Maria Chirik

Even native speakers make these 5 mistakes in Russian

2026-03-18T14:42:37.985Z

Why you can learn Russian from native speakers — and still pick up mistakes

You watch reels, TikToks, interviews with Russian bloggers. Maybe you even live in Russia and hear real, everyday speech around you. And honestly, that’s great — immersion really is one of the fastest ways to start speaking. But there is one thing that almost no one warns you about.

When you listen to real speech, you absorb everything. Not only what is correct, but also what simply sounds natural to native speakers. And in real life, it’s often very hard to see the difference. A form can sound completely normal, everyone around you uses it — and at the same time, it may not be part of the standard language.

Native speakers don’t usually think about this. They don’t check themselves all the time, and many just assume that being a native speaker means they’re automatically speaking correctly. But for you, as a learner, the situation is different.

When you take these forms and start using them, you don’t sound more “native”. You often sound like someone who doesn’t quite understand where the norm is. And the tricky part is that once something settles in your head as correct, it’s very hard to change it later.

That’s why we approach this calmly, but consciously.

Language is alive, and it is always changing. What used to be considered incorrect can appear more often in speech over time. But even so, there is still a difference between how people speak and what is considered standard Russian today.

And if your goal is not to correct others, but simply to understand the language better and make conscious choices in your own speech, this difference really matters.

What’s inside this guide

This is not a list of “old textbook mistakes”.
We collected things you can actually hear today — in reels, in comments, in conversations, sometimes even from very educated speakers.
For each example, we explain what is happening, why native speakers say it this way, and what form is considered correct. And just as importantly, we show you how it sounds in real life, so you don’t feel confused when you hear both versions.

Why I’m telling you this

My name is Maria. I’ve been teaching Russian to foreigners for 5 years, and for almost 2 years now I’ve been running a small school called Speak More Russian.

Now we work as a team of 4, and for me it was important not just to find qualified teachers, but people who genuinely understand what it means to learn a language.

Each of them has gone through that experience themselves — they know what it feels like to hesitate, to search for words, to freeze in the middle of a sentence. And this changes the way they teach.

Over time, we also built a system. Lessons are only one part of it. We added conversation practice, book discussions, a chat where students can write and get feedback, and regular individual sessions, even for those who study in groups.

Because in reality, language doesn’t develop from lessons alone. It develops from repeated contact, from small corrections, from those moments when something finally “clicks”.

And we’ve seen this happen many times.

One of our students, Suzanne, grew up in a Russian-speaking family in the US. For years, she struggled to speak with her own relatives. The words wouldn't come. It felt like everything she'd known had slipped away.

After 11 months of lessons, she wrote to us: "My relatives in Siberia are surprised how much my Russian has grown."

Another student, Juan, studied with us for about a year and a half. Recently he wrote:

"We increased our level surprisingly fast. Now I enjoy Russian and Slavic culture more — I listen to Russian bands, and some of my favorite songs are in Russian. I can have long conversations now."

And one more message we received after a student met Russians in person:

"Some weeks ago I met some Russians and we talked for like 20 minutes non stop — all in Russian, with almost no translator. I'm so happy about it."

You know what's interesting?

We work with all kinds of people. Some come in at zero and are afraid to even say "hi." Others can already speak, but cases slip, words come out wrong. Some grew up in Russian families but carry this quiet fear that their relatives will see them as "no longer one of us."

Different stories. Different starting points.

But the questions they ask — they're always the same.

— "I hear this all the time, but is it even correct?"
— "Why do native speakers say it one way, but textbooks show another?"
— "Is this a mistake, or is it acceptable now?"

At first, I just answered in DMs. Then I realized: it's faster to write it down once than to explain it a hundred times. That's how this list came together.

Who this is for

This guide will be especially useful if you live in Russia or are surrounded by the language every day, if you learn through videos and real content, or if you simply want to understand not only how people speak, but how the system behind the language works.

Before we start

If you recognize yourself in some of these examples, that’s not a problem — it’s actually a very good sign. It means you are already paying attention to the language. And that is exactly the point where real progress begins.

1. 🧥 Одева́ть / надева́ть (to dress someone / to put on)

How you may hear it: Оде́нь ку́ртку (Put a jacket on [someone])

How to say it correctly: Наде́нь ку́ртку (Put on a jacket)

How the system works:

👉 наде́ть что? (accusative) — item of clothing
наде́ть ку́ртку, ша́пку, пальто́ (put on a jacket, a hat, a coat)

👉 оде́ть кого́? (accusative) — animate
оде́ть ребёнка, ку́клу (dress a child, a doll)

(Yes, objects that imitate living beings are treated as animate: ку́кла (doll), марионе́тка (marionette), ро́бот (robot), etc.)

How to remember:

Фраза-игра слов: «Наде́ть оде́жду, оде́ть Наде́жду»

→ Put on clothes, dress Nadezhda (a girl’s name)

2.📦 Класть / ложить (to put / non-standard form)

How you may hear it:
Ло́жи сюда́ телефо́н (Put the phone here — incorrect form)

How to say it correctly:
Клади́ сюда́ телефо́н (Put the phone here)

How the system works:
👉 класть what? (accusative)
класть телефо́н, кни́гу (put a phone, a book)

👉 положи́ть what?
положи́ть телефо́н на стол (put the phone on the table)

📌 the verb «ложить» without a prefix is not used in standard language

Why the mistake appears:
It sounds "logical": ложить / положить. Even native speakers feel it is simpler than using two different verbs — класть / положить. That's why it's actively used in speech.

It's good to know mistakes and be able to analyze them. But you also need to know when to stop. Otherwise, it ends up like with my student David.

He came to me with A2+ level. His grammar was solid, he had vocabulary — but he was terrified of speaking. A real perfectionist. Every sentence he would stop and analyze: is this the right case, the right ending, did I structure this correctly? His speech was tense, full of long pauses. He struggled to hold a real conversation.

We focused on speaking practice. Just let him talk without overthinking every little thing. No constant corrections, no fear of making mistakes.

Now David lives in Russia. He's been working at a language school there for two years, speaking with native speakers every single day. Analysis is good — but without real communication, it doesn't work.

3.🚶 После́дний / кра́йний (last / extreme)

How you may hear it:
Кто кра́йний? (Who is last? — incorrect in a queue)

How to say it correctly:
Кто после́дний? (Who is last?)

There are many discussions because of superstition — we are a bit superstitious 🙂

If we look in the dictionary (Ozhegov):

После́дний — means:

final in a sequence
at the end
newly appeared
final/definitive
sometimes — bad
the one that remains

Кра́йний — means:

located at the edge (кра́йний дом — the house at the edge)
in expressions: кра́йний срок (deadline), в кра́йнем слу́чае (in an extreme case)
very strong/extreme (кра́йние ме́ры — extreme measures)

📌 In a queue, the only correct question is: «Кто после́дний?»

If you say «кра́йний», you may be perceived as superstitious or not very educated.

Why:
The word «после́дний» is sometimes associated with the idea “this will not happen again” → «после́дний раз» (the last time). Because of this superstition, people try to avoid this word

It is believed that pilots were the first to replace it — because of constant risk in their work. Then it spread to parachutists, athletes, the film industry, and everyday speech.

For example, some people avoid saying «после́дний раз» about a birthday or New Year so that it is “not the last one”

Where «кра́йний» is correct:
Remember:
👉 Севе́р (North)
👉 ме́ра (measure)
👉 срок (deadline)
👉 необходи́мость (necessity)

4.🚗 Едь / езжа́й / ехай (go / drive — non-standard forms)

How you may hear it:
Едь быстре́е (Go faster — non-standard)
Езжа́й домо́й (Go home — colloquial)
Ехай дава́й (Come on, go — non-standard)

How to say it correctly:
Поезжай домо́й (Go home)

How the system works:

👉 correct imperative form with prefix: поезжай

📌 forms «едь», «езжа́й» — colloquial

In negative imperative:
👉 не е́зди куда́? (don’t go where?)
не е́зди туда́, не е́зди в центр (don’t go there, don’t go to the center)

So my student Mutlu was told: "Поезжай в Россию" — "Go to Russia."

He's a pharmaceutical company employee from Turkey who got promoted to Director for Russia and CIS. He was preparing to move and needed to start speaking Russian urgently.

We started lessons right away, and within a couple of weeks he was already talking with colleagues at the office. Later, he hosted guests from Kazakhstan and spoke Russian with them the entire day. His colleagues were surprised by his level — he could even make jokes.

5.💰 Заня́ть / одолжи́ть (to borrow / to lend)

How you may hear it:
Займи́ мне де́нег (Lend me money — incorrect structure)

How to say it correctly:
Одолжи́ мне де́нег (Lend me money)
Мо́жно у тебя́ заня́ть? (Can I borrow from you?)

Grammar (key):
👉 заня́ть у кого́? (genitive)
у дру́га, у колле́ги (from a friend, from a colleague)

👉 одолжи́ть кому́? (dative)
мне, дру́гу (to me, to a friend)

Before you save the list

If some of these expressions made you pause — good. That means you're already noticing the gray zones. And if you want to go even deeper, I have something for you.

Gramota.ru.

Not another blog with advice nobody fact-checked. This is an authoritative portal created for native speakers — linguists, editors, teachers.

There's a section most learners don't know about: "Словарь трудностей" (The Difficulty Dictionary). It explains the logic behind the trickiest cases — with sources, examples, and the kind of depth you don't get from a quick Google search.

Perfect for intermediate and advanced learners who want to understand, not just memorize.

https://gramota.ru/biblioteka/spravochniki/slovar-trudnostey#%D0%94

But here's the thing. A dictionary is a wonderful thing. It answers questions when you have them.

But it won't tell you if you are making these mistakes in your own speech. It won't catch the moment you hesitate, choose the wrong word, or avoid a construction because it feels shaky. That's not something a resource can do. That takes another person.

That's why I'm offering a free level assessment with me personally.

What it is and what it's not:

It's not a test. Not "let's see what you don't know." And definitely not a sales pitch for a course you don't need.

It's just a conversation. You and me. We talk - I listen. And then I tell you honestly:

- where your Russian actually is (not where you think it is)
- what already sounds good and what you can rely on
- 1 or 2 things quietly holding you back that you don't notice
- and where to go next so you stop guessing and just start speaking

Who this is for:

- those who study but don't feel progress
- those who want to speak without the constant "did I say that right?"
- people tired of apps that don't teach real conversation
- those who dream of watching Russian shows and finally understanding instead of guessing

One more thing. I only take two people a week.

Not to create fake scarcity. But because twenty minutes of real attention takes silence, focus, and time. I'm not trying to process as many as possible. I want to give clarity to those who are genuinely stuck.

If you've been studying and still wonder whether you're moving forward - this is the next step.

👇 Write "PLAN" in DMs - I'll send you the link.

https://www.instagram.com/speak.more.russian/

You can keep collecting lists and saving posts. Or you can finally see where you actually stand and move forward from there.

Ready-to-use guide to make friends with Russian slang and make it part of your speech (teacher's tips)

2026-03-11T18:40:32.694Z

Hi there.

Let's be honest. You've been learning Russian for more than a year. You're already at B1, B2... Maybe even higher. But when you watch a series or regular reels, you get lost. Has that happened? I'm sure in your head you answered - yes!

Why?

Because native speakers often don't speak like they do in textbooks. Look at these examples yourself:

- Где ты шляешься?
- Закатай губу.
- Весь офис на ушах.

How many of these phrases did you understand? These are real phrases from the series we're going to break down in this article. But don't worry, this happens often.

You know the words, but you can't use them. You understand more than you can say.

Sound familiar? It's not your fault. This isn't in textbooks. There, it's rules, cases, aspects of verbs. But slang is the street, life, comedies.

And if you don't know it, you don't understand real people. Their humor, their context, their jokes. And the worst part is, you can't fully be one of the gang in a company where everyone speaks Russian.

That's why I sat down and put in the effort. I spent many hours analyzing real, modern, high-frequency slang used by native speakers in the series How I Became Russian. As a native speaker and a teacher, I turned this analysis into a practical guide you can use to start understanding and using slang.

About the series How I Became Russian (Как я стал русским, 2015) is a light and funny series about an American journalist who comes to Moscow and tries to understand Russian life, culture, and mentality. Besides slang, it also shows many everyday cultural situations and communication styles.

You can watch it on YouTube.

I'm not going to lecture you. I'll just give you real, common examples so you can finally organize it all in your head.

Who are we ?

I'm Maria, founder of the speak.more.russian school, and I have a team of 4 teachers.

We are all united by one goal: to help you not just learn Russian, but to start using it in real life.

Why people choose us: honestly, directly, and to the point:

We're not just native speakers. We are certified educators with over 5 years of experience.

We learn foreign languages ourselves - so we understand your pain from the inside, not just in theory.

Everything here comes from real teaching experience. No theory — just what actually works in practice.

What our students get when they choose us:

A conversation club with real-life examples from native speakers
A chat for practice (because lessons alone aren't enough)
A book club to expand vocabulary
Small groups of up to 4 people - everyone speaks, no one hides
An environment where you want to grow

And here are the results our students achieve:

> "We talked like 20 minutes non stop all in Russian."

> "The most encouraging tutor... I can speak more confidently now."

> "We increased our level surprisingly fast and now I enjoy Russian and Slavic culture and can have longer conversations."

I promised: only the best, real examples. Let's break down 5 expressions, after which anyone will understand how to sound natural.

1. Выкру́чиваться / Вы́крутиться

вы́крутиться - perfective verb
выкру́чиваться - imperfective verb

Dictionary meaning -To cleverly get out of a difficult situation using wit or improvisation.

Phrase from the series :
"Вот когда́ они́ узна́ют - я ка́к-нибудь вы́кручусь, понима́ешь?"
Translation: "When they find out - I'll somehow get out of it, you know?"

Common conversational phrases:

вы́крутиться из ситуа́ции -> to get out of a situation
вы́крутиться из неприя́тностей -> to get out of trouble
ка́к-нибудь вы́кручусь -> I'll manage somehow

Examples:

Не зна́ю как, но вы́кручусь. "I don't know how, but I'll manage."
Он всегда́ уме́ет вы́крутиться. "He always finds a way out."

Register : With a friend -> ка́к-нибудь вы́кручусь, не вперво́й
At work -> найдём реше́ние / спра́вимся - sounds professional without being stiff

Understanding is one thing, speaking is another. Suzanne knew this better than anyone.

She's American, but her parents are from Russia. Her family in Siberia would talk - she understood a lot. But finding the words to answer, to выкрутиться out of the silence - стоп.

Especially when relatives start throwing around conversational phrases and you just sit there nodding because you don't know how to respond.

After 11 months of working with us, she wrote: My relatives from Siberia are impressed by how much my Russian has improved. Now she doesn't just nod, she laughs along with everyone. And most importantly - she understands them.

2. Раскле́иваться / Раскле́иться

раскле́иваться- imperfective verb
раскле́иться - perfective verb

Dictionary meaning - To feel physically weak, emotionally drained, or to lose control of oneself.

Phrase from the series :
"Да, норма́льно, чё мы вы́пили-то там — э́то америко́с раскле́ился."
Translation: "Yeah, it’s fine. What did we even drink there? The American just fell apart."

Word note:
америко́с — informal, slightly humorous nickname for an American. Not always offensive; it’s often used with irony or affection, but it’s important to pay attention to the context and tone.

Common conversational phrases:

совсе́м раскле́ился -> completely exhausted / fallen apart
что ты раскле́ился? -> why are you so down?
я к концу́ неде́ли раскле́ился -> I was completely done by the end of the week

Examples:

По́сле боле́зни совсе́м раскле́ился, ничего́ не могу́. "After the illness I completely fell apart."
Как раскле́юсь - сра́зу пью горя́чее молоко́ с мёдом.
"When I start feeling sick, I drink hot milk with honey."
Не раскле́ивайся собери́сь - разберёмся.
"Don't fall apart, pull yourself together - we'll figure it out."

Register: With a friend -> не расклеивайся, всё будет нормально
At work -> better to avoid - instead: он плохо себя чувствует /

3. Кры́ша е́дет / Кры́шу снесло́ / Кры́ша пое́хала

кры́ша е́дет - present, ongoing
кры́ша пое́хала - perfective, it happened
снесло́ кры́шу - result, completely gone

Dictionary meaning - (colloquial) To lose one's mind, go crazy, or be under extreme emotional stress.

Verb forms - three constructions:

крыша едет [у кого?] + от чего -> genitive : У меня крыша едет от работы. "Work is driving me crazy."

крыша поехала [у кого?] -> genitive : У него крыша поехала после этого разговора. "He lost it after that conversation."

снесло крышу [кому?] -> dative: Ей совсем снесло крышу. "She completely lost her mind."

Phrase from the series :
"У А́ни без табле́ток совсе́м кры́ша съе́дет. На каки́е шиши́ мне покупа́ть их?"
Translation: "Without her pills, Anya will completely lose it. What money am I even supposed to buy them with?."

Word note:
на каки́е шиши́ — informal, ironic expression meaning “with what money?” or “how am I supposed to pay for it?” It is used to ask where the money is supposed to come from, often implying that there is no money at all.

Examples:

У меня́ уже́ кры́ша е́дет от э́тих отчётов. “These reports are driving me crazy.”
По́сле того́ разгово́ра у него́ кры́ша пое́хала. “After that conversation he completely lost it.”
У него́ снесло́ кры́шу от э́той но́вости, потому́ что он не мог пове́рить в э́то. “That news blew his mind — he couldn’t believe it.”

Register: With a friend -> у меня крыша едет, больше не могу.

4. Выдыха́ть / Вы́дохнуть

выдыха́ть - imperfective verb
вы́дохнуть - perfective verb

Dictionary meaning - (colloquial) To finally relax after stress or tension. To calm down and let go.

Phrase from the series :
"Всё-всё, мо́жешь вы́дохнуть - сего́дня бо́льно уже́ не бу́дет"
Translation: "It's okay, you can relax now - it won't hurt anymore today."

Common conversational phrases:

мо́жешь вы́дохнуть -> you can relax now
да вы́дохни ты -> just calm down
наконе́ц вы́дохнул -> finally took a breath

Examples:

Экза́мен сдан - тепе́рь мо́жно вы́дохнуть. "The exam is done - now I can breathe."
Да вы́дохни ты, всё норма́льно бу́дет. "Just relax, everything will be fine."
Ну наконе́ц-то, мо́жно вы́дохнуть. "Finally, we can breathe."

Register: With a friend -> да выдохни ты, не страшно
Formally -> можете не беспокоиться / ситуация под контролем

5. Разгреба́ть / Разгрести́

разгреба́ть - imperfective verb
разгрести́ - perfective verb

Dictionary meaning - (colloquial) To deal with accumulated problems, sort out a mess, handle the consequences of someone's actions.

Phrase from the series :
"Уважа́ю. Ла́дно, ты разгреба́й тут — я спать пое́хал."
Translation: "Respect. Alright, you deal with everything here — I’m off to sleep."

Common conversational phrases:

разгреба́ть после́дствия -> to deal with the aftermath
разгреба́ть зава́лы -> to clear a backlog
разгреба́ть чужи́е пробле́мы -> to sort out other people's mess

Examples:

По́сле о́тпуска неде́лю разгреба́л зава́лы. "After vacation I spent a week clearing the backlog."
- Опя́ть за него́ разгреба́ю - надое́ло. "I'm sorting out his mess again - I'm sick of it."
- Зна́ешь, ско́лько всего́ прихо́дится разгреба́ть? "You have no idea how much I have to deal with."

Register: With a friend -> иди, я тут сама разгребу
Formally -> я занимаюсь решением накопившихся вопросов

And here's Daria's story - about how she finally cleared the backlog in her speech

Daria was preparing to move to Moscow and had been learning Russian for a long time. But there was one problem: "There was a lot of theory in the lessons, but no practice."

Familiar trap? After 9 lessons focused on conversational practice, she wrote:
"I can speak much more confident now". And most importantly - she finally started speaking. Not to herself, not in her head, but out loud. And she needed it for real life: to buy a ticket, order coffee, talk about herself at the university.

🔥 BONUS #1: Quizlet Flashcards for Memorization

So you don't just read it and forget, but actually keep it in your head — with stress marks and translation. I've put together 25 most common conversational phrases from this list — only the best, everything you really need in real life.

👉 Practice here: Quizlet — Ready-to-use guide to Russian slang

What's inside:

all phrases with stress marks (so you don't have to guess)
translation and real-life examples
you can study in the app, test yourself, play games

Pure value: 15 minutes a day with these flashcards — and slang actually becomes part of your speech. 100 times easier than just reading a list and forgetting it.

Grab it while others are whining — you'll already be learning.

📚 BONUS #2: Want even more slang?

There's a great book called "Cyka Blyat! (or Suka Blyat?): Everyday Russian Slang and Curse Words"

Pure value: This book introduces you to the world of real Russian language — popular slang and curse words, which ones are REALLY USED by Russians, and when it's actually appropriate to use them. Not just a list — real context, real life.

What's inside:

different types of slang and curse words
which ones Russians actually use (and which ones they don't)
when you CAN use them — and when you definitely SHOULDN'T

Why it's 100 times better than just googling: No more guessing if that word will offend your friend's grandmother. Clear, honest, straight to the point.

Grab it while others are still confused — and finally understand what Russians are REALLY saying.

So, knowing just a few words, you move from the category of "foreigner who learns" to the category of "one of the guys who gets it."

Slang isn't just trendy little words. It's the key to mentality and humor. And most importantly, it works in real life. Just like with Suzanne and Daria.

But how do you know which slang you need now, and which is better not to use? How not to mess up?

If you feel like you're missing a system and you're tired of guessing “Did I say that right?” — there’s a solution.

I take only 2 people per week for a diagnostic session.

What's inside:
- we check grammar
- we evaluate your conversational speech
- we analyze 2-3 of your frequent mistakes
- we explain simply and clearly (with examples)
- we give you links to tasks for reinforcement
- we determine your real level
- we give you a concrete action plan

I sincerely believe that sometimes 15 minutes can give you more clarity than some paid products. This kind of depth is hard to find nowadays.

Who this is for:

people who are learning Russian but don't know if they are progressing or stuck
those who want to start speaking on basic topics right now
learners who lack structure and feedback
those who are tired of Duolingo and want to finally start speaking
those who dream of watching their favorite shows and understanding them 100%

Write "PLAN" in private messages. https://www.instagram.com/speak.more.russian/

You can keep wasting time and energy... or you can finally figure things out and move towards your goal.