Привет, Русский! — Weekly Digest (Apr 24–Apr 30, 2026)
Привет, Русский! Weekly Review
April 24–30, 2026
Theme of the Week: Погода + Животные
Привет, друзья! What a fun week! We spent most of our time becoming weather experts (very useful in Russia!) while also taking a delightful detour into the forest to meet собака, кошка, and even a honey-loving медведь.
Whether you were learning to dodge дождь or imagining a лошадь galloping through the лес, you made huge progress this week. Molodets! You’re building real Russian superpowers.
1. This Week’s Words
| Russian | Transliteration | English | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| погода | po-GO-da / poh-GOH-dah | weather | 13, 15, 16 |
| дождь | dozh-d’ / DOZH-d’ | rain | 13, 15, 16 |
| снег | snyeg / SNYEK | snow | 13, 15 |
| солнце | SOLN-tse / SOLN-tseh | sun | 13, 15, 16 |
| ветер | VYE-ter / VYEH-tyer | wind | 13, 15, 16 |
| облако | OB-la-ka / OB-luh-koh | cloud | 13, 15, 16 |
| гроза | gra-ZA | thunderstorm | 13 |
| тепло | tyep-LOH | warm / warmth | 15, 16 |
| холодно | KHOL-ud-nuh | cold (it is cold) | 15, 16 |
| животное | zhi-VOT-no-ye | animal | 14 |
| собака | sa-BA-ka | dog | 14 |
| кошка | KOSH-ka | cat | 14 |
| птица | PTEE-tsa | bird | 14 |
| лошадь | LO-shad’ | horse | 14 |
| медведь | med-VED’ | bear | 14 |
| лес | les | forest | 14 |
| летать | le-TAT’ | to fly | 14 |
2. Grammar Patterns
This week we focused on simple descriptive sentences — perfect for beginners!
- Weather as a complete thought: Russians often just say the condition:
Сегодня тепло. (It’s warm today.)
Зимой холодно. (It’s cold in winter.)
- “Идёт” for rain and snow:
Идёт сильный дождь. (Heavy rain is falling.)
- Location phrases: В лесу (in the forest), на улице (outside).
В лесу живёт медведь. (A bear lives in the forest.)
You’re already able to make real Russian sentences. That’s huge!
3. Culture Corner Recap
We learned that Russians talk about погода constantly because it changes so dramatically — from freezing winters with lots of снег to bright summers with strong солнце.
In the animal episode we met the медведь, the famous Russian bear. In folklore, bears are seen as strong but sometimes clumsy characters (think of all the Russian fairy tales!). The лес (forest) is a huge part of Russian identity — many people love hiking, picking mushrooms, and spotting wildlife.
4. Practice Challenge (Weekend Activity)
“My Russian Weather & Animal Journal”
-
Every day this weekend, write two sentences:
- Сегодня __. (use погода, тепло, холодно, дождь, etc.)
- Draw a quick picture and label at least 3 things in Russian (солнце, облако, собака, птица, дерево — you can add simple words!).
-
Bonus: Watch a short nature video (even on YouTube) and pause to say “Смотри! Медведь!” or “Птица летает!”
Do this for 5 minutes a day and you’ll feel your Russian brain getting stronger. You’ve got this!
5. Quick Quiz
1. How do you say “cat” in Russian?
2. What does ветер mean?
3. Fill in the blank: В _____ много животных. (лес / солнце)
4. True or False: Гроза means “snow”.
5. How would you say “It is warm outside”?
Answers (don’t peek!):
1. кошка
2. wind
3. лес
4. False (it means thunderstorm)
5. На улице тепло. / Сегодня тепло.
Next Week Preview
Next week we’re jumping into Еда (Food) and Магазин (Shopping)! Get ready to learn how to order delicious Russian treats, say what you like and don’t like, and maybe even order блины or борщ. It’s going to be tasty!
You’re doing amazingly well. Keep showing up — every new word you learn is a bridge to real Russian conversations.
Until next week: Молодцы! See you in the next episodes! 🌧️🐻☀️
— Your Привет, Русский! Newsletter Editor
(Part of the Nerra Network)