Russian for English speakers House · Lesson 0

Listing family members

Russian family — listing members — using У меня есть (I have).

Conversation

  1. Lindo Lindo

    Я бы хотел узнать тебя поближе

    Ja by hotel uznatʹ tebja pobliže

    I would love to know you better

    Tip: particle “бы” expresses uncertainty in the speech and is used with the word in the past, in english the equivalent is “would”

  2. Rose Rose

    Конечно! Что бы ты хотел узнать?

    Konečno! Čto by ty hotel uznatʹ?

    Of course! What would you like to learn?

  3. Lindo Lindo

    У тебя есть семья?

    U tebja estʹ semʹja?

    Do you have a family?

  4. Rose Rose

    Да, у меня большая семья: мама, папа, брат, сестра, бабушка и дедушка.

    Da, u menja bolʹšaja semʹja: mama, papa, brat, sestra, babuška i deduška.

    Yes, I have a big family: a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a grandma and a grandpa.

    Tip: The pattern “У меня есть” means “I have” and not always used with the verb “есть”. This verb is used for expressing material stuff. If the thing is immaterial, like “meeting” or “mood” “есть” is omitted

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you say 'I have' in Russian?

У меня есть + nominative noun. У меня есть брат = 'I have a brother'. Note: literally 'at me there is'.

Russian family vocabulary?

Мама (mom), папа (dad), брат (brother), сестра (sister), бабушка (grandma), дедушка (grandpa), тётя (aunt), дядя (uncle).

Negative — 'I don't have'?

У меня нет + genitive. У меня нет брата = 'I don't have a brother'. Negation triggers genitive.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Russian lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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