Как дела? is a real question
Answer briefly and ask back: Нормально, спасибо. А у тебя? Хорошо alone sounds closed.
Маленький разговор Small talk
Unit 2 of 12 · A1. How to do it, ask and answer, listen first, speak, write, checkpoint: about 40 minutes.
By the end of this unit you can
- answer Как дела? naturally and ask back
- talk briefly about the weekend, the weather and work
- end a conversation politely
How to do it
Four habits of a good conversation in this situation. Read them first; they come back in every part below.
Safe topics
The weekend (Как прошли выходные?), the weather, work and food. Health and money wait for close friends.
React, then speak
One word of reaction keeps the other person talking: Здорово! Правда? Жаль. Then add your own line.
Leave politely
Ну, мне пора. Был рад поговорить! (a woman says была рада). A reason helps: У меня встреча.
Ask and answer
Questions you will hear or ask, with a natural answer. Read each pair aloud; the listen button says it with your device's Russian voice.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
Как дела́? How are you? | Норма́льно. А у тебя́? Not bad. And you? |
Как прошли́ выходны́е? How was the weekend? | Отли́чно, мы е́здили за́ город. Great, we went out of town. |
Что но́вого? What's new? | Ничего́ осо́бенного, рабо́таю. Nothing special, working. |
Ну и пого́да сего́дня! What weather today! | Да, о́чень хо́лодно. Говоря́т, за́втра бу́дет тепле́е. Yes, very cold. They say tomorrow will be warmer. |
Что ты де́лаешь в выходны́е? What are you doing at the weekend? | Ещё не зна́ю. Мо́жет быть, пойду́ в кино́. I don't know yet. Maybe the cinema. |
Как рабо́та? How's work? | Мно́го дел, но интере́сно. Lots to do, but interesting. |
Ты уста́л? Are you tired? | Немно́го. Неде́ля была́ дли́нная. A little. It's been a long week. |
Ну, мне пора́. Well, I have to go. | Пока́! Хоро́шего дня! Bye! Have a good day! |
Хоро́ших выходны́х! Have a good weekend! | Спаси́бо, и тебе́! Thanks, you too! |
Listen first
Hide the text, play the lines with the listen buttons and answer the questions. Then show the text and read the dialogue aloud.
In the ТРКИ-1 exam every listening text is played once.
| Маша | Привет, Марк! Как дела? |
| Марк | Нормально, спасибо. А у тебя? |
| Маша | Хорошо. Как прошли выходные? |
| Марк | Отлично: мы ездили за город. А ты что делала? |
| Маша | Ничего особенного, работала. Ну и погода сегодня! |
| Марк | Да, очень холодно. Говорят, завтра будет теплее. |
| Маша | Надеюсь. Ну, мне пора, у меня встреча. |
| Марк | Пока! Хорошего дня! |
Did you understand?
Speak
Shadow it: play one line, pause, say it back at the same speed; then take the other part. Role-play: say your three moves aloud, in Russian, before you read any model.
You meet a colleague by the coffee machine on Monday morning.
- Ask how they are and how the weekend was.
- Say what you did, in one or two sentences.
- Comment on the weather, then leave politely.
Your Russian lesson starts; the first two minutes are small talk.
- Answer Как дела? with the 1-2-3 pattern.
- Ask your teacher one question about her week.
- React to her answer.
Record and compare. Record yourself saying your part, listen back, and compare with the model lines above.
Nothing is uploaded: the recording stays on this device until you leave the page.
Write
Write a short exchange of six lines with a colleague on Monday morning: how are you, the weekend, the weather, a polite goodbye.
A model dialogue
— Привет! Как дела?
— Хорошо, спасибо. А у тебя?
— Нормально. Как прошли выходные?
— Отлично, мы были на даче. А ты?
— Я дома отдыхал. Ну и дождь сегодня!
— Да. Ладно, мне пора. Хорошего дня!
Checkpoint
Be honest: Almost and Not yet send you back to the right part, and the unit counts as done only when you say so.
I can answer Как дела? naturally and ask back.
I can talk briefly about the weekend, the weather and work.
I can end a conversation politely.