Talking about clothes and shopping
Russian distinguishes between PUTTING ON and WEARING — they're different verbs. The instrumental case shows up in shopping ('paying with rubles'). And there's a polite, deferential tone for store conversations.
Wearing vs putting on
- носить (impf) = to wear (regularly). Я ношу синие брюки. = I wear blue pants. - надевать / надеть = to put on. Я надеваю шапку. = I'm putting on a hat. - снимать / снять = to take off. Сними пальто. = Take off the coat. Don't confuse носить (wear regularly) with идти/ходить (go) — they happen to share some forms in some tenses, so context tells them apart.
Asking the price
- Сколько стоит? = How much does it cost? (singular) - Сколько стоят? = How much do they cost? (plural) - Это стоит сто рублей. = This costs 100 rubles. - Это дорого. / Это дёшево. = It's expensive / cheap.
Sizes and fit
- размер = size. Какой ваш размер? = What's your size? - большой / маленький = big / small. - идёт + dative = suits someone. Тебе идёт это пальто. = This coat suits you (lit. 'goes to you').
Common shop phrases
- Можно посмотреть? = Can I take a look? - Покажите, пожалуйста… = Please show me… - Я возьму это. = I'll take this. - У вас есть что-нибудь дешевле? = Do you have anything cheaper?
