To ask questions about family in Russian, you need to learn some family words and how to put your questions together. Here’s an easy guide to help you get started.

Key Vocabulary

First, let’s look at some basic family words:

• мама (mama) - mother
• папа (papa) - father
• брат (brat) - brother
• сестра (sistra) - sister
• дедушка (dedushka) - grandfather
• бабушка (babushka) - grandmother
• дядя (dyadya) - uncle
• тётя (tyotya) - aunt
• друг (drug) - friend

How to Ask Questions

In Russian, there are some simple ways to ask questions. Here’s how to do it using family words.

1. Yes/No Questions

For questions that you can answer with "yes" or "no," change your voice a little at the end. Here are some examples:

• Моя мама дома?
  (Is my mom at home?)

• У тебя есть брат?
  (Do you have a brother?)

2. Questions with Question Words

If you want to ask for specific details, use question words. Here are some key ones along with examples:

• Кто? (Who?)

  • Кто твой брат?
    (Who is your brother?)

• Что? (What?)

  • Что твоя сестра делает?
    (What is your sister doing?)

• Где? (Where?)

  • Где мой папа?
    (Where is my dad?)

• Когда? (When?)

  • Когда у тебя день рождения?
    (When is your birthday?)

3. Open-Ended Questions

For questions that need more than just a "yes" or "no," start with a question word. Here are some examples:

• Как зовут твоего друга?
  (What is your friend's name?)

• Почему твоя мама не работает?
  (Why doesn't your mom work?)

Practice Questions

Now it’s your turn to make some questions using the words and ideas we talked about. Here are some sentence starters to help you out:

1. Кто ___? (Who ___?)
2. Что ___? (What ___?)
3. Где ___? (Where ___?)
4. Почему ___? (Why ___?)

Summary

To ask questions about family in Russian, remember to use the right words and question types. Change your voice for yes or no questions, and get to know those important question words. The more you practice, the easier it will get to ask questions!