Easy Russian Phrasebook & Dictionary [Paperback]

Ann Rolbin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0844242799 | ISBN-13: 978-0844242798 | Publication Date: January 11, 1995 | Edition: 1

This handy reference is a practical phrasebook of essential Russian travel and cultural vocabulary and an extensive 3,500-word English-Russian dictionary.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation)

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844242799
• ISBN-13: 978-0844242798
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Russian
  • #97 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Russian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for true Beginners, April 3, 2000

By 

"sologub" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Easy Russian Phrasebook & Dictionary (Paperback)

This book will be most helpful for people who already know basic Russian, but who just want to brush up a little bit before a trip. Since I fall into this category, I found this phrasebook to be moderately helpful. The book consists of 10 chapters and a basic Russian-English dictionary. Each chapter covers a different topic (food, transportation, etc.). The topics themselves are well chosen and most of the phrases are things you really would want to say. However, in reality there are many ways to ask or say the same thing, and Rolbin often seems to choose the most difficult constructions. Many of these choices seem arbitrary. Be forewarned that many of the "easy phrases" in this book are long, full sentences, not short, quick phrases. A lot of these phrases sound stiff and formal to my ear - it's very "proper" Russian, not what you'll necessarily hear or use in reality. Some of these long sentences will be quite difficult for a beginner to memorize, although they can be helpful to people with some knowledge of the language. Also, since the book includes no basic grammar, it will offer you no help if you need to make a substitution in a phrase. For example, it will tell you how to reserve a table for three people, but give you no help if you need to reserve a table for five. You can memorize how to say "I need," but not "we need." If you are really looking for an easy phrasebook, I recommend the Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook instead. Nevertheless, Rolbin's book makes for a quick read and it's probably worth buying if you want to do some low-key reviewing of everyday phrases.