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Welcome to your first lesson in mastering Russian! Before diving into vocabulary and phrases, it’s crucial to understand the foundation of the Russian language: the Cyrillic alphabet.
What is the Cyrillic Alphabet?
The Cyrillic alphabet is the writing system used for Russian and several other languages across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It consists of 33 letters, some of which are familiar to English speakers, while others are unique to Cyrillic.
Key Points to Remember:
- 33 Letters: The Russian alphabet has 21 consonants, 10 vowels, and 2 additional letters that have special functions (the hard sign ‘Ъ’ and the soft sign ‘Ь’).
- Similarities and Differences: Some Cyrillic letters look and sound similar to Latin letters (like А, Е, К), while others may look familiar but represent different sounds (like В, which is pronounced “V”). There are also entirely new characters that you’ll need to get accustomed to (like Д, Ж, and Ш).
Vowels:
- А (A)
- Е (Ye)
- Ё (Yo)
- И (Ee)
- О (O)
- У (U)
- Ы (Y)
- Э (E)
- Ю (Yu)
- Я (Ya)
Consonants:
- Б (B)
- В (V)
- Г (G)
- Д (D)
- Ж (Zh)
- З (Z)
- Й (Y)
- К (K)
- Л (L)
- М (M)
- Н (N)
- П (P)
- Р (R)
- С (S)
- Т (T)
- Ф (F)
- Х (Kh)
- Ц (Ts)
- Ч (Ch)
- Ш (Sh)
- Щ (Shch)
Special Characters:
- Ъ (Hard Sign)
- Ь (Soft Sign)
- Ы (Y)