# Forum Learning Russian Language Getting Started with Russian  Writing in Russian

## Celephais

Does anyone know where I can get practice writing cursive in Russian? I have the program ReadWrite Russian and it helps, but I'm looking for something more like worksheets I can print out and trace over - like something a Russian child might use to learn cursive writing. I like to copy texts and vocabulary words as practice, but I'm tired of klunky printing (and that dang "D" thing I can't write to save my life!). Can anyone help out?
Thanks!
Amanda

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## kwatts59

> ... but I'm tired of klunky printing (and that dang "D" thing I can't write to save my life!). ...

 You print "Д" like a triangle /\ when writing by hand.

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## Celephais

> You print "Д" like a triangle /\ when writing by hand.

 Oooooh. That's a heck of a lot easier than the deformed letter "A" I kept producing! Just like a triangle, huh. Cool! Thanks!

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## kwatts59

Actually, it is a triangle when you PRINT it by hand, but if you write it CURSIVELY, it looks more like a "D" when in uppercase, and a "g" in lowercase. 
Here is a link with cursive examples http://masterrussian.com/blalphabet.shtml 
I did a Google search but I could not find how to PRINT the letters by hand.  I guess people do not write in print anymore.

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## Celephais

I'm not really concerned with printing - I'm more interested in writing in cursive. I'd like to be able to write faster and more fluidly than with said klunky printing. I'll rely on my wordprocessor to do my printing for me  ::

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## Milanya1

http://www.colby.edu/library/collection ... illic.html

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## Celephais

Thanks Milanya and Kwatts! I'll be writing in no time!  ::

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## lctp72

Celephais: 
Try this book... 
Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script (Teach Yourself Series) 
by Daphne West  
Pub. Date: July 2003 
ISBN: 0071419861 
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies, The 
List Price:  $10.95  
ABOUT THE BOOK From the Publisher 
Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script (Teach Yourself Series)   
Now learning non-Roman-alphabet languages is as easy as A-B-C!
Readers wanting to learn the basics of reading and writing a new language that employs script will find all they need in the Teach Yourself Beginner's Script series. Each book includes a step-by-step introduction to reading and writing in a new language as well as tips and practice exercises to build learners' skills. Thanks to the experts at Teach Yourself, script will no longer be all "Greek" to language learners—unless of course, it is Greek script! Teach Yourself Beginner's Script series books feature: 
Origins of the language 
 A systematic approach to mastering the script 
 Lots of "hands-on" exercises and activities 
 Practical examples from real-life situations  
Have fun!

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## Narxysus

It is ok to write Russian by printing it though, correct?  I ask because I can't write cursive English, so I think my odds of being able to do so for Russian are very slim.  :P

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## Moryachka

> I ask because I can't write cursive English

 I can't write in cursive English, either, except to sign my name   ::  - but I write in cursive Russian ok.  If it's something you want to do and you keep at it, you'll learn it eventually.  I found the blue-and-red notepads that first-graders use - the ones with inch-high rows - very helpful.

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## Celephais

> I found the blue-and-red notepads that first-graders use - the ones with inch-high rows - very helpful.

 I actually got a couple of those the other day to practice with!  ::  I found a font on the net that I printed and have been tracing over, but will definitely be looking into that book for sure!
Thanks everyone!

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## Darobat

I believe that when you print, a triangle is not the propper form.

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## chaika

This is really off the wall, but do y'all realize that cursive is just _writing fast_? Start with the capital letter then try to print a word very fast, like you had something better to do than just being somebody else's scribe. Think about the A and how it reduces to a. Perfectly normal if you are a scribe. You start with the northwest-to-southeast downstroke, back upwards to make the crosspiece, then instead of going up to the top, you just go down to the southwestern left and sweep across to start the next letter. You get a perfect "a". Then think about how you want to write Д very fast - a circle from upper right and then a tail dropping from the southeastern left (in Old Russian the right-hand downstroke below the line was lower than the left-hand one so you get a "g" not our English printed one but a circle with a j-stroke off the right side, then a sweep up to the right to the next letter.  
Print Д like a triangle and everybody'll think you're Greek. Russian has a little downstroke on the leading vertical. Smth like this: / \ ¬. 
Search this site for Didaktika font and you will get a lead on the standard handwriting pattern taught in schools. There's a free font out there.  
I write cursive and many of my letters don't connect to the next. I dot my "i" as I move on to the next letter, not after I have completed the word. There are many different ways to write, and cursive can save you a lot of time and energy.

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## Narxysus

I haven't tried to write cursive because though my printing may not be pretty, it is pretty much as fast as a cursive writer, and ten times more legible (in my opinion :P) .  I find it very difficult to read cursive writing, because there's so much room for personal style to come in and change things about.  Printing, however, usually stays much the same between people.

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## Lampada

In Russian grammar schools a lot of time and importance is given to learning cursive (the subject was called Calligraphy). (I hope it is still the case.)  So, you can not help but master it to be quite fast and legible.  I could tell everybody's handwriting in my class.  I hard to imagine that printing, when you don't connect letters, could be as fast as cursive.   ::

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## Lampada

http://gallery.myschoollife.ru/detai...7d5c86733bf56e

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## chaika

а, спасибо Лампада за фото. Это - вы перед доской пару лет назад, да?

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## Darobat

На что должен я смотрю в фото? Чайка, ты говоришь, что девочка - Лампада?

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## vxp

> На что должен я смотрю в фото? Чайка, ты говоришь, что девочка - Лампада?

 смотрЕТЬ

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## net surfer

> На что должен я смотрю в фото? Чайка, ты говоришь, что девочка - Лампада?

 НА фото

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## Lampada

> а, спасибо Лампада за фото. Это - вы перед доской пару лет назад, да?

 Буду воспринимать "пару лет назад" как комплимент.  Это не я, но примерно так было и в моем классе.

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## Lampada

> На что должен я смотрю в фото?...

 На чистописание.

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## Lampada

Ещё одна фотка с чистописанием на доске.  На фотке не я.  http://gallery.myschoollife.ru/detai...7d5c86733bf56e

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## Darobat

Чистописание дестей лучше чем мое чистописание...

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## levitica

When I write in russian I just copy the printed letters.  I'm not going to be hand writing Russian for a long time, if ever, but typing Russian, yes.  I think copying the printed letters is easier for my spelling.

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## Platinum

> When I write in russian I just copy the printed letters.  I'm not going to be hand writing Russian for a long time, if ever, but typing Russian, yes.  I think copying the printed letters is easier for my spelling.

 That's what I do.  I don't know why, but it just seems weird to me to write the letters as they're hand-written.  I just copy the typed letters.  I know how to read and write all the letters both ways, it's just more natural for the typed version.  Maybe i'm weird (probably).

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## fantom605

I thought that way also, but once I actually started writing instead of printing (in the class I'm taking, we have to write, and cannot print), it was pretty easy to get the hang of it.  Of course, my writing sucks, so the teacher is probably going to make an exception for me to be able to print!    ::   
  Sample de jour (sorry for the crappy quality, it's from my camera phone): 
<img src = "http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d708b3127cce940ddf51b00500000016108BYuG7Zu5b4"  > 
 -Fantom

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## Spiderkat

It looks okay except for the л. Just need to practice over and over and then you'll be able to write perfectly and as fast as you write in English.  ::

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## fantom605

Should the л be more open at the bottom, instead of thin?
 -Fantom

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## fantom605

Where are you at in California, Spiderkat?

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## Spiderkat

> Should the л be more open at the bottom, instead of thin?
>  -Fantom

 Your л needs to breathe and the one you drew is kinda skiny and looks like the upper case one. The lower case is a bit different. Take a look here. 
Actually I don't live very far from you, in LA county.

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## Lampada

> I thought that way also, but once I actually started writing instead of printing (in the class I'm taking, we have to write, and cannot print), it was pretty easy to get the hang of it.  
> ...  
>  -Fantom

 Молодец, Фантом!  Хороший почерк.  Чёрточка над "т" ну нужна и "л" должно быть такой же высоты, как и другие буквы.
Я бы никогда не подумала, что писать печатными буквами легче или быстрее, чем прописными, ну разве что маленьким детям.

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## Lampada



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## fantom605

Большое спасибо, лампада! 
  I'll work on it!    ::  
 -Fantom

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## Spiderkat

> http://www3.baylor.edu/Russian/alph.jpeg

 Looks like the exact same .jpg you'll see if you click on the link I gave.  ::

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## fantom605

Are you a native Russian, Spiderkat?  If so, how long have you lived in LA County?

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## Spiderkat

> Are you a native Russian, Spiderkat?  If so, how long have you lived in LA County?

 Well, I'm not, I'm just a Western European guy who's been living here for over five years.  ::

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## net surfer

> Sample de jour (sorry for the cra@@y quality, it's from my camera phone)

 It's pretty good. My handwriting is not much better :)

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## Lampada

> Originally Posted by Lampada  http://www3.baylor.edu/Russian/alph.jpeg   Looks like the exact same .jpg you'll see if you click on the link I gave.

 It is the same.  Thanks for finding it.  I thought that it would be nice to see it straight.

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