День 22 из 37: Семь пятниц!
📚 Слова́ дня · Words of the day: 5 – сего́дня, за́втра, вчера́, день, неде́ля – and you can read them all! The seven days of the week you only hear and read today.
🔤 Бу́квы дня · Letters of the day: none. You know all 33 letters. 🎉
⏱ Part 1 = 15 minutes – everybody finishes it. Part 2 = more, only if you want. · 🗺️ All days
Stand up! Yesterday's homework: hold up one sock – «Вот носо́к!» – then two: «Носки́!» 🧦 And one more pair: «Вот кни́га – кни́ги!» 📚
You remembered it – that is your first win today. And now – what day is it today? 📅
- Don't read anything yet. Listen: what day is it in the morning? ⏰
- What does Scuffles write on the calendar? 🖊️
- When does Richard promise the fish? And does he bring it on that day? 🐟
- Tap the words above to hear them.
Say every word aloud and show it – the gesture is under the picture. The movement falls on the loud syllable.
Tap the word to hear it. Tap the picture to open the word in the dictionary.
🎁 New today – and you can read them:
- сего́дня – today. Listen: we say «сево́дня» – here Г sounds like В (Звук дня).
- вчера́ – yesterday (behind you) · за́втра – tomorrow (in front of you).
- день – a day. Many: дни – the е runs away (like носо́к – носки́). «Семь дней» = seven days.
- неде́ля – a week, seven days.
📅 The seven days – just listen and read, you don't have to learn them today:
🔁 Old friends – from today's story, with the gestures you already know:
👂 Listen first – then read it. You can read every word! 🤸
- Ната́ша: Когда́ ры́ба? 🐟
Сли́нки: В пя́тницу! — Ната́ша: Да! Так! 😊
Ска́ффлз: В пя́тница! — Ната́ша: Нет! В пя́тницу. — Ска́ффлз: Р-р-р… в пя́тницу.- Ри́чард: А торт – в суббо́ту! 🎂 — Ната́ша: Да! Ри́чард – молоде́ц!
And you? «Когда́ торт? – В суббо́ту! / В воскресе́нье!» – aloud, or just in your head. Both count. 😊
Say the story aloud, with the actions. Then play: do the action – say the word. Mix them up!
Дзы-ы-ынь! Ой! У́тро! Сего́дня – понеде́льник! ⏰
Вот неде́ля. Семь дней! 📅
Понеде́льник, вто́рник, среда́, четве́рг, пя́тница, суббо́та, воскресе́нье. 👏
Вчера́ – воскресе́нье. Сего́дня – понеде́льник. За́втра – вто́рник. 👈👇👉
Ната́ша, како́й сего́дня день? – Понеде́льник! ☀️
Ри́чард, где ры́ба? – В пя́тницу! 🐟
Ри́чард, сего́дня пя́тница! Где ры́ба? – Ой! В понеде́льник! 🤷
Где ры́ба? – В сре́ду! – Где ры́ба? – В пя́тницу! – Мя́у?! 🐈🐈
Сего́дня – пя́тница? И за́втра – пя́тница? Семь пя́тниц?! 😲
Ска́ффлз! Нет, нет, нет! Брысь! 😾
Хорошо́, хорошо́! Вот ры́ба! Сли́нки – молоде́ц! 👍
👀 read it and say it – the proverb of the day: Семь пя́тниц на неде́ле. 📅
- Look at your calendar (or your phone): Сего́дня – …! – find the day in the list above. 📅
- Thumb over your shoulder: Вчера́ – …! Hand forward: За́втра – …!
- Seven fingers and a clap: Неде́ля! 👏
- Speaking is optional – listening and doing count too.
Can you do it without the video? – Молоде́ц! Go to the tap quiz.
Guess, then tap. A wrong tap is not a mistake – it is a guess. 😊
Хорошо́! Молоде́ц! Two small things left – two minutes.
One letter – another sound! Write Г, say В:
- сего́дня = «сево́дня» · четвёртого = «четвёртово».
- Everywhere else Г is Г: голова́, кни́га, четве́рг (at the end like К – «четве́рк», День 7).
- You will meet this Г many times: его́, ничего́ – always «-во».
- 30 seconds, every day. The tongue is a muscle – this is aerobics. 💪
Tomorrow, look at a calendar and say: «Сего́дня – …!» 📅 – thumb over your shoulder: «Вчера́ – …!» – hand forward: «За́втра – …!»
That is the first minute of День 23. You already know it – so День 23 starts with a win.
You may stop here – see you tomorrow: День 23 · Како́го цве́та ко́шки но́чью? ▶
«Вчера́ – сего́дня – за́втра!» – the past is behind you, the future is in front of you. 👈👇👉 👂 Listen and play – you can read every line!
| Say | Do |
|---|---|
| Вчера́! | throw your thumb back over your shoulder 👈 |
| Сего́дня! | both index fingers point down at the floor 👇 |
| За́втра! | roll your hand forward like a wheel 👉 |
| Вчера́ – сего́дня – за́втра! | back – down – forward, faster and faster |
| Понеде́льник, вто́рник, среда́, четве́рг, пя́тница… | one clap for each day 👏 |
| Суббо́та! Воскресе́нье! – Ура́! | jump, both arms up 🙌 |
| А когда́ ры́ба? – В пя́тницу! | your hand swims – then one finger shakes 🐟 |
- Play it three times – a little faster each time. Then a friend says only the gesture – and you say the word.
- Gesture → word. Don't look at the cards. Make a gesture – say the word. Mixed order: 👉 · ☀️ · 👈 · 👏 · 👇
- Yesterday comes back. Mix in four words from День 21: носо́к 🧦 · ко́шка 🐈 · игру́шка 🧸 · ша́рик 🎈.
Listen: Russians – like English speakers – put вчера́ behind them and за́втра in front of them. Your hands show the time. 😄
в четы́ре с че́твертью часа́. 🕓
On Thursday the fourth, at a quarter past four.
A folk tongue twister. Say it slowly, then faster. Ч is always soft. And listen: четвёртого = «четвёртово» – the same Г → В as in сего́дня! Gestures: show four fingers on ЧЕТ-, tap your wrist on ЧАСА́. You can read every word – but you don't have to learn it. Just say it and smile. 😊
As the week goes by – each day hides a number: вто́рник – второ́й, пя́тница – пя́тый.
Today's неде́ля – find the secret numbers. Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
Days of the week – понеде́льник, вто́рник, среда́… count them on your fingers.
Today's seven days – and неде́ля. Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
Days of the week – a chant: понеде́льник, вто́рник, а пото́м среда́… – и неде́ли нет!
Sing today's seven days. Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
You know all 33 letters. Read every word aloud, then tap it to check. ✋
Today's words: ВЧЕРА́ · СЕГО́ДНЯ · ЗА́ВТРА · ДЕНЬ · ДНИ · НЕДЕ́ЛЯ · СЕМЬ · КОГДА́
📅 The week: ПОНЕДЕ́ЛЬНИК · ВТО́РНИК · СРЕДА́ · ЧЕТВЕ́РГ · ПЯ́ТНИЦА · СУББО́ТА · ВОСКРЕСЕ́НЬЕ
Когда́? В ПОНЕДЕ́ЛЬНИК · В СРЕ́ДУ · В ПЯ́ТНИЦУ · В СУББО́ТУ · В ВОСКРЕСЕ́НЬЕ
Now whole sentences:
СЕГО́ДНЯ – ПОНЕДЕ́ЛЬНИК. · ВЧЕРА́ – ВОСКРЕСЕ́НЬЕ. · ЗА́ВТРА – ВТО́РНИК. · ВОТ НЕДЕ́ЛЯ. СЕМЬ ДНЕЙ! · А В ПЯ́ТНИЦУ – РЫ́БА! · КАКО́Й СЕГО́ДНЯ ДЕНЬ? · КОГДА́ РЫ́БА? – В ПЯ́ТНИЦУ! · РИ́ЧАРД, ГДЕ РЫ́БА? – В ПЯ́ТНИЦУ! · В ПОНЕДЕ́ЛЬНИК! · В СРЕ́ДУ! · СЕМЬ ПЯ́ТНИЦ?! · ДО ЗА́ВТРА!
👀 And the proverb of the day:
СЕМЬ ПЯ́ТНИЦ НА НЕДЕ́ЛЕ.
Just look and smile – you don't have to learn these now. 😊
Seven Fridays a week.
Richard promised the fish «в пя́тницу» – then «в понеде́льник», then «в сре́ду», then «в пя́тницу» again. Russians say «У него́ семь пя́тниц на неде́ле» about a person who promises to do something «on Friday» and doesn't – he changes his word again and again. An old story (retold in our words): the merchant Prokhor sold tubs to the potter Mitry – «Come on Friday!». By lunchtime he wanted a higher price, by evening he didn't want to sell at all; the next week the same, with every promise. At last an old merchant shook his head: «Your week is like any week, Prokhor – but it has seven Fridays!» English says: He changes his mind like the weather. Gesture: show seven fingers on «семь пя́тниц», turn your hand this way and that on «на неде́ле». (Proverb page and mp3 to add.)
Дзы-ы-ынь! Ой! У́тро! Сего́дня – понеде́льник! Вот неде́ля. Понеде́льник, вто́рник, среда́, четве́рг, пя́тница, суббо́та, воскресе́нье. Семь дней! Вчера́ – воскресе́нье. Сего́дня – понеде́льник. За́втра – вто́рник. – Ната́ша, како́й сего́дня день? – Понеде́льник! – Ри́чард, где ры́ба? – Ры́ба? В пя́тницу! – Мя́у! Вто́рник… Среда́… Четве́рг… Пя́тница! – Ри́чард, сего́дня пя́тница! Где ры́ба? – Ой! Ры́ба… в понеде́льник! – Ри́чард, где ры́ба? – В сре́ду! – Где ры́ба? – В пя́тницу! – Мя́у?! Дзы-ы-ынь! Сего́дня – пя́тница? И за́втра – пя́тница? Семь пя́тниц?! Ска́ффлз! Нет, нет, нет! Брысь! – Р-р-р… – Мя́у! – Хорошо́, хорошо́! Вот ры́ба! Сли́нки – молоде́ц! Семь пя́тниц на неде́ле. Молоде́ц! Пока́! До за́втра!
Ring-ring! Oh! Morning! Today is Monday! Here is the week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Seven days! Yesterday was Sunday. Today is Monday. Tomorrow is Tuesday. – Natasha, what day is it today? – Monday! – Richard, where is the fish? – The fish? On Friday! – Miaow! Tuesday… Wednesday… Thursday… Friday! – Richard, today is Friday! Where is the fish? – Oh! The fish… on Monday! – Richard, where is the fish? – On Wednesday! – Where is the fish? – On Friday! – Miaow?! Ring-ring! Today is Friday? And tomorrow is Friday? Seven Fridays?! Scuffles! No, no, no! Shoo! – Grrr… – Miaow! – All right, all right! Here is the fish! Slinky, well done! Seven Fridays a week. Well done! Bye! See you tomorrow!
- Вчера́ – сего́дня – за́втра
- No verb needed: «Сего́дня – понеде́льник.» = Today is Monday.
- Когда́? – в + the day: в понеде́льник, в пя́тницу (-а → -у), в воскресе́нье.
- день – дни: the е runs away. «Семь дней» = seven days.
- сего́дня – say «сево́дня».
- Every new word has two links: tap the word to hear it 🔊, tap the picture to open it in the dictionary 📖.
ударе́ние – stress – shows the syllable you say louder and longer, just like in English: LUN-dun (London), TEL-ih-fohn (telephone).
ЛО́НДОН – the stress is on the first syllable, as in English. But Russians say a real, round о: LON-d’n, not LUN-dun. The second о comes after the stress, so it is short and weak (like the a in sofa).
ТЕЛЕФО́Н – not like the English TEL-ih-fohn: the stress is on the last syllable: ti-li-FON (е without stress sounds like a short и). That is why we mark the stress.
🎯 Why does о sound like а?
НЕДЕ́ЛЯ – from «не де́лать», «don't work»: long ago it was the name of Sunday, the day of rest. Then it became the whole week. 😴
ПОНЕДЕ́ЛЬНИК = «по неде́ле» – the day after Sunday. 📅
ВТО́РНИК – the 2nd day (второ́й) · СРЕДА́ – the middle · ЧЕТВЕ́РГ – the 4th (четы́ре) · ПЯ́ТНИЦА – the 5th (пять). Russians count from Monday! 🔢
СУББО́ТА ~ Sabbath · ВОСКРЕСЕ́НЬЕ = Resurrection (Easter) day. ✨
English names come from the sun, the moon and old gods – Russian names mostly count. 😄
Семь пя́тниц на неде́ле ~ He changes his mind like the weather.
🔬 Почему́ так · Why this way
- Five words – not twelve. Seven day names on top of five new words is too much for one day. One new thing at a time, so the working memory is not overloaded (Sweller, cognitive load). The day names are heard and read today – learned later, when they come back.
- Time with the body. Russian and English speakers think of the past as behind them and the future in front of them – Boroditsky 2000, time as space. The thumb over the shoulder (вчера́) and the hand forward (за́втра) use what the mind already does.
- Show it with your hands. A word said with a matching gesture, made by the learner, stays in memory far longer than a word only heard. Study with adults – Macedonia · Knösche 2011 (Max Planck Institute, Leipzig). Watching the gesture helps almost as much as doing it – 7 studies, 309 adults – Oppici et al. 2023.
- Show it with your body. Total Physical Response – the learner moves while hearing the word – Asher 1969.
- The action on the loud syllable. A hand beat on the stressed syllable helps adults pronounce new words. Studies with adults – Prieto's group, Barcelona.
- Remember first, then check. Reading alone, then tapping to check, is retrieval practice – 50 classroom experiments – Agarwal · Nunes · Blunt 2021. The first minute (yesterday's homework) works the same way.
- 15 minutes a day, not one long lesson. Short daily sessions beat one long one. Study with adults – Stoltzfus · Sukseemuang 2018.
- Chunks first, rules later. «В пя́тницу» is heard and used as one block today; the rule comes when it has been heard many times (Wray 2002, formulaic language).
- The proverb outside the core. Extras inside the core lower learning of the main thing (Mayer, seductive details); an idiom learned with its picture and story is remembered better than with a bare translation (Boers 2001).
- The cat makes the mistakes. Nobody corrects the student. The student laughs and is never the one who is wrong.
- Our own method. Natasha's Language Aerobics – tested for many years with her students.
- Videos needed
- Russian вчера
- Russian сегодня
- Russian завтра
- Russian день
- Russian дни
- Russian неделя
- Russian понедельник
- Russian вторник
- Russian среда
- Russian четверг
- Russian пятница
- Russian суббота
- Russian воскресенье
- Russian когда
- Russian какой
- Russian рыба
- Russian торт
- Russian утро
- Russian семь
- Russian телефон
- Russian молодец
- Russian четвёртый
- Russian число
- Russian четыре
- Russian час
- Russian до
- Russian вот
- Russian нет
- Russian да
- Russian не
- Russian на
- Russian в
- Russian и
- Russian а