Whether it's wishing someone well or just inquiring about whether a job is complete, just as in English there are several Russian words that mean "good". The most useful words for our purposes begin with the prefix "doe-" (доб).
- "doe'-bray" (spelled: доброе) - good
- "doe'-brej" (spelled: добрый) - kind
- "doe'-broj" (spelled: доброй) - goodwill
- "doe-bro-crotch'-destiny" (spelled: доброкачественный) - good quality or benign
For this first lesson, I'm going to focus on just the "doe-"s, but here are some other words that also cover the various definitions of "good".
- "khoro'-she" (spelled: хороший) - good
- "khoro'-shoh" (spelled: хорошо) - well, impressively, or nicely
- "blug'-goy" (spelled: благой) - favorite
- "ree-yat'-knee" (spelled: приятный) - pleasant
- "blug-goy-ree-yat'-knee" (spelled: благоприятный) - favorable
Direct Translations
| English | Russian Spoken | Russian Written |
| Good Name (i.e. "reputation") |
doe'-bray eem'-ya | доброе имя |
| Good Morning | doe'-bray oo'-trah | доброе утро |
| Good Day | doe'-brej den | добрый день |
| Good Evening | doe'-brej vin'-cheer | добрый вечер |
| Good Fellow | doe'-brej molo'-dits | добрый молодец |
| Good Samaritan | doe'-brej sum-mary-tanin' | добрый самаритянин |
| Good Night (tourist) | doe'-broj noi'-chay | доброй ночи |
| Willingly | po doe-broj volee | по доброй воле |
| Goodbye (formal) | doe' svee-dan'-yah | до свидания |
| Goodbye (casual, lit. "till" as in "until later") |
poka | пока |
| Good Luck | oo-dah'-chee | Удачи |
| I know it well. (lit: "I this well know") |
yee etah khoro'-shoh zna'-yoo | Я э́то хорошó знáю |
| Nice Recovery | khoro'-shago vast-anov'-laneya | хорошего восстановления |
| You are very kind. | vweh oh-chen doe'-bre | вы очень добры |
Idioms
| Maybe and somehow aren't the same as done. |
| a-voice da kok-knee-boot doe doe'-brah nea doe-vyeh-doot |
| Аво́сь да как-нибу́дь до добра́ не доведу́т |
| (lit. "maybe and as-anything to good are not brought") |
| A good heart is worth gold. |
| doe'-broyay see-ertza', shtow zo-lo-to |
| Доброе сердце -- что золото |
| (lit. "good heart -- that's gold") |
| Good neighbors beat distant relatives. |
| loo'-chay doe'-bray say-say'-dee chee'-em da-lo'-ko-yah red-ni-ah' |
| Лучше добрые соседи чем далёкая родня |
| (lit. "better kind neighbors than far kin") |
| Best is the enemy of good. |
| loo-chayah' vrock khoro'-shago |
| Лу́чшее -- враг хоро́шего |
| (lit. "the best -- an enemy of good") |
| Every fish is good while it's still on the hook. |
| cars'-dare reba khoro'-shah, yes-lee ona na cry-uk |
| Каждая рыба хороша, если она на крючке |
| (lit. "Every fish is good, if she on hook") |
Indirect Translations
| English | Russian Spoken | Russian Written |
| Good Night (literally "calm night") |
spah-koy'-nay noi'-chay | cпокойной ночи |
| Good Riddance (lit. "let the road be your tablecloth") |
skat-ert'-you doe-roga | скатертью дорога |
| Have a Good Trip (literally "merry way") |
scha-stlivo'-va puti | cчастливого пути |
| Merry Christmas | scha-stlivo'-va Rozh-dee-stvah | счастливого Рождества |
| Make Good (lit. "keep promise") |
is-deer-a-zhat slova | сдержать слово |