6 Things to Know About the Russian Language Before You Start to Learn It

I’ve mentioned before that I like to take a big picture, outside-in approach to language learning. I like to peel the onion, if you will.** And what is more outer layer of the Russian onion than comparing it to English? Think of this as a way of orienting your English-speaking self to the Russian language. So let’s talk about some things to look out for in Russian and *gasp* how Russian and English actually have some (ok, very few) similarities.

**We recently watched the movie Shrek. I blame the big, green ogre for this metaphor.

Similarities

We all know that Russian and English don’t have that much in common. I’ll admit that. But if you think there is nothing similar between the two languages, you might be surprised.

1. Sentence Structure

If you are freaking out about declensions and the case system, don’t. I’ll get to that in the next section. What you need to know for now is that sentence structure in Russian is mostly similar to English, though it’s not as important in Russian. Most sentences still read Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). This was a big hang up for me when I started learning, but I encourage you to not worry about it too much when you start to assemble your first sentences. Even if you use the wrong case, you’ll still usually be understandable.

Yes, some Russian sentences will confuse you at first. All I’m saying is this isn’t something to lose sleep over.

2. So. Many. Irregularities.

One thing that will surely drive you crazy as you dive into the Russian language is how there is an exception for everything. You know what other language is known for exceptions and irregularities? English. So stop whining about it and accept that you’ll get used to it eventually, just like you have for English.

Differences

1. The Alphabet (obviously)

What are these strange letters? Is that R backwards?! Wait, why is the P pronounced like an R? Make it stoooooppppp. Insert crying face emoji.

I will be the first to admit that there is a learning curve for the Russian alphabet. I actually tried learning Russian several years ago and stopped when I couldn’t figure out the alphabet. But it’s not hopeless. There are ways to get through this learning curve that are better than others, and I’m here to save you days of trial and error.

What not to do. Don’t rely solely on a book to learn the alphabet. I like to keep a chart handy to reference (there’s one in literally every Russian book I’ve ever opened), but if you want to figure out how something sounds, there’s really no better way than to listen to it.

What to do instead. There were two really effective methods for me to get over this hurdle. First was to find a good app that focuses only on the alphabet to drill it in. If you want to know which apps I like for this, you can find that here. (coming soon)

The second method is to find some high quality YouTube channels and watch their pronunciation videos. Over and over. And then a few more times even after you think you’ve got it. My favorites are Real Russian Club and Be Fluent in Russian, but there are seriously so many good resources out there. At some point, you have to narrow your resources and these two are what I landed on. I tend to gravitate to the videos that use speech therapy techniques (like this) to help with particularly difficult letters.

And if anyone out there finds a good video for pronouncing the soft Л, send it my way because I still can’t do it.

2. Pronunciation

Now, let’s move from letters to words.

Russian pronunciation is actually a good deal more regular than English. I mean, it’s hard not to be if we’re being completely honest here. Yes, Russian has exceptions (when does it not?), but most of those exceptions are predictable. For example, sometimes an O sounds like an A, but once you realize it does that for the non-stressed syllables, it’s easy peasy.

Also: Syllables

A particularly difficult aspect of pronunciation (for me anyway) is syllabification. (That’s a word, right?) Anyway, Russians break their words into syllables differently than English speakers do. In English, you usually break a word up between consonants. In Russian, however, the consonants usually go together and are grouped with the vowel that follows them. Yes, there is more to it than that, but if I had to dilute it to a single rule, that would be my rule.

Bonus: Possibly the Worst Tip Ever (But Maybe Not)

This was the hardest part for me to begin with, and if you also struggle with the tangles of consonants, I have a tip for you. Full disclosure: this might be a terrible tip, but it’s worked for me so far. If you just can’t wrap your mouth around a particular group of consonants, try breaking it up like you would in English, but don’t pause as long between syllables.

Here’s an example. I couldn’t say Здравствуйте for weeks. It should be broken down as Здра-(в)ствуй-те (that в is silent). No matter how much I practiced or how slowly I pronounced it, I could not say ств (pronounced as the equivalent of “stv” in English). What I ended up doing, was breaking up the word closer to how I might if zdrastvoytche was an English word: zdrast-voy-tche, or Здравст-вуй-те. The key to making this work (since it is wrong) is to not pause at the incorrect break if you can help it. I’m sure I don’t sound remotely native, but at least I no longer sound like Alexa butchering the GPS directions. It may not work for you, but if you’re really struggling, give it a try. Also don’t use this tip unless you absolutely must because it will definitely negatively affect you overall. Think of it as a Hail Mary pass when nothing else works.

But Wait, There’s More: Pronunciation & Word Stress

If I had to pick one thing about Russian that grinds my gears, it’s this. Even though English is known for its pronunciation irregularities (think “through,” “thought,” and “though”), we at least have a general idea of where to put the stress on most words. In Russian, that is not the case and you have to memorize the stress on every single word. It’s such a big deal that dictionaries include accent marks over the stressed syllable that do not appear in normal writing. If you want a hack for where to put the stress on a word you’ve never seen or heard before, here it is: guess. Seriously. There is no way to predict it. Just know you aren’t alone in your frustration here.

3. Cases versus Word Order

Ah yes, the dreaded case system. This one is not as bad as the hype has led you to believe. It’s just different.

Before we jump into cases, let’s talk about English for a quick second. English is heavily dependent on word placement within a sentence to convey meaning. Occasionally, this can actually cause confusion. If you want some examples, Google “misplaced modifiers” and have a chuckle for a few minutes, then come back here. I’ll wait.

Anyway, in English, it really really matters whether you say “Give it to me” or “Give me to it.” Word order tells us whether “me” or “it” is the direct object or the indirect object. In Russian, that information is conveyed by changing the word’s ending, and that’s what we call a “case.” For subjects, you use nominative case. For direct objects, you use accusative case. Indirect objects are dative case. This is a really big topic, so that’s all I’ll say about it for now. If you’re ready to jump into the case system, you can find more about it here.

4. Russian Is a Sparse Language

Sure, the words themselves are often long, but Russian is actually a language of word economy.

While this may initially feel unsettling to an English speaker who feels very strongly that it matters whether we are talking about a duck or the duck, Russians believe that a nuance like that is obvious from context and, even if it’s not, it’s not that big of a deal anyway. This mindset has actually grown on me and I kind of like it now. I’m often amazed that a thought that takes six words in English can be expressed in only two or three in Russian. It’s the Ernest Hemingway of languages.

Go Forth and Study

Russian can be so intimidating when you first start learning, but after that initial “what have I gotten myself into?” period, it’s an extremely rewarding language to work through. I hope this list has helped you orient yourself a little. Now go get busy mastering it!