Week 5, Lesson 9, Monday
Introduce your family
Every Russian noun is he, she or it, and its last letter usually tells you which. That one fact decides the form of my and your.
1Recap 5 minutes
Three questions from Month 1, before anything new.
2Goal 1 minute
I can name my family members and say my, your and our with the right ending.
3The lesson 20 minutes
The family
Start with what you hear. In the dialogue below, the same word for my changes shape. By the end of the lesson you will know exactly why.
Here is the family in one picture. Read each word aloud before you look at the English.
| Russian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| семья́ | family |
| мать, ма́ма | mother, mum |
| оте́ц, па́па | father, dad |
| брат | brother |
| сестра́ | sister |
| сын | son |
| дочь | daughter |
| муж | husband |
| жена́ | wife |
| ба́бушка | grandmother |
| де́душка | grandfather |
| роди́тели | parents |
| де́ти | children |
He, she or it: read the last letter
Every noun is он, она́ or оно́, and the last letter usually tells you which. You do not need to memorise a gender for each word; you read it.
| Last letter | Gender | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| a consonant or -й | он | брат, дом, чай |
| -а or -я | она́ | сестра́, ма́ма, Росси́я |
| -о or -е | оно́ | окно́, мо́ре |
Two catches. Meaning beats ending: па́па and де́душка are он. And nouns in -ь can be either: мать is она́, день is он.
My, your, our
My, your and our copy the noun they belong to. Once you know the noun's gender, you know the form.
| он | она́ | оно́ | они́ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| my | мой | моя́ | моё | мои́ |
| your, informal | твой | твоя́ | твоё | твои́ |
| our | наш | на́ша | на́ше | на́ши |
| your, polite or plural | ваш | ва́ша | ва́ше | ва́ши |
The possessive copies the noun: мой брат, моя́ сестра́, моё окно́, мои́ роди́тели.
4Listen and say 5 minutes
Sound of the lesson: ё always carries the stress
Wherever ё appears, it is stressed. That is why books often skip the mark over it.
- моё [ma-YO] Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)
- твоё [tva-YO] 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.
- Э́то моя́ семья́.This is my family.
- Кто э́то?Who is this?
- Как его́ зову́т?What's his name?
- Как её зову́т?What's her name?
Words to read aloud
Read each one aloud, then open it to check.
семья́
мать, ма́ма
mother, mum
оте́ц, па́па
father, dad
брат
сестра́
дочь
муж
ба́бушка
grandmother
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)де́душка
grandfather
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)роди́тели
де́ти
мой, моя́, моё, мои́
my
6Class exercises 15 minutes
Checked instantly. Get one wrong and you can try it again.
7Your turn 5 minutes
Write about three people in your family, with мой or моя́.
See a model answer
Э́то мой брат. Э́то моя́ ма́ма. Э́то мои́ роди́тели.
Saved as you type. It goes to Екатерина together with Homework 9.
8Mini questionnaire required, 80% to pass
9Feedback 5 minutes
10Homework
Homework 9 on Tuesday: sort nouns into he, she and it, and write about five people in your family.
I can name my family members and say my, your and our with the right ending.