#LanguageLearn

[lingoquiz]

Did you know that "to be" is the most frequently used verb in English? It has more than 50 different forms!

Tip for Improving English Grammar: To enhance your grammar skills, immerse yourself in reading. This practice will help you naturally understand the language's usage. You can read a variety of materials such as books, articles, or even social media posts. The more you read, the better your grammar will get.

Here are some additional interesting facts about English grammar:

The longest word in English is "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," a lung disease caused by inhaling volcanic ash. The shortest word in English is "I." The most common letter in English is "e." The most common vowel in English is "a." The most common consonant in English is "t."

[minimalist-language-learning]

Don’t fear unknown words

(Note: With this post I just want to share thoughts and tips based on my own experiences and observations. If you have a different opinion that's fine. Language learning is an very individual process. Everyone has different goals and preferences. Try different things and do what works best for you.) Reading is an effective way to increase your vocabulary. But the really interesting books are often very difficult for a language learner (especially if you have little to no experience with native level books). Looking at a page full of unknown words can be intimidating. And if it’s a physical book, reading even a few pages takes ages if you need to look up many words. Reading texts above your current level can be slow and difficult.

From time to time I see language learners who tend to avoid books for natives and keep studying from textbooks or apps to “prepare“ themselves until they are “ready“. And I understand their decision. Textbooks and language learning apps provide structure and present the language in manageable chunks. They are an important first step and they can be a great resource for intermediate learners. Please use them to learn the basics and as a reference but keep in mind that they can only get you to a certain level. It’s obvious, but books for native speakers are not written with language test levels in mind (in the case of Japanese the JLPT). A book for natives can contain words of all levels. For example: The language used in books for a young audience is usually easier than for adults, but even books for kids can contain words that are not in your textbook. On the other hand, novels for adults contain not only abstract and specialized words but also many common words you probably already know. To put it simply: There are no strict levels in the "wild". That’s why you need to learn to deal with the language outside of textbooks. These resources help but they just can’t teach you everything. I mean, it would be extremely unrealistic to expect that you just need to study enough textbooks or completing all levels of your language learning app and then you are able to understand any novel for adult natives without look ups. If you want to learn to read at the level of an adult native speaker, you need to face this challenge and start reading these books at some point — and I mean many of them. No matter how much you prepared yourself through textbooks and apps, you will run into a ton of new words and phrases. This is intimidating at first, but there’s no way around it. You learn simply as you go by trying your best to understand and looking up words, phrases and grammar points. If you are only used to textbooks and apps, it’s absolutely normal that you struggle for quite some time. Don't worry! It gets easier the more you expose yourself with content for native speakers.

What is intimidating today will feel normal for you in the future. Keep going, don’t fear challenges, be open minded and take your time — and you will be able to tackle more and more difficult content.

Tips and recommendations

I myself am at a point where I’ve read around 100 books in Japanese. Many of them were manga, the rest were light novels, novels and a few non-fiction books. The level of difficulty of these books varies. I started with easier books and tried to read more and more challenging ones. I also regularly play video games in Japanese. A few examples:

Manga

名探偵コナン (has full furigana, it’s quite challenging but you’ll learn a ton of expressions and words from a wide range of real wold topics, strongly recommend it)

ナルト (typical battle shonen manga, full furigana, much easier than コナン)

Silver Spoon (full furigana, lots of specialized vocab and therefore difficult, but also very fun)

バクマン (one of my favorites, very enjoyable but also difficult)

らんま 1/2 (I love this series, it has full furigana and is one of the easier manga I've read so far; just be prepared that it contains a bunch of "fantasy" words like attack names etc.)

Novels and Light Novels

ハイキュウ 小説版 (this was challenging at first because the author uses a quite rich vocabulary, the stories are not very complex though)

名探偵コナン (I’ve read several novel versions of the Detective Conan movies, the writing style is quite easy to understand, they cover various topics and they have full furigana, I strongly recommend them)

ハリー・ポッター 1 to 4 (the beginning was hard and sometimes I was a bit lost what happens but the overall difficulty is okay; there are also audiobooks on Audible)

変な家 (I really enjoyed this one, the first chapters are quite easy, only the last one was suddenly very difficult)

Games

Animal Crossing (easy and relaxing game, full furigana)

Ace Attorney (one of my favorites, no furigana, challenging at first but now at Ace Attorney 3 I can play it with only occasional look ups)

Even though I’ve read quite a number of books, I’m far from fluent. I'm currently reading several books: 夏へのトンネ���、さよならの出口, リング and ソードアート・オンライン 1. Even with all my experience, there are many new words in all of them. Maybe I should be better at this point, but it is what it is.

However, this is no reason to panic. I think that it’s important to not fear unknown words. New words are not a barrier, they help you grow. Instead of worrying about all these unknown words I take my time, look up words and follow the story. I can enjoy these books even though I don’t understand everything and need to look up many words.

To me, it’s about the journey, not the goal.

Some tips and strategies

Pick a book you’ve already liked reading in your native language (or after watching the movie). This way, you can be sure that you will like the story. This makes looking up many words more bearable. Plus, knowing the story makes it easier to understand the novel in your target language.

If possible, choose the ebook version. Reading digitally makes look ups faster and therefore less frustrating. Because it’s almost effortless you can look up many words without burning out. And by looking up more, there are more opportunities to learn new words.

Decide how many words you want to look up per page depending on your needs. Looking up words digitally is fast and almost effortless. This way it’s not hard to look up every word you don’t know. But if this is too much for your taste, just set a limit that makes reading more comfortable for you. You could try to look up only the 3 most important/interesting words per page and see how it goes. Change the number depending on how you feel or how difficult the book is.

It’s okay to not understand 100%. Progress is better than perfection. As long as you read regularly and look up at least some new words, your vocabulary will grow. Don’t worry too much about every single word you don’t know.

Being able to guess words from context is a valuable skill. Try to understand from context first and look up what seems necessary afterwards.

Don’t let yourself get discouraged right away just because you encounter several new words per page. If you start a new book, try to read at least the first chapter. The prologue and the first chapter are usually the hardest, because you need to get used to the authors writing style and the story.

Take as much time as you need. If you lack vocabulary, reading speed is nothing to worry about at this stage. Build up your vocabulary first.

Even if the overall level of difficulty is okay, there can always be paragraphs or chapters where your comprehension suddenly drops. That’s completely normal. Do your best to understand the gist, look up some words and then move on. Focus on the things you can understand.

You don’t need to learn everything the first time you read a book. Don’t worry too much about rare and specialized words, yet. Try to focus on more common words first. Since they come up more often and in different books, they are more useful at this point. Later when you are more advanced, looking up and learning these rather rare words is less overwhelming than in the beginning where everything is new.

A flashcard program like Anki helps to remember words you've encountered during your reading sessions. But instead of adding all new words I recommend to add only words you've seen at least a few times. I put the Japanese word together with an example sentence on the front and reading and meaning on the back. I use it only as a supplement. My daily Anki sessions are between 10 - 15 minutes long. I want to use most of my learning time for reading and listening -- this is where I really learn new words (= by repeatedly seeing them in context). Anki just helps me to build up familiarity with words I already recognize. Anki is not a must, of course. If you really can't stand it, don't use it. Just make sure that you read and listen regulary.

Graded readers can help to get used to reading in your target language. However, the gap between graded readers and easier books for natives can still be quite significant.

[haxyr3]

Why Russian Cases Are Actually Ancient Storytelling Superpowers

Ever wondered why Russian has six grammatical cases?

I just wrote about how our ancestors developed the case system as the ultimate survival toolkit. It's literally how humans learned to tell the stories that kept them alive.

Nominative announces the characters. Genitive claims ownership. Dative shows who gets affected. And so on.

The wild part? You're not just learning grammar rules. You're tapping into an ancient storytelling system that helped our species dominate the planet.

Read the full piece + grab my new cheatsheet.

[fluentfridays]

Welcome to Fluent Fridays!

We want to promote blogging in more languages than just English on Tumblr (we totally see the irony in our posts being in English)! This blog posts prompts for people to respond to in any language they want! Want to write about your new favorite show in your first language? Go for it? Learning a new language and want some practice? Go all out! Whatever your reason, we want you posting in as many languages as you want!

How does it work?

Every Friday, we will post a bunch of prompts that you will have the opportunity to respond to! To answer a prompt, reblog the post with the answer written in the language you want to see more of on Tumblr.

We will try to post a variety of prompts to give everyone a chance to talk about something they are interested in. Whether it's food, literature, hobbies, or fandom, we will try to have something for everyone. Don't see prompts about the things you like? Submit a prompt! Send it to our inbox or as a post submission! The only rule is to be respectful.

[lingolabs]

Email like a boss

[theyuniversity]

“Alot” vs. “A Lot”: Why One Is Right and the Other Isn’t

Let’s clear something up once and for all:

“Alot” is not a word.

Yes, it shows up in texts, tweets, and even the occasional essay—but that doesn’t make it correct.

✅ The Correct Term: 

A lot

“A lot” is a phrase made up of two words:

“A” (an article)

“Lot” (a noun meaning a large amount or number)

Together, “a lot” means “many” or “a large quantity.”

Examples:

I have a lot of homework tonight.

She drinks a lot of coffee.

We laughed a lot during the movie.

It’s informal, but it’s real—and it’s useful!

❌ The Common Mistake: 

Alot

“Alot” might look like it could be a word, but it’s not recognized by dictionaries or style guides. It’s simply a typo or misunderstanding that’s crept into common usage.

And while spellcheckers often catch it, they don’t always explain why it’s wrong. So now you know: no space = no good.

Pro Tip: Try Replacing It

A good test is to replace “a lot” with “many” or “much.”

✔️ I have a lot of shoes. → I have many shoes. ✅

❌ I have alot of shoes. → I have alot shoes. ❌

If it doesn’t work, it’s not a word.

Bonus: The Mythical “Alot” (For Fun)

If you’re a fan of grammar humor, you might love Allie Brosh’s classic blog post from Hyperbole and a Half, where she imagines the “Alot” as a big, furry creature that shows up every time someone writes it.

It’s hilarious—and a great way to remember the rule.

TL;DR

✅ a lot = correct

❌ alot = nope

Use “a lot” when you mean “many” or “a large amount.”

Don’t squish them together—it’s not a thing.

Website | Twitter |  Instagram | Medium | Pinterest

[horrorjapan]

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A post shared by StudyJapanese.co.uk (@studyjapanese.co.uk)

地縛霊 - “restless spirit” “earthbound spirit”

The term 地縛霊 (jibakurei) refers to a “restless spirit” or “earthbound spirit” in Japanese folklore.The 地 (ji) means “earth” or “ground,” and 縛 (baku) means “to bind,” while 霊 (rei) means “spirit” or “ghost.”

地縛霊って知ってるか？ ‘Jibakurei tte shitteru ka’ “Do you know Jibakurei?”

地縛霊 is believed to be a ghost or spirit bound to a specific location due to unresolved feelings, trauma, or unfinished business from when they were alive.

この古い建物には地縛霊がいるという噂がある。 ’Kono furui tatemono ni wa jibakurei ga iru to iu uwasa ga aru.’ There’s a rumor that an earthbound spirit haunts this old building.

彼らはその場所で死んだので、地縛霊として残っているらしい。 ’Karera wa sono basho de shinda node, jibakurei toshite nokotte iru rashii.’ It seems they died in that place and remain as earthbound spirits.

[persimmonsrain]

Teaching = connecting

Teaching, at its core, is a deeply human endeavor. Beyond instructional strategies and curriculum outcomes, what often sustains teachers through the demands of the profession is not just the act of teaching itself but the relationships formed within it. Human connection in the classroom is not a sentimental bonus; it is a central, evidence-based contributor to both teacher effectiveness and well-being.

Educational psychology increasingly acknowledges teaching as an emotionally laborious and relational practice. As Hargreaves (1998) asserted in his seminal work, The Emotional Practice of Teaching, "Good teaching is charged with positive emotion. It is not just a matter of knowing one's subject, being efficient, having correct competencies, or learning the right techniques." Rather, good teaching “arises out of the relationships teachers build with their students.”

This idea is echoed and expanded upon by Sarah Mercer (2016), who emphasizes that language teaching in particular is inherently affective and relational. She argues that the quality of interpersonal relationships in the classroom significantly impacts both learner success and teacher well-being. Teachers who feel connected to their students are more likely to experience intrinsic motivation, job satisfaction, and resilience (Mercer, 2016; Yin et al., 2019).

From a cognitive science perspective, the social brain hypothesis suggests that our brains are evolutionarily wired for connection (Dunbar, 1998). Social interactions stimulate neural circuits related to empathy, reward, and meaning-making suggesting that the emotional bonds we form in classrooms are not only psychologically satisfying but neurologically reinforcing. This could explain why something as simple as a student’s enthusiastic participation, or an appreciative glance during a lesson, feels deeply rewarding.

Positive psychology offers further insight. Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions (2001) posits that positive emotional exchanges such as those between teacher and student enhance our cognitive flexibility, build resilience, and create upward spirals of well-being. These brief yet powerful moments of interpersonal resonance contribute not only to teacher flourishing but to more dynamic, trusting classroom environments.

In practical terms, these human interactions can turn a routine lesson into something meaningful. A simple “thank you” after class, a student bravely asking a question, or the shy learner finally laughing out loud, these micro-moments of trust and joy are small, but they accumulate. They are often what teachers remember long after the term ends.

As a language teacher, I often receive affirmations from my students, verbal and non-verbal, that they feel safe, seen, and engaged. These connections don’t just help them learn. They help me teach.

There are days when I enter the classroom exhausted, uncertain, or quiet from life’s weight. And then, something shifts. A student greets me with a smile, another asks a follow-up question from yesterday’s lesson, and sometimes the quietest one says, “I like today’s activity.” These may seem like small things, but in the life of a teacher, they are everything. They remind me that presence matters. That being human in the classroom isn't a flaw; it's a gift.

And so, while we prepare our materials and plan our outcomes, it’s worth remembering that no learning happens in a vacuum. The relational space we co-create with our students may be the most powerful pedagogy of all.

It is in those shared silences, honest laughter, and mutual care that we not only build understanding but belonging. And in that belonging, we teach and are taught in return.

How do you nurture meaningful connections in your own learning or teaching spaces?

Selected References:

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226.

Hargreaves, A. (1998). The emotional practice of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 14(8), 835–854.

Mercer, S. (2016). Teacher well-being and the complexity of language teaching. In Gkonou, T., Tatzl, D., & Mercer, S. (Eds.), New Directions in Language Learning Psychology (pp. 103–123). Springer.

Yin, H., Huang, S., & Wang, W. (2019). Work environment characteristics and teacher well-being: The mediation of emotion regulation strategies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 4701.

Dunbar, R. I. M. (1998). The social brain hypothesis. Evolutionary Anthropology, 6(5), 178–190.

[linguingit]

Hello to #langblr !!!

Hi! I am a Tamilian who-

speaks English at home (you can't judge me more than I judge myself)

code-switches her way through two different types of Tamil dialects (maami to rowdy girlies, put up your hands)

is regularly mistaken by native Hindi speakers as one of them

stumbles through Telugu (specifically the Telangana dialect) but still makes hilarious mistakes ("ledhu" instead of "kadhu," anyone?)

spent three years trying to pick up Kannada but can only say "nanage swalpa Kannada gothu."

learnt how to read and write Malayalam before learning how to speak

wants to learn as many more languages as she can in this haphazard manner!

Join me as I wing language learning (and the languages that I do know) !! I've been lurking on #langblr for a while now so it's time to dip my toes right in!

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

My top Russian Tv-Shows

Despite this being mainly a mandarinblr, I still try to practise my other languages so here are some of the most interesting tv-shows in russian for my fellow russian-learners and speakers and anyone interested.

Kitchen - Кухня This show has several spin-offs including Hotel Eleon and Grand which I will not mention as by the end of the last spin-off there are literally no characters from the original cast and the plot slightly goes of the rails. The actual show is set a french restaurant in Moscow where Max Lavrov, who just finished his military service decided to work at. The show follows the various challenges that Max faces at his new workplace, including the foul-tempered but very talented Chef Viktor Barinov who has a drinking problem and other interesting characters. It's quite funny and heart-warming, and it's a must-watch imo.

Youth - Молодёжка A pretty standard sports series tv plot. The hockey-team "Bears" are a meh team at best, but that all changes when a former National Hockey League player turned coach shows up to make a proper team out of them. I only watched the first season because after that the plot got a tad boring for me, but as far as sports series go, pretty good.

Law of the Lawless (Not the 1964 film!) - Бригада A cult-classic staple of only 15 episodes. The plot is a bit over the place at the beginning, as opening episodes sequence is a flashback to the start of the final episode but after that it's chronological, with the first episode w english subtitles here. 4 best friends start out as youths from early 1990s to 2000s, with one returning home after finishing his army service with plans for uni and the others just starting their lives. However, the Perestroika had significantly changed their lives, so eventually the gang turns from racketeering and petty crime to slowly becoming the mafia. The opening theme is worth watching alone, but then again I'm biased.

How I became Russian - Как я стал русским This comedy show is quite dear to me, as it follows an American journalist with russian and slavic roots navigating life and work in Russia as he works on a story about life in Russia for a major newspaper back home. He's back in his homeland but as a foreigner who finds his heritage utterly confusing. This series resonates with me, as despite having a good grasp of my cultures languages and customs, I still feel disconnected from my heritage at times, and this show has been a reassuring reminder that not being 100% attuned with your heritage is okay, and that there are many different ways of re-connecting with your culture.

Closed school - Закрытая Школа I was slightly tramuatized by this show when I first watched it 4ish years ago, in part due to how unhinged and off the rails the plot slowly but surely becomes. A descent into madness. Andrei and his sister are sent to study at the Logos boarding school, but are then informed that their parents have perished. Andrei doesn't believe this, so he sets off to investigate with his new friends and investigate he does. There are also some other background shenanigans going on, but the unraveling of the schools mystery remains the main interest, including its odd passageways and deeply disturbing history. As a thriller series, it honestly deserves that title.

Here are some shows that came out more recently that I think deserve a mention.

The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt- Слова пацана кровь на осфальте I've only seen a few episodes out of the 8, but it's very Brigada-esque so far. During the mid-late 1980s when Perestroika is going on and the USSR is soon to be no more, 14 year old Andrei is trying to survive as he's constantly bullied at school and by gang-members. He makes friends with one of said gang members Marat, as he slowly descends into the world of street life. I'll finish watching this series sometime probably.

The new guy - Новенький 16-year old Max moves from his glamorous life in Moscow to a small-town Yurovsk due to his parents constant arguing, where he immediately doesn't get along with his clasmmates who think him stuck-up and start bullying him. One day Max goes missing and his classmates are the obvious suspects, as slowly but surely secrets start to emerge revealing everyone's lies. A pretty good suspense/thriller show, which covers the topics of bullying, coming of age and what it means to be an adult pretty well, despite the 4th and final season being kind of lackluster.

Central Russia's Vampires - Вампиры средней полосы Where to even begin with this show. I don't know whether I should introduce the trailer or the opening theme song mv. Basically the life of a small and unconventional vampire family living in Smolensk, presumably in central Russia, who get disturbed when bodies with distinct bite marks are found nearby. This results in the Guardians (aka the guys keeping vampires a secret and ensuring that no one acts out) taking over and investigating with the vampire leader Svyatoslav Vernidubovich given a week to find and punish the culprit. My odd plot description aside, the cast is why I adore this show. The recently turned Gen-Z wannabe blogger Zhenyok, the thousand year old grandpa Svyatoslav, the constantly annoyed Dr. Zhan Ivanovich (who is actually french and decided to hang around after Napoleon was defeated) and his ex-wife The Countess who honestly should have a spin-off show and many more characters.

Doomsday - Конец Света Satan decides to come back to Earth and start the apocalypse, for which he needs his son Dimyan who should become the Antichrist but to his dismay, Dimyan doesn't really care about world domination and money, he just wants to get married to his fiancee Galya and live happily ever after. Chaos ensues as satan tries to persuade Dimyan to join him, whilst Angel vs Demon shenanigans occur in the background. I honestly had no idea that this type of show could even be produced due to the censors and yet it was. It's kind of slightly similar to Good Omens with all the apocalypse stuff and the Angels and Demons eventually teaming up? Good Omens adjacent. Except more gritty with much darker humour. The actor who plays satan is Yuri Kolokolnikov who actually starred in game of thrones so if you're a fan of his acting, do try this show.

Alisa can't wait - Алиса не может ждать Alisa is a 15-16 (don't remember her exact age) year old girl who is going blind and she decides to do something really drastic to ensure that her life will be comfortable after she loses all sight. There's a noticeable build-up to what she's actually planning during the episodes, as her homelife is less than ideal, with her older sister stuck in an unhappy marriage and a turbulent relationship with her parents. This is one of the few shows that really left a deep impression on me but it deals with some very sensitive and potentially upsetting topics so be aware if you're giving it a go.

This list may be updated in the future, so if there are any other shows that I may have missed do share them!

[mondlylanguages]

Cupid's month has officially begun! ❤️ How do you say 'I love you' in your language? 🥰

[lingoquiz]

Mastering English Grammar Through Interactive Exercises

Learning English grammar can often seem daunting, but interactive exercises have revolutionized the way we approach this essential aspect of language learning. Utilizing tools like drag-and-drop activities, multiple-choice quizzes, and other interactive methods can make mastering English grammar both effective and enjoyable. Here, we explore the benefits of these interactive exercises and how they can enhance your grammar skills.

Why Interactive Exercises are Beneficial Engagement and Motivation Interactive exercises are inherently engaging. They transform grammar practice from a passive activity into an active learning experience. The interactivity keeps learners motivated, as they are more likely to stay focused and invested in completing the exercises.

Enhanced Retention The active involvement required in interactive exercises aids in better retention of grammar rules. When learners drag and drop words into correct positions or select the right answers in a quiz, they are more likely to remember the rules because they are applying them in real-time.

Variety of Formats Interactive grammar exercises come in various formats, each catering to different learning styles:

Drag-and-Drop Activities: These exercises help with sentence structure and word order, making them perfect for understanding syntax. Multiple-Choice Quizzes: These are great for testing knowledge of specific grammar rules and ensuring learners understand the nuances between similar grammatical structures. Fill-in-the-Blanks: This format tests the ability to recall and correctly use grammar rules in context. Adaptability and Personalization Many interactive platforms adapt to the learner’s level, offering exercises that are neither too easy nor too difficult. This personalized approach ensures that learners are always challenged just the right amount, which is crucial for continuous improvement.

[minimalist-language-learning]

The more I read in Japanese, the more I feel like the constant stream of new words and expressions will never end. Despite all the progress, there's always more to learn.

It's intimidating and amazing at the same time.

[haxyr3]

This is Fishka. She’s wondering why you’re scrolling Tumblr instead of practicing your second language. “Meow, ¿por qué no hablas español? Ou peut-être français?”  Drop your excuse in the comments, but Fishka’s not buying it!

[loth-moth]

GROMSKO - A Pronunciation Guide

Suave Sobiesław (It rhymes. Get it?)

Sobiesław - Soa - Beh- swav

O like Oat. ł is a W like Web. W is pronounced as a V sound.

Kosciuszko - KOSh-CHews-skO

Kos like Gossip.

C iu-s like Check and Useless with a partially voiced S/Z.

Sko like Go.

Notes:

Voiced and unvoiced referring to how involved your vocal cords are. A good way to understand this is try switching between F - V and S - Z. V in many central and eastern European countries sometimes sounds like a 'voiced F' . (I will not be making an accent/speech guide as I have for König as I don't speak Polish and feel it's not my place. If you are Polish and have any feedback or would like to help me work on such a post feel free to reach out.)

"ZA HONOR I OJCZYZNĘ!"

Now go, be free, have fun with everybody's favourite beefy Polak.

[learning-russian0]

📣 Practice Pronunciation of the Russian Alphabet Step by Step!

Vowels (гласные)

А – [ah] as in father • Example: мама (mah-mah) – mom

О – [oh] as in or (stressed); [ah] as in about (unstressed) • Example: молоко (muh-lah-KOH) – milk

У – [oo] as in moon • Example: сумка (SOOM-kuh) – bag

Э – [eh] as in met • Example: это (EH-tuh) – this

И – [ee] as in see • Example: кино (kee-NOH) – cinema

Ы – A sound between [i] and [u], like ill, but deeper • Example: быстро (BUI-strah) – quickly

Consonants (согласные)

Soft and Hard Variations

Б – [b] as in bat • Hard: брат (braht) – brother • Soft: бить (beet') – to beat

В – [v] as in vet • Hard: вот (voht) – here • Soft: весь (vyes') – all

Г – [g] as in go • Hard: где (gdyeh) – where • Soft: гибкий (GEEP-kee) – flexible

Unique Sounds

Ж – [zh] as in measure • Example: жизнь (zhizn') – life

Х – [kh] as in loch • Example: хлеб (khlyeb) – bread

Ц – [ts] as in cats • Example: цена (tseh-NAH) – price

Ч – [ch] as in chess • Example: часы (chuh-SY) – clock

Ш – [sh] as in shut • Example: шапка (SHAHP-kuh) – hat

Щ – [shch] as in fresh cheese • Example: щёки (SHCHYOH-kee) – cheeks

Hard and Soft Signs

Ъ – Hard sign: separates sounds (no pronunciation) • Example: объект (ob-YEKT) – object

Ь – Soft sign: softens the preceding consonant • Example: день (dyen') – day

Let’s Practice Sentences!

1. Мама мыла раму.

Translation: Mom washed the window frame. Phonetic Pronunciation: [MAH-mah MY-lah RAH-mu]

• Мама (MAH-mah) – Mom

Stress on the first syllable.

The vowel "А" is pronounced [ah].

• мыла (MY-lah) – washed

"Ы" is a deeper sound, like in ill.

• раму (RAH-mu) – frame (accusative case of рама)

Roll the "R", and "У" sounds like [oo].

Practice:

Say each word: Мама... мыла... раму.

Full sentence: Мама мыла раму.

2. Где твоя книга?

Translation: Where is your book? Phonetic Pronunciation: [Gdyeh tvah-YAH KNEE-gah]

• Где (Gdyeh) – Where

Merge "г" and "д" into [gd], soften with [yeh].

• твоя (tvah-YAH) – your (feminine)

Stress on the second syllable.

• книга (KNEE-gah) – book

"И" sounds like [ee]; "г" is hard [g].

Practice:

Say each word: Где... твоя... книга.

Full sentence: Где твоя книга?

3. Я люблю русский язык.

Translation: I love the Russian language. Phonetic Pronunciation: [Ya lyoo-BLYOO ROOS-kee ya-ZYK]

• Я (Ya) – I

A single syllable word, pronounced [ya].

• люблю (lyoo-BLYOO) – love

Roll the "л", stress the "yoo".

• русский (ROOS-kee) – Russian

Stress on "ROOS"; roll the "р".

• язык (ya-ZYK) – language

Stress on the second syllable; "ы" is a deep [i].

Practice:

Say each word: Я... люблю... русский... язык.

Full sentence: Я люблю русский язык.

✨ Your turn to practice! Drop your favorite Russian phrases in the comments. 😊