Note: on pronounciation guides. Here in the expressions section, I assume you have never learnt about russian, so I try to represent the exact pronouniation of a given word, whereas in language lessons, I explain how one given character is supposed to be pronounced, so for instance a "o" is always translitered "o" in russian lessons, whereas in russian expressions I'll show how it is actually pronounced (about the changes in vowels' pronounciation related to stressed - non-stressed syllables, see Cyrillic alphabet, lesson 1).

For instance: одна here is "adna", but in any russian lesson, it will be translitered "odná" - the accent is there to show which syllable is stressed, and those having gone through cyrillic alphabet 1 know that "o" just before the stressed syllable is pronounced "a".


I've been on a row this week, working a lot on my russian; as a result, here's one more expression for you *g*:

муж и жена - одна душа

Mush i zhena - adna dusha

Husband and wife (are) one soul



Maybe you've spotted the fact that ж is once pronounced "sh" and once "zh" (i.e. like s in pleasure)? ж is usually pronounced "zh" but softens before a pause, generally speaking