Everything About Russian Names
Plain-English guides to reading and writing Russian names across scripts: the alphabet, the romanization systems that disagree, and why your name looks the way it does on paper.
Showing 11 of 11Write your name in Russian step by step. A sound map from English into Cyrillic, three names traced letter by letter, and why several spellings can be right.
Dmitri, Dmitry, and Dmitrii are valid spellings shaped by competing romanization systems. Compare five Russian names across four systems.
A full Russian transliteration table, Cyrillic to English, with a sound note for every letter, the multigraph problem, and the rules that resolve most cases.
Learn the Cyrillic alphabet to read Russian names. 33 letters sorted into the ones you already know, the false friends, and the new shapes, with name examples.
Russian passport transliteration uses a machine-readable standard, not your spelling. See where it differs, why Ю becomes IU, and why documents disagree.
The tricky Cyrillic letters are not the strange ones. They are the false friends that look like English letters and sound different: В is v, Н is n, Р is r.
How to say hello in Russian: Привет for friends, Здравствуйте for everyone else. Stress marks, the silent letter, and which greeting fits which person.
How are you in Russian is Как дела, kak dee-LA. The formal version, the four answers Russians actually give, how to hand the question back, and what not to say.
How to say goodbye in Russian: Пока for friends, До свидания for everyone else. Stress, the literal meanings, and which farewell matches which relationship.
How to say thank you in Russian: Спасибо, spuh-SEE-buh. Stronger forms, the two standard replies, and why Пожалуйста means both please and you're welcome.
How to say I love you in Russian: Я тебя люблю, ya tee-BYA lyoo-BLYU. Stress, the люблю sound, what changes when you move the words, and who it is said to.