Russian alphabet test/Learning Russian

[LiamForeman]

I didn't even look at the pronunciation, but how else would you pronounce yes and yesterday but identically?

Then again, merry, Mary and marry *definitely* have completely different vowel sounds. I always thought that was just a Philadelphia thing, but now it's the whole Northeast? I'm less special

My family is from Philly! I was born there. God now that you mention it, if Russian had so many different sounds for words like Philadelphians this would be an impossible task for me!

Also, on my Russian keyboard it is not letting me hit the key to the left of the number 1, which is supposed to be the "ë with the umlaut"/yo. Is there another way to spell that since that key doesn't work?

(I'm now proficient at typing on the Russian keyboard! This is so much fun learning a different language in a different alphabet!!! I finally connected my computer to my bigscreen tv in my room and I'm watching Youtube on it and translating the headlines of the Russian skating channels. Scandal! Fantastic! Something about an experiment in Budapest with Medvedeva. It seemed something also happened with Alyona, but that might have been her withdrawal from this weekend. I want to dish the gossip!!! lol. Anyway, I hope to start understanding it aurally too, but it's so fast....)

 

[Weathergal]

My family is from Philly! I was born there. God now that you mention it, if Russian had so many different sounds for words like Philadelphians this would be an impossible task for me!

Also, on my Russian keyboard it is not letting me hit the key to the left of the number 1, which is supposed to be the "e with the umlaut"/yo. Is there another way to spell that since that key doesn't work?

(I'm now proficient at typing on the Russian keyboard! This is so much fun learning a different language in a different alphabet!!! I finally connected my computer to my bigscreen tv in my room and I'm watching Youtube on it and translating the headlines of the Russian skating channels. Scandal! Fantastic! Something about an experiment in Budapest with Medvedeva. It seemed something also happened with Alyona, but that might have been her withdrawal from this weekend. I want to dish the gossip!!! lol. Anyway, I hope to start understanding it aurally too, but it's so fast....)

LiamForeman, I think it's great what you've learned so far! I've just sporadically worked on the alphabet.

Have you ever tried any of the online language learning sites? Just curious if you have and if so what experience has been.

 

[LiamForeman]

LiamForeman, I think it's great what you've learned so far! I've just sporadically worked on the alphabet.

Have you ever tried any of the online language learning sites? Just curious if you have and if so what experience has been.

Yes, I am using Duolingo online. It even tests your ability to hear and speak it. This is going so quickly/easily with me too. I highly recommend the site.

 

[lariko]

Also, on my Russian keyboard it is not letting me hit the key to the left of the number 1, which is supposed to be the "e with the umlaut"/yo. Is there another way to spell that since that key doesn't work?

In a pinch, just go with usual e. In handwriting, it is fairly common to leave it out. It is also not a common letter, though if you like Kostornaya, you want it

 

[lariko]

Actually, even in official lists, like the list of skaters in Panin’s memorial, for expediency, yoted e is not used, it’s just e

 

[Weathergal]

Yes, I am using Duolingo online. It even tests your ability to hear and speak it. This is going so quickly/easily with me too. I highly recommend the site.

Very cool - I will check it out.

 

[Minz]

One thing, is that Duolingo hasn‘t been known to be the best for actually speaking the language. Like, you will learn to read and write, but if you actually try to have a conversation, your abilities will be limited.

 

[LiamForeman]

I'm also watching a series on Youtube that's really helpful. I hope just learning to write it out will help me speak and learn to hear the words. I'm loving this because I got my degree in Latin and Russian is by far a much easier language to learn!

 

[skatesofgold]

One thing, is that Duolingo hasn‘t been known to be the best for actually speaking the language. Like, you will learn to read and write, but if you actually try to have a conversation, your abilities will be limited.

I can attest to that. Reading and writing, no problem. Listening, no problem. Actually speaking the language is a frustrating experience. I know that immersion is the best way of learning a language, but I feel like I would be overwhelmed and confused. Even though I'm a native English speaker, I still have trouble remembering pronunciations, so learning other languages is an even bigger challenge.

 

[el henry]

I'm also watching a series on Youtube that's really helpful. I hope just learning to write it out will help me speak and learn to hear the words. I'm loving this because I got my degree in Latin and Russian is by far a much easier language to learn!

Love the Cyrillic "Liam Forman". The capital "eta" for "n" will be the death of me yet

Also love the shoutout to the difficulty of Latin. Spousal Unit the classics prof emeritus would approve (he always said ancient Greek was much easier to learn than Latin, once you knew the alphabet).

Of course, neither help much in following skating news

 

[lariko]

Love the Cyrillic "Liam Forman". The capital "eta" for "n" will be the death of me yet

Also love the shoutout to the difficulty of Latin. Spousal Unit the classics prof emeritus would approve (he always said ancient Greek was much easier to learn than Latin, once you knew the alphabet).

Of course, neither help much in following skating news

No worries. Low case n is Russian for ‘p’ and use X is for Latin H, except don’t forget to replace capital H in most names starting with Latin H with Г and it all works out.

 

[LiamForeman]

Love the Cyrillic "Liam Forman". The capital "eta" for "n" will be the death of me yet

Also love the shoutout to the difficulty of Latin. Spousal Unit the classics prof emeritus would approve (he always said ancient Greek was much easier to learn than Latin, once you knew the alphabet).

Of course, neither help much in following skating news

I forgot the ETA and put it in!! It's funny because my original username was MEANT to be "LiamForEman" as I was a huge Sandhu fan (as much as my stomach could take...) back in the day. (I go by my middle name William and some call me nicknames Will and Liam). So when I saw it written out I thought it would look more interesting to turn it into Liam Foreman. hehe. And also Foreman isn't that far from my actual last name which starts with F, I thought it made a great alter-ego!!! I AM LiamF....... But it started as Liam For Eman!!! And thank God I had the foresight so that I don't have THAT as my perma name! LOL!!

 

[Rina RUS]

Lots of fun, although for E the choices include y as in yesterday or ye as in yes. Personally, I begin the pronunciation of yes and yesterday the same way.

If you had to choose between “y” and “ye”, I can understand it. It is not about different sounds, it is about letters.

The words “yes”, “yard”, “York” have the same sound in the beginning (before “e”, “a” or “o”). We have letter “й” for this sound in Russian, but we also have letters “ye” (“y+e”), “ya” (“y+a”), “yu” (“y+u”)

The name Evgeni has the same sound in the beginning and on the end. The first letter is “E” (it sounds like “ye” in “yes” or in “yesterday”). The last letter is “й” (it sounds like “y” in “yes” or like the last sound in “May”)

In English the letter “u” can be pronounced like Russian “yu” (“Ю”) in the beginning of words (“use”, “union”), so in these words one letter “u” is used for two sounds (“y+u”). In the word “put” the letter “u” doesn’t give 2 sounds.

 

[Rina RUS]

I think this video is not bad

How to read Russian

Learn Russian for free â http://russianlearnsyou.comMe making a website live â https://www.twitch.tv/olegveganÐой кÑÑÑ Ð´Ð»Ñ ÑÑÑÑкоÑзÑÑнÑÑ (English for Russian...

www.youtube.com

(yet I can’t agree that teachers are the only ones who read the alphabet correctly)

 

[light10]

If you just want practice with the sounds the Cyrillic letters make, I always find reading well-known English names to be fun and useful practice. For instance:
US States in Cyrillic: https://www.sporcle.com/games/yippeeyappee/nizhny_nevadagorod
US presidents in Cyrillic: https://www.sporcle.com/games/yippeeyappee/ivan_tyler

It's such a lovely predictably-pronounced language you can sound out anything once you know the right sounds - which is really helpful when you start learning the actual language and not just the alphabet.

 

[LiamForeman]

If you just want practice with the sounds the Cyrillic letters make, I always find reading well-known English names to be fun and useful practice. For instance:
US States in Cyrillic: https://www.sporcle.com/games/yippeeyappee/nizhny_nevadagorod
US presidents in Cyrillic: https://www.sporcle.com/games/yippeeyappee/ivan_tyler

It's such a lovely predictably-pronounced language you can sound out anything once you know the right sounds - which is really helpful when you start learning the actual language and not just the alphabet.

I love Sporcle! I can spend hours on that site, learning all the countries/capitals of the world!

 

[LiamForeman]

Also, I just made sense of this in case anyone else was wondering about these pronunciations: I've heard Usacheva called "Usa-chOva", and this weekend Gorbachëva also "Gorba-chOva". From what I am reading in Russian, Usacheva does not have the umlaut e (ë) so -chOva is wrong, it is Usa-chYEva. Gorbachëva does have the umlaut ë, so it is pronounced Gorba-chYOva, so not exactly -chOva. It confused me, but I think I figured it out. But if Usacheva actually does have an umlaut ë, (which I haven't seen yet on any Russian vids that show her Cyrillic name) it is Usa-chYOva and NOT Usa-chYEva. Any Russian speakers, is this correct???? Thanks! lol

 

[Mawwerg]

Also, I just made sense of this in case anyone else was wondering about these pronunciations: I've heard Usacheva called "Usa-chOva", and this weekend Gorbachëva also "Gorba-chOva". From what I am reading in Russian, Usacheva does not have the umlaut e (ë) so -chOva is wrong, it is Usa-chYEva. Gorbachëva does have the umlaut ë, so it is pronounced Gorba-chYOva, so not exactly -chOva. It confused me, but I think I figured it out. But if Usacheva actually does have an umlaut ë, (which I haven't seen yet on any Russian vids that show her Cyrillic name) it is Usa-chYOva and NOT Usa-chYEva. Any Russian speakers, is this correct???? Thanks! lol

Ё is always there even if it hides its dots.

 

[skatesofgold]

Does Russian just have the hard G when anything is spelled with a G?

 

[Weathergal]

I love Sporcle! I can spend hours on that site, learning all the countries/capitals of the world!

Same! I was furloughed from my job through part of the pandemic, anfit helped keep my mind stimulated.