День 25 из 37: Как говорит собака?
📚 Слова́ дня · Words of the day: 6 – соба́ка, коро́ва, свинья́, пету́х, у́тка, волк – and you can read them all!
🔤 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: take a red pen or a red apple – «Ру́чка – кра́сная!» (palms up) «Я́блоко – кра́сное!» (a big O) «Помидо́р – кра́сный!» (thumb to the side) 🖊️🍎🍅
You remembered it – that is your first win today. And now listen… who is barking outside? 🐕
- Don't read anything yet. Listen: who says «гав-гав»? Who says «му-у»? 🐕🐄
- What does Richard say in English – and what does Natasha say in Russian?
- Who says «гав» – a cat? 😄
- 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.
🐾 The animals – new today, and you can read them:
- Russian animals speak Russian! A Russian dog says гав-гав (not woof), a cow му-у (not moo), a pig хрю-хрю (not oink), a rooster кукареку́ (not cock-a-doodle-doo), a duck кря-кря (not quack), a wolf у-у-у. And a cat? Мя́у! 🐈
- Как говори́т …? = What does … say? – one block.
- по-ру́сски = in Russian. 🇷🇺
🔁 Old friends – from today's story, with the gestures you already know:
👂 Listen first – then read it. You can read every word! 🤸
- Ната́ша: Сли́нки, что ты ви́дишь? 👀
Сли́нки: Я ви́жу соба́ку! 🐕 — Ната́ша: Да! Так! 😊- Ната́ша: А ты, Ска́ффлз?
Ска́ффлз: Я ви́жу волк! 🐺 — Ната́ша: Нет! Я ви́жу во́лка. — Ска́ффлз: Р-р-р… во́лка.- Ри́чард: А я ви́жу петуха́! 🐓 — Ната́ша: Да! Ри́чард – молоде́ц!
And you? Look at a picture (or out of the window): «Я ви́жу соба́ку! / Я ви́жу ко́шку! / Я ви́жу кота́!» – 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!
Гав! Гав! Ой! Э́то соба́ка! 🐕
Ната́ша, как говори́т соба́ка? – По-ру́сски соба́ка говори́т: гав-гав! 🐕
Вот коро́ва. Коро́ва говори́т: му-у! 🐄
Вот свинья́: хрю-хрю! 🐖
Вот пету́х: кукареку́! 🐓
Вот у́тка: кря-кря! 🦆
А ко́шка? Как говори́т ко́шка? – Мя́у! 🐈
Гав! – Нет, Ска́ффлз! Ты ко́шка! Ко́шка говори́т: мя́у! 😾
А э́то волк! Волк говори́т: у-у-у! 🐺🌙
Ри́чард – молоде́ц! Ты в ру́сском до́ме – и говори́шь по-ру́сски! 👍
👀 read it and say it – the proverb of the day: С волка́ми жить – по-во́лчьи выть! 🐺🐺
- Take a picture book or toy animals and say: «Вот соба́ка! Соба́ка говори́т: гав-гав!» 🐕 «Вот коро́ва: му-у!» 🐄
- Ask a friend (or your cat): «Как говори́т соба́ка?» – and wait for «Гав-гав!» 😄
- Show the six animals with the gestures: соба́ка, коро́ва, свинья́, пету́х, у́тка, волк!
- 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.
Ь before a vowel makes a little Й:
- свиньЯ́ = «свин-йа́» – not «свиня́»! 🐖
- The same in семья́ (family), друзья́ (friends), по-во́лчьи = «по-во́лч-йи».
- Say it slowly: свин… ЙА́! – then fast: свинья́!
- 30 seconds, every day. The tongue is a muscle – this is aerobics. 💪
Tomorrow, find a picture of an animal (a book, your phone, a toy) and say: «Я ви́жу соба́ку! Соба́ка говори́т: гав-гав!» 🐕 – then make three animals with your hands: «Коро́ва – му-у! Пету́х – кукареку́! Волк – у-у-у!» 🐄🐓🐺
That is the first minute of День 26. You already know it – so День 26 starts with a win.
You may stop here – see you tomorrow: День 26 · Куда́ упа́ло кольцо́? ▶
«Кто как говори́т?» – who says what? 🐾 Natasha calls an animal – you make its sound and its gesture. 👂 Listen and play – you can read every line!
| Say | Do |
|---|---|
| Соба́ка! – Гав-гав! | one hand wags behind your back like a tail 🐕 |
| Коро́ва! – Му-у! | both fists milk the cow 🐄 |
| Свинья́! – Хрю-хрю! | a ring of fingers at your nose 🐖 |
| Пету́х! – Кукареку́! | a hand comb on your head – stand tall 🐓 |
| У́тка! – Кря-кря! | a hand beak – open, close 🦆 |
| Волк! – У-у-у! | chin up to the moon – howl 🐺 |
| Соба́ка! Волк! Коро́ва! … | mixed up, faster and faster 🐾 |
| Ска́ффлз? – Мя́у! | not «гав»! – cat's ears with two fingers 🐈 |
- Play it three times – a little faster each time. Then a friend calls the animals – and you make the sounds.
- Gesture → word. Don't look at the cards. Make a gesture – say the animal. Mixed order: 🦆 · 🐺 · 🐄 · 🐕 · 🐓 · 🐖
- Yesterday comes back. Mix in four words from День 24: бума́га 📄 · пишу́ ✍️ · ры́жий 🧡 · се́рый 🐭.
Animal sounds have names too: a dog ла́ет, a cow мычи́т, a wolf во́ет – just listen. 😄
The same words as today – watch it, listen, and make the sounds with her. 😊
Animals 1 – кот, соба́ка, ры́ба, лягу́шка, коро́ва…
Today's соба́ка and коро́ва. Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
Animals 2 – Кто э́то? – Э́то коро́ва. Э́то верблю́д…
Today's animals – and Кто э́то? Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
Who says «Moo»? – listen to the sounds and guess: му-му́, гав-га́в, мя́у, кря-кря́…
It is today's question: Как говори́т соба́ка? 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 animals: СОБА́КА · КОРО́ВА · СВИНЬЯ́ · ПЕТУ́Х · У́ТКА · ВОЛК
🏡 And more animals: КО́ШКА · КОТ · МЫШЬ · РЫ́БА · ПТИ́ЦА · КУ́РИЦА · ЛИСА́ · ЛЯГУ́ШКА
🔊 Who says it? ГАВ-ГАВ! · МУ-У! · ХРЮ-ХРЮ! · КУКАРЕКУ́! · КРЯ-КРЯ! · У-У-У! · МЯ́У! · КВА-КВА́!
Now whole sentences:
ГАВ! ГАВ! ОЙ! Э́ТО СОБА́КА! · КАК ГОВОРИ́Т СОБА́КА? · ПО-РУ́ССКИ СОБА́КА ГОВОРИ́Т: ГАВ-ГАВ! · ВОТ КОРО́ВА. КОРО́ВА ГОВОРИ́Т: МУ-У! · ВОТ СВИНЬЯ́: ХРЮ-ХРЮ! · ВОТ ПЕТУ́Х: КУКАРЕКУ́! · ВОТ У́ТКА: КРЯ-КРЯ! · А КО́ШКА? – МЯ́У! · НЕТ, СКА́ФФЛЗ! ТЫ КО́ШКА! · А Э́ТО ВОЛК! · Я ВИ́ЖУ СОБА́КУ! · Я ВИ́ЖУ ВО́ЛКА! · РИ́ЧАРД – МОЛОДЕ́Ц! · ТЫ В РУ́ССКОМ ДО́МЕ – И ГОВОРИ́ШЬ ПО-РУ́ССКИ!
👀 And the proverb of the day:
С ВОЛКА́МИ ЖИТЬ – ПО-ВО́ЛЧЬИ ВЫТЬ!
And по-во́лчьи is made like по-ру́сски – «like a Russian», in Russian. Just look and smile – you don't have to learn these now. 😊
If you live with wolves, howl like a wolf.
The answer to Richard's question! Richard lives in a Russian house, with a Russian wife and two Russian cats – so in his house a dog says «гав», not «woof». Russians say it when you live among people, you take their ways – and their language too. Sometimes they say it with a sigh, when someone copies not-so-good ways. English says: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. выть = to howl. Gesture: hands like claws on «с волка́ми», chin up – howl – on «выть». (Proverb page and mp3 to add.)
Гав! Гав! – Ой! Э́то соба́ка! – Ната́ша, как говори́т соба́ка? Woof? – Нет! По-ру́сски соба́ка говори́т: гав-гав! – Гав-гав?! – Вот коро́ва. Коро́ва говори́т: му-у! – Moo! – По-ру́сски – му-у! Вот свинья́: хрю-хрю! – Oink? – Нет! Хрю-хрю! Вот пету́х: кукареку́! – Cock-a-doodle-doo! – Кукареку́! Вот у́тка: кря-кря! А ко́шка? Как говори́т ко́шка? – Мя́у! – Да! Так! Сли́нки – молоде́ц! – Гав! – Нет, Ска́ффлз! Ты ко́шка! Ко́шка говори́т: мя́у! – Р-р-р… мя́у. – А э́то волк! – Волк говори́т: у-у-у! – Соба́ка – гав-гав! Коро́ва – му-у! Свинья́ – хрю-хрю! – Ри́чард – молоде́ц! Ты в ру́сском до́ме – и говори́шь по-ру́сски! С волка́ми жить – по-во́лчьи выть! – Гав! – Мя́у! – Ска́ффлз – молоде́ц! Молоде́ц! Пока́!
Woof! Woof! – Oh! It's a dog! – Natasha, what does a dog say? Woof? – No! In Russian a dog says: gav-gav! – Gav-gav?! – Here is a cow. A cow says: moo! – Moo! – In Russian – mu-u! Here is a pig: khryu-khryu! – Oink? – No! Khryu-khryu! Here is a rooster: kukareku! – Cock-a-doodle-doo! – Kukareku! Here is a duck: krya-krya! And a cat? What does a cat say? – Miaow! – Yes! Right! Slinky, well done! – Woof! – No, Scuffles! You are a cat! A cat says: miaow! – Grrr… miaow. – And this is a wolf! – A wolf says: oo-oo-oo! – Dog – gav-gav! Cow – mu-u! Pig – khryu-khryu! – Richard, well done! You are in a Russian house – and you speak Russian! If you live with wolves, howl like a wolf! – Woof! – Miaow! – Scuffles, well done! Well done! Bye!
- Как говори́т …? = What does … say?
- по-ру́сски = in Russian: соба́ка говори́т гав-гав, not woof!
- Я ви́жу … – just listen: ви́жу соба́ку, ви́жу во́лка, ви́жу стол.
- Ь + Я = a little Й: свинья́ = «свин-йа́».
- 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?
Every language hears animals its own way: woof – гав, moo – му, oink – хрю, quack – кря, cock-a-doodle-doo – кукареку́. 🐾
ВОЛК and wolf – the same very old word, thousands of years old. 🐺
СВИНЬЯ́ and swine – old relatives too. 🐖
ПЕТУ́Х comes from петь (to sing) – the rooster is «the singer». 🎵
СОБА́КА probably came into Russian long ago from an old Iranian word. 🐕
С волка́ми жить – по-во́лчьи выть = When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
🔬 Почему́ так · Why this way
- Sounds help words stick. Words that sound like what they mean (гав, му, хрю) are easy to learn and help learners link sound and meaning – Imai · Kita 2014 – the sound symbolism bootstrapping hypothesis. The animal sounds carry the animal words.
- 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 animal game is TPR at its simplest.
- 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. «Я ви́жу во́лка» is heard and used as one block today; the rule comes after it has been met several times (Wray 2002, formulaic language; Sweller, one new thing at a time).
- 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 собака
- Russian корова
- Russian свинья
- Russian петух
- Russian утка
- Russian волк
- Russian кошка
- Russian кот
- Russian диван
- Russian окно
- Russian книга
- Russian мышь
- Russian рыба
- Russian птица
- Russian курица
- Russian лиса
- Russian лягушка
- Russian видеть
- Russian говорить
- Russian жить
- Russian выть
- Russian русский
- Russian по-русски
- Russian дом
- Russian молодец
- Russian кто
- Russian как
- Russian ты
- Russian бумага
- Russian писать
- Russian рыжий
- Russian серый
- Russian вот
- Russian нет
- Russian да
- Russian не
- Russian в
- Russian и
- Russian а