Hello! This is Palme School — an online Russian language school in Canada and the USA. We’ve decided to gather answers to 18 popular questions about learning the Russian language. Imagine we asked these questions to a Russian language teacher and received thorough answers. By the way, if you're interested in how to organize your child's Russian language learning, we discussed it check out.
So, let’s get started.
How long does it take to actually learn Russian?
Naturally, every student progresses at their own pace. For example, it will be much easier for a 4-5-year-old child to learn Russian to a native level than for an adult. It is also important to consider the format of learning — attending courses or a school, or taking online classes. Moreover, the number of hours a student dedicates to studying the language per week plays a big role.
Other significant factors include: the student’s initial level, how much their native language influences the learning process, and their cognitive abilities.
The time it takes to master a specific program depends on these factors: one person might need just two months, while another might need a whole year. So, it’s not surprising that each student has their own path when it comes to learning Russian.
Is it easy to learn Russian?
According to the Defense Language Institute's language difficulty ranking, Russian is classified as a Level III language in terms of learning complexity.
Let’s take a look at the challenges students face:
- A different alphabet. Although Latin and Cyrillic alphabets share some similar letters, many symbols still need to be learned from scratch.
- Complex grammar with many exceptions to the rules. A lot needs to be memorized — irregular verbs, noun declensions, separating consonants, and so on.
- Soft and hard consonants in Russian, as well as hard and soft hissing sounds (ш, ч, щ, ц), which can be tricky.
- Six cases for nouns and adjectives, each with its own endings and exceptions. It will take some effort for the student to memorize them..
Together, all these factors make learning Russian an interesting challenge or, as we like to call it, a "linguistic adventure."
How many native speakers speak Russian?
According to the Ethnologue language directory, there were 255 million Russian speakers worldwide as of last year.
However, just 40 years ago, during the Soviet Union era, around 286 million people spoke Russian. Over the years, Russian has seen a decline in the number of speakers. Despite this, Russian remains in the Top 10 most spoken languages worldwide. Additionally, interest in learning Russian has shifted from CIS countries to the East, particularly China.
This increase in Chinese interest in Russian is driven by economic and political reasons, as well as the shared border in the Far East.
Is it still worth learning Russian?
If you're wondering whether you should learn Russian, here are five reasons why you should:
- Russian has many "siblings." For example, Bulgarian and Serbian in the Balkans, as well as other Slavic languages like Belarusian and Ukrainian. Moreover, in some European countries, knowing Russian makes it easier to understand the local language — such as in Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. In these countries, not everyone speaks English fluently, so you'll be understood.
- Traveling across Russia (you never know) will be easier because you won’t face the same dialectal differences that you might encounter in countries like France or Italy. Spoken Russian is quite similar to what you learn in language courses.
- To better understand Russian culture. It’s amazing to read books, watch movies, and listen to music in the original language.
- Interestingly, Russia has a relatively low level of foreign language learning, yet the country remains among the most literate in the world. It's fascinating that in Russian, you can find translated literature from even the most obscure languages. For instance, if you’re looking for unique articles on a niche topic, knowing Russian can help you access them in translation.
- And of course, Russian literature. To truly appreciate Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, or Pushkin, you need to know Russian — preferably all its nuances and meanings. Otherwise, what's the point?
How hard is it to learn Russian for native English speakers?
Let’s be honest, Russian is pretty challenging for native English speakers.
Why? English and Russian belong to different language groups, so they have distinct features. For example, English doesn’t have noun and adjective cases, which often confuses students. But don't worry — with motivation and practice, these challenges can be overcome in about a year.
Here are some tips for learning Russian:
- Start with learning Cyrillic. Yes, some symbols and their sounds are quite different, but many letters are similar to their Latin counterparts. To calm you down, remember that the Russian alphabet had more letters 100 years ago!
- Use online resources — nowadays, learning is easier because there are resources available for any goal. Look for Russian-speaking teachers on YouTube, download mobile apps, and use online dictionaries and other materials.
- Once you're familiar with the basics, start translating from English to Russian. Create your own phrases and sentences and practice translation regularly.
- Find native speakers to practice conversational skills and overcome the language barrier.
- Read poetry and prose: begin with simple short stories and poems in Russian, use a dictionary, and increase the difficulty as your vocabulary grows.
Remember, everyone is unique, and what’s hard for one person may be easy for another.
How to pronounce key Russian words?
In fact, to pronounce Russian words correctly, you need to know a few rules:
- Master the sound of each letter in Cyrillic, including those that differ significantly from their Latin counterparts in articulation. For example, the Russian [т] sounds different from the English [t].
- Vowel specifics. Russian vowels are short and not elongated like [i:] or [a:]. Depending on stress, their sound changes: unstressed [О] often sounds like a short [a], and unstressed [Е] becomes a quick, almost compressed [И].
- Consonant rules. Voiced consonants (б, в, г, д, etc.) become voiceless at the end of words or before other voiceless sounds. For example, the letter “Ж” in the word “ножка” is pronounced as “Ш.”
- Pay special attention to the letter “р.” Even native speakers of Russian often struggle to pronounce it correctly. To practice proper articulation, try words starting with the “др” combination (e.g., друг, другой, дружба, дрель).
How long does it usually take to learn Russian?
As mentioned earlier, the duration of learning Russian depends on many individual factors.
Of course, before starting to learn a new language, it’s natural to want to know how long it will take in terms of numbers. For instance, to reach an A1 level in Russian, you’ll need about 100 hours on average. But you can study 4 hours a day, or just 1 hour twice a week. This will affect the overall duration.
To speak fluently in Russian, some sources, suggest that around 1100 hours of study are required. Let’s do the math: if you study 1 hour per day, it will take about three years. The key is motivation!
Of course, with strong determination, you can master the school curriculum for Russian in 2 to 2.5 years. However, the speed of learning also depends on other factors, such as your learning goals, whether you study independently or with a teacher, the materials you use, and more.
In other words, if you want to learn Russian quickly, you need to study 3 hours per day. In about a year, you could speak fluently.
What’s harder – Russian or Chinese?
This is a question with no clear-cut answer, as each language has its own unique features.
Let’s look at some of them.
When it comes to Russian , many foreigners struggle with its complex grammar structure. For example, Russian has 6 cases, various declensions, and tricky verb conjugations. Additionally, the punctuation system plays a significant role in the language.
However, unlike Chinese, Russian has only about 30 sounds. In contrast, Chinese has about 400!
Moreover, in Chinese , there are over 80,000 complex graphic characters, each with specific writing rules and tonal pronunciation. In Russian, tone does not affect pronunciation.
In the end, the decision is up to the students or their parents. Personal abilities and the methods of learning both languages must also be taken into account.
What’s harder – Russian or Arabic?
Now let’s compare another language pair: Russian and Arabic. Again, it’s impossible to give a straightforward answer, as each language is unique.
Here are some reasons why Russian may be difficult for foreigners to learn :
- The variety of case forms, as we mentioned earlier.
- The abundance of polysemantic words. For example, the simple word "ручка" can have more than 4 meanings.
- Discrepancy between spelling and pronunciation of many words. For example, even native Russian speakers often confuse the spelling of "какого" and "каково." The words differ by just one letter but have different meanings.
- Subtle differences in stress—many words with alternating vowels such as О/А, Е/И, etc.
- The complexity of punctuation. Changing the position of a comma in a sentence can radically alter its meaning. “Казнить, нельзя помиловать.”
At the same time, Arabic has its own specifics:
- A unique script — Arabic is written from right to left.
- Only consonants are reflected in writing; vowels are omitted.
- The letters change their form depending on their position in the word (beginning/middle/end).
- Unfamiliar to English speakers, some sounds are pronounced from the throat.
Ultimately, the choice between Russian and Arabic depends on personal preferences and the specific goals of language acquisition.
Is it possible to learn Russian in 3 months?
You won’t believe it, but the experience of many polyglots proves that nothing is impossible!
The key is to set a goal, stay diligent, and choose the right strategy.
First, find the right resources. These can be online programs, drills, textbooks, movies, books, and word memorization apps.
Second, hire a teacher. At least for the first month. Also, if you’ve set a short-term goal, try to study 3-4 hours per day.
Third, make an effort to speak and think in the language you’re learning as much as possible. Practice speaking with a dictionary every day.
Finally, find friends who speak the language. In today’s digital age, there are no unsolvable problems—forums, social networks, and posts where you’re seeking language practice friends—all of these work.
Of course, you probably won’t be able to speak fluently in 90 days, but you’ll be able to understand spoken language and communicate on a basic level with native speakers.
What makes learning Russian difficult?
Here are the main factors that complicate learning Russian:
- Complex grammar;
- Phonetics and pronunciation;
- Stress in words;
- Cyrillic alphabet;
- Cultural differences.
To overcome these challenges, try to interact more with native speakers and utilize various learning resources.
5 reasons why Russian is NOT that difficult to learn
There’s a Russian saying: "Не так страшен черт, как его малюют" ("The devil is not as scary as they paint him"). This means that any task can be mastered if you’re not afraid to tackle it.
Earlier, we discussed why learning Russian can be tough. Now, let’s look at 5 reasons why it’s still possible to master the language:and here are 5 examples of why you can still master it:
First, word order in Russian. You can rearrange any part of a sentence without changing its meaning.
Second, Russian has a clear system of prefixes and roots. You can guess the meaning of new words by these.
Third, hard/soft consonants. For instance, similar words can have different meanings due to just one sound. For example, "шесть" and "шест," "быть" and "бить," "ел" and "ель."
Lastly, exceptions to rules. Every rule has its exceptions, which makes learning easier. Sometimes it’s easier to memorize something than to recall the rule for spelling a certain word.
How fast can you learn Russian?
Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question. However, there are some tips that will definitely help in mastering the language:
- Create a schedule and study for at least half an hour per day.
- Get or print flashcards with words and phrases. This will aid in memorization.
- Include watching Russian films and series in your list. This will greatly expand your vocabulary and help you understand spoken language.
- Find native Russian speakers for communication.
- Use mobile apps to practice Russian online.
- Read books in Russian. This will help you visually memorize how words are written and used in sentence construction.
- Don’t skip reviewing the material you’ve learned. This way, new information will better stick in your long-term memory.
How many hours are needed to learn Russian at an A1 level?
To master Russian at the A1 level, you only need to learn basic vocabulary and grammar. This is enough for everyday communication and understanding spoken language.
If you are learning Russian for an exam, you’ll need about 100-120 hours of study to reach the A1 level.
Again, it all depends on the individual features of the student and their motivation to learn Russian.
How can I speak Russian easily?
Although we’ve already discussed the importance of regular practice for mastering Russian, here are some additional useful tips:
- Keep a notebook and write down all new words and expressions.
- Memorize small poems, texts, proverbs, and aphorisms.
- Continuously expand your vocabulary. In fact, nearly everything can be found online. The key is to set a goal.
How can I learn Russian on my own?
First, honestly ask yourself: why do you need Russian? For work, travel, moving to Russia, or communicating with family?
Based on your answer, create a learning plan. This will already be half the success.
Here are a few practical tips that we didn’t mention earlier:
- For listening practice, regularly listen to audio podcasts. Find topics that truly interest you and listen to Russian speakers.
- For practicing conversation, it’s all about communication. Look for Russian-speaking friends or people with similar interests. If you don’t have common ground, communication will quickly fade. So, think about what topics you’d enjoy discussing, and join those forums to make connections.
- For grammar practice, do exercises. Plenty of them. No need to overthink—just go to mobile apps and look for drills at your level.
With these three factors combined, you’ll see progress in just a few weeks of self-study.
How to speak Russian?
Start with small steps:
- Learn the Russian alphabet.
- Master basic phrases for everyday communication to build simple dialogues.
- Try reading in Russian, starting with syllables, then individual words and phrases.
- Find native speakers and try applying your first knowledge in conversation.
The most important thing is not to fear making mistakes in speech. After all, cultured people are always understanding towards foreigners trying to learn their native language.
How to speak Russian: 10 steps
To sum up, here are 10 steps that will help you speak Russian:
- Start with the basics — learn the alphabet. Children’s fairy tales with pictures are great for learning to read.
- Repeat words. You can also stick Russian labels on furniture, appliances, and dishes around your house.
- Write things down; don’t rely on your memory.
- Listen to radio, watch movies, comedy shows, and video lessons in Russian.
- Memorize phrases, not individual words. This way, you’ll understand how to use words in context and real situations.
- Read in Russian. For example, news websites, Russian bloggers, or large social media communities.
- Attend Russian-speaking events. This will help you get conversational experience and overcome the language barrier.
- Make lessons regular — dedicate at least 10 minutes a day.
- Motivate yourself — understand why you’re learning Russian.
- Find a new hobby and search for a Russian-speaking group of people with similar interests.
We hope we’ve provided comprehensive answers to all your questions about learning Russian. If you want to teach your child Russian, we offer a FREE trial lesson at our school. Fill out the form below, and our manager will contact you to choose a convenient time.
