Russian Classes: Be Polite!

Pavel Kuzmichev; Feliks Mironer, Marlen Khutsiev/Odessa Film Studio, 1956; Sputnik; Leonid Gaidai/Mosfilm, 1968

Привет!

Being polite is important - especially when you’re in a foreign country. Today, we will learn three ways to ask for a favor politely.

The first obvious way is to add ‘пожалуйста’ ('please') to the imperative verb. You can put it at the beginning, at the end or even in the middle of the sentence!

• Пожалуйста, принеси мне воды.
• Принеси мне воды, пожалуйста.
• Принести, пожалуйста, мне воды.
• Please, bring me some water!

To make your request sound more polite, you can use a question.

• Можете мне помочь?
• Would you help me?

• Не могли бы вы сыграть для нас на рояле?
• Would you play the piano for us? (The literal form in Russian is: "Couldn't you play...?")

There are also other super polite expressions that are not usually used in everyday conversations.

• Будьте добры, подскажите время!
• Would you be so kind as to tell me the time?

• Будьте любезны, передайте соль!
• Kindly, pass the salt!

• Вас не затруднит приехать завтра пораньше?
• Would it not be difficult for you to come earlier tomorrow?

Now you know how to be polite in Russian!

Check out more lessons in our Telegram channel, using the tag #russianclasses!

Dear readers,

Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:

• Subscribe to our Telegram channel
• Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter
• Enable push notifications for our website
• Install a VPN service on your computer and/or phone to have access to our website, even if it is blocked in your country

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.