🇷🇺 RussianA1–A2

Russian Introductions: Essential Phrases

This page gives you the most practical Russian phrases for a first conversation with someone new. You will learn how to open politely, say your name, ask and answer simple personal questions, share where you are from or what you do, and close the exchange without sounding abrupt.

Useful in real conversations

Essential Russian phrases

Starting the conversation

Simple ways to open a first meeting politely or casually.

Здравствуйте!
Transliteration: Zdravstvuyte!
Hello!
Привет!
Transliteration: Privet!
Hi!
Доброе утро!
Transliteration: Dobroye utro!
Good morning!
Добрый день!
Transliteration: Dobryy den'!
Good afternoon!
Как у вас дела?
Transliteration: Kak u vas dela?
How are you?

Introducing yourself

The most common ways to say who you are and ask the other person's name.

Меня зовут [name].
Transliteration: Menya zovut [name].
My name is [name].
Я [name].
Transliteration: Ya [name].
I'm [name].
Очень приятно.
Transliteration: Ochen' priyatno.
Nice to meet you.
Как вас зовут?
Transliteration: Kak vas zovut?
What's your name?
Как тебя зовут?
Transliteration: Kak tebya zovut?
What's your name?

Basic personal information

Short answers for where you are from, where you live, and what you do.

Я из [place].
Transliteration: Ya iz [place].
I'm from [place].
Я живу в [place].
Transliteration: Ya zhivu v [place].
I live in [place].
Я учусь.
Transliteration: Ya uchus'.
I'm studying.
Я работаю.
Transliteration: Ya rabotayu.
I work.
Я только учу русский.
Transliteration: Ya tol'ko uchu russkiy.
I'm just learning Russian.

Keeping it going and closing

Useful follow-up questions and polite ways to end the conversation.

Чем вы занимаетесь?
Transliteration: Chem vy zanimayetes'?
What do you do?
А вы?
Transliteration: A vy?
And you?
Спасибо, мне пора.
Transliteration: Spasibo, mne pora.
Thanks, I need to go.
Было приятно познакомиться.
Transliteration: Bylo priyatno poznakomit'sya.
It was nice meeting you.
До свидания.
Transliteration: Do svidaniya.
Goodbye.

Example conversations

Meeting at a language exchange

A polite first conversation with someone you have just met.

You
Здравствуйте! Меня зовут Анна.
Zdravstvuyte! Menya zovut Anna.
Hello! My name is Anna.
Other person
Здравствуйте! Меня зовут Сергей. Как вас зовут?
Zdravstvuyte! Menya zovut Sergey. Kak vas zovut?
Hello! My name is Sergey. What's your name?
You
Меня зовут Анна. Очень приятно.
Menya zovut Anna. Ochen' priyatno.
My name is Anna. Nice to meet you.
Other person
Очень приятно. Чем вы занимаетесь?
Ochen' priyatno. Chem vy zanimayetes'?
Nice to meet you. What do you do?
You
Я учусь. Я из Казани.
Ya uchus'. Ya iz Kazani.
I'm studying. I'm from Kazan.
Other person
Понятно. Я работаю. Было приятно познакомиться. До свидания.
Ponyatno. Ya rabotayu. Bylo priyatno poznakomit'sya. Do svidaniya.
I see. I work. It was nice meeting you. Goodbye.

Talking casually with a new acquaintance

A more informal conversation with someone around your age.

You
Привет! Как тебя зовут?
Privet! Kak tebya zovut?
Hi! What's your name?
Other person
Привет! Меня зовут Илья. А тебя?
Privet! Menya zovut Ilya. A tebya?
Hi! My name is Ilya. And you?
You
Я Маша. Я только учу русский.
Ya Masha. Ya tol'ko uchu russkiy.
I'm Masha. I'm just learning Russian.
Other person
Очень приятно. Я из Санкт-Петербурга. А ты?
Ochen' priyatno. Ya iz Sankt-Peterburga. A ty?
Nice to meet you. I'm from Saint Petersburg. And you?
You
Я из [place]. Спасибо, мне пора.
Ya iz [place]. Spasibo, mne pora.
I'm from [place]. Thanks, I need to go.
Other person
Хорошо. Пока!
Khorosho. Poka!
Okay. Bye!

A few things to know

polite by default

With unfamiliar people, start with polite forms like «Здравствуйте», «Как вас зовут?», and «Меня зовут...». Use informal forms like «Привет», «Как тебя зовут?», and «Пока» only in casual settings or after the other person clearly switches to informal speech.

grammar

Russian often omits the present-tense verb in introductions

In phrases like «Я [name].» and «Я из [place].», Russian does not need a present-tense form of “to be.” That is why these short sentences are complete and natural, even though English normally uses “am” or “is.”

grammar

Use the fixed pattern in «Меня зовут...»

The phrase «Меня зовут [name].» is a set pattern in Russian. The pronoun stays in this form, and the name comes after the verb, so do not try to rearrange it to match English word order.

Keep building your everyday vocabulary

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Put the phrases in context