Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Please.
Пожалуйста. / Pozhaluysta.
pah-ZHAHL-stah
Thank you.
Спасибо. / Spasibo.
spah-SEE-bah
Excuse me.
Извините. / Izvinitye.
eez-vee-NEE-tyeh
Where is?
Где? / Gdye?
guh-DYEH
How much?
Сколько стоит? / Skolko stoit?
SKOHL-kah STOH-yeet
Do you speak
English?
Вы говорите по-английски? / Vy govor-
itye po angliyski?
vih gah-vah-REE-tyeh pah
ahn-GLEE-skee
I (don't) under-
stand.
yah (nyeh) poh-nyih-MAH-
yoo
Я (не) понимаю. / Ya (nye) ponimayu.
Goodbye.
До свидания. / Do svidaniya.
dah svee-DAHN-yah
It pays to take the time to learn the Cyrillic alphabet; there's a quick learning curve
if you just practice reading signs around town. The table shows the Cyrillic alphabet
(both capital and lowercase), and in the second column, the Roman equivalent. The
letters А, Е, К, М, О, and Т stand for basically the same sound in Cyrillic and Roman;
В, С, Н, Р, Х, and У are “false friends” that have a different sound than the Roman
letter they look like. For some letters, think Greek: Г (gamma), Д (delta with a flat
top), П (pi), Ф (phi), and Х (chi).
The letter Ы, which stands for a sound somewhat similar to the
i
in English “bit,”
looks like two letters but is treated as one. The letter Ш is pronounced like
sh
;
the
similar-looking letter Щ (
shch
), with the little hook, is pronounced as in “fresh
cheese.” The “hard sign” and “soft sign” are silent letters which affect the pronunci-
ation of the preceding consonant in ways you need not worry about.
Cyrillic
Roman
Аа
a
Бб
b
Вв
v
Гг
g
Дд
d
Ее
ye, e
Ëë
yō
Жж
zh
Зз
z
Ии
i
Йй
y
