Chapter 6

Shop ’Til You Drop

In This Chapter

Finding out where to shop

Looking for clothes

Selecting the items you want

Paying the bill

Whether you’re hardcore or just window shopping, this chapter gives you what you need to know.

Where and How to Buy Things the Russian Way

You can buy anything (other than food) in either a univyermagi (oo-nee-veer-mah-gee; department stores) or magaziny (muh-guh-zee-nih; stores). If you’re looking for something specific, you’ll want to check out some of the following stores:

antikvarnyj magazin (uhn-tee-kvahr-nihy muh-guh-zeen; antique store)

aptyeka (uhp-tye-kuh; pharmacy)

byel’yo (beel’-yo; intimate apparel)

dyetskaya odyezhda (d’eht-skuh-yuh ah-d’ehzh-duh; children’s apparel)

elyektrotovary (eh-l’ehk-truh-tah-vah-rih; electrical goods)

fototovary (foh-tuh-tah-vah-rih; photography store)

galantyeryeya (guh-luhn-tee-r’eh-yuh; haberdashery)

gazyetnyj kiosk (guh-z’eht-nihy kee-ohsk; newsstand)

golovnyye ubory (guh-lahv-nih-eh oo-boh-rih; hats)

kantsyelyarskiye tovary (kuhn-tsih-l’ahr-skee-eh tah-vah-rih; stationery)

khozyajstvyennyj magazin (khah-z’ay-stv’eh-nihy muh-guh-zeen; household goods, hardware store)

komissionnyj magazin (kuh-mee-see-ohn-nihy muh-guh-zeen; secondhand store)

kosmyetika (kahs-m’eh-tee-kuh; makeup)

muzhskaya odyezhda (moosh-skah-yuh ah-d’ehzh-duh; men’s apparel)

muzykal’nyye instrumyenty (moo-zih-kahl’-nih-eh een-stroo-myen-tih; musical instruments)

odyezhda (ah-d’ehzh-duh; clothing)

parfumyeriya (puhr-fyu-m’eh-ree-yuh; perfumery)

posuda (pah-soo-duh; tableware)

sportivnyye tovary (spahr-teev-nih-eh tah-vah-rih; sporting goods)

suvyeniry (soo-vee-nee-rih; souvenir store)

tkani (tkah-nee; textiles)

tsvyety (tsvee-tih; florist)

vyerkhnyaya odyezhda (vyerkh-n’eh-yuh ah-dyezh-duh; outerwear)

yuvyelirnyj magazin (yu-vee-leer-nihy muh-gah-zeen; jewelry store)

zhyenskaya odyezhda (zhehn-skuh-yuh ah-d’ehzh-duh; women’s apparel)

The easiest way to find out whether a Russian store is open is to go there and look for a sign hanging in the door or window with one of these two words on it: Otkryto (aht-krih-tuh; Open) or Zakryto (zuh-krit-tuh; Closed). The next best way is just to call. Here are some ways to ask about store hours:

Do kotorogo chasa otkryt magazin? (duh kuh-toh-ruh-vuh chah-suh aht-kriht muh-guh-zeen; ’Til what time is the store open?)

V voskryesyen’ye magazin otrkryt? (v vuhs-kree-s’ehn’-yeh muh-guh-zeen aht-kriht; Is the store open on Sunday?)

Kogda magazin zakryvayetsya? (kahg-dah muh-guh-zeen zuh-krih-vah-eht-s’uh; When does the store close?)

Kogda zavtra otkryvayetsya magazin? (kahg-dah zahf-truh uht-krih-vah-eht-s’uh muh-guh-zeen; When does the store open tomorrow?)

You Wear It Well: Shopping for Clothes

Russian folk wisdom has it that people’s first impression of you is based on the way you’re dressed. That’s why you’re likely to see Russians well-dressed in public, even in informal situations. To keep up, you’ll want the phrases in the following sections.

Seeking specific items of clothing

If you’re looking for outerwear, you want to go to the store or department called vyerkhnyaya odyezhda (v’ehrkh-n’eh-yuh ah-d’ehzh-duh; outerwear). There you’ll find things like a

kurtka (koort-kuh; short coat or warmer jacket)

pal’to (puhl’-toh; coat)

plash’ (plahsh’; raincoat or trench coat)

If you need a new pair of shoes, drop in to the store or department called obuv’ (oh-boof’; footwear) and choose among

bosonozhki (buh-sah-nohsh-kee; women’s sandals)

botinki (bah-teen-kee; laced shoes)

krossovki (krah-sohf-kee; sneakers)

sandalii (suhn-dah-lee-ee; sandals)

sapogi (suh-pah-gee; boots)

tufli (toof-lee; lighter shoes for men and most shoes for women)

In the galantyeryeya (guh-luhn-tee-r’eh-yuh; haberdashery) you can buy all kinds of little things, both for her and for him, such as

chulki (chool-kee; stockings)

chyemodan (chee-mah-dahn; suitcase)

galstuk (gahl-stook; necktie)

khalat (khuh-laht; robe)

kolgotki (kahl-goht-kee; pantyhose)

kupal’nik (koo-pahl’-neek; bathing suit)

noski (nahs-kee; socks)

nosovoj platok (nuh-sah-vohy pluh-tohk; handkerchief)

ochki (ahch-kee; eyeglasses)

pizhama (pee-zhah-muh; pajamas)

pyerchatki (peer-chaht-kee; gloves)

raschyoska (ruh-sh’yos-kuh; hairbrush/comb)

ryemyen’ (ree-myen’; belt)

sumka (soom-kuh; purse or bag)

varyezhki (vah-reesh-kee; mittens)

zontik (zohn-teek; umbrella)

In the store called muzhkaya odyezhda (moosh-skah-yuh ah-d’ehzh-duh; men’s apparel), you can find the following:

bryuki (bryu-kee; pants)

dzhinsy (dzhihn-sih; jeans)

futbolka (foot-bohl-kuh; football jersey/sports shirt)

kostyum (kahs-tyum; suit)

maika (mahy-kuh; T-shirt)

pidzhak (peed-zhahk; suit jacket)

plavki (plahf-kee; swimming trunks)

rubashka (roo-bahsh-kuh; shirt)

shorty (shohr-tih; shorts)

svitehr (svee-tehr; sweater)

trusy (troo-sih; men’s underwear)

zhilyet (zhih-l’eht; vest)

In the store zhyensaya odyezhda (zhehn-skuh-yuh ah-d’ehzh-duh; women’s apparel), you can find a

bluzka (bloos-kuh; blouse)

kofta (kohf-tuh; cardigan)

lifchik (leef-cheek; bra)

plat’ye (plah-t’yeh; dress)

sarafan (suh-ruh-fahn; sleeveless dress)

yubka (yup-kuh; skirt)

zhenskoye byel’yo (zhehn-skuh-eh beel’-yo; women’s underwear)

And if you need a hat, drop by the store or department called golovnyye ubory (guh-lahv-nih-ye oo-boh-rih; hats) and buy a

kyepka (k’ehp-kuh; cap)

platok (pluh-tohk; head scarf)

shapka (shahp-kuh; warm winter hat)

sharf (shahrf; scarf)

shlyapa (shl’ah-puh; hat)

Describing items in color

What’s your favorite color? When picking out clothes, you may want to tell the salesperson Ya lyublyu krasnyj tsvyet (ya l’oob-l’oo krahs-nihy tsveht; I like red [literally: I like the color red]) or Ya lyublyu zyelyonyj tsvyet (ya lyub-lyu zee-lyo-nihy tsveht; I like green [literally: I like the color green]). Some common colors are

byelyj (b’eh-lihy; white)

chyornyj (chyor-nihy; black)

goluboj (guh-loo-bohy; light blue)

korichnyevyj (kah-reech-nee-vihy; brown)

krasnyj (krahs-nihy; red)

oranzhyevyj (ah-rahn-zhih-vihy; orange)

purpurnyj (poor-poor-nihy; purple)

rozovyj (roh-zuh-vihy; pink)

siniy (see-neey; blue)

syeryj (s’eh-rihy; gray)

zhyoltyj (zhohl-tihy; yellow)

zyelyonyj (zee-lyo-nihy; green)

The names for colors in Russian are considered adjectives. So when you’re describing the color of an item you want, make sure the color agrees in case, number, and gender with the noun it modifies. (For more on adjective-noun agreement, see Chapter 2.) For example, a black hat in the nominative case is chyornaya shlyapa (chohr-nuh-yuh shl’ah-puh), a black dress is chyornoye plat’ye (chohr-nuh-eh plaht’-yeh), and black shoes are chyornyye botinki (chohr-nih-eh bah-tehn-keh).

If you want to ask for a different shade of a color, use the phrase A potyemnyeye/posvyetlyye yest’? (uh puh-teem-n’eh-eh/puhs-veet-l’eh-eh yest’?; Do you have it in a darker/lighter shade?). Other words that may come in handy are odnotsvyetnyj (uhd-nah-tsveht-nihy; solid), and raznotsvyetnyj (ruhz-nah-tsveht-nihy; patterned).

Finding the right size

Here are some of the words and phrases you may hear or say while searching for your right size:

Razmehr (ruhz-m’ehr; size)

Ya noshu razmyer . . . (ya nah-shoo ruhz-m’ehr; I wear size . . .)

Eto moj razmyer. (eh-tuh mohy ruhz-m’ehr; This is my size.)

Kakoj vash/u vas razmyer? (kuh-kohy vahsh/oo vahs ruhz-m’ehr?; What’s your size?)

Trying on clothing

Before you decide you want to nosit’ (nah-seet; wear) something, you probably want to try it on first. To ask to try something on, you say Mozhno pomyerit’? (mohzh-nuh pah-m’eh-reet’?; May I try this on?). You’ll most likely hear Da, pozhalujsta (dah, pah-zhah-luh-stuh; Yes, please).

When you try something on, and it fits you well, you say Eto khorosho sidit (eh-tuh khuh-rah-shoh see-deet; It fits). If it doesn’t fit, you say Eto plohkho sidit (eh-tuh ploh-khuh see-deet; It doesn’t fit). Here are some other adjectives you may use to describe the clothes you’re considering buying:

khoroshyj (khah-roh-shihy; good)

plokhoj (plah-khohy; bad)

bol’shoj (bahl’-shohy; big)

malyenkij (mah-leen’-keey; small)

dlinnyj (dlee-nihy; long)

korotkij (kah-roht-keey; short)

Don’t forget when using these adjectives to add the correct ending, which depends on the case, number, and gender of the noun the adjective refers to. (For more on adjective-noun agreement, see Chapter 2.)

The item you’ve just tried on may turn out to be too big or too small. To say something is too big, use this construction: The name of the item + mnye (mn’eh; to me) followed by

vyelik (vee-leek; too big) for masculine nouns

vyelika (vee-lee-kah; too big) for feminine nouns

vyeliko (vee-lee-koh; too big) for neuter nouns

vyeliki (vee-lee-kee; too big) for plural nouns

If the raincoat you just tried on is too big, for example, you say Etot plash’ mnye vyelik (eh- tuht plahsh’ mn’eh vee-leek; This raincoat is too big for me).

If, on the other hand, something is too small, you say the name of the item + mnye + one of the following:

mal (mahl; too small) for masculine nouns

mala (muh-lah; too small) for feminine nouns

malo (muh-loh; too small) for neuter nouns

maly (muh-lih; too small) for plural nouns

This or That? Deciding What You Want

The blue dress or the black pants. How do you decide? Can’t help you there, but this section helps you discuss your dilemma.

Expressing likes and dislikes

When people go shopping, they often base their final decisions on one simple thing: You either like something or you don’t! To express that you like something in Russian, you say Mnye (mn’eh; literally: to me) + a form of the verb nravitsya (nrah-veet-s’eh; to like) + the thing(s) you like. The verb must agree in number (and gender, for past tense) with the thing(s) you like. It’s a peculiar construction: What you’re saying literally is “To me, something is liked.” If you like a particular coat, for example, you say Mnye nravitsya eta kurtka (mn’eh nrah-veet-s’uh eh-tuh koort-kuh; I like this coat).

Table 6-1 has some other forms of the verb nravitsya you may need to use, depending on the thing(s) you’re talking about and the tense you’re using.

If you want to express that you don’t like something, you simply add nye (nee; not) before nravitsya, as in Mnye nye nravitsya eta kurtka (mnye nee nrah-veet-sye eh-tuh koort-kuh; I don’t like this coat).

Comparing two items

To compare things, Russian uses comparative adjectives like bol’shye (bohl’-sheh; bigger), myen’shye (m’ehn’-sheh; smaller), luchshye (looch-sheh; better), and khuzhye (khoo-zheh; worse). Just as in English, you say the name of the item + the comparative adjectives (for instance, bigger or smaller) + the word chyem (chyem; than) + the other item. And here’s some good news: Comparative adjectives do not need to agree in case, number, and gender with the nouns they refer to. They use the same form for every noun.

Say you’re trying on two pairs of shoes. You like the second pair better: It’s more comfortable, lighter, and cheaper, too. This is what you may be thinking to yourself: Eti tufli udobnyeye, lyegchye, i dyeshyevlye chyem tye (eh-tee toof-lee oo-dohb-n’eh-eh l’ehkh-cheh ee dee-shehv-l’eh chyem tye; These shoes are more comfortable, lighter, and cheaper than those).

In addition to the words we use here, here are some other commonly used comparative adjectives in Russian:

dlinnyeye (dl’eh-nye-eh; longer)

dorozhye (dah-roh-zheh; more expensive)

dyeshyevlye (dee-shehv-l’eh; cheaper)

intyeryesnyeye (een-tee-r’ehs-n’eh-eh; more interesting)

kholodnyeye (khuh-lahd-n’eh-eh; colder)

korochye (kah-rohch-cheh; shorter)

krasivyeye (kruh-seh-v’eh-eh; more beautiful)

tolsh’ye (tohl-sh’e; thicker)

ton’shye (tohn’-sheh; thinner)

tyazhyelyeye (tee-zhih-l’eh-eh; heavier)

tyeplyeye (teep-l’eh-eh; warmer)

Talking about what you like most (or least)

When you look at several items (or people or things), you may like one of them most of all. To communicate this preference, you need to use the superlative form of the adjective. Just like in English, Russian simply adds the word samyj (sah-mihy; the most) before the adjective and noun you’re talking about.

To express the superlative form of the adjective, put samyj before the neutral adjective form, not the comparative adjective form, as given in the previous section. For a list of superlative adjective forms, see Table 6-2.

Samyj is an adjective and must agree in case, number, and gender with the nouns and other adjectives it modifies. (For details on adjective-noun agreement, see Chapter 2.) Table 6-2 has the forms of samyj you need to use.

If one coat is the lightest of all the coats you tried on, you may want to say Eta kurtka samaya lyogkaya (eh-tuh koort-kuh sah-muh-ye lyohk-kuh-ye; This coat is the lightest). If you’re particularly fond of one pair of earrings, you can say Eti syer’gi samyye krasivyye (eh-tee syer’-gee sah-mih-eh krah-see-vih-eh; These earrings are the most beautiful ones).

To communicate that something is the worst in its category, Russians today use the word samyj plokhoj (sah-mihy plah-khohy; worst [literally: most bad]) for masculine nouns, samaya plokhaya (sah-muh-yuh plah-khah-yuh) for feminine nouns, samoye plokhoye (sah-muh-eh plah-khoh-eh) for neuter nouns, and samyye plokhiye (sah-mih-eh plah-khee-eh) for plural nouns.

So if you particularly dislike one dress, you say Eto plat’ye samoye plokhoye (eh-tuh plah-t’yeh sah-muh-eh plah-khoh-eh; That dress is the worst [literally: That dress is the most bad]).

You Gotta Pay to Play

To inquire about the price of any item, ask Skol’ko stoit . . . ? (skohl’-kuh stoh-eet . . . ?; How much does . . . cost?). After you hear the price, you may want to specify your question to avoid the confusion:

Za kilogram? (zuh kee-lahg-rahm; Per kilo?)

Za shtuku? (zuh shtoo-koo; Per item?)

Za yash’ik? (zuh ya-sh’eek; Per box?)

When you’re buying several items or paying for your meal at a restaurant, a good phrase to use is Skol’ko s myenya? (skohl’-kuh s mee-n’ah; How much do I owe?) Here are some other good phrases:

Eto ochyen’ dorogo. (eh-tuh oh-cheen’ doh-ruh-guh; It’s very expensive.)

Eto dyoshyevo! (eh-tuh dyo-shih-vuh; It’s cheap!)

Ya voz’mu eto. (ya vahz’-moo eh-tuh; I’ll take it.)

Ya eto kuplyu. (ya eh-tuh koo-pl’oo; I’ll buy it.)