‘A FEW WORDS FROM CHARLES BERLITZ WORLD FAMOUS LINGUIST Let me introduce you to the cassette course you have chosen to study. in it you will find the basic, phrases needed for communication in this lan: ‘guage. There are two important things to remem- ber about learning a new language: Be interested in the people, their country and language. Want to learn the language. Practice it as often as you can. Nothing is more effective in creating a friendly atmo- ‘sphere and nothing flatters people more than when a foreigner trles to speak thelr language. The voice on these cassettes will say a phrase in English. Then you will hear the translation of the phrase repeated twice. During the pause after the second repetition, repeat the phrase aloud. Try to iitate te profuncialion as nearly fas you can. Read the words as they are spoken on the cas- sette and use the guide to help you remember the words and pronounce them during the pauses. Remember, knowing the language is the best way of knowing the country and enjoying it more. Charles Berlitz Phrase Dictionary and Study Guide Russian PYCCKMMU ISBN 0-910542-86-4 LANGUAGE/30 Educational Services Washington, D.C.Russian Editor Inna Dubinsky, Ph.D. Exitor ‘Annie Scarborough Produced by Brian J. Wright Recorded by Evan Haning, Inna Dubinsky, ‘and Val Gotovskoy Published by Educational Services Corporation 1725 K Sirt, NW., Suite 408 ‘Washington, D.C. 20006 ‘© 1999 Equcational Services Corporation, Washington, D.C. ‘All rights reserved. No pat of this book may be reproduced {in any form without permission trom the publisher [AlILANGUAGE?00 components produced in the U.B.A. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PRONUNCIATION HINTS ‘THE RUSSIAN ALPHABET (size 1) SOUNDS OF THE RUSSIAN I ANGUAGE GENERAL EXPRESSIONS. Salutations coe Everyday Expressions Introductions Inquiries on the Street NUMBERS, TIME, COLORS Numbers (Side 2). Time Days ofthe Wook ‘Months of the Year “The Weather Colors PERSONAL NEEDS At the Hote! Money Food ard Drink (Side 3) tthe Restaurant Shopeing Leisure COMMUNICATIONS. ‘The Post Office... Atte Office (Side 4) ‘The Telephone ‘TRANSPORTATION Places of inerest ATip Inthe Car Al the Airport At Customs 10 " 2 “ 6 8 19 2 Py 26 28 31 32 35IE S'S EMERGENCY & MEDICAL SITUATIONS. 7 Read the Introduction before turning on cassette side 1. ‘SOCIAL CUSTOMS & POLITE EXPRESSIONS ....... 40 INTRODUCTION BASIC RUSSIAN GRAMMAR (net recordea) ce Until 1990, when the USSR (the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or Saydaz Savyétskikh Satsilistéechiekikh IMPORTANT SIGNS a acrsay “ Rlspdopii) became tne. Commonweal ot Independant VOCABULARY INDEX cceeeeeees a ‘States (CIS), Russian was the offical language ofthe Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic (RSFSR), and the second official language in the national republics and autonomous regions of the USSR. ‘Today, Flussian is the native language of some 160 milion ‘people in the former Soviet territory. Its the official language (of the Russian Republic, ands one of the six oficial languages of the United Nations Organization. Russian is also spoken by milions of descendants of Russian immigrants throughout the world, Russian belongs to the Slavic branch of the Indo-European group of languages. Other languages of the Slavic branch include Ukrainian, Byelorussian, Bulgarian, Siovak, Slovene, Polish, Czech, Serbian and Croatian. A knowledge of Russian will help you to communicate with speakers of these languages which are much more similar to Russian than French or Spanish, for example, are to English, English has borrowed a numbor of words from Russian, including balalaika (a stringed musical instrument), troika (a sled pulled by three horses; or a group of three), and babushka (meaning grandmother in Russian — with the accent (on the first syllable - but offen used in English with the accent ton the second syllable to refer to a woman's headscarf), Russian Is writen in the Cyrilic alphabet and many of its thiny-three letters closely resemble Greek letters on which ‘the Cyrillic alphabet was originally based. When you start the cassette player, you will hear the sounds of the Russian vowels and consonants. You will then hear English phrases immediately translated into Russian, Each Russian phrase is repeated, then followed by a pause. During the pause, say the Russian phrase aloud.