Russian/Lesson 4

Russian Mental Picture Dictionary

edit

These memory aids aren't true! They're nonsense made up to help you remember the meanings of Russian words.

Russian word Part of speech English meaning Pronunciation
 
А   Yes but… Ah
 
Авиа noun Air Aveea
Avia aerobics shoes have air soles.
 
Авиабилет noun Airplane ticket Aveea beelyet
 
Автор noun Author Avtor
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Актер noun Actor Aktyehr
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Алфавит noun Alphabet Alfaveet
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Америка noun America Amyehreeka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Американец noun American man Amyehreekanyets
American men are nuts.
 
Американка noun American woman Amyehreekanka
When a Russian girl named Anya misbehaves, her mother calls her "Anka."
 
Англия noun England Angleeya
 
Английский noun English (language) Angleeskee
English people use angled skis. That's why they're such bad skiers.
 
Англичанин noun Englishman Angleechaneen
"Channing" is one of those names that only an Englishman would name his son. An eccentric English angler (fisherman) named his son "Angle Channing."
 
Англичанка noun Englishwoman Angleechanka
 
Анкета noun Questionnaire Ankyehta
Russian questionnaires come with an answer kit.
 
Балерина noun Ballerina Ballyehreena
A cognate (same word in Russian and English)
 
Банан noun Banana Banan
 
Банджо noun Banjo Bandzho
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
белый adjective White Byehlee
 
Билет noun Ticket Beelyeht
A billet is a short letter or ticket ordering a private home to provide lodging and food to a soldier.
 
Бизнесмен noun Businessman Beezneesmyehn
Бизнесменка noun Businesswoman Beezneesmyehnka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Блузка noun Blouse Bloozka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Ботинки noun (plural) Men's shoes Boteenkee
Russian men remember their moms calling their cute little boots "booteenkees."
 
Брюки noun (plural) Pants Bryoukee
Britches.
 
В, Во   In Veh, Vo
"Во" is used for words beginning with two consonants if the first consonant is В or Ф.
 
Варежки noun (plural) Mittens Varyehzhkee
Russian mittens make you sing far off key.
 
Вы pronoun You (formal or plural) Vee
 
Ваша   Your (formal or plural, feminine) Vasha
Ваша машина means "your car" is a washing machine. Think of a car with a washing machine where the engine should be.
 
Введение   Introduction Vvehdyehneeyeh
Don't confuse with До свидания (good-bye, dos veedaneeyah).
 
Велосипед noun Bicycle Veloseepyehd
A cognate (same word in Russian and French).
 
Версия noun Version Verseeyah
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Виза noun Visa Veeza
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Волосы noun Hair Volosih
Russians like big shiny hair, so they use shampoo that gives volume and polish.
 
Вот   Here, here is Vot
Show something to someone.
 
Всё   All, everything, that's all Vsyo
That's all, the show's over.
 
Галстук noun Necktie Galstook
 
Газета noun Newspaper Gazyehta
Don't confuse with журнал (magazine, zhoornal). A person who writes a newspapers and a person who writes a magazine are both a журналист (zhoornalist). In other words, "journalist" is a more prestigious job title because magazines are more prestigious, so newspaper writers want to be called "journalist" even though they should be called a "gazettist."
 
Где   Where G'dyeh
Australians are always late. The Australian greeting "G'day" doesn't mean "Good day," it means "Where were you?"
 
Гитара noun Guitar Geetara
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Голова noun Head Gollova
In A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess changed this to "gulliver," as in Gulliver's Travels, as in "we kicked him in the gulliver." Think of a picture of Gulliver tied down by the Lilliputians, with the little people dancing around his head.
 
Голос noun Voice Golloss
Russians have glossy voices. That's why they can make those sliding R's.
 
Город noun City Gorod
Novgorod is a city between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It means "new city."
 
Грамматика noun Grammar Grammateeka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Грязь noun Dirt Gryahz
Grass grows in dirt.
 
Грязный adjective Dirty Gryahznee
 
Да   Yes Da
 
Давайте   Let's Davaytyeh
It's divine to do this together!
 
Декларация noun Declaration Deklaratseeyah
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Для   For Dlyah
Ask the dealer for anything you want.
 
Джинсы noun Jeans Jeensih
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Диалог noun Dialogue Deealog
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Дипломат noun Diplomat Deeplomat
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Доброе утро   Good morning Dobroyeh utro
Добрый день   Good afternoon Dobreey dyehn
Добрый вечер   Good evening Dobreey vyehchyehr
"Dobry den" is Russian for "hello."
Note that "good morning" rhymes, ending in o's. The other "good's" end in "ee."
 
Документ noun Document Dokoomyehnt
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Дом noun House Dom
 
Дома adverb At home Doma
 
До свидaния   Good-bye Do sveedahneeyah
"Sweet on ya"
 
Драма noun Drama Dramah
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
 
Есть verb To eat; is; there is, there are Yehst
That eat and is are homonyms suggests that "to be" and "to eat" are the same to a Russian. Or perhaps "you are what you eat"?
 
Ещё   Still; yet; else; also; more; another Yehschyo
Ешё looks like "ewe." Picture a female sheep, standing still. Also picture another female sheep. And picture more female sheep—a whole flock of ewes.
 
Жаба noun Toad (Bufo sp.) Zhaba
 
 
Жена noun Wife Zhena
 
Женщина noun Woman Zhensheena
Russian women use hair color that gives them sheen. Also note that жен and жить are the start of many words about women and living, so think of Old World gender roles where a woman's place was in the home.
 
Живой adjective Alive, lively, active zheevoi
Picture a lively boy, who lives in cottage in the French countryside.
 
Жить verb Live (e.g. where you live) Zheet
A cognate with the French word "gîte," pronounced "zheet," which is a country cottage you rent by the week. When asking where a Russian lives, picture that he or she rents a cottage in the French countryside. Remember that Жить conjugates by changing the т to в, then the next vowel is ё: я живу, ты живёшь, он/она живёт, мы живём, вы живёте, они живут.
 
Жук noun Bug, beetle Zhook
 
 
Журнал noun Magazine Zhoornal
Cognate with "journal." Don't confuse with Газета (newspaper).
 
Задание noun Task, assignment Zadaneeyeh
"Is it done yet?"
 
Запись noun Recording Zapees
 
Здесь   Here Zdyes
 
Здравствуйте   Greetings (formal) Zdrastvooytye
 
Здравствуй   Greetings (informal) Zdrastvooy
 
Значит particle So, then Znacheet
 
Значить v.impfv. To mean, signify Znacheet
"So" and "meaning" are homonyms.
 
зовут noun Name Zovoot
 
Зуб noun Tooth Zoob
 
 
И   And Ee
Игра noun Game, acting Eegra
 
Имя noun First name Eemyah
 
Институт noun Institute Eensteetoot
 
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
лесной adjective Forest Lesnoy
Russians walk silently in forests. They make less noise than Americans.
 
Стол noun Table Stol
(Russian chairs are Стул, stool)
 
Скрипка noun Violin Scripka
When Russians play violin it screeps or screeches.
 
Твой   Your (informal) Tvoy
Товарищ n. Comrade Tovarishch