Skip to content

Translation Exercises

English to Russian, in three graded sets. Write out a full sentence for each — don't just think the answer, the act of producing the endings yourself is the whole point. Model answers include acceptable alternatives where Russian genuinely allows more than one correct phrasing.

Set A — Simple sentences (weeks 5–10 level)

Basic vocabulary, single clauses, present tense and simple statements.

  1. I have a dog.
  2. She lives in Moscow.
  3. We are reading a book.
  4. Where is the museum?
  5. This is my brother.
  6. I don't understand you.
  7. He works at a school.
  8. Do you speak Russian?
  9. I like this city.
  10. There is no milk in the fridge.
Answers
  1. У меня́ есть соба́ка. — у + genitive меня́ is Russian's "have" construction; собака stays nominative as the grammatical subject. (Alternative: drop есть in casual speech — У меня́ соба́ка — acceptable when just stating possession, not confirming existence.)
  2. Она́ живёт в Москве́. — живёт is 3rd person singular of жить; в + prepositional Москве́ for location.
  3. Мы чита́ем кни́гу. — чита́ем is мы-form present; кни́гу is accusative direct object (feminine -а → -у).
  4. Где нахо́дится музе́й? — нахо́дится is the standard "is located" verb. (Alternative: simpler Где музе́й? is also completely natural and common.)
  5. Э́то мой брат. — Э́то + nominative for "this is X" identification sentences; no verb needed.
  6. Я тебя́ не понима́ю. — тебя́ is accusative of ты, placed before the verb (natural word order); не goes right before понима́ю. (Alternative: Я не понима́ю тебя́ is also grammatical, slightly more emphatic on тебя́.)
  7. Он рабо́тает в шко́ле. — рабо́тает + в + prepositional шко́ле for workplace.
  8. Ты говори́шь по-ру́сски? (informal) / Вы говори́те по-ру́сски? (formal) — по-ру́сски is an unchanging adverb, not a noun.
  9. Мне нра́вится э́тот го́род. — dative construction: мне нра́вится + nominative subject э́тот го́род (город is what's "pleasing," not the object of a verb).
  10. В холоди́льнике нет молока́. — нет + genitive молока́ for negated existence; в холоди́льнике is prepositional for location. (Alternative: Молока́ нет в холоди́льнике, reordered for emphasis on "milk," is also fine.)

Set B — Medium (verbs + cases combined)

Requires coordinating case endings with verb conjugation in the same sentence, plus some past tense.

  1. I gave the book to my sister.
  2. We went to the store yesterday.
  3. He doesn't have any money.
  4. She is writing a letter to her friend.
  5. I need to buy bread and milk.
  6. They live next to the park.
  7. I saw my teacher at the station.
  8. Can you help me, please?
  9. We are satisfied with the result.
  10. I am afraid of dogs.
Answers
  1. Я дал(а́) кни́гу сестре́. — дал/дала́ agrees with speaker's gender; кни́гу is accusative direct object; сестре́ is dative indirect object ("to sister").
  2. Вчера́ мы пошли́ в магази́н. — пошли́ is perfective past of пойти́ (a single completed trip); в + accusative магази́н for destination ("into the store").
  3. У него́ нет де́нег. — у + genitive него́ for "have," negated with нет + genitive plural де́нег (де́ньги is a plural-only noun).
  4. Она́ пи́шет письмо́ подру́ге. — пи́шет present imperfective (ongoing action); письмо́ accusative object; подру́ге dative indirect object.
  5. Мне ну́жно купи́ть хлеб и молоко́. — дative мне ну́жно + infinitive купи́ть; хлеб and молоко́ both stay in the accusative-looking form (inanimate, no change from nominative).
  6. Они́ живу́т ря́дом с па́рком. — ря́дом с + instrumental па́рком.
  7. Я ви́дел(а) свою́ учи́тельницу на ста́нции. — ви́дел/ви́дела past agreeing with speaker; свою́ учи́тельницу accusative (animate feminine — but feminine animate accusative equals the regular -у ending, not genitive, unlike masculine); на ста́нции prepositional.
  8. Помоги́те мне, пожа́луйста? (formal) / Помоги́ мне, пожа́луйста? (informal) — imperative + dative мне (the person helped is always dative with помо́чь).
  9. Мы дово́льны результа́том. — дово́льны (plural short-form adjective) governs instrumental результа́том.
  10. Я бою́сь соба́к. — боя́ться governs the genitive, and here соба́к is genitive plural (fear of dogs in general, not one specific dog).

Set C — Harder (aspect, opinions, time expressions)

Requires choosing between aspect pairs, forming opinions, and handling time expressions correctly.

  1. I was reading a book when you called.
  2. I finished the book yesterday.
  3. I think that this is a good idea.
  4. Every morning I drink coffee and read the news.
  5. Yesterday we finally found the museum.
  6. I will call you tomorrow at five o'clock.
  7. It seems to me that he is right.
  8. While she was cooking dinner, I set the table.
  9. He usually gets up at seven, but today he got up at nine.
  10. I have been living in this city for two years.
Answers
  1. Я чита́л(а) кни́гу, когда́ ты позвони́л(а). — чита́л imperfective for the ongoing background action; позвони́л perfective for the single interrupting event — the classic "process interrupted by event" aspect pattern.
  2. Вчера́ я дочита́л(а) кни́гу. — perfective for a single completed result with a clear endpoint ("finished," not just "read for a while"). (Alternative: прочита́л(а) also works and is more common in general use; дочита́л(а) specifically emphasizes finishing something already started.)
  3. Я ду́маю, что э́то хоро́шая иде́я. — что is required as "that," unlike optional English "that"; хоро́шая agrees with feminine иде́я.
  4. Ка́ждое у́тро я пью ко́фе и чита́ю но́вости. — both verbs imperfective, triggered by "ка́ждое у́тро" (habitual repeated action).
  5. Вчера́ мы наконе́ц нашли́ музе́й. — нашли́ perfective, one-time completed discovery, reinforced by "наконе́ц" (finally) signaling an achieved result.
  6. Я позвоню́ тебе́ за́втра в пять часо́в. — позвоню́ perfective future (single planned call); тебе́ dative (person called); в + accusative пять часо́в for clock time.
  7. Мне ка́жется, что он прав. — dative ка́жется construction; прав is the short-form masculine adjective agreeing with он.
  8. Пока́ она́ гото́вила у́жин, я накры́л(а) на стол. — гото́вила imperfective for the background process (пока́ = "while"); накры́л(а) perfective for the single completed action of setting the table.
  9. Обы́чно он встаёт в семь, но сего́дня он встал в де́вять. — встаёт imperfective habitual; встал perfective for the one specific completed instance today — the same verb pair (вставать/встать) doing both jobs in one sentence.
  10. Я живу́ в э́том го́роде уже́ два го́да. — Russian uses the present tense with "уже́ + duration" for an action still ongoing (unlike English's "have been living"); в э́том го́роде prepositional.