🇷🇺Essential Russian phrases for beginners
If you're starting Russian from zero, these are the phrases to learn first. They cover the moments you'll hit on day one — saying hello, being polite, asking for help, ordering food and finding your way. Each one is native-checked, with romanization to help you say it, and a tap through to usage and related phrases.
How to use this list: don't try to memorize all of them at once.
Learn the greetings and the courtesy phrases first — they're the ones you'll use every single day — then add
a few situational ones (directions, food, emergencies) before a trip. Say each out loud; reading silently
won't build the muscle. When you're ready, practice them with a real Russian speaker.
Essential phrases for Russian are being prepared.
From phrasebook to real conversation
These essentials get you started. To actually speak Russian, practice them out loud — free with native-speaker peers, or 1-1 with a vetted tutor.