Russian Sentence Patterns for Beginners
You don't need much grammar to start speaking — you need patterns. Each one below is a skeleton: memorize it once, then swap words in and out.
Это …: Pointing at the World
Это means "this is / that is / it is" — all of them, in one unchanging word.
Это дом.
This is a house.
Note: Это + any noun. No articles (a/the) exist in Russian — one less thing to learn.
Это мой друг Антон.
This is my friend Anton.
Note: The pattern handles introductions too.
Что это?
What is this?
Note: Flip it into a question with что (what). Кто это? = Who is this?
У меня есть …: Having Things
Russian rarely uses a verb "to have." Instead it says "by me there is…":
У меня есть собака.
I have a dog. (literally: By me there is a dog.)
Note: У меня есть + thing. Memorize it as one chunk.
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| У меня есть … | I have … |
| У тебя есть … | You have … (informal) |
| У него есть … | He has … |
| У неё есть … | She has … |
| У нас есть … | We have … |
| У вас есть … | You have … (formal/plural) |
| У них есть … | They have … |
У вас есть кофе?
Do you have coffee?
Note: In a café, this question is worth the whole lesson.
In fact, here's that café visit — three patterns from this lesson doing real work:
💬 At the café
Здравствуйте! У вас есть капучино?
Hello! Do you have cappuccino?
Да, конечно.
Yes, of course.
А сколько это стоит?
And how much is it?
Двести рублей.
Two hundred rubles.
Хорошо! Один капучино, пожалуйста.
Great! One cappuccino, please.
Questions Without "Do"
English builds questions with do/does. Russian doesn't — a question is just a statement with rising intonation (in speech) or a question mark (in writing):
Ты дома?
Are you home?
Note: Statement: Ты дома. Question: Ты дома? Nothing moves.
For information questions, put the question word first:
| Russian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| что | what | Что это? — What is this? |
| кто | who | Кто это? — Who is this? |
| где | where | Где метро? — Where is the metro? |
| когда | when | Когда обед? — When is lunch? |
| почему | why | Почему нет? — Why not? |
| как | how | Как дела? — How are things? |
| сколько | how much/many | Сколько это стоит? — How much does it cost? |
Saying No: не and нет
Two different words, two different jobs:
- нет = "no" as an answer (and "there isn't")
- не = "not", placed directly before the word it negates
— Ты студент? — Нет, я не студент.
— Are you a student? — No, I'm not a student.
Note: нет answers; не negates. Both appear together all the time.
Я не понимаю.
I don't understand.
Note: Probably the most useful sentence in this course. Note: no 'do' needed.
У меня нет времени.
I don't have time.
Note: To NOT have something: replace есть with нет. (The thing then takes the genitive case — details in the cases lesson.)
Word Order: Freer Than English
Russian word endings (cases) carry the "who does what" information, so word order is flexible. The neutral order is Subject–Verb–Object, like English:
Анна читает книгу.
Anna is reading a book.
Note: Neutral order. But Книгу читает Анна is also correct — it emphasizes WHO is reading.
As a beginner: use English-like order and you'll always be correct. The flexibility is there for emphasis, and you'll absorb it naturally from reading.
Common Mistakes
- Adding a word for "do" in questions. Ты понимаешь? needs nothing extra.
- Hunting for "a" and "the." Russian has no articles. Это дом covers "this is a/the house."
- Confusing не and нет. Нет answers a question or means "there's no X"; не sits before the word it negates.
- Translating "I have" word-for-word. Use the У меня есть pattern, not a verb.
What You Can Do Now
With Это…, У меня есть…, question words, and не/нет, you can point at things, claim possessions, ask for what you need, and refuse politely. That's functional Russian — drill the patterns below.