Animals — Speaking

In this lesson we will learn the names of common animals in Russian. We will practise pronouncing each word clearly and build our first animal vocabulary. Listen carefully to each sound and repeat aloud — speaking from the very first lesson is the best way to learn!

Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Before saying each animal word, look at the letters and try to sound them out one by one. Pay attention to stressed syllables — the stressed vowel is always pronounced longer and more clearly. In the word list below, the stressed syllable is shown in CAPITALS (e.g. КО-шка).

Here are eight common animals. Read each Russian word aloud, then listen to your teacher and repeat. Try to copy the sounds as closely as possible. Notice how some letters sound different from English — for example, the Russian Р is always rolled, and Ы is a unique vowel sound that does not exist in English.

• КО-шка — cat • СО-бака — dog • ПТИ-ца — bird • РЫ-ба — fish • ЛО-шадь — horse • КО-рова — cow • МЕД-ведь — bear • ЗА-яц — hare / rabbit

Чтение: Read the short passage aloud. Try to pronounce every word clearly. Your teacher will help you with any difficult sounds.

Это кошка. Её зовут Мурка. Мурка — маленькая и пушистая. Рядом сидит большая собака. Её зовут Шарик. Шарик любит бегать. В саду живёт птица. Она поёт по утрам. В пруду плавает рыба. Дети смотрят на рыбу и улыбаются. Все эти животные живут рядом с домом. Дети очень любят своих животных.

Practise these simple sentences with a partner. Point to a picture of an animal and say the sentence aloud. Your teacher will model the pronunciation first.

1. Это кошка. — This is a cat.
2. Это собака. — This is a dog.
3. Это большой медведь. — This is a big bear.
4. Это маленькая рыба. — This is a small fish.
5. Я вижу лошадь. — I can see a horse.

Tip: Say each sentence slowly at first, then try to say it at a natural speed.

Well done! In this lesson you have: ✔ Learned the names of 8 animals in Russian. ✔ Practised pronouncing new Russian sounds, including the rolled Р and the vowel Ы. ✔ Read a short passage aloud. ✔ Used simple sentences to talk about animals.

For homework, practise saying the animal words aloud five times each. Try to write each word from memory and draw a small picture next to it. In the next lesson we will describe animals using colours and sizes.