Getting around
Метро
Осторожно, двери закрываются.
The doors are closing.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
How the language is used
Russian and Tatar are both official in Tatarstan. The kremlin and the main street carry both scripts.
In this city
- Language
- Russian
- Also heard
- Mostly Russian
- A local word
- Исәнмесез — Hello.
- Writing
- Cyrillic
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
The street
Кремль
Исәнмесез.
Hello.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The counter
Кафе
Один чай, пожалуйста.
One tea.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
Food
Улица
Здравствуйте.
Hello.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The language through the day
Russian and Tatar are both official. You see both on signs, and you hear both in the street.
Around Kremlin, Bauman Street, Suvorovsky, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Kazan can run on four lines: “Осторожно, двери закрываются.”, “Исәнмесез.”, “Один чай, пожалуйста.”, and “Здравствуйте.”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in Cyrillic.
- With strangers and at the counter you use вы. Ты is for people you know.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Kazan, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Исәнмесез. It means Hello..
Places you can see
- Kazan Kremlin — A hill fortress with an Orthodox cathedral and a mosque inside the same walls.
- Kul Sharif — The mosque inside the kremlin, rebuilt and named for a historical imam.
- Bauman Street — The pedestrian street of cafés running from the kremlin toward the lower town.
Food
Echpochmak triangles, chak-chak, and Tatar pastries beside Russian canteen plates.
Getting around
A metro and buses serve the city. The kremlin hill is the centre you walk up from the stations.
Daily life
You see Russian and Tatar on official signs. Either language can appear on the same door.
A few everyday phrases
Russian
| Phrase | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Здравствуйте | Zdravstvuyte | Hello |
| Спасибо | Spasibo | Thank you |
| Доброе утро | Dobroye utro | Good morning |
| Меня зовут… | Menya zovut… | My name is… |
