Making friends in Russian

One of the perks of speaking a few languages is that now you can make even more friends! So today let’s learn Russian phrases that can help you to make new Russian friends…

First, a bit of related vocabulary:

друг [druk] – friend
подру́га [padrúga] – girlfriend (female friend)
дружи́ть [druzhéet’] – to be friends
заводи́ть друзе́й [zavadéet’ druzyéy] – to make friends
подружи́ться c кем-то [padruzhéetsa s kyem-ta] – to make friends with somebody

So how do you approach a person? In a formal situation, it’s enough to say:

Дава́йте познако́мимся!
Let’s get acquainted!

For an informal situation, even easier:

Дава́й познако́мимся!
Let’s get acquainted!

Another version of this phrase is:

Дава́йте знако́миться! / Дава́й знако́миться!
Let’s get acquainted! (formal / informal)

The difference between two versions is the following: the first one, with the perfective verb познако́миться, makes an accent on the fact of being acquainted, while the second one, with the imperfective verb знако́миться, on the process of getting acquainted and getting to know each other. You can use any of them depending on situation.

If you happen to hear the invitation yourself, you can reply with the first word of the phrase: дава́йте or дава́й, which would mean “ok, let’s do it”.

We have already learned how to present yourself, but let’s repeat. Notice, that to tell their name, Russians use a construction that could literally be translated as ‘they call me’:

Меня́ зову́т Мари́я.
My name is Maria.

When asking a name, you are actually asking “How do the call you?”.

Как вас зову́т?
What is your name? (formal or plural)

Как тебя́ зову́т?
What is your name? (informal)

If you are already talking to a person and suddenly find appropriate to introduce yourself, you can say:

Бу́дем знако́мы, меня́ зову́т Ке́вин.
Let’s be acquainted, my name is Kevin.

To stay polite, reply to an introduction with:

О́чень прия́тно.
My pleasure. (lit. – very pleasurable)

Взаи́мно.
The pleasure is mine (lit. – mutually)

When you are in a company of friends that might not know each other, this is how you can correct it:

Вы знако́мы?
Do you know each other?

Дава́йте я вас познако́млю.
Let me introduce you.

If you want your friend to indroduce you to somebody else, say:

Познако́мь нас.
Introduce me (us).

When you are presenting somebody else, use the following constructions:

Э́то моя́ сестра́, Наталья.
This is my sister, Natalia.

Позво́льте предста́вить, э́то мой колле́га, Макси́м.
Let me introduce you, this is my colleague, Maxim.

Э́то мой знако́мый, Оле́г.
This is my acquaintance, Oleg.

Представля́ю вам моего́ хоро́шего и да́внего друга.
I introduce to you my good and old friend.

Э́то моя́ но́вая подру́га, О́льга.
This is my new (girl) friend, Olga.

Finally, when you know each other quite well or want to switch to more informal way of speaking, you can say:

Дава́йте на ты?
Let be on familiar terms.

Дава́йте перейдём на ты?
Let be on familiar terms.

Вы не про́тив перейти́ на ты?
You don’t mind being on familiar terms?

Practice all these phrases with the audio file. We hope that you manage to make some new friends while doing it. 🙂

The offline version of this lesson is available here

• 014. Meeting your Russian in-laws
• 016. Talking about family in Russian