Russian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Average customer rating:

Great tool
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.
Handy Language Guide for those Discovering Russia
Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook
Survival tool for adoptive parents!

Russian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
James Jenkin , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1741041511

Book Description

Don't let your Russian experience become Russian Roulette! Pick up this phrasebook instead, and begin communicating with ease. *Comprehensive food section *Tips on cultural etiquette *Useful phrases for finding accomodations, dealing with health emergencies and hitting the town *Easy-to-use pronunciation guide *Two way dictionary and sentence builder

Customer Reviews:

Great tool.......2007-03-20

This little book helped me immensely on my trip to Russia... basic survival skills were laid out up at the front and the pronounciation was dead on. The social section produced some smiles with the friends that I met.

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........2007-02-07

Lonely Planet Russian is basically two helpings of basic grammar followed by many sections of phases you won't likely ever use. 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. 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 The Rough Guide to Russian Dictionary Phrasebook 3 (Rough Guide Phrasebooks). Cheers

Handy Language Guide for those Discovering Russia.......2005-06-09

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. "Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" is such a volume for those who are trying to learn more than the barest of phrases.

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.......2005-06-08

Possibly an excellent book for a student of the Russian Language, but too much info for the casual traveler to Russia. I did not have the time or inclination to study pages of grammar and pronunciation when a phonetic translation would have surficed. 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?

Survival tool for adoptive parents!.......2004-11-17

We spent 22 days in Ukraine to adopt our son. We used this phrase book constantly. In addition to helping us learn basic phrases, we liked the explanations of customs and historical vignettes.

Average customer rating:

Word to the Wise
A Bargain - Purchase This Book First
WONDERFUL RESOURCE!
A great quick-guide to Ukrainian language and culture.
Gift for Friend

Ukrainian Phrasebook (Lonely Planet)
Marko Pavlyshyn
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Wherever you go in Ukraine, you'll soon be mingling with the locals. Packed with phrases on everything from bargaining at rynok to hiking and eating out, this book will spice up your Ukrainian adventure. Order you borshch in the local language, navigate the bustling streets of cosmopolitan Kyiv or try your hand at ice fishing. Whether bathing in culture or the Black Sea, Ukraine will deliver! <ul>

get to know the local customs - a toast calls for downing your horilka in one gulp! </li>

discover a world of words on traditional dance and folk music </li>

experience the dazzling nightlife - talk your way into places-to-be </li>

decipher Cyrillic script on train tickets, street signs and menus </li>

learn the language with eay-to-use grammar and pronunciation </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

Word to the Wise.......2003-08-18

I visited Kiev were they really only speak Russian. They do speak Ukranian but only in the area that is furthest away from the Russian border. Other than that the book was very good and I really enjoyed the tidbits of information in the book.

A Bargain - Purchase This Book First.......2001-09-12

This little book is terrific for anyone interested in the Ukrainian language. It has very good explanations of the alphabet and grammatical rules of Ukrainian. It also teaches MANY useful phrases and words for the traveler, and it gives phonetic pronunciations of every word and phrase (as well as the actual Cyrillic spelling).
I have a close friend in Ukraine who has told me that my pronunciation of the Ukrainian words (as they appear in this book) are perfect.
However, be certain of your purpose for using this book. If you want to learn to speak the Ukrainian language somewhat fluently, it will take a lot more than this book (but this book is an excellent starting point).
If you are simply planning to travel to one of the major Ukrainian cities (Kiev, Odessa, etc.) in the near future, you would probably be better off with the Russian version of this book instead of Ukrainian. Everybody in the major cities still speaks Russian as their primary language. Most of them understand Ukrainian, but Russian is still the first language for most people. I understand that this is slowly changing (universities, etc. are changing EVERYTHING over to Ukrainian). And if you plan to visit a small town in Ukraine, many of them speak ONLY Ukrainian. My suggestion is to get both the Ukrainian and the Russian versions, so you will be able to communicate clearly no matter where you are.

WONDERFUL RESOURCE!.......2000-10-10

My trip to Ukraine wouldn't have been the same without this wonderful little book. And Ukrainians were flattered that a foreigner tried speaking Ukrainian to them instead of Russian. It contains the phrases you need and easy to understand pronounciation guide. It really helped break the language barrier and I made new friends in a new country. The entire Lonely Planet series is the best among travel guides, and I've travelled a lot using various guides.

A great quick-guide to Ukrainian language and culture........2000-08-30

This pocket guide to Ukrainian was indispensible to me during my two week visit to this country. I carried it with me everywhere I went and consulted it almost constantly. In all that time it was always helpful and accurate. The only time it let me down was in drawing a distinction between a wild rabbit and a domestic one. Each word is given in the Ukrainian Cyrillic spelling and then in a phonetic transliteration with accented syllables in bold. Each section has an introductory piece that gives general background information. Useful phrases and sentences followed by a list of major relevant words complete each section. The end of the book has an English-Ukrainian vocabulary. A Ukrainian-English vocabulary would also have been useful, but would have repeated the vocabularies in each section. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Truly invaluable to the clueless traveler.

Gift for Friend.......2000-01-07

I bought this to give to a friend. However, at work I was working with some Ukrainian ladies who didn't speak English. I brought this in, and it was very useful.

Average customer rating:

Does the job of a phrasebook, but hardly ideal
Incredibly Helpful
I love this little phrase book!
It made me curious

Lonely Planet Baltic States Phrasebook
Eva Aras , Inna Feldbach , Jana Teteris , and Alan Trei
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
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Book Description

Converse with the locals in their own language as you explore the fascinating Baltic countries. Sample some Latvian pîragi, ride a trolliga around Talinn and know what to do when someone shouts Iðgeriam! or Iki dugno! In Lithuania. Packed with tips and cultural information, this handy phrasebook will help you make the most of your Baltic travel adventure. <ul>

covers Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian </li>

clear and concise grammar sections for each language </li>

easy to use pronunciation guides and transliterations throughout </li>

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Customer Reviews:

Does the job of a phrasebook, but hardly ideal.......2006-01-04

Lonely Planet's BALTIC PHRASEBOOK covers the languages of the so-called Baltic republics, Estonian, Latvia, and Lithuanian.

In terms of phrases, all three chapters cover the same ground. General matters like asking directions and shopping are included, as are more specialised things like visiting the doctor. The menu decoders are very helpful. Oddly enough, when a phrase contains a different word-form depending on what gender is spoken of, the order is "feminine/masculine" instead of the "masculine/feminine" of most phrasebooks and dictionaries.

In their coverage of grammar, however, each chapter differs. That on Lithuanian includes a discussion of noun morphology, although it only shows four out of the language's seven cases. This may enable the traveller with some prior experience with inflected languages, such as Latin or Russian, to construct sentences not found in the book. However, the chapter on Latvian doesn't give any information like that.

The book contains some general tourist information and maps for the Baltic republics, which makes it larger than it might be and somewhat redundant, as many travellers will already have a specialized guidebook for the region.

This phrasebook may not be an essential purchase for someone spending only a few days in the region. Most young people in these three countries speak admirable English, and older shopkeepers can be addressed in Russian without problems (the guidebook line that shopkeepers here take offense at being addressed in Russian seems to be a myth).

Incredibly Helpful.......2004-04-04

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone spending more than a week in the Baltics! Last year, I spent a semester in Lithuania, and this book made the transition much easier! From going to the pharmacy to buy flu medication, to trying to find out where the outdoor market was, to telling a doctor that I had hurt my knee -- this book was constantly by my side and helped me be very independent while in a foriegn country. I was also able to learn a lot of phrases that I wouldn't have in my Lithuanian class. My only complaint is that sometimes the phonetic guide was a bit confusing, but this rarely interfered with my communication (if it does, you can just show the phrase to the person you are trying to speak with).

I love this little phrase book!.......2000-09-15

Actually, I love all "Lonely Planet" phasebooks and travel guides. You can't go wrong with them. These are the road warriors in our collection. They are worn, used and helpful! I want to own stock in Lonely Planet!

So you ask, "isn't there a later edition available?" Don't let that stop you. They are using a winning format and when it comes to speaking at least Lithuanian, little has changed (Lithuanian is a really, really, really old language!)

The book is concise and compact (3.5 x 5 x 1/2). It easily fits in any pocket. That is a major selling point. It is the perfect size to take along.

It has an abreviated pronunciation guide compared the single language versions and no dictionary. That comes form having to divide the space between three languages, so it can't go as in depth. Still,all the essentials are here. If you are planning a few days in each place, you'll be fine.

By the way, when you go to the Baltics, look for a copy of the "In Your Pocket Series" available at the airport or in the major hotels. It will be a great help to you. You can also find it online through a simple web search.

It made me curious.......2000-05-14

This book made me plan my 2-weeks summer-vacation in Estonia.

Average customer rating:

Travel Talk Russian (Traveltalk)
Inc Penton Overseas , and Lonely Planet Publications
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Book Description

In each compact TravelTalk kit: 60-minute audio cassette in both English and the target language provides key words and phrases with accurate native pronunciationHandy fold-out audio guide for quick on-the-spot reference and reinforcementLonely Planet Phrasebook/Dictionary features clear and comprehensive grammar chapters, an extensive, 2-way dictionary, information on local culture plus travel tips

Eastern Europe Phrasebook (Lonely Planet Survival Kit)

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Eastern Europe Phrasebook (Lonely Planet Survival Kit)
Angel Pachew
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
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Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook: With Two-Way Dictionary

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Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook: With Two-Way Dictionary
James; Zaitseva, Inna Jenkin
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
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