Phrases that save you in Russian
17 words in Russian on the topic “phrases that save you”: я не понимаю — I do not understand, повторите, пожалуйста — repeat, please, медленнее — slower, вы говорите по-английски? — do you speak English?
17 words on the topic
- я не понимаюya ne ponimayuI do not understandThe little ne stands before the verb as a word of its own. In speech the I is dropped: Ne ponimayu! does the whole job.
- повторите, пожалуйстаpovtorite, pozhaluystarepeat, pleaseThe -te ending is the polite "you" built into the verb. The laziest way to ask again is a bare Chto? — "what?".
- медленнееmedlenneeslowerOne word where English needs "more slowly": the -ee ending is the comparative. Govorite medlennee — "speak slower".
- вы говорите по-английски?vy govorite po-angliyski?do you speak English?Language names turn into adverbs: the question says "you speak in-the-English-way". No helper verb is needed for the question — intonation alone does the job.
- помогите!pomogite!help!The imperative of pomoch. The -te form is polite, but people shout it at one person too — it carries farther.
- я потерялсяya poteryalsyaI am lostThe result verb: lost and done, no process. A woman says ya poteryalas — the past tense knows the speaker's gender.
- не работаетne rabotaetit does not workThe universal diagnosis: Metro ne rabotayet? — "the metro is not running?" — for machines, plumbing and plans alike.
- подождите минутуpodozhdite minutuwait a minutePodozhdite minutu, pozhaluysta — the polite wait; podozhdi is its informal twin.
- я не могу открытьya ne mogu otkrytI cannot open itMogu plus the infinitive, and no preposition between them: ya ne mogu otkryt dver.
- скорая помощьskoraya pomoshchambulanceLiterally "quick help": the vehicle named by its job. Skoraya pomoshch u doma.
- мне нужен врачmne nuzhen vrachI need a doctorLiterally "to me is needed a doctor": the person in the to-form, the need impersonal. Mne nuzhen vrach, zub bolit.
- осторожноostorozhnocareful!The adverb doing the sign's work: Ostorozhno, zdes mokro — "careful, it is wet here".
- опасноopasnodangerousZdes opasno nochyu — "it is dangerous here at night". The impersonal flip of opasnyy.
- вызовите полициюvyzovite politsiyucall the policeVyzovite politsiyu, ya poteryalsya — "call the police, I am lost"; the whom-what form of the called party.
- я потерял паспортya poteryal pasportI lost my passportNo "my": ya poteryal pasport says it all. A woman says ya poteryala.
- мне плохоmne plokhoI feel badLiterally "to me (it is) bad": the state lands on the person in the to-form. Mne plokho, gde vrach?
- не трогайтеne trogaytedo not touchNe trogayte, eto moyo — "do not touch, it is mine" — the polite plural imperative.
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How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Извините, я не понимаюIzvinite, ya ne ponimayuExcuse me, I do not understand
- Повторите, пожалуйста, медленнееPovtorite, pozhaluysta, medlenneePlease repeat, more slowly
- Говорите медленнее, пожалуйстаGovorite medlennee, pozhaluystaPlease speak more slowly
- Извините, вы говорите по-английски?Izvinite, vy govorite po-angliyski?Excuse me, do you speak English?
- Помогите, я потерялся!Pomogite, ya poteryalsya!Help, I am lost!
- Я потерялся. Где я?Ya poteryalsya. Gde ya?I am lost. Where am I?
What is worth knowing about these words
я не понимаю (ya ne ponimayu) — I do not understand. The little ne stands before the verb as a word of its own. In speech the I is dropped: Ne ponimayu! does the whole job.
повторите, пожалуйста (povtorite, pozhaluysta) — repeat, please. The -te ending is the polite "you" built into the verb. The laziest way to ask again is a bare Chto? — "what?".
медленнее (medlennee) — slower. One word where English needs "more slowly": the -ee ending is the comparative. Govorite medlennee — "speak slower".
вы говорите по-английски? (vy govorite po-angliyski?) — do you speak English? Language names turn into adverbs: the question says "you speak in-the-English-way". No helper verb is needed for the question — intonation alone does the job.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I do not understand” in Russian?
The little ne stands before the verb as a word of its own. In speech the I is dropped: Ne ponimayu! does the whole job.
- How do you say “wait a minute” in Russian?
Podozhdite minutu, pozhaluysta — the polite wait; podozhdi is its informal twin.
- How do you say “I lost my passport” in Russian?
No "my": ya poteryal pasport says it all. A woman says ya poteryala.
- How do you say “help!” in Russian?
The imperative of pomoch. The -te form is polite, but people shout it at one person too — it carries farther.
- How do you say “careful!” in Russian?
The adverb doing the sign's work: Ostorozhno, zdes mokro — "careful, it is wet here".
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “I do not understand” in Russian?
«я не понимаю», read “ya ne ponimayu”. The little ne stands before the verb as a word of its own. In speech the I is dropped: Ne ponimayu! does the whole job. It is one of 17 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 17 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.