144 Most Common Words in Russian (+Free PDF)

How do you start learning Russian? Well, the first thing that you need to do is learn the most commonly used Russian words. 

In this post, we’ve listed down more than a hundred words of Russian and their meanings as well as a rough pronunciation guide. Memorizing these words will give you a good foundation on which to build up your own internal “library” of Russian words that you can go back to as needed. 

After you’ve built up your internal library of Russian words that you know and understand, it will be easier for you to apply the rules of Russian grammar and begin to put together whole sentences in Russian that will help you communicate with Russian speakers.

Bonus: Download your free list of most common words in Russian so that you can have them with you anytime Get it now for free

 

9 Basic Russian Words to Know

Most anyone will tell you, that even if you don’t intend to study a language, you should learn how to say “hello” and “goodbye”, “yes” and “no”, and a few other polite words such as “please” and “thank you”.

You can begin learning Russian but taking note of the following common words and learning how to pronounce and use them.

Let’s start with how to say “hello” in Russian. There are two common ways, the formal “zdrastvuyte” and the informal “privet”

1. Zdravstvuyte 

Pronunciation guide: ZDRAstvuyte

English meaning: Hello

2. Privet

Pronunciation guide: privet

Now, if you want to say “goodbye” you can use the following Russian word.

3. Do svidaniya

Pronunciation guide: Do sviDAniya 

English meaning: Goodbye

Now, let’s look at the most basic way to say “yes” and “no” in Russian.

4. Da

Pronunciation guide: da

English meaning: Yes

5.  Nyet

Pronunciation guide: nyet

English meaning: No

Finally, let’s take a look at how to say “please”, “thank you”, and a few other words you should use just to be polite.

6. Pozhalusta

Pronunciation guide: poZHAlusta

English meaning: Please

7. Spasibo

Pronunciation guide: spaSIbo

English meaning: Thank you

8. Izvinite 

Pronunciation guide: izviNEEte

English meaning: Sorry, excuse me

9. Prostite

Pronunciation guide: prasTEETye

English meaning: Sorry

16 Most Common Words in Russian Pertaining To Food And Meals

One of the best experiences you can have while traveling is getting to taste new food and enjoy meals with new friends.

Here are a few common words in Russian that have something to do with meals, food, and – of course – drink.

1. Zavtrak 

Pronunciation guide: ZAvtrak

English meaning: Breakfast

2. Obed

Pronunciation guide: oBED

English meaning: Lunch

3. Uzhin

Pronunciation guide: Uzhin

English meaning: Dinner

4. Zakuska

Pronunciation guide: zaKUSka

English meaning: Appetizer

5. Sup

Pronunciation guide: sup

English meaning: Soup

6. Salat

Pronunciation guide: saLAt

English meaning: Salad

7. Govyadina

Pronunciation guide: goVYAdina

English meaning: Beef

8. Svinina

Pronunciation guide: sviNIna

English meaning: Pork

9. Kuritsa

Pronunciation guide: KUritsa

English meaning: Chicken

10. Riba

Pronunciation guide: RIba

English meaning: Fish

11. Yagnyatina

Pronunciation guide: yagNYAtina

English meaning: Lamb

12. Voda

Pronunciation guide: voda

English meaning: Water

13. Kofe

Pronunciation guide: kofe

English meaning: coffee

14. Chay

Pronunciation guide: chay

English meaning: Tea

15. Pivo

Pronunciation guide: PIvo

English meaning: Beer

16. Vino

Pronunciation guide: vino

English meaning: Wine

11 Russian Words Used For Talking About Time

Time flies when you are having fun – and when you are learning to speak a new language. Here are a few common Russian words that are used when talking about times and dates.

1. Vreyemya

Pronunciation guide: VRYEmya 

English meaning: Time

2. Seychas

Pronunciation guide: seyCHAS

English meaning: Now

3. Segodnya

Pronunciation guide: seGOdnya

English meaning: Today

4. Zavtra

Pronunciation guide: ZAVtra

English meaning: Tomorrow

5. Vchera

Pronunciation guide: vchera

English meaning: Yesterday

6. Utro

Pronunciation guide: Utro

English meaning: Morning

7. Den

Pronunciation guide: den

English meaning: Afternoon

8. Vecher

Pronunciation guide: VEcher

English meaning: Evening

9. Dyen’

Pronunciation guide: dyen

English meaning: Day

10. Nedelya

Pronunciation: NEdelya

English meaning: Week

11. God

Pronunciation guide: god

English meaning: Year

10 Most Common Words in Russian for Body Parts

Here are a few Russian words for you to learn that pertain to different parts of the body.

1. Telo

Pronunciation guide: telo

English meaning: Body

2. Rooka

Pronunciation guide: rooKa

English meaning: Arm and hand

3. Palets

Pronunciation guide: PAlets

English meaning: finger

4. Noga

Pronunciation guide: NOga

English meaning: Leg

5. Stupnya

Pronunciation guide: StupNYA

English meaning: Foot

6. Glaz

Pronunciation guide: glaz

English meaning: Eye

7. Leetzo

Pronunciation guide: leeTZO

English meaning: Face

8. Galava

Pronunciation guide: galaVA

English meaning: Head

9. Spina

Pronunciation: spina

English meaning: Back

10. Zheludok

Pronunciation guide: zheLUdok

English meaning: stomach

16 Commonly Used Russian Nouns To Memorize

Here are a few common nouns that you can memorize to in order to give you a good base to begin to crafting your own sentences.

1. Chelavyek

Pronunciation guide: chelaVYEK

English meaning: Person

2. Droog

Pronunciation guide: droog

English meaning: Friend

3. Ryebyonak

Pronunciation guide: ryeBYOnak

English meaning: Child

4. Myesta

Pronunciation guide: MYEsta

English meaning: place

5. Dom

Pronunciation guide: dom

English meaning: House

6. Rabota

Pronunciation guide: raBOta

English meaning: Job

7. Slova

Pronunciation guide: SLOva

English meaning: Word

8. Vapros

Pronunciation guide: vapors

English meaning: Question

9. Starana

Pronunciation guide: staraNa

English meaning: Side

10. Meer

Pronunciation guide: meer

English meaning: World

11. Strana

Pronunciation guide: straNA

English meaning: Country

12. Sloochay 

Pronunciation guide: SLOOchay

English meaning: Occurrence

13. Seela

Pronunciation guide: SEEla

English meaning: Force

14. Kanetz

Pronunciation guide: KaNEtz

English meaning: End

15. Veed

Pronunciation guide: veed

English meaning: Sight or view

16. Zheezn’

Pronunciation guide: zheezn

English meaning: Life

8 Russian Pronouns You Should Know

Here are some Russian pronouns that you should know as you are bound to hear them a lot in daily conversations.

1. Ya

Pronunciation guide: ya

English meaning: I

2. Ti

Pronunciation guide: ti

English meaning: You

3. On

Pronunciation guide: on 

English meaning: He

4. Ana

Pronunciation guide: aNA

English meaning: She

5. Eta

Pronunciation guide: Eta

English meaning: This

6. Etat 

Pronunciation guide: Etat

English meaning: This

7. Mi

Pronunciation guide: mi

English meaning: We

8. Anee

Pronunciation guide: anee

English meaning: They

27 Most Common Verbs That You Should Learn In Russian 

The following words in Russian are common verbs that you will want to understand as they will help you hold conversations with Russian speakers

1. Akazatza

Pronunciation guide: akaZAtza

English meaning: To happen

2. Bit

Pronunciation guide: BIt

English meaning: To hit

3. Dat’

Pronunciation guide: dat

English meaning: To give

4. Doomat

Pronunciation guide: DOOmat 

English meaning: To think

5. Eetee’

Pronunciation guide: eeTEE

Meaning: To go

6. Eemet’

Pronunciation guide: eeMEt 

Meaning: to have

7. Gavareet’

Pronunciation guide: gavaREEt

English meaning: To speak

8. Hatet’

Pronunciation guide: haTEt

Meaning: To want

9. Ispol’zovat’

Pronunciation guide: isPOLzovat

Meaning: To use

10. Moch

Pronunciation guide: moch

English meaning: To be able

11. Paloocheet’

Pronunciation guide: palooCHEEt

English meaning: To receive

12. Paneemat’

Pronunciation guide: paneeMAt’

English meaning: To understand

13. Panyat’

Pronunciation guide: paNYAt

English meaning:  To understand

14. Paytee

Pronunciation guide: payTEE

English meaning: To go

15. Prikhodit’

Pronunciation guide: PREEhodit

English meaning: To come

16. Rabotat

Pronunciation guide: raBOtat 

Meaning: To work

17. Seedet’

Pronunciation guide: seeDEt

English meaning:  To sit

18. Skazat’

Pronunciation guide: skaZAt

English meaning: To say

19. Smatryet’

Pronunciation guide: smatRYEt

Meaning: To watch

20. Smeyat’sya

Pronunciation guide: smeYATsa 

English meaning: To laugh

21. Spraseet’

Pronunciation guide: spraSEEt

English meaning: To ask

22. Stat’

Pronunciation guide: stat

English meaning: To become

23. Veedet’

Pronunciation guide: VEEdet

English meaning: To see

24. Vzyat’

Pronunciation guide: vzyat 

English meaning: To take

25. Zdelat’

Pronunciation guide: zDElat

English meaning: To do or to make

26. Zheet’

Pronunciation guide: zheet 

English meaning: To live

27. Znat’

Pronunciation guide: znat

English meaning: To know

38 Common Words In Russian That Are Used As Adjectives And Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs are descriptive words; you use them with nouns and verbs respectively. Here are a few common words in Russian that can be called adjectives and adverbs.

1. Asnavnoy

Pronunciation guide: asnavNOy

English meaning: Main

2. Balshoy

Pronunciation guide: balSHOy

English meaning: Large

3. Beliy

Pronunciation guide: BEliy

English meaning: White

4. Boi’she

Pronunciation guide: BOl’she

English meaning: More

5. Bolehye

Pronunciation guide: BOlehye

English meaning: More

6. Chorniy

Pronunciation guide: CHOrniy 

English meaning: Black

7. Dalyokey

Pronunciation guide: daLYOkey

English meaning: Distant

8. Gadkiy

Pronunciation guide: GADkiy

English meaning: Ugly

9. Glavniy

Pronunciation guide: GLAvniy

English meaning: Main

10. Haroshiy

Pronunciation guide: haROshiy

English meaning: Good

11. Krasiviy

Pronunciation guide: KRAsiviy

English meaning: Beautiful

12. Lyogkiy

Pronunciation guide: lyogKIY

English meaning: Easy

13. Maladoy

Pronunciation guide: malaDOy

English meaning: Young

14. Malen’key 

Pronunciation guide: MAlen’key

English meaning: Small

15. Mozhna

Pronunciation guide: MOzhna

Meaning: May

16. Nada

Pronunciation guide: Nada

English meaning: Need

17. Ochen’

Pronunciation guide: ochen 

Meaning: Very

18. Oozhe

Pronunciation guide: ooZHE

Meaning: Already

19. Napreemer

Pronunciation guide: napreeMEr

English meaning: For example

20. Nastayasiy

Pronunciation guide: nastaYAshiy 

English meaning: Real

21. Noozhniy

Pronunciation guide: NOOzhniy

English meaning: Necessary

22. Noviy

Pronunciation guide: NOviy

English meaning: New

23. Pachtee

Pronunciation guide: pachTEE

English meaning: Almost

24. Pasledney 

Pronunciation guide: paSLEdney

English meaning: Last

25. Plokhoy

Pronunciation guide: PlokHOY

English meaning: Bad

26. Polniy

Pronunciation guide: POlniy

English meaning:  Full

27. Razniy

Pronunciation guide: RAzniy

English meaning: Different

28. Savsem

Pronunciation guide: savSEm 

English meaning: Completely

29. Sobstveniy

Pronunciation guide: SObstveniy 

English meaning: Own

30. Srazoo

Pronunciation guide: sRAzoo

English meaning: Immediately

31. Stariy

Pronunciation guide: STAriy

English meaning: Old

32. Takzhe

Pronunciation guide: TAKzhe

English meaning: As well

33. Trudnyy

Pronunciation guide: TRUdny

English meaning: Difficult

34. Vaabshe

Pronunciation guide: vaabSHE

English meaning: Generally

35. Vdrogg

Pronunciation guide: vdroog

English meaning: Suddenly

36. Vmeste

Pronunciation guide: vMEste

English meaning: Together

37. Vysokey

Pronunciation guide: vySOkey

English meaning: Tall

38. Yeshyo

Pronunciation guide: yesHYO

English meaning: More

9 Other Common Words in Russian That You Need To Know

Here are a few more common words in Russian that you should learn to use.

1. Droogoy

Pronunciation guide: drooGOy

English meaning: Another

2. Kak

Pronunciation guide: kak

English meaning: How

3. Katoriy

Pronunciation guide: kaTOriy

English meaning: Which

4. Sam

Pronunciation guide: sam

English meaning: Self

5. Sebya

Pronunciation guide: seBYA

English meaning: Oneself

6. Shotoh

Pronunciation guide: shtoh

English meaning: What

7. Toh

Pronunciation guide: toh 

English meaning: That

8. Vsye

Pronunciation guide: vsye

English meaning: Everyone

9. Vsyo

Pronunciation guide: vsyo

English meaning: All

Conclusion

One of the first things you need to do when learning a language is to build up a mental library of words and their meanings. Whether you are trying to learn on your own or are taking formal lessons on how to speak Russian, you will need to know the most common words in Russian.

You can study this list, which we have also provided for you in a convenient PDF, to get yourself started in building up your Russian vocabulary. However, it’s not enough to know Russian words and their meanings, you also need to know how to put them together into sentences that will be understood by native speakers.

The best way to learn how to use the most common words in Russian properly is to work with an online native Russian speaking tutor. A good tutor can expand on the meanings of the words on this list and give you a better idea of how to use them in a conversation. They will also be able to provide you with helpful feedback on how to properly pronounce the words.