Thread: Answering the telephone

OK, how do you normally answer the phone in Russia?? Hullo, Привет, etc etc?

I answer the phone "what" my self.

In Сегодня ночью the woman answers with Алло?

If someone called me on my mobile, I normally woukd answer "hello" or "what" or "yup" or "admin".

How do you say hello on the mobile phone (or anyphone for that matter) in Russian?

An english translation and pronounciation please cos I haven't learned cyrillic yet... can anyone help me with that?

Also, how would you say "goodbye" on the telephone?

Or what about "this is aki"? I know it would be "HIER IST AKI" IN GERMAN, BUT WHAT ABOUT IN RUSSKI?

How do I say "I speak Russian" or "it's in russian" in russian?

Regards,

aki

I wrote these how they sound to me when I talk to Russians, not how they are transliterated.

Hello: Allo, Privyet, Privyetik (stupid slang)
Goodbye: Dasvidanya, Paka, Paked/Pakeda (more stupid slang)

The real words in Cyrillic are: Алло, Привет/ик, До свидания, пока/ед/еда.

Do svidanija is one of the first things you learn, but I almost never hear it in conversation. It's almost always poka. Well, except when talking to Russians online. Then it's usually poked. Online, everything is diminutized by them for some reason. If there's a noun in Russian that they can't add -ishk* or -en'k* etc. to, I haven't learned it. Maybe I just talk to a lot of retards, I don't know.

I guess they must answer with allo then because when I called the domain registery people thats how they answered the phone too.

Originally Posted by sjharcus

Or what about "this is aki"? I know it would be "HIER IST AKI" IN GERMAN, BUT WHAT ABOUT IN RUSSKI?

How do I say "I speak Russian" or "it's in russian" in russian?

Regards,

aki

This is Aki = Это говорит Аки

I speak Russian = Я говорю по-русски

It's in Russian = Это на русском

There is another form of алло: аллё.

There are only three words used for answering and I never heard others:

"Алло" (almost always is pronounced as "алё"), "слушаю" (I'm listening) and "да"

In organizations (only good ones, unfortunately) a secretary can say the name of it. For instance, "администрация Президента", "фирма

In the good old days (before I was born) Swedes used to answer by saying the phone number that had been called. Now we usually answer by saying our name.

I guess Swedes are a bit crazy

in im not your first they go аллё... аллё!

Also you can say:
Аууу народ!

Of course "алло" is the most general word. You also may say the above-mentioned words. When somebody pronounce a name and is not sure, you may say "у аппарата!" but it is very silly way of answering.
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Покедова, бабанька! (as one person said in the very well known film "Место встречи изменить нельзя".

Most common answer is "алло".
You also can say "Слушаю" (I'm listening), or simply "Да?"

How can you dispute with the russians !!

Thank you to them.

I find Russians are quite abrupt, short and totally to the point on the phone. Quite the opposite of the English. None of the niceties and no time wasting. Sometimes people put the phone down without a proper goodbye even.

Hey, hey! What's wrong with that? Contrary to what my geometry teacher always used to write on my tests, brevity is a virtue.

Not when it is to the extent that it leaves you staring at the receiver, to stunned to put it down.

I'm a big fan of "slushayu vas"/<<слушаю вас>>. "I'm listening to you." For some reason it cracks me up even though it's a perfectly sensible thing to say.