How Hard Is Learning Russian? (2024)

Learning a second language can be challenging as it requires students to learn new words, memorize grammar rules, and construct new cognitive structures.

Learning the Russian language is no exception. Russian is allegedly one of the most complex languages to learn; its Cyrillic alphabet is enough to scare you away. In fact, the Foreign Service Institute classifies it as a category-four language. But don’t let that intimidate you. Learning the Russian language is far from impossible.

Here are three reasons why learning Russian is actually easier than you might think.

How Hard Is Learning Russian? (1)

How Hard Is Learning Russian, Truly?

Unlike other European languages, when learning Russian, you have no advantage of having the same alphabet. Most European languages use the Latin alphabet. Though there are a few similar words, you will learn a new alphabet and complex grammar rules to understand the language.

All the Russian nouns lie in the three categories of gender, which are feminine, masculine, or neuter. The gender of the noun is directly related to the thing it is referring to. Unlike many languages with gendered nouns, Russian has no reliable way of guessing the gender, meaning you have to memorize them. But for students who truly want to learn the language, these challenges can be easily overcome with passion and dedication.

3 Reasons Why the Russian Language Is Not Hard to Learn

1. Russian Pronunciation Is Only Problematic When Textbooks Make It More Complex

The best way to learn any new language is by imitating what you hear, and Russian is no different. One of the biggest mistakes you will make is learning Russian pronunciation by following a guide. Textbooks will explain the process in a complex manner which will overwhelm you and make learning complicated. You need to hear and imitate how your language instructor pronounces the words to understand the Russian language effectively.

2. The Russian Language Has Lots of Cognate Words

The Russian language is abundant in many English cognate words than other non-European languages. Some words in Russian look similar to English words and subsequently have the same meaning.

Here are some examples:

  • студент (student) – student
  • класс (klas) – class
  • иде́я (ideya) – idea

So how hard is learning Russian with this kind of relationship? Cognates will give you an upper hand and a smooth ride when learning Russian.

3. Long Russian Words Are Not Complex if You Take Them as Compound Words

Like German, Russian has long words which might frighten you, but the trick is carving the long words into two halves.

Let’s say a word like;

Здравствуйте = hello/greeting

At a glance, the word looks too hard to read, but you can break it into:

Вуйте

Здравст

The two pieces will be more manageable for you to say than a single unit. You need to practice the two pieces until you master them and then communicate them together.

How Hard Is Learning Russian? (2)

How Can LanguageBird Help You Learn the Russian Language?

LanguageBird courses feature 100% live 1-to-1 language instruction and allow for flexible scheduling. We connect students with native speakers in their language of choice and customize our lesson plans to specific strengths, weaknesses, and areas of interest. Contact us today or download your free ebook below to learn how we can help students master even the most difficult language challenges.

How Hard Is Learning Russian? (3)

How Hard Is Learning Russian? (2024)

FAQs

How difficult is learning Russian? ›

Russian is often considered one of the most difficult languages to learn. But don't let that discourage you, with the right approach, dedication, and practice, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

How long does it take to learn Russian realistically? ›

Therefore, according to FSI findings, Russian is in Language Group IV and it will take you around 1,100 hours to learn it. Russian may be one of the difficult languages for English speakers to learn, but that makes it all the more rewarding!

What is the hardest language to learn top 100? ›

Ranked: These are the Hardest Languages to Learn in the World
  • Arabic. Arabic ranks as the most challenging language to learn. ...
  • Mandarin. Mandarin, China's national language, is spoken by more than 1.3 billion people. ...
  • Korean. ...
  • Japanese. ...
  • Russian. ...
  • Hungarian. ...
  • Icelandic. ...
  • Greek.
Oct 16, 2023

Which is harder, Russian or Japanese? ›

After reading through all the differences, Russian probably comes across as the easier language to learn. And it is! For native English speakers, Russian is categorized as taking 44 weeks to learn (or 1,100 hours), while Japanese takes 88 weeks (2,200 hours).

Is Greek or Russian easier? ›

Greek is a relatively difficult language to master, even more so for English speakers. But it's still easier to learn than Russian or Arabic. The reason many English speakers find Greek to be so difficult is that it's not closely related to the English language.

Is learning Russian worth it? ›

Many studies have suggested that learning a new language improves brain function, providing better memory, more mental flexibility, and creativity. Learning a language from a different language family from your native language – for example, Russian – is a great way to maximize these benefits.

Does Duolingo work for Russian? ›

The world's most popular way to learn Russian online

Whether you're a beginner starting with the basics or looking to practice your reading, writing, and speaking, Duolingo is scientifically proven to work.

What is considered fluent in Russian? ›

B2 « Independent »

Speak Russian language fluently. Communicate in Russian in all daily life situations and in a variety of work situations.

What is the No 1 difficult language? ›

Most difficult language in the world: The official language of Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore, Mandarin has consistently been ranked as the hardest language in the world. Mandarin is spoken by over 1.118 billion people and is the second most spoken language in the world only second to English.

What is the #1 hardest language to learn? ›

1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

What is the number 1 easiest language to learn? ›

The following ten languages are most closely related to English, and are therefore the easiest for a native English speaker to learn:
  • Spanish. ...
  • Dutch. ...
  • Norwegian. ...
  • Portuguese. ...
  • Swedish. ...
  • Italian. ...
  • Romanian. ...
  • Hindi.

Which is harder Spanish or Russian? ›

Unfortunately, Russian appears to be WAY more difficult than Spanish. There are way less words which are similar to my native English, more complicated spelling rules, and way more things to memorise like the stress on each word and when to use "o" or "a".

What is the closest language to Russian? ›

From the point of view of spoken language, its closest relatives are Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Rusyn, the other three languages in the East Slavic branch.

Which is harder German or Russian? ›

Russian is harder because of the different alphabet.

Is Russian or German easier to learn? ›

It uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which needs to be learned, and it has a complex grammar system with six cases. However, Russian's consistent and largely phonetic spelling system is often considered easier than the many exceptions in English and German spelling.

Is Russian considered a difficult language? ›

Of all the European languages a native English speaker can learn, Russian is among the most difficult. The Germanic and Romance languages have a lot of the same core because they both have roots in Latin. Russian is from a completely different language branch called the Slavonic branch, which includes Czech and Polish.

What is the hardest part about learning Russian? ›

Noun case is probably the hardest part of Russian for English speakers to fully master. And this of course makes us ask: What exactly is Russian noun case? Simply put, the ending of a Russian noun tells you what it does/what role it has in a sentence.

What is the hardest thing to learn in Russian? ›

Russian grammar: top 5 hardest rules
  1. Negation.
  2. Checked unstressed vowels at the root of a word. ...
  3. Spelling prefixes. ...
  4. Preposition. ...
  5. Conjugation of verbs. This topic includes requests for changing verbs by tenses, persons, numbers, and gender. ...
Mar 10, 2021

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