I am not entirely sure what exactly this construction is achieving, in particular «было» (how would the meaning change if I dropped it?). Examples:

1. Я стал было его бранить за неуместное усердие, и не могу держаться от смеха. (*А. С. Пушкин. Капитанская дочка)
2. Федор Павлович между тем влез в коляску, а за ним, даже не оборотившись к Алеше проститься, молча и угрюмо стал было влезать Иван Федорович. (*Ф. М. Достоевский. Братья Карамазовы)
3. Некоторое время, в первые два года, он стал было подозревать, что Настасья Филипповна сама желает вступить с ним в брак, но молчит из необыкновенного тщеславия и ждет настойчиво его предложения. (*Ф. М. Достоевский. Идиот)

I haven't tried cursive yet but this is the best I could do in normal handwriting. Please give me tips

Hi! I'm from Nicaragua and I'm just starting to learn Russian. I'd really like to eventually become comfortable with the language, so I'm trying to figure out what I should focus on during the beginning.

For those who have learned Russian or are native speakers, what would you recommend focusing on during the first few months?

Are there any particular grammar topics, vocabulary, pronunciation habits, resources, or common mistakes that you think are especially important for beginners?

I'd love to hear what worked for you!

Hi! I’m a first year university student in Russian major, and I’ve been struggling to learn how to write in cursive since its obligated to learn so, i was wondering to ask which methods or ways i should follow to get better at it?.

Я изучаю русский язык. Есть ли у вас какие-нибудь советы или рекомендации по изучению русского языка? Или, может быть, кто-нибудь мог бы мне помочь? Заранее всем большое спасибо! Желаю всем хорошего дня! 😊

Hey everyone,

I've been working on a language learning app built around comprehensible input: learning naturally by consuming real content (books, videos, and native media) supported by targeted exercises.

Before our public launch, I’m looking for a small group of active testers to try it out and provide honest feedback. Everyone who joins gets 1 year of free Founder Access. More importantly, if you actually use the app consistently and share your feedback, I will upgrade your account to full Lifetime Founder Access for free. I really want to prioritize people genuinely committed to learning rather than those who just download it and forget it.

Now, call it a wild hunch, but I have a feeling most of you here are voluntarily subjecting yourselves to Cyrillic script. That said, the app actually supports several language pairs! To participate, you should be fluent in at least one of these languages and actively learning (or looking to learn) one or more of the others:

• Arabic
• Catalan
• Chinese
• English
• Filipino
• French
• German
• Hindi
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Russian (да, я вас вижу)
• Spanish

Please note that spots are limited and I reserve the right to accept or decline testers to ensure we get a balanced mix of language pairs and genuinely active participants.

If you’re interested, please send me a DM including:

1. The language(s) you speak.
2. The language(s) from the list you want to learn (even if it's 100% Russian!).
3. Your mobile OS (Android or iOS).

I'll reply with the details so you can get set up. Thanks!

Above is how I normally write (which is a weird mix of cursive and printed) and below is my (frankly egregious) attempt at full cursive.

I do the same kind of mix when handwriting in my own language. Have never been able to really use full cursive.

​

So, I've been learning Russian for a week now, mostly through the free course on YouTube by Real Russian Club. I already know the Cyrillic alphabet and some basic vocabulary, but I'm still not sure what I should focus on more. Should I focus on pronunciation, grammatical gender, or something else entirely? I'd appreciate any advice from people who have learned Russian.

It’s been about three months since I started learning cursive but I don’t know if I’m doing right. I need some advice!

Бля я русский не знаю русский поэтому спрашиваю у вашего благородия

***напишите, уже поздно изменить название поста

Уже несколько лет русским не занималась и не хочу чтобы язык полностью терялся. Хочется снова погрузиться и общаться с русскоязычными. Напишите мне в личку и мы построим языковой обмен, у меня ведь родной язык английский 🥰

всем привет!
i just started learning russian, and would like to talk to someone in the language so i can practice more. native english speaker, so i can help anyone trying to learn english as well!

Hi r/russian! I'm bilingual in Russian and Dutch, also speak English, and build NLP systems for a living as a data and AI engineer. I developed RusClip, an Android app for practising reading in Russian.

It's a reading trainer, not a grammar course. The idea is to get used to the Russian people actually read and write: graded stories from A1 to B2, but also how official documents are worded, how Russian speakers text each other, what product reviews sound like, proverbs and everyday phrases.

How it works:

- Tap a sentence to see its full translation and every word with its meaning in context, dictionary form, stress and pronunciation

- Save words and review them with spaced repetition (FSRS)

- Small trainers for sounds and word parts (prefixes, roots, endings)

- Paste your own Russian text and get the same breakdown

- Interface in English, Russian and Chinese

It works best alongside a grammar course or a teacher: they explain the rules, RusClip gives you lots of real text to read.

A1, A2 and the trainers are free, no ads. The paid tier adds B1/B2 and the themed collections (documents, chats, reviews and others). But you have a free texts in the shelves.

It's just been released, so there are rough edges. If anything feels confusing or missing, DM me - and if you send detailed feedback, I'll give you a couple of weeks of Pro.

RusClip on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.rusclip.android

(Android only for now.)

Hi everyone! I'm Recselserpel. This is the final version of my compact Cyrillic pixel art font. The uppercase letters are 5px high and the lowercase are 3/4px high. I fixed some previous consistency issues with letter heights (like the lowercase 'к') thanks to community feedback. Let me know what you think!

Hola quiero aprender ruso pero soy muy malo siendo autodidacta por lo que he decidido buscar cursos o maestros de ruso pero he tenido malas experiencias, como que el profesor no sabe hablar muy bien español, costos excesivos, no tener un orden de enseñanza y eso de cambiar el maestro a cada rato me está agotando la paciencia y dinero, me ayudarían mucho con experiencias/ recomendaciones de cursos, maestros o academias que tengan un orden y no me deje tirado a la mitad del curso, gracias

i originally got into learning Russian because i love quite a few Russian music artists, and music (and being able to understand it) is really important to me so i decided to study it. i don’t practice every day or anything yet because i don’t quite have the time, but i do listen to Russian music every day and think about the lyrics i can understand, practice my pronunciation, etc. is this actually helpful to my progress or does it just feel that way?

For a while, Russian seemed (to me) like that one language that just seemed to be “too complicated”. All the rules, exceptions, and complexities of the language just seemed to be too much.
However, after having tried my hand at some of the Easy Asian languages (mainly Japanese and Korean), I sincerely owe the Russian language an apology 😂
I don’t think I truly realized how easy I had it with Russian in comparison to these other beasts. For all of its complexities, Russian is still (at its core) a European language. And as such, it has many intuitive overlaps with other European languages. I feel after looking at those other languages, Russian oddly enough seems much more simple now (even with the cases and aspects).
Even vocabulary, as elaborate as it can be, is still so much more intuitive compared to the likes of other non European languages. Ironic seeing as how vocabulary is what I feel I struggle most with in Russian for the longest time.
For a while I truly felt like Russian was truly the absolute beast of languages. It just seemed way more complex and needlessly elaborate than most other languages. I can now safely say that I was ABSOLUTELY wrong 🤣

привет, I wish to study Russian. It’s because I love Russia and one day I have to visit there. Russian language have got my interest. Can someone help me to study Russian. Please 🥹

For context, my native language is Croatian and i learnt the Cyrillic alphabet a few months ago so I only need to refresh my memory of it.

I don’t really know how to approach learning a language by myself which is why I am asking for help. Any app or website recommendations are welcome as is any type of advice! Thank you!

Hi everyone! / Привет всем!

I’m currently developing a Russian language learning app, and during my research, I noticed that almost every popular app (Duolingo, Babbel, etc.) uses the exact same L2 methods: translation, rote vocab memorization, and brute-forcing grammar cases.

But it made me wonder... how do native Russian speakers actually acquire and master their own language?

Naturally, toddlers don't start with grammar charts, and Russian adults don't study like foreigners. I want to build something more intuitive, and I'd love to hear from both native speakers (about their childhood memories/schooling) and educators about how Russian is taught to Russians.

I’m particularly curious about two phases: The Early Childhood / Toddler Stage and School-Age to Adulthood

I want to avoid just making "another flashcard app" and instead implement these natural, native-inspired methods. Any stories, memories, or childhood learning games you can share would be incredibly helpful!

Hello! I'm a pixel artist and just finished "Recselserpel's Russian Typeface". I tried to adapt the Cyrillic alphabet into a tight proportional micro-grid.

It includes standard Russian characters, old historical letters, and regional Slavic variations (Ukrainian, Serbian, etc.).

Как носители языка, можете ли вы читать этот шрифт без проблем? Выглядит ли он естественно, несмотря на микроразмер?

Let me know what you think! Feedback is highly appreciated. Spasibo! 👊