30 Useful Russian Phrases: Greetings, Conversation and Slang

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I want to share 30 Russian phrases that can help you start a conversation, handle a café visit and understand some everyday informal speech.

I’ve arranged them in three groups: beginner greetings and errands, conversation frames, and informal words you are more likely to hear among friends. Each entry gives the Cyrillic first, then a simple romanisation, a register note and a short exchange you can adapt.

The romanisation is only a reading aid. It cannot show every Russian sound, stress shift or soft consonant, so keep the Cyrillic as your main version and confirm the sound from a reliable recording or a proficient speaker. If the letters still slow you down, begin with the Russian alphabet. In the guide below, zh, kh, sh and shch represent common Russian sounds, while an apostrophe marks the soft sign.

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Russian for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

Part 1: 10 Russian Phrases for Greetings and Everyday Errands

Use the same six-step loop for every group in this article:

1. Read the Cyrillic and the example aloud, using audio to check the sound.
2. Cover the romanisation and read the Cyrillic again.
3. Replace one person, object or time expression.
4. Switch between informal ты and formal or plural вы when the phrase allows it.
5. Put the phrase into a three-turn exchange.
6. Use it once, ask for a correction, then reproduce it the next day without the romanisation.

Do not mix the register forms at random. Ты, тебе, давай and расскажи belong to informal singular speech. Вы, вам, давайте and расскажите work for formal singular speech or for more than one person.

Casual Greetings and Check-ins

These first five phrases suit people you already know. For neutral greetings and formal situations, the fuller set in our guide to saying hello in Russian is a safer starting point.

1. Как жизнь? (Kak zhizn’?): “How’s life?”

Как жизнь? is a casual check-in. A short exchange is А: Как жизнь? Б: Хорошо, спасибо. (“How’s life?” “Good, thanks.”) Replace хорошо with нормально (“fine”) or плохо (“bad”) to practise different replies.

2. Что нового? (Chto novogo?): “What’s new?”

This question is conversational and does not mark ты or вы by itself. Try А: Что нового? Б: Ничего особенного. (“What’s new?” “Nothing special.”) A useful longer answer begins У меня… (“I have…”), followed by the news you want to share.

3. Сколько лет, сколько зим! (Skol’ko let, skol’ko zim!): “Long time no see!”

This warm, playful greeting is for someone you have not seen for a long time. It literally refers to “how many years, how many winters”. One natural exchange is А: Сколько лет, сколько зим! Б: Да, давно не виделись! (“Long time no see!” “Yes, it’s been ages!”) Learn it as a complete expression rather than changing individual words.

4. Здоро́во! (Zdoróvo!): “Hi!” or “Hey!”

Здоро́во!, with stress near the end, is a very casual greeting and can sound abrupt outside a familiar setting. Здо́рово!, with stress near the beginning, means “Great!” A simple exchange is А: Здоро́во! Б: Привет! (“Hey!” “Hi!”) Use Здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte) rather than this greeting in a formal situation.

5. Чем занимаешься в последнее время? (Chem zanimaesh’sya v posledneye vremya?): “What have you been up to?”

Use Чем занимаешься в последнее время? with one person you address as ты. The formal singular and plural version is Чем занимаетесь в последнее время? (Chem zanimaetes’ v posledneye vremya?). Without в последнее время, Чем занимаешься? often means “What are you doing?” or “What do you do?” Try А: Чем занимаешься в последнее время? Б: Учу русский. (“What have you been up to?” “I’m learning Russian.”)

Café and Shop Language

These five phrases are neutral service language. The useful pattern is to keep the request frame and swap one object, rather than memorising a new sentence for every café or shop.

1. Счёт, пожалуйста. (Shchyot, pozhaluysta.): “The bill, please.”

Счёт, пожалуйста. is a concise, natural request at a restaurant. You can also ask Можно счёт, пожалуйста? (“May I have the bill, please?”) A short exchange is А: Счёт, пожалуйста. Б: Конечно. (“The bill, please.” “Of course.”) In a shop, replace счёт with чек when you need a receipt.

2. Можно мне…? (Mozhno mne…?): “May I have…?”

This frame can take an object or an infinitive. Compare Можно мне ручку? (“May I have a pen?”) with Можно мне посмотреть? (“May I have a look?”) In А: Можно мне меню? Б: Да, конечно. (“May I have a menu?” “Yes, of course.”), you can replace меню with the item you need. Some nouns change form as the object, so store the whole request.

3. Это ваш кофе? (Eto vash kofe?): “Is this your coffee?”

The possessive must agree with the noun: ваш кофе is masculine, ваша сумка is feminine, ваше место is neuter and ваши вещи is plural. Practise the pattern with А: Это ваше место? Б: Да, спасибо. (“Is this your seat?” “Yes, thank you.”) Change both the noun and the possessive together.

4. Не за что! (Ne za chto!): “You’re welcome!”

Не за что means “You’re welcome” or “Don’t mention it” specifically in response to thanks. Unlike пожалуйста, it cannot mean “please” inside a request. The complete exchange is А: Спасибо! Б: Не за что! (“Thank you!” “You’re welcome!”)

5. Сколько стоит? (Skol’ko stoit?): “How much is it?”

Use singular стоит with one item and plural стоят with more than one: Сколько стоит торт? means “How much does the cake cost?”, while Сколько стоят билеты? means “How much do the tickets cost?” A shop exchange can be as short as А: Сколько стоит? Б: Пятьсот рублей. (“How much is it?” “Five hundred roubles.”)

Part 2: 10 Russian Phrases to Keep a Conversation Going

These ten frames do five jobs: phrases 1 and 2 ask for an opinion or make a suggestion; 3 and 4 give advice; 5, 6, 9 and 10 frame or qualify a viewpoint; 7 accepts or introduces a suggestion; and 8 invites the other person to continue. Apply the same six-step loop from Part 1.

Questions, Advice and Conversation Frames

1. Как вам…? / Как тебе…? (Kak vam…? / Kak tebe…?): “What do you think of…?”

Как вам Моцарт? is formal singular or plural, while Как тебе Моцарт? is informal singular. Both can mean “What do you think of Mozart?” or “How do you like Mozart?” Try А: Как тебе фильм? Б: Мне нравится. (“What do you think of the film?” “I like it.”) Replace фильм with the person, place or subject you want to discuss.

2. Как насчёт…? (Kak naschyot…?): “How about…?”

Use this frame for suggestions: Как насчёт завтра? means “How about tomorrow?” and Как насчёт прогулки? means “How about a walk?” The noun after насчёт normally takes the genitive case. Practise with А: Как насчёт кофе? Б: Давай. (“How about coffee?” “Sure.”)

3. Тебе стоит… / Вам стоит… (Tebe stoit… / Vam stoit…): “You should…”

For ordinary advice, use Тебе стоит… informally or Вам стоит… formally or with a group, followed by an infinitive. А: Я плохо сплю. Б: Тебе стоит больше отдыхать. means “I sleep badly.” “You should rest more.” For past advice, Тебе стоило уйти means “You should have left.” Ты должен/должна… is usually stronger, closer to “You must”, “You have to” or “You are supposed to”.

4. Я советую тебе/вам… (Ya sovetuyu tebe/vam…): “I recommend…”

Choose тебе for informal singular speech and вам for formal singular or plural speech, then add an infinitive or the thing you recommend. Я советую вам съездить в этот город means “I recommend making a trip to this city.” A useful exchange is А: Что выбрать? Б: Я советую тебе этот курс. (“What should I choose?” “I recommend this course to you.”)

5. По-моему, … (Po-moyemu, …): “In my opinion…”

The conversational parenthetical по-моему is hyphenated and followed by a comma: По-моему, это хорошая идея. (“In my opinion, that’s a good idea.”) The fuller по моему мнению has no hyphen and sounds more formal. Try А: Как тебе фильм? Б: По-моему, он слишком длинный. (“What do you think of the film?” “In my opinion, it’s too long.”)

6. По моему опыту… (Po moyemu opytu…): “In my experience…”

This phrase has no hyphen. One exchange is А: Такая практика помогает? Б: По моему опыту это помогает. (“Does that practice help?” “In my experience, it does.”) For “as I understand it”, use the more natural насколько я понимаю rather than copying the same frame word for word.

7. Давай… / Давайте… (Davay… / Davayte…): “Let’s…” or “Sure”

Давай is informal singular; давайте is formal singular or plural. Both can introduce a suggestion, while bare давай can answer “Okay” or “Sure”. Try А: Встретимся завтра в 14:00? Б: Давай. (“Shall we meet tomorrow at 14:00?” “Sure.”) In casual leave-taking you may hear Ну, давай or Давай, пока, rather than a context-free replacement for “goodbye”.

8. Расскажи подробнее. / Расскажите подробнее. (Rasskazhi podrobneye. / Rasskazhite podrobneye.): “Tell me more.”

Расскажи подробнее is informal singular. Use Расскажите подробнее for formal singular speech or a group. The frame needs no extra object in А: У меня есть идея. Б: Расскажи подробнее. (“I have an idea.” “Tell me more.”) Change register before changing anything else.

9. Насколько мне известно, … (Naskol’ko mne izvestno, …): “As far as I know…”

This frame limits a claim instead of presenting it as certain. Follow it with a comma and a complete clause: Насколько мне известно, она там тоже работала. (“As far as I know, she worked there too.”) A compact exchange is А: Он сегодня работает? Б: Насколько мне известно, да. (“Is he working today?” “As far as I know, yes.”)

10. С моей точки зрения, … (S moyey tochki zreniya, …): “From my point of view…”

Use this phrase before a complete opinion, followed by a comma. А: Что нам делать? Б: С моей точки зрения, нужно подождать. means “What should we do?” “From my point of view, we need to wait.” Replace the final clause with your own view instead of treating the opener as a complete answer.

Part 3: 10 Informal Russian Words and Reactions

Learn this section for recognition first. Phrases 1 to 3 express surprise or disbelief; 4 reassures someone; 5 is money slang; 6 is food slang; 7 dismisses something as nonsense; 8 is about leaving; 9 names an object; and 10 expresses irritation. Some are ordinary conversational words; others can sound rough or rude. If you want a longer comparison set, read our guide to Russian slang.

Surprise, Reassurance and Marked Slang

1. Ничего себе! (Nichego sebe!): “Wow!”

This common reaction expresses surprise and is much milder than several items below. Try А: У тебя новая машина? Б: Да. А: Ничего себе! (“You’ve got a new car?” “Yes.” “Wow!”) In a longer exclamation, add the comma: Ну ничего себе, какой тяжёлый день! (“Wow, what a hard day!”)

2. Офигеть! (Ofiget’!): “No way!”

Офигеть! is current slang for strong surprise, but it is marked and unsuitable in formal situations. In А: Они отменили поезд. Б: Офигеть! (“They cancelled the train.” “No way!”), the reaction can show shock or annoyance. Они офигели is stronger, closer to “They’ve lost it”, “They’ve got some nerve” or “They’re way out of line”.

3. Да ладно! (Da ladno!): “No way!”, “Come on!” or “Never mind”

Intonation and context decide the meaning. А: Экзамен отменили. Б: Да ладно! can mean “The exam was cancelled.” “No way!” For reassurance, Да ладно тебе, сдашь экзамен means “Come on, you’ll pass the exam.” Learn both exchanges so you do not treat one English gloss as the rule.

4. Не парься! / Не парьтесь! (Ne par’sya! / Ne par’tes’!): “Don’t stress!”

Both forms are casual or slang. Не парься is informal singular, while Не парьтесь is formal singular or plural. Try А: Я ошибся. Б: Не парься, всё будет хорошо. (“I made a mistake.” “Don’t stress, everything will be fine.”) A female speaker says Я ошиблась. The more neutral alternative is Не волнуйся or formal/plural Не волнуйтесь.

5. Бабки (Babki): “Money” or “Cash”

Бабки is one common slang term for money and can sound rough. The neutral word is деньги. Compare А: Пойдём в кафе? Б: Не могу, у меня нет бабок. (“Shall we go to a café?” “I can’t, I’ve got no cash.”) Косарь means a thousand roubles, or a thousand-unit sum when the context makes the currency clear, not specifically a banknote.

6. Хавать (Khavat’): “To eat”

This is low colloquial or slang, and it can sound rough, joking or childish. The neutral verb is есть (yest’). A male speaker can say Я пошёл хавать (“I’m off to eat”), while a female speaker says Я пошла хавать. In А: Ты где? Б: Я пошёл хавать. (“Where are you?” “I’m off to eat.”), the speaker’s gender controls пошёл or пошла. Хавчик is similarly jocular or juvenile slang for food.

7. Ерунда (Yerunda): “Nonsense”

Ерунда is ordinary conversational vocabulary rather than rough slang. It can mean “nonsense”, “rubbish” or something trivial. Try А: Это правда? Б: Нет, ерунда. (“Is that true?” “No, it’s nonsense.”) A longer example is Он никогда не верил в такую ерунду. (“He never believed that kind of nonsense.”)

8. Свалить / сваливать (Svalit’ / svalivat’): “To leave” or “Get out”

Свалить is perfective, while сваливать is its imperfective partner. Both are slang and may sound abrupt or rude. Пора свалить отсюда means “Time to get out of here”, while Я сваливаю means “I’m off.” A short exchange is А: Ты уже уходишь? Б: Да, я сваливаю. (“Are you leaving already?” “Yes, I’m off.”) Use neutral уйти when you do not want the rough tone.

9. Штука (Shtuka): “Thing”

Штука is broad, ordinary colloquial vocabulary, not advanced slang. It is handy when the object is obvious but you do not know its name: А: Что это за штука? Б: Это зарядка. (“What is this thing?” “It’s a charger.”) For emphasis, Это чёртовски интересная штука means “This is a damn interesting thing”; чёртовски, not штука, adds the stronger tone.

10. Бесить (Besit’): “To annoy”

This colloquial verb uses the pattern меня бесит/бесят…, where меня is the person affected and the annoying thing controls verb agreement. Меня бесит эта ошибка uses singular бесит; Меня бесят грамматические ошибки uses plural бесят. Practise with А: Что тебя бесит? Б: Меня бесит шум. (“What annoys you?” “Noise annoys me.”)

How to Practise These Russian Phrases

Choose five phrases for one situation. Read the Cyrillic, cover the romanisation, change one detail, switch register where possible and build a three-turn exchange. Use one phrase in a real conversation or voice note, ask for one correction, then retrieve it again the next day. That small loop is more useful than trying to memorise all 30 in one sitting.

For more material, continue with our guides to core Russian words and free Russian lessons. If you want a separate place to organise and review the words and phrases you collect, take a look at Fi3M’s Vocab Vault.