Learn Russian with our iPhone & iPod touch application
RUSSIAN FEDERATION | Tuesday, 2 December 2008 | Views [2343] | Comments [1]
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A screenshot from our Russian language guide application for iPhone & iPod touch
Available for free from the Apple iTunes store, our Russian language guide app contains a conversational language lesson between our Nomad Scott & a local, plus enough of the most common travel phrases to help you get by.
Requirements:
- iTunes
- iPhone or iPod touch
- Requires iPhone 2.1 Software Update
Download here
Russian Language Guide Script
For those of you keen to have a written version on the language lesson, here is the script below:
Scott: Excuse me, I’m Scott – I booked for the tour of the Winter Palace.
Dmitriy: Pri-vyet. You are the first one here. Come, we will wait over here.
Scott: Sure, no worries. Pri-vyet is hello right?
Dmitriy:
Da – yes, that’s right. Nyet is no. Come, I have your ticket here with
the others, you will have to get a permit to take photos - wait until
the others arrive and we can get them all at once.
Scott: Ok,
no worries. This Square is unbelievable and the Palace – I can’t even
get my head around the scale of it – I can’t wait to get inside!
Dmitriy:
(Smiling) Da, the Winter Palace is the pride of Russia, you have booked
for the Russian Ark tour. Sit, we will wait for the others here.
Scott:
The film was incredible, it is the whole reason I’ve come to St
Petersburg – one single shot, no edits, 300 years of Russian history –
amazing!
Dmitriy: Da, I will take you through the rooms that the film was shot in and tell you some of the history of the Palace.
Scott:
Fantastic! Hey, I don’t suppose you’d teach me a few Russian phrases
while we wait – I’ve found that a bit of local language helps and I
know that I’m going to come back to the Museum a few times while I’m
here.
Dmitriy: Sure. I’m Dmitriy, call me Dima.
Scott: I’ve heard people say K’ahk dyeh-lah (mis-pronounce badly) – a lot – what does this mean?
Dmitriy: (laughing) you mean k’ahk dyeh-lah – this means ‘how are you?’
Scott: oh… so I could say Pri-vyet, k’ahk dyeh-lah for Hello, how are you?
Dmitriy: Da, very good. To say Goodbye in Russian is dah svee-dah-nyah
Scott: Dah svee-dah-nyah – that sounds so great – Dah svee-dah-nyah! What about “My Name is Scott” and “What’s your Name”
Dmitriy: Meh-nyah za-voot Scott and “What’s Your Name” is K’ahk tye-byah za-voot?
Scott: Please and thank you?
Dmitriy: Russians will respond to a foreigner being polite – please is pah-zhah-loo-stah and thank you is spa-see-bah.
Scott: So pah-zhah-loo-stah and spa-see-bah. Hey, is Babushka woman?
Dmitriy:
Sort of – more like Grandmother or old lady – you wouldn’t get very far
if you referred to a girl at a club as a Babushka!
Scott: (laughing) ahh… that explains why I struck out so badly in Moscow!
You said you’ve got my ticket – how do I say ticket in Russian?
Dmitriy: This is bee-let.
Scott: What about counting – how do I count to 10 in Russian?
Dmitriy: ah-deen, dvah, tree
Scott: ah-deen, dvah, tree
Dmitriy: che-ty-ree, pyat’, shest’
Scott: che-ty-ree, pyat’, shest’
Dmitriy: sem’, vo-sem, de-vyat’, de-syat’
Scott: sem’, vo-sem, de-vyat’, de-syat’
Dmitriy: Da, very good.
Scott:
Well, I’m now set if I need to buy a round of up to 10 vodka’s! Hey –
I’ve noticed that locals always eat when they drink vodka – what are
they eating?
Dmitriy: This is zakuski – snacks, locals will take
some after each shot – it is usually pickled vegetables and black
bread. Also, when you are drinking vodka make sure you keep your glass
on the table when re-filling it, don’t lift the glass to the bottle –
many foreigners make this mistake.
Scott: Ok, so lack of zakusi also explains a few things! How do I say ‘excuse me’ and ‘please may I have the bill’
Dmitriy: This is eez-vee-nee-tyeh and shchyot, pah-zhah-loo-stah
Scott: ok so eez-vee-nee-tyeh and shchyot pah-zhah-loo-stah – so bill is shchyot?
Dmitriy: Da.
Scott: Speaking of the bill – how do I say ‘how much’ and ‘too expensive’
Dmitriy: How much is skol’-kah stoh-it and too expensive is eh-ta o-chen’ doh-rah-gah
Scott:
Skol’-kah stoh-it and eh-ta o-chen’ doh-rah-gah. Are locals usually
pretty rude to foreigners – I’ve sometimes found it hard to get small
talk going in shops or hostels.
Dmitriy: Nyet, this is not
rude, Russians are very direct and straightforward and we tend to skip
the pleasantries – it is not considered rude.
Scott: Ah, ok – that makes sense. If I’m to be direct back – how do I say “I like this” and “I don’t like this”
Dmitriy: You say mnye eh-ta nra-vee-tsa and mnye eh-ta nye nra-vee-tsa
Scott:
So, mnye eh-ta nra-vee-tsa and mnye eh-ta nye nra-vee-tsa. Oh, what
about “Where is” and “Which way to” – I will probably need these when I
try to navigate the Hermitage on my own!
Dmitriy: This is gdyeh na-kho-dee-tsa and k’ahk pray-tee k
Scott: gdyeh na-kho-dee-tsa and k’ahk pray-tee k. I know, what about “Have you a room” and “May I see it”
Dmitriy: This is oo vas yest’ svah-bod-ny no-mer and mozh-nah pa-smah-trets’
Scott: Wow, slow down – in fact how do I say “please say that slowly”
Dmitriy: This is - gah-vah-ry-tye med-len-ney-yeh
Scott:
So, gah-vah-ry-tye med-len-ney-yeh. Dima, you’ve been very patient – I
can only think of a few more things – what about today, tomorrow,
yesterday and now?
Dmitriy: Se-vod-nya, zav-trah, vcheh-rah, se-chas
Scott: So, Se-vod-nya, zav-trah, vcheh-rah, se-chas. Bus, train, taxi and boat?
Dmitriy: Av-toh-boos, po-yezd, tah-xi, kah-ter
Scott: Av-toh-boos, po-yezd, tah-xi, kah-ter. Finally, what about police, hospital and doctor.
Dmitriy:
Ah, very useful – but I hope you won’t actually need them. Police is
mee-lee-tsee-ya, hospital is bal-nee-tsa and doctor is vrach.
Scott: so, mee-lee-tsee-ya, bal-nee-tsa and vrach. Now, no more lesson, lets talk about Russian Ark!
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World Nomads Language Guide Podcasts are free to download and may be used as free content on other websites so long as no part of the podcast is changed, altered or added to in any way. World Nomads Language Guide Podcasts may not be sold by any website or individual. © World Nomads Pty Ltd, 2008.
Tags: free, russian, language lesson, phrase guide, learn russian, russia, iphone, ipod touch, world nomads, russian phrases
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