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Ру́сский язы́к · Taught from English

Russian, from zero to fluent.

Speak, understand, read and write Russian like an educated native. It starts with these 33 letters. Tap one.

Start Unit 00 Find my level
33letters
6cases
8units
C2fluency
Same as English False friends New shapes Signs, no sound
Яя
[ya]New shape
я́блокоapple
Also the word for “I”. Looks like a mirrored R.
Sentence anatomy

Every word explained. Every ending justified.

memi-NYA
The accusative form of я, “I”. Russian doesn’t say “my name is”; it says “they call me”.
(they) callza-VOOT
From звать, “to call”. The ending -ут already means “they”, so no pronoun is needed.
AnnaAN-na
Names take case endings too: Я звоню́ А́нне, “I’m calling Anna”.
Word for word“Me (they) call Anna.”
In natural English“My name is Anna.”
The Russian course

Eight units. One route to fluency.

Choose a stop on the route to see what you’ll be able to do in all four skills, and the lessons that get you there.

A0 Unit 00 · 8 lessonsMeet the languageCyrillic, sounds, stress, greetings and first phrases
Speaking Greet people and introduce yourself
Listening Recognise every sound and hear stress
Reading Read Cyrillic aloud, word by word
Writing Write the alphabet in print and cursive
Alphabet Letters you already know 8 min Alphabet False friends: В, Н, Р, С, У, Х 10 min Sounds Stress and the vanishing о 9 min Sounds Pronunciation: the six rules 15 min Conversation Hello and goodbye 7 min Checkpoint Read your first sign 5 min
Start Unit 00 →
What makes Russian Russian

Four things that change meaning. Trained from lesson one.

Tap either side to hear the difference. These patterns run through every unit until you use them without thinking.

01Stressударе́ние
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Same spelling, different word. We mark stress on every word until you hear it naturally.
02Casesпадежи́
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Nouns change their ending to show their role. All six cases, one situation at a time.
03Verb aspectвид глаго́ла
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Most verbs come in pairs: one for the process, one for the result.
04Verbs of motionглаго́лы движе́ния
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Russian splits “to go” by direction, frequency and whether you walk or ride.
Where you’ll end up · C2

One sentence, read the way you’ll read it at C2.

The opening of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Tap any word: you’ll get its meaning, its form and why it’s there. At the end of the course, all of this is instinct.

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Leo Tolstoy, 1878
Word счастли́вые happy
Form Adjective, plural, nominative Learned in Unit 02
Why it’s written this way Written сч but said [shch]: one of Russian’s classic spelling-versus-sound gaps. Stress falls on -ли́-.
Speakingговоре́ние
Hold any conversation at natural speed, and switch between ты and вы without thinking.
Слу́шай, а ты как ду́маешь?
Listeningауди́рование
Films, podcasts, the news and slang, without subtitles.
Ну ты даёшь!
Readingчте́ние
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Bulgakov in the original.
Ру́кописи не горя́т.
Writingписьмо́
Essays, reports and emails like an educated native.
Таки́м о́бразом, мо́жно сде́лать вы́вод…
Russian library

Look anything up. Then practise it.

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Grammar · грамма́тикаHow Russian builds sentences, with full tables and exceptions. All grammar →
The six casesA1–B1 в Москве́ · из Москвы́ Why nouns change their endings. Nominative caseA1 Ма́ма рабо́тает The subject and the dictionary form. Accusative caseA1 Я чита́ю кни́гу Objects, direction and time. Prepositional caseA1 в Москве́ · о рабо́те Where, and what about. Genitive caseA2 нет вре́мени Of, absence and amounts. Dative caseA2 мне хо́лодно Receivers, feelings and age. Instrumental caseA2 с дру́гом With, by and as. Verbs and their casesB1 помога́ть дру́гу Which case follows each verb. Noun genderA1 стол · кни́га · окно́ Tell gender from the last letter. PluralsA1 столы́ · кни́ги Plural endings and exceptions. Fleeting vowelsA2 оте́ц · отца́ Vowels that drop out. Adjective endingsA1 но́вый дом · но́вая кни́га Agreeing with gender and case. Short adjectivesB1 рад · гото́в рад, гото́в, за́нят. ComparativesA2 бо́льше · лу́чше Comparing and superlatives. PronounsA1 я · меня́ · мне Personal and possessive pronouns. Possessives and свойA2 мой · его́ · свой Whose, and one’s own. Indefinite pronounsB1 кто́-то · кто́-нибудь Someone, anyone, no one. QuestionsA1 кто · что · где Question words and intonation. PrepositionsA2 в · на · с · из Which case each one takes. Relative clausesB1 дом, в кото́ром я живу́ Who, which and where with кото́рый. Present tenseA1 чита́ю · говорю́ The two verb patterns. Past tenseA2 чита́л · чита́ла One rule for all verbs. Future tenseA2 бу́ду чита́ть · прочита́ю Two ways to talk about the future. Verb aspectB1 чита́ть · прочита́ть Process versus result. Aspect in commandsB1 закро́й · закрыва́й Which aspect for the imperative. The imperativeA2 чита́й! · иди́! Giving instructions politely. The conditionalB1 е́сли бы Would and would have. Reflexive verbsA2 учи́ться · мы́ться Verbs in -ся. Verbs of positionA2 стоя́ть · лежа́ть Standing, lying, sitting. Verbs of motionB1 идти́ · ходи́ть One direction or round trips. Prefixed verbs of motionB1 прийти́ · уйти́ Every prefix and its route. Figurative verbs of motionB2 идёт дождь When nothing actually moves. Verb prefixesB2 пере- · до- · за- Prefixes beyond motion. Verb tablesA1–B2 100+ verbs Every form of common verbs. ParticiplesB2 чита́ющий студе́нт Verbs that act like adjectives. GerundsC1 чита́я · прочита́в Adding a second action. NumbersA1 оди́н · два · пять Counting and nouns after numbers. Numbers in every caseB1 двух · трём · пятью́ How numbers decline. Dates and timeA2 пя́того ма́я Days, dates and clock time. Word orderB1 Кто пришёл? Emphasis through position. NegationA2 не · нет · ни Double negatives and нет + genitive. Impersonal sentencesB1 мне хо́лодно Sentences without a subject. Complex sentencesB1 кото́рый · что́бы Joining ideas. ParticlesB2 же · ведь · ну Tone and emphasis. PunctuationB1 , что Where Russian needs commas. Word formationB1 ко́рень · су́ффикс Roots, prefixes and suffixes. Passive voiceB2 напи́сан · стро́ится Three ways to say “was done”. Reported speechB1 сказа́л, что… что, ли and что́бы; no tense change. AdverbsA2 бы́стро · сюда́ How, when, where and how much. DiminutivesB1 сто́лик · Са́шенька Small, dear, big and rude. Collective numbersB1 дво́е · вдвоём Counting people as a group. Stress patternsB1 рука́ · ру́ку Where stress moves, and why. Consonant changesB1 хожу́ · пишу́ Why consonants swap in related words. Aspect in the infinitiveB1 на́чал чита́ть Which aspect after verbs.