® Russian For Dummies, 2nd Edition Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/russian to view this book's cheat sheet. Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Conventions Used in This Book What You’re Not to Read Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is Organized Part I: Getting Started Part II: Russian in Action Part III: Russian on the Go Part IV: The Part of Tens Part V: Appendixes Icons Used in This Book Where to Go from Here Part I: Getting Started Chapter 1: Russian in a Nutshell Discovering How Easy the Russian Alphabet Really Is Tackling Basic Grammar Easing into Common Expressions Counting on Numbers, Times, and Measurements Speaking Russian around the House Using Russian in Social Scenarios Starting conversations Finding your way around Eating out and buying food Going shopping Exploring entertainment opportunities Doing business and communicating Enjoying sports, hobbies, recreation, and more Getting a Handle on Travel Topics Chapter 2: Checking Out the Russian Alphabet Recognizing Russian Letters (It’s Easier Than You Think) Introducing the entire alphabet I know you! Familiar-looking, same-sounding letters Playing tricks: Familiar-looking, different-sounding letters How bizarre: Weird-looking letters Sounding Like a Real Russian with Proper Pronunciation Understanding the one-letter-one-sound principle Giving voice to vowels Enunciating consonants correctly Surveying sticky sounds Chapter 3: Warming Up with Russian Grammar Basics Beginning with Nouns and Pronouns Defining a noun’s gender Making a noun plural Replacing nouns with pronouns The Case of Russian Cases: What Are They For? The nominative case The genitive case The accusative case The dative case The instrumental case The prepositional case Putting Nouns and Pronouns in the Correct Cases Checking out cases for singular nouns Putting plurals into proper cases Perusing the correct cases of pronouns Decorating Your Speech with Adjectives Making sure that adjectives and nouns agree Putting adjectives into other cases Surveying possessive pronouns Adding Action with Verbs Spotting infinitives Living in the present tense Talking about the past tense Planning for the future tense Using the unusual verb “to be” Expressing possession with a special phrase Helping yourself with modal verbs Providing Extra Details with Adverbs Describing how Describing when and how often Constructing Sentences Like a Pro Enjoying the freedom of word order Creating a Russian sentence step by step Connecting with conjunctions Forming questions Chapter 4: Getting Started with Basic Expressions To Whom Am I Speaking? Being Informal or Formal Comings and Goings: Saying Hello and Goodbye Saying hello to different people Greeting folks at any time of day Handling “How are you?” Taking your leave The Name Game: Deciphering Russian Names Breaking the Ice: Making Introductions Getting acquainted Introducing yourself Introducing your friends, family, and colleagues You Can Say That Again: Using Popular Expressions Speaking courteously Excusing yourself Arming yourself with other handy phrases Talking about Talking: The Verb “To Speak” Chapter 5: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight One by One: Counting in Russian From zero to ten From 11 to 19 From 20 to 99 From 100 to 999 From 1,000 to beyond Special rules for counting things and people Ordinal numbers The Clock’s Ticking: Telling (And Asking About) Time Counting the hours Marking the minutes Distinguishing day and night Understanding the 24-hour clock Asking for the time It’s a Date! Checking Out the Calendar Naming the days of the week Talking about time relative to the present Mentioning months and seasons Delving into dates Saying years The Long and Short of It: Familiarizing Yourself with Metric Measurements Chapter 6: Speaking Russian at Home Taking a Tour of Your Home The kitchen The dining room The living room The bedroom The bathroom The laundry room The garage Home Is Where the Food Is Get cookin’: The verb “to cook” Eat up: The verb “to eat” Drink up: The verb “to drink” Enjoying different meals Describing your food and drink preferences with the verb “to like” Engaging in Daily Activities Discussing your household chores Talking about all the places you go Bantering about bedtime activities Part II: Russian in Action Chapter 7: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk Let Me Tell You Something: Talking about Yourself Stating where you’re from Talking about your nationality and ethnicity Giving your age Discussing your family Telling what you do for a living I’m Sorry! Explaining that You Don’t Understand Something Let’s Get Together: Giving and Receiving Contact Information Chapter 8: Asking for Directions Using “Where” and “How” Questions Asking where a place is Inquiring how to get to a place The Next Step: Understanding Specific Directions Making sense of commands in the imperative mood Listening for prepositions Keeping “right” and “left” straight Going here and there Traveling near and far Chapter 9: Dining Out and Going to the Market Eating Out in Russia Finding a place to eat Making reservations on the phone Ordering a meal Having handy phrases for the wait staff Receiving and paying the bill Going Out for Groceries Meats and fish Fruits and vegetables Dairy products and eggs Baked goods A Russian tradition: Hot cereal Beverages Chapter 10: Shopping Made Easy Shopping with Confidence: The Verb “To Buy” So Many Stores, So Little Time: The Shopping Scene in Russia Looking at different types of stores and merchandise Finding out when a store is open Navigating a department store You Are What You Wear: Shopping for Clothes Seeking specific items of clothing and accessories Describing items in color Finding the right size Trying on clothing This or That? Deciding What You Want Using demonstrative pronouns Comparing two items Talking about what you like most (or least) You Gotta Pay to Play: Buying Items