Before Beginning This Course

Who is this course for?

“I’d like to learn some basic phrases before taking a trip to Russia.” That’s great! But this course is more than you need.

“I’m studying Russian, and want to be able to talk about going places in correct, idiomatic Russian.” If this describes you, you’re in the right place!

To get the most out of this course, you’ll want to be reasonably comfortable with a few basics.

  • You should be able to read the Cyrillic alphabet.
  • You should know the basics of conjugating verbs in the present and the past.
  • You should be able to recognize use of accusative endings for destinations: в Москву (to Moscow), в Бразилию (to Brazil)
  • It’s also helpful to recognize use of dative endings for a person’s place as a destination: к Тане (to Tanya’s place), к бабушке (to grandma’s place), к Сергею (to Sergei’s place)
  • You should know some basic vocabulary, including these time expressions: часто, иногда, никогда, всегда, каждый день, каждую неделю, каждый год, and others. You can practice them on Quizlet!