Прия́тного аппети́та!
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common foods, drinks, and meals, using correct gender.
- Ask and answer Ско́лько сто́ит...? to talk about prices.
- State a quantity using the genitive case after numbers and words such as мно́го and ма́ло.
- Choose the correct noun ending after 2 to 4 and after 5 and above.
- Order food and drink politely, using Да́йте, пожа́луйста... and Мо́жно...?
- Ask Ско́лько? to request a specific quantity in a shop or café.
Communication Scenario
After talking about their daily schedules in Chapter 7, Anna and Nikolai finally find a free morning and meet at a small café near Anna's building. Nikolai wants to order coffee and something to eat, and Anna wants to buy a few things afterward at the small shop on the corner that Nikolai mentioned in Chapter 6. Between the café and the shop, they name foods, ask prices, and request specific quantities, the three tasks at the center of this chapter.
- Every new pattern in this chapter answers one question, how much, how many, or how much does it cost.
- The genitive case appears only after numbers, after quantity words such as мно́го, ма́ло, and ско́лько, and in the already familiar frame нет + genitive from Chapter 6.
- Polite request frames build directly on the formulaic courtesy vocabulary from Chapter 1, extending пожа́луйста into full request sentences.
Core Vocabulary
The nouns below are productive vocabulary for this chapter. Each entry shows stress, gender, and the genitive singular form, since the quantity genitive is active in this chapter.
| Nominative | Gender | Genitive singular | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| хлеб | masculine | хле́ба | bread |
| сыр | masculine | сы́ра | cheese |
| сала́т | masculine | сала́та | salad |
| суп | masculine | су́па | soup |
| я́блоко | neuter | я́блока | apple |
| ры́ба | feminine | ры́бы | fish |
| карто́шка | feminine | карто́шки | potato |
| Nominative | Gender | Genitive singular | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| чай | masculine | ча́я | tea |
| ко́фе | masculine, indeclinable | ко́фе | coffee |
| вода́ | feminine | воды́ | water |
| молоко́ | neuter | молока́ | milk |
| сок | masculine | со́ка | juice |
| Russian | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| за́втрак, обе́д, у́жин | masculine | breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| чашка | feminine | cup |
| стака́н | masculine | glass |
| буты́лка | feminine | bottle |
| кусо́к | masculine | piece |
| цена́ | feminine | price |
| рубль | masculine | ruble |
Numbers, family, home, and daily-routine vocabulary from Chapters 1 through 7 remain fully productive and are recycled throughout this chapter.
Pronunciation Focus
The unstressed genitive endings -а and -ы reduce in ordinary speech, so хле́ба and ры́бы should not be pronounced with a full, clear final vowel. When the ending itself carries the stress, as in воды́ from вода́, pronounce it clearly and do not reduce it.
- Practice the contrast between the nominative вода́ and the genitive воды́, listening for the stress shift onto the ending.
- Remember that ко́фе never changes its ending, so its stress never moves either.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
Quantity Genitive with мно́го, ма́ло, and ско́лько
Use the genitive case after quantity words to say how much of something there is, or to ask how much.
- Ско́лько сы́ра ты хо́чешь?How much cheese do you want?ско́лько + genitive: сыр → сы́ра
- У неё ма́ло вре́мени у́тром.She has little time in the morning.ма́ло + genitive
- В кафе́ мно́го наро́да сего́дня.There are a lot of people in the café today.мно́го + genitive
Numeral Government: 2 to 4 and 5 and Above
Use the correct noun ending after a number to say how many of something there are.
- оди́н стака́н воды́one glass of waterоди́н, masculine, matches стака́н
- две буты́лки молока́two bottles of milkдве, feminine, буты́лка → буты́лки genitive singular
- четы́ре кусо́чка сы́раfour pieces of cheeseчеты́ре + genitive singular
- Э́то сто́ит де́сять рубле́й.This costs ten rubles.де́сять, 5 and above, genitive plural рубле́й
оди́н changes for gender like an adjective, оди́н сок, одна́ ры́ба, одно́ я́блоко. Only два and две change for gender among the numbers in this chapter, два стака́на but две ча́шки. Три and четы́ре do not change for gender. This chapter activates only these patterns, not the full numeral declension system.
Polite Request Frames
Use fixed polite frames to order or request something in a shop or café.
- Мо́жно ча́шку ча́я?May I have a cup of tea?formulaic мо́жно + accusative
- Да́йте, пожа́луйста, два кусо́чка хле́ба.Please give me two pieces of bread.два + genitive singular
- Ско́лько сто́ит э́тот сала́т?How much does this salad cost?formulaic price question
Мо́жно and Да́йте, пожа́луйста are learned as fixed polite request frames in this chapter, not as fully analyzed grammar. The impersonal structure behind мо́жно is scheduled for later development, and the imperative form behind да́йте is scheduled for later development as well. Use both frames as complete, memorized units for ordering and requesting.
Error: Saying два ча́шка instead of две ча́шки.
Correction: Match два or две to the noun's gender, and always put the noun in the genitive singular after 2, 3, or 4: две ча́шки, три я́блока.
Model Dialogue: Прия́тного аппети́та!
Context: Anna and Nikolai meet at a small café. Nikolai orders first.
Notice that the seller states prices using numbers and рубле́й, and that Anna's request uses ма́ло with the genitive, exactly as in the Grammar section above.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text to speech tool to read the passage below aloud, or read it aloud to yourself slowly.
- List every food and drink item mentioned.
- How many apples does the speaker buy?
- What does each item cost?
Speaking Practice
Управля́емая пра́ктика — Controlled practice: at the café
With a partner, take turns playing the customer and the seller. The customer orders one drink and one food item using Да́йте, пожа́луйста, and the seller states a price using a number and рубле́й.
Коммуникати́вное зада́ние — Communicative task: how much do you need
With a partner, ask and answer Ско́лько тебе́ ну́жно...? for at least four food or drink items, using мно́го, ма́ло, or a specific number in each answer.
Самостоя́тельная пра́ктика — Solo alternative
Record yourself ordering a full meal for yourself and a friend, naming at least four items and stating a quantity or price for each. Listen back and check your genitive endings after numbers and quantity words.
Reading Practice
В на́шем кафе́ — In our café
Приве́т! Меня́ зову́т Серге́й, и я рабо́таю в ма́леньком кафе́. У нас есть мно́го вку́сных веще́й, суп, сала́т, сыр и хлеб. Ча́шка ко́фе сто́ит де́сять рубле́й, а стака́н со́ка сто́ит пятна́дцать рубле́й. У нас всегда́ мно́го люде́й у́тром, и ча́сто у меня́ ма́ло вре́мени. Сего́дня одна́ же́нщина попроси́ла два стака́на воды́ и оди́н кусо́к сы́ра. Я всегда́ говорю́ ка́ждому клие́нту: "Прия́тного аппети́та!"
Зада́ние по чте́нию — Reading task:
- Where does Sergei work, and what food and drink items does he mention?
- How much does coffee cost, and how much does juice cost?
- What did the woman ask for today?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.
Зада́ние 1 — Complete the sentence: Write the noun in the correct genitive form after the number or quantity word.
Зада́ние 2 — Café order: Write six to eight sentences ordering a meal at a café and asking about prices. Use at least two polite request frames, one quantity word, one number with a noun, and one price question.
- Review the vocabulary tables above. Confirm the gender and genitive singular form of each noun you plan to use.
- Complete the genitive exercise. Check each ending against the Grammar section.
- Draft your order. Decide which items need a number, and which need мно́го or ма́ло.
- Read your order aloud once. Listen for correct genitive endings after numbers and quantity words.
- Check every price question. Confirm you used the formulaic pattern Ско́лько сто́ит...?
Спи́сок прове́рки — Editing checklist:
- Every noun after два/две, три, or четы́ре is in the genitive singular.
- Every noun after мно́го, ма́ло, or ско́лько is in the genitive case.
- Да́йте, пожа́луйста and мо́жно are used as complete, memorized frames.
- Numbers and рубле́й are used correctly in every price statement.
- No vocabulary or grammar from outside Chapters 1 through 8 has been used.
Culture and Communication
Прия́тного аппети́та is commonly said before someone begins eating, by a server, a host, or anyone nearby, and answering it is not required. Asking a price directly with Ско́лько сто́ит...?, as Anna does in the Model Dialogue, is a normal and polite way to shop or order in many everyday settings.
Typical foods, meal times, prices, and currency differ considerably across Russian-speaking regions and among Russian-speaking communities outside the Russian Federation. Do not assume that every region uses rubles or shares the same food culture, the examples in this chapter describe one common pattern, not a universal one.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying мно́го хлеб instead of мно́го хле́ба.
Correction: мно́го and ма́ло always require the genitive case, exactly like нет from Chapter 6. Change the noun's ending accordingly.
Error: Saying два ча́шки instead of две ча́шки.
Correction: Use две, not два, with feminine nouns such as ча́шка. Review the Language Focus box above before writing or speaking.
Error: Trying to change the ending of мо́жно or да́йте to match a subject.
Correction: These are formulaic frames in this chapter. Use them exactly as shown, without conjugating or modifying them.
Chapter Review
Часть A — Понима́ние (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- What does each person order at the café?
- What does Anna say she needs at the shop?
Часть B — Пи́сьменная речь (Writing)
1. Write four sentences ordering food and drink, including at least one number and one price question.
2. Give the genitive singular form of сыр, вода́, and я́блоко.
Часть C — Чте́ние (Reading)
1. Return to the reading passage, and list every price mentioned along with the item it belongs to.
Часть D — Говоре́ние (Speaking)
1. With a partner, order a meal and ask two price questions, using at least one polite request frame.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 8 Practical Check
В кафе́ и в магази́не: A Café and Shopping Order
Complete the following connected tasks, in order, treating them as one full ordering and shopping interaction.
- Read the Model Dialogue and the reading passage. Answer the comprehension questions above before continuing.
- Order at least three food or drink items. Use Да́йте, пожа́луйста or мо́жно correctly.
- Ask at least two price questions. Use Ско́лько сто́ит...? and answer with a number and рубле́й.
- State one quantity with мно́го or ма́ло. Use the correct genitive ending.
- Use at least one number from 2 to 4 and one number from 5 and above with a noun. Apply the correct genitive singular or plural form.
- Write your six to eight sentence order from the Writing Workshop. Apply the editing checklist.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Food and drink vocabulary | The learner names foods and drinks accurately, using correct gender. |
| Quantity genitive accuracy | The learner forms the genitive correctly after мно́го, ма́ло, and ско́лько. |
| Numeral government accuracy | The learner uses the correct genitive singular after 2 to 4 and the correct genitive plural after 5 and above, matching gender for два/две. |
| Polite request frames | The learner uses Да́йте, пожа́луйста and мо́жно as complete, natural formulaic frames. |
| Price questions | The learner asks and answers Ско́лько сто́ит...? using numbers and рубле́й correctly. |
| Stress and Cyrillic control | The learner produces marked stress with reasonable accuracy and writes practiced vocabulary in accurate Cyrillic. |
This checkpoint uses only material introduced in this chapter together with recycled material from Chapters 1 through 7. No item on this rubric requires a system that has not yet been taught.
Answer Key
Listening — Comprehension
- The speaker mentions bread, cheese, fish, apples, juice, and water.
- The speaker buys two apples.
- Bread costs five rubles, cheese costs twenty rubles, and fish costs thirty rubles.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Nikolai orders coffee and a sandwich with cheese; Anna orders water and a salad.
- Anna says she needs only a few groceries, bread, milk, and a few apples.
Writing
- 1. два стака́на. 2. три я́блока. 3. мно́го хле́ба. 4. ма́ло воды́. 5. пять рубле́й.
- Sample answer: Да́йте, пожа́луйста, ча́шку ча́я и оди́н бутербро́д. Ско́лько сто́ит бутербро́д? Мне ну́жно мно́го хле́ба и два я́блока. Other combinations using this chapter's vocabulary and patterns are also correct.
- сыр → сы́ра; вода́ → воды́; я́блоко → я́блока.
Reading
- Sergei works in a small café. He mentions soup, salad, cheese, bread, coffee, and juice.
- Coffee costs ten rubles, and juice costs fifteen rubles.
- The woman asked for two glasses of water and one piece of cheese.
Looking Ahead
Что вы уже уме́ете — What you can do now
You can name common foods and drinks, ask and answer price questions with Ско́лько сто́ит...?, state quantities using the genitive case after numbers, мно́го, ма́ло, and ско́лько, and order food and drink politely using Да́йте, пожа́луйста and мо́жно.