Learn Russian for Beginners: The Ultimate 100-Lesson Course

Over the next 20 lessons, you'll learn everything there is about the reading and writing of the Russian language. By the end, you’ll be ready to dive into the world of Russian literature, make your way through Russian cities, and really accelerate your Russian study! 

The Russian alphabet contains 33 letters. Seeing them laid out might seem intimidating, but the trick is to take it step by step - character by character. Don’t worry about how hard it looks now, just stick around and in a few short lessons you’ll see how easy it actually is.

Ready to start? Then let's go!

In the last lesson we learned two letters: “А” and “К”. These letters are True Friends, meaning that they look and sound like their English counterparts. In this lesson we'll continue our study of the Russian alphabet by learning the three remaining True Friends. 

In this lesson, we'll show you how to write three letters in Russian: M, O, and T, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Ready to go? Well then, let’s get started!

In the first two lessons, we covered the True Friends in the Russian alphabet. Now we're going to take a look at some slightly more difficult Russian letters - the “False Friends.” While True Friends look and sound like their English counterparts, False Friends look like English letters but sound completely different. 

In this lesson, we'll show you how to write two letters in Russian: E and H, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Ready to go? Let’s get started!

In the previous lesson, we introduced our first group of “False Friends” - Russian letters that look like letters of the English alphabet but have completely different sounds. The first false friends that we learned were “Е” and “Н”. Do you remember how to write them? What about the “True friends” from the first two lessons? Make sure that you feel confident about the characters from past lessons before moving on!

In this lesson, we'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: B and P, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters. Ready? Let’s go!

In the previous lesson, we continued introducing some “False Friends” - Russian letters that look like letters of the English alphabet, but sound completely different. We've already learned several, but do you remember how to read and write them? Taking the time to review the lessons will be the key to learning how to write in Russian!

In this lesson, we'll show you how to write 3 letters in Russian: C, У and Х, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Ready to learn? Then let’s go!

In the last lesson, we met the last of our False Friends, the Russian letters that look like letters of the English alphabet but sound different. I hope you remember how to read and write them all! If you've been practicing, I'm sure you're doing a great job.

In this lesson, we'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: Б, and Г. They are “New Friends”. New Friends are letters that don't look like English letters, but have sounds that can be found in English. That means that they should all be very easy to pronounce. 

Ready to learn? Then let’s go!

In the last lesson, we met several new friends and started using “Б” and “Г”. If you’re watching this lesson that means you’re feeling comfortable with those and ready for a new challenge!

In this lesson we'll continue with the New Friends category. They are Д and З. Remember, these are letters that don't look like English letters, but have sounds that can be found in English.

Ready? Let's start!

In the last lesson, we met two more New Friends, “Д” and “З”. I hope you remember how to read and write them!

In this lesson we'll continue with the New Friends category. We'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: И and Л, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Ready? Let's start!

In the last lesson, we learned two more New Friends, “И” and “Л”. Do you remember them?

In this lesson we'll finish up the New Friends. We'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: П, Ф and Э, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.  Let's start!

In the first nine lessons, you learned 21 of the 33 Russian letters! We're two-thirds through the alphabet and half-way through this series! Today we are going to take a break from learning new letters and instead focus on reviewing the ones we've already learned. Then you'll learn how to write some more sentences!

You’re officially on the second half! Last time we quickly reviewed all of our True Friends, False Friends, and New Friends. Then we learned a few new words and phrases. Now is where it gets really fun!

In this lesson we'll introduce our last category of Russian letters - “Strangers.” Strangers are letters which don’t look familiar and don’t have an equivalent letter in English. After that, we’ll learn some more phrases for your notebook. Let's start with Ч and Я. Ready to go?!

In the last lesson we introduced the first two Strangers, “Ч” and “Я”. Have you been reviewing how to read and write them? We hope you're ready to move on!

In this lesson we’ll learn two more “Strangers”. We'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: Й and Ц, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Let's go!

In the last lesson we introduced some more Strangers, the most challenging letters of the Russian alphabet. We learned “Й” and “Ц”. Have you been reviewing how to read and write them? We hope you're ready to move on!

In this lesson we’ll learn two more “Strangers”. We'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: Ы and Ю, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Let's go!

You're almost there! Today we will learn two of the remaining six letters! Last time we learned two more Strangers, “Ы” and “Ю”. Do you remember how to read and write them? We hope you're ready to move on!

In this lesson we’ll learn two more “Strangers”, Ё and Ж, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters.

Let's go!

Now we will learn two of the remaining four letters! Last time we learned two more Strangers, “Ё” and “Ж”. Do you remember how to read and write them? We hope you're ready to move on!

In this lesson we’ll learn two more “Strangers”, Ш and Щ, and we'll teach you a few words you can write with these letters. 

Let's start!

In this lesson, you're going to finish learning the Russian Alphabet! We've come so far. In the beginning you might have had trouble telling a “Я” from a “Ё”, but look at you now! Last time we learned the letters “Ж” and “Ё”. Do you remember how to read and write them? We hope you're ready to move on!

In this lesson we’ll learn the last two “Strangers” and some more sentences for your notebook! We'll show you how to write 2 letters in Russian: Ь and Ъ.

Ready?!

Now that you've learned all of the letters, the last 4 lessons of this series will be looking at some strategies on how to read and write effectively, all while learning some fun Russian sayings, idioms, and proverbs.

In this lesson, we’ll cover the system of hooks and bars for writing Russian letters. Hooks and bars can be used when writing to help you tell similar looking letters apart. Let's start!

In this lesson, we'll be learning the system of accents in the Russian language and learn how it affects word stress and the pronunciation of some letters. As we have gone through the series, we have told you from time to time that certain letters aren't always pronounced the same way. Well, in this lesson we'll clarify why and when that is.

In fact, writing with accents in Russian makes reading it much easier. So why did we wait until the end of the series to introduce it?! Because unfortunately, it isn't used outside of textbooks and is really just a teaching and learning aid.

This will be a great lesson! Let's start!

In this lesson, we'll be learning about how the Russian punctuation system differs from English. First, I'll give you the good news: In general, Russian follows punctuation rules that are similar to English, so things like periods, semicolons, and exclamation points are more-or-less the same in Russian and we won't be discussing them in this lesson. Instead, we'll be focusing on the differences in the use of the em dash and the Russian equivalents for quotation marks.

Ready?!

You made it! This is our very last lesson!

In this lesson, we won't be learning any new letters, punctuation, or pronunciation, but instead will REVIEW everything that we've covered so far. If you find this lesson easy, then that just means that you are ready to move on to the next stage of Russian learning!

In this series, you'll master Russian pronunciation. Proper pronunciation is essential in Russian, and in this series, you'll learn it in a fast, comprehensive, and easy way.

In this first lesson, you'll learn about the building blocks of the Russian pronunciation system that will help you in future lessons.

In this lesson, you'll learn the top 5 Russian pronunciation mistakes to avoid. These are common mistakes that Russian learners tend to make. So pay close attention and make sure that you don't make these same mistakes too.

Are you ready?
Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn all 13 Russian vowel sounds.

By learning all of these sounds, you'll be able to pronounce any vowel that could possibly appear in Russian!

Are you ready?
Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn 11 Russian consonant sounds.

Have you noticed how most consonant sounds are in pairs? That's because in Russian, consonants can be classified as either a hard or a soft consonant based on palatalization. We'll learn more about hard and soft consonants, and palatalization, in lecture 32. For now, just focus primarily on pronouncing each of these sounds properly.

Are you ready?
Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn 14 Russian consonant sounds.
l lʲ, m mʲ, n nʲ, p pʲ, r rʲ, s sʲ, ʂ, ɕː

Nearly half of these consonant sounds are identical to the ones in English.
So if you know English, some of them will already be familiar to you.

Are you ready?
Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn the final 12 Russian consonant sounds.
t tʲ, ts tɕ, v vʲ, x xʲ, z̪ z̪ʲ, ʐ ʑː

Nearly half of these consonant sounds are identical to the ones in English.
So if you know English, some of them will already be familiar to you.

Are you ready?
Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn about Russian palatalization.

It is imperative that you get a firm understanding of the content in this lesson because palatalization is a major component of Russian. Consonant sounds in Russian are heavily influenced by their neighboring sounds. There are many instances where a letter's pronunciation will change based on the sounds that follow it.

How?! Let's see.

In the previous lesson, we saw how neighboring sounds can influence a consonant's pronunciation through palatalization.

In this lesson, we'll explore how neighboring sounds can influence a consonant's voicing.

In the last lesson you learned about voicing. In this lesson, you'll learn about stress and vowel reduction.

Ready? Let's start.

In this last lesson, we'll wrap things up by quizzing you on the material that we've covered in this series.

You may know all the parts and pieces, but can you speak Russian with a natural accent?

If you've been quiet up until now, be sure to speak out loud with Katya.

Are you ready? Let's go!

In this series, we’re going to learn basic Russian expressions. It’s super easy and it takes only three minutes!

In this lesson, you're going to learn how to introduce yourself in Russian. There are a few ways to do this depending on how formal you want to be.

In the last lesson, we learned how to introduce ourselves in Russian. Today we’re going to learn how to thank people politely.

There are several ways to thank someone. Let's start!

In the last lesson, we learned how to express gratitude with Спасибо. In this lesson we’ll learn some of the most common greetings you’ll use in Russia.

Готовы? Are you ready? Поехали! Let’s start!

In the last lesson, we learned the most common forms of greetings in Russian. Do you remember them?

In this lesson we’re going to learn a very useful phrase: “Do you speak English?”

If you find yourself in a situation where you need assistance in English, this phrase can be a lifesaver. And because you’re asking it in Russian, you can be sure that everyone will understand what you’re saying, even if their answer is no.

In the last lesson, we learned the phrase Извините, вы говорите по-английски? "Excuse me, do you speak English?" We mentioned the word Извините, which means "excuse me" in Russian.

In this lesson we’re going to learn how to use “Извините” and other words when apologizing in Russian.

In the last lesson, we learned some words used when apologizing in Russian, including Извините and Простите. In this lesson we are going to learn numbers in Russian.

Yes, numbers, Числа, from one to ten. And you are going to learn them in only three minutes - Три минуты!

Are you ready? Let’s start!

In the last lesson we learned how to count in Russian. I hope you spent some time practicing the numbers, because they will come in handy in this lesson! Now we’re going to learn how to go shopping in Russia.

So, you see something you like, and you want to ask the shop assistant how much it is. What will you say then?

In the last lesson we learned the phrase Сколько это стоит? How much is it? 

In this lesson we’re going to see how we could answer that question by learning how to count in Russian money. The basic unit of the Russian currency is the ruble. We also have coins called копейкa.

Let’s try saying prices in Russian!

In the last lesson we learned how to count rubles and kopeikas. Did you practice them at home?

In this lesson, we're going to learn some useful tips to talk about your schedule - for example how to answer if a friends ask you "What are you doing this weekend?"

In the last lesson, we learned how to talk about your plans. In this lesson, we will learn how to ask about the country of origin and we will also discuss how to talk about your nationality.

Ready?!

In the last lesson, we learned how to talk about your nationality. In this lesson we are going to learn how to ask about the location in case you are looking for somebody. By the end of this lesson you will be able to say the things like “Where are you?” and reply "I am in the street" for example. I believe it's very useful!

Remember, we learned two forms, formal and informal, to ask where somebody comes from? Today’s question “Where are you?” in Russian is very similar to them. 

Ready?!

We have already covered a lot of phrases and some grammar in previous lessons. In this lesson let’s move to the next topic. We are going to learn how to ask about one’s age in Russian. It is a very delicate question, especially for ladies. You’d better be careful about asking this question to people who look over 25. But it is definitely one of the survival phrases, so we need to learn it anyway.

In this lesson we are going to begin learning the basic grammar rules for all Russian nouns. Yes, this is probably the most challenging part of our series but it is as important as the word order in English sentences. We will try to keep it simple and fun for you, so you will see how easy it is. If elementary school students can do it, you can do it too! So let’s get it started!

In the last two lessons, we learned about the nominative and accusative cases as well as personal pronouns. In this lesson let’s go ahead and take a look at another grammar case of Russian nouns. You'll learn how to use the dative case in Russian.

Ready?!

In the previous lesson, we learned how to put Russian nouns and pronouns into the dative case. Why do we need it? Because we need to know who or what we do actions for. 

In this lesson, we`ll learn the Genitive case which is used to indicate the belonging of one object to another, or possession. 

In the last lesson, we learned how to express possession by putting nouns in the genitive case. In this lesson we will learn the instrumental case, which usually marks the method of the action, like the English preposition "with" or “by means of”. Why is it called instrumental? Because it represents the ‘instrument’ that was used to carry out the action.

Let's take a closer look!

In our last 6 lessons we learned the 6 essential grammar cases of Russian nouns. From now on, we will use them everywhere, and I want you to pay attention not only to the new material but also to the nouns’ declensions in the sentence. Okay?!

In this lesson, you will learn how to express your preferences and wishes in Russian. By the end of this lesson you will be able to say, for example: “I want an ice-cream” or “I love this music.”

In the last lesson, we learned how to use the phrases “I want” and “I love”, so now you can say that you want to eat, if you are hungry as well as what you like eating. In this lesson we will learn how to talk about what you like. 

Are you ready? Lets Go!

In the last lesson, we learned how to ask the common question “Do you like?”. In this lesson we will learn how to ask questions using the question words “What?” “When?” “Where?” etc, in Russian. Of course there are others, but we will only touch on the more important ones. 

Are you ready? Let’s do it.

In the last lesson, we learned how to ask different kinds of questions in Russian. In this lesson, we will continue answering the question “When?” with different, very useful phrases and words to express the time in Russian.
There are a lot of time-related adverbs both in English and in Russian. But lets get down to the most common ones. Here we go.

In the last lesson, we learned different time-related adverbs. I also talked about impersonal sentences that are commonly used in Russia. In this lesson, let’s take a closer look at them. We will learn how to build a sentence without a subject or a verb, only using adverbs.

When do we use impersonal sentences? The most common case is when we are talking about the weather. 

For example:
“It is sunny.” “It is windy.” “It is rainy.”

Do you want to know how to say it in Russian? It’s super easy.

We have already covered so many aspects of the Russian language as well as culture in the previous lessons. This is the last lesson of our Russian in Three minutes video series, so we will learn different ways to say goodbye in Russian. It is sad to say goodbye, but the phrases themselves are super useful. Are you ready? Then let’s start.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a bookstore. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a restaurant. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian phone call to the doctor's office. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills by listening to a Russian journal entry being read out. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In Russian! In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about a photograph. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about going to the movies. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about buying a shirt. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a burger shop. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about baking a cake. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about making plans. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation between a student and a teacher. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a restaurant. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about choosing a place to wait. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about making vacation plans. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about breakfast. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a department store. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about age. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a clothing boutique. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about who's attending a party. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about arranging furniture in a room. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation in a jewelry store. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about rearranging an office. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about grocery shopping. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian weather report. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about redesigning a business card. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about getting directions. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about choosing drinks for a meeting. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation set in a computer store. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about a travel schedule. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about ordering pizza. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about a restaurant's opening hours. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about choosing a delivery time. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about when and which medicines to take for an illness. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about someone's family. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about choosing a pair of glasses. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about changing a dentist appointment. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about locating a friend's apartment. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about renting DVDs. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about the time. 

In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a Russian conversation about choosing a seat on a plane. This Russian Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!