Thread: Pimsleur - Level 1

Level 1 - Prior Lessons

Что вы хотите делать сегодня? - What do you want to do today? Чем вы хотите сегодня заняться? is much better.
понимать – to understand.
Я понимаю – I understand.
вы понимаете? – Do you understand?
ещё - still
немного – some.
несколько – some (used in – У меня есть несколько долларов).
вместе с кем (i.c.)- with whom.
вместе со мной (i.c.) – with me.
позже – later.
газета – newspaper.
Это слишком много – That's too much.
молоко – milk.
слишком – (excessive) too.
Я могу – I can.
Вы можете – You can.
Моя жена может – my wife can.
Я хочу – I want.
Вы хотите – you want.
Мой муж хочет – My husband wants.
быстро – fast.
быстрее – faster.
У меня – at my place.
У вас – at your place.
дорого – expensive.
дороже - more expensive.
конечно – of course.
Да нет – contridiction of конечно. And...
Russian "да нет!" = german "doch" or French "si", it's a sort of rejoinder, for example:
– Ты его не любишь. – Да нет, люблю! (You don't love him – Of corse I do!)
Maybe in some context it can be translated "of course" (like in this sentence), but it's not necessery at all.
For example, you'd like to say: "– Do you love me? – Of course!"
But in Russian "– Ты любишь меня? – Да нет!" means "Do you love me? – Not at all!"

"Да нет" can also mean just "No":
– Хочешь кофе? – Да нет... (– Would you like coffee? – Well... No...)

– Так я не понимаю – ты был там или нет? – Да нет же, нет!! ( – So I didn't understand it completely: were you there or not? – NO! NO!)
----
с удовольствием – with pleasure.
господин – Mister.
госпожа – Mrs., Miss.
В ресторане (p.c.) – in a restaurant.
будет – will be.
Я хочу пить пиво. - I want to drink beer. Much better: Я хочу пива (g.c.) or Я хочу выпить пива.
Вы хотите что/чего-нибудь выпить/попить? - Do You want anything to drink?
Вы хотите кое-что пить? - (It sounds strange. See previous sentence) Do You want something to drink?
Я хочу купить пива сейчас. - I want to buy a beer now. "сейчас" at the end doesn't sound good
восемьдесят – eighty.
семьдесят – seventy.
шестьдесят – sixty.
пятьдесят – fifty.
сорок – forty.
тридцать – thirty.
двадцать – twenty.
десять – ten.
тысяча – thousand.
одна тысяча - one thousand.
две тысячи - two thousand (3 and 4 also in genitive singular).
пять тысяч (genitive plural) – five thousand.
Сколько будет четыре плюс пять? - How much will be four plus five?
С вас десять долларов. - You owe ten dollars.
Сколько с меня (g.c.) ? - How much do I owe?
Который час? - What time is it?
в котором часу? - At what time?
час – one o'clock.
два часа – two o'clock (3 and 4 also use genitive singular).
Сейчас пять часов (genitive plural). - It is now five o'clock.
(for time - put a «в» in front to mean at two o'clock).
В два часа. - At two o'clock.
вечер – evening.
завтра вечером – tomorrow in the evening.
для меня (g.c.) - for me.
для вас (g.c.) - for you.
дайте мне (d.c.) – give to me.
дайте вам (d.c.) – give to you. "дайте вам" doesn't make sense. Maybe "возьмите себе"?
достаточно – enough.
достаточно денег (g.c.) - enough money.
вечер – evening.
вечером – in the evening.
вчера – yesterday.
завтра – tomorrow.
До завтра – until tomorrow.
может быть – perhaps.
скажите – tell me.
тоже – also.
повторить – to repeat
Я не знаю or не знаю. - I don't know.
говорить – to speak
Вы говорите быстро. - You speak fast.
тогда - then.
кто – who.
гостиница – hotel.
только – only.


Level 1 - Lesson 18

???? - For one hat it's enough.
красивая шляпка – beautiful hat.
Сколько стоит? - How much does it cost?
немного воды (in g.c.) - some water.
немного вина (in g.c.) – some wine.
Мой муж – my husband.
Ваш муж – your husband.
Моя жена – my wife.
Ваша жена – your wife.
далать – to do.
Вы хотите пообедать вместе со мной (i.c.)? - Do you want to have lunch with me?
вместе с вами (i.c.) - with you.
Я собираюсь что-нибудь поесть сейчас. - I'm going to eat something now. Usually adverbial modifier of time doesn't sound good at the end of a sentence. Я собираюсь сейчас что-нибудь поесть _.


Level 1 - Lesson 19

официант – waiter.
немного молока (in singular g.c.) для джентльмена (g.c.). - Some milk for the gentleman.
Я собираюсь дать вам (d.c.). - (This sentence looks incomplete) I'm going to give you.
Он там. - He is there.
Он здесь – He is here.
Она там. - She is there.
Она здесь – She is here.
Он хочет купить немного пива (g.c.). - He wants to buy some beer.
Мы хотим купить немного пива (g.c.). - We want to buy some beer.
входите – telling someone they may enter the room.
Очень приятно – nice to meet you.
Can use sir and madam.
Где вы живёте? - Where do you live?
Я живу на Тверской улице (p.c.) – I live on Tverskaya street.
Мы живём на Тверской улице (p.c.) – We live on Tverskaya street.
Мы хотим – we want.
мы с мужем (i.c.). - My husband and I.
мы с женой (i.c.). - My wife and I.



Level 1 - Lesson 20

правда – truth, is that right.
Мы живём в Москве (p.c.) – We live in Moscow.
Мы с мужем (i.c.) живём в Москве (p.c.). - My husband and I live in Moscow.
Она в Америкe (p.c.). - She is in America.
Сколько у вас детей? - How many children do you have?
У нас – we have.
два мальчика (g.c.) – two boys.
У вас много денег (g.c. of деньги) – You have a lot of money.
У нас два мальчика (g.c.). - We have two boys. (Lesson states do not use есть when referring to children – anything else???).
один мальчик – one boy.
одна девочка – one girl.
У нас четыре девочки (g.c.). - We have four girls. No есть.
мальчик большой – the boy is big.
девочка большая – the girl is big.
ваш мальчик – your boy.
ваша девушка means your girlfriend.
Your girl (daughter) is ваша девочка.



Level 1 - Lesson 21

магазин – store.
В магазине (p.c.) – in a store.
дорого – expensive.
дороже - more expensive.
У нас нет денег (g.c. of деньги). - we have no money.
У вас есть дети? - Do you have any children?
Сколько у вас детей? - How many children do you have?
У нас нет мальчиков (plural g.c.). - We have no boys.
Мы хотим мальчиков (plural g.c.). - We want boys.
У нас нет девочек (plural g.c.). - We have no girls.
Мы хотим девочек (plural g.c.). - We want girls.
У нас две девочки. - We have two girls (две is for feminine).
У нас одна девочка. - We have one girl (одна is for feminine).
Она хочет немного воды (g.c.). - She wants some water.

Level 1 - Lesson 22

Вы можете подождать, правда? - You can wait right?
Мы можем подождать. - We can wait.
входите – telling someone they may enter the room.
мальчики здесь. - The boys are here.
большие мальчики здесь. - The big boys are here.
маленький мальчик. - Little boy.
маленькая девочка. - Little girl.
маленькие девочки. - Little girls.
Где наша девочка? - Where is our girl?
Где туалет? - Where is the toilet?
семья – family.
Наша семья. - Our family.
Ваша семья. - Your family.
Моя семья. - My Family.
вместе с вами (i.c.) - With your.
У нас есть большая семья. - We have a big family.
семьи – families.
много туалетов (g.c. plural). - Many toilets.

Level 1 - Lesson 23

This lesson stresses that the commands will now be given in Russian.
Слушайте этот разговор – Listen to this conversation.
скажите мне – say to me.
спросите меня – ask me.
ещё раз – again.
Сколько человек в вашей семье (p.c.)? – How many people (persons) in your family?
В моей семье пять человек. - In my family there are five people.
Моя семья. - My Family.
В моей семье (p.c.) – In my family.
В нашей семье (p.c.) – In our family.
Моя машина – My car
В моей машине (p.c) – In my car.
В нашей машине (p.c) – In our car.
У вас есть машина? - Do you have a car?
спросите – ask.
отвечайте – answer (вы).
Моя машина достаточно большая. - My car is big enough.
попробуйте спросить – try to ask.
попробуйте сказать – try to say.
для вас (g.c.) - for you.
скажите ещё раз - say again.
Мы хотим немного бензина (g.c.). - We want some gasoline.
Дайте мне немного бензина (g.c.). - Give me some gasoline.
литр – liter
десять литров (g.c plural) бензина (g.c). - 10 liters of gas.
машины – cars.
Американская машина – American car.
Американские машины – American cars.
У вас в машине (p.c.) есть бензин? - Do you have gas in your car?
километров – kilometers.
дайте мне (d.c.) десять литров (g.c plural) бензина (g.c). - Give me 10 liters of gas.
поехать – to drive, go by vehicle.
Я хочу поехать. - I want to drive.
Я хочу поехать в Москву (a.c.). - I want to drive to Moscow.
в Москве (p.c) – in Moscow.
Я собираюсь поехать в Москву (a.c.) - I am going to drive to Moscow.

Level 1 - Lesson 24

Как сказать? - How does one say?
он и она can mean it.
Talking about a family – Да, она большая. - Yes it's big.
Где туалет? Он там. - Where is the toilet. It is there.
На can mean for. достаточно на шестьдесят километров. - Enough for 60 kilometers.
Дайте мне десять литров, пожалуйста. - Give me 10 liters please.
на can mean for or on.
спросите ещё раз – ask again.
минуту – just a minute.
далеко – far.
Москва далеко – Moscow is far.
Слушайте и повторяйте. - Listen and repeat.
скажите мне. - Tell me.
дорога – route.
Какая дорога? - Which is the route?
дорого – expensive (stress is on first o).
дорога – route. (Stress is on 2nd о).
Где дорога на Москву? - Where is the route for Moscow?
в Москве (p.c) – in Moscow.
в Москву (a.c.) – to Moscow.
на Москву (a.c.) – for Moscow.
Какая дорога на Москву? - Which is the route for Moscow?
прямо – straight ahead.
Санкт-Петербург – end does not change when saying На Санкт-Петербург (mas. inanimate in a.c. do not change ending).

Level 1 - Lesson 25

дорогой – expensive (adj.).
дорого – expensive (adv.).
одна тысяча рублей за литр. - One thousand roubles for a liter.
Дорога на Москву (a.c.). - The road to Moscow.
по дороге (p.c.) – along the road.
Поедете по дороге (p.c) на Москву (a.c). - Drive on (along) the road for Moscow.
направо - to the right.
правильный – correct.
Какая правильная дорога? - Which road is correct?
Лучше - Какая дорога правильная?
налево – to the left.
потом – afterwards, then.
а потом – and afterwards.


Level 1 - Lesson 26

почему – why.
потому что – because. Stress is on the у.
закрытый – closed.
Потому что магазины закрыты. - Because the stores are closed.
Сколько километров (g.c. plural)? - How many kilometers?
Универмаг – department store.
Универмаги – department stores.
Up to this point Pimsleur does not mention spelling rule 1: After к, г, х, ж, ч, ш, щ, write и not ы.
открытый – open.
уже – already.
поздно – late.
уже поздно. - It is already late. («It is» is understood).
позже – later.
ещё – yet.
Ещё не поздно. - Yet it is not late.

Level 1 - Lesson 27

Сейчас отвечайте на вопрос. - now answer the question.
Лучше – Теперь отвечайте на вопрос. - now answer the question.
когда – when.
Вы поедете Санкт-Петербург? - Will you drive to St. Petersburg?
Что вы собираетесь делать там? - What are you going to do there?
знакомый - acquaintance (if you mean a friend)
несколько знакомых – some friends.
увидеть – to see.
в Санкт-Петербурге (p.c.) – In St. Petersburg.
работать – to work.
Вы собираетесь работать? - Are you going to work?
провести (время) – to spend (time).
день – day
дни - days
Я собираюсь провести десять дней там. - I'm going to spend 10 days there.
несколько дней – a few days
думать – to think
так – so.
Я так думаю. - I think so.
Вы собираетесь увидеть Сергея (a.c. of Сергей)? - Are you going to see Sergei?


Level 1 – Lesson 28

Добрый вечер – good evening.
Вы не знаете. - You don't know.
Вы думаете. - You think.
остаться – to stay.
девяносто – ninety.
сто – one hundred.
ничего – nothing.
Explains that double negatives are common.
Я ничего не хочу. - I don't want anything.
уехать – to leave, drive away.
Мы собираемся уехать. - We are going to leave.
вместе – together.
поужинать – to have supper.
Но я один. – But I am alone (mas.). - Я is capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence.
Но я одна .– But I am alone (fem.).


Level 1 – Lesson 29

Ты – you (someone you know, friend - family member).
Как дела? - How are you? (To someone you know).
Ты знаешь. - You know.
значить – to mean.
Что это значит? - What does this mean?
слово – word. (Stress on the first «o»).
слова – words. (Stress on the «a»).
Вы американец? - Are you an American (to a male)?
Да, я американец. - Yes I am an American.
Вы американка? - Are you an American (to a female)?
Да, я американка. - Yes I am an American.
время – time.
Сколько времени? (g.c.) - How much time (that's what they say on the tape) or What time is it?
На сколько времени? (g.c.) - For how much time? or For how long?
извините – excuse me.
Ну, надо же! - Why is this necessary! Pimsleur says it means that but, it means «You don't say so!» or «What the heck».
"Why is this necessary?" = "Почему это необходимо?"



Level 1 – Lesson 30

плохо – bad(ly).
не плохо – not bad.
неделя – week.
На одну неделю? – For one week?
На несколько недель (g.c. plural) – For a few weeks.
Что вы купили вчера? - What did you buy yesterday?
Я купил (mas.) - I bought.
Я купила (fem.) - I bought.
нравиться – like.
мне (d.c.) нравится – I like.
вам (d.c.) нравится – you like.

Miscellaneous Notes

n.c. - nominative case - именительный падеж.
p.c. - prepositional case – предложный падеж.
a.c. - accusitive case – винительный падеж.
g.c. - genitive case - родительный падеж.
d.c. - dative case – дательный падеж.
i.c. - instrumental case – творительный падеж.

feminine gender – женский род.
masculine gender – мужской род.

ъ – твёрдый знак.
ь - мягкий знак.

Hi everyone, i am new here.
I just finished pimsleur level 1 and the transcriptions from this thread were quite useful. Special thanks to foretheether and grogs (I have no idea if you guys are still around since this seems to be a pretty old thread). Anyways, I made a course on memrise with the vocabulary and some sentences for each lesson. Memrise is awesome for learning words fast and efficient. And its free. I even included audio in the course. Its a good way to review what you learned from pimsleur.
Pimsleur - Russian Level 1
So yeah, just thought i would share.
Any feedback on the course would be appreciated, if i missed some words or maybe I made some slight mistakes. I made the course with the transcriptions from this post and my own notes from listening to the tapes, so it should be decent, but any help is would be welcome!

Yes I'm still around. Will give the website a try soon.

Thank you,

Scott

Originally Posted by patou454

Hi everyone, i am new here.
I just finished pimsleur level 1 and the transcriptions from this thread were quite useful. Special thanks to foretheether and grogs (I have no idea if you guys are still around since this seems to be a pretty old thread). Anyways, I made a course on memrise with the vocabulary and some sentences for each lesson. Memrise is awesome for learning words fast and efficient. And its free. I even included audio in the course. Its a good way to review what you learned from pimsleur.
Pimsleur - Russian Level 1
So yeah, just thought i would share.
Any feedback on the course would be appreciated, if i missed some words or maybe I made some slight mistakes. I made the course with the transcriptions from this post and my own notes from listening to the tapes, so it should be decent, but any help is would be welcome!

Hello Guys ,

I am using Pimsluer to learn Russian and the structure of sentences is very weird and unnatural , there are even some archaic words in there , I am not trying to discourage anyone from trying Pimspluer method it might be good in other languages but for Russian , it's just weird ...
I don't know whether you faced this problem before or not

Is there any new edition of Pimsleur's texts? i think these one's is for old edition (for all 3 levels)

My texts are on an old version of Pimsleur. No updates are planned.

Scott

Originally Posted by mehdies

Is there any new edition of Pimsleur's texts? i think these one's is for old edition (for all 3 levels)

Hmmmm... I myself have never felt this way, but I think I know why.

Actually "для" should be unstressed, the "я" is pronounced like "и" or like "е" here ("л" is soft). And no, it shouldn't sound different in "для меня" and "для Вас" at all. The letters "м" and "в" don't play a part.

- Оля

Vowel Reduction is a prominent topic in learning Russian and affects (basically) every word.
There are a few rule groups, and the е-ё-о triad comes into play a bit.

This is why Москва is pronounced 'muhskva' not 'mohskva'

It's a bit complicated. If you were to say для in a vacuum with no surrounding words - it would be with an /a/ sound. The thing is, prepositions [,words in general really,] never exist in a vacuum -- it's always going to be said with a word following it, meaning it's always going to be unstressed and the я will always reduce to a more relaxed ~е

I would say, for the time being, think of it as a я, say it as a я, and try to hear it as a я, and the rest will come with time. [mass data exposure]
After a while, the vowel reduction rules can start to feel like a very natural filter to the point where you hardly can tell that they are even happening.

I'm beyond level 20 of the first Pimsleur program and I have a couple questions but it's a different release than the one in the topic.

What is the difference between мне and меня? I assumed they were the same word being enunciated differently at first.

скажите мне – say to me.
спросите меня – ask me.

How do I know whether to say

У нас в машине достаточно бензина?
У вас в машине есть бензин?

Does достаточно result in it changing forms?

If you are saying you want to go, do you put в in front of Санкт-Петербург? It doesn't sound like he does in the recording.

The word for car is машина, and I see that cars is машины, then do you pronounce the ы at the end? In the program I do not hear it. I guessed it was машин legitimately.

Originally Posted by ironfist

What is the difference between мне and меня? I assumed they were the same word being enunciated differently at first.

Мне - Indirect object.
Меня - Direct object.

Originally Posted by ironfist

How do I know whether to say

У нас в машине достаточно бензина?
У вас в машине есть бензин?

Does достаточно result in it changing forms?

This use of достаточно, as well as of many other similar adverbs, results in the noun taking the genitive form, which, in some contexts, is considered partitive. With the affirmative есть, such a change does not occur.

Originally Posted by ironfist

If you are saying you want to go, do you put в in front of Санкт-Петербург? It doesn't sound like he does in the recording.

Yes; a preposition is required for that purpose.

Originally Posted by ironfist

The word for car is машина, and I see that cars is машины, then do you pronounce the ы at the end? In the program I do not hear it. I guessed it was машин legitimately.

You will often read or hear that there is no English equivalent. To get a feel for the pronunciation, your best bet would be to visit Forvo and listen carefully to words ending in ы.

Thanks.

I have a queston regarding the pronunciation of часо́в and часа́.
Why in Pimsleur I hear it as чисо́в and чиса́?
Even in google translate it seems to change from часа́ when the word is alone by itself, but it changes to чиса́ when I add the numbers.
Other resources like https://www.russianforfree.com/phrasebook-tell-time.php it always sounds like часа́.

So what am I missing? what is going on?

Originally Posted by pyc

I have a queston regarding the pronunciation of часо́в and часа́.
Why in Pimsleur I hear it as чисо́в and чиса́?
Even in google translate it seems to change from часа́ when the word is alone by itself, but it changes to чиса́ when I add the numbers.
Other resources like https://www.russianforfree.com/phrasebook-tell-time.php it always sounds like часа́.

So what am I missing? what is going on?

Unstressed syllables are just that... unstressed syllables, they don't get nearly as much effort from the speaker as the stressed ones do. In other words, they get mushed or in more technical terms "reduced." That's why it sounds like "чи" instead of "ча", /ча'са/ is just too much work it's not to say that all unstressed "а" get reduced like that, it's just that "ч", being a very soft consonant, absorbs the reduced vowel so much as to effectively sound like "чи." Unstressed "а" would sound a lot like "а" after hard consonants, just not that open and with less effort.

Other notable examples of vowel reduction are:

о -> а

Окно -> /ак'но/

е -> и

Берег - /'берик/

And regarding that link you posted. Now that I'm listening to it, it's clear the speaker there puts a lot of extra effort into sounding as coherent as she can possibly be, so that's why she "overpronounces" each and every syllable, besides she's basically spelling out each and every word syllable by syllable, I guess that's a beginner oriented video so she must be. We absolutely don't talk like that in real life though.

Thanks a lot.
Btw, in pimsleur they give the example, I want to eat as
Я хочу поесть

But in the Michel Thomas the teacher says:
Я хочу есть

Is it indistinct for the Russian speaker, or is it there some nuance between these?
Thanks a lot!

PS: I found the like button,haha

https://youtu.be/G5cnUj60g3A

Prefix " no".
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"Поесть - is perfect. It means finished action.
2. The prefix "по-" does not mean only "a little".
It means - limitation in time (поговорить, поспать); used with the suffix "-ива/ыва" - intermittent action (постукивать, поглядывать, покашливать); beginning of action (побежать, пойти); finished action (поел, побил).
There are dual meanings: so, "полить" means both finished action "to have watered (a plant)" and beginning of action "полил дождь (it started to rain)". "

https://forum.wordreference.com/thre...D1%8C.2314039/

These could be good resources for beginners:

https://www.youtube.com/c/RushintoRussian

https://www.youtube.com/c/AmazingRussian