Essentials

Welcome to a brand-new unit. You can already greet someone and have a little conversation — now we add the small, essential words you'll lean on constantly. We start with the two most useful words in any language: yes and no. Ка́тя's here with the real Russian. First, *yes.* — Да. Да — "da." Short and simple, that's *yes.* Say it with Ка́тя. — Да. And now *no.* — Нет. Нет — "nyet." One syllable, easy to remember — that's *no.* Say it with Ка́тя. — Нет. That's the heart of it: да for yes, нет for no. A little warmth, though — in friendly speech Russians often double them. The doubled *yes*: — Да-да. And the doubled *no*: — Нет-нет. *Yeah, yeah* and *no, no* — warm and natural, the way friends really talk. You don't need it, but now you'll recognize it. Let's hear them as answers. If someone asked Ка́тя whether she speaks Russian, she'd say: — Да. And if they asked something that wasn't so: — Нет. Simple as that — two tiny words that'll carry you through countless conversations. — Молоде́ц! "Molodets" — well done. You can now say yes and no in Russian. Next, one of the warmest words in the language: *thank you.*

Yes

da — one syllable

No

nyet — one syllable

Say them back.

Good — да and нет, two words you'll use all the time. Shadow them once more if you'd like.

I didn't hear anything — give it a try when you're ready.

Yes, No

Answering simple questions

Вы means '*you*' (formal), and a yes/no question is just a statement said with a rising tone. Доктор is a close cousin of the English word. The replies are today's words: да = *yes*, нет = *no*.

Are you Ка́тя?

Макси́м

Yes.

Ка́тя

Are you a doctor?

Макси́м

No.

Ка́тя

A quick recall — words you already own

You already know every word here — plus today's Да and Нет. не о́чень — *not really.*

Hello! How are you? All well?

Макси́м

Hello! Yes, thank you!

Ка́тя

Hi! How are you? Good!

Макси́м

Hi! No, not really.

Ка́тя

Welcome back. You've got yes and no — now one of the warmest, most useful words in all of Russian: *thank you.* Let's hear it from Ка́тя. — Спаси́бо! That's it — with the stress in the middle, on the second syllable. You'll use it everywhere someone helps you. Let's hear it once more, slowly. — Спаси́бо. Now you try — say it along with Ка́тя. — Спаси́бо. Lovely. And if you really mean it — *thank you very much* — you put one word in front. — Большо́е спаси́бо! "Bolshoye spasibo" — a big thank-you. And here's a warm detail: the word comes from an old phrase meaning *God save you* — a little blessing tucked inside, so when you thank someone, you're quietly wishing them well. There's a reply, too. If I thanked Ка́тя for today's lesson, she'd answer: — Пожа́луйста! That means *you're welcome* — and it happens to be your very next lesson, so just hold onto the sound for now. — Молоде́ц! She says *well done!* You can now thank anyone in Russian. Next: how to answer a thank-you, and how to say *please.*

Thank you

spa-SI-ba — stress on the middle syllable

Say it back.

Good — спасибо, the word you'll use most. Shadow it once more if you'd like.

I didn't hear anything — give it a try when you're ready.

Thank you

Receiving a kindness

Большое спасибо is '*thank you very much.*' The reply, Пожалуйста ('*you're welcome*'), is your next lesson.

Thank you very much!

Ка́тя

You're welcome.

Макси́м

Welcome back. In the last lesson, Ка́тя gave us Спаси́бо — thank you. And we got a little preview of how someone might respond. Today, we learn that response properly. Ка́тя, the phrase? — Пожа́луйста. That's *you're welcome* in Russian — the standard response when someone thanks you. It's a long word, so don't worry if it takes a few tries. Ка́тя, slowly? — Пожа́луйста. The stress is on the second syllable. — Пожа́луйста. And in real conversation, Russians tend to say it pretty quickly, with the unstressed vowels getting a bit softer than the spelling suggests. Once more, natural pace? — Пожа́луйста. Now you try. Listen and say it along with Ка́тя. — Пожа́луйста. Here's something worth knowing about Russian culture. In English, if someone says *Thanks,* you might just nod or smile. In Russian, it's more common to actually respond out loud. Saying Пожа́луйста back isn't optional politeness — it's expected. The exchange feels incomplete without it. Let's hear it as a real exchange. Ка́тя, the full back-and-forth? — Спаси́бо. — Пожа́луйста. Спаси́бо — thank you. Пожа́луйста — you're welcome. That's the complete exchange. You'll also sometimes hear "Не за что" — meaning *it's nothing* — as a more casual response. But Пожа́луйста works in every situation, so start there. One more time. Listen and say it along with Ка́тя. — Пожа́луйста. Well done. You can now thank someone in Russian and respond when they thank you — a complete piece of social interaction. Молоде́ц!

You're welcome

pa-ZHA-lus-ta — stress on the second syllable

You're welcome (casual)

NYE-za-shta — literally *not for what*; a warm, casual *don't mention it*

Say it back.

Good — Пожалуйста is a long one, so shadow it again if you'd like.

I didn't hear anything — give it a try when you're ready.

You're welcome

A friend hands you something

The complete exchange: Спасибо → Пожалуйста. Не за что is the warmer, casual reply — same meaning, friendlier tone.

Thank you!

Макси́м

You're welcome.

Ка́тя

Today's lesson is one of those words you'll need on day one in Russia — how to say *excuse me* or *I'm sorry.* Ка́тя, the phrase? — Извини́те. The stress is on the third syllable. — Извини́те. Once more? — Извини́те. This word covers a lot of ground in Russian. It's the word you say when you bump into someone, when you're running late, when you make a mistake — anytime you'd say *I'm sorry* or *excuse me* in English as an apology. It's also what you say when you politely interrupt someone, like getting a server's attention or asking a stranger for directions. Same word, slightly different feeling — the apology side and the polite-attention side. Ка́тя, give us the apology context first. Imagine you've just bumped into someone on the street. — Извини́те! Brief and clear. And now imagine you're trying to get someone's attention to ask a question. — Извини́те, пожа́луйста... Same word, with пожа́луйста softening it — *Excuse me, please...* Ка́тя added пожа́луйста there because in attention-getting contexts, it sounds warmer. Pure Извини́те alone is fine for apologies; with пожа́луйста, it works smoothly for getting attention. One cultural note worth knowing. Russians tend to apologize briefly and directly — one clear Извини́те, no elaborate explanation needed. In English we sometimes pile on qualifiers — *Oh, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to...* In Russian, the brevity is the politeness. Less is more. You'll also hear "Прости́те" used similarly — it's a close synonym, slightly more formal. Don't worry about choosing between them; Извини́те works in every context. Listen and say it along with Ка́тя. — Извини́те. Well done. You can now apologize and politely get attention in Russian. Two essential pieces of social navigation. Молоде́ц!

Excuse me / I'm sorry

iz-vi-NI-tye — stress on the third syllable

Sorry / excuse me (informal)

iz-vi-NI — the informal Извините, for friends. Прости́ is a close synonym.

It's nothing / no worries

ni-che-VO — literally *nothing*; the easy reply to a small apology

Say it back.

Good — Извините, your all-purpose 'excuse me.' Shadow it again if you'd like.

I didn't hear anything — give it a try when you're ready.

Excuse me / I'm sorry

Bumping into someone on the street

Извини́те! → Ничего́. — a small apology and the easy reply you now both own. Ничего́ literally means *nothing* — here, *it's nothing.*

Sorry!

Ка́тя

It's nothing.

Макси́м

Today's phrase is one of the most useful things a Russian learner can say — and one of the most freeing. It's how you tell someone *I don't understand.* Ка́тя, the phrase? — Я не понима́ю. Three words, and they fit together in a way that's actually pretty close to English. Ка́тя, slowly so we can hear each piece? — Я... не... понима́ю. Each word has a job. Я means *I.* Не means *not.* And понима́ю is a form of *understand.* So literally, the phrase is *I not understand* — which in proper English is *I don't understand.* You'll notice Russian doesn't need a separate word for *do* the way English does. The structure is more direct. Ка́тя, natural pace? — Я не понима́ю. Now you try. Listen and say it along with Ка́тя. — Я не понима́ю. Here's something worth knowing about Russian culture. When you say this phrase clearly to a Russian speaker, the typical response is patience — they'll repeat more slowly, simplify their words, or switch to English if they can. The phrase is recognized for exactly what it is: a learner asking for help. Don't be afraid to use it. It's freeing. You might also hear another helpful phrase from Ка́тя — "Повтори́те, пожа́луйста" — which means *Please repeat* and works similarly. Ка́тя? — Повтори́те, пожа́луйста. But the phrase we're learning today is the clearer signal, especially for beginners. It tells the listener what's actually happening: you're not asking them to say it again louder, you're telling them you didn't understand the meaning. Ка́тя, one more time. — Я не понима́ю. Excellent. And just so you have it — the positive version, *I understand,* is what you'd say when things click. Ка́тя? — Я понима́ю. Same structure, just without the "не" in the middle. A pair worth knowing — one for when things make sense, one for when they don't. One final listen, and say it along with Ка́тя. — Я не понима́ю. Well done. You can now signal when you need help understanding — and that takes you to the end of Unit Three. You've got the essential pieces of any social interaction in Russian: yes, no, thanks, you're welcome, sorry, excuse me, and the phrase Ка́тя just modeled. That's a lot of ground covered. Молоде́ц!

I don't understand

ya nye pa-ni-MA-yu — stress on MA

Say it back.

Good — three words: Я не понимаю. Shadow it again if you'd like.

I didn't hear anything — give it a try when you're ready.

I don't understand

Someone's speaking too fast

There's the whole exchange — Макси́м rattles off a greeting, you say Извини́те, я не понима́ю, and he slows right down. That's the phrase doing its work.

Hello! How are you? All good?

Макси́м

Sorry, I don't understand.

Ка́тя

Sorry. How are you?

Макси́м

Ah! Good, thanks!

Ка́тя