Unit 1 2007 09 04 Italic letter forms

Unit 1 2007 -09 -04

Italic letter forms • Only six letters have significantly different italic letter forms

Soft consonants • Hard (non-palatalized) consonants are plain ol’ consonants • Soft (palatalized) consonants have a “y” sound pronounced simultaneously with the basic consonant sound • Soft consonants are followed by softening vowel letters (я, е, и, ё, ю) or soft sign (ь) • та, тя

Ты and вы • Russian has two words for ‘you’: ты and вы • Use ты when speaking to one person who is either a family member, a friend or peer, or a child • Use вы when speaking to a group of people or to someone to whom you want to show respect • Russian students and their teachers use вы with one another (in both directions) • Russian students use ты with one another

Introducing people to each other • Person introducing Julie and David turns to David and says: – Познако мьтесь! (gestures toward Julie) Э то Ю лия. • David turns to Julie and says: – Здра вствуйте! (Меня зову т) Де йвид. • Julie replies to David: – (Меня зову т) Ю лия. О чень прия тно (с ва ми познако миться).

Etiquette of address • Address friends and peers (including fellow students) by first name or nickname. • Address older people by first name (not nickname) and patronymic. • There is a Russian counterpart to “Mr. ” or “Ms. , ” but it is much more official than the English and is not commonly used. • Foreigners do not use patronymics. Russians will usually address you by first name.