Work
Learn the Russian words for jobs and workplaces: doctor, teacher, school, university, shop and more. Every word comes with its script, a transliteration to help you say it, and the English meaning.
Practise it, do not just read it
Free interactive practice you can do alone, with the answers checked as you go.
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The world of work
This module teaches the Russian words for jobs and workplaces. Every word comes with three things: the Cyrillic script, a transliteration in brackets to help you say it, and the English meaning. You will not type in Russian here - you will recognise the words and their meanings. (A native speaker should review the script before launch.)
Words about work
Start with some general words about working life:
Match each job to its English meaning
- врач (vrach)
- учитель (uchitel)
- директор (direktor)
- волонтёр (volonter)
- doctor
- teacher
- headteacher
- volunteer
Which job?
Which Russian word means 'teacher'?
- учитель (uchitel)
- директор (direktor)
- волонтёр (volonter)
- врач (vrach)
Where people work
Now some words for the places where people work or study: - школа (shkola) = school - университет (universitet) = university - магазин (magazin) = shop - больница (bolnitsa) = hospital Use the transliteration to practise saying each one aloud.
Match each workplace to its English meaning
- школа (shkola)
- университет (universitet)
- магазин (magazin)
- больница (bolnitsa)
- school
- university
- shop
- hospital
Spot the jobs
Select the TWO words that are names of jobs (people), not places or ideas.
- учитель (uchitel)
- врач (vrach)
- школа (shkola)
- работа (rabota)
The person and the place
Keep two kinds of word apart: the person who does a job, and the place where they work or study.
Which place?
Which Russian word means 'university'?
- университет (universitet)
- школа (shkola)
- магазин (magazin)
- больница (bolnitsa)
Teaching, study and trade in Russian
A teacher is a _____ and works in a _____. After school, some people study at a _____. Your job or trade is your _____, and a general word for work is _____.
From school to work
Put the steps of the journey from school to work into a sensible order.
- Study at school
- Go to university or train for a trade
- Earn a degree or qualification
- Apply and interview for a job
- Start work in a career
Which place?
Read what happens in each place, and pick the Russian word for it.
- Children learn here from a teacher every day. Which place?
- People come here to buy things. Which place?
- People study here for a degree after leaving school. Which place?
Your turn: write in Russian
Write two or three sentences IN RUSSIAN about a job and where that person works. Write in Cyrillic - the transliteration in brackets is a reading aid only.
- Name the job with Я… (ya - I am ...; Russian needs no word for "am"): Я врач (ya vrach - I am a doctor), or use учитель (uchitel - teacher) or директор (direktor - director)
- Name the workplace: больница (bolnitsa - hospital), школа (shkola - school), магазин (magazin - shop) or университет (universitet - university)
- Say what you like with Мне нравится… (mne nravitsya - I like ...): Мне нравится работа (mne nravitsya rabota - I like the work)
- You may add профессия (professiya - profession), карьера (karyera - career) or диплом (diplom - a degree)
Jobs and places, kept apart
For the top marks, keep two groups of words clear. First, the jobs - who someone is: учитель (uchitel) teacher, врач (vrach) doctor, директор (direktor) headteacher. Second, the places you work or study: школа (shkola) school, университет (universitet) university, магазин (magazin) shop. Learn each with its script AND transliteration, and you will recognise them instantly in the exam.