These memory aids aren't true! They're nonsense made up to help you remember the meanings of Russian words.
Russian word
Part of speech
English meaning
Pronunciation
А
А
Yes but…
Ah
Авиа
noun
Air
Aveea
Avia aerobics shoes have air soles.
Авиабилет
noun
Airplane ticket
Aveea beelyet
Автор
noun
Author
Avtor
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Актер
noun
Actor
Aktyehr
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Алфавит
noun
Alphabet
Alfaveet
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Америка
noun
America
Amyehreeka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Американец
noun
American man
Amyehreekanyets
American men are nuts.
Американка
noun
American woman
Amyehreekanka
When a Russian girl named Anya misbehaves, her mother calls her "Anka."
Англия
noun
England
Angleeya
Английский
noun
English (language)
Angleeskee
English people use angled skis. That's why they're such bad skiers.
Англичанин
noun
Englishman
Angleechaneen
"Channing" is one of those names that only an Englishman would name his son. An eccentric English angler (fisherman) named his son "Angle Channing."
Англичанка
noun
Englishwoman
Angleechanka
Анкета
noun
Questionnaire
Ankyehta
Russian questionnaires come with an answer kit.
Б
Балерина
noun
Ballerina
Ballyehreena
A cognate (same word in Russian and English)
Банан
noun
Banana
Banan
Банджо
noun
Banjo
Bandzho
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
белый
adjective
White
Byehlee
Билет
noun
Ticket
Beelyeht
A billet is a short letter or ticket ordering a private home to provide lodging and food to a soldier.
Бизнесмен
noun
Businessman
Beezneesmyehn
Бизнесменка
noun
Businesswoman
Beezneesmyehnka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Блузка
noun
Blouse
Bloozka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Ботинки
noun (plural)
Men's shoes
Boteenkee
Russian men remember their moms calling their cute little boots "booteenkees."
Брюки
noun (plural)
Pants
Bryoukee
Britches.
В
В, Во
In
Veh, Vo
"Во" is used for words beginning with two consonants if the first consonant is В or Ф.
Варежки
noun (plural)
Mittens
Varyehzhkee
Russian mittens make you sing far off key.
Вы
pronoun
You (formal or plural)
Vee
Ваша
Your (formal or plural, feminine)
Vasha
Ваша машина means "your car" is a washing machine. Think of a car with a washing machine where the engine should be.
Введение
Introduction
Vvehdyehneeyeh
Don't confuse with До свидания (good-bye, dos veedaneeyah).
Велосипед
noun
Bicycle
Veloseepyehd
A cognate (same word in Russian and French).
Версия
noun
Version
Verseeyah
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Виза
noun
Visa
Veeza
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Волосы
noun
Hair
Volosih
Russians like big shiny hair, so they use shampoo that gives volume and polish.
Вот
Here, here is
Vot
Show something to someone.
Всё
All, everything, that's all
Vsyo
That's all, the show's over.
Г
Галстук
noun
Necktie
Galstook
Газета
noun
Newspaper
Gazyehta
Don't confuse with журнал (magazine, zhoornal). A person who writes a newspapers and a person who writes a magazine are both a журналист (zhoornalist). In other words, "journalist" is a more prestigious job title because magazines are more prestigious, so newspaper writers want to be called "journalist" even though they should be called a "gazettist."
Где
Where
G'dyeh
Australians are always late. The Australian greeting "G'day" doesn't mean "Good day," it means "Where were you?"
Гитара
noun
Guitar
Geetara
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Голова
noun
Head
Gollova
In A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess changed this to "gulliver," as in Gulliver's Travels, as in "we kicked him in the gulliver." Think of a picture of Gulliver tied down by the Lilliputians, with the little people dancing around his head.
Голос
noun
Voice
Golloss
Russians have glossy voices. That's why they can make those sliding R's.
Город
noun
City
Gorod
Novgorod is a city between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It means "new city."
Грамматика
noun
Grammar
Grammateeka
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Грязь
noun
Dirt
Gryahz
Grass grows in dirt.
Грязный
adjective
Dirty
Gryahznee
Д
Да
Yes
Da
Давайте
Let's
Davaytyeh
It's divine to do this together!
Декларация
noun
Declaration
Deklaratseeyah
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Для
For
Dlyah
Ask the dealer for anything you want.
Джинсы
noun
Jeans
Jeensih
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Диалог
noun
Dialogue
Deealog
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Дипломат
noun
Diplomat
Deeplomat
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Доброе утро
Good morning
Dobroyeh utro
Добрый день
Good afternoon
Dobreey dyehn
Добрый вечер
Good evening
Dobreey vyehchyehr
"Dobry den" is Russian for "hello."
Note that "good morning" rhymes, ending in o's. The other "good's" end in "ee."
Документ
noun
Document
Dokoomyehnt
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Дом
noun
House
Dom
Дома
adverb
At home
Doma
До свидaния
Good-bye
Do sveedahneeyah
"Sweet on ya"
Драма
noun
Drama
Dramah
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Е
Есть
verb
To eat; is; there is, there are
Yehst
That eat and is are homonyms suggests that "to be" and "to eat" are the same to a Russian. Or perhaps "you are what you eat"?
Ещё
Still; yet; else; also; more; another
Yehschyo
Ешё looks like "ewe." Picture a female sheep, standing still. Also picture another female sheep. And picture more female sheep—a whole flock of ewes.
Ж
Жаба
noun
Toad (Bufo sp.)
Zhaba
Жена
noun
Wife
Zhena
Женщина
noun
Woman
Zhensheena
Russian women use hair color that gives them sheen. Also note that жен and жить are the start of many words about women and living, so think of Old World gender roles where a woman's place was in the home.
Живой
adjective
Alive, lively, active
zheevoi
Picture a lively boy, who lives in cottage in the French countryside.
Жить
verb
Live (e.g. where you live)
Zheet
A cognate with the French word "gîte," pronounced "zheet," which is a country cottage you rent by the week. When asking where a Russian lives, picture that he or she rents a cottage in the French countryside. Remember that Жить conjugates by changing the т to в, then the next vowel is ё: я живу, ты живёшь, он/она живёт, мы живём, вы живёте, они живут.
Жук
noun
Bug, beetle
Zhook
Журнал
noun
Magazine
Zhoornal
Cognate with "journal." Don't confuse with Газета (newspaper).
З
Задание
noun
Task, assignment
Zadaneeyeh
"Is it done yet?"
Запись
noun
Recording
Zapees
Здесь
Here
Zdyes
Здравствуйте
Greetings (formal)
Zdrastvooytye
Здравствуй
Greetings (informal)
Zdrastvooy
Значит
particle
So, then
Znacheet
Значить
v.impfv.
To mean, signify
Znacheet
"So" and "meaning" are homonyms.
зовут
noun
Name
Zovoot
Зуб
noun
Tooth
Zoob
И
И
And
Ee
Игра
noun
Game, acting
Eegra
Имя
noun
First name
Eemyah
Институт
noun
Institute
Eensteetoot
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Л
лесной
adjective
Forest
Lesnoy
Russians walk silently in forests. They make less noise than Americans.
С
(Russian chairs are Стул, stool)
Стол
noun
Table
Stol
Скрипка
noun
Violin
Scripka
When Russians play violin it screeps or screeches.