Curriculum

Absolute Beginner Season 1

This 25-lesson Absolute Beginner season is a reboot of the Absolute Beginner Level Newbie Series. Follow the story of Benjamin, a young man studying in Russia. As with all of our lessons, you'll learn useful Russian cultural tips that you won't find in a text book. This series is aimed at students who are making contact with the Russian language for the first time or need a basic review.

Asking whether the restaurant has something you want

Lesson	Topic	Function	Conversation in target language	Cultural Insight	Vocabulary	Expressions	Grammar
1	introduction, small talk with strangers	getting to know people, making first impression	Ben: Здравствуйте, извините, можно с Вами познакомиться? Nika: Да, конечно. Меня зовут Вероника. А как Вас зовут? Ben: Benjamin. Можно просто Бен. Nika: Очень приятно, Бен! Ben: Мне тоже очень приятно!	Getting to know people in random places like public transportation or parks used to be very popular in Russia before, as there were very few opportunities to meet people outside of work places or universities. There were no night clubs and very few coffee shops or restaurants in the country, most of which were quite unaffordable for common people. Nowadays people are much more skeptical about making "street friends", although if you approach a person you liked in a gallant and intelligent way, i.e. don't scare him/her away or freak him/her out, then chances for success are still high.	здравствуйте извините c зовут познакомиться конечно звать как просто очень приятно тоже	можно с Вами познакомиться? Меня зовут Можно просто Очень приятно	Explanation of the usage of the following words and phrases: "Познакомиться" "Можно" "Меня зовут" "Как Вас зовут" "Можно просто" "Очень приятно"
2	talking about nationalities, places of birth, places of residence	how to say your nationality, place of birth, place of current residence	Ben: Ника, Вы русская? Nika: Нет, я украинка, но живу в России. А Вы откуда? Вы американец? Ben: Да, я из Америки. Nika: А из какого штата? Ben: Я родился в Орегоне, но живу в Нью-Йорке.	Before the Soviet Union collapsed, meeting a foreigner and let alone speaking to one was similar to meeting a Marsian for common Russians: the "Iron Curtain" carefully protected USSR from anything foreign and potentially dangerous. Even the legendary band "The Beatles" was claimed to be the "mind-corrupting leftovers of rotten capitalism" and was forbidden even to think of, therefore was secretly passed from hands to hands and recorded on thin medical X-ray sheets in the house basements. Luckily, the times have changed, the international inflow in Russia is huge. Meeting foreigners is still interesting and intriguing, like in any other country, but not shocking or intimidating like in the USSR.	русская украинка жить в откуда из какого штат родился но	я украинка Вы откуда? я из Америки из какого штата? я родился я живу	Learning how to say nationality in both genders; Using verbs "born", "live" "is" in the first person;
3	"How are you" in formal and informal forms	How to ask "how are you" in both formal and informal ways; What to say when being introduced to other people	Ben: Привет, Ника! Как дела? Nika: Нормально. Познакомься, это мой папа. Ben:Здравствуйте, я Бен. Как поживаете? Nika's dad: Хорошо, спасибо, Бен! Ну, удачного вам дня! Ben:Спасибо, Вам тоже!	"Meeting the parents" is not a big deal in now-a-day Russia, whether they are your friend's or your partner's. Usually it happens in a very casual atmosphere with no awkward smiles or questions. Everyone behaves like they are just meeting a new neighbor. It's after you leave when your ears might start burning from being actively discussed by the parents and siblings. But don't worry, if you are polite and behave naturally, you'll be very much liked and invited to visit again and again.	как дела нормально познакомься это мой папа как поживаете хорошо спасибо удачный день	Как дела? Как поживаете? Познакомься	Formal vs. informal language, the formal ending "те"; introducing and being introduced
4	inquiring about language abilities	learning different ways of explaining your degree of fluency in a foreign language	Ben: Ника, ты говоришь по-английски? Nika: Немного. Нет, очень плохо. Но я говорю по-немецки. Ben: Правда? Я тоже немного говорю. Совсем немного. Nika:Но ты хорошо говоришь по-русски! Ben: Нет-нет, я только учу…	Nowadays you can meet a lot of people in big cities who`d be able to explain more than just street directions to you in English. Although we`d still recommend you to target people under 30 years old. The older generation won`t be much of a help. And don`t expect the staff in the stores or restaurant to speak foreign languages, either. That segment of the population is still English-free.	ты говорить по-английски немного очень плохо по-немецки правда учить забыть хорошо только	ты говоришь по-английски? я говорю Немного очень плохо хорошо говоришь только учу	Using the verbs "to speak" in 1st and 2nd person. Using different ways of describing language abilities: good, bad, a little, very little, just learning.
5	jobs and professions	how to ask and talk about the job and specialization	Nika: Бен, кем ты работаешь? Ben: Я экономист, работаю в банке. А ты? Nika: А я ещё студентка, учусь на журналиста и подрабатываю в кафе. Ben: А ты на каком курсе? Nika: На пятом, в этом году заканчиваю. Ben: Здорово, удачи!	Russia has a high-quality education for all citizens of the country. It was considered to be one of the best mass-education systems in the world, and although lately it has lost some of its positions due to the drastic changes in the country in the 90s, it's still producing a literacy rate of 98% exceeding most Western European countries. Traditionally, there were five years of education in Russia. A 5th year graduate would get a Specialist degree, but it was incompatible with existing Western academic degrees. Therefore, in October 2007 Russia enacted a law that standardized Russian educational model according to the European system. The five-year model of education was replaced with a two-tiered approach: a four-year bachelor degree followed by a two-year master degree. But the universities with a 5-year course still exist.	работать экономист банк ещё студент учиться на журналист подрабатывать кафе курс пятый в этом году заканчивать здорово удачи	кем ты работаешь? Я экономист учусь на На каком курсе?	talking about work, part-time job, profession, university major and year in 1st and 2nd person.
6	Family	learning family members; learning to conjugate the verbs "I have/ do you have"	Nika: Бен, у тебя есть брат или сестра? Ben: Да, у меня есть старшая сестра и младший брат. Nika: Они живут в Нью-Йорке? Ben: Нет, сестра живёт в Калифорнии, а брат – в Мичигане. Nika: А где твои родители? Ben: Они живут в Орегоне. А где твоя семья? Nika: Моя семья живёт в Москве.	Russians are very attached to their families. It`s not common for a typical Russian family to be scattered around the country, let alone around the world. During the USSR era, one couldn't buy an apartment, he could only "receive" it from the state. The apartments were given to people for free, according to the time they worked on the enterprise. Sometimes people would wait for their private flat for 10-20 years living in communal apartments with shared kitchen and bathroom. Living together with parents and/or children was also very common, which created lots of conflicts, but also made Russians to be considerate and ready to compromise. Nowadays buying or ranting apartments became legally possible, but not very affordable financially. Therefore a lot of people still live together with their parents even when they are already married.	есть брат или сестра старшая младший родители семья	у тебя есть у меня есть старшая сестра младший брат	I have/do you have Adjectives in M. and F. genders Personal pronouns Possessive pronouns
7	Telling about what you want to do	asking and expressing desire; learning negations; making a proposition	Ника, куда ты хочешь сегодня пойти? Я не знаю, а ты? Я хочу пойти в парк, а потом в кино. Пойдём вместе? С удовольствием! Может, сначала пообедаем? Я голодная. Конечно, пойдём!	Usually, women in Russia are not used to making decisions when it comes to choosing places and things to do with a man. Most men in Russia like it, as taking initiative in their hands and being in control of the situation makes them feel good about themselves in a strong manly way. Don't be afraid that the woman you are with won't like your offer. If she doesn't, she'll tell you about that directly.	куда хотеть сегодня пойти знать парк потом кино вместе с удовольствием может сначала пообедать голодный	ты хочешь Я не знаю Я хочу С удовольствием	Using and conjugating the verb "want" Using negative particle "ne" Making a proposition "let`s go"
8	Ordering food	Asking about unknown food (any other object, word)	Бен, ты любишь пельмени? Что такое "пельмени"? Скажи по-английски. Ммм… Я не знаю, как это сказать по-английски. Девушка, извините, как сказать по-английски "пельмени"? Meat dumplings. Аа! Да, я очень люблю пельмени! Давай закажем.	Pelmeni is a dish originating from Tatarstan and Siberia, now considered part of Russian and Ukrainian national cuisine. Pelmeni is a type of dumpling consisting of a filling that is wrapped in thin unleavened dough. The filling can be minced meat (pork, lamb, beef, or any other kinds of meat), fish, and mushrooms. In modern Russian culture store-bought pelmeni are considered a kind of a fast-food and are associated with students' or bachelors' lifestyle, much like instant noodles. But home-made pelmeni are still one of the favorites on the table of any Russian family.	любить пельмени что такое... сказать девушка очень давай заказать	Я люблю Что такое давай	Using the word "like" (I like, do you like?) "What is..." "How to say in Russian..." Command forms Using the verb "let's"
9	asking for help in a restaurant	learning how to say "I can`t"	Ника, помоги мне, пожалуйста. Я не могу найти пиво в меню. Ммм... Я тоже не вижу. Девушка, у Вас есть пиво? Да, Вам разливное или в бутылке? А какое пиво у Вас есть? Балтика, Хайникен, Асахи... Бутылку Хайникен, пожалуйста.	Russians have long lived with the stereotype of being heavy drinkers. Beer is the nation's number two alcoholic drink after vodka, but is seen by many as a healthier almost non-alcoholic alternative. "Baltika" is one of the most popular beers in Russian. Baltika Brewery is the largest brewery in Eastern Europe. Some say it has become synonymous with Russian beer. It is one of Russia's best selling brands and is available in almost every Russian city.	помогать мочь найти пиво меню тоже видеть разливное бутылка какой	помоги мне Я не мог у Вас есть	Using the verb "can" Verb conjugations Asking for help in formal and informal ways
10	Food talk	Learning how to ask for opinion; how to talk about skills; how to form the past tense	Ну, как тебе пельмени? Очень вкусно! А почему ты не ешь? Потому что я вегетарианка, я не ем мясо. Но я заказала рыбу и салат. Понятно. Жаль, что ты не ешь мясо. Я умею готовить классный стейк! Ну... О, вот моя рыба! Приятного аппетита. Спасибо.	It's a little bit difficult to be a vegetarian in Russia if you like to dine out or just forced to eat outside of your house most of the time. Of course you can find many vegetarian dishes in any restaurant, but some people say they don't feel comfortable eating in places where meet is also cooked. There are a lot of vegetarian restaurants in the West, but in Moscow for example, there are only a couple of them. The prices might also be a little bit of a problem, especially in winter.	как тебе вкусно почему есть потому что вегетарианка мясо рыбу салат Понятно Жаль готовить классный вот Приятного аппетита	как тебе Очень вкусно почему Потому что Жаль, что Я умею Приятного аппетита	Asking for the opinion: "how do you find..." Talking about skills; Conjugation of the verb "to eat"; Past Tense
11	Restaurant, bill	Learning how to split the bill or how to treat a person to a meal	Ben: Девушка, счёт, пожалуйста! Замечательный обед. Nika: Да, я так наелась... Сколько с меня? Ben: Нисколько, я заплачу. Nika: Нет, Бен, давай поделим! Ben: Ника, перестань. Мне приятно тебя угостить. Nika: Спасибо...	Don't be afraid to offend a woman with extra attention in Russia. Compliments, opening a car door for a woman, letting her in the building before yourself, carrying her heavy bags and paying for her – everything will give you extra points as a man. And don't worry, these signs of attention won't make a woman think that you are hitting on her, she'll take it for granted. Of course following the example of the Western independent women, Russian girl might offer you to split the bill. Although it`ll take you only a second to convince her not to do so.	счёт Замечательный обед наелась Сколько Нисколько заплачу поделим перестань угостить	счёт, пожалуйста я заплачу давай поделим	С меня... Pronouns and different forms they can take
12	talking about personal conditions	to learn how to express personal condition learn he difference between adjectives and adverbs in Russian	Ben: Этот парк очень красивый! Nika: Это мой любимый парк. Здесь всегда тихо и спокойно. Ben: Да. Тебе не холодно? Nika: Нет, мне жарко! И я немного устала. Ты не устал? Ben: Нет, я в порядке, но мы можем пойти в кино и отдохнуть там. Nika: Да, было бы неплохо.	Despite being a business heart of Russia, Moscow is a very green and beautiful city. It has over 100 parks and gardens within its limits, not to mention beautiful sights in the suburban arias. Everyone can find a park according to their taste in Moscow. Nature lovers will be fascinated with the Botanical Gardens, Elk Island National Nature Park, and if they travel with kids - Moscow Zoo is a must to see. A big number of Historical Parks, like Izmailovsky and Kolomenskoe, will introduce you to the Russian cultural heritage - medieval churches and elegant old houses. In Moscow Leasure and Memorial parks one can enjoy fresh air and excersise, like rollerblading or dynamic walk. The best options for that would be Gorky Park or The All-Russian Exhibition Center.	Этот красивый любимый Здесь всегда тихо спокойно холодно жарко устала в порядке было бы неплохо	мой любимый я в порядке было бы неплохо	Demonstrative pronouns "это" - "этот". Adjectives vs. adverbs
13	meeting friends	learn how to introduce people to each other, learning Past Tense verbs	Nika: О, какая встреча! Бен, познакомься, это мои друзья, Катя и Дима. Ben: Очень приятно, я Бен. Вы тоже пришли на Аватар? Friends: Да, но мы ещё не купили билеты. Nika: А мы уже купили, места 6 и 7. Бен, мы забыли купить напитки. Ben: Да, и закуски. Ты хочешь попкорн? Nika: Да, пожалуйста.	Russian movie industry started in the end of the 19th century in Russian Empire and fully developed during the Soviet era. Although most Soviet movies (especially early ones) were full of communist propoganda and nationalistic ideas, there were also kind and heart-warming movies like "Moscow doesn't believe in tears" and "Irony of fate", which appeared on TV in the late 70s. In the 21st century Russian cinema came out to the international arena with the movies like "Brother" 1 and 2, "Night Watch", "Day Watch" and "House of Fools".	встреча друзья прийти ещё не уже купить место забыть напитки закуски пожалуйста	какая встреча! Уже – ещё не	Exclamations Past Tense
14	relationships	learning the vocabulary of relationships	Дима и Катя – парень и девушка? Да, они встречаются уже 5 лет. Наверное, они поженятся. Мои лучшие друзья уже 9 лет вместе. А... У тебя есть кто-нибудь? Нет. Я рассталась с парнем год назад. А у тебя есть девушка? Нет... Понятно... Ладно, давай смотреть фильм.	There's no excact or "appropriate" period of time a girl and a guy should be together before they get married. Althogh the time between the proposition and the wedding is usually no longer than 3 months. This is how long the City Registry gives you "to think whether the decision you are making is right" after the wedding application. Somehow it's always been more than enough for couples to pull off a wedding ceremony in such short time.	парень девушка встречаться наверное жениться лучший вместе кто-нибудь никто расстаться …назад ладно смотреть фильм	парень и девушка лучшие друзья	Reflexive verbs Instrumental Case
15	going home	learning to express the need, time to go learning adverbs to describe states and conditions	Уже поздно, мне пора домой. Я тебя провожу. Ночью в Москве опасно. Да, но я живу далеко... Ничего. Мы возьмём такси. Но это будет очень дорого! Это не проблема. Пойдём!	Unfortunately, we can't guarantee your total safely when you go to Russia. If you stereotyped Russia as a dangerous country, you are somewhat right. There's a reason for some extra safety precautions while you travel to Russia - you are a foreigner. Just like you have a stereotype about Russia being dangerous, Russians have a stereotype of foreigners being rich and naive. If you wander around the city with your big Pentax, eyes and mouth wide open in amusement - 99% chance some street hooligan has already spotted you as a potential source of income. Be careful in Russia, especially in the cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Always hold your bag close to you, never put anything into your back pockets, carry your passport with you, don't go to bars and clubs alone, don't hitch-hike (call a taxi when you need one) and don't wander the streets alone at night.	поздно пора домой проводить ночью опасно далеко ничего взять такси быть дорого проблема	мне пора взять такси очень дорого не проблема	пора... – pora… - it's time to… Future Tense
16	phone talk	learning how to talk on the phone and make meeting arrangements	Алло? Алло, привет, узнала? Нет, кто это? Это я, Бен! Ой, Бен, привет! Извини, я только что проснулась... Кстати, большое спасибо за вчера! Тебе спасибо! Ты сегодня свободна? Дай подумать... Я буду занята до обеда, а после обеда я свободна. Отлично! Я за тобой заеду!	You've probably figured out already how to make phone calls to and from Russia if you've been there already. (Just in case, the country code is 7). What's also important is to know the emergency numbers while traveling in a foreign country. And even though we hope you will never need them, you should always keep them handy. 01 Fire service 02 Police 03 Ambulance 04 Gas service		узнать только что проснуться кстати большой за сегодня свободный дать думать занятый до обеда после отлично заехать за...	short adjectives
17	expressing one's worry, asking questions	learn how to ask questions, inquire about a person	Ты опять идёшь гулять с Беном? Да, а что? Ничего... Что Бен делает в Москве? Путешествует. А сколько он уже в Москве? Несколько дней. А когда он уезжает? Через несколько дней. Пап, не волнуйся, всё будет хорошо!	Usually parents in Russia are not too protective of their children. If dating and partying don't interfere with studies and don't go against common norms, parent's let their children explore life in all its aspects in farely early age. Parents in Russia would not be concerned with such issues as an adult dating their minor kid if the kid is at least 16. Age difference is also not an issue. On the opposite, parents prefer their daughters to date and marry older, more mature and financially stable men, and their sons to have tame, caring, domestic young girls. The attitude to foreigners can be very different depending on the country and personal points of view.	опять идти гулять делать путешествовать когда уезжать через несколько день волноваться	опять что сколько когда	Question words and expressions The verb "идти" – "to go"
18	countries one's been to	Learning how to ask about previous experiences	Бен, где ты был, кроме России? Я много где был, в Европе и Азии... Я люблю путешествовать. А ты где была? Я почти нигде не была. Но я очень хочу поехать в Латинскую Америку. Понятно. Кстати, тебе нравится мексиканская кухня? Очень. Я была в мексиканском ресторане на прошлой неделе.	After the "Iron Curtain" fell down and the Soviet Union broke up, travelling was like a gulp of fresh air for Russian people. Started with Czech Republic and Burgaria, Russians expanded their travel interests far into East and West. For the past decade, Russians' favorite places of recreation (i.e. accessable visa and finance-wise) have been Egypt, Turkey and Thailand. Due to world political situation, Russian people are not immideately welcomed in all countries. Some require quite a hassle with a visa, when a lot of people get simply denied it with no explanation. Although the situation with traveling improved dramatically for the past 10 years, a lot of Russians still can't afford anything more "foreign" than 2 weeks a year in Bulgaria or Black Sea in Crimea, Ukraine.	кроме много где Европа Азия почти нигде поехать Латинская Америка нравиться мексиканский кухня ресторан на прошлой неделе	кроме много где почти нигде на прошлой неделе	Past Tense with the verb "to be" Accusative Case Prepositional Case
19	making plans	learning how to talk about making plans and express necessity	Катя и Дима собираются пойти в боулинг вечером, пойдём с ними! Хорошо. Но мне нужно вернуться домой непоздно сегодня. Без проблем. У тебя дела вечером? Нет, я собираюсь на компьютерную выставку завтра утром, поэтому сегодня я хочу рано лечь спать.	Russian night life is probably no different from most countries. Same bars, clubs, restaurants, game centers and special parties. Usually when Russians go to a club they stay there till the first subway train, which means till the morning. Those with cars are more lucky because they get to go home whenever they want. The problem is, having a car doesn't stop people from enjoying their nights to the fullest, which leads to unfortunate accidents on the roads. Be careful while crossing the street at night in Russia. Bars, restaurants, liquor stores and supermarkets are often open 24/7. So while being careful, try to enjoy Russian night life the way Russians do!	собираться вечером нужно вернуться непоздно дела выставка утром поэтому рано лечь спать	собираться нужно поэтому лечь спать	the verb "собираться" - "to be going to" Pronouns in the Instrumental Case
20	new hairstyle, compliments	learning how to talk about appearances (hair) and making compliments	Катя, у тебя новая причёска! Да, я вчера была в парикмахерской. Тебе очень идёт! Я тоже хочу постричься. И покраситься. В какой цвет? Я хочу сделать мелирование. Я могу посоветовать тебе хорошего мастера.	If you are a man and you like a girl's hairstyle - say it. If you like her dress - say it. If you like the way she eats, rubs her ears or giggles - say it. Girls in Russia love compliments and never take them wrong. You can not offend anyone with extra attention. And girls usually don't compliment guys because... well, because guys might thinks that girls take them for somebody they are not. And girls don't want guys to feel awkward:)	новый причёска вчера парикмахерская постричься идти покраситься цвет мелирование мочь посоветовать хороший мастер	Тебе очень идёт! Я тоже хочу Я могу	Noun/pronoun in the Dative Case + идёт + the object The Dative Case
21	sports, musical instruments	learning how to speak about playing sports and musical instruments	Дима, я слышал, ты занимаешься боксом. Да. А ты чем занимаешься? Я играю в теннис. А Катя играет на скрипке и не любит спорт, к сожалению. Да? Интересно, чем занимается Ника…	Russia is quite a sporty country. The most played sports are soccer, ice hockey and basketball, which also attract the bigest amount of spectactors. Russia is also a very strong competitor in such sports as weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics and figure-skating. Very many people find relaxation in such things as chess and fishing, which are also considered "sports". Of course, after the collapse of the USSR (which team brought home the biggest amount of medals 14 times out of 18 appearances in the Olympic Games), Russia lost its leading positions in a lot of spheres, but on the idividual level Russian people are still very fond of sports and outdoor activities.	слышать заниматься бокс играть теннис скрипка спорт к сожалению интересно	к сожалению Интересно	Usage and conjugation of the verbs "заниматься" and "играть"
22	time, necessity to leave	talking about time and the necessity to leave	Ника, который час? Десять сорок. Тебе уже нужно идти? Да, к сожалению. Мне нужно завтра встать в шесть утра. Я должен попасть на открытие выставки. Может, останешься ещё на полчаса? Нет-нет, извини, у меня нет времени.	Speaking of time, did you know that Russia has 11 time zones? Sometimes people speak proudly of it emphasizing on the huge territory their country occupy. But in reality such time diversion creates a lot of problems. Most people who do business with different regions of Russia find it extremely difficult to conduct business when people on one side of the country are waking up and on the other side people are just going to bed. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested to reduce the amount of time zones in Russia and maybe even do away with them entirely at some point. The question is, how will he make sun shine for everyone at the same time?	который час Десять сорок завтра встать шесть должен попасть на открытие Может остаться полчаса	который час? Тебе уже нужно должен попасть нет времени	нужно (need, have to) vs. должен (must) Genitive Case
23	games, winner-loser	learn how to ask "how is"-"how was", game vocabulary (win-lose), learning how to compare	Привет! Ну, как выставка? Очень интересная. Интереснее, чем я думал. А как боулинг? Кто выиграл? Дима выиграл... А мы с Катей проиграли. Я играю ещё хуже, чем Катя. Не расстраивайся, ты лучше всех играешь в биллиард!	Games like bowling and pool are relatively new in Russia, and although they've become very popular among youth, most people after 50 have never tried either of these games. Seniors are used to such games as chess, dominoes and card games. Very often in Russian parks you can see elderly men playing different table games, sometimes money is involved. When it gets dark you can also see wives of those men coming and trying to talk them into going home. Sometimes it takes hours.	интересный выиграть проиграть ещё…чем… хуже расстраиваться лучше лучше всех биллиард	хуже, чем… - лучше, чем…	Comparative Adjectives выиграть – проиграть (to win – to lose)
24	Pre-goodbye talk	learning how to express your emotions and feelings, talking about plans for the future	Ты скоро уедешь… . Да, я буду скучать по Москве. А я буду скучать по тебе. Я буду тебе писать и звонить. Хорошо. Ты ещё приедешь? Может, ты ко мне приедешь? Я подумаю.	Russian girls dating/marrying foreign guys is not a novelty. The stereotype has it that Russian women are insanely crazy about foreign men and would go abroad with them despite cultural differences and families left in Russia. Well, that's not entirely true. A lot of girls are very skeptical about international marriages and prefer to be with a man of the same mentality and cultural background. But those who do want to leave Russia with Western men have objective reasons for that. First, financial reason. Economical instability in the country makes Russian women seek better life abroad. Second, the democratic situation in Russia doesn't favor women. There are 10 million more men than women in the country. And third, some women just try to escape the patriarchal structure of the society. In Russia, it's quite difficult to combine family and career, and one always comes with the sacrifice of another. Marrying a foreigner a woman wishes for some equality in the family.	скучать писать звонить приехать уехать думать	я буду скучать Я подумаю	Prefixes Future Tense
25	parting, gratitude	learning how to express gratitude for the time well spent, saying good-bye in a warm and touching way	Передавай привет родителям, Кате и Диме. Обязательно. Пиши и звони мне! Конечно. Я так рад, что мы познакомились! Благодаря тебе, эта поездка стала незабываемой. Спасибо, я рада. Ну, до встречи в Америке? Без проблем, до скорого!	Russians are very sensitive to parting and everything that has to do with it. As one of the Russian proverbs says, "parting is little death" (Расставание - маленькая смерть). A lot of people can't hold back tears when saying good-bye even for a week. There are also a number of endearing "rituals" people perform before and after parting. For example, before leaving the house for a trip, everyone has to sit down and spend a minute in silence - for safe way. After a person leaves, those who stay are not allowed to take out the trash or to clean the apartment until the person reaches the destination. Cleaning the apartment right after a person leaves is associated with getting rid of all the traces of his existence just like after a person's death. Also, if you are saying good-bye to a Russian person, make sure to call him/her first thing when you arrive, otherwise you will make them worried and keep them in that condition until you finally get in touch.	передавать привет обязательно конечно рад благодаря поездка незабываемой до встречи до скорого	Передавай привет Обязательно Конечно Я так рад Благодаря тебе я рада до встречи Без проблем до скорого	Reflexive verbs in the Past Tense The aspects of the Russian Verbs