If you are far
from home, caught out in a Siberian blizzard and badly in need of a cup of coffee, stagger into the local
bistro and use the following Russian on the locals.......
Don't worry, they have a
great sense of humour! They needed one in the old USSR.
For me to learn to speak Russian is impossible so I am learning just a few words as I come across them; a sort of shotgun method of learning the language or of at least getting a smile out of a Russian when I use it! It makes life on board just a bit better if I can say good morning or something. The words below are my personal collection of Russian vocab, my private linguistic cheat sheet! This page is as much for me as it is for web readers.
Some words are quite interesting, such as "bistro". My Russian advisers inform me that when Russian soldiers, who were in Paris after the Napoleonic Wars, wanted speedy service from the local restaurateurs they would shout "bistro bistro!" and wave a sabre in the air. They got their coffee post-haste! So coffee shops, the fast food joints of the day, came to be called bistros.
|
Russian |
English |
Comments |
|
Bistro |
Quickly! Hurry! |
When a Russian shouts "Bistro!" you listen! |
|
Arbuz |
Watermelon |
Indigenous to the dry areas of Southern Africa |
|
Arbuza |
A few watermelons |
More than one but less than five. |
|
Arbuzov |
Lots of watermelons |
Five or more. |
|
Izvinitte |
Excuse me |
|
|
Prover |
Check |
As in check your pay calculation! |
|
Sleydushi |
Next |
Who wants his money! Sleydushi! |
|
Myod |
Honey |
Any connection with mead? |
|
Oladie |
Flapjack |
As close to quality confectionary as we can get! |
|
Ya peregivau |
I am worried |
But not often! |
|
Da |
Yes |
"Do you speak English?" "Da!" "OK, you got the job!" |
|
Nie or Nieyt |
No |
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Bolshoi |
Big, Grand |
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Bolshoya |
Very much |
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Malenkiy |
Small |
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I |
As in I understand. Pronounced Ya. |
|
|
I understand |
Ya Ya Ya ! |
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Menya |
Me |
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Priatnava apatita |
Bon appetite |
The Poles say Smutchnegal! The Belgians say Bon Chance! |
|
Spasiba |
Thank you |
|
|
Spesiba bolshoe |
Thank you very much |
|
|
Kloobnicka |
Strawberry |
Related to the rose! |
|
Kloobnichka |
Small strawberry |
How can one learn that sort of language? |
|
Kalina |
Snowball tree |
Same as in the song. |
|
Malina |
Raspberry |
Same as in the same song. |
|
Dedushka |
Grandfather |
What the crew call the Chief Engineer. |
|
Babushka |
Grandmother |
Everybody knows that one! |
Chorni |
Black |
|
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Belly |
White |
|
Krasnoy |
Red |
Was a popular colour in the old USSR. |
|
Siniy |
Blue |
|
|
Zeleniy |
Green |
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Samogon |
Moonshine |
Russians are deep into homebrew! |
|
Samogonshiki |
Moonshine makers |
That is just about every Russian! |
|
Nazdaroveya |
Good health |
Good health or cheers for food or drink. |
|
Budzdarov |
Similar to nazdaroveya |
Usually said after somebody sneezes. |
Dobroe utro |
Good morning |
|
|
Dobriy dien |
Good day |
|
|
Dobriy ranok |
Good morning in Ukrainian |
Not quite the Tsar's Russian! |
|
Dobriy viacha |
Good afternoon |
|
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Pajolusta |
Please |
|
|
Niezashtor |
Don't mention it |
As in "you are welcome" in US. |
|
Ozero |
Lake |
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Expidirivat |
Expedite |
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Tolko dle informasie |
For information only |
|
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Frikadel |
Small meatball |
This is the same in Afrikaans! |
|
Borsh |
Ukrainian cabbage soup |
Red or green, take your pick! |
|
Spokoini wachti |
Have a pleasant watch |
|
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Spokoini nachi |
Good night |
|
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Levo na bord |
Port |
|
Provo na bord |
Starboard |
|
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Shushlik |
Kebab |
|
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Shampoor |
Kebab skewer |
Popular with Cosacks! |
|
Sotka |
100 square metres |
Russian measure of land area. |
|
Sotki |
Two to four sotka |
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Sotok |
More than four sotka |
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Palka |
Stick |
Small pole. Inflections same as for sotka; palki, palok. |
|
Datcha |
Holiday house |
Usually built on shest sotok of land. |
|
Priveet |
Hi |
Casual |
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Poka |
Bye |
Casual |
|
Zdrastvuyte |
Hallo |
Formal |
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Dasverdanya |
Good bye |
Formal |
|
Shast li vor hor |
See you later |
|
|
Nol |
Zero |
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Oden |
One |
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Dva |
Two |
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Tree |
Three |
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Chetyre |
Four |
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Pyat |
Five |
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Shest |
Six |
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Sem |
Seven |
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Vosem |
Eight |
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Devyat |
Nine |
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Desyat |
Ten |
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Ochin minorga |
Too much! |
As in "Too much food!" A pity about the quality. |
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Vchera |
Yesterday |
|
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Sivodnya |
Today |
|
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Zaltra |
Tomorrow |
|
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Herashore |
Good, OK |
|
|
Kit |
Whale |
Kitti;kittov. |
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Kot |
Male cat |
|
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Kochka |
Female cat |
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Chut chut |
Easy, easy. A little. |
Despachio in Spanish, Dahan dahan in Tagalog. |
|
Ya nie gavoru por Ruski |
I don't speak Russian |
You can say that again! |
|
Prevoshodno! |
Excellent! |
Ha! |
|
A tor! |
Wow! |
Slangski! |
|
Yad |
Poison |
|
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Tak |
Is so |
Yes in Ukrainian. |
|
Podpis |
Sign |
As in sign a signature. |
|
Mys Dobroy Nadez |
Cape of Good Hope |
The Fairest Cape in all the Circumference of the World! |
|
Grib |
Mushroom |
Gribi - mushrooms. |
|
Gribnoy |
Mushrooms in something |
As in gribnoy soup. |
Deshevle gribov |
Cheaper than mushrooms! |
Just why this is significant I have no idea! |
Sna |
Dream |
Priatnava snov - pleasant dreams. |
