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Learn Essential Russian Vocabulary for Beginners – A1 Level visualisation

Learn Essential Russian Vocabulary for Beginners – A1 Level

Fundamental Russian Vocabulary for Beginners (A1 Level).
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When learning Russian at the A1 level, focusing on the most important and commonly used words is essential for building a strong foundation. These words cover basic communication needs, including greetings, pronouns, verbs, numbers, and everyday vocabulary. Below is a categorized overview of key Russian vocabulary for A1 learners:

Essential Words and Phrases

Pronouns

  • Я (ya) - I
  • Ты (ty) - You (informal)
  • Вы (vy) - You (formal/plural)
  • Он (on) - He
  • Она (ona) - She
  • Оно (ono) - It
  • Мы (my) - We
  • Они (oni) - They

Common Verbs

  • Быть (byt’) - To be
  • Говорить (govorit’) - To speak
  • Знать (znat’) - To know
  • Хотеть (khotet’) - To want
  • Видеть (videt’) - To see
  • Понимать (ponimat’) - To understand
  • Делать (delat’) - To do/make
  • Идти (idti) - To go
  • Жить (zhit’) - To live

Basic Nouns

People and Family

  • Человек (chelovek) - Person
  • Люди (lyudi) - People
  • Мама (mama) - Mother
  • Папа (papa) - Father
  • Брат (brat) - Brother
  • Сестра (sestra) - Sister

Places

  • Дом (dom) - House/Home
  • Школа (shkola) - School
  • Магазин (magazin) - Shop/Store

Everyday Objects

  • Стол (stol) - Table
  • Стул (stul) - Chair
  • Книга (kniga) - Book

Numbers

Learning numbers is crucial for basic interactions:

  1. Один (odin) - One
  2. Два (dva) - Two
  3. Три (tri) - Three
  4. Четыре (chetyre) - Four
  5. Пять (pyat’) - Five

Adjectives

Adjectives help describe objects and people:

  • Большой (bol’shoy) - Big
  • Маленький (malen’kiy) - Small/Little
  • Хороший (khoroshiy) - Good
  • Плохой (plokhoy) - Bad

Adverbs and Conjunctions

These are essential for sentence structure:

  • И (i) - And
  • Не (ne) - Not
  • Очень (ochen’) - Very
  • Здесь (zdes’) - Here
  • Там (tam) - There

Polite Phrases

Politeness is key in any language:

  • Спасибо! (Spasibo!) – Thank you!
  • Пожалуйста! (Pozhaluysta!) – Please/You’re welcome.
  • Привет! (Privet!) – Hi!
  • До свидания! (Do svidaniya!) – Goodbye!

Prepositions

Prepositions are vital for expressing location or relationships:

  • В/Во (v/vo) – In/At
  • На (na) – On
  • С/Со (s/so) – With

Tips for A1 Learners

  1. Start with the most frequent words—about 300–500 words are enough to communicate basic ideas.
  2. Practice pronunciation using audio resources to master Russian sounds.
  3. Focus on high-frequency verbs and their conjugation.
  4. Learn essential phrases for daily interactions, such as greetings and asking simple questions.

By mastering these foundational words and phrases, you will be well-equipped to progress in your Russian language journey!

References

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