Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Russian vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and audio.
Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.
You will start with everyday Russian words like the food (еда), the drink (напиток), the cup (чашка) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.
| English | Russian | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the food | еда | The food is delicious. Еда вкусная. |
| the drink | напиток | I want a drink. Я хочу напиток. |
| the cup | чашка | The cup is full. Чашка полная. |
| the bottle | бутылка | The bottle is empty. Бутылка пустая. |
| the plate | тарелка | The plate is clean. Тарелка чистая. |
| the spoon | ложка | I use a spoon. Я пользуюсь ложкой. |
| the fork | вилка | I eat with a fork. Я ем вилкой. |
| the knife | нож | The knife is sharp. Нож острый. |
| the breakfast | завтрак | I eat breakfast. Я ем завтрак. |
| the lunch | обед | We have lunch at noon. Мы обедаем в полдень. |
| the dinner | ужин | They eat dinner together. Они ужинают вместе. |
| the bread | хлеб | I buy bread. Я покупаю хлеб. |
| the butter | масло | I put butter on the bread. Я намазываю масло на хлеб. |
| the cheese | сыр | I eat cheese. Я ем сыр. |
| the milk | молоко | I drink milk. Я пью молоко. |
| the coffee | кофе | I drink coffee in the morning. Я пью кофе утром. |
| the tea | чай | I like tea. Мне нравится чай. |
| the juice | сок | I drink juice. Я пью сок. |
| the soda | газировка | I drink soda. Я пью газировку. |
| the rice | рис | I eat rice. Я ем рис. |
Every word explained individually – with example sentence: Browse all 1000 words →
The 100 most important Russian words →
The 100 most important Russian verbs →
| to borrow | одолжить |
| to buy | покупать |
| to clean | убирать |
| to close | закрывать |
| to cook | готовить |
| to do | делать |
| to drink | пить |
| to eat | есть |
| to find | находить |
| to get | получать |
| She is my friend | Она моя подруга |
| They have fun together | Им весело вместе |
| We eat lunch together | Мы обедаем вместе |
| She smiles a lot | Она много улыбается |
| He tells funny jokes | Он рассказывает смешные шутки |
| I visit my friends | Я навещаю друзей |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.
Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.
Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Russian vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.