<figure class="wp-block-image"></figure>

Full Episode Audio

<figure class="wp-block-audio"></figure>

Exercises Only Audio

<figure class="wp-block-audio"></figure>

Download Full Episode (right click save-as)

Download Exercises

*
NOTE *

All
phrases intended for translating/listening practice have been
deleted.

Welcome
to Ep18. Let’s start with a brief conversation. Along with trying to
get the gist of what they’re saying, try to listen for words that end
with an “и” sound. Ready?

Где
мама и папа?

Они
пошли в магазин. (door opens) О!
Вот они. Привет мама, привет папа. Что
купили?

Мы
купили игрушки.

Let’s
listen again…This time, try to translate after each line.

Где
мама и папа?

Where
are mom and dad?

Они
пошли в магазин.

We
heard the word магазин,
which is a store. In fact, we heard в
магазин…so they must be going there. After all, if
they were in the store, it’d be в магазине
right? Anyway…

(door
opens) О! Вот они.

Oh,
There they are.

I
get into this in great detail in Russian Accelerator, but вот
doesn’t actually mean “there”…

What
it is is a way of calling attention to someone or something.
But the word I want to focus on today is that word они.
Вот они…I’m
calling your attention to….they.

Or
that earlier phrase: Они
пошли в магазин… they headed off
to the store.

Let’s
keep going…

Привет
мама, привет папа. Что купили?

Hi
mom, hi dad. What did you buy?

Мы
купили игрушки.

We
bought toys.

So….I
asked you to keep an ear out for И sounds.
Let me point them out…

Они
пошли

Вот
они.

Что
купили?

Мы
купили игрушки.

What
does it signify? Well, that’s the topic of today’s lesson. Let’s try
this…How would you say:

He
bought a laptop. <—- In Russian, they say ‘notebook’ (ноутбук)

Он
купил ноутбук.

She
bought an i-Phone.

Она
купила ай-фон.

They
bought a printer.

Они
купили принтер.

Let’s
try another round…He bought corn.

Он
купил кукурузу.

She
bought pelmeni (little Russian raviolis).

Она
купила пельмени.

They
bought wine.

Они
купили вино.

Look….more
rhyming. She bought….она купила….THEY
bought…ОнИ купилИ

Let’s
try a different verb. How would you say…He worked in Rome.

Он
работал в Риме.

She
worked in Paris.

Она
работала в Париже.

Now
ask: Where did they work?

Где
они работали?

There’s
our И … И rhyme again. Где
они
работали?

Another
one: He tried the pelmeni.

Он
попробовал пельмени.

She
tried the corn.

Она
попробовала кукурузу.

Now
ask: What did they try…or sample?

Что
они попробовали?

As
that sinks in, let’s review the core material from the last episode.
Our speakers are going to say who they were speaking with. I’d like
you to say the person’s name in its most basic form. Ready?

–
– –

Good
job.

Alright,
back to our main topic…Try to say: They read (and finished reading)
my book.

Они
прочитали мою книгу.

They
watched (and finished watching) your video.

Они
посмотрели твоё видео.

They
gave me your rucksack.

Они
дали мне твой рюкзак.

This
one’s a little tougher. They wanted to buy for me a saxophone.

Они
хотели купить мне…саксофон. / … барабан.
/ … гитару. /

Try
that again. They wanted to buy for me a drum. One more,…change drum
to guitar

But
wait…Who buys just one drum? Who even says, “I play the drum?”
Right? “I play the drums…”

Listen
to this phrase: I love the drums.

Я
люблю барабаны.

Our
‘ee’ sound is back. Listen again: drum…drums

барабан…барабаны

Book….books

Книга…книги

watermelon…watermelons
(remember that from the Hoho Panda cartoon?)

арбуз…арбузы

Remember
how, at the very start of today’s lesson, I had you keep an ear out
for those ‘и’ sounds.

First
we concentrated on words like они…and….купили

But
it was there at the end, too. The parents bought TOYS…plural…and
that word ended with an ‘И

Listen:
toy….toys

игрушка….игрушки

That
‘ee’ sound at the end of words often—but certainly not
always—indicates more than one. In fancy grammar terms? It
indicates plurality. Think about it. THEY is more than one person,
right?

Они.
So it has an ‘ee’ sound at the end.

It’s
a bit like saying, the ‘s’ sound at the end of English words
often—but certainly not always—indicates more than one.
book…books. drum….drums

Imagine
this scenario. My kids are sorting through a pile of books in the
playroom. When Andrei tries to take one from Sophia’s pile, Sophia
hunches over her books and says simply: They are mine.

Они
мои.

Then
Andrei looks at William, who doesn’t seem to have collected any
books. Andrei asks him…

Уильям,
где твои?

William,
where are yours?

Your
turn. Imagine you’re divvying up a bag of potato chips. With just two
words, say:

They…
are yours.

Они
твои.

Next…try
to translate what the speaker is saying…

Где
мои…чипсы? / …пельмени? / …конфеты? /

Where
are my chips? Where are my pelmeni–raviolis? Where are my candies?

Где
твои…барабаны? / …джинсы? / …документы?
/

Where
are your drums? Where are your jeans? Where are your documents?

If
you’re getting all these, you’re doing great.

<<
(tip of the day) >>

Today’s
tip is just four words: You. Can. Do. This. You can become
conversational in Russian. You know how I know? Because you’re still
here. You’ve made it through eighteen of these podcasts, full of some
very complex material, high speed audio clips, long Russian Immersion
sections…and you are still here. That is an awesome
display of will power on your part. And to quote Andy Dufresne, from
Shawshank Redemption: If you’ve come this far, maybe you’re
willing to come a little further.

Because
with all you’ve put in, what’s a few more months of learning? I’ve
had students finish my Accelerator course in four months. But even if
it takes you six, that’s nothing. Six months are going to pass in any
case. And at the end, imagine being conversational in Russian. Think
of the opportunities that would give you. Think of the value of
adding that to your resume:

Additional
Skills: Speaks Russian.

You’ve
made it this far. I know you can do this. And I look forward
to helping you get there.

<<
END TIP >>

Alright,
time for our Russian Immersion.

–
– –

Alright,
for our final exam, I’m going to prompt you to say almost all
of that conversation we just heard. I realize there are words we
don’t know. That’s ok….I’ll give those to you. Let’s do it…

Say:
Hi, Neal.

Tell
me: These drums are yours? use…эти for
‘these’

Yes.
They’re mine.

Then
she says: Значит, ты умеешь играть
на барабанах?

Literally:
That means, you know how to play the drums?

Then
she adds: I didn’t know.

He
answers: I play not very well…

Играю
не очень хорошо…

but
I love to play

но
люблю играть.

She
commands him: Play!

Играй.

Now?

Сейчас?

She
says: Почему бы и нет?

That
translates as: Why not?

Да
ладно. …Ok, fine.

The
word for ‘sticks’ is палочки…of
course ending with our plural ‘и’…So
with two words, tell her:

Give
the sticks.

Дай
палочки.

На….she
says, as she hand them to Neal.

He
asks: А какую песню тебе играть?

So,
which song for you to play?

Say:
I don’t know. How you want. meaning: Play whatever you want to.

Не
знаю. Как хочешь.

Hmm…ok.

Хммм….Хорошо.

She
must’ve made a weird expression, because he stops and says:

You
what, don’t know Led Zeppelin?

Ты
что, не знаешь Лед Зе́ппелин?

Don
t know John Bonham.

Не
знаешь Джона Бонэма?

Did
you put those ‘a’s at the end…because John Bonham is a person…we
need our cool, animate accusative ending.

She
asks: Who?

Кого?

Oh,
gosh…

О
боже…

Alright.
I hope you enjoyed that one. And I hope you did well. I’ll see you in
Ep 19…