How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Russian words on “Function words”. The full topic holds 120 in the KoKo app: 52 at the easy level, 46 at the medium level and 22 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Russian vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Russian vocabulary: function words

Pronouns, articles, demonstratives, possessives: the small words of Russian grammar you cannot build a sentence without.

Here are 100 Russian words on “Function words”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 44 words

Russian	English
один	aIndefinite article, masculine singular
одна	aIndefinite article, feminine singular
всё	allDeterminer or pronoun, the whole of a set
все	allDeterminer, feminine plural
он	heSubject pronoun, masculine singular
его	hisSingular possessor, belonging to him or her
как	how
сколько	how manyFollowed by a noun, to ask about a number
я	ISubject pronoun, first person singular
меня	meStressed form, after a preposition or on its own
больше чем	more than
мой	myPossessive determiner, before the noun
нет	noNegative answer
больше не	no longer
не	notNegating the verb
люди	one
она	sheSubject pronoun, feminine singular
немного	somePartitive article, feminine singular
немного	somePartitive article, masculine singular
что-то	somethingIndefinite pronoun, an unspecified thing
то	thatDemonstrative pronoun, refers to something far away or already mentioned
та	that oneDemonstrative pronoun, feminine singular
тот	that oneDemonstrative pronoun, masculine singular
та	theDefinite article, feminine singular
те	theDefinite article, plural
их	theirPlural possessor, belonging to them
них	themStressed pronoun after a preposition
есть	there isExistence
эти	theseDemonstrative determiner, plural
они	theySubject pronoun
этот	thisDemonstrative determiner, masculine before a consonant
эта	thisDemonstrative determiner, feminine singular
этот	thisDemonstrative determiner, masculine before a vowel
это	this oneDemonstrative pronoun, refers to something close
мы	weSubject pronoun, first person plural
что	whatQuestion word, subject
что	whatBefore a verb
что	whatOn its own or after a preposition
когда	when
где	where
да	yesYes, contradicting a negative statement
тебя	youObject pronoun, informal address
ты	youSubject, informal address
вы	youSubject, formal or plural address

Level 2: medium 38 words

Russian	English
немножко	a little
вся	allDeterminer, feminine singular
каждый	eachDeterminer, before the noun
каждый	each onePronoun, masculine singular
достаточно	enough of
все	everybodyPeople in general, everyone together
ему	himObject pronoun, to him or to her
он сам	himselfReflexive pronoun, masculine singular
свой	his ownPossessive pronoun, used on its own
сколько	how muchUsed on its own, to ask about a quantity or a price
большинство	most
я сам	myself
никогда не	never
никто	no oneFormal or legal register
никто	nobodyEveryday use
ни один	nonePronoun, used on its own
никакой	not anyDeterminer, in a negative sentence
ничего	nothingPronoun used on its own
ничего	nothingNegation used with the verb
этого	of it
себя	oneselfReflexive pronoun, simple form
другой	other
наш	ourPossessive determiner, belonging to us
тот же	same
с каких пор	since when
какие-то	someIndefinite article, plural, before a noun
кто-то	someoneIndefinite pronoun, an unspecified person
такой	such
туда	thereAdverbial pronoun of place, replaces a complement
те	thoseDemonstrative pronoun, masculine plural
те	thoseDemonstrative pronoun, feminine plural
слишком много	too much
какой	whichInterrogative determiner, before the noun
почему	why
почему бы и нет	why not
тебя	youStressed form, after a preposition
твой	yourInformal address
ваш	yourFormal or plural address; possessor addressed formally or in the plural

Level 3: hard 18 words

Russian	English
как попало	any which way
кто угодно	anyone
что угодно	anything
когда угодно	anytime
где угодно	anywhere
каждая	each onePronoun, feminine singular
друг друга	each otherMutual action between two people
едва ли	hardly
она сама	herselfReflexive pronoun, feminine singular
как далеко	how far
друг друга	one anotherMutual action among several people
сам себя	oneselfEmphatic form, stresses the subject
мы сами	ourselves
они сами	themselvesReflexive pronoun, masculine plural
всякий кто	whoever
которого	whose
твой	yoursPossessive pronoun, used on its own
ты сам	yourself

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Russian words on “Function words”. The full topic holds 120 in the KoKo app: 52 at the easy level, 46 at the medium level and 22 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Russian vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

How KoKo makes words stick

These lists come from KoKo, the app to learn Russian vocabulary on iPhone.