Some phrases aren’t really important in a conversation, but they make you sound Russian.
Oh, dear Old World! Russians still believe in opening doors for each other and letting others go first. If you want to be especially polite, absolutely refuse to go through a door if somebody else is aiming for it. Instead of just walking through and getting it over with, stand by the door for 15 minutes repeating Tol’ko poslye vas! (tohl’-kuh pohs-lee vahs; Only after you!) while your counterpart stands by the other side of the door repeating the same phrase. It may be time consuming, but you’ll be recognized as a well-bred individual.
Speaking of being old-fashioned: Russians, for some reason, don’t believe that giving compliments is considered sexual harassment. So, if you start a conversation with a Russian woman by saying Vy syegodnya pryekrasno vyglyaditye! (vih see-vohd-n’uh pree-krahs-nuh vihg-lee-dee-t’eh; You look great today!), she may actually treat you nicer instead of reporting you to the authorities.
If someone says Vy syegodnya pryekrasno vyglyaditye! to you, remember that the appropriate response isn’t spasibo (spuh-see-buh; thank you); you should say Nu, chto vy! (noo shtoh vih; Ah, what are you talking about!) You have to show your modesty and disagree.
Making a Russian friend is very easy. When you meet someone (and if you like this person enough to want to be his or her friend), don’t think too hard about finding a way to create a social connection. Just say Zakhoditye na chaj! (zuh-khah-dee-t’eh nuh chahy; Stop by for some tea!) The person won’t think you’re a freak or a serial killer; he or she will most likely take your offer at face value. Keep in mind, though, that unlike “Let’s do lunch,” Russians take Zakhoditye na chaj seriously and usually accept your offer. That being said, you should actually have some tea and cookies at home, because Zakhoditye na chaj! implies drinking tea and conversing, unlike the American version: “Would you like to stop by my place for a drink?”
When you invite a new friend over for tea and whip out your strategically prepared box of cookies, a nice thing to say is Ugosh’ajtyes! (oo-gah-sh’ahy-t’ehs’; Help yourself! [literally: Treat yourself!]) Besides being friendly and polite, this word is just long enough to scare off foreigners. Which is, of course, a good enough reason to learn it and stand out in the crowd.
Unless you want to strike people as a gloomy, misanthropic sociopath, don’t start eating without wishing others Priyatnogo appetita! (pree-yat-nuh-vuh uh-pee-tee-tuh; Bon appétit!) Don’t hesitate to say this phrase to people you don’t know and are seeing for the first time in your life after your waiter sits them down at your table in an over-crowded restaurant.
Before departing on a trip, surprise everybody by looking around thoughtfully and saying Syadyem na dorozhku! (sya-deem nuh dah-rohsh-koo; Let’s sit down before hitting the road!) Essentially a superstition, this tradition is actually useful; sitting down and staying silent for a minute before you head out the door gives you an opportunity to remember what’s important. Maybe your packed lunch is still in the fridge, and your plane tickets with a sticker saying “Don’t forget!” are still on your bedside table!
Sitting down is a big deal for Russians. Which is, of course, understandable: With those vast lands, they must have had to walk a lot (especially before the invention of trains). That’s why when you’re sitting with somebody standing before you, or when somebody stops by and hangs out in the doorway, claiming to be leaving in a minute, you can say Sadis’, v nogakh pravdy nyet (sah-dees’, v nah-gahkh prahv-dih n’eht; take the weight off your feet/it is as cheap sitting as standing).
Although English has its own cute little “Break a leg” phrase, nobody really uses it anymore. Russians, on the other hand, never let anyone depart on a mission — whether a lady leaves to interview for a job or guy goes to ask a girl out — without saying Ni pukha, ni pyera! (nee poo-khuh nee pee-rah; Good luck! [literally: Have neither fluff nor plume!])
The appropriate response isn’t spasibo (spuh-see-buh; thank you); you should say K chyortu! (k chohr-too; To the devil!)
Russians sign their letters, e-mails, and cell phone text messages with Tseluyu (tsih-loo-yu; kisses [literally: (I am) kissing (you)]). You can also say Tseluyu at the end of a phone conversation. We don’t recommend saying it in person, though: If you’re face to face with someone, you may as well kiss the person instead of talking about it!
Here’s a weird one: When Russians see someone who just came out of a shower, a sauna, or any place where you can, supposedly, clean yourself, they say S lyogkim parom! (s lyokh-keem pah-ruhm; literally: Congratulations on a light steam!)
You can use S lyogkim parom! humorously: Say it to someone who got caught in the rain or someone who spilled a drink. Yes, it sounds mean, but Russians have a dark sense of humor.