Welcome to Lesson 2! We are continuing our journey through the A0–A1 Russian Course, a 50-lesson series published every Thursday to help you build a solid foundation calmly, step by step.
If you missed our previous post or want to review the basics, you can start with Lesson 1: Greetings & Introductions.
In this second lesson, we will learn how to identify everyday objects and people, use essential pronouns, ask simple questions, and navigate polite everyday interactions. Each lesson in this series is accompanied by a YouTube video to help you train your listening skills and practice pronunciation.
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Asking “Who is this?” & “What is this?”
In Russian, asking about people vs. objects uses two distinct question words, but the pointer word это (this/these) stays exactly the same:
Кто это? — Who is this? (Used for people)
Это Антон. — This is Anton.
Что это? — What is this? (Used for inanimate objects)
Это ноутбук. — This is a laptop.
Pronunciation & Intonation Note:
The letter ч in что is pronounced like «ш» (shto).
Pay attention to your pitch: when asking questions with question words (Кто, Что), stress and emphasis go down on the question word itself. However, in general statements or standard yes/no questions without question words, your intonation naturally goes up at the end.
Introducing Others & Stating Occupations
When describing someone’s profession or role, remember our core rule: there is no verb “to be” (am, is, are) in the present tense in Russian. You simply state the person/pronoun and their role back-to-back:
Это Анна. Она учитель. — This is Anna. She is a teacher.
Я студент. — I am a student.
Вы учитель? — Are you a teacher?
Да, я учитель. — Yes, I am a teacher. / Нет, я студент. — No, I am a student.
Everyday Objects
When pointing out objects around you or right in front of you, use Что это? to ask what something is, or Вот (Here is / Here are) to show where an object is located:
Что это? — What is this?
Это телефон. — This is a phone.
Это книга. — This is a book.
Вот книга. — Here is the book.
Pronunciation Note:
In Russian, an unstressed о usually softens to an “a” sound. However, modern loanwords like ноутбук are an exception—you pronounce the о clearly (no-oot-book).
Essential Survival Phrases
To keep a conversation flowing or get help when you don’t understand something, keep these polite phrases handy:
Извините! — Excuse me! / Sorry!
Скажите, пожалуйста... — Tell me, please...
Как это по-русски? — How do you say this in Russian?
Повторите, пожалуйста. — Repeat, please.
Спасибо! — Thank you!
Пожалуйста. — You’re welcome. / Here you go.
Хорошего дня! — Have a nice day!
Pronunciation Note:
In хорошего дня, the г in the ending -его is pronounced as a v sound (khoroshe-vo dnya).
In natural, fast speech, пожалуйста is often relaxed and pronounced as пожалуста (po-zha-loo-sta).
Let’s Practice Together!
Look at the objects around your home and try writing a few simple sentences in the comments using «Это…» (e.g., «Это кофе», «Это окно»). What do you see around you right now?
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