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.
Moscow
Russia
Moscow rings the Kremlin and the Moskva River, a capital of wide avenues and deep metro stations.
How the language is used
Russian is the language of the station mosaics, courtyard talk, and shop signs.
In this city
- Language
- Russian
- Also heard
- Mostly Russian
- A local word
- Батон — One loaf.
- Writing
- Cyrillic
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
The counter
Булочная
Один батон, пожалуйста.
One loaf.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
Food
Касса
Сколько стоит?
How much is it?
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The street
Двор
Здравствуйте.
Hello.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
Russian is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
Around Arbat, Khamovniki, Taganka, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Moscow can run on four lines: “Осторожно, двери закрываются.”, “Один батон, пожалуйста.”, “Сколько стоит?”, 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 Moscow, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Батон. It means One loaf..
Places you can see
- Red Square — The square between the Kremlin wall, St Basil’s, and the big department store.
- Metro — A metro of palace-like stations, each with its own mosaics and a Russian name.
- Gorky Park — A river park south of the centre, with paths along the Moskva.
Food
Canteen plates, Borodinsky bread, and pelmeni. Menus are in Russian.
Getting around
The metro is the main way across the city. Station names are a map in themselves.
Daily life
You read Cyrillic on every errand. Staff address you with the polite вы.
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… |
