Russian · phrasebook
Excuse me in Russian
Excuse me in Russian is извините (izvinite): the same word as sorry, doing attention-getting duty. To squeeze past someone say разрешите (allow me), and to call a waiter or a shop assistant Russians famously use девушка or молодой человек.
The ways to say it
извините (izvinite), getting attention: also the plain sorry
простите (prostite), same job: equally common as an opener
разрешите (razreshite), let me pass: allow me; standard in transport and crowds
девушка (devushka), calling staff (f): literally girl; standard for any woman serving you
молодой человек (molodoy chelovek), calling staff (m): literally young man; same job for men
How to use it
Извините opens almost any interaction with a stranger: asking the way, asking the time, starting a question in a shop. Простите does the same job; both then continue with the question: извините, вы не подскажете... (excuse me, could you tell me...).
On the metro, разрешите (or the fuller разрешите пройти, allow me to pass) is how you move through a crowd, and вы выходите? (are you getting off?) is the ritual question near the doors.
Watch out
Девушка addressed to a fifty-year-old waitress startles every learner, but it is the neutral, standard call: no Russian equivalent of madam or miss covers service situations, so girl and young man do the work regardless of age.
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