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Lesson 5

In this lesson, you will find Russian expressions used to tell about your knowledge of a language you will learn:

  • How to conjugate Russian regular verbs
  • Negatiation in Russian

I. Meet new people

Listen and answer the question:

Audio 1

sounds/soundb05011010.mp3

Questions:

1. Her name is Ann. True False
2. She is from Russia. True False
3. She speaks French. True False

Audio 2

sounds/soundb05011020.mp3

Questions:

1. He is from Australia. True False
2. He is a student. True False
3. He speaks Russian and French. True False


II. Do you speak Russian?

a) Listen and repeat the following phrases. Pay attention to the verbs endingds*:

Я говорю по-русски.
[ya gavaryoo paroosski]    

–

 I speak Russian

Ты говоришь по-русски.
[ti gavarish paroosski]    

–

 You speak Russian

Он говорю по-русски.
[on gavarit paroosski]    

–

 He speaks Russian

Мы говорим по-русски.
[mi gavarim paroosski]    

–

 We speak Russian

Вы говорите по-русски.
[vi gavariti paroosski]    

–

 You speak Russian

Они говорят по-русски.
[ani gavaryat paroosski]    

–

 They speak Russian

Notes: Russian verbs conjugation

Russian verbs conjugate, i.e. they change their forms according to the person and number of the subject in the sentence. In general, they change their endings, but some other changes are also possible. The very first thing you should know about Russian verbs is that there are two patterns of verbs endings, called the first conjugation and the second conjugation.

The first conjugation includes verbs that have endings -еть and -ать in the infinitive. The present tense forms of these verbs (except the first person singular and the third person plural) usually have the letter "e" (sometimes ё) in the ending. For example, take a look of the present tense conjugation for the verb понимать understand:

Я понимаю
Ты понимаешь
Он понимает
Мы понимаем
Вы понимаете
Они понимают

The majority of verbs of the second conjugation includes have endings -ить in the infinitive. The present tense forms of these verbs (except the first person singular and the third person plural) usually have the letter "и" in the ending. Take a look of the present tense conjugation for the verb говорить to speak:

Я говорю
Ты говоришь
Он говорит
Мы говорим
Вы говорите
Они говорят

b) Associate personal pronouns and verb froms:

  Put the phrase number
in the text area
 
1. Я понимаем
2. Ты говорю
3. Он понимают
4. Мы говорите
5. Вы понимает
6. Они говоришь

с) Conjugate (orally) the following Russian verbs and check yourself:

читать (I conjugation)
[chitat]    

Check yourself

звонить (II conjugation)
[zvanit]    

Check yourself

III. Do you speak Russian well?

a) Listen and repeat after the speaker:

говорить
[gavarit]    

–

 to speak

понимать
[panimat]    

–

 to understand

по-русски
[parooski]    

–

 in Russian

по-английски
[paangliyski]    

–

 in English

по-французски
[pafrantsooski]    

–

 in French

по-немецки
[panimyetski]    

–

 in German

хорошо
[harasho]    

–

 well

плохо
[ploha]    

–

 badly

немного
[nimnoga]    

–

 a little

b) Listen to the Russian words and choose the right translation from the list:

b) Translate into Russian and check yourself:

1. I speak Russian.

Check yourself

2. He understands English.

Check yourself

3. Steve and John speak Russian.

Check yourself

4. Do you speak French? (informal)

Check yourself

5. We understand Russian.

Check yourself

6. Mary speaks English.

Check yourself

IV. Negation in Russian

Notes: Negation

Russian negative sentences are built with the negative particle не which is placed before the verb. Look at the following examples:

Я не говорю по-русски. - I do not speak Russian.

Она не понимает по-английски. - She does not understand English.

Answer the questions following the model:

Model:

Вы говорите по-русски? (we)
[vi gavariti parooski?]    

-

Нет, мы не говорим по-русски.
[nyet, mi ni gavarim parooski]    

Do you speak Russian? - No, we do not (speak Russian).

Questions

Линда говорит по-французски? (she) - ...
[linda gavarit pafrantsooski?]    

Check yourself

Вы говорите по-русски? (I) - ...
[vi gavariti parooski?]    

Check yourself

Он говорит по-английски? (he) - ...
[on gavarit paangliyski?]    

Check yourself

Оксана говорит по-английски? (she) - ...
[aksana gavarit paangliyski?]    

Check yourself

Ты говоришь по-немецки? (I) - ...
[ti gavarish panimyetski?]    

Check yourself

V. Language skills

Listen to the phrases in Russian and choose the right translation.

  Put the phrase
number in the
text area.
 
Phrase 1
 Tom understands Russian well.
Phrase 2
 You do not understand English.
Phrase 3
 Catherine understans French a little.
Phrase 4
 You do not speak Russian.
Phrase 5
 She speaks Russian well.
Phrase 6
 We do not speak Russian.
Phrase 7
 Paul speaks French.
Phrase 8
 I speak German a little.