How difficult is it to learn Russian?

Russian is an East Slavic language native to the Russians in Eastern Europe. It is a part of the Indo-European language family, and is one of four living East Slavic languages, and is also part of the larger Balto-Slavic branch. Russian is an official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and is used widely as a lingua franca throughout Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and to some extent in the Baltic states. It was the de facto language of the Soviet Union until its dissolution and is used in an official capacity or in public life in all the post-Soviet states. The language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian has over 258 million total speakers worldwide and is the most-spoken Slavic language, the most spoken native language in Europe, as well as the most geographically widespread language in Eurasia. Large numbers of Russian speakers are residents of other countries, such as Israel and Mongolia. It is the world’s seventh-most spoken language by the number of native speakers, and the world’s eighth-most spoken language by the total number of speakers. Russian is also the second-most widespread language on the Internet, after English. Yes, Russian is a tough language to learn. You won’t pick up some textbooks, listen to some music, go to Russia for a week and you’ll speak Russian fluently. But it’s also not crazy difficult. And if you take your learning day by day, you’ll surprise yourself with the progress you can make in a couple of weeks/months.

Russian is a difficult language to learn. This is because it differs a lot from English (and I assume you’ll speak English. Otherwise, ). Here are some of the reasons why Russian is difficult: Complete a new alphabet – before you can learn Russian, you have to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. New sounds – even though every language has a couple of different sounds (or pronounce a letter differently), to learn Russian you have to master 10-15 complete new vowel sounds. Barely any cognates – a cognate is a word that is the same in 2 languages. For example ‘situation’ and ‘ситуация’ (situation). Unfortunately, this is where it ends for Russian- English. Although there are a couple of 100 more words, you will have to learn virtually every new word by heart. Case system – Russian word order is very flexible. That’s a great thing. But it comes at a cost. Each noun changes its ending based on its function in the sentence. This is by far one of the most difficult aspects of learning Russian. These are the 4 things that will most likely be the most difficult for you. (they were/are for me). Luckily, there are also a couple of easy things about the Russian language.

Easy things in Russian

No articles – that’s right. Forget about ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘an’. Russians simply don’t have them in their language. Compare that to a language like French, where every word has a random assigned ‘le’ or ‘la’.

Only 3 tenses – the Russian has past, present and future. The past is extremely easy to use (drop the ending and add an ‘L’ sound + gender ending). And the future and present are virtually the same. Although you have to learn a different verb for each. This is a lot easier than trying to learn the past continuous and past perfect etc.

Word order is extremely flexible – it basically doesn’t matter which word is where. This is because the noun endings (cases) indicate the function of the word. For you, as a learner, it means you have one less thing to worry about as you’re speaking since you can just add words at the end of your sentence.

Here are some bad habits you should avoid at all costs as you begin to learn Russian. Trust me, even if it seems counter-instinctive, these will only make learning Russian more difficult than it needs to be.

Don’t Translate

This rule is very important when learning any new language. While it can seem easier to say the sentence in your head first and then translate it into Russian, this is a habit you must learn to avoid. Doing this will most likely just confuse you, and cause you to lose sight of how to structure a sentence in Russian. Instead, start by learning useful words and phrases, and tie them together with what you know about Russian grammar.

Don’t Memorize Long Lists Of Random Russian Words Or Declensions

You’re right, expanding your vocabulary and some memorisation is important if you’re ever going to become fluent. But keep in mind that the brain is not made to memorise lists. A much better approach is to form connections and use real examples when you learn words, phrases, and declensions. Instead of trying to learn lots at a time, practice a few words until you’re completely comfortable with using them in a sentence.

Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes

The fact of the matter is: you’re going to screw up, and it’s going to happen many times. Don’t be afraid of this! When you’re learning a language, mistakes are some of your best learning opportunities. Besides, most Russians will be thrilled that you’re even making an effort to speak their language. Don’t be afraid to get things wrong. Remind yourself that most native speakers make grammar mistakes all the time!

Focus On The Language, Not The Resources

I’m warning you now – there are tons of resources out there to help you learn Russian, and each one is going to be a little bit different. Every teacher teaches in their own way, and every student learns differently. The key here is not to get caught up in the resources. If a particular approach doesn’t make sense to you, don’t be afraid to consult a different source. After all, it’s about learning the language, not conforming to the resource.

Don’t Give Up

This is probably the last thing you want to hear when you’re frustrated and ready to abandon your dream of learning Russian. But it’s also the most important! When things get difficult, or you’re confused, try to take a step back. Find someone or something that can clarify what you’re struggling with. Talk to a Russian-speaking friend. Just stick with it, and it will keep getting easier, I promise!

Learn The Fundamentals Of Russian

Whether or not you’re following a textbook or course, you will need to get a strong grip on the fundamentals of Russian grammar and vocabulary. Some of the main topics are the Cyrillic alphabet, pronunciation, verb conjugation, and when and how to use the different cases.

Memorise Key Russian Phrases

You’re right, I told you not to memorise too much. But there are certain words or phrases that you need to learn by heart. These include things like “hello”, “my name is”, “how are you?”, and so on. You know – the essentials.

Don’t Get Too Hung Up On The Grammar

It’s important to understand the main aspects of Russian grammar and be able to use them to express yourself. However, try not to get too hung up on the linguistic theory. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but if you asked your average Russian why certain rules are the way they are – they wouldn’t really be able to explain. It just sounds right!

Find Russian People To Speak With

You will learn to converse faster and more organically if you have a native speaker to practice with. There are some things textbooks just don’t tell you, like how Russian really sounds, and how Russians really talk to each other. Whether you find a Skype tutor or a local friend, try to spend as much time as possible practising what you’ve learned out loud. 

If you follow the above steps, you’ll already be making a fantastic start to your language learning journey. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro! Hopefully, you are now ready to face the Russian language with more confidence than ever. Всего хорошего!!!