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Poetry and tongue twisters can be a great way to improve both your vocabulary and pronunciation in Russian! In Russian, tongue twisters are known as as “скороговорки” (which means something like “fast-sayings”). Below are several скороговорки that are fairly well known in Russia and are often used for “training the tongue.”
1. На горке горько ревет Егорка.
Transliteration: Na gorke gor’ko revet Yegorka.
Translation: On the hill, Egorka wails bitterly.
2. На дворе трава, на траве дрова. Не руби дрова на траве двора.
Transliteration: Na dvore trava, na trave drova. Ne rubi drova na trave dvora.
Translation: There is grass in the yard, and firewood on the grass. Do not chop firewood on the grass in the yard.
3. Проворонила ворона вороненка.
Transliteration: Provoronila vorona voronenka.
Translation: The crow lost track of her fledgling.
4. Корабли лавировали, лавировали да не вылавировали.
Transliteration: Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali da ne vylavirovali.
Translation: The ships tacked and tacked, but failed to tack their way through.
5. Карл у Клары украл кораллы. Клара у Карла украла кларнет.
Transliteration: Karl u Klary ukral korally. Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.
Translation: Karl stole corals from Clara. Clara stole Karl’s clarinet.
6. Щипцы да клещи – вот наши вещи.
Transliteration: Щипцы да клещи – вот наши вещи.
Translation: Tongs and pincers—these are our tools.
7. Цапля чахла, цапля сохла, цапля сдохла наконец.
Transliteration: Tsaplya chakhla, tsaplya sokhla, tsaplya sdokhla nakonets.
Translation: The heron pined, the heron withered, and finally, the heron died.
8. Пол мыла Лара, мила Ларе помогала.
Transliteration: Pol myla Lara, mila Lare pomogala.
Translation: Lara was washing the floor; Mila was helping Lara.
9. Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека в реке рак, сунул Грека руку в реку, рак за руку Греку цап.
Transliteration: Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka v reke rak, sunul Greka ruku v reku, rak za ruku Greku tsap.
Translation: Greka was crossing a river; Greka saw a crayfish in the river. Greka dipped his hand into the river—and the crayfish snapped at Greka’s hand.
10. Щетинка у чушки, чешуйка у щучки.
Transliteration: Shchetinka u chushki, cheshuya u shchuchki.
Translation: Bristles are on a piglet, scales on a pike.
11. Жук жужжит и встать не может. Ждет он, кто ему поможет.
Transliteration: Zhuk zhuzhzhit i vstat’ ne mozhet. Zhdet on, kto yemu pomozhet.
Translation: The beetle buzzes, unable to rise; he waits for someone to help him.
12. Волки рыщут, пищу ищут.
Transliteration: Volki ryshchut, pishchu ishchut.
Translation: The wolves prowl, searching for food.
13. Мишка шапкой шишки сшиб.
Transliteration: Мишка шапкой шишки сшиб.
Translation: Mishka knocked down the pine cones with his hat.
14. Маша дала Ромаше сыворотку из-под простокваши.
Transliteration: Masha dala Romashe syvorotku iz-pod prostokvashi.
Translation: Masha gave Romasha the whey from the sour milk.
15. Если руки мыли вы, если руки мыли мы, если руки вымыл ты, значит руки вымыты.
Transliteration: Yesli ruki myli vy, yesli ruki myli my, yesli ruki vymyl ty, znachit ruki vymyty.
Translation: If you washed your hands, if we washed our hands, if you washed your hands—then the hands are washed.
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