This list skips general terms like yes, “da,” and no, “niet,” (aka. Words you should know before you go to a foreign country). Russian is certainly not an easy language to learn. However, the cyrillic alphabet is not difficult, and if you spend just a few minutes learning it, you can phonetically read everything.
Unlike long phrases that actually take time to learn and master, these are short, simple words. Most have multiple meanings making them useful in almost any situation.
A large part of any country’s culture is the language. Some say that language can change the way people live their lives, the way we think, and even the way we perceive the world. With such importance weaved into the sounds we create, it seems important to learn some of the language when we travel to foreign countries. Not to say that we will become fluent in every language, but learning a bit of the dialect of the country you are visiting is not only smart from a safety perspective, but also a show of politeness. And really, if you’re going to spend 8+ hours on an airplane, you can take an hour of that time to learn a few key phrases.
…
1.“pozhaluista” – пожалуйста (pa-ZHAL-sta)
It means, “please,” and it also means, “you’re welcome.” You even use this word when you hand someone something. This word expresses both politeness and gratitude. I find that throwing this word into an interaction (even though I have no idea what’s going on) usually results in a more pleasant experience.
So when in doubt, “pozhaluista!”
2.“Mozhno” – можно [MOHZH-nah]
“One can, one may, it is allowed, it is possible.” Want something? Need permission? With enough explanatory body language and this simple word, you’ll be understood. I learned this phrase watching a 3 minute youtube video on Russian language.
I was at restaurant, our group needed one more chair, so I approached another table where a man and woman sat, faces cold as stone, and they turned to stare at me. Scared out of my mind, I point at the empty seat, asked, “Mozhno?” and waited nervously. They quickly replied, “da,” and returned to their dinner. I took the chair back to our table.
3.“Davai” – Давай [Davaĭ!]
“Let’s,” “sure,” “come on,” “bye.” Another multiple-meaning word, it’s a favorite at work. Cheering each other on before our acts, moving equipment, it’s a solid word for action-tasks.
4.“Isvinitye” – Извините [Izvinite]
“Excuse me”
At the grocery store, they have a great selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. To facilitate the checkout line, they have these little machines around the area where you choose your produce, weigh it, and it prints out this little sticker that you put on the bag, which can be scanned for the price at checkout. Its brilliant, really, if you can speak/read the language.
It was pretty easy to figure out, one you got past the buttons for fruits/vegetables/meat/other (all in cyrillic btw), most items had pictures. However, for some reason I just couldn’t find the photo for avocado, so I tried to ask the elderly couple behind me for help. “Isvinitye” and pointing at my small bag of avocados, I looked at the screen pathetically, and they stepped up to try to help.
5.“Ya ne Panimayo” – Я не понима́ю [ya nyeh pan-ee-my-oh]
“I don’t understand.”
A few minutes of conversing later, I heard the woman say something something “nyeh pan-ee-my-oh.” I assumed she said something about me not understanding russian, and I answered, “Da, Ya ne panimayo,” and we shared a laugh. Unfortunately, I never found the avocados on the screen, but even the woman at the checkout counter couldn’t find it, so…
…
It’s been a swell month and a half in Russia. If we were staying longer, I’d be more proactive in learning the language, but this is the extent of it for this trip.
…
27/31 #YearOfChallenge