Lesson 5
Shopping, Prices & Numbers in Russian
You will learn
- to ask for stamps, postcards and newspapers
- to inquire how much things cost
- to buy tickets for the opera
- to shop for groceries
- to ask for something cheaper, or in another language,
and you will find out about shopping in Russia.
Label from the cake box “Love you”.
Study guide
Dialogues: Buying Stamps and Postcards
1. Lyena asks how much a stamp for a letter to Kazakhstan costs.
Skazhitye, skol'ka stoit pachtovaya marka dlya aviakanvyerta fKazakhstan?
Sto rublyey.
Daitye, pazhalsta, tri.
Trista rublyey svas.
Spasiba.
Pazhalsta.
сколько стоит почтовая марка для авиаконверта в Казахстан? [skol'ka stoit pachtovaya marka dlya aviakanvyerta fKazakhstan?] how much does an airmail stamp to Kazakhstan cost?
Сколько стоит...? [skol'ka stoit...?] how much does... cost? can be used whenever you want to know a price. And if you don’t know the word, you can always point and ask сколько это стоит? [skol'ka eta stoit?] how much does that cost? Incidentally the word почтовая [pachtovaya] postage can be left out. What other kind of stamps would you be buying in a post office?
в Казахстан [fKazakhstan] to Kazakhstan. For other countries you would say:
в Англию [vAngliyu] to England
в Германию [vGermaniyu] to Germany
в Америку [vAmeriku] to America
во Францию [va Frantsiyu] to France
в Китай [fKitay] to China
You can find out why these endings are used in Lesson 8.
сто рублей [sto rublyey] one hundred rubles
с вас... [svas...] that will be... (lit. ‘from you...’). This could be the answer to the question сколько с меня? [skol'ka sminya?] how much will that be?
2. Lyena also needs some postcards.
Skazhitye, uvas yest' atkritki svidami Maskvy?
Da, pazhalsta. Vybiraitye, vot nyeskal'ka vidaf.
Daitye, pazhalsta, vot etu svidam Krimlya.
Eta Spasskaya bashnya Krimlya. Sto pit'disyat rublyey svas.
Pazhalsta.
выбирайте [vybiraitye] choose
Спасская башня Кремля [Spasskaya bashnya Krimlya] the Savior (Spasskaya) Tower of the Kremlin
открытки [atkritki] postcards. A single postcard would be открытка [atkritka].
с видами Москвы [svidami Maskvy] with views of Moscow. This ending -ами [ami] is used for most nouns in the plural after с meaning ‘with’.
вот несколько видов [vot nyeskal'ka vidaf] here are several views
эту с видом Кремля [etu svidam Krimlya] this one with the view of the Kremlin. Even in such telegraphic speech, the word for ‘this’ эту [etu] still has to be feminine like the noun it refers to. If Lyena wanted an envelope – конверт [kanvyert], a masculine noun – she would ask: дайте вот этот [daitye vot etat].
Practice what you have learned
1. Listen to the recording and then see if you can work out how much each customer spends in the post office. A little arithmetic is required! If numbers still feel tricky, don’t worry – feel free to come back to this exercise later.
2. On the “postcards” below, two vital details are missing: the name of the city from which they have been written and the name of the country to which they are being sent. Listen to the transactions in the post office and then fill in the gaps.
I. This is the Pecherskaya monastery
II. This is the ‘Bronze Horseman’
III. This is the monument to Pushkin
Dialogues: Buying Newspapers & Tickets
3. Tanya has dropped into the hotel kiosk for a paper.
Uvas yest' Maskofskiye novosti?
Unas yest' Maskofskiye novosti na angleeskam yizikye.
A na russkam?
Na russkam nyet.
Nu tagda daitye na angleeskam, pazhalsta.
Pazhalsta. Vot gazyeta.
Spasiba.
тогда [tagda] then, in that case
газета [gazyeta] newspaper
Московские новости [Maskofskiye novosti] Moscow News was a high-quality weekly newspaper published in several languages. At the time of recording, it was often more difficult to obtain a copy in Russian than in English, French or Greek!
на английском языке [na angleeskam yizikye] in the English language. Tanya wants it in Russian, so asks на русском нет? [na russkam nyet?] you don’t have it in Russian? (The word for ‘language’ is understood.) You could also ask for Moscow News in the following languages:
на французском языке [na frantsuskam yizikye] in French
на испанском языке [na ispanskam yizikye] in Spanish
на арабском языке [na arapskam yizikye] in Arabic
Or if you want any newspaper, in German for example:
У вас есть газеты на немецком языке? [uvas yest' gazyety na nimyetskam yizikye?] do you have any papers in German? (More about plurals in Grammar section.)
4. Still in the hotel, Tanya wants to buy tickets to the Bolshoi Theater.
Zdrastvuytye.
Zdrastvuytye.
Uvas yest' bilyety vBal'shoy teatr?
A shto vas interisuyit?
Pazhaluy, opera.
Opera... Kagda?
Yesli mozhna, na zaftra.
Zaftra idyot opera Rimskava-Korsakava Snigurachka.
Ochin' kharasho.
A skol'ka vam bilyetaf?
Dva.
Sichas. Yest' dva bilyeta. Adin bilyet stoit dvatsat' tri dollara.
Pazhalsta... Dva.
Sdachi, pazhalsta, chityrye dollara.
Spasiba.
Pazhalsta.
что вас интересует? [shto vas interisuyit?] what would you be interested in?
пожалуй, опера [pazhaluy, opera] perhaps opera
очень хорошо [ochin' kharasho] very good
билеты в Большой театр [bilyety vBal'shoy teatr] tickets to the Bolshoi Theater.
To ask about tickets for the movies, you would also use в [v]:
билеты в кино [bilyety fkino]
but if you are talking about the performance itself, use на [na]:
билеты на оперу [bilyety na operu] tickets for the opera
билеты на балет [bilyety na balyet] tickets for the ballet.
когда? [kagda?] when? Tanya wants tickets for tomorrow на завтра [na zaftra]. For today would be на сегодня [na sivodnya].
идёт опера Римского-Корсакова Снегурочка [idyot opera Rimskava-Korsakava Snigurachka] Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Snow Maiden is on.
To find out what is on you would ask что идёт...? [shto idyot...?].
сколько вам билетов? [skol'ka vam bilyetaf?] how many tickets would you like? The answer is два билета [dva bilyeta] two tickets. There is an explanation of numbers and their quirks in Lesson 7.
сдачи четыре доллара [sdachi chityrye dollara] four dollars change. At the time of recording, tickets to the Bolshoi Theater were virtually impossible to buy for rubles. Nowadays you simply pay in rubles.
Practice what you have learned
3. On your recording you will hear some hotel guests asking for newspapers and books in various languages. Listen, then decide whether the following statements are true or false.
4. The lady selling theatre tickets has developed an efficient system for recording tickets. Listen to your recording and fill in the number of tickets under the right day.
5. You want to buy two tickets to the Bolshoi, preferably to the opera. Read the program below, then let Andrei guide you.
Dialogues: Shopping for Groceries
5. Olya is buying some groceries.
Malako yest'?
Utram byla, uzhe nyet.
A masla?
Masla yest'.
A skol'ka stoit masla?
Tysicha dvyesti rublyey kilagram.
Dvyesti gram, pazhalsta.
Platitye fkassu dvesti sorak rublyey.
Spasiba.
Pazhalsta.
утром [utram] in the morning
масло [masla] butter
молоко есть? [malako yest'?] is there any milk? A telegraphic version of у вас есть молоко? [uvas yest' malako?] do you have milk?
утром было, уже нет [utram byla, uzhe nyet] there was this morning, it’s already gone
тысяча двести рублей килограмм [tysicha dvyesti rublyey kilagram] 1200 rubles a kilogram. The word for per (за) is often left out, especially in shops.
двести грамм [dvyesti gram] 200 grams. One often asks also for half a kilogram - полкило [polkilo].
платите в кассу [platitye fkassu] pay at the cash desk. You will find an explanation of the procedure in Did you know?
двести сорок рублей [dvyesti sorak rublyey] 240 rubles.
The numbers 60, 70 and 80 follow the same pattern as пятьдесят [pit'disyat] (50). Thus:
шестьдесят [shist'disyat] 60
семьдесят [syem'disyat] 70
восемьдесят [vosim'disyat] 80.
90 and 100 break this pattern:
девяносто [divyanosta] 90
сто [sto] 100
For larger amounts you also need:
тысяча [tysicha] 1000
тысяча двести [tysicha dvyesti] 1200
6. Olya goes to the cashier.
Dvyesti sorak rublyey, pazhalsta.
Kakoy atdyel?
Malochny.
Pazhalsta.
Spasiba.
7. And then back to the counter for her purchase (see Did you know?).
Pazhalsta, chek.
Pazhalsta, masla.
Spasiba.
Pazhalsta.
чек [chek] the receipt you hand over at the counter in order to receive your purchase
8. Tamara is at the market and wants some tomatoes.
Skazhitye, pazhalsta, skol'ka stoyat pamidory?
Pitsot rublyey.
Skazhitye, a padishevlye nyet?
Yest' pa chityrista.
Kharasho. Daite mnye, pazhalsta, kilagram po chityrista rublyey.
Chityrista rublyey.
помидоры [pamidory] tomatoes. A single tomato is помидор [pamidor]
Сколько стоят помидоры? [skol'ka stoyat pamidory?] how much do the tomatoes cost? The ending of the verb стоят [stoyat] has changed because it refers to a noun in the plural. It’s not a major point since you can scarcely hear the difference.
пятьсот рублей [pitsot rublyey] 500 rubles. Numbers make the following noun change. After large round numbers such as пятьсот [pitsot] (500) and четыреста [chityrista] (400) the noun takes the genitive plural: рублей [rublyey]. Compare the small numbers you have already met – три рубля [tri rublya], три дня [tri dnya] three days, три доллара [tri dollara] – where the noun is in the genitive singular instead. You will find more details in Lesson 7.
подешевле нет? [padishevlye nyet?] are there none a little cheaper?
Other useful comparative forms:
побольше [pabol'she] a bit bigger or a bit more
поменьше [pamyen'she] a bit smaller or a bit less.
But when you are buying fruit, vegetables etc., use:
покрупнее [pakrupnyeye] a bit bigger
помельче [pamyel'che] a bit smaller.
по четыреста [pa chityrista] at four hundred (rubles) each. The word по [pa] here means at the rate of / each. Note that after по the number itself stays unchanged: по четыреста рублей [pa chityrista rublyey] at 400 rubles each.
Now the exercises based on these dialogues.
Practice what you have learned
6. In the pictures below the names of the items have been omitted. If you listen to your recording, you will discover what they are.
a)
150 рублей кг.
b)
270 рублей кг.
c)
1200 рублей кг.
d)
1000 рублей кг.
7. The man selling tomatoes in the market was having quite a morning. One after another his customers made extra requests, until he was forced to make a list. But has he taken down all the requests correctly? Listen to your recording and pick out his mistakes.
8. You are buying some vegetables for dinner. And money is an object! Andrei will guide you.
Key words and phrases
To use
[atkritki svidami Maskvy?]
[daitye vot etu svidam Krimlya]
the view of the Kremlin
на английском языке [na angleeskam ...]
in the English language
[bilyety vBal'shoy teatr]
побольше [pabol'she]
покрупнее [pakrupnyeye]
поменьше [pamyen'she]
помельче [pamyel'che]
a bit bigger, a bit more
a bit bigger (fruit, etc.)
a bit smaller, a bit less
a bit smaller (fruit, etc.)
[kilagram po chityrista rublyey]
To understand
идёт опера... [idyot opera...]
сколько вам билетов? [skol'ka vam bilyetaf?]
один рубль [adin rubl']
2, 3, 4 рубля [2, 3, 4 rublya]
5, 6... рублей [5, 6... rublyey]
один доллар [adin dollar]
2, 3, 4 доллара [2, 3, 4 dollara]
5, 6... долларов [5, 6... dollaraf]
платите в кассу [platitye fkassu]
какой отдел? [kakoy atdyel?]
the opera... is on
how many tickets do you need?
one ruble
2, 3, 4 rubles
5, 6... rubles
one dollar
2, 3, 4 dollars
5, 6... dollars
pay at the cash desk
which section?
The Russian alphabet
Congratulations! When you have studied the last five letters, you will have completed your introduction to the Russian alphabet. Do not worry if you still find it difficult - and slow! - to read in Russian. Remember how hard it was at the beginning - you have come a long way since then!
So the last five letters are:
A few small but crucial words:
The following people played a role in Russian history:
And a role in Russian literature:
Билеты Tickets
Here are some of the posters you might see around theaters and cinemas in Russia. Do you know the works advertised?
ГОДУНОВ
И ДЖУЛЬЕТТА
ОНЕГИН
РУБЛЁВ
Grammar: Plural of Nouns
Most of the nouns you have met so far in the plural have the ending -ы (sometimes spelled -и). This applies to both masculine and feminine nouns. Thus:
газета [gazyeta] newspaper
газеты [gazyety] newspapers
Neuter nouns, those nouns which end in -o or -e in the singular, normally end in -a or -я in the plural. For example:
платье [platye] dress
платья [platya] dresses
There are of course exceptions to the above, but any irregularities will be noted in a dictionary. We will point out important ones along the way.
9. Complete the sentences below putting the noun in round brackets into the plural.
Did you know?
The shopping scenes in this lesson follow an old Soviet-style system. In today’s supermarkets you won’t run into it – you simply pick up your goods and pay at the till, just like anywhere else. But to fully understand the dialogues, it helps to know how Olya did her shopping.
In an old-style Russian shop a purchase took two, sometimes three steps. First an assistant weighed your goods and told you the price; then you paid the cashier at a separate desk and received a receipt (чек [chek]); finally you returned to the counter, handed over the receipt and collected your purchase. Experienced shoppers who were sure the product was in stock would often skip the first step and go straight to the cashier.
You are unlikely to meet the full three-step version today. But the idea behind платите в кассу [platitye fkassu] "pay at the cash desk" is still very much alive. In many electronics or hardware stores, for example, a sales assistant helps you choose an item and then sends you to a separate cash desk to pay, after which you collect your purchase. And in a canteen (столовая [stalovaya]) you first take your food along the counter and pay at the till at the end of the line. So this phrase is still well worth knowing.
Your turn to speak
In the final exercise on your recording, you will be playing the role of a tourist in Moscow. You will need to use the following words and phrases:
сколько стоит...? [skol'ka stoit...?]
дайте, пожалуйста, ... [daitye, pazhalsta, ...]
на английском языке [na angleeskam yizikye]
один килограмм [adin kilagramm]
нет подешевле? [nyet padishevlye?]
персики [pyersiki] peaches
мандарины [mandariny] mandarins
помидоры [pamidory] tomatoes
FAQ
How do you ask "How much does it cost?" in Russian?
You can ask "Сколько стоит...?" [skol'ka stoit...?] for a singular item, or "Сколько стоят...?" [skol'ka stoyat...?] for plural items.
What is the difference between "сколько стоит" and "сколько стоят"?
"Сколько стоит" is used when asking about one object (e.g., "Сколько стоит молоко?"). "Сколько стоят" is used when asking the price of multiple objects (e.g., "Сколько стоят помидоры?"). However, in rapid speech, the difference in pronunciation is barely noticeable.
How do you say "Give me, please..." when shopping?
You can say "Дайте, пожалуйста..." [daitye, pazhalsta...]. For example, "Дайте, пожалуйста, масло."
How do you count money in rubles in Russian?
The noun рубль changes its form depending on the number. Use рубль [rubl'] with 1 (один рубль), рубля [rublya] with 2, 3, 4 (два/три/четыре рубля), and рублей [rublyey] with 5 and above (пять рублей, десять рублей, сто рублей). The same pattern applies to копейка: одна копейка, две/три/четыре копейки, пять копеек. You will find a full explanation of numbers in Lesson 7.
How do you ask for something cheaper in a Russian shop or market?
Ask "Подешевле нет?" [padishevlye nyet?] — "Don't you have anything cheaper?". You can also ask for a different size: "побольше" [pabol'she] a bit bigger / more, "поменьше" [pamyen'she] a bit smaller / less. When choosing fruit or vegetables, use "покрупнее" [pakrupnyeye] a bit bigger and "помельче" [pamyel'che] a bit smaller.
How do plural nouns usually end in Russian?
Most masculine and feminine nouns form their plural with -ы (sometimes spelled -и) — e.g., помидор → помидоры, газета → газеты. Neuter nouns generally change their -о or -е endings to -а or -я (e.g., письмо → письма, платье → платья). There are exceptions, which you will meet later.