{"id":64581,"date":"2018-09-26T18:04:09","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T22:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-ask-questions-in-russian\/"},"modified":"2025-02-26T23:26:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T04:26:47","slug":"how-to-ask-questions-in-russian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/russian\/how-to-ask-questions-in-russian\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Ask Questions in Russian: 12 Question Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asking and answering questions is an essential part of learning any foreign language, including Russian. Luckily, just as in English, Russian has the five “W” question words: who, what, when, where,\u00a0 and why.<\/p>\n

Check out these examples of the five “W” question words in action with their pronunciation, plus other common question words and phrases in Russian.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Question Words in Russian<\/h2>\n

\u041a\u0442\u043e?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Who?<\/h3>\n

The common word in Russian used to ask about people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0442\u043e \u044d\u0442\u043e?<\/strong> \u2014 <\/em>Who is this?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0442\u043e \u043e\u043d\/\u043e\u043d\u0430?<\/strong> \u2014 Who is he\/she?<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0442\u043e?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 What?<\/h3>\n

This word can be used for objects, abstract words, actions, etc.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0442\u043e \u044d\u0442\u043e?<\/strong> \u2014 What is this?<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0442\u043e \u0442\u044b \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0435\u0448\u044c?<\/strong> \u2014 What are you doing?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 When?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0448\u044c \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430?<\/strong> \u2014 When will you be home?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u044f?<\/strong> \u2014 When does Russia play?<\/p>\n

\u0413\u0434\u0435?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Where?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u0413\u0434\u0435 \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0442\u0443\u0430\u043b\u0435\u0442?<\/strong> \u2014 Where is the bathroom?<\/p>\n

\u0413\u0434\u0435 \u0442\u044b \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u0441\u044f\/\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c?<\/strong> \u2014 Where were you born?<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Why?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u0443 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f \u0431\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442 \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430?<\/strong> \u2014 Why does my head hurt?<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a \u0442\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u043b\u043e\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439?<\/strong> \u2014 Why is Russian so hard?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 How?<\/h3>\n

According to my second grade teacher, “how” is not technically one of the “W” question words, even though it ends in “w.”<\/p>\n

Regardless, there’s also a “how” equivalent in Russian, one that most Russian learners already know: \u043a\u0430\u043a?<\/strong> As in, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430?<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(how are you?).<\/p>\n

And to keep things interesting, Russian also has some other, specialized question words:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

\u0421\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 How much?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u0421\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0438\u0442?<\/strong> \u2014 How much does it weigh?<\/p>\n

\u0421\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438?<\/strong> \u2014 What time is it?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0443\u0434\u0430?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Where to?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u0438\u0434\u0451\u0448\u044c?<\/strong> \u2014 Where are you going?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u0432\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0433\u0438?<\/strong> \u2014 Where to invest money?<\/p>\n

This question word is not to be confused with \u0433\u0434\u0435. This Amazing Russian video\u00a0explains the difference between the two Russian “where”s.<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

\u041e\u0442\u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430<\/strong>?<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Where from?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u041e\u0442\u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u0438\u0434\u0451\u0448\u044c?<\/strong> \u2014 Where are you coming from?<\/p>\n

\u041e\u0442\u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u0434\u0443\u0435\u0442 \u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440?<\/strong> \u2014 From where does the wind blow?<\/p>\n

\u0417\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043c?<\/strong> \u2014 What for\/Why?<\/h3>\n

The meaning here is different than \u043f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u0417\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043c \u0442\u044b \u044d\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430\u043b(\u0430)?<\/strong> \u2014 What did you do that for?<\/p>\n

\u0417\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043c \u0442\u044b \u0443\u0447\u0438\u0448\u044c \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439?<\/strong> \u2014 Why are you studying Russian?<\/p>\n

This type of question is usually asked with incredulous intonation, as in, “Why on earth would you study Russian?”<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u0439?<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Whose?<\/h3>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u0439 \u044d\u0442\u043e \u043c\u043e\u0431\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a?<\/strong> \u2014 Whose cell phone is this?<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u0439 \u044d\u0442\u043e \u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a?<\/strong> \u2014 Whose child is this?<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u0439\u00a0<\/em>declines like an adjective and is used to ask “whose (is it)?”.<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0439?<\/strong> \u2014 Which\/What kind of?<\/h3>\n

Like \u0447\u0435\u0439, \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0439\u00a0<\/em>declines as an adjective and is used to ask “which (kind)?”<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0443 \u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0430\u043a\u0430?<\/strong> \u2014 What kind of dog do you have?<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0444\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043c \u0442\u044b \u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0448\u044c?<\/strong> \u2014 What movie are you watching?<\/p>\n

How to Ask Questions in Russian?<\/h2>\n

Just as in English, questions in Russian are posed either with or without a question word.<\/p>\n

The simplest way to ask a question in Russian is without question words<\/strong>. Just take any phrase or sentence and use question intonation. For those of you who like to geek out on intonation constructions, this means applying IC-3 (yes-no questions).<\/p>\n

Unlike English, Russian doesn’t require inversion of the subject and verb to create a question. Rather, the question is created through intonation alone.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u042d\u0442\u043e \u0434\u043e\u043c. \u2014 This is a house.<\/p>\n

\u042d\u0442\u043e \u0434\u043e\u043c?<\/strong> \u2014 Is this a house?<\/p>\n

\u0422\u044b \u0437\u0430\u043d\u044f\u0442. \u2014 You’re busy.<\/p>\n

\u0422\u044b \u0437\u0430\u043d\u044f\u0442?<\/strong> \u2014 Are you busy?<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

And of course, don’t forget the Russian affinity for negation:<\/p>\n

\u0422\u044b \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0448\u044c \u0447\u0430\u0439. \u2014 You won’t have some tea.<\/p>\n

\u0422\u044b \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0448\u044c \u0447\u0430\u0439?<\/strong> \u2014 Won’t you have some tea?<\/p>\n

Ready to give it a try? Check out these YouTube videos from learnrussian.org and R for Russian for some good practice:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

Example Questions in Russian<\/h2>\n

You’ve mastered the different question forms and even the various question words. So how can you put them to use?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are some key questions that will help Russian learners at every level.<\/p>\n

Questions for beginners.<\/h3>\n

As a beginner, you’ll probably want to focus on questions that help you get basic\u00a0information, like how much things cost and how to get around.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples that you can vary according to what you want to ask.<\/p>\n