cyrillic alphabet - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

chelseafc05 · 11-29-2005, 09:07 PM

how hard is it to get around countries that use the cyrillic alphabet?
same as any foreign country or is it a bitch to get around?

respect

**Esterina** · 11-30-2005, 06:50 AM

Daniel, if you're planning on visiting those countries, just start now learning. It is now hard, it just takes a little time and practice. And it is convenient to be able to read ! It would have been harder to get around with no understanding, when I was in Bulgaria. There are internet sites teaching the alphabet, if you don't want to spend money on a book.

**worldwidemike** · 11-30-2005, 07:50 AM

I think it's fairly difficult...but I stink at learning languages. I found the bus stations in Bulgaria pretty baffling and pretty much resorted to just asking folks where the bus to my city was. Beware of touts, who will take you to the bus and expect a tip for it. Then again, if you're that baffled, maybe it's worth it!!!

Seriously, if you start learning early, you might be able to navigate the bus stations a tad easier. Writing down your destinations in Cyrillic will help, as well as phrases you might run into from time to time on signs...

Good luck!

worldwidemike

**TERI** · 11-30-2005, 12:04 PM

Whats the Cyrillic Alphebet?

**TheJake** · 11-30-2005, 01:27 PM

I think it's some kind of hobby.. like painting or sewing or something... or maybe thats acryrillic... hmm

**Esterina** · 11-30-2005, 01:29 PM

Cyrillic alphabet used in Russia and a few other slavic countries. And really, it isn't too hard to learn to read it, maybe a few weeks if you do just a bit of it everyday.

естер «--- is it working on your screens ? it is supposed to be my name spelled in cyrilic (esther).

chelseafc05 · 11-30-2005, 08:47 PM

thanxs for the tips guys..

ill try and learn a lil, but like mike i also suck at learning languages...i have a LP book that has it in english, how to say it, then wat it looks like in cyrillic and the alphabet in it so that should become priddy useful ill write most of it down and just show it to the locals see wat happens.....

JeanB · 05-14-2006, 05:08 AM

Its not as hard as you might think, especially if you are dealing with russian, as the language is entirely phonetic. I borrowed some of my brothers learn rooski books and its actually suprising how quickly you can pronounce the words (without actually knowing what they mean...but sometimes its obvious e.g. bap=bar, since p=r in pronounciation.). If you are using the moscow metro you simply have to learn the cyrillic for phonetic pronounciation (its in english underneath on the metro, but not on most metro maps), unless your going to try to recognize the words without any audio memory of it (very difficult i reckon).
But seriously, you can learn the phonetics of it quickly, and this in itself can really help you get around.....

**ajb3000** · 05-14-2006, 08:34 AM

I bought a book called "beginner's russian" by Rachel Farmer and it took me only 3 days with about half an hour a day to learn to read cyrillic, it really is quite simple. Of course I have to look at each letter individually and it takes a while to read things, but better than nothing. Learning the actual language however is much harder, but then languages aren't my strong point.