Have you happened to hear a common Russian phrase «да нет, наверное»? In word-for-word translation it means Yes no maybe in Russian. Russians love using this common phrase as much as they like making fun of it. We can also ask each other ‘So which one do you actually mean?’ Well, the Russian common phrase «да нет, наверное» derives from «да нет».
It is one of the ways to say ‘no’ in Russian, but it is a soft ‘no’. How to say ‘yes’ in Russian check this one out. For example, someone asks about your one-year-old child ‘Can he speak?’ («Он говорит?») you say ‘Of course not’ («Конечно нет»). You are sure of it.
Sometimes it takes an Einstein to figure out what Russians are saying.
But when somebody asks you ‘Do you have a lot of money on you?’ («У тебя с собой много денег?») you are not sure what to say, because you would think ‘Depends on what you are going to do with it in the first place. Is it for buying an extra cappuccino or leather shoes?’ But still you don’t have 10 000 dollars on you. That’s when you use this Russian ‘soft no’ — «Да нет».
Of course you can’t say «да нет» in regards to facts in your life – they either happened (‘true’) or did not happen (‘not’). The common Russian phrase for ‘soft no’ «Да нет» can be used only when you share your thoughts and opinions.
And what does the Russian word for ‘maybe’ — «наверное» — do? Nothing in particular, it just shows that you are not sure in your ‘no’. If I ask you ‘Do you think you can handle the common Russian phrase «да нет, наверное»?’ what will you say? «Да нет, наверное»? 🙂 See for yourself: you understand it, but as it is still new to you, you are not sure you can use it at once. So you say «Да нет, наверное».
Ok, I hope this one helps! Feel free to ask questions in the comments section. You are welcome to subscribe to Speak Russian Like Russians so we won’t get lost on the Internet spaces!
Free Russian audio lessons online: words, pronunciation, texts. Yes no maybe in Russian: a weird word for No
Russian ‘да’ and ‘нет’ do not mean what English ‘yes’ and ‘no’ mean. English is somehow unusual as for the meaning of its ‘yes’ and ‘no’, as compared to other languages. In this respect Russian is closer to Japanese, than to English.
Russian ‘да’ means «I agree with what you say, you are right», Russian ‘нет’ means «I disagree with what you say, you are wrong», while English ‘yes’ means «What you say reflects the actual state of things» and English ‘no’ means «What you say does not reflect the actual state of things.» On the surface, there may seem to be no difference between the approaches of the two languages, but, actually, that is not so. In Russian, if I ask you, «Ты его не знаешь?» and you answer «Да.» it means you do not know the person. But in English, if I ask you, «Don’t you know him?» your «Yes» answer would mean you do know the person. Am I right? In Russian one can say «Да, я его не знаю,» but in English one cannot say, «Yes, I don’t know him,» one has to say, «No, I don’t know him.» This means sometimes Russian ‘да’ is translated to English as ‘yes’, but sometimes, when it is the confirmation of a negation, as ‘no.’
Besides, Russian ‘да’ has several meanings. As a particle, it is ‘yes’ (or ‘no’). It can be a question paricle, meaning ‘right?’
«Ключ в столе, да?» — «The key is in the table, right?»
Also, it can mean ‘by the way’
«Да, ещё одна новость.» — «By the way / Oh yes, (there’s) another
piece of news.»
It can mean «really?, indeed?»
«Вы знаете, он женился? — Да? А я и не знал.» — «You know he has got
married? — Has he? [Really / Indeed?] I didn’t know.»
It can be used for emotional emphasis — «but, oh but; why; well»
«Да не может быть!» — «But it can’t be true!»
There are many other uses of ‘да’, but the phrase which is the scope of our question, «да нет», uses this last meaning of ‘да’, so it can be translated as «well, no» or «but no», or as «well, yes» or «but yes», if the question, to which it is the answer, contains a negation.
Russian Audio: To help you learn Russian this lesson has sound. Click the green icon to listen. (Help)
Now that you understand the Russian letters and numbers, we will begin to learn some basic Russian phrases that you will commonly use as part of
everyday communication. We will not attempt to introduce any grammar in this lesson. It is more important to learn some basic communication skills in
Russian. Once you have a ‘feel’ for the language, you will find it easier to understand how the grammar works. When you were young, you learnt
to speak before you learnt the grammar. We feel it is easier to learn Russian the same way, however don’t worry, we will cover grammar in later
lessons. In this lesson you will learn the Russian language basics.
When you are in Russia it is important to realise that Russians have two manners of speaking, formal or friendly.
It would be considered slightly rude to use the wrong form in the wrong situation.
Use the friendly (or familiar) form when you are speaking to someone you consider a friend.
In situations where you have never met the person before you would use the formal form, for example in shops or with taxi drivers.
You would also use the formal form as a sign of respect to teachers, or in places like business meetings.
Keep this in mind as you work through these Russian lessons.
This is much easier than it sounds, as there are only a couple of words that change. (Mainly the Russian word for “you”.)
Please and Thank-You.
The two most important words you will learn in Russian are please and thank-you. You can just add these to any sentence to make it more polite.
Спасибо («spa-see-ba») — Thank-You
Пожалуйста («pa-zhal-sta») — Please (and You’re Welcome)
The word Пожалуйста is also used to mean «You’re Welcome», after somebody says thank-you. You should always say this after someone thanks you.
Пожалуйста is pronounced a little different than it is written, you can basically forget the «уй».
Yes and No.
Two other very important Russian words are «Yes» and «No».
Да («da») — Yes
Нет («nyet») — No
Saying Hello.
When you are in Russia and you meet somebody, the first thing you will want to do is to say «hello». There are two forms of this word.
Здравствуйте («zdra-stvooy-tye») — Hello (Formal)
Привет («pree-vyet») — Hi (Informal)
Здравствуйте may be a little difficult for you to pronounce at first, but it is the most common Russian greeting so you should try to practice it.
Привет is also commonly used with friends.
However, keep in mind that Привет is informal (much like «hi» in English), and should only be used with friends.
If somebody says Привет to you, then it is normally safe to proceed in the friendly tone.
Introducing Yourself.
In order to introduce yourself, you may need the following phrases.
Меня зовут … («men-ya za-voot») — My name is …
Как вас зовут? («kak vas za-voot») — What is your name?
Очень приятно («och-en pree-yat-na») — Pleased to meet you.
Note: The above 3 phrases are gramatically unusual. You should just learn the whole phrase, not the individual words.
How are you?
The most natural way to ask someone how they are in Russian is to ask: «how are things?»
Как дела? — How are things?
Хорошо спасибо — Good/Well thank-you
Плохо — Bad
Saying Good-Bye.
There are also two words for saying good-bye.
До свидания («da-svee-da-nee-ye») — Good-bye. (The до is pronounced as if it is part of the next word)
Пока («pa-ka») — Bye (Informal, slang)
You should generally use до свидания, which is appropriate in formal or informal situations.
You may also hear people say Пока, but we suggest you only use it with friends.
Asking about languages
When you are asking a yes/no question in Russian, there is no difference between the question and the statement, except for the question mark.
When you are speaking Russian you should ask questions in a different tone. The tone of your voice should rise if you are asking a question.
If you are making a statement your tone will naturally fall. You may find that you actually do this in English without meaning to.
If all else fails, put a real questioning expression on your face.
Вы говорите по-английски? — Do you (formal) speak English?
Вы говорите по-русски? — Do you (formal) speak Russian?
Я говорю по-английски — I speak English
Я говорю по-русски — I speak Russian
Я понимаю — I understand
Я не понимаю — I don’t understand
You may have noticed that the ending of the verb говорю (speak) changes depending on who the subject is. Don’t worry too much about this yet. It will be covered in another lesson very soon. (lesson 5).
Video
Use this video to help you learn some Russian greetings. Try saying each phrase after you hear it. Then try reading the words with the sounds off. Take me to YouTube.
Conclusion
You have now reached the end of your first lesson that involves useful Russian phrases. After some practice you should be comfortable introducing yourself.
What Is the Russian Word for Yes?
10 ways to express agreement in Russian
CSA Images / Getty Images
Published on December 27, 2018
The most common way to say yes in Russian is Да («dah»). It is very flexible and can be used in a wide variety of situations, just like the English yes. However, there are many other ways to say yes in Russian. Use this list to expand your Russian vocabulary and improve your speaking skills.
Конечно
Pronunciation: kaNYESHna
Meaning: of course, sure, certainly
Конечно is a popular way to express agreement in Russian and can be used with or without Да. When used with Да, as in Да, конечно, this expression means complete agreement. Конечно can be used in any setting, formal or informal.
Example:
- Ты пойдешь на концерт?: Are you going to the concert?
- Да, конечно: Yes, of course.
Хорошо
Pronunciation: haraSHO
Meaning: fine, good, right, okay
Another expression that is suitable for any type of situation, be it formal or informal, Хорошо is used when the speaker agrees with a request or with what is being said. Use it with or without Да.
Example:
- Не забудь купить хлеба: Don’t forget to buy some bread.
- Хорошо: Fine.
Окей
Pronunciation: oh-kay
Meaning: expression of agreement («okay»)
Borrowed from the English, the Russian Окей is used in exactly the same context as its English equivalent. It is suitable for informal settings.
Example:
- Пойдем в кино сегодня вечером: Let’s go to the cinema tonight.
- Окей: Okay.
Ага
Pronunciation: aGA, aHA
Meaning: yeah, uh-huh
This common, informal word is often substituted for «yes» in conversations with friends and family.
Example:
- Ты готов?: Are you ready?
- Ага: Uh-huh.
Ага can also be used in an ironic way, as can be seen in the following example:
- Ты помыла посуду?: Have you washed the dishes?
- Ага, сейчас, разбежалась: Oh yeah, sure, it’s on my to do list.
Согласен / согласна
Pronunciation: saGLAsyen / saGLASna
Meaning: agreed, I agree
This expression is to indicate agreement. It is most commonly used to demonstrate agreement with what someone is saying without interrupting them.
Example:
- Я считаю, что нам не помешало бы отдохнуть: I think that it wouldn’t hurt us to get some rest.
- Согласен: I agree.
- Как насчет того, чтобы съездить на море?: How about a seaside trip?
Естественно
Pronunciation: yesTYEStvena
Meaning: obviously, of course
Естественно is used in response to something that is obviously correct. This expression can be used either sincerely or ironically.
Example:
- Ты ведь любишь пиццу?: You like pizza, don’t you?
- Естественно: Of course.
Верно
Pronunciation: VYERna
Meaning: correct, right, true
Верно is an expression of strong agreement. It is used to indicate that the speaker agrees with a statement, especially in an informal conversation among friends.
Example:
- По-моему, Алёна на нас обиделась: I think that Alyona might be upset with us.
- Верно, я её давно у нас не видел: True, I haven’t seen her around here for ages.
Правда
Pronunciation: PRAVda
Meaning: true, correct, that’s right
Правда is similar in meaning to Верно, and is used the same way. It is suitable for both formal and informal situations, although it is more commonly used in informal settings. It can also be used repeatedly, as in Правда- правда, to emphasize that a statement is true.
Example:
- Вы были на работе с 9 до 5?: Were you at work from 9 to 5?
- Правда, был: That’s correct, I was at work.
Безусловно
Pronunciation: byezuSLOVna
Meaning: without a doubt
This word is one of the most emphatic ways to say yes in Russian. Meaning «without a doubt,» Безусловно is used in both formal and informal speech, although it has a slightly more formal sound.
Example:
- Она, безусловно, права: Without a doubt, she is right.
Несомненно
Pronunciation: nyesamNYEnna
Meaning: doubtless, without a doubt
Similar to Безусловно, this expression indicates that the speaker does not have any doubt in their statement. It is designed for formal and semi-formal speech.
Example:
- Несомненно, у ребенка способности к музыке: Without a doubt, this child has a talent for music.
Although most Russians are forced to learn English at school, no one can force them to remember any of it, so we put together this list of the most basic Russian words and phrases you need to make your Russian vacation both fun and language barrier free! Print this out and take it with you! Russians, like most people around the world, appreciate when foreigners try to learn their language.
1. Yes — Да — Dah
No — Нет — Nyet
None — Нету — NYE-too
“Yes” and “no” are completely universal words but there is another form of the word “no” that could be useful.
It is no surprise that “no” and “none” are very similar in English and the same is true for Russian. Although «NYE-too» is often used, the ‘word’ itself is a hot topic among Russians — whether it’s actually a real word or not!
Saying “nyet” makes it seem like you refuse even though you have money and cigs, NYE-too implies that you don’t have any to give, but you would do so if you could, which is super polite of you.
2. Where? — Где — Gdyeh
To where? — Куда — Koo-DAH
Russian is not crazy for having two words for “where”. If you are looking at a map trying to find where a metro station is, you would ask “gdyeh”.
However, if you are hopelessly lost and don’t know which direction to go in to get to the Kremlin you should ask “Kreml, Koo-DAH”. “Essentially which way should I go?”
In multiple syllable words on our Russian Cheat Sheet, the capitalized syllable gets the “emphasis” meaning it pronounced most strongly. So the “dah” in Koo-DAH needs some real pep when you say it.
This “punchiness” inherent to the Russian language is why Russians sound very agitated speaking English.
3. This/That — Это — EH-tah
This is the word that will help you get what you want at any store or draw someone’s attention to something you want in general. Just point at what you want and let out a hardy “EH-tah” and they will know that you want “this/that” instantly.
4. Allow (me) — Разрешите — Raz-reh-SHEE-tyeh
May (I)? — Можно? — MOZH-nah
Just yelling the single world “allow” will magically make Russians in the Metro start to separate giving you the chance to escape a crowded train during rush hour. It is a long word that is hard to say but it sure gets the job done!
If you say MOZH-nah in an inquisitive way people will know that you want to walk past them, take a photo of them, pick up something from a store shelf etc. In Russian questions must sound like questions so use your best acting skills to add some powerful emotion of inquiry when saying this.
5. (I) don’t need (this) — Не надо — Nyeh NAH-dah
If someone is trying to offer you questionable food from the back of a truck, perfume that smells toxic or something you just plain don’t want, then bluntly say “Nyeh-NAH-dah”. This sends a clear signal that you are not going to buy this item no matter what the seller tries to say.
This can also mean “don’t do this (to me)” in the sense that you don’t need any hassle, trouble, etc.
6. How much (does this cost)? — Сколько? — SKOL-kah?
You don’t need to know how to say numbers in Russian, most people can show you the price on a cash register or their smartphone’s calculator. But in order to get them to show you the price you have to ask for it so just say “SKOL-kah?” while pointing at the relevant item.
7. Please — Пожалуйста — Pah-ZHAL-stah
Thank you — Спасибо — Spah-SEE-bah
We should all mind our manners and these two words are more or less used like they are in English. The term Spah-SEE-bah has an interesting historical origin. Over time the expression «save (us) God» got said faster and faster until it smashed together into a single common word.
8. It’s Delicious! — Вкусно! — VKOOS-nah
Despite Russia having amazing food from all corners of its imperial past, there is surprisingly really only common one word for ‘tasty’, ‘delicious’ or ‘yummy’ in the Russian language. This is why Russians always say everything is “tasty” when they speak English.
9. I’m Sorry!/I Beg Your Pardon — Простите! — Prah-STEE-Tyeh
If you bump into someone, knock something over, or just do some typical awkward public foreigner mistake, just use this word to ask for forgiveness.
The “Tyeh” ending is removed when speaking to children, because Russian is a hardcore language with different endings on words to indicate who is equal/unfamiliar and who is inferior/familiar… and no snot-nosed kids are your equal! Take off that ending and show them who’s boss.
10. Check Please! — Cчёт, пожалуйста! — Shyot, pah-ZHAL-stah
Just saying the word “check” while gesturing that you are writing something is good enough for any waiter to understand what you want across a crowded cafe. Don’t be afraid to get their attention by force with wild arm waving because otherwise they just won’t bring you the bill.
If you drink a nice mug of kvass then you can ask “где туалет?” Gdyeh too-ah-LYET? (Where is the bathroom) so you can find relief. In Russian, the “toilet” refers to the entire bathroom, not the physical porcelain object. Also the “М” on the bathroom door means male (Мужской туалет — Moozh-SKOI too-ah-LYET) and “Ж” means female (Женский туалет — ZHEN-skee too-ah-LYET).
11. I am from… — Я из… — Yah Eez…
Russians are obsessed with foreigners and are a very curious sort. If you live in Russia, then literally every person you meet will immediately ask what country you are from. You will be asked this by every new person that you meet, which is fine for a short vacation but gets really annoying for expats who have been here for a decade.
So to answer where you are from you should say “Ya Eez + #NameOfCountry”
The name of your country in this context should have one of the Russian language’s cool case endings put onto it, but that is a topic for another day. As a tourist it is okay to say “Ya eez Amerika” and not the correct “Ya eez Ameriki”.
12. Hi! — Привет! — Pree-VYET!
Good-Bye! — Пока! — Pah-KAH!
Of course! — Конечно — Kah-NYESH-nah
Saying “hi” and “bye” requires no explanation, but the cool thing about Russian is that you can answer any reasonable question with a blunt “of course” regardless of the situation and it is surprisingly not rude at all to do so. This is a must-know word for those who don’t like answering questions.
Print this out and take it with you!
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