Talking about what you enjoy doing is key to making connections. This lesson covers hobby vocabulary, daily routines, reflexive verbs (a major Russian grammar feature), and the beloved дача culture.
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| Я люблю... / Мне нравится... | Ya lyublyu... / Mnye nravitsa... | I love... / I like... |
| читать | chitat' | to read |
| готовить | gatovit' | to cook |
| рисовать | risavat' | to draw / paint |
| петь | pyet' | to sing |
| танцевать | tantsivat' | to dance |
| играть в футбол | igrat' v futbol | to play soccer |
| играть на гитаре | igrat' na gitarye | to play guitar |
| заниматься спортом | zanimatsa sportam | to do sports / exercise |
| гулять | gulyat' | to walk / stroll |
| путешествовать | putishyestvavat' | to travel |
| фотографировать | fatagrafirovat' | to photograph |
| смотреть фильмы | smatret' fil'my | to watch movies |
играть в + accusative = play a sport/game: играть в шахматы (play chess)
играть на + prepositional = play an instrument: играть на пианино (play piano)
This distinction is absolute — using the wrong preposition sounds very wrong!
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| просыпаться | prasypat'sa | to wake up |
| вставать | fstavat' | to get up |
| умываться | umyvat'sa | to wash up |
| одеваться | adivat'sa | to get dressed |
| завтракать | zaftrakat' | to have breakfast |
| обедать | abyedat' | to have lunch |
| ужинать | uzhinat' | to have dinner |
| работать | rabotat' | to work |
| отдыхать | addykhat' | to rest / relax |
| ложиться спать | lazhit'sa spat' | to go to bed |
Many daily routine verbs are reflexive — they end in -ся (after consonants) or -сь (after vowels). This indicates the action is done to oneself:
мыть = to wash (something) → мыться = to wash oneself
одевать = to dress (someone) → одеваться = to dress oneself
Conjugation: я умываюсь, ты умываешься, он/она умывается...
💡 Cultural Insight: The дача (dacha) is a Russian country house or cottage, typically with a garden. Millions of Russians escape to their дача on weekends and during summer. Activities include gardening (growing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes), grilling шашлык (shashlik — skewered meat), picking mushrooms and berries, and enjoying баня (banya — Russian sauna). The дача is central to Russian identity and family life.
| Russian | Transliteration | English | Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| футбол | futbol | soccer | хоккей | khakkyey | hockey |
| теннис | tennis | tennis | плавание | plavaniye | swimming |
| бег | byeg | running | шахматы | shakhmaty | chess |
| лыжи | lyzhi | skiing | коньки | kan'ki | ice skating |
— Чем ты любишь заниматься в свободное время?
(Chyem ty lyubish' zanimat'sa v svabodnoye vryemya?) — What do you like to do in your free time?
— Я люблю читать и играть в шахматы. А ты?
(Ya lyublyu chitat' i igrat' v shakhmaty. A ty?) — I love reading and playing chess. And you?
— Мне нравится готовить и гулять в парке.
(Mnye nravitsa gatovit' i gulyat' v parkye.) — I like cooking and walking in the park.
— А на выходных что делаешь?
(A na vykhadnykh shto dyelayesh'?) — And what do you do on weekends?
— Обычно ездим на дачу!
(Abychna yezdim na dachu!) — We usually go to the dacha!
1. "Играть в шахматы" vs "играть на гитаре" — what's the rule?
2. What does the -ся ending on a verb mean?
3. What is a "дача"?