How to properly introduce yourself in Russian

Summary

This video script is an educational guide on how to introduce oneself and initiate conversations in Russian. It covers greetings, self-introduction, discussing age, and inquiring about others' names, ages, and occupations. The script emphasizes the importance of first impressions and provides pronunciation tips for key phrases. It also introduces the concept of cases in Russian grammar, which affects the endings of certain words. The video is aimed at beginners looking to build a foundation in Russian, with a special mention of an upcoming beginner camp for further learning.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video teaches viewers how to introduce themselves and start basic conversations in Russian, emphasizing the importance of first impressions.
• 🗣️ Two common informal greetings in Russian are 'PR' and 'a', both meaning 'hi', with 'a' being more formal.
• 🔍 When asked for one's name, the response should be 'F [your name]', where 'F' stands for 'I am' and is followed by the person's name.
• 🤝 To reciprocate the introduction, ask the other person the same question, using 't' for informal settings or 'v' for formal ones.
• 📊 The script explains how to talk about age in Russian, including the different forms of the word for 'years' based on the last digit of the age.
• 👶 When stating one's age, use 'L' for plural forms, except for specific cases where 'good' or 'G' is used depending on the last digit.
• 💼 The video covers how to discuss one's job, including how to answer where one works and what one's profession is.
• 🏢 When asked about the workplace, the response should include the place of work, such as 'I work in a bank' or 'I work in an office'.
• 🌐 To ask about someone's profession, use 'Kim' or 'K', and respond with 'I work as a [profession]'.
• 🌍 Discussing where one is from, the script teaches how to answer 'where are you from' and how to ask the same question back using 'y is'.
• 📚 The video also mentions an upcoming beginner camp for learning Russian, which will help build a foundation for further language study.

Q & A

What are the two informal greetings in Russian that are commonly used?

The two informal greetings in Russian are 'PR' and 'a', both of which mean 'hi'.

How do you introduce yourself in Russian when asked 'What do they call you' or 'What's your name'?

You can respond by saying 'F now', where 'F' is replaced with your own first name, followed by 'm z' which is a common way to say 'my name is'.

What is the polite way to ask someone their name in Russian after you have introduced yourself?

You can ask them back by saying 'and you?' which in Russian is 'i vy?'.

How do you informally ask someone about their age in Russian?

You can ask 'how old are you' in Russian by saying 'skazhi mne o sebe', which translates to 'tell me about yourself'.

What are the three different forms of the word for 'years' in Russian depending on the last digit of the age?

The three different forms are 'god' for year one, 'got' for numbers ending in two, three, or four, and 'let' for all other numbers including zero and numbers 11 through 19.

How do you respond to the question 'How old are you?' in Russian?

You can respond by saying 'I am 26 years old' in Russian, which would be 'ya 26 let', using the appropriate form of 'years' based on the last digit of your age.

What are the two questions that can be asked when someone wants to know about your job?

The two questions are 'where do you work' and 'what's your job', which in Russian are 'gde ty rabotayesh' and 'kakoy ty professiya'.

How do you answer the question 'where do you work' in Russian?

You can respond by saying 'I work in a bank' or 'I work in an office', using the structure 'ya rabotayu v' followed by the place of work.

What is the difference between 'who do you work as' and 'what's your job' in Russian?

The difference is that 'who do you work as' asks for your profession, while 'what's your job' is more about the nature of your work or your role.

How do you ask someone where they are from in Russian?

You can ask 'where are you from' in Russian by saying 'otkud ty'.

What is the significance of changing the word 'you' in questions like 'and you' when asking about someone's information?

The change in the word 'you' is due to the case system in Russian, which dictates the grammatical form of the pronoun based on its function in the sentence.