Provide 10 beginner-friendly Russian скороговорки with translations
Here are 10 beginner-friendly Russian скороговорки (tongue twisters) with English translations:
-
Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку.
(Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.)
Sasha was walking along the highway and sucking a drying biscuit. -
Карл у Клары украл кораллы, а Клара у Карла украла кларнет.
(Karl u Klary ukral korally, a Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.)
Karl stole corals from Klara, and Klara stole a clarinet from Karl. -
Ехал грека через реку, видит грека — в реке рак.
(Ekhal greka cherez reku, vidit greka — v reke rak.)
A Greek was riding across the river, sees a crayfish in the river. -
На дворе трава, на траве дрова.
(Na dvore trava, na trave drova.)
In the yard there is grass, on the grass there is firewood. -
От топота копыт пыль по поле летит.
(Ot topota kopyt pyl po pole letit.)
From the clatter of hooves, dust flies over the field. -
В четверг четвёртого числа в четыре с четвертью часа.
(V chetverg chetvyortogo chisla v chetyre s chetvert’yu chasa.)
On Thursday the fourth day at quarter past four o’clock. -
Пётр пёстрый перец на перце пьёт.
(Pyotr pyostryy perets na pertse pyot.)
Pyotr the colorful pepper drinks on the pepper. (Nonsense phrase to practice pronunciation) -
Тридцать три корабля лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали.
(Tridtsat’ tri korablya lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.)
Thirty-three ships were maneuvering, maneuvering, but did not maneuver out. -
Сорока-белобока, сидит на трубе — кусает суслика.
(Soroka-beloboka, sidit na trube — kusayet suslika.)
The magpie sits on the pipe — biting a gopher. -
Кукушка кукушонку купила капюшон.
(Kukushka kukushonku kupila kapyushon.)
The cuckoo bought a hood for the cuckoo chick.
These скороговорки are simple and good practice for Russian pronunciation for beginners. Each phrase targets some of the common tricky sounds in Russian.