The easiest way to learn Russian is to learn Cyrillic, the Russian alphabet, and then read and listen to short, easy Russian about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Leave case tables and long word lists for later, because easy Russian keeps showing you the most common words and endings. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Russian to start with.
Is Russian Easy to Learn?
Russian is easy to start, and it takes a long time to learn well. The alphabet takes a few short sessions, while the words and case endings take much longer, and the U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Russian in the third of its four groups for English speakers. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- Letters You Already KnowSome Cyrillic letters, such as А, К, М, О and Т, look and sound much like English letters.
- Words You Already KnowMany Russian words come from other languages, such as кофе (coffee) and компьютер (computer).
- Short First SentencesRussian has no words for “a” or “the,” and it usually leaves out “am” and “is,” so Я студент means I'm a student.
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is to learn the letters, then spend your time on short Russian you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Learn Cyrillic FirstLearn the letters in a few short sessions with Bubblegum's free Russian Cyrillic course.
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, music, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep from each lesson.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like Привет (hi) or another greeting you want to use.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Russian at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Russian.
What Makes Russian Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Russian feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Russian.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Nouns that change their endings | Easy lines repeat the most common endings many times, as in Я люблю музыку (I love music), so they feel familiar before you see a table. Open a grammar note only when one confuses you. |
| Stress that isn't written | Everyday Russian doesn't mark the stressed part of a word, so play the audio and copy it. Free dictionaries such as OpenRussian show the stress on every word. |
| Masculine, feminine and neuter words | The last letter often tells you which one a word is: стол (table) is masculine, мама (mom) is feminine and окно (window) is neuter. |
| New sounds like ы | Listen to slow, clear audio made for learners, and say a short word like мы (we) out loud a few times. |
What Is Easy Russian to Start With?
Easy Russian to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons about ordering coffee | Level 1, Bubblegum's easiest level, uses short lines with audio and a translation. | Free on this site |
| Comprehensible Russian | Its videos are free and made for complete beginners. | YouTube |
| Sergey Storyteller | He tells easy stories in Russian and has a free course for absolute beginners. | YouTube |
| Comprehensible Russian Podcast | Russian with Max speaks slowly for learners past the basics, and some episodes are free. | russianwithmax.com |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier. Our guide to comprehensible input shows what to read and hear as you improve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to learn Cyrillic?
Learn a few letters at a time, and read real words with them as soon as you can. Bubblegum's free Russian Cyrillic course works this way in your browser, in nine short chapters, with a picture to help you remember each new letter and audio for every sound.
Can I learn Russian just by watching films?
Not at the start, because most of a film goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Films and shows help more once you can follow a simple conversation, especially with Russian subtitles on. Street interviews on Easy Russian, with subtitles in Russian and English, are a good step before films.
Which Russian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Russian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Russian apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Russian Cyrillic course and the Russian lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
