Taking Transport in Russian
The Moscow metro moves more people than London's and New York's combined — and it speaks a very learnable dialect: numbers, station names, and about eight fixed phrases. Here they are.
The Fleet
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| метро | metro (never changes form) |
| автобус / трамвай | bus / tram |
| поезд | train |
| такси | taxi (never changes) |
| самолёт | airplane — literally 'flies-itself' |
| билет | ticket |
How You Ride
ехать на + prepositional — you ride on the vehicle:
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| на метро | by metro |
| на автобусе | by bus |
| на поезде | by train |
| на такси | by taxi |
| пешком | on foot — no vehicle, no preposition |
Я езжу на работу на метро, а домой иду пешком.
I take the metro to work, and walk home.
Note: Habitual езжу + на метро; one-way walk home — иду пешком.
Stops and Stations
| Russian | For what |
|---|---|
| станция | metro / train station |
| остановка | bus / tram stop |
| вокзал | railway terminal |
Следующая станция — Арбатская.
Next station: Arbatskaya.
Note: The metro voice. Once you catch «следующая станция», you'll never miss your stop.
Getting Off
Извините, вы выходите?
Excuse me, are you getting off?
Нет, проходите.
No, go ahead.
Спасибо!
Thanks!
Common Mistakes
- Bending метро and такси. Borrowed and proud: на метро, на такси — always.
- Станция for a bus stop. Buses stop at остановка; станция belongs to rails.
- Missing your stop politely. Learn «Вы выходите?» before you need it — the aisle parts like magic.
What You Can Do Now
You can buy a ticket, board the right vehicle, follow the announcements, and get off exactly where you meant to — the whole city is now reachable.