Vocabulary: Countries
Introduction to Russian Vocabulary: Countries
- Страна (strana) refers to ‘country’ in Russian, and knowing how to name and describe different countries is an integral part of language competency.
Some Common Countries in Russian
- Россия (Rossiya) - Russia
- Англия (Angliya) - England
- Америка (Amerika) - America
- Франция (Frantsiya) - France
- Италия (Italiya) - Italy
- Испания (Ispaniya) - Spain
- Германия (Germaniya) - Germany
- Китай (Kitay) - China
- Япония (Yaponiya) - Japan
- Австралия (Avstraliya) - Australia
- Канада (Kanada) - Canada
Describing Origin and Nationality
- To specify nationality or origin from a country, the suffix “-ец” for masculine or “-ка” for feminine is added. For example, an Englishman is англичанин (anglichanin) and an Englishwoman is англичанка (anglichanka).
- To say “I am from … ,” the phrase “Я из …“ is used. For example, “Я из России” (I am from Russia).
Describing Location
- The preposition “в” (in) is used to indicate location within a country. For example, “Я живу в Америке” (I live in America).
- If the country name is plural or the name of the country is derived from a river, sea, or mountain range, the preposition “на” is used. For example, “на Филиппинах” (in the Philippines).
Adjectives Derived from Countries
- Many adjectives can be formed from the names of countries, and they are used to describe the language, inhabitants, culture etc. of the country. For example, российский (Russian), английский (English), американский (American).
Common Phrases
- “Где ты живёшь?” - Where do you live?
- “Ты говоришь по-английски?” - Do you speak English?
- “Я изучаю русский язык.” - I’m studying Russian language.
- “Моя мечта путешествовать по миру.” - My dream is to travel the world.