Travel to Russia

Russian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Format: Paperback
Author: James Jenkin
ReleaseDate: March, 2006
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Rating:

Lonely Planet Russian is ok, actually, but that's the best that can be said for it. Have a look at Rough Guide Russian instead.
For instance, the guide provides several pages each of lists of occupations, nationalities, college majors, items of stationary, jewellery, colors, insects, flowers, aquatic sports(!), electrical appliances, camping terms,and so on. Lonely Planet Russian is basically two helpings of basic grammar followed by many sections of phases you won't likely ever use. Also provided are pat phrases to employ at a hotel's front desk, at a doctor's, at the optometrist, and eating out, among other mini-sections. The book, in effect, is set up to be taken out to be used once a day, if that. It's an improvement on Berlitz phrase books, but not by much. (Berlitz simply divides their books into 10 or so color coded sections such as: "sightseeing," "relaxing," "shopping," travelling around," "money," "eating out," etc. )

Rough Guide Russian, in comparison, is structured completely differently. The first 50 pages gives you numbers, days of the week, time, etc. , and a 20 minute course in Russian grammar. Oh no, you might be saying, but it is presented very simply. For instance it presents a handful of common verbs and their conjugations. So on one page you can see how to say "I have," "he has, " etc. and "I like," "he/ she likes," etc.

The rest of the book is split between an English-Russian dictionary (130 pages approx), a Russian-English dictionary (70 pages, approx. ), and a 20 page menu reader. What makes the English-Russian dictionary pages unique, though, is that most every other page (at least) has dialogue boxes relating to the most useful word(s) on that particular page. For instance, when you thumb through the book for the word "live," you get the word itself, but also the phrases "I live in. . . " and "Where do you live?" It'll take you 10 minutes to find such a phrase in Berlitz or Lonely Planet in their "getting to know others' section. But because Rough Guide is structured as a dictionary, with hundreds of really useful phrases highlighted in boxes within, you can access something you want to say rather swiftly. . . and actually deliver it just a minute or so after looking for it. Add the grammar section, where you learn useful verbs and how to conjugate their past tenses, and the number section, and you can learn easily to chat with someone about where you are from, where you are going, where you have traveled thus far, what you like/liked, and so on. Likewise, knowing have to say "have" make sit easily to ask whether a hotel has rooms, whether the room has a shower (after thumbing through the book for the word for shower), etc. And when the answer comes back that the hotel doesn't have one, or they say "we have. . . ," you can actually catch what they are saying.

If still not persuaded, next time you're in a bookstore compare a Berlitz, a Lonely Planet, and a Rough Guide language phrase book side by side. If you just want a book for emergencies (say, breaking a leg, etc. ) then Berlitz and/or Lonely Planet phrase books will serve you well. . . in your pocket until you are faced with such a situation, since they do have many more specific terms (like 50 different parts of the the body), but if you really want to be able to say some things in Russian on a daily basis during your trip you'll be much better served by Rough Guide Russian. Cheers.

Handy Language Guide for those Discovering Russia
"Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" is such a volume for those who are trying to learn more than the barest of phrases. As the founder of Discovering Russia, a company devoted to enriching cultural and business travel to Russia, we are always looking for good travel books to recommend for our clients.

Many guidebooks include a few pages in the back with a Russian alphabet and brief phrase guide (including Lonely Planet's various guides to Russia). This is a good book for those looking to learn a few phrases as well as basic grammar. The size is perfect for a traveler to supplement their basic guidebook when touring.

As most with most other dictionaries, "Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" does NOT have clear syllable stress marks, which are very important in Russian. Also, many of the phrase choices are almost archaic in contemporary Russia (and the inclusion of vulgarity is a complete waste of space).

The "Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" is useful bridge between the brief phrase lists in guidebooks and a minicourse in Russia. It is useful for travelers to carry around during their journey of Discovering Russia.

Marc David Miller, Discovering Russia, New York.

Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook
I did not have the time or inclination to study pages of grammar and pronunciation when a phonetic translation would have surficed. Possibly an excellent book for a student of the Russian Language, but too much info for the casual traveler to Russia. Also, when words were spelled phonetically the stress syllable was not "stressed" with darker ink and the"quick reference" had no clue as to what syllable is stressed(unless one read pages and pages of pronunciation. ) I also objected to the profanities. Who needs to know how to be crude and rude in another language? .

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