Pronunciation: hard and soft signs

There are two letters in the russian alphabet that don't have any sounds - the hard sign (твёрдый знак) and the soft sign (мягкий знак). In this post, I will try to explain you how do we use these letters without any sounds and how can we pronounce them.

Ъъ - твёрдый знак 

Ьь - мягкий знак 

The hard sign 

You have to use the hard sign Ъ for separating a prefix and a root of a word. In this case a prefix should finish with a consonant (for example, под-, из-, об-, с-) and a root should start with a vowel (only е, ё, ю or я). Examples: подъезд (an entrance), изъять (to withdraw), объятие (an embrace), съесть (to eat).

Also you have to use tha hard sign Ъ for separating in compound words with numbers such as двухъярусный (double-level), трёхъязычный (trilingual, triglot).

NB! There is no the hard sign in front of the other vowels. Examples: безопасный (safe), контрудар (counterblow), трансарктический (transarctic).

The soft sign

You have to use the soft sign Ь for separating inside a word (in a root or in a suffix) and only before vowels е, ё, ю, я, и: вьюга (a snowstorm), бурьян (weeds). Sometimes there is the soft sign Ь after the vowel о also, but it's only for foreign words: бульон (a bouillon), синьор (a signor). The vowel that follows the soft sign Ь becomes yotated. Compare two words: семя (a seed) - семья (a family).

A consonant before the soft sign Ь becomes soft.

The soft sign Ь can end a word also. In this case a consonant on front of Ь is softened, too. Examples: гореть (to be on fire), степь (a steppe), мать (a mother).

NB! Remember that you can't write the soft sign Ь after a prefix.

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Text: New Year in Russia

Only two days left before the biggest holiday in Russia - New Year. You can know more about it from a text in Russian that I've prepared for you. Look through the text carefully. There is a list of some words with translations below the text that should help you. The images in this post are old soviet postcards for New Year.

 Новый год в России 

Новый год в России - самый популярный праздник. Пожалуй, его любят и отмечают все: и дети, и взрослые. Готовиться к Новому году начинают заранее. За пару недель до 31 декабря ставят дома ёлку и украшают её, покупают подарки и планируют, где и как провести эту ночь, а ближе к концу года в магазинах выстраиваются огромные очереди за продуктами и напитками к праздничному столу. Обычно в каждом городе на центральной площади тоже устанавливают и украшают ёлку. Она может быть искусственной или настоящей.

Символ Нового года в России - это Дед Мороз с длинной белой бородой и в красной шубе. Он живёт в российском городе Великий Устюг, откуда каждый год отправляется в путешествие по всей стране, чтобы все получили свои подарки. Помогает Деду Морозу его внучка - Снегурочка.

На Новый год в России принято готовить много еды: салаты (например, "Оливье" и "Селёдка под шубой"), горячее с гарниром (например, жареная курица с картофелем), десерт (торт или мороженое), фрукты и другие закуски. Обязательный новогодний напиток - шампанское. Но у большинства россиян на столе всегда есть и водка.

Весь день 31 декабря по телевидению показывают старые советские или новые российские фильмы про Новый год. "Ирония судьбы, или с лёгким паром", "Чародеи" - самые популярные и традиционные новогодние фильмы. За несколько минут до полуночи по телевидению с обращением к народу выступает президент страны. Как только часы пробьют полночь, люди выпивают шампанское и запускают фейерверки. Многие отмечают Новый год до самого утра, поэтому на следующий день, 1 января, на улице очень тихо и спокойно - люди приходят в себя после праздника.

New words and translations 

Новый год - New Year
праздник - holiday
пожалуй - may, perhaps
отмечать - to celebrate
заранее - beforehand, in advance
ёлка - Christmas tree
ближе - nearer
огромный - huge
искусственный - artificial
настоящий - real
символ - symbol
Дед Мороз - Grandfather Frost, russian Santa Claus
борода - beard
шуба - fur coat
внучка - granddaughter
Снегурочка - Snowmaiden
селёдка - herring
горячее - main course
гарнир - garnish
закуска - snack

ирония - irony
судьба - fate
пар - steam
чародей - wizard
фейерверк - firework
приходить в себя - to come to consciousness

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Pronunciation of consonants: hard and soft

The basic rules of pronunciation the russian letters are given in one of the fisrt my post - The Russian alphabet.

Now I want to give you some advices how to pronounce soft and hard consonants.

There are 20 consonants · 3 always soft: й, ч, щ; · 3 always hard: ж, ш, ц; · 14 could be hard or soft: б, в, г, д, з, к, л, м, н, п, р, с, т, ф, х.

When consonants are hard?

before a hard vowel: а, о, у, ы, э	баржа, рот, пуля, пытка, мэр
before a hard consonant: б, в, г, ж, ш, ц etc	брод, пламя, окно, хвост
at the end of a word	стук, диван, кот, утюг, парад

When consonants are soft?

before a soft vowel: е, ё, и, ю, я	мелочь, клён, кино, люстра, Рязань
before a soft sign: ь	пень, маленький, калька
before a soft consonant: б', в', м', н' etc	влюбиться, прятки, плётка

NB! There are 3 consonants in the Russian alphabet (г, к, х) which are softened only before soft vowels е or и. Examples: геолог, гирлянда, Керчь, кит, херувим, хилый.


How to pronounce hard and soft sounds?


When you pronounce soft sounds, the middle part of the tongue rises and touches the palate. There is only the small duct between the tongue and the palate. When you pronounce hard sounds, this duct through which air goes is bigger. Compare with English words: leader - like, do - during, mean - miss.

Do you want to know about russian pronunciations? Just choose the category alphabet.

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Photo: Russian life. Pure morning after New Year's party

"Photo: Russian life" is a new tag in my blog. I will use it when I share my photos from different places in Russia.

The first photo is about New Year, the biggest holiday in my country. To be more precise, I made this picture the day after New Year's party, on the 1st of January 2011, in Krasnoyarsk, my hometown. Usually almost everyone celebrates on the night between December and January, eats and drinks a lot. I like to go out early in the first morning of a year. There are almost no one on the streets, all stores are closed (except some supermarkets that work 24 hours a day), rarely you can meet a taxi (the white car in the center of the picture). Peace and quite. The temperature outside: -29°C.

The 1st of January 2011. Krasnoyarsk, Russia. -29°C

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How to say: Goodbye

Last week I wrote how to say "Hello" in Russian. If you missed this post or you want to repeat, click here. Now it's time to know how to say "Goodbye" in Russian. There are a lot of different phrases and words which you can use for farewell. I gathered some of them in the table below.

Meaning	How to say in Russian
Goodbye! (formal terms)	До свидания!
Bye! (informal terms)	Пока!
Bye-bye! (informal terms)	Пока-пока!
Good night!	Спокойной ночи!
	Доброй ночи!
Have a good day!	Приятного дня!
See you tomorrow!	До завтра!
See you later! (inromal terms)	Увидимся!
"To call each other later" (literally meaning)	Созвонимся!
Farewell to…!	Прощай! или Прощайте!

To know more from this section, just click the tag "How to say" and you will find many useful phrases and words in Russian.

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Russian traditions and music: New Year's song

There remain only 10 days before New Year. It's the biggest holiday in Russia, and it's very close to Christmas in USA and many european countries. Do you know that we don't celebrate Christmas? I mean, we celebrate, but another day (the 7th of January), because there is orthodox church in Russia and Gregorian calendar for relgious holidays.

But we have Christmas tree (новогодняя ёлка), Santa Claus (Дед Мороз) and a lot of presents (новогодние подарки) at New Year (Новый год).

Look at the video below. It's one of the famous New Year's song in Russia – “В лесу родилась ёлочка”. Listen and try to sing it together. I put lyrics in both Russian and English.

 

В лесу родилась ёлочка, В лесу она росла. Зимой и летом стройная, Зелёная была. Метель ей пела песенку: "Спи, ёлочка, бай-бай!" Мороз снежком укутывал: "Смотри, не замерзай!" Трусишка, зайка серенький Под ёлочкой скакал. Порою волк, сердитый волк, Рысцою пробегал. Чу! Снег по лесу частому Под полозом скрипит Лошадка мохноногая Торопится, бежит. Везёт лошадка дровенки, На дровнях мужичок. Срубил он нашу ёлочку Под самый корешок. И вот она, нарядная, На праздник к нам пришла, И много, много радости Детишкам принесла. В лесу родилась ёлочка, В лесу она росла. Зимой и летом стройная, Зелёная была.

There was a Fir-Tree born in woods, And there she was grown, In winter and in summer both The grace and green she was. The Snowstorm sang a song for her: "Sleep, Firry, sleep tight-tight!" The Frost was covering with snow: "Don't freeze in such cold night!" A yellow-bellied Bunny there Was leaping under fir. From time to time an angry Wolf Was running over near. The snow around the thicky woods Is creaking under skid, A shaggy Gee-Gee frisks ahead In greatest rush indeed. The Gee-Gee's carrying firewoods On them there is a Man. He chopped down our little Fir At the very rootlet. And now in gallant here she is On feast to us she came, And many many joyances All little kids she gave. There was a Fir-Tree born in woods, And there she was grown. In winter and in summer both The grace and green she was.

English lyrics by Joe White

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Pronunciation of vowels: е, ё, ю, я

The basic rules of pronunciation the russian letters are given in one of the fisrt my post - The Russian alphabet.

Now I want to give you more about specific russian sounds - pronunciation of vowels.

There are 10 vowels

 
But for describing pronunciation four of them (е, ё, ю, я) we use the term yotation.

 

Yotation is a form of palatalization which occurs in Slavic langaguges.

Following the rules, we yotate the letters е, ё, ю, я:

• at the beginning of a word;
• when they follow a vowel;
• when they follow a hard sign;
• when they follow a soft sign.

In all these cases above the letters е, ё, ю, я are prononunced like ye (yes), yo (New York), yu (usually), ya (yacht).

ель	ye	e at the beginning of a word
поём	yo	ё follows a vowel
объяснение	ya	я follows a hard sign
вьюга	yu	ю follows a soft sign

We also must yotate the letters е, ё, ю, я when they follow a consonant. But the yotation should be less than in the previous cases. There are similar sounds in English language.

лента	e (mess)	е follows a consonant
рёв	eou (Seoul)	ё follows a consonant
пюре	u (tuna)	ю follows a consonant
пряность	ya (hyacinth)	я follows a consonant

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