Thread: Meeting my friend's Mom over Skype. :D

Hey guys, glad to have an account after a bit of lurking the forums.

So, I've been learning Russian with Rosetta Stone and some browsing on these forums for a little over a month. I can maybe hold a very basic conversation, but not a lot. I'm going to meet my exchange student friend's mom over Skype video chat sometime, so I need some stuff I want to say translated... I could probably try, but they would be a bit off. Oh, and I can read Russian... even if I'm not sure what I'm saying, so feel free to translate them into Russian text (actually, it's preferable I think).

1. My Russian is not great, so I'm sorry for my slow speech and misunderstandings.
2. You must be a great parent to have raised Yuliya into the great person that she is... you must be proud of her.
3. It will be sad around here when Yuliya leaves. We will miss her a lot.

Have some others, but my brain has turned to sand because of the school day. I'll post some others as I think of them.

Also, does anybody have any suggestions on things I should say that would be different than normal American conversation? (Hi, I'm Stephen, how are you, blah blah blah) Any etiquette that might be necessary, or anything I might do that's offensive?

Thanks very much, everyone!

Hello
1. Русский у меня не очень, (так что) простите мне мою медленную речь и недоразумения, которые возникнут.
2. Вы, должно быть, замечательная мама, раз вырастили Юлию таким замечательным человеком.
3. Когда Юлия нас покинет, мы будем очень по ней скучать.

I think most of phrases for the conversation you can find in any English-Russian phrasebook on the Internet:
"Hello" = "Здравствуйте"
"Good bye" = "До свидания"
"Thank you" ="Спасибо", "Благодарю"
"Please" and "you are welcome" = "Пожалуйста"

Actually I am not someone who knows etiquette well but it seems to me nobody asks, "Как Ваши дела?"/"Как поживаете?" (="How are you?"), on the first meeting. But people say, "Приятно/Рада познакомиться" (literally: "Nice to be introduced"). The phrases like "How are you" are better to use since the second acquaintance.

If the meeting is not the first, after greetings you can say, "Рада (снова) Вас видеть"/"Рада встрече" (literally: "I am glad to see you (again)"/"Nice to meet you").

The blue is feminine.

And please never use "Скатертью дорога!". This phrase is a bad wish and means "Go away. You are not welcome". People tell it to an unpleasant person, when the person leaves them.

Good bye

Thanks a ton!!!

I was going to use, "Как поживаете," and, "Приятно познакомиться." :P Good to know that Как поживаете is more for people that already know each other.

Now to remember these... or at least get to the point that I can read them without sounding like a tourist with a dictionary.