Vocabulary: Social Conventions

Social conventions refer to customary practices that govern behaviour in social situations. Learning to correctly use social convention vocabulary in Russian can aid in understanding and participating in social interactions.

To say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in Russian, the phrases “пожалуйста” (pozhaluysta) and “спасибо” (spasibo) are used respectively. These are usually the first words learnt in any foreign language and are essential to polite conversation.
“извините” (izvinite) means ‘excuse me’ similar to the English usage, it is used to get attention or apologize for a minor offence.
“Привет” (privet) is an informal way of saying ‘hello’, while “здравствуйте” (zdravstvuyte) is the formal greeting.

When introducing yourself you can say, “Меня зовут…“ (Menya zovut…) which means ‘My name is…’.
To bid someone goodbye, you can use “до свидания” (do svidaniya) formally, or “пока” (poka) in an informal context.

“Вы говорите по-английски?” (Vy govorite po-angliyski?) translates to ‘Do you speak English?’. A helpful phrase for Russian learners in the early stages.
To express that you don’t understand, you can say “Я не понимаю” (Ya ne ponimayu).

“Приходите к нам в гости!” (Prihodite k nam v gosti!) can be used to say ‘Come visit us!’. An invitation to join someone at their house or their gathering.
When accepting an invitation, the response can be simply, “Хорошо, спасибо!” (Horosho, spasibo!). The literal translation is ‘Good, thank you!’ but it’s functionally equivalent to the English ‘Great, thanks!’.

It is recommended to regularly practice using these terms in conversations or in online language exchange platforms. For example: “Привет, меня зовут Иван. Вы говорите по-английски? Мне нужна помощь.”