How to Address People in Russian

Before addressing anyone though, it is a good idea to take a moment to consider the situation. But do not worry - there are only a couple of things to keep in mind: first, whether you know the person in question, and second, is the person an adult or a child. As you probably know, Russians make more of a distinction between formal and informal speech than speakers of English do.

Resources for further reading:

• Improve your Russian pronunciation
• Want to learn Russian from home? Learn it online!

So, how do you decide when a situation is formal or informal? It’s not that difficult, really! If you don’t know the Russian person you are addressing, then as long as they aren’t a child – it’s a formal situation. So simple. When you first meet a Russian person they will tell you their name: it could be their full formal name, or a shortened version. You should address them from that time on using the same name.

In formal situations, like at work or in an office, Russians address one another by their first name and patronymic (which is formed from the first name of one’s father), for instance:

How to address people in Russian

Or

At universities, or medical institutions they can also address people by their title:

In the streets, shops, public transport, restaurants and other public places you might hear:

If you need to address a police officer you can say:

In case you need to address a Russian president you should use:

However, if you are not sure how to address someone, there’s one phrase that will always be safe to say:

That's all for this lesson.

If you want more lessons on Russian salutations then I recommend that you check out the following:

• Learn a number of introductions in Russian.
• Russian Salutations.
• How to say thank you in Russian.

Удачи! (Udachi!) (Good luck!)

Natalya Dubrov: Rocket Russian