Learn Russian fast by learning common scenarios.
Skip the "the cat drinks milk" phase. Type the moment you're about to walk into, like the Moscow metro or a café in St Petersburg, and GigaLearner writes the Russian you'll actually hear and say. Hit play, slow it to 0.75×, parrot away.
Why scenarios beat word lists.
Real lines, not random words
You learn the exact Russian for the moment you're in, in the order it actually comes up.
Hear it the way it's said
One natural voice explains in English and speaks the Russian. Too fast? Slow it to 0.75× and say it back.
Cyrillic in an afternoon
Every line comes in Cyrillic, a transliteration in English letters, and plain English. Match the letters to the audio and signs start making sense fast.
5 more common Russian scenarios to rehearse first.
The situations that come up on day one. Each line below is the one you'll need. GigaLearner writes the whole conversation around it, so you know what the other person will say back.
- CAFÉ, ST PETERSBURG
Asking for the menu
Rehearse this →Можно меню, пожалуйста?Mozhno menyu, pozhaluysta?"Could I have the menu, please?" - SHOP, KAZAN
Asking the price
Rehearse this →Сколько это стоит?Skol'ko eto stoit?"How much does this cost?" - PHARMACY, MOSCOW
A cold at the pharmacy
Rehearse this →У вас есть что-нибудь от простуды?U vas yest' chto-nibud' ot prostudy?"Do you have anything for a cold?" - HOTEL, SOCHI
Checking in at the hotel
Rehearse this →У меня забронирован номер.U menya zabronirovan nomer."I have a room booked." - STATION, MOSCOW
Checking your train
Rehearse this →Это поезд до Санкт-Петербурга?Eto poyezd do Sankt-Peterburga?"Is this the train to St Petersburg?"
Russian in 30 seconds.
- Spoken in
- Russia, and widely across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
- Written in
- Cyrillic: 33 letters, several of which you already know.
- The tricky bit
- Stress moves around and isn't written down, so the same letters can sound different. That's exactly why hearing every line helps.
- Quick win
- "Пожалуйста" (pozhaluysta) means please, you're welcome and here you go.
Three steps. Zero flashcard guilt.
Type the moment
Anything that's about to happen, like asking for the menu. No ideas? Tap a template like At the restaurant.
GL writes the script
Seconds later: the conversation that usually goes down, line by line, in native script, pronunciation and English.
Tweak it, then hear it
Harder, easier, or what happens next. Then add voice, slow it to 0.75× and parrot away. Nobody's listening. Probably.
Russian questions, answered.
How fast can I learn Russian?
Fluency takes years, and no app can honestly promise otherwise. Getting through the moments you're nervous about takes days: rehearse a scenario a few times before it happens and the lines stick. Start with the 6 on this page.
Do I need to read Russian script first?
No. Every line comes in Cyrillic, a transliteration in English letters, and plain English. Match the letters to the audio and signs start making sense fast.
Which Russian does GigaLearner teach?
Standard Russian, as spoken in Moscow and St Petersburg.
Is it free?
You start free with 3 minutes of lesson audio and 20 lessons, no card needed. Pro is $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year for 30 minutes of audio and up to 500 lessons every month, in every language.
Is there an app?
GigaLearner works in your browser on phone, tablet and computer today. The iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.