If you do not speak Russian at all, and you are approached or need to ask something yourself, say straight out that you do not speak the language:
If you speak a little Russian, but still find it difficult to have a proper conversation, then say so:
Sometimes the interlocutor may not immediately understand that you do not speak Russian. Then you can additionally mention that you don’t understand anything and ask again. Or use these phrases yourself right away:
Note: some phrases overlap in meaning, but the situations in which they are used differ. Those phrases that begin with “could you….” are recommended to be used in a formal setting.
In addition, you can ask your interlocutor if he or she speaks your native language and communicate further so that you both understand: А вы говорите по-английски / по-французски / по-китайски? — Do you speak English / French / Chinese?
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And finally, if you still want to learn Russian little by little and get acquainted at least with individual words, you can use clarifying phrases. Or, for example, you liked a dish in a restaurant and you want to order the same thing in another place, you can clarify how certain words sound or are spelled in Russian:
A sample dialogue might look like this:
– Извините, я не очень хорошо говорю по-русски. Вы не поможете мне? / Excuse me; I don’t speak Russian very well. Could you help me?
– Да, конечно. Чем я могу помочь? / Oh, sure. How can I help?
– Я ищу … Вы говорите по-английски? Как сказать по-русски bus stop? / I’m looking for … Do you speak English? How do you say “bus stop” in Russian?
– По-русски это «автобусная остановка». Она находится за углом этого дома. / In Russian it is «bus stop». It is located around this house corner.
– Повторите, пожалуйста. / Please, repeat.
– Остановка за углом. Вон там. / The stop is around the corner. Over there.
– Спасибо! / Thanks!
We hope that having learned the phrases that will help you say that you do not speak Russian; you will feel more confident when communicating with Russian-speaking interlocutors. In addition, if you still want to master the Russian language, we are waiting for you at the Russian school as a foreign language Leader.
We hope you found this article useful. We are ready to help you learn Russian online with a native speaker. Classes are individually adapted to your wishes. Submit an application for a free trial lesson and we will find the most suitable Russian language course for you.
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