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ДНЕВНИ́К · SCHOOL DIARY Матема́тикаЛитерату́раИсто́рияФи́зика 5432 отли́чно · excellentхорошо́ · goodудовлетвори́тельнонеудовлетвори́тельно satisfactoryfail
Russian schools grade from 5 (best) down to 2 (fail), written in red in a pupil’s дневни́к.
Russian vocabulary·учёба · study

Russian school and study vocabulary

Short answer: school is шко́ла and university is университе́т. Where English uses “study” and “learn”, Russian has four verbs: учи́ться (to be a student somewhere), учи́ть (to learn something by heart, or to teach), изуча́ть (to study a subject in depth) and занима́ться (to do homework or revise). Grades run from 5 (excellent) to 2 (fail).

On this page Four verbs for “study”School subjectsIn the classroomSchools and universitiesUseful phrasesRelated guides

Four verbs for “study” and “learn”

The choice depends on what follows. учи́ться is about being a student and takes a place (в шко́ле); учи́ть and изуча́ть take a direct object (the accusative case); занима́ться often stands alone.

WHERE · В + PREP.WHAT · BY HEARTA SUBJECT · IN DEPTHTHE ACTIVITY · HOMEWORK учи́тьсяучи́тьизуча́тьзанима́ться учи́ться в шко́леучи́ть слова́изуча́ть исто́риюзанима́ться ве́чером to be at schoolto learn wordsto study historyto do schoolwork in the evening
“I study Russian” can be Я учу́ ру́сский (learning it) or Я изуча́ю ру́сский (studying it as a subject). Both are correct.
учи́ться · where moy brat U-chit-sa v u-ni-vir-si-TYE-tye Мойmyбратbrotherу́читсяstudiesвatуниверсите́теuniversity My brother is at university.
учи́ть · what ya u-CHU NO-vy-ye sla-VA ЯIучу́learnно́выеnewслова́words I’m learning new words.
изуча́ть · a subject a-NA i-zu-CHA-yit KHEE-mi-yu Она́sheизуча́етstudiesхи́миюchemistry She studies chemistry.
занима́ться · the activity VYE-chi-ram ya za-ni-MA-yus’ Ве́черомin the eveningяIзанима́юсьstudy I do my studying in the evening.

School subjects

Subject names are mostly feminine and look like their English equivalents. Below each is the form after изуча́ть (accusative): feminine -а becomes -у.

In the classroom

People, things and events, grouped. Tap a word to hear it.

Лю́диPeople
Ве́щиThings
Собы́тияEvents

Schools and universities

Russian children go to one school from age 7 to 17 or 18, in classes (кла́ссы) numbered 1 to 11. Years at university are called ку́рсы. Note the verbs of place: в шко́ле but на ку́рсе, на факульте́те.

  1. age 3–6 DYET-ski sat nursery, kindergarten
  2. age 7–10 na-CHAL’-na-ya SHKO-la primary school, classes 1–4
  3. age 11–17 SRYED-nya-ya SHKO-la secondary school, classes 5–11; ends with the ЕГЭ exam
  4. age 18–22 u-ni-vir-si-TYET, vus university; вуз is the general word for any higher-education institution
  5. after ma-gis-tra-TU-ra master’s degree; then аспиранту́ра (doctorate)

Useful phrases

What you will hear and say in a Russian lesson or lecture.

  1. at-KROY-tye u-CHEB-ni-ki na stra-NEE-tse DYE-syat’Откро́йтеopenуче́бникиtextbooksнаatстрани́цеpageде́сятьten Open your textbooks at page ten.на страни́це: “on the page”, prepositional.
  2. paf-ta-REE-tye, pa-ZHA-lus-taПовтори́теrepeatпожа́луйстаplease Could you repeat that, please?The most useful phrase for a learner.
  3. kak ska-ZAT’ pa-RUS-kiКакhowсказа́тьto sayпо-ру́сскиin Russian How do you say … in Russian?по-ру́сски: “in the Russian way”.
  4. shto ZNA-chit E-ta SLO-vaЧтоwhatзна́читmeansэ́тоthisсло́воword What does this word mean?
  5. ya zdal ek-ZA-minЯIсдалpassedэкза́менexam I passed the exam.сдать (perfective): to pass. сдава́ть (imperfective): to sit. A woman says сдала́.
  6. ya ni zdal ek-ZA-minЯIнеnotсдалpassedэкза́менexam I failed the exam.Russian has no single verb for “fail”: “did not pass”.
  7. mnye pas-TA-vi-li pi-TYOR-kuМнеto meпоста́вилиgaveпятёркуa five I got a five (top mark).Grades are nouns: пятёрка, четвёрка, тро́йка, дво́йка.
  8. na ka-KOM ty KUR-syeНаonкако́мwhichтыyouку́рсеyear What year are you in (at university)?Students answer: на второ́м ку́рсе, “in the second year”.