The cashier at the Russian grocery store near Chicago holds a chocolate bar over the counter and waits. Matvey is six, and he knows what she wants from him. The word sits somewhere behind his teeth and stays there. His mother bends down and whispers it in his ear, "spasibo," and he repeats it in a small voice, and the chocolate bar changes hands. Families run into this scene in Russian stores across the US and Canada, where the child understands the politeness words and freezes when one has to come out of his own mouth. The complete set is short: thank you, please, you're welcome, sorry, and bless you, and a child can pick all of it up within a month of dinners and store runs.
How to say thank you in Russian and where spasibo comes from
Matvey's chocolate cost him one word, spasibo (спасибо), and that word pays for nearly everything else, the ride to practice and the door held open at school. One version of its history traces it back to an old blessing, spasi Bog, may God save you, worn down over a few centuries into three syllables. Blagodaryu (благодарю) is the formal verb, the one for speeches and written notes, and a six-year-old has years before he needs it. Relatives on video calls like to find out how you say thank you in Russian before anything else. A parent typing "how do you say thanks in Russian" into a phone gets the answer right away: spasibo turns out to cover the plain form and the polite form both.
How to say please in Russian using "pozhaluysta"
Matvey heard "pozhaluysta" (пожалуйста) from the cashier right behind his own "spasibo." The question "How do you say please in Russian?" points straight at it: "pozhaluysta," four syllables that fast speech wears down to "pozhalsta" (пожалста). Show your child where it lands, the last word in the request: "Day mne sok, pozhaluysta" (дай мне сок, пожалуйста) – "Give me juice, please." A request without it sounds rude in Russian, the same as in English, and grandparents notice when the word is missing.
Пожалуйста
A second answer was available to that cashier, ne za chto (не за что), which means "it was nothing" and fits any small favor. Ask a phone how do you say "you're welcome" in Russian and pozhaluysta tops the results, with the cashier’s second option right under it. Na zdorovye (на здоровье) belongs to food and gifts, "to your health," the phrase Matvey’s mother says when the soup lands on the table. American movies pass the same words around as a drinking toast, glasses up. Around a real Russian table the phrase skips the glasses; it travels with the food and the cook. The phrase people want when they look up how to say "welcome" in Russian is the doorway one, dobro pozhalovat (добро пожаловать), the greeting lettered across the sign above the grocery door.
How to say sorry in Russian and pick the apology that fits
Juice hit the kitchen floor on a Tuesday, and izvini beat the paper towels, Matvey had it out before his mother turned around. Izvini comes from vina, the Russian word for fault. At the store Matvey’s mother says izvinite to a teacher she knows near the registers. The same word works as the excuse me in Russian that is needed when a cart has blocked the aisle. Prosti and prostite come from the verb of Forgiveness Sunday, the day before Lent when Russians ask each other’s pardon, and they fit a broken promise better than spilled juice. Search results for how to say sorry in Russian language sort the two the same way, and the sorting holds up at the dinner table, izvini for the juice, prosti for hiding a report card.
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Matvey’s grandfather sneezed twice over dinner the next Sunday, and the table answered him with bud zdorov (будь здоров), be healthy. Matvey says it to the cat now, whenever the cat sneezes in the dust behind the couch.
In Russian, "OK" is commonly translated as "хорошо" (khorosho), which literally means "good" or "well." You can also simply use the English word "ОК" (pronounced like the English word). "Alright" can also be translated as "хорошо" (khorosho). Another common phrase that conveys a similar meaning of acceptance or agreement is "ладно" (ladno).
Matvey’s older cousin answers half of everything with ladno (ладно). His mother asks if the boys want to come along to the store, and the answer floats back without a pause, «Ladno.» That is the alright kids trade with each other, casual agreement with a shrug built in. The cousin ends his phone calls with davay (давай), literally give, the send off that confirms whatever the two boys just planned. Matvey’s mother answers khorosho (хорошо) when a plan suits her, the textbook OK. A parent who searches how to say alright in Russian will be shown khorosho as the first result, and ladno remains the version that is used by the cousin.
| Russian word | How it sounds | What does it mean? |
| thank you | thank you | Thank you |
| Thank you | Thank you | Thank you. |
| please | please | You're welcome |
| You're welcome | you're welcome | It was nothing. |
| Here you go. | Cheers | for food and gifts |
| Welcome | welcome | Welcome to the door |
| sorry and excuse me | Sorry and excuse me | Sorry and I apologize |
| Forgive me and forgive me (plural/formal) | Please and forgives | the heavier apology |
| Bless you | May you be healthy | Bless you, be healthy |
| Okay | Nicely | All right |
| Okay | Good | OK |
| Let's go | Let's go | the send-off |
Where the words are spoken aloud every week
Most new students arrive knowing "thank you" in Russian and not much else. Enrollment at our school starts with an assessment. A methodologist talks with the child to determine their level. After the assessment, the child joins a small group at that level with a teacher. The other students are children of the same age, and the lessons are held in Russian every week. The details and the signup form are located on our bilingual program page.
