Week 3, Lesson 5, Monday
Say what you do and where you are from
Three questions carry most first conversations: what do you do, where are you from, which languages do you speak. Today you answer all three about yourself.
1Recap 5 minutes
Three questions from Week 2, before anything new.
2Goal 1 minute
I can say what I do, where I am from and which languages I speak.
3The lesson 20 minutes
What do you do?
Russians often ask what you do early in a conversation. Answer with the job alone: Я ме́неджер. Many jobs have a female form; the male form also works as the general word.
| Russian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Кто вы по профе́ссии? | What is your job? |
| Я ме́неджер. | I am a manager. |
| Job | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ме́неджер | manager |
| инжене́р | engineer |
| врач | doctor |
| юри́ст | lawyer |
| студе́нт / студе́нтка | student, male / female |
| учи́тель / учи́тельница | teacher, male / female |
| журнали́ст / журнали́стка | journalist, male / female |
No am: Я ме́неджер. Many jobs have a female form ending in -ка or -ница.
Where are you from?
Отку́да вы? asks where you are from. The answer uses из, from, and the country changes its ending after it: Ме́ксика becomes из Ме́ксики. Learn these phrases whole for now; the rule arrives at A2.
| Russian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Отку́да вы? | Where are you from? |
| Я из Ме́ксики. | I am from Mexico. |
| Я из Росси́и. | I am from Russia. |
| Я из Испа́нии. | I am from Spain. |
After из the country changes its ending: Ме́ксика → из Ме́ксики. You will learn why at A2; for now, learn the phrases whole.
Languages
Languages work with по-: по-ру́сски, in Russian. Use it with говори́ть, speak, понима́ть, understand, and чита́ть, read. Немно́го, a little, is the honest beginner's friend.
| Russian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Я говорю́ по-испа́нски и по-англи́йски. | I speak Spanish and English. |
| Я немно́го говорю́ по-ру́сски. | I speak a little Russian. |
| Вы говори́те по-ру́сски? | Do you speak Russian? |
| Да, немно́го. / Нет, не говорю́. | Yes, a little. / No, I don't. |
The pattern по- + the language means in that language: по-ру́сски.
4Listen and say 5 minutes
Sound of the lesson: Soft consonants
Before е, ё, и, ю, я and ь, a consonant goes soft: the middle of the tongue rises, a little like the y in yes.
- нет [nyet] Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)
- день [dyen'] Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)
Listen to the textbook
The book's own recordings for this topic, free on the publisher's site. Listen once for the gist, then again with the book open.
5Phrases and words 5 minutes
Phrases to learn whole
Learn each one as a single unit, the way you would learn a word. They come back in your Daily 10.
- Кто вы по профе́ссии?What is your job?
- Отку́да вы?Where are you from?
- Я из Ме́ксики.I'm from Mexico.
- Вы говори́те по-ру́сски?Do you speak Russian?
- Немно́го.A little.
Words to read aloud
Read each one aloud, then open it to check.
ме́неджер
инжене́р
врач
юри́ст
студе́нт / студе́нтка
student, male / female
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)учи́тель / учи́тельница
teacher, male / female
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)журнали́ст / журнали́стка
journalist, male / female
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)отку́да
from where
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)из Ме́ксики
from Mexico
по-ру́сски
in Russian
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)немно́го
6Class exercises 15 minutes
Checked instantly. Get one wrong and you can try it again.
7Your turn 5 minutes
Write who you are: your job, your country and your languages.
See a model answer
Я ме́неджер. Я из Ме́ксики. Я говорю́ по-испа́нски и по-англи́йски.
Saved as you type. It goes to Екатерина together with Homework 5.
8Mini questionnaire required, 80% to pass
9Feedback 5 minutes
10Homework
Homework 5 on Tuesday: write a four-sentence introduction and two questions for a new colleague.
I can say what I do, where I am from and which languages I speak.