Aural Perception

I met some Russian tourists in the market and I asked them if they wanted any help from me in translating the Urdu to them. They were nice people and we conversed in English. When I was leaving, they said Spaseebah and I was able to get what they were saying but didn't understand until I looked up Russian greetings on the net. Will I be able to converse in Russian easily? I know it is easy to read and write but not to speak. And secondly, does it matter if I touch my tongue to the upper teeth while saying Д? Because in Russian they touch it with lower teeth. Sound is same. Does it matter?

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Originally Posted by penguinhead

Will I be able to converse in Russian easily?

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You better know...

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Originally Posted by penguinhead

And secondly, does it matter if I touch my tongue to the upper teeth while saying Д?

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I guess no, because I'm do it likewise (Russian is my native).

You mean that you also touch your tip of the tongue to your lower teeth while saying Да? But what about the other Russians? I read somewhere that they touch it to their lower teeth!

I tried to pronounce different things and found out:

1. Му natural manner of pronouncing "д" - at lower teeth.
2. If I pronounce the sound "д", alone, it doesn't matter how I do it.
3. With some words (да, дорОга, дОрого, давать) it doesn't seem to matter.
4. With some other words (делать, сидеть, победить) it does matter. Pronouncing them with "д" at upper teeth is more difficult and they sound unnatural.

Aadaab
:)

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Originally Posted by penguinhead

Will I be able to converse in Russian easily? I know it is easy to read and write but not to speak.

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Conversating in any language needs long learning and practice, I think. If your aim is to be understood it is a good idea to use third language (English) until your Russian is really good. (I mean if you are in Karachi.) In my experience corrupted international English is better understood then corrupted native tongue. (It is correct for any language.)

If you want just to please a native speaker learn few basic words and pronounce slowly and loudly - that is enough.

As for touching teeth i do touch roots of upper teeth - lower than in case of english pronunciation. But it is important only when you are already very good in Russian and try to get rid of accent completely.

When pronouncing 'hard' д - it really doesn't matter if your tongue touches lower teeth, but you need touch lower part of upper teeth. 'soft' д , e.g before 'яеию' letters, is pronounced with not the tip of the tongue, but a bit hinder part of the tonue pressed against alveolar ridge.

Nobody told me (and the others too), how correctly pronounce "Д", therefore I'm, as well as all, doing it instinctively. Therefore slight differences in technique are possible, but I guess its really doesn't matter. Sounds are identical and it is the main thing.

I don’t get it how you guys manage to touch lower teeth voicing whatever Д you want to voice. Another try and I’d be staring at the business end of some doctor’s tool while he was putting my jaw back where it belonged. :o