100 Most Common Russian Words and How to Remember Them

100 Most Common Russian Words and How to Remember Them

The 100 most common Russian words are the most important part of learning the language.  These 100 Russian words the entire foundation of the Russian language. Once you learn these 100 words, everything will start to make sense to you. 

That is why the following table will have the 100 most common Russian words and how to remember them.

The Russian language is from a completely different language family. So, us English speakers will have a tough time remembering many words because very few are similar to English words. This is where word association comes into play.

To associate a word, you just look at the Russian word and associate how the word sounds and the meaning with a sentence in English. Using association, you won’t find memorizing the follow 100 Russian words so challenging.

The 100 Most Common Russian Words and How to Remember Them

Rank	Russian Words	English Pronunciation	English  translation	How to remember these Russian Words
1	и	ee	and, though	My Favorite letter is “E” ‘and’ Z
2	в	v	in, at
3	не	nye	not
4	он	own	he	He’ “own”s everything
5	на	na	on, it, at, to
6	я	ya	I	‘I’ want a “Ya”cht
7	что	chto	what, that, why	“ch” my ‘toe’
8	тот	tote	that	that’ is a “tot”em
9	быть	beets	to be	I want ‘to be’ eating “beets”
10	с	s	with, and, from, of
11	а	a	while, and, but
12	весь	vyes	all, everything	“vyes” that is ‘everything’
13	это	etah	that, this, it	‘This’ “Eta”lian talks a lot
14	как	kawk	how, what, as, like	How’ is your “cock”?
15	она	ana	she	“Anna” is a ‘she’
16	по	pa, po	on, along, by	like “pa” (dad)
17	но	no	but	“no” ‘but’ s about it
18	они	On-nee	they	they’ want to ride “on knee”
19	к	k	to, for, by
20	у	oo	by, with, of	“oo” interesting, I want to be “by” it too
21	ты	tee	you, thou	You’ want some “tea”?
22	из	eez	from, of, in	I “eez” ‘from’ Murrika
23	мы	mwee	we	mmm”mwe”
24	за	za	behind, over, at, after	“Za”ch is always ‘behind’
25	вы	V-we	you	“Vwee” vant to eat ‘you’ (vampire voice)
26	так	tawk	so, thus, then, like that	I “tawk” like ‘that’ too
27	же	zhye	and, as for, but, same
28	от	ot	from, of, for	You “ought” to come out ‘from’ there
29	сказать	skazats	to say, to speak	I don’t like ‘to speak’ to people with “skaz”ats (scars with accent)
30	этот	etot	this
31	который	katoriy	which, who, that	“Cat or E” ‘which’ sticker do you want?
32	мочь	moch	be able	I’ll ‘be able’ to “moch” off my family
33	человек	chyelovyek	man, person	The ‘man’ and other ‘person’ like to play “chyelo” vyek
34	о	ah	of, about, against
35	один	awdeen	one, some, alone	“aw” “deen” is the only ‘one’ who has it
36	ещё	Yes-show	still, yet, more	“yes. Show” me ‘more’, I’m ‘still’ entertained
37	бы	bui	would
38	такой	takoy	such, so, some
39	только	tolka	only, merely, but	J.R.R “Tolka” ‘only’ wrote 12 books
40	себя	Seh-byah	myself, himself, herself	see b “ya” (I) myself
41	своё	svayo	one’s own, my, our
42	какой	kawkoy	what, which, how	“Kawk”(talking to rooster) “oye” ‘which’ is your hen?
43	когда	kawgda	when, while, as
44	уже	oozhye	already, by now
45	для	dlya	for, to
46	вот	vote	here, there, this is, that’s	Here’ is where I will “vote”
47	кто	K-toe	who, that, some	who’s “k-toe” is that?
48	да	da	yes, but
49	говорить	govorits	to say, to tell, to speak
50	год	Go-d	year	“go-d” this was a good ‘year’
Rank	Russian Words	English Pronunciation	English  translation	How to remember these Russian Words
51	знать	znats	to know, be aware	You must ‘know’ how to tie “z-knots”
52	мой	moy	my, mine	This is “moy” toothbrush
53	до	doe	to, up to, about, before	I walked ‘up to’ the “doe”
54	или	Ee-lee	or	Norris ‘or’ Bruce “ee-lee”?
55	если	Yes-lee	if	if’ Bruce “Lee” was alive, “yes”
56	время	vremya	time, season	“vREM” sleep takes time. “ya” I do it
57	рука	rooka	hand, arm	He must be a “rooka” (rookie plurrel) with that weak arm
58	нет	nyet	no, not, but	No’ not “nyet”
59	самый	Sam-eey	most, the very, the same	“Sammy” is ‘the most’ interesting guy
60	ни	nee	not a, not, neither… nor	No ‘not” my “knee”
61	стать	stots	to become, begin, come	I will ‘become’ your friend if you give me your “s-tots”
62	большой	Ball-shoy	big, large, important	The “ball showy” was big
63	даже	dazhye	even	He can “dazhye” the ball ‘even’ better than me
64	другой	Droo-goy	other, another, different	My ‘other’ friend(droog) “droogoy”
65	наш	Naw-sh	our, ours	Steve “Nawsh” is ‘our’ hero
66	свой	svoy	my, our, your
67	ну	new	now, right, well, come on	Well’, it is brand “new”
68	под	pot	under, for, towards, to	The “pot” is ‘under’ the window
69	где	Gud-yeh	where	Where’ is “Gud-yeh” tires?
70	дело	Dyeh-la	business, affair, matter	It’s not your ‘business’ what “dyeh-la” I make
71	есть	yest	to eat, to be	I can’t ‘eat’ anything with “yest” in it
72	сам	sam	myself, yourself	“Sam” said – I will learn it ‘myself’
73	раз	Rah-z	time, once, since	Remember that ‘time’ you “rahz”le dazzled him?
74	чтобы	Ch-toe-bui	that, in order that
75	два	dvah	two	“Dvah”n has two sisters
76	там	tom	there, then	“Tom” is over ‘there’
77	чем	chyem	than; instead of	I have more money ‘than’ “chyem”(them)
78	глаз	glaz	eye; sight	I want a “glaz” ‘eye’
79	жизнь	Zhee-zn	life	“Zheez”n my ‘life is crazy
80	первый	Pier-veey	first, front, former	“Pier” was the ‘first’ to cross the finish line
81	день	dyen	day	While in the “dyen” I couldn’t tell if it was still ‘day’
82	тут	toot	here, now, then	Here’ is where you “toot” the horn
83	во	voe	in, at; super, exactly
84	ничто	Nee-ch-toe	nothing	He lost a leg. There was ‘nothing’ from his “knee” to “ch-toe”
85	потом	Paw-toe-m	afterwards, then	Afterwards’ the werewolf’s “paw” became a “toe-m”
86	очень	Oh-chyen	very	“Oh Chyen” you are a ‘very’ good ping pong player
87	со	so	with
88	хотеть	Hoe-tyet	to want, like	I don’t ‘want’ her because she’s not “hot yet”
89	ли	lee	whether, if	“If’ Bruce “Lee” was still alive…
90	при	pree	attached to, in the presence of, by, about	The grand “pree” is ‘attached to’ racing
91	голова	Gahl-uh-vah	head, mind, brains	The “gahl” uh-vuh he had to punch his ‘head’
92	надо	nada	must, it is necessary	I “must” learn the Spanish phrase de “nada”
93	без	byez	without	“Byez”, I came ‘without’ my best friend
94	видеть	Vee-dyet	to see	I want ‘to see” that music “veedyet”
95	идти	Eed-tee	to go, come	I will ‘go’ if there “eed tea”
96	теперь	Tyep-yer	now, nowadays	Now’ he has a bad “tyeper”
97	тоже	Toe-zhye	also, as well, too	I ‘also” have two “toe-zhye”
98	стоять	Stah-yat	to stand, be, stand up	You shouldn’t ‘stand’ while on the “stah-yaht”
99	друг	droog	friend	“Drew-g” is my ‘friend’
100	дом	dome	house, home	It was a “dome” ‘house’