение 4 - Exercise 4

Translate into Russian (Do listen to the dialogues from Lessons 1 - 11 a couple of times to pick up some helpful fixed expressions which you can use in your everyday Russian conversation).

  1. - Hi, what's new? - don't ask.
  2. My younger sister is a lawyer. Her husband is a doctor.
  3. What's your name? My name is (appropriate response).
  4. Tea please. This isn't tea, this is coffee. What did I say? I said 'tea'!
  5. - Thank you. - Don't mention it.

Check your answers here

Vocabulary Review Lessons 1 - 11

Nouns & Pronouns
1 адвокат lawyer
2 американец American (noun, masc.; note: note capitalized)
3 американка American (Fem.)
4 бар bar
5 брат brother (just think of brat)
6 клуб; в клубе club; in a / the club
7 водка vodka
8 врач doctor
9 всё everything
10 вы you
11 голова head
12 гений genius
13 дерево tree
14 диван sofa, couch
15 дочь daughter
16 девушка girl, young woman
17 дети children
18 его his
19 её her (possessive); hers
20 жена wife
21 живот stomach
22 инженер engineer
23 их their
24 кофе coffee
25 ключ; ключи key: keys (*note stress in on ending)
26 кот cat
27 кошмар; какой кашмар! nightmare (from the French cauchemar); what a nightmare!
28 кровать (Fem.); на кровати bed; on the bed
29 курс; курс русского языка course, class; Russian course (lit. course of Russian language)
30 муж husband
31 нахал (M); накалка (F) jerk, a rude person
32 номер telephone number
33 он; она; они he; she; they
34 отец father
35 пальто overcoat
36 парень guy
37 программист programmer
38 ресторан restaurant
39 родители parents (always pl. in Russian)
40 сестра sister
41 собака dog
42 стол; на столе table; on the table (*note stress on ending)
43 ты you (informal)
44 холодильник refrigerator
45 уши ears (sg. is ухо)
46 фотоаппарат camera (this word has secondary stress on the first 'o'; it sounds like /o/
47 фотография photograph
48 чай tea
49 что what
50 я I (me as in 'It's me')
Verbs
51 блин were
52 болит hurts; aches (3sg; this verb is only used for 3rd person)
53 болят hurt; ache (3pl)
54 живёт he /she lives
55 живут they live
56 лежат they are (lying in a flat position)
57 лежит it is (lying in a flat position)
58 перепутал /а you mixed up (masc. /fem.)
59 понимаете (you - sg-format
60 понимаю (I) understand
61 работает (s/he works)
62 сказал; сказала said (Past Tense - M/F)
63 случилось happened (implies something negative)
64 учится в ... (s/he is a student at; goes to school at ...
Adjectives, Possessives and Adverbs
65 ваш, ваше, ваша, ваши your (pl or Formal sg.)
66 вчера yesterday
67 даже even
68 довольно quite, rather, pretty (adv.)
69 здесь here
70 красивый / красивая attractive; good-looking (M/F)
71 младший / младшая younger (M/F)
72 мой, моё, моя, мои my (M/N/F/P)
73 наверно probably
74 наш, наше, наша, наши our (M/N/F/P)
75 неплохо not bad
76 не тот the wrong (lit. not that)
77 опять again
78 плохо poorly
79 просто (it's) just; simply
80 старший / старшая older (M/F)
81 там there
82 твой, твоё, твоя, твои your (informal - M/N/F/P)
83 хорошо good, well, OK, all right
Expressions & Miscellaneous Words
84 а у тебя? how about you? (lit. 'and by you?')
85 алло hello (only used when answering phone)
86 ах! expresses dismay
87 вот вам Х (handing something to someone) here's your X.
88 Вы не тот номер набрали. You've got (=dialed) the wrong number.
89 грех жаловаться I can't complain (lit. it's a sin to complain)
90 до свидания goodbye (lit. until meeting)
91 же adds emphasis to preceding word
92 здравствуйте Hello
93 значит so ... (lit. it means ...)
94 извини
извини, ради Бога		 excuse me; pardon me; I'm sorry
I'm really sorry (ради Бога - lit. 'for the sake of God' - adds emphasis to the appology)
95 как его / её зовут? what's his / her name? (lit. how do they call him /her?)
96 как вас / тебя зовут? what's your name? (Formal /informal)
97 как дела? how's it going? how are things?
98 как это? how is that possible; what do you mean?
99 кто это? who's that / this?
100 ладно OK; all right
101 меня зовут + (first name) my name is ... (lit. they call me ... )
102 мне некогда I'm in a hurry; I have to run (lit. to me there is no time)
103 можно + first name in '-у' may I speak to ...
104 на on
105 не говори tell me about it; you can say that again (lit. don't say that)
106 не за что (response to спасибо) don't mention it (lit. there isn't anything (to thank me) for).
107 не спрашивай don't ask
108 нет no
109 ничего not too bad; don't worry about it; it's nothing (lit. nothing)
110 ну...; ну ты даёшь! well ...; you are really something!
111 ой! oh!
112 отвяжись! get lost!
113 отстаньте от меня! leave me alone! (lit. stand away from me)
114 пожалуйста 1. here you go (worker giving something to a customer)
2. please
3. you're welcome
115 пока (see you) later
116 почему why
117 по-моему I think; in my opinion (don't leave out the hyphen!)
118 привет hi (used only with friends and family)
119 спасибо thank you
120 так себе (note stress) so-so (this is somewhat negative)
121 ты шутишь? are you joking? (Informal)
122 что это? what's this / that?; what are those?
123 что слышно? what's up; what's new? (lit. what is audible?)
124 что с тобой? what's (wrong) with you?
125 это Х (person or thing) this / that /it is a (X)
126 это не Х (person or thing) this isn't / that's not X
127 ясно clear; understandable
128 я плохо себя чувствую I don't feel well
129 я понимаю по-русски I understand Russian (don't leave out the hyphen!)
 

Answers

Упражнение 2 - Exercise 2

  1. гытара - гитара
  2. жяьа - жаба
  3. Ельцин - OK
  4. хорошый - хороший
  5. Хрущёв - OK
  6. щыт - щит
  7. дорогёй - дорогой
  8. чюдо - чудо
  9. лучшое - лучшее
  10. кем - OK

Упражнение 3 - Exercise 3

  1. шесть - inherently hard ш + soft-indicating е
  2. ничего - OK
  3. щадить - inherently soft щ + hard-indicating а
  4. жена - inherently hard ж + soft-indicating e
  5. большой - OK
  6. кем - OK
  7. щука - inherently soft щ + hard-indicating y
  8. цыган - OK
  9. жир - inherently hard ж + soft-indicating и
  10. плечи - OK

Упражнение 4 - Exercise 4

Translate into Russian (Do listen to the dialogues from Lessons 1 - 11 a couple of times to pick up some helpful fixed expressions which you can use in your everyday Russian conversation).

  1. - Hi, what's new? - don't ask.
    - Привет, как слышно? - не спрашивай!
  2. My younger sister is a lawyer. Her husband is a doctor.
    Моя младшая сестра - адвокат. Её муж - врач.
  3. What's your name? My name is (appropriate response).
    Как тебя / вас зовут? Меня зовут Антон.
  4. Tea please. This isn't tea, this is coffee. What did I say? I said 'tea'!
    Чай, пожалуйста. Это не чай, это кофе. Что я сказал /ла? Я сказал /ла "чай"!
  5. - Thank you. - Don't mention it.
    Спасибо. Не за что.

 

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