я говорю по-русски
ya govoryu po-russki
The English phrase "I can speak russian" is translated into Russian as я говорю по-русски (ya govoryu po-russki).
This phrase is a statement used to inform someone that you have the ability to communicate in the Russian language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I speak according to Russian" or "I speak in the Russian manner".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase я говорю по-русски uses the first-person singular present tense of the verb говорить (to speak), which is говорю. The component по-русски is an adverbial form used to describe the manner of speaking a language, rather than using the noun for the language itself.
How do you pronounce it?
ya govoryu po-russki
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying я говорю русский. English speakers often mistakenly use the noun "Russian" instead of the adverb по-русски, which sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Did you know?
- Russian has no single word for 'fluency'. To say you speak the language fluently, you must use a phrase like свободно владею, which literally means 'I possess it freely'.
- The word я is an ancient Indo-European relic that is a 'doublet' of the Latin 'ego', meaning they share the same distant ancestor.
- If you want to say you speak Russian 'a little', you use the word немного, which literally translates to 'not many', treating the ability to speak as a quantity rather than a quality.
Examples in context
- Я очень хорошо говорю по-русски.I can speak Russian very well.
- Я говорю по-русски отлично.I speak Russian excellently.
- Я говорю по-русски, но немного.Ya govoryu po-russki, no nemnogo.I speak Russian, but only a little.
- Не волнуйтесь, я говорю по-русски.Ne volnuytes', ya govoryu po-russki.Don't worry, I speak Russian.
- Я говорю по-русски очень хорошо.Ya govoryu po-russki ochen' khorosho.I speak Russian very well.
Example conversation
A tourist asks a local if she understands him.
- Анастасия AnastasiaВы понимаете меня?Vy ponimayete menya?Do you understand me?
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, я говорю по-русски.Da, ya govoryu po-russki.Yes, I speak Russian.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЭто очень здорово!Eto ochen' zdorovo!That is very great!
- Дмитрий DmitryСпасибо, Анастасия.Spasibo, Anastasiya.Thank you, Anastasia.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries по-русски, я, CC BY-SA 4.0.
