If you just started learning Russian, you might be pleasantly surprised to find out that you already know anywhere between 20 to 100 Russian words. How is it possible? Actually, there is a pretty simple explanation behind it. Every language has a slew of loanwords, e.g. words borrowed from one language and incorporated into another as their own. English and Russian are no exception. The good news doesn’t end here: the amount of words borrowed by Russians from English greatly supersedes the amount of words that came from Russian into the English language. The English language owes this to the advent of computers, internet and digital technology in general, as well as its excellent placement among the most spoken languages in the world. In addition to that, there are many words that were borrowed by both languages, Russian and English, from other world languages. The end result are words that sound pretty similar and, therefore, are easy to remember! Let’s take a look at some of these words.

Travel:

tourist – турист (tooRIST)

hotel – отель (aTEL’)

automobile – автомобиль (avtamaBIL’)

safari – сафари (saFari)

Examples:

В Москве огромное количество туристов, автомобилей и отелей. (Moscow has a ton

of tourists, automobiles and hotels.)

Если Вам нравится сафари, езжайте в Африку. (If you like safari, go to Africa.)

Food, Hospitality:

restaurant -ресторан (restaRAN) cafe – кафе (kaFE)

coffee – кофе (KOfe)

bar – бар (bar)

soup – суп (soop) cracker – крекер (KREker)

chili – чили (CHIli)

chocolate – шоколад (shakaLAT)

alcohol – алкоголь (alkaGOL’)

hot dog – хот-дог (HOT-DOG)

mixer – миксер (MIKser)

toaster – тостер (TOSter)

supermarket – супермаркет (sooperMARket)

menu – меню (meNOO)

Examples:

В России суп с крекерами не едят! (They don’t eat soup with crackers in Russia!)

Ближайший супермаркет достаточно далеко. (The nearest supermarket is pretty far away.)

Хождение по кафе, барам и ресторанам – это дорогая привычка. (Going to cafes, bars and restaurants is an expensive habit.)

Business, Work, Technology:

business – бизнес (BIZnes)

businessman – бизнесмен (biznesMEN)

technology – технология (tehnaLOgiya)

manager – менеджер (MEnedzher)

calendar – календарь (kalenDAR’)

fact – факт (fakt)

computer – компьютер (kamP’Yter)

internet – интернет (interNET)

printer – принтер (PRInter)

project – проект (praEKT)

segment – сегмент (segMENT)

minimum – минимум (MInimoom)

maximum – максимум (MAKsimoom)

bank – банк (bunk)

weekend – уикенд (ooeeKENT)

rating – рейтинг (REIting)

know-how – ноу-хау (NOU-HAY)

office – офис (Ofis)

strategy – стратегия (straTEgiya)

marketing – маркетинг (marKEtink)

broker – брокер (BROker)

Art, Entertainment:

debut – дебют (deBIYT)

ballet – балет (baLET)

tattoo – тату (taTOO)

film – фильм (fil’m)

effect – эфект (eFEKT)

parade – парад (paRAT)

casting – кастинг (KASting)

DJ – диджей (didZHEI)

present – презент (priZENT)

jazz – джаз (dzhas)

image – имидж (IMitsh)

Examples:

–Кастинг закончился удачно. Надеюсь, и его дебют в этом фильме будет настолько же успешным. (-Casting was a success. I hope his debut in this film is just as good.)

-Для этого ему надо немного подчистить свой имидж. (-He needs to clean up his image a bit for that to happen.)

And there you have it: 50 Russian words you can remember in no time! Keep in mind, however, that word endings change according to case and number rules.