Есть or нет
Ask with У тебя́ есть …? and answer Да, есть or Нет, у меня́ нет бра́та (what you don't have takes the genitive).
Семья́ и друзья́ Family and friends
Unit 4 of 12 · A1. How to do it, ask and answer, listen first, speak, write, checkpoint: about 40 minutes.
By the end of this unit you can
- ask about someone's family and answer about mine
- describe a person in a few words
- say what we do together and how often
How to do it
Four habits of a good conversation in this situation. Read them first; they come back in every part below.
Two or three words per person
Мой брат — высо́кий и весёлый. A name, an age and one adjective are enough to be interesting.
Show interest with follow-ups
Как его́ зову́т? Ско́лько ему́ лет? Где он живёт? Each one is a small gift to the speaker.
Together, and how often
Мы ча́сто …, ка́ждые выходны́е, ре́дко. Frequency words make a family story real.
Ask and answer
Questions you will hear or ask, with a natural answer. Read each pair aloud; the listen button says it with your device's Russian voice.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
У тебя́ есть бра́тья и́ли сёстры? Do you have brothers or sisters? | Да, у меня́ есть брат. Yes, I have a brother. |
Как его́ зову́т? What's his name? | Его́ зову́т Па́вел. His name is Pavel. |
Ско́лько ему́ лет? How old is he? | Ему́ два́дцать пять. He's twenty-five. |
Где он живёт? Where does he live? | Он живёт в друго́м го́роде. He lives in another city. |
Кто он по профе́ссии? What does he do? | Он врач. He's a doctor. |
Вы ча́сто ви́дитесь? Do you see each other often? | Да, ка́ждые выходны́е. Yes, every weekend. |
Како́й он? What is he like? | Он до́брый и о́чень весёлый. He's kind and very cheerful. |
У тебя́ есть де́ти? Do you have children? | Пока́ нет. Not yet. |
Расскажи́ о свое́й семье́. Tell me about your family. | У нас больша́я семья́: роди́тели, два бра́та и я. We're a big family: my parents, two brothers and me. |
Кто э́то на фо́то? Who is that in the photo? | Э́то моя́ ба́бушка. Ей восемьдеся́т лет. That's my grandmother. She's eighty. |
Listen first
Hide the text, play the lines with the listen buttons and answer the questions. Then show the text and read the dialogue aloud.
| А́нна | Марк, у тебя́ есть бра́тья и́ли сёстры? |
| Марк | Да, у меня́ есть брат. Его́ зову́т Па́вел. |
| А́нна | Ско́лько ему́ лет? |
| Марк | Ему́ два́дцать пять. Он врач и живёт в друго́м го́роде. |
| А́нна | Вы ча́сто ви́дитесь? |
| Марк | Ка́ждые выходны́е: мы игра́ем в футбо́л. А у тебя́? |
| А́нна | У меня́ сестра́, Ле́на. Она́ о́чень весёлая. |
| Марк | Покажи́ фо́то! |
Did you understand?
Speak
Shadow it: play one line, pause, say it back at the same speed; then take the other part. Role-play: say your three moves aloud, in Russian, before you read any model.
A friend shows you family photos.
- Ask who is in the photo.
- Ask their name, age and what they do.
- Say one thing about your own family.
On a long train ride, the person next to you asks about your family.
- Say who is in your family.
- Describe one person in two or three words.
- Ask about their family in return.
Record and compare. Record yourself saying your part, listen back, and compare with the model lines above.
Nothing is uploaded: the recording stays on this device until you leave the page.
Write
Write six lines about your family for a new friend: who, their names and ages, what you do together.
A model dialogue
У меня́ небольша́я семья́: ма́ма, па́па и сестра́.
Мою́ сестру́ зову́т Ле́на, ей два́дцать лет.
Она́ студе́нтка и о́чень весёлая.
Роди́тели живу́т в друго́м го́роде.
Мы ви́димся ка́ждый ме́сяц.
В выходны́е мы вме́сте гото́вим и гуля́ем.
Checkpoint
Be honest: Almost and Not yet send you back to the right part, and the unit counts as done only when you say so.
I can ask about someone's family and answer about mine.
I can describe a person in a few words.
I can say what we do together and how often.