Russian A1 — Starter: greetings, gender, first verbs

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The whole Russian A1 level as one readable page: 3 units, 9 lessons, 63 words, 289 questions with every answer shown, a worksheet and a 10-item level test. Nothing here is behind JavaScript, and nothing needs an account.

What you can do when A1 is finished

• Greet people and introduce yourself
• Know gender, plurals and numbers
• Use first verbs and say 'I have'

A1, unit by unit

First words

Greetings and names

Start Russian! ЗДРАВСТВУЙТЕ (formal hello), ПРИВЕТ (hi), МЕНЯ ЗОВУТ + name = My name is... ВЫ = formal you, ТЫ = friend you. Start formal with adults!

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation, reverse translation, matching, reorder, sentence building, word selection, error correction, dialogue completion, reading comprehension, paragraph comprehension. Every exercise works on Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address.

1. multiple choicePractice 1 [multiple choice] — Greetings and names: Choose the contextual meaning of здравствуйте (ZDRAH-stvooy-tyeh).

   1. hello (formal)
   2. hi
   3. my name is
   Show the answer

   hello (formal)

2. fill the gapPractice 2 [fill in the blank] — Greetings and names: Type the complete Cyrillic expression meaning “hi”.

   Show the answer

   привет

3. translatePractice 3 [translation] — Greetings and names: Read меня зовут (mih-NYAH zah-VOOT) and give its lesson meaning.

   Show the answer

   my name is

4. translate into the languagePractice 4 [reverse translation] — Greetings and names: Produce “yes” in Cyrillic, not romanisation alone.

   Show the answer

   спасибо

5. matchingPractice 5 [matching] — Greetings and names: Match пожалуйста to its contextual meaning.

   1. yes
   2. please / you're welcome
   3. no
   Show the answer

   please / you're welcome

6. put it in orderPractice 6 [reorder] — Greetings and names: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: And you? (formal)

   Show the answer

   А вас?

7. build the sentencePractice 7 [sentence building] — Greetings and names: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: My name is Anna.

   Show the answer

   Здравствуйте! Меня зовут Анна.

8. choose the wordPractice 8 [word selection] — Greetings and names: Select the correct target form for “goodbye”.

   1. здравствуйте
   2. привет
   3. до свидания
   Show the answer

   до свидания

9. find the mistakePractice 9 [error correction] — Greetings and names: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “And you? (formal)”.

   Show the answer

   А вас?

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10 [dialogue completion] — Greetings and names: Complete Иван’s turn in the taught register: Hi! My name is Ivan.

    Show the answer

    Привет! Меня зовут Иван.

11. readingPractice 11 [reading comprehension] — Greetings and names: Read Спасибо! До свидания! (spah-SEE-bah! dah svee-DAH-nyah!). What exact detail is communicated?

    Show the answer

    Thanks! Goodbye!

12. paragraphPractice 12 [paragraph comprehension] — Greetings and names: Read the complete dialogue and explain this turn’s function: Пожалуйста! До свидания!

    Show the answer

    You're welcome! Goodbye!

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkМЕНЯ ЗОВУТ means…

   1. I am from
   2. my name is
   3. I live in
   4. I like
   Show the answer

   my name is

   Меня зовут + name = introduction.

2. quick checkЗДРАВСТВУЙТЕ is…

   1. hi (friends)
   2. hello (formal)
   3. goodbye
   4. thanks
   Show the answer

   hello (formal)

   Formal hello for adults/strangers.

3. quick checkПОЖАЛУЙСТА means…

   1. sorry
   2. please / you're welcome
   3. yes
   4. hello
   Show the answer

   please / you're welcome

   Two jobs: please + you're welcome.

4. quick checkДО СВИДАНИЯ is…

   1. hello
   2. goodbye
   3. thanks
   4. please
   Show the answer

   goodbye

   До свидания = goodbye.

5. quick checkПРИВЕТ is for…

   1. teachers
   2. friends
   3. bosses
   4. strangers
   Show the answer

   friends

   Привет = informal hi.

Worksheet: Greetings worksheet

Review list. здравствуйте · привет · меня зовут · спасибо

How are you and small talk

КАК ДЕЛА? = How are things? Answer: ХОРОШО (good), НОРМАЛЬНО (okay), ПЛОХО (badly). Ask back: А У ВАС? (And you?). Small talk unlocks every conversation!

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. main idea, detail identification, inference, listening comprehension, dictation, listen and choose, listen and reorder, listen and fill, repeat after audio, multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation. Every exercise works on Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address.

1. the main ideaPractice 2 [main idea] — How are you and small talk: What is the central communicative purpose of “How are you and small talk”?

   Show the answer

   КАК ДЕЛА? = How are things? Answer: ХОРОШО (good), НОРМАЛЬНО (okay), ПЛОХО (badly).

2. spot the detailPractice 3 [detail identification] — How are you and small talk: Read Очень хорошо! (OH-chihny khah-rah-SHOH!). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   Very good!

3. what is meantPractice 4 [inference] — How are you and small talk: Infer the intended meaning or social force of Как дела? without overclaiming.

   Show the answer

   How are things?

4. listeningPractice 5 [listening comprehension] — How are you and small talk: Play the synthetic audio and give its precise contextual meaning.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Hi! How are you?

5. dictationPractice 6 [dictation] — How are you and small talk: Play the labeled synthetic Russian audio and type the complete line in Cyrillic.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Хорошо, спасибо! А у вас?

6. listen and choosePractice 7 [listen and choose] — How are you and small talk: Play the synthetic audio and select its contextual meaning.

   1. Very good!
   2. Sorry, I must go!
   3. very

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Very good!

7. listen, then orderPractice 8 [listen and reorder] — How are you and small talk: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: Good, thanks!

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Хорошо, спасибо!

8. listen and fillPractice listen and fill — How are you and small talk: Play the synthetic audio and complete the line beginning “Привет!…”.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Привет! Как дела?

9. repeat itPractice 10 [repeat after audio] — How are you and small talk: Repeat the synthetic model with accurate phrase grouping; no microphone score is claimed.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Хорошо, спасибо! А у вас?

10. multiple choicePractice 11 [multiple choice] — How are you and small talk: Choose the contextual meaning of плохо (PLOH-khah).

    1. badly
    2. okay / normal
    3. and you
    Show the answer

    badly

11. fill the gapPractice 12 [fill in the blank] — How are you and small talk: Type the complete Cyrillic expression meaning “okay / normal”.

    Show the answer

    нормально

12. translatePractice 13 [translation] — How are you and small talk: Read а вы (ah vih) and give its lesson meaning.

    Show the answer

    and you

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkКАК ДЕЛА? means…

   1. What time?
   2. How are you?
   3. Where are you?
   4. Who are you?
   Show the answer

   How are you?

   Как дела = how are things.

2. quick checkНОРМАЛЬНО means…

   1. great
   2. okay
   3. bad
   4. never
   Show the answer

   okay

   Нормально = normal/okay.

3. quick checkИЗВИНИТЕ means…

   1. thanks
   2. sorry / excuse me
   3. hello
   4. goodbye
   Show the answer

   sorry / excuse me

   Извините = formal sorry.

4. quick checkТОЖЕ means…

   1. very
   2. also / too
   3. well
   4. badly
   Show the answer

   also / too

   Тоже = too/also.

5. quick checkОЧЕНЬ ХОРОШО means…

   1. good thanks
   2. very good
   3. not good
   4. so-so
   Show the answer

   very good

   Очень = very.

Worksheet: Small talk worksheet

Review list. как дела · хорошо · плохо · нормально

Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит

Cyrillic has 33 letters: 10 vowels, 21 consonants and two signs that make no sound of their own. Five letters look Latin and are not: В is v, Н is n, Р is a rolled r, С is s, У is oo. The soft sign ь does not sound — it softens the consonant before it (мать, день). Stress is not marked in print, so it is learned with the word.

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. Russian. Every exercise works on the Cyrillic alphabet, six cases, verbal aspect (делать / сделать), the motion verbs (идти / ходить, ехать / ездить), ты vs вы with имя-отчество, and the written register of official documents and expert prose.

1. multiple choicePractice 1: [multiple choice] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Choose the meaning of буква (BOO-kvah) in this lesson.

   1. letter
   2. sound
   3. word
   4. to read
   Show the answer

   letter

2. fill the gapPractice 2: [fill in the blank] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Type the Russian expression meaning “sound”.

   Show the answer

   звук

3. translatePractice 3: [translation] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Interpret the Cyrillic script in context: Это вода. (EH-tah vah-DAH.).

   Show the answer

   This is water.

4. translate into the languagePractice 4: [reverse translation] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Write in Cyrillic script: My nose..

   Show the answer

   Мой нос.

5. matchingPractice 5: [matching] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Match слово to its lesson meaning.

   1. word
   2. letter
   3. sound
   Show the answer

   word

6. put it in orderPractice 6: [reorder] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Reconstruct the lesson model in coherent Russian: I am reading a word..

   Show the answer

   Я читаю слово.

7. build the sentencePractice 7: [sentence building] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Build the sentence with the lesson pattern (В = в · Н = н · Р = р · С = с · У = у · ь не звучит): This is water..

   Show the answer

   Это вода.

8. choose the wordPractice 8: [word selection] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Select the Russian form for “to read”.

   1. читать
   2. писать
   Show the answer

   читать

9. find the mistakePractice 9: [error correction] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Correct the model the lesson warns about: Я читаю «Р» как английское R.

   Show the answer

   Я читаю «Р» кончиком языка, раскатисто.

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10: [dialogue completion] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Complete the exchange with the studied response to: How is your surname spelled?

    Show the answer

    Смирнова: С-М-И-Р-Н-О-В-А.

11. readingPractice 11: [reading comprehension] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Read “Спасибо. А как читается?” (spah-SEE-bah. ah kahk chee-TAH-yeht-syah?). What does it mean?

    Show the answer

    Thank you. And how is it read?

12. paragraphPractice 12: [paragraph comprehension] Буквы и звуки: русский алфавит — Read the lesson dialogue as a whole and give its key move: Smirnova, the stress is on the o.

    Show the answer

    Смирнова, ударение на «о».

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkWhich meaning best fits буква?

   1. letter
   2. sound
   3. word
   4. to read
   Show the answer

   letter

   буква (BOO-kvah) means letter in this lesson.

2. quick checkWhich meaning best fits звук?

   1. sound
   2. letter
   3. word
   4. to read
   Show the answer

   sound

   звук (zvook) means sound in this lesson.

3. quick checkWhich meaning best fits слово?

   1. word
   2. letter
   3. sound
   4. to read
   Show the answer

   word

   слово (SLOH-vah) means word in this lesson.

4. quick checkWhich meaning best fits читать?

   1. to read
   2. letter
   3. sound
   4. word
   Show the answer

   to read

   читать (chee-TAHTY) means to read in this lesson.

5. quick checkWhich meaning best fits писать?

   1. to write
   2. letter
   3. sound
   4. word
   Show the answer

   to write

   писать (pee-SAHTY) means to write in this lesson.

Worksheet: Alphabet worksheet

Review list. буква · звук · слово · читать

Gender and numbers

Gender: он, она, оно

Every Russian noun has a gender! -А/-Я = SHE (МАМА), consonant = HE (ДОМ), -О/-Е = IT (ОКНО). ОН/ОНА/ОНО = he/she/it. Spot the ending, know the gender!

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. reverse translation, matching, reorder, sentence building, word selection, error correction, dialogue completion, reading comprehension, paragraph comprehension, main idea, detail identification, inference. Every exercise works on Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address.

1. translate into the languagePractice 3 [reverse translation] — Gender: он, она, оно: Produce “man” in Cyrillic, not romanisation alone.

   Show the answer

   оно

2. matchingPractice 4 [matching] — Gender: он, она, оно: Match они to its contextual meaning.

   1. this is
   2. they
   3. not
   Show the answer

   they

3. put it in orderPractice 5 [reorder] — Gender: он, она, оно: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: This is a house. It (he) is big.

   Show the answer

   Это дом. Он большой.

4. build the sentencePractice 6 [sentence building] — Gender: он, она, оно: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: This is a window. It is open.

   Show the answer

   Это окно. Оно открыто.

5. choose the wordPractice 7 [word selection] — Gender: он, она, оно: Select the correct target form for “and”.

   1. или
   2. он
   3. и
   Show the answer

   и

6. find the mistakePractice 8 [error correction] — Gender: он, она, оно: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “This is a house. It (he) is big.”.

   Show the answer

   Это дом. Он большой.

7. finish the dialoguePractice 9 [dialogue completion] — Gender: он, она, оно: Complete Анна’s turn in the taught register: Is this a house?

   Show the answer

   Это дом?

8. readingPractice 10 [reading comprehension] — Gender: он, она, оно: Read Да, это дом. Он большой. (dah, EH-tah dohm. ohn bahl-SHOY.). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   Yes, this is a house. It is big.

9. paragraphPractice 11 [paragraph comprehension] — Gender: он, она, оно: Read the complete dialogue and explain this turn’s function: А это мама?

   Show the answer

   And is this mum?

10. the main ideaPractice 12 [main idea] — Gender: он, она, оно: What is the central communicative purpose of “Gender: он, она, оно”?

    Show the answer

    Every Russian noun has a gender! -А/-Я = SHE (МАМА), consonant = HE (ДОМ), -О/-Е = IT (ОКНО).

11. spot the detailPractice 13 [detail identification] — Gender: он, она, оно: Read Это дом? (EH-tah dohm?). What exact detail is communicated?

    Show the answer

    Is this a house?

12. what is meantPractice 14 [inference] — Gender: он, она, оно: Infer the intended meaning or social force of Это дом. Он большой. without overclaiming.

    Show the answer

    This is a house. It (he) is big.

Quick check (5).

1. quick check-А endings are…

   1. он
   2. она
   3. оно
   4. они
   Show the answer

   она

   МАМА → она.

2. quick checkДОМ (consonant ending) is…

   1. он
   2. она
   3. оно
   4. они
   Show the answer

   он

   Consonant → он.

3. quick checkЭТО means…

   1. that
   2. this is
   3. it is not
   4. they are
   Show the answer

   this is

   Это = this is.

4. quick checkОНИ means…

   1. we
   2. they
   3. you
   4. it
   Show the answer

   they

   Они = they.

5. quick checkОКНО takes…

   1. он
   2. она
   3. оно
   4. они
   Show the answer

   оно

   -O → оно.

Worksheet: Gender worksheet

Review list. он · она · оно · они

Plurals and numbers in use

Plurals are easy: add -Ы/-И! ДОМ → ДОМА (houses), МАМА → МАМЫ. Numbers agree: ОДИН ДОМ (m), ОДНА МАМА (f), ОДНО ОКНО (n). СКОЛЬКО? = How many?

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. listening comprehension, dictation, listen and choose, listen and reorder, listen and fill, repeat after audio, multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation, reverse translation, matching, reorder. Every exercise works on Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address.

1. listeningPractice 4 [listening comprehension] — Plurals and numbers in use: Play the synthetic audio and give its precise contextual meaning.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Few? No, many!

2. dictationPractice 5 [dictation] — Plurals and numbers in use: Play the labeled synthetic Russian audio and type the complete line in Cyrillic.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Сколько книг?

3. listen and choosePractice 6 [listen and choose] — Plurals and numbers in use: Play the synthetic audio and select its contextual meaning.

   1. Three books. And you?
   2. Five books. Many!
   3. many / a lot

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Three books. And you?

4. listen, then orderPractice 7 [listen and reorder] — Plurals and numbers in use: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: Two 5s.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Два дома.

5. listen and fillPractice listen and fill — Plurals and numbers in use: Play the synthetic audio and complete the line beginning “Мало?…”.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Мало? Нет, много!

6. repeat itPractice 9 [repeat after audio] — Plurals and numbers in use: Repeat the synthetic model with accurate phrase grouping; no microphone score is claimed.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Сколько книг?

7. multiple choicePractice 10 [multiple choice] — Plurals and numbers in use: Choose the contextual meaning of два (dvah).

   1. two
   2. 3
   3. 4
   Show the answer

   two

8. fill the gapPractice 11 [fill in the blank] — Plurals and numbers in use: Type the complete Cyrillic expression meaning “pen”.

   Show the answer

   три

9. translatePractice 12 [translation] — Plurals and numbers in use: Read четыре (chih-TIH-rih) and give its lesson meaning.

   Show the answer

   4

10. translate into the languagePractice 13 [reverse translation] — Plurals and numbers in use: Produce “5” in Cyrillic, not romanisation alone.

    Show the answer

    пять

11. matchingPractice 14 [matching] — Plurals and numbers in use: Match много to its contextual meaning.

    1. few / little
    2. many / a lot
    3. how many
    Show the answer

    many / a lot

12. put it in orderPractice 15 [reorder] — Plurals and numbers in use: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: How many two? Many!

    Show the answer

    Мало? Нет, много!

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkОДНА is used with…

   1. masculine
   2. feminine
   3. neuter
   4. plural
   Show the answer

   feminine

   ОДНА МАМА — feminine one.

2. quick checkДОМ → plural is…

   1. домы
   2. дома
   3. доми
   4. домыи
   Show the answer

   дома

   Дом → дома (houses).

3. quick checkСКОЛЬКО? means…

   1. How much/many?
   2. Where?
   3. When?
   4. Why?
   Show the answer

   How much/many?

   Сколько = how many.

4. quick checkКНИГА → plural is…

   1. книгы
   2. книги
   3. книга
   4. книг
   Show the answer

   книги

   After Г use -И: книги.

5. quick checkМНОГО means…

   1. few
   2. many
   3. one
   4. none
   Show the answer

   many

   Много = many/a lot.

Worksheet: Plurals worksheet

Review list. один · два · три · четыре

Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое

A colour is an adjective and must agree with the thing: красный дом, красная машина, красное окно, красные цветы. The question words agree in the same way — какой дом? какая машина? какое окно? какая is for feminine, -ое for neuter, -ые for plural. The ending is the agreement; the stem never changes.

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. Russian. Every exercise works on the Cyrillic alphabet, six cases, verbal aspect (делать / сделать), the motion verbs (идти / ходить, ехать / ездить), ты vs вы with имя-отчество, and the written register of official documents and expert prose.

1. multiple choicePractice 1: [multiple choice] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Choose the meaning of цвет (tsvyet) in this lesson.

   1. colour
   2. red
   3. blue
   4. white
   Show the answer

   colour

2. fill the gapPractice 2: [fill in the blank] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Type the Russian expression meaning “red”.

   Show the answer

   красный

3. translatePractice 3: [translation] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Interpret the Cyrillic script in context: Это красная машина. (EH-tah KRAHS-nah-yah mah-SHEE-nah.).

   Show the answer

   This is a red car.

4. translate into the languagePractice 4: [reverse translation] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Write in Cyrillic script: I have a new phone..

   Show the answer

   У меня новый телефон.

5. matchingPractice 5: [matching] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Match синий to its lesson meaning.

   1. blue
   2. colour
   3. red
   Show the answer

   blue

6. put it in orderPractice 6: [reorder] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Reconstruct the lesson model in coherent Russian: What colour are your cups? — Blue..

   Show the answer

   Какие у вас чашки? — Синие.

7. build the sentencePractice 7: [sentence building] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Build the sentence with the lesson pattern (-ый / -ий (m) · -ая / -яя (f) · -ое / -ее (n) · -ые / -ие (pl)): This is a red car..

   Show the answer

   Это красная машина.

8. choose the wordPractice 8: [word selection] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Select the Russian form for “white”.

   1. белый
   2. новый
   Show the answer

   белый

9. find the mistakePractice 9: [error correction] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Correct the model the lesson warns about: Это красный машина.

   Show the answer

   Это красная машина.

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10: [dialogue completion] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Complete the exchange with the studied response to: Which colour do you need?

    Show the answer

    Синий, пожалуйста. Вот эта куртка.

11. readingPractice 11: [reading comprehension] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Read “Синяя есть, а красная — только большая.” (SEE-nee-yah yehsty, ah KRAHS-nah-yah — TOHL-kah bahl-SHAH-yah.). What does it mean?

    Show the answer

    The blue one is available, but the red one only in large.

12. paragraphPractice 12: [paragraph comprehension] Цвета и вещи: какой, какая, какое — Read the lesson dialogue as a whole and give its key move: Then I'll take the blue one.

    Show the answer

    Тогда беру синюю.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkWhich meaning best fits цвет?

   1. colour
   2. red
   3. blue
   4. white
   Show the answer

   colour

   цвет (tsvyet) means colour in this lesson.

2. quick checkWhich meaning best fits красный?

   1. red
   2. colour
   3. blue
   4. white
   Show the answer

   red

   красный (KRAHS-nihy) means red in this lesson.

3. quick checkWhich meaning best fits синий?

   1. blue
   2. colour
   3. red
   4. white
   Show the answer

   blue

   синий (SEE-nee) means blue in this lesson.

4. quick checkWhich meaning best fits белый?

   1. white
   2. colour
   3. red
   4. blue
   Show the answer

   white

   белый (BYEH-lihy) means white in this lesson.

5. quick checkWhich meaning best fits новый?

   1. new
   2. colour
   3. red
   4. blue
   Show the answer

   new

   новый (NOH-vihy) means new in this lesson.

Worksheet: Colours worksheet

Review list. цвет · красный · синий · белый

First verbs

Present tense: я говорю

Your first verb! ГОВОРИТЬ (to speak): Я ГОВОРЮ, ТЫ ГОВОРИШЬ, ОН ГОВОРИТ, МЫ ГОВОРИМ, ВЫ ГОВОРИТЕ, ОНИ ГОВОРЯТ. Six endings — learn the music of -Ю/-ИШЬ/-ИТ!

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. sentence building, word selection, error correction, dialogue completion, reading comprehension, paragraph comprehension, main idea, detail identification, inference, listening comprehension, dictation, listen and choose. Every exercise works on Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address.

1. build the sentencePractice 5 [sentence building] — Present tense: я говорю: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: Do you speak English?

   Show the answer

   Вы говорите по-английски?

2. choose the wordPractice 6 [word selection] — Present tense: я говорю: Select the correct target form for “to want”.

   1. мочь
   2. знать
   3. хотеть
   Show the answer

   хотеть

3. find the mistakePractice 7 [error correction] — Present tense: я говорю: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “I speak Russian.”.

   Show the answer

   Я говорю по-русски.

4. finish the dialoguePractice 8 [dialogue completion] — Present tense: я говорю: Complete Иван’s turn in the taught register: Excellent!

   Show the answer

   Отлично!

5. readingPractice 9 [reading comprehension] — Present tense: я говорю: Read Вы говорите по-английски? (vih gah-vah-REE-tyeh pah-ahn-GLEE-skee?). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   Do you speak English?

6. paragraphPractice 10 [paragraph comprehension] — Present tense: я говорю: Read the complete dialogue and explain this turn’s function: Да, я говорю по-английски. А вы?

   Show the answer

   Yes, I speak English. And you?

7. the main ideaPractice 11 [main idea] — Present tense: я говорю: What is the central communicative purpose of “Present tense: я говорю”?

   Show the answer

   Your first verb! ГОВОРИТЬ (to speak): Я ГОВОРЮ, ТЫ ГОВОРИШЬ, ОН ГОВОРИТ, МЫ ГОВОРИМ, ВЫ ГОВОРИТЕ, ОНИ ГОВОРЯТ.

8. spot the detailPractice 12 [detail identification] — Present tense: я говорю: Read Отлично! (aht-LEECH-nah!). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   Excellent!

9. what is meantPractice 13 [inference] — Present tense: я говорю: Infer the intended meaning or social force of Я говорю по-русски. without overclaiming.

   Show the answer

   I speak Russian.

10. listeningPractice 14 [listening comprehension] — Present tense: я говорю: Play the synthetic audio and give its precise contextual meaning.

    audio drill — play it in the course player

    Show the answer

    Yes, I speak English. And you?

11. dictationPractice 15 [dictation] — Present tense: я говорю: Play the labeled synthetic Russian audio and type the complete line in Cyrillic.

    audio drill — play it in the course player

    Show the answer

    Я говорю по-русски!

12. listen and choosePractice 16 [listen and choose] — Present tense: я говорю: Play the synthetic audio and select its contextual meaning.

    1. Excellent!
    2. Do you speak English?
    3. to know

    audio drill — play it in the course player

    Show the answer

    Excellent!

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkЯ ГОВОРЮ means…

   1. you speak
   2. I speak
   3. he speaks
   4. they speak
   Show the answer

   I speak

   Я + говорЮ.

2. quick checkОНИ ГОВОРЯТ means…

   1. we speak
   2. you speak
   3. they speak
   4. I speak
   Show the answer

   they speak

   Они + говорЯТ.

3. quick checkПО-РУССКИ means…

   1. in Russia
   2. in Russian
   3. from Russia
   4. to Russia
   Show the answer

   in Russian

   По-русски = in Russian.

4. quick checkВЫ ГОВОРИТЕ is…

   1. I speak
   2. you (formal) speak
   3. he speaks
   4. we speak
   Show the answer

   you (formal) speak

   Вы + говорИТЕ.

5. quick checkТЫ ending is…

   1. -ю
   2. -ишь
   3. -ит
   4. -ят
   Show the answer

   -ишь

   Ты говорИШЬ.

Worksheet: Present tense worksheet

Review list. говорить · жить · работать · учить

I have: у меня есть

Russians don't HAVE things — things are AT them! У МЕНЯ ЕСТЬ = At me there is = I have. У МЕНЯ ЕСТЬ КНИГА = I have a book. Flip your brain — it is fun!

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. listen and reorder, listen and fill, repeat after audio, multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation, reverse translation, matching, reorder, sentence building, word selection, error correction. Every exercise works on Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address.

1. listen, then orderPractice 6 [listen and reorder] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: He has no book.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   У него нет денег.

2. listen and fillPractice listen and fill — I have: у меня есть: Play the synthetic audio and complete the line beginning “Спасибо!…”.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Спасибо! У меня нет денег.

3. repeat itPractice 8 [repeat after audio] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Repeat the synthetic model with accurate phrase grouping; no microphone score is claimed.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Пожалуйста!

4. multiple choicePractice 9 [multiple choice] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Choose the contextual meaning of у меня (oo mih-NYAH).

   1. I have (at me)
   2. there is
   3. bread
   Show the answer

   I have (at me)

5. fill the gapPractice 10 [fill in the blank] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Type the complete Cyrillic expression meaning “there is”.

   Show the answer

   есть

6. translatePractice 11 [translation] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Read хлеб (khlyehp) and give its lesson meaning.

   Show the answer

   bread

7. translate into the languagePractice 12 [reverse translation] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Produce “water” in Cyrillic, not romanisation alone.

   Show the answer

   вода

8. matchingPractice 13 [matching] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Match дом to its contextual meaning.

   1. book
   2. house
   3. friend
   Show the answer

   house

9. put it in orderPractice 14 [reorder] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: Do you have water?

   Show the answer

   У вас есть вода?

10. build the sentencePractice 15 [sentence building] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Rebuild this model with correct Russian Cyrillic, case, gender/agreement, verbal aspect, stress, and formal versus familiar address: He has no book.

    Show the answer

    У него нет денег.

11. choose the wordPractice 16 [word selection] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Select the correct target form for “money”.

    1. у меня
    2. есть
    3. деньги
    Show the answer

    деньги

12. find the mistakePractice 17 [error correction] — I have (at me): у меня есть: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “Do you have water?”.

    Show the answer

    У вас есть вода?

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkУ МЕНЯ ЕСТЬ КНИГА means…

   1. I want a book
   2. I have a book
   3. I read a book
   4. I see a book
   Show the answer

   I have a book

   У меня есть = I have.

2. quick checkNegatives use…

   1. есть
   2. нет
   3. не есть
   4. ни есть
   Show the answer

   нет

   У меня НЕТ = I don't have.

3. quick checkДЕНЬГИ means…

   1. books
   2. money
   3. bread
   4. water
   Show the answer

   money

   Деньги = money.

4. quick checkУ ВАС ЕСТЬ? means…

   1. Are you here?
   2. Do you have?
   3. Do you want?
   4. Are you going?
   Show the answer

   Do you have?

   У вас есть = you have.

5. quick checkХЛЕБ means…

   1. water
   2. bread
   3. house
   4. friend
   Show the answer

   bread

   Хлеб = bread.

Worksheet: I have worksheet

Review list. у меня · есть · хлеб · вода

Моя семья и работа

Two sentences carry a whole introduction: у меня есть + who, and я работаю + where. The profession stands in the nominative with no article — я врач, она инженер. Where you work takes в or на and the prepositional case: работаю в школе, работаю на заводе. The question is кто вы по профессии?

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Russian practice tests. Russian. Every exercise works on the Cyrillic alphabet, six cases, verbal aspect (делать / сделать), the motion verbs (идти / ходить, ехать / ездить), ты vs вы with имя-отчество, and the written register of official documents and expert prose.

1. multiple choicePractice 1: [multiple choice] Моя семья и работа — Choose the meaning of семья (seem-YAH) in this lesson.

   1. family
   2. to work
   3. doctor
   4. teacher
   Show the answer

   family

2. fill the gapPractice 2: [fill in the blank] Моя семья и работа — Type the Russian expression meaning “to work”.

   Show the answer

   работать

3. translatePractice 3: [translation] Моя семья и работа — Interpret the Cyrillic script in context: У меня есть брат и сестра. (oo meh-NYAH yehsty braht ee sees-TRAH.).

   Show the answer

   I have a brother and a sister.

4. translate into the languagePractice 4: [reverse translation] Моя семья и работа — Write in Cyrillic script: I work at a school, and my wife at a bank..

   Show the answer

   Я работаю в школе, а жена — в банке.

5. matchingPractice 5: [matching] Моя семья и работа — Match врач to its lesson meaning.

   1. doctor
   2. family
   3. to work
   Show the answer

   doctor

6. put it in orderPractice 6: [reorder] Моя семья и работа — Reconstruct the lesson model in coherent Russian: He is an engineer, she is a doctor..

   Show the answer

   Он инженер, она врач.

7. build the sentencePractice 7: [sentence building] Моя семья и работа — Build the sentence with the lesson pattern (у меня есть + кто · я работаю + где (в / на + prepositional) · я врач): I have a brother and a sister..

   Show the answer

   У меня есть брат и сестра.

8. choose the wordPractice 8: [word selection] Моя семья и работа — Select the Russian form for “teacher”.

   1. учитель
   2. инженер
   Show the answer

   учитель

9. find the mistakePractice 9: [error correction] Моя семья и работа — Correct the model the lesson warns about: Я работаю в врач.

   Show the answer

   Я врач.

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10: [dialogue completion] Моя семья и работа — Complete the exchange with the studied response to: What do you do for a living?

    Show the answer

    Я инженер, работаю на заводе.

11. readingPractice 11: [reading comprehension] Моя семья и работа — Read “А ваша семья?” (ah VAH-shah seem-YAH?). What does it mean?

    Show the answer

    And your family?

12. paragraphPractice 12: [paragraph comprehension] Моя семья и работа — Read the lesson dialogue as a whole and give its key move: I have a wife and two children.

    Show the answer

    У меня есть жена и двое детей.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkWhich meaning best fits семья?

   1. family
   2. to work
   3. doctor
   4. teacher
   Show the answer

   family

   семья (seem-YAH) means family in this lesson.

2. quick checkWhich meaning best fits работать?

   1. to work
   2. family
   3. doctor
   4. teacher
   Show the answer

   to work

   работать (rah-BOH-tahty) means to work in this lesson.

3. quick checkWhich meaning best fits врач?

   1. doctor
   2. family
   3. to work
   4. teacher
   Show the answer

   doctor

   врач (vrahch) means doctor in this lesson.

4. quick checkWhich meaning best fits учитель?

   1. teacher
   2. family
   3. to work
   4. doctor
   Show the answer

   teacher

   учитель (oo-CHEE-tyehl) means teacher in this lesson.

5. quick checkWhich meaning best fits инженер?

   1. engineer
   2. family
   3. to work
   4. doctor
   Show the answer

   engineer

   инженер (een-zheh-NYEHR) means engineer in this lesson.

Worksheet: Family and work worksheet

Review list. семья · работать · врач · учитель

Recall drills — 126 more questions from the A1 words

These 126 drills are generated from the Russian A1 vocabulary list — the words of “First words” through “First verbs”, in both directions: recognition (word → meaning) and production (meaning → word). They re-ask what the course data already contains; no answer here was written by a machine, and a generated drill is practice, never a lesson.

The A1 test — 10 items

The 10-item test closes Russian A1. Answers are shown; in the course player the same test decides whether Russian A2 unlocks.

1. translate into the languageSay: My name is Anna

   Show the answer

   Меня зовут Анна

2. fill the gap___! (hi, informal)

   Show the answer

   Привет

3. chooseTo a teacher you say…

   1. Привет
   2. Здравствуйте
   3. Пока
   4. Да
   Show the answer

   Здравствуйте

4. translate into the languageSay: I speak Russian

   Show the answer

   Я говорю по-русски

5. translate into EnglishУ меня есть вода.

   Show the answer

   I have water.

6. fill the gapЭто мама. ___ добрая. (She)

   Show the answer

   Она

7. put it in orderOrder: дела / как

   Show the answer

   как дела

8. say it out loudSay aloud: Вы говорите по-английски?

   Show the answer

   Вы говорите по-английски?

9. fill the gapУ меня ___ денег. (no)

   Show the answer

   нет

10. chooseОни говорят громко.

    1. We speak loudly
    2. They speak loudly
    3. You speak loudly
    4. I speak loudly
    Show the answer

    They speak loudly

Russian A1 beyond the drills — culture, reading, listening, idioms

These sections are written for Russian A1 specifically. The reading text is EkGuru's own; the culture note cites where its facts come from; the idioms and the mistakes list are the ones this level actually trips over.

Culture note

An introduction in Russia carries three names, not one: имя (Anna), отчество (Ivanovna, from the father's name) and фамилия (Smirnova). The middle name is not optional in adult life — a teacher, an official or a doctor is addressed by имя and отчество (Анна Ивановна), никогда by the first name alone. The pronoun decides the distance: вы for anyone older or newer, ты only for friends, family and children. Getting this wrong sounds worse than any grammar mistake a beginner can make.

Source (named, not linked): en.wikipedia.org, the article “Eastern Slavic naming customs”.

Reading — read this aloud, slowly

What it says: This is Anna Ivanovna. She is a teacher. Her patronymic is Ivanovna, because her father is called Ivan. The students say 'hello' to her and call her by her first name and patronymic. Her friend says 'hi, Anya' to her — Anya is the short name. One person, three names: Anna, Anya and Anna Ivanovna.

Listening — one voice, one text

Use the speaker button to hear this text with a browser voice tagged ru-RU; playback starts only after a click. If no matching voice is installed, read it aloud yourself — the rhythm is the point.

What it says: Hello! My name is Anna Ivanovna. — Very pleased to meet you. And you? — My name is Ivan Petrovich. — Excuse me, what is your patronymic? — Petrovich.

10 idioms and fixed phrases

The 3 mistakes this level makes

• Привет, Иван Петрович! → Здравствуйте, Иван Петрович! A name with a patronymic asks for здравствуйте, not привет.
• Меня зовут я Анна. → Меня зовут Анна. Меня зовут already contains the pronoun; я is never added.
• Я зовут Анна. → Меня зовут Анна. The fixed frame is меня зовут, in the accusative.

Your task

Три имени Write six lines of introduction between a student and a teacher: greet, give your имя and отчество, ask the other person's, answer, say очень приятно and take leave. Then read it aloud twice and check three things: вы everywhere, отчество built from the father's name with -ович / -овна, and no я after меня зовут.

After A1: the A1+ checkpoint

A1+ is not a certificate — it is the half-step between Russian A1 and the next level, and it is on this site’s ladder because language schools use it. You are at A1+ when you can ask for things, give a phone number, name the days. Get there by working the recall drills above and the review deck until nothing on this page surprises you, then open the A2 pages.

Keep going