The Russian word for no is “нет”.  This is pronounced ‘neht’ .  The key thing in pronunciation here is the e is soft like in the English word ‘get’. This is why I transliterated it ‘eh’. I have seen all kinds of crazy transliteration for such a simple word, but I know Slavic languages pretty well and I am a native speaker of English so this is the way you say it.

Russian people use нет a lot more than say Americans use the word no. I think it is just the culture. I have lived in Eastern Europe for many years and I am a linguist. I hear people often say нет three or even five times in a row to be emphatic. I think it is just the culture. They are not being rude it is the way they communicate.

You can also just give someone a wave with your hand  (in a downward motion) when the ‘no’ is beyond words. This is a very common hand gesture in Eastern Europe and in Slavic culture. It is often seen when Russians talk about politics.

Why the culture of no in Russia? – Some people think Russian people are pessimistic and dark.  Some say this is from the Soviet Union, while others say it is from the fact that Russia or more Moscow gets so little sunlight in the winter. In December for example, you can expect to see less than an hour a day on average for the month. So do these thing have an influence on the language? Are people with the word no in Russian more than say sunny Florida? I think the answer is yes. I generally fine Russian pretty warm and nice, it is just people do not smile a lot as it is not in their culture to be superficial so a smile could be perceived as this.

This is a dark sky over the Winter palace in St. Petersburg Russia. I live in Eastern Europe I can tell you that from October to March you see little sunlight and this could affect people's spirits and use of the language, including excess use of the word no.

More negation words in the Russian language

Russian Word – English Translation – Russian to English transliteration

• нет – no -  is neht
• не – not – neh
• никогда -never – nee-koh-gdah
• отрицательный -negation – oh-treets-ahteh-vohny
• нигде – nowhere – neeg-deh
• никто – nobody -nee-ktoh
• ничего – nothing – neech-eh-go
• никто – none – nee-ktoh

Russians can use double negation. So you would say, No I do not want nothing. And this is perfectly fine in the Russian language. The Slavic languages are all related fairly closely so in any country ‘nie’ would work as well as ‘neht’. Really try it in any country from Poland to Ukraine to Belarus.

No thank you in Russian

нет, спасибо – this is transliterated into English sounds like neht, spah-tsih-boh

When traveling as a tourist you can be assured that Russians are not persistent like say in a middle eastern market so you do not have to be forceful with your no, just a simple quite no will do in Russian.

Let me know if you can add anything else to the history or etymology of the word no in the Russian language including accents or usage.

I believe in the power of wishes. I think your subconscious mind communicates with your conscious mind with wishes you are not aware of. I think wishing someone well also is a warm gesture. Here are some ways to wish well on others in Russian.

Wishes in Russian

Пожелания [pozhelaniya]

All the best!
Всего наилучшего! [vsevo nayluchshevo]

Have a nice trip!
Счастливого пути! [shchaslivovo puti]

Happy birthday to you
С днем рождения! [z dnom razhden’ya]

Happy Birthday in Russian

Happy Valentine day!
С днем святого Валентина! [ z dnom sv'atovo valentina]

Happy New Year!
С Новым Годом!  [s novym godam]

Merry Christmas!
С Рождеством!  [s razhdistvom]

Good Luck!
Удачи! [udachi]

Enjoy! (For meals…)
На здоровье! [na zdarov’ye!]

Bless you (when sneezing)
Будьте здоровы! [bud'te zdarovy] (means be healthy!)

Congratulations!
Поздравляю![pazdravlyayu]

I think the most know is happy birthday in Russian but also Merry Christmas in Russian.

Полезные выражения

If you start to travel in Russia you need to know some the most important words. Firstly, these connected with railway station, bust station and airport. When there is not much time till you arrive in Russia – read this expression few time and try to remember them. And do not afraid to use your Russian!

Russian travel vocabulary

How to get to… ? -  Как попасть…  [kak papast]
Where to buy… ? –  Где можна купить… [gde mozhna kupit']

Are there any more trains leaving this evening?
Есть ли еще поезда сегодня вечером? [yest' eshche poyezda sevodn'a vecherom]

How many trains are there tomorrow?
Сколько поездов отходит завтра? [ skol'ko poyezdov otxodit zavtra]

I’d like to book a sleeper ticket.
Я хотел бы забронировать спальное место. [a xotel by zabronirovat' spal'noye mesto]

How much does it cost?
Сколько это стоит? [ skol'ko eto stoit]

I’m calling for  some information about trains to Moscow.
Я хотел бы узнать о поездах в Москву [ya xotel by uznat' o poezdah v moskvu].

I want to book a place in
Я хотел бы забронировать место в  [ya hotel by zabronirovat' mesto v]

At what time I need to be in airport?
В каком часу надо прибыть в аеропорт? [v kakom chasu nado pribyt' v aeroport]

Are there any vacances to …?
Есть еще свободные места в ? [yest' eshche svobodnye mesta]

How long the journey is?
Сколько длиться путешествие? [skol'ko dlit'sa puteshestvie]

When we com to?
Когда мы приедем? [kogda my priedem]

I’m late. My plane has flied.
Я опоздал на самолет. [ya opozdal na samolot]

If you know a few Russian travel words doors will be open for you that are closed to people who do not know Russian travel words, you will see what I am talking about.

These are some words that might be of use in Russian travel and in Russian hotels.  Do people in Russian hotels speak English, some hotels do, the Russian girls at the front desk often speak English but most people in my experience do not. Except for the girls working at the hotel reception, everyone speaks Russian so these are good words to know.

hotel
гостиница {f} [gostinica]

hostel
дешевая гостиница {f} [deshevaya gostinica]

book
забронировать {vb} [zabronirovat']

booked up
“свободных номеров нет” (в отеле) [svobodnyx nomerov net]

vacancy
свободное место {n} [svobodnoe mesto]

reservation
предварительный заказ {m} [predvaritel'nyi zakaz]
rate цена {f} [cena]

to check in
регистрировать {vb} [registrirovat']

reception
приемная {f} [priyemnaya]

lobby
вестибюль {m} [vestib'u'l']

amenities
удобства (pl) [udobstva]

bed
кровать {f} [krovat']

cot
раскладушка {f} [raskladushka]

press-bed
складная кровать {f} [skladnaya krovat']

folding-bed
кровать-раскладушка {f} [krovat' raskladushka]

bed-spread
постельное покрывало {n} [postel'noye pokryvalo]

pillow case
наволочка {f} [navolochka]

towel
полотенце {n} [polotence]

pool
бассейн {m} [basseyn]

sauna
сауна {f} [sauna]

gymnasium
гимнастический зал {m} [ gimnasticheskiy zal]

kitchenette
небольшая кухня {f} [nebol'shaya kuchn'a]

baggage
багаж [bagazh]

baggage-man
носильщик [nosil'shchik]

valet
служащий гостиницы {m} [sluzhashchiy gostinicy]

room service
обслуживание {n} [obsluzhyvaniye]

vending machine
торговый автомат {m} [torgovyy avtomat]

Test these Russian hotel words the next time you are in Russia.

Hotel and travel words in Russian

This post is about different ways to to say good bye in the Russian language.  There are formal and informal ways to say good bye just like in English. It is curious to note that good-bye in English is a contraction for ‘God be with ye”.

Как попрощаться по русски.

Good-bye!
До свидания! [do svidaniya]

Bye-bye!
Пока!  [paka]

See you later.
До скорой встречи.[do skoroy vstrechi]

See you
Увидимся/ До скорого! [uvidims'a] [do skorovo]

I’m sorry I (we) should be going.
К сожалению, мне (нам) пора идти . [k sozhaleniyu mne (nam) para iti]

Till evening.
До вечера. [do vechera]

Till tomorrow.
До завтра. [do zavtra]

Let me know if you have any more ways to say good-bye in Russian. – ok До завтра.

One after note people do kiss on the checks to say bye-bye.

Good-bye in Russian

Путешествие

I want to present words connected with traveling. In the next post I publish some kind of dialogs with using of vocabulary.

If you learn there travel words in Russian you are half way there. Pun intended.

journey – путешествие [ puteshestvie] {f}
trip – поездка [poyezdka] {f}

car – машина [mashina] {f}
bus – автобус [avtobus] {f}
tram – трамвай [tramvay] {m}
taxi – такси [taxi] {n}
Train поезд [poyezd] {m}
tube метро [metro] {n}
bus stop остановка [astanovka] {f}

checkout касса [kasa] {f}
advance-booked flight заранее оплаченный рейс [zaraneye oplachennyy reys] {m}
baggage-check багажная квитанция [bagazhnaya kvitanciya] {f}
left-luggage office камера хранения {f} [kamera hraneniya] {f}
parking lot {noun} стоянка автомашин [stoyanka avtomashyn] {f}
no parking {noun} стоянка автотранспорта запрещена [stoyanka avtotransporta zapreshchena] {f}
ticket – талон [talon] {m}
bag – рюкзак [riukzak] {m}
left luggage room камера хранения {kamera hraneniya] {f}
souvenir – сувенир [suvenir] {m}
book – книгa [knigha] {f}

entrance вход [vhod]
exit – выход [ vyhod] {m}
no entrance нет входа [niet vhoda]
no exit нет выхода [niet vyhoda]
exit to the city выход в город [vyhod v gorod]
schedule расписание [razpisaniye] {n}
the train station вокзал [vakzal] {f}

Traveling words in Russian

left на лево [na lievo] {adv}
straight ahead прямо [priama]{adv}
right на право [na prava] {adv}
close недалеко [niedaliko] {adv}
far away далеко [daliko] {adv}
on foot пешком [pieshkom] {adv}

More Russian travel vocabulary

If anyone has any more traveling words in Russian they think is important let me know.  This is a list put together by one of my friends who is a seasoned traveler from Ukraine, in fact she hitch hikes a lot which surprises me because as a girl I do not know if this is a safe way to travel but I guess it works.

Приветствия

If you are starting a conversation with Russian people it is necessary to know what kind of words you should start with. Here are some typical greetings.

Say hello in Russian

Hello in Russian

Hello!

Здравствуйте!

Hi!

Привет.

Starting a conversation in Russian

How are you?

Как поживаете? /Как поживаешь?

Fine. And you?

Прекрасно. А ты?

Nice to see you.

Рад тебя видеть. / Рада тебя видеть. /

Nice to see you too.

Я тоже рада Вас видеть. / Я тоже рад Вас видеть.

How are you doing?

Как дела?

Fine, thank you.

Спасибо, хорошо.

And how are you doing?

А у Вас?

As usual.

Как обычно.

Depending from the time:

Good morning.

Доброе утро.

Good afternoon.

Добрый день.

Good evening.

Добрый вечер.

Welcome.

Добро пожаловать.

The above list is a list put together by a scholar of Russian studies in Eastern Europe.  Not that you need to be a scholar to learn how to say hello in Russian, but I trust these are very current and relevant Russian language greetings.