Below is a list of countries and corresponding adjectives. You’ve already met most of them when you learned the names of the languages in Unit 5 (review them here). 

The adjective form is usually formed by adding the ‘-ск’ suffix and the ‘ий’ ending to the stem of the country name. But, there are exceptions like ‘Германия’ – ‘немецкий’.

In case of Russia, there are two words with the meaning ‘Russian’ – ‘русский’ and ‘российский’. What’s the difference?

In brief, ‘русский’ refers to the Russian ethnicity and everything connected to it culturally and historically. For example:

• русский язык - Russian language
• русская кухня - Russian cuisine
• русская культура - Russian culture
• русские традиции - Russian traditions

‘Российский’ describes something belonging to the country of Russia, which is home not only to the Russian ethnos, but also to many other ethnoses. For example:

• российское правительство - Russian government
• российские законы - Russian laws
• российское гражданство - Russian citizenship
• российская виза - Russian visa

Listen to the audio & read the examples:

1. Пицца и паста – это итальянская кухня. 
Pizza and pasta are Italian cuisine.

2. Суши – это японское блюдо.
Sushi is a Japanese dish.

3. Гёте – это немецкий поэт.
Goethe is a German poet.

4. Катрин Денёв – это французская актриса.
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress.

Listen to the audio to hear the correct answers

Task 2: Watch the video & answer the questions below

Tanya and Daniel, her friend from Argentina, are dining in a Russian restaurant.

Vocabulary for the video:

• Я такой голодный! - I’m so hungry!
• бургер - burger
• стейк - steak
• Мы хотели пообедать по-русски - We wanted to have Russian lunch
• свёкла - beetroot
• солёный - salty
• Новый год - New Year
• я хочу - I want
• квас - kvas (traditional Russian drink made of bread)
• традиционный - traditional
• Квас делают из хлеба - Kvas is made from bread
• теперь - now

Watch the video with subtitles