hey

[dear-sun.livejournal.com]

This is a question mostly for those who learn russian. I need to teach an english girl, who does not know a word in russian, some simple sentences, as she is going to St. Petersburg and Moscow with an orchestra. What should these sentences be? I allready tought her how to say "Добрый вечер", "Спасибо" and "До свидания", but don't really know what else she might need.

What was the first thing you've learned?

Comments

[fishity.livejournal.com]

Hm...what about "my name is..." (my first words in Russian) and essentials like "Excuse me, where is...?" if she gets lost and needs to find her way back to her place.

Sorry for not typing in Russian and in Cyrillic letters, but my keyboard has no stickers on it or anything - I have to search for every single letter and I can't transcribe correctly.

[terminator-nemo.livejournal.com]

You don`t need any stickers - just use www.translit.ru or something else like that.

[belacane.livejournal.com]

there's a difference between just learning a few phrases and wanting to get a good understanding of the gramatical structure so as to build on that and actually learn the language. so telling you the first things a serious student of the language might learn wouldn't be that helpful.

anyhow...


- asking for directions
- introducing herself
- how order something at a kiosk or restaurant
- how to read cyrillic!!!!!! (if she can't already)
- and just explain the way of life in moscow and peter, so she's not completely suprised.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

I have never learned Russian "from zero level," but, knowing Russian realities, I would guess that "где здесь туалет?" would help mightily (because an English speaker would find no "Restrooms" signs!) - and please teach her that ladies' rooms are marked with a Ж letter :)

[belacane.livejournal.com]

... and also to keep some toilet paper with her, as well as change.
I don't know where she's staying, but if it's not really up market, or a nice restaurant, there's rarely toilet paper. (but western places i.e mcdonalds, will usually have it).
Also, public bathrooms at least in moscow usually charget 10 rubles or so.... and they can be notoriously hard to find if you don't know where to look.

yes, asking where a toilet is, is a very good idea.

[old-radist.livejournal.com]

yes, there is a good idea, but if she does not know such easy sentences, how would she understand answers?

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

There's always this priceless "я не понимаю" (I don't understand) -- and.on the other hand, almost every person asked where a toilet is has at least one index finger to point :)

[belacane.livejournal.com]

which would make sence for her to learn how to say

"do you speak english"
"I don't speak russian"

[old-radist.livejournal.com]

And that's correct!

an important one

[frolicsome.livejournal.com]

"I don't speak Russian"

[dear-sun.livejournal.com]

tnx)

[l-strange.livejournal.com]

My three top suggests have already been hit ("I don't understand", "Do you speak English", "I don't speak Russian").

Even though I hope I would never have to use it, I also like to learn the phrases for "I am a/an [country of origin] citizen" and "Where is the [country of origin] embassy/consolate?".

[winnie-bordist.livejournal.com]

Aslo I may suggest if in any case she gets in trouble, scream "пожар", but not "помогите". As practice shows, people in Russia would react more on that =)

[mithgol.livejournal.com]

Whose practice?

[winnie-bordist.livejournal.com]

Everyone knows it here...=) Many years of experience proved it

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

I'm a little embarassed that the first phrase I found useful enough to get over my shyness to say was:
можна пиво? Can I have a beer?
More seriously knowing that you can say можна and then stick what you want/need in front of it is actually quite useful.
I would suggest numbers too, because they aren't that hard and it's incredibly useful when handling money.

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

also:
извините
comes in quite handy...