Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL / ТРКИ) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What does 'Который час?' mean in English?

What year is it?
What is the date?
What time is it? (Correct answer)
What day is it?

Correct answer: What time is it?

'Который час?' (Kotoryy chas?) is the standard Russian way to ask what time it is.

Question 2: What does 'утро' (utro) mean in English?

Afternoon
Night
Morning (Correct answer)
Evening

Correct answer: Morning

'Утро' (utro) means 'morning' in Russian, referring to the early part of the day.

Question 3: What does 'нет' (nyet) mean in English?

No (Correct answer)
Not yet
Never
Nothing

Correct answer: No

'Нет' (nyet) means no and is one of the most universally recognized Russian words.

Question 4: In Russian, what is the instrumental case used to express?

Possession
The means or instrument used, or being with someone (Correct answer)
The goal or destination
The location of an action

Correct answer: The means or instrument used, or being with someone

The instrumental case expresses the means or tool used to perform an action and also indicates being 'with' someone or something.

Question 5: Which Russian letter represents the 'ts' sound as in 'cats'?

Ц (Correct answer)
Ч
З
С

Correct answer: Ц

The Russian letter Ц (Tse) represents the 'ts' combination sound, as heard in the English word 'cats'.

Question 6: What does the Russian word 'нет' mean when used alone as a sentence?

Never
Yes
No (Correct answer)
Maybe

Correct answer: No

'Нет' (nyet) is simply 'no' in Russian and is one of the first words learners pick up.

Question 7: What does 'работа' (rabota) mean in English?

Work/Job (Correct answer)
Travel
Robot
Rest

Correct answer: Work/Job

'Работа' means work or job — it is the root of the English word 'robot' via Czech.

Question 8: What does 'вечер' (vecher) mean in English?

Evening (Correct answer)
Morning
Noon
Night

Correct answer: Evening

'Вечер' (vecher) means 'evening' in Russian, the part of the day after sunset.

Question 9: Which of these would you call if you were in need of emergency medical care?

Pozharnye
Santehnik
Militsiya
Skoraya Pomosch (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Skoraya Pomosch

Скорая помощь (Skoraya Pomosch) directly translates to 'fast help' or 'ambulance' and is the term used in Russia for emergency medical services. If you needed urgent medical attention, you would call for 'Skoraya Pomosch'.

Question 10: What does 'Как вас зовут?' mean in English?

How old are you?
Where are you from?
What is your name? (Correct answer)
How are you?

Correct answer: What is your name?

'Как вас зовут?' is the formal way to ask someone's name in Russian.

Question 11: What does the Russian concept of 'белые ночи' (white nights) refer to?

Blizzard conditions in Siberia
A traditional winter festival
Heavy snowfall that covers everything white
The phenomenon of near-continuous daylight in northern Russia during summer (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The phenomenon of near-continuous daylight in northern Russia during summer

Белые ночи (white nights) refers to the summer phenomenon in northern Russia (especially Saint Petersburg) where it barely gets dark at night due to the high latitude.

Question 12: How do you say 'friend' in Russian?

друг (Correct answer)
брат
враг
сосед

Correct answer: друг

'Друг' (drug) means 'friend' in Russian.

Question 13: Which word is the Russian word for 'cold' (as in cold weather)?

Тепло
Жарко
Холодно (Correct answer)
Ветрено

Correct answer: Холодно

'Холодно' (kholodno) is the adverb/predicate form meaning it is cold.

Question 14: How many grammatical cases does the Russian language have?

8
6 (Correct answer)
5
4

Correct answer: 6

Russian has 6 grammatical cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional.

Question 15: Which Russian letter looks like a backwards 'N' and sounds like 'i'?

И (Correct answer)
Й
Ц
Ч

Correct answer: И

И (I) resembles a backwards N and is pronounced like the 'ee' in 'see' or 'i' in 'machine'.

Question 16: What does 'девяносто' mean in English?

900
90 (Correct answer)
19
80

Correct answer: 90

Девяносто means 90 in Russian; it is an irregular form derived from девять (nine).

Question 17: What does 'красивый' mean in English?

Interesting
Beautiful (Correct answer)
Important
Expensive

Correct answer: Beautiful

'Красивый' (krasivyy) is a common Russian adjective meaning beautiful or handsome.

Question 18: What is 'десять' in English?

Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ten

Десять means ten in Russian; it is the base for the teen numbers (одиннадцать = eleven, etc.).

Question 19: What is 'среда' (sreda) in English?

Wednesday (Correct answer)
Tuesday
Thursday
Monday

Correct answer: Wednesday

'Среда' (sreda) means Wednesday, the middle day of the work week.

Question 20: Which of these is a Russian informal greeting?

Do Svidaniya
Preevet (Correct answer)
Spasibo
Zdravstvuite

Correct answer: Preevet

Привет (Privet) is the common informal greeting in Russian, equivalent to 'Hi' or 'Hello' in English. It is used among friends, family, and people of similar age or status, contrasting with the more formal Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuite).

Question 21: How do you say 'Monday' in Russian?

Понедельник (Ponedelnik) (Correct answer)
Пятница (Pyatnitsa)
Среда (Sreda)
Вторник (Vtornik)

Correct answer: Понедельник (Ponedelnik)

Понедельник (Ponedelnik) is the Russian word for Monday, the first day of the work week.

Question 22: How do you say 'yes' in Russian?

Да (Correct answer)
Или
Нет
Может

Correct answer: Да

'Да' (da) means yes and is one of the most basic Russian words.

Question 23: What are the two main forms of address in Russian, and when are they used?

Мой (my) and Твой (your)
Ты (informal/singular) and Вы (formal/plural) (Correct answer)
Он (he) and Она (she)
Этот (this) and Тот (that)

Correct answer: Ты (informal/singular) and Вы (formal/plural)

Ты is used informally with friends, family, and children; Вы is the formal/plural 'you' used with strangers, elders, and in professional contexts.

Question 24: What is the function of the hard sign (Ъ) in modern Russian?

It represents a glottal stop
It acts as a separator preventing palatalization before certain vowels (Correct answer)
It is always silent with no effect
It hardens the preceding consonant

Correct answer: It acts as a separator preventing palatalization before certain vowels

The hard sign Ъ serves as a separator, preventing the softening of a preceding consonant before soft vowels like Е, Ю, Я.

Question 25: What's the Russian word for "excellent"?

Ostorozhno
Normal'no
Otleechno (Correct answer)
Zakrito

Correct answer: Otleechno

"Otleechno" (Отлично) is the Russian word for "excellent" or "great." It can be used to describe something of high quality, a positive outcome, or to express that one is doing very well when asked "Kak dela?". This is a useful adjective and adverb for expressing strong approval or positive status.

Question 26: What does 'До свидания' mean?

Good night
Good morning
Goodbye (formal) (Correct answer)
Hello

Correct answer: Goodbye (formal)

До свидания is the standard formal farewell in Russian, literally meaning 'until the meeting (again)'.

Question 27: How do you say the number 5 in Russian?

Пять (Correct answer)
Четыре
Семь
Шесть

Correct answer: Пять

Пять is the Russian word for 5, and it (like all numbers from 5–20) requires the genitive plural of the following noun.

Question 28: What is the cultural significance of sunflowers (подсолнухи) in Russia?

They are a major agricultural crop and a beloved national symbol of joy and abundance (Correct answer)
They represent mourning at funerals
They are considered unlucky and avoided
They are used exclusively for religious ceremonies

Correct answer: They are a major agricultural crop and a beloved national symbol of joy and abundance

Russia is one of the world's largest producers of sunflowers, and the sunflower is culturally associated with warmth, happiness, and the vast Russian steppe landscapes.

Question 29: In Russian, what is 'пятнадцать'?

15 (Correct answer)
14
50
51

Correct answer: 15

Пятнадцать means 15 in Russian; it combines пять (5) and надцать (the suffix meaning 'teen').

Question 30: What is 'Масленица' in Russian culture?

A name day tradition
A week-long pancake festival before Lent (Correct answer)
A winter solstice celebration
A harvest festival in autumn

Correct answer: A week-long pancake festival before Lent

Масленица is a traditional Slavic festival lasting one week before the start of Orthodox Lent, celebrated with blini (pancakes).

Question 31: What is the dative case used for in Russian?

Location with prepositions
Indirect object (recipient) of an action (Correct answer)
Direct object of a verb
Possession or origin

Correct answer: Indirect object (recipient) of an action

The dative case marks the indirect object — the recipient of an action — equivalent to 'to/for' in English.

Question 32: Which color does 'белый' describe in Russian?

White (Correct answer)
Black
Blue
Red

Correct answer: White

'Белый' (belyy) means white in Russian; it appears in words like Белоруссия (Belarus).

Question 33: What is the plural nominative ending for most masculine nouns in Russian?

-ов/-ев
-а/-я
-ы/-и (Correct answer)
-ам/-ям

Correct answer: -ы/-и

Most masculine nouns form their nominative plural with -ы or -и (e.g., стол → столы, музей → музеи).

Question 34: What does the term 'dasvidanya' mean?

cheese
hello
goodbye (Correct answer)
good morning

Correct answer: goodbye

'Dasvidanya' (До свидания) is the standard and formal Russian phrase for 'goodbye.' It literally translates to 'until we meet again' or 'until seeing.' This term is widely used to bid farewell in various social contexts in Russia.

Question 35: How do you say 'Where is the bathroom?' in Russian?

Где туалет? (Correct answer)
Как пройти сюда?
Что это такое?
Когда открывается?

Correct answer: Где туалет?

Где туалет? means 'Where is the bathroom/toilet?' — где means 'where' and туалет is the restroom.

Question 36: What is the Russian word for 1,000?

Десяток
Сотня
Миллион
Тысяча (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Тысяча

Тысяча means one thousand in Russian; миллион means one million.

Question 37: What sound does the Russian letter 'Щ' make?

shch (a long soft 'sh') (Correct answer)
zh (as in 'measure')
ch (as in 'chair')
sh (as in 'shoe')

Correct answer: shch (a long soft 'sh')

Щ (Shcha) represents a long, soft 'shch' sound, similar to saying 'fresh cheese' quickly.

Question 38: How do you say 'please' in Russian (when making a request)?

Спасибо
Извините
Конечно
Пожалуйста (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Пожалуйста

'Пожалуйста' (pozhaluysta) means please and is also used to say 'you're welcome.'

Question 39: What is the Russian word for 'house' or 'home'?

Дверь
Стол
Дом (Correct answer)
Окно

Correct answer: Дом

'Дом' (dom) means house or home and is related to the Latin 'domus.'

Question 40: How do you say 'zero' in Russian?

Пустой
Ноль / Нуль (Correct answer)
Нет
Один

Correct answer: Ноль / Нуль

Zero in Russian is ноль or нуль; both forms are correct and used interchangeably.

Question 41: Which phrase means 'Good night' in Russian?

Спокойной ночи (Correct answer)
Добрый день
Добрый вечер
До свидания

Correct answer: Спокойной ночи

'Спокойной ночи' (Spokoynoy nochi) means 'Good night' and is used at bedtime.

Question 42: In Russian, what happens to unstressed 'О' in most positions?

It becomes a 'u' sound
It is silent
It remains a full 'o' sound
It reduces to an 'a' sound (akanye) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It reduces to an 'a' sound (akanye)

In standard Russian, unstressed О is reduced to an 'a' sound — a phenomenon called akanye.

Question 43: Which month does 'декабрь' (dekabr) refer to?

October
December (Correct answer)
September
November

Correct answer: December

'Декабрь' (dekabr) is the Russian word for December, the last month of the year.

Question 44: Which Russian vowel, when stressed, sounds like 'yo'?

Ю
Я
Е
Ё (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ё

The letter Ё always sounds like 'yo' and is always stressed when present in a word.

Question 45: What is the Russian word for 'city'?

Город (Correct answer)
Район
Страна
Деревня

Correct answer: Город

'Город' (gorod) means city or town and appears in many Russian city names as a suffix.

Question 46: What would you look for in Russia if you were seeking for a bus?

Metro
Avtobus (Correct answer)
Tramvai
Poezd

Correct answer: Avtobus

Автобус (Avtobus) is the Russian word for 'bus.' If you were looking for public transportation via bus in Russia, you would look for signs or ask for the 'Avtobus'.

Question 47: What does the Russian letter 'Й' (short I) sound like?

Like 'i' in 'bit'
Like 'w' in 'wet'
Like 'y' in 'yes' (Correct answer)
Like 'ee' in 'bee'

Correct answer: Like 'y' in 'yes'

Й (Kratkoe) is a semivowel pronounced like the 'y' in 'yes', often appearing at the end of words like мой (my).

Question 48: How is the letter 'Х' pronounced in Russian?

Like the Scottish 'ch' in 'loch' (Correct answer)
Like English 'h' in 'hot'
Like English 'x' in 'fox'
Like English 'k'

Correct answer: Like the Scottish 'ch' in 'loch'

Russian Х is a voiceless velar fricative, similar to the Scottish 'ch' in 'loch' or German 'ch' in 'Bach'.

Question 49: What is the Russian word for 'money'?

цена
магазин
банк
деньги (Correct answer)

Correct answer: деньги

'Деньги' (dengi) is the Russian word for 'money' and is always used in plural form.

Question 50: What is the name of the Russian soft sign (ь)?

Kratkoe
Yeru
Tvyordy znak
Myagky znak (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Myagky znak

The ь is called 'myagky znak' (мягкий знак), meaning soft sign, and it softens the preceding consonant.

Question 51: Which Russian word means 'street'?

Переулок
Площадь
Улица (Correct answer)
Проспект

Correct answer: Улица

'Улица' (ulitsa) is the standard Russian word for street, seen on road signs throughout Russia.

Question 52: What is a 'самовар' (samovar) and its cultural role?

A traditional wooden sleigh
A type of string folk instrument
A ceremonial drinking vessel for vodka
A decorative metal urn for heating water for tea, central to Russian tea culture (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A decorative metal urn for heating water for tea, central to Russian tea culture

A самовар is a heated metal container used to heat water for tea; it was historically the centerpiece of Russian hospitality and social gatherings.

Question 53: What unique sound does the Russian vowel 'Ы' represent?

Like English 'ee'
A central unrounded vowel with no English equivalent (Correct answer)
Like English 'oo' in 'book'
Like English 'i' in 'it'

Correct answer: A central unrounded vowel with no English equivalent

Ы is a central unrounded vowel that does not exist in English; it is produced with the tongue in a central-back position.

Question 54: Bread is the most consumed food in Russia. How would you purchase it?

Bolnitsa
Bulochnaya (Correct answer)
Promtovary
Igrushechnyi Magazin

Correct answer: Bulochnaya

Булочная (Bulochnaya) is a bakery in Russian, specifically where one would go to purchase bread and other baked goods. Bread is a staple food in Russia, and bakeries are common establishments for its purchase.

Question 55: How do you say 'I want' in Russian?

Я могу
Я знаю
Я люблю
Я хочу (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Я хочу

'Я хочу' (Ya khochu) means I want and uses the verb 'хотеть' (to want).

Question 56: Which of these Russian letters is a vowel?

Э (Correct answer)
Ф
Б
Г

Correct answer: Э

Э (E) is a vowel in Russian, pronounced like the 'e' in 'bed'; the others are consonants.

Question 57: How do you say 'goodbye' in Russian (informal)?

спасибо
здравствуйте
привет
пока (Correct answer)

Correct answer: пока

'Пока' (poka) is the informal way to say 'goodbye' in Russian.

Question 58: How do you say 'Sunday' in Russian?

Воскресенье (Voskresenye) (Correct answer)
Среда (Sreda)
Суббота (Subbota)
Пятница (Pyatnitsa)

Correct answer: Воскресенье (Voskresenye)

'Воскресенье' (Voskresenye) means Sunday in Russian, derived from the word for 'resurrection'.

Question 59: Which Russian vowel letter corresponds to the 'yu' sound?

Я
Ю (Correct answer)
Е
Ё

Correct answer: Ю

Ю (Yu) is pronounced like the 'yu' in 'you' or 'yu' in 'universe'.

Question 60: What is the Russian word for 'book'?

Журнал
Газета
Письмо
Книга (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Книга

'Книга' (kniga) is the Russian word for book, a fundamental everyday vocabulary word.

Question 61: What is the nominative case used for in Russian?

Showing the indirect object
Indicating location
Marking the subject of a sentence (Correct answer)
Indicating possession

Correct answer: Marking the subject of a sentence

The nominative case marks the grammatical subject of a sentence — the person or thing performing the action.

Question 62: Which Russian word means 'water'?

Вода (Correct answer)
Хлеб
Сок
Молоко

Correct answer: Вода

'Вода' (voda) means water in Russian, a basic everyday noun.

Question 63: What does 'красивый' (krasiviy) mean?

strange
ugly
angry
beautiful (Correct answer)

Correct answer: beautiful

'Красивый' means 'beautiful' or 'handsome' in Russian.

Question 64: What does 'время' (vremya) mean in English?

Time (Correct answer)
Place
Money
Weather

Correct answer: Time

'Время' means time and is a neuter noun commonly used in everyday Russian.

Question 65: Which word is the Russian equivalent of 'and'?

Как
И (Correct answer)
Или
Но

Correct answer: И

'И' (i) is the basic Russian conjunction meaning 'and', used to connect words or clauses.

Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL / ТРКИ)

The TORFL (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language) is the official Russian state certification that assesses proficiency across five competencies: vocabulary/grammar, reading, listening, writing, and speaking, aligned to CEFR levels A1–C2.

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90 min

Time Limit

66%

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