Russian Vocabulary Question Words

The easiest way to ask a question in Russian is to pronounce an affirmative sentence with question inflection or by using the main question words КÃ'‚Ð ¾, Ð §Ã'‚Ð ¾, ГÐ ´Ã µ, КÐ ¾Ã ³Ã ´Ã °, and КÐ °Ã º. However, there are other ways to formulate a question, including using the negative. In this article, we look at Russian vocabulary and question words, as well as the different ways that you can ask questions in Russian. Basic Question Words Russian questions can be formed by using one of the five basic question words: КÃ'‚Ð ¾ (who)Ð §Ã'‚Ð ¾ (what)ГÐ ´Ã µ (where)КÐ ¾Ã ³Ã ´Ã ° (when)КÐ °Ã º (how) Question words are often found at the beginning of a sentence, just like in English. However, they can also be placed at the end or in the middle of a sentence. The positioning of a question word is used to change the meaning of a sentence or to add context and is often paired with inflection or stress on a particular word to convey the meaning. Russian sentence structure does not change when adding a question word and turning a sentence into a question. For example, in the following sentence, the pronoun Ð ¯ (I) is replaced with the question word Ð ºÃ'‚Ð ¾ (who), while the rest of the sentence remains unchanged in its structure (but not the conjugation): Ð ¯ Ð »Ã'ŽÐ ±Ã »Ã'Ž Ã'‚Ð °Ã ½Ã'†Ð µÃ ²Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Å' - I like to danceКÃ'‚Ð ¾ Ð »Ã'ŽÐ ±Ã ¸Ã'‚ Ã'‚Ð °Ã ½Ã'†Ð µÃ ²Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Å'? - Who likes to dance? This unchanging structure makes it very easy to form questions once you have learned the main question words: Russian Word Translation Pronunciation Example Ð ºÃ'‚Ð ¾ who ktoh КÃ'‚Ð ¾ Ð »Ã'ŽÐ ±Ã ¸Ã'‚ Ã'‚Ð °Ã ½Ã'†Ð µÃ ²Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Å'? - Who likes to dance? Ã'‡Ã'‚Ð ¾ what shtoh Ð §Ã'‚Ð ¾ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ¸Ã' Ã'…Ð ¾Ã ´Ã ¸Ã'‚? - What's going on? Ð ³Ã ´Ã µ where gdye / hdye ГÐ ´Ã µ Ð ¼Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾ Ð ºÃ'Æ'Ð ¿Ã ¸Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Æ' Ð ºÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ³Ã'Æ'? - Where can I buy this book? Ð ºÃ ¾Ã ³Ã ´Ã ° when kagDAH КÐ ¾Ã ³Ã ´Ã ° Ð ½Ã °Ã'‡Ð ½Ã µÃ'‚Ã' Ã'  Ã'„Ð ¸Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ¼? - When will the movie start? Ð ºÃ °Ã º how kak КÐ °Ã º Ð ´Ã µÃ »Ã °? - How are you? Other Question Words To create more complex questions, use these question words: ПÐ ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼Ã'Æ' (Why)Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ (Why / What for)КÃ'Æ'Ð ´Ã ° (Where to)ОÃ'‚Ð ºÃ'Æ'Ð ´Ã ° (Where from)Ð ¡Ã ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ºÃ ¾ (How much)Ð §Ã µÃ ¹ (Whose)ÐÅ"Ð ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾ (May / can) How to Say Why in Russian Russian Word Translation Pronunciation Example Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼Ã'Æ' why pachiMOO ПÐ ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼Ã'Æ' Ã'‚Ã'‹ Ã'‚Ð °Ã º Ð ´Ã'Æ'Ð ¼Ã °Ã µÃ'ˆÃ'Å'? - Why do you think that? Ð ·Ã °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ why/what for zaCHYEM Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ Ã'‚Ã'‹ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¸Ã'ˆÐ »Ã °? - Why did you come? / What did you come here for? ПÐ ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼Ã'Æ' and Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ are often confused by Russian language learners, but it is easy to tell the difference between these question words if you remember that Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼Ã'Æ' means why while Ð ·Ã °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ tends to mean what for, or have a context of incredulity, as in these examples: Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ Ã'‚Ã'‹ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¸Ã'ˆÐ »Ã °? - Why did you come? / What did you come here for? (context: what for?)Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¼ Ã'‚Ã'‹ Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾ Ð ºÃ'Æ'Ð ¿Ã ¸Ã »? - Why did you buy that? / What did you buy that for? (context: incredulity) How to Ask Questions With Possessives Russian Word Translation Pronunciation Example Ã'‡Ð µÃ ¹ whose (masculine) chey Ð §Ã µÃ ¹ Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾ Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ¼? - Whose house is that? Ã'‡Ã'Å'Ã'  whose (feminine) chyah Ð §Ã'Å'Ã'  Ð ¼Ã °Ã'ˆÐ ¸Ã ½Ã °? - Whose car is this? Ã'‡Ã'Å'Ã'‘ whose (neutral) chyoh Ð §Ã'Å'Ã'‘ Ð ²Ã ¾Ã ½ Ã'‚Ð ¾ Ð ¾Ã ºÃ ½Ã ¾? - Whose window is that one over there? Ã'‡Ã'Å'Ð ¸ whose (plural) chy'ee Ð §Ã'Å'Ð ¸ Ð ºÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ³Ã ¸ Ð »Ã µÃ ¶Ã °Ã'‚ Ð ½Ã ° Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã »Ã µ? - Whose books are on the table? The question word Ð §Ã µÃ ¹ (whose) is a pronoun and as such it agrees in gender, number, and case of the noun to which it refers. How to Use May/Can in Polite Conversation Russian Word Translation Pronunciation Example Ð ¼Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾ may / can MOZHnah ÐÅ"Ð ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾ Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾ Ð ²Ã ·Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å'? - May I take this? ÐÅ"Ð ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾ (may/can) is used in such question types as May I have... or Can I take this? It is part of the polite but not overly formal register. Using Intonation to Form Questions Russian is a very flexible language when it comes to word order and is referred to by many linguists as a free word order language. The intended focus of a sentence determines the word order chosen by a Russian speaker. This makes it easy for students of Russian to learn how to form questions by using intonation. In the following example, a simple statement is turned first into a neutral question, then into two more questions that focus on a different context of the sentence: Statement: ÐÅ"Ð °Ã'ˆÐ ° Ð µÃ »Ã ° Ð ºÃ °Ã'ˆÃ'Æ' - Masha was eating porridgeNeutral question: ÐÅ"Ð °Ã'ˆÐ ° Ð µÃ »Ã ° Ð ºÃ °Ã'ˆÃ'Æ'? Was Masha eating porridge?Focussed question 1: ЕÐ »Ã ° ÐÅ"Ð °Ã'ˆÐ ° Ð ºÃ °Ã'ˆÃ'Æ'? WAS Masha eating porridge?Focussed question 2: КÐ °Ã'ˆÃ'Æ' Ð µÃ »Ã ° ÐÅ"Ð °Ã'ˆÐ °? Was Masha eating PORRIDGE? In a Russian question, the intonation rises towards the end of the sentence before falling again at the very end. Note that in the focussed questions, the intonational stress is on the word that the speaker wants to emphasize. The voice rises on the emphasized word then falls straight after. Negation Questions Russian speakers use negation in questions when the conversation register is polite and formal. Negation is usually done by adding the particle Ð ½Ã µ (not). Using this question structure removes the need for the word please as these types of questions are sufficiently formal already. Ð Ã µ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ´Ã' Ã ºÃ °Ã ¶Ã µÃ'‚Ð µ, Ð ºÃ ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã'€Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ã'‡Ð °Ã' ?Translation: Wouldnt you tell me what time it is?Meaning: Could you tell me what time it is, please? Ð Ã µ Ã'…Ð ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ'ˆÃ'Å' Ð ºÃ ¾Ã'„Ð µ?Translation: You wouldnt like some coffee?Meaning: Would you like some coffee? Ð Ã µ Ð ¼Ã ¾Ã ³Ã »Ã ¸ Ð ±Ã'‹ Ð’Ã'‹ Ð ¼Ã ½Ã µ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã'‡Ã'Å'?Translation: Could you not help me?Meaning: Could you help me, please?