Russian, from zero to B1A1

Week 11, Lesson 21, Monday

Describe your day

A day in Russian is a chain of short verbs with times attached. Two small details carry it: the -ся tail, and в before the hour.

In this lessonabout 70 minutes
New words14
Focusroutine verbs, the -ся tail, в семь часо́в, how often

1Recap 5 minutes

Three questions from Week 10, before anything new.

2Goal 1 minute

I can describe my daily routine with times, and say how often I do things.

3The lesson 20 minutes

In this lesson

  1. Your morning, and the rest of the day
  2. Verbs with a tail: -ся and -сь
  3. At what time? в + the hour
  4. How often

Your morning, and the rest of the day

One weekday around the clock. Start at the top, at midnight, and follow the dial clockwise: each dot is a verb you will learn today.

06121824часа́7:00встаю́7:30за́втракаю9:00рабо́таю13:00обе́даю19:00у́жинаю23:00ложу́сьспать
Blue is work, from 9 to 18; navy is the night.
RussianMeaning
Я встаю́.I get up.
Я умыва́юсь.I wash (my face).
Я одева́юсь.I get dressed.
Я за́втракаю.I have breakfast.
Я обе́даю.I have lunch.
Я у́жинаю.I have dinner.
Я ложу́сь спать.I go to bed.

за́втракать, обе́дать, у́жинать are Pattern I. встава́ть drops -ва- in the present: встаю́, встаёшь, встаю́т.

Verbs with a tail: -ся and -сь

Two verbs need care. встава́ть drops -ва- in the present, and умыва́ться carries the -ся tail you met with учи́ться.

Personумыва́ться
яумыва́юсь
тыумыва́ешься
он, она́умыва́ется
мыумыва́емся
выумыва́етесь
они́умыва́ются

As in учи́ться: -сь after a vowel, -ся after a consonant. The tail means yourself: I wash myself.

-ва- dropsвстава́тьявстаю́тывстаёшьон, она́встаётмывстаёмвывстаётеони́встаю́тwith -ся or -сьумыва́тьсяяумыва́юсьтыумыва́ешьсяон, она́умыва́етсямыумыва́емсявыумыва́етесьони́умыва́ются
встава́ть loses -ва-; умыва́ться keeps its tail.

At what time? в + the hour

RussianMeaning
в семь часо́вat seven o'clock
в часat one o'clock
в два часа́at two o'clock
в во́семь три́дцатьat 8:30
Во ско́лько вы встаёте?What time do you get up?

How often

How often, from always to never. The shorter the bar, the rarer the habit.

RussianMeaning
всегда́always
обы́чноusually
ча́стоoften
иногда́sometimes
ре́дкоrarely
никогда́ не …never

никогда́ needs не: Я никогда́ не за́втракаю. To chain your day: снача́ла …, пото́м … (first …, then …).

всегда́alwaysобы́чноusuallyча́стоoftenиногда́sometimesре́дкоrarelyникогда́never+ не before the verb
никогда́ needs не: Я никогда́ не за́втракаю.
Week 11 on one plate. Lesson 21, Monday: Я встаю в семь часов, I get up at seven; Сначала я умываюсь, first I wash; Я обычно завтракаю дома, I usually have breakfast at home; Иногда я ужинаю в кафе, sometimes I have dinner in a café. Lesson 22, Thursday: идти: иду, идёшь, идёт, идём, идёте, идут; ехать: еду, едешь, едет, едем, едете, едут.
Week 11 on one plate. This lesson is band L21.

4Listen and say 5 minutes

Sound of the lesson: A soft -сь at the end

After a vowel, the reflexive tail -сь is a soft s: smile slightly as you say it.

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.

Words to read aloud

Read each one aloud, then open it to check.

встава́ть
умыва́ться
одева́ться
за́втракать
обе́дать
у́жинать
всегда́
обы́чно
ча́сто
иногда́
ре́дко
никогда́ не

never

снача́ла
пото́м

6Class exercises 15 minutes

Checked instantly. Get one wrong and you can try it again.

In class. With Екатерина: describe your weekday hour by hour, then ask about hers.

Role-play

Take one card each. Swap roles for a second round.

You

  • Describe your weekday morning, with three times.
  • Say one thing you always do and one thing you never do.

Екатерина

  • Ask: Во ско́лько вы встаёте?
  • Ask how often you do two things: Вы ча́сто …?

7Your turn 5 minutes

Describe your morning in four steps, with times.

See a model answer

Я встаю́ в семь часо́в. Снача́ла я умыва́юсь, пото́м одева́юсь. В во́семь часо́в я за́втракаю.

Saved as you type. It goes to Екатерина together with Homework 21.

8Mini questionnaire required, 80% to pass

9Feedback 5 minutes

10Check your goal 1 minute

I can describe my daily routine with times, and say how often I do things.

Can you do this now? Be honest: the answer decides your next step.

11Homework

Homework 21 on Tuesday: your routine with times, and how often you do things.

I can describe my daily routine with times, and say how often I do things.

Can you do this now?