Do you like mornings? I love mornings. Even without a coffee. Personally, I think they are full of hope, promises, new starts and possibilities. Don’t you think? Of course, dreaming about all the hopes and possibilities is even better with a cup of aroma coffee or earl grey tea with a slice of lemon. I have mine here sitting next to me, which makes me ready to talk about mornings in Russian.

Let’s start with a few basic words related to mornings in Russian:

Утро [OOT-ra] morning
Рассвет [RAS-vyet] sunrise
Доброе утро! [DOB-ra-ye OOT-ra] good morning!
С добрым утром! [s DOB-rim OOT-ram] good morning!

You can learn more Russian greetings and goodbyes in my video lesson Greetings in Russian that You Will not Find in Textbooks.

And a few more words related to mornings in Russian:
Просыпаться [pra-si-PA-tsa] wake up
Подниматься [pad-nee-MA-tsa] get up
Вставать [fsta-VAT’] get up
Будить [boo-DEET’] wake someone up
Будильник [boo-DEEL’-neek] alarm clock
Делать зарядку / упражнения [DYE-lat’ za-RYAT-koo / oop-razh-NYE-nee-ya] exercise

Чистить зубы [CHEES-teet’ ZOO-bi] brush teeth
Умываться [oo-mi-VA-tsa] wash your face
Принимать душ [pree-nee-MAT’ DOOSH] take a shower

Делать / готовить завтрак [DYE-lat’ ga-TO-veet’ ZAF-trak] make / cook breakfast
Завтракать [ZAF-tra-kat’] have a breakfast
Завтрак [ZAF-trak] breakfast
You can learn more breakfast words in Russian in my Breakfast in Russian lesson.

Одеваться [a-dee-VA-tsa] dress
Собираться на работу [sa-bee-RA-tsa] get ready

A quick infographic with the new Russian words. Feel free to share!

Since we are talking about mornings in Russian today, I would like to share a couple of poems by one of my most favorite Russian poets – Sergey Yesenin. Hope you will like them as much as I do. Both of these poems are about the early morning hours, describing the nature waking up and getting ready for the new day.

Below the poems you will see a few words from the poems that I’ve translated for you. Most of them are not only related to mornings, but they are still very good to know. Hope this will make your translation of the poems a little bit easier. If you would like to compare your translation to the professional translation in English, I’ve included the links with the translations of these poems below each poem.

Сегрей Есенин

«С добрым утром!»

Задремали звезды золотые,
Задрожало зеркало затона,
Брезжит свет на заводи речные
И румянит сетку небосклона.
Улыбнулись сонные березки,
Растрепали шелковые косы.
Шелестят зеленые сережки,
И горят серебряные росы.
У плетня заросшая крапива
Обрядилась ярким перламутром
И, качаясь, шепчет шаловливо:
«С добрым утром!»
‹1914›

After I’ve published this article Graham Theakston, one of my readers, was inspired by the poems and translated both of them from Russian into English. I loved his translations, and would like to share them with you. Here is the translation of “Good Morning” by Sergey Yesenin by Graham Theakston.

“Good Morning” «С добрым утром!» by Sergey (Sergei) Yesenin

Golden stars slumber,
Shimmering in the mirror-creek,
Dawn’s half-light creeps over the river,
Blushing rosily on heaven’s net.

Birch trees smile sleepily,
Their silken tresses tousled.
Green earrings rustle gently,
And glow with silver dew.

Rampant nettles by willow-weave fencing,
Adorned with pearls, glinting
And dangling, playfully whispering:
“Good morning!”

<1914>

(Translated from Russian by Graham Theakston, ‘Intuitive Translations’ )

New Russian words:

Задремать [za-dree-MAT’] fall asleep
Задрожать [za-dra-ZHAT’] start trembling
Румянить [roo-MYA-neet’] give a reddish glow
Заводь [ZA-vat’] creek
Сетка [SYET-ka] net, netting
Небосклон [nee-bas-KLON] sky, horizon
Роса [ra-SA] dew
Заросшая [za-RO-sha-ya] overgrown with
Обрядиться [ab-rya-DEE-tsa] dress up, get dressed in
Перламутр [peer-la-MOOTR] nacre
Качаться [ka-CHA-tsa] swing, sway, rock
Шаловливо [sha-lav-LEE-va] playfully

Here is the second poem about morning by Sergey Yesenin:

Колокол дремавший
Разбудил поля,
Улыбнулась солнцу
Сонная земля.
Понеслись удары
К синим небесам,
Звонко раздается
Голос по лесам.
Скрылась за рекою
Белая луна,
Звонко побежала
Резвая волна.
Тихая долина
Отгоняет сон,
Где-то за дорогой
Замирает звон.
‹1914›

“The dozing bell.” <<Колокол дремавший>> by Sergey (Sergei) Yesenin, Серге́й Алекса́ндрович Есе́нин, 1914. (Including new English translation by ‘Intuitive Translations’ (Graham Theakston), with thanks to russian4real.com for the inspiration.)

The dozing bell pealed,
Awakening fields,
The stirring sun smiled
Upon the sleepy land.

Clangs rang rushing by,
Bound for blue sky,
Chiming clearly out
The call of the forest.

Banishing beyond the stream
The white Moon,
The voice ran on with
A playful wave.

The silent valley,
Its dreams allayed,
‘till somewhere down the road,
The toll’s becalmed.

(Translated from Russian by Graham Theakston, ‘Intuitive Translations’ )

Колокол [KO-la-kal] bell
Дремавший [dree-MAF-sheey] snoozing
Разбудить [raz-boo-DEET’] to wake someone up
Сонный [SO-niy] sleepy
Понестись [pa-nyes-TEES’] rush off, dash off (perfective)
Небеса [nee-bee-SA] sky, heaven(s)
Раздаваться [raz-da-VA-tsa] be heard, ring out
Скрываться [skri-VA-tsa] hide
Звонко [ZVON-ka] voiced, clear
Побежать [pa-bee-ZHAT’] run (perfective)
Резвый [RYEZ-viy] playful, frisky, lively
Долина [da-LEE-na] valley
Отгонять [at-ga-NYAT’] keep off
Замирать [za-mee-RAT’] come to standstill, die down, freeze, stand motionless

I hope you enjoyed these Russian poems by Sergey Yesenin. Well, good morning to you and have a wonderful full of promises day!

Talk to you very soon!

The courses of Russian as a foreign language with Russian4real take place online via Skype. The teacher works with adults individually since he is convinced that each person must receive maximum time for practice and professional attention while learning a foreign language.