Russian Translator
Translate English to Russian, free and instantly.
Russian is written in Cyrillic, which is the first hurdle for English speakers: the alphabet looks familiar in places and is misleading in most of them. Р is an R sound, С is an S, and В is a V. Translations here show a Latin transliteration underneath the Cyrillic, so you can read the result aloud without learning the script first.
Two things catch people out. Russian has no articles — no a, no the — so a literal translation back into English often reads clipped. And verbs come in pairs depending on whether the action was completed, which is a distinction English handles with tense and Russian handles with a different word entirely. Machine translation is generally sound on both, but it will pick one reading and not tell you it chose.
Formality matters as much as it does in French or German: ты for people you know, вы for everyone else and for anyone older or senior to you. Getting it wrong is not offensive so much as oddly familiar.
Essential Russian phrases
20 everyday phrases to get you started, with pronunciation. Machine translated — not yet checked by a speaker.
| English | Russian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Здравствуйте | Zdravstvuite |
| Good morning | Доброе утро | Dobroe utro |
| Good evening | Добрый вечер | Dobryi vecher |
| Goodbye | До свидания | Do svidaniya |
| Please | Пожалуйста | Pozhaluysta |
| Thank you | Спасибо | Spasibo |
| You're welcome | Пожалуйста | Pozhaluysta |
| Excuse me | Извините | Izvinite |
| Yes | Да | Da |
| No | Нет | Net |
| I'm sorry | Прости | Prosti |
| How are you? | Как дела? | Kak dela? |
| My name is... | Меня зовут... | Menya zovut... |
| Do you speak English? | Ты говоришь по-английски? | Ty govorish po-angliyski? |
| I don't understand | Я не понимаю | Ya ne ponimayu |
| How much does this cost? | Сколько это стоит? | Skol'ko eto stoit? |
| Where is the toilet? | Где туалет? | |
| Can you help me? | Ты можешь мне помочь? | Ty mozhesh mne pomoch? |
| I love you | Я люблю тебя | Ya lyublyu tebya |
| Happy birthday | С днём рождения | S dnyom rozhdeniya |
Russian phrases answered by speakers
Real questions people asked, answered and corrected by people who speak the language.
- How do you say will you marry me? in Russian?
- How do you say Hello, it is nice to meet you in Russian?
- How do you say Merry Christmas in Russian?
- How do you say Love. Cherish. Honor. in Russian?
- How do you say hello in Russian?
- How do you say where is my car in Russian?
- How do you say thank you in Russian?
- How do you say welcome in Russian?
- How do you say The Green Goblin in Russian?
- How do you say how are you in Russian?
- How do you say The beginning and the end in Russian?
- How do you say Why don't you write to me anymore? in Russian?
- How do you say Do you need to use the bathroom in Russian?
- How do you say Hi, my name is Joyce. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russian?
- How do you say May I have your permission and blessing to take your daughter's hand in marriage? in Russian?
- How do you say Be happy in Russian?
- How do you say YOU ARE SUCH A PRETTY LADY. SO CUTE AND SO SEXY. in Russian?
- How do you say I am able to translate. in Russian?
- How do you say redemption in Russian?
- How do you say tzens in Russian?
- How do you say you don't have to become an expert to use most communication technologies effectively in Russian?
- How do you say "Kravchinsky" in Russian?
- How do you say Russian Melon in Russian?
- How do you say thank you for your letter, I will start getting russian lessons to respond to you in Russian?