Learning Russian.. Is it easier to learn it with a Romanized alphabet?

Question

Would it be easier to learn Russian with the Cyrillic alphabet or with a Romanized alphabet. I've seen books with both styles

Answer 1

Learn the Cyrillic alphabet. It's really not that hard, and once you get it down (I learned in two days) you can read ACTUAL Russian. If you use a book with a Latin alphabet, you might learn to speak, but you wouldn't even be able to read a simple sign saying "restroom" or "train station" or whatever.

Besides, the Cyrillic alphabet will make it easier to learn pronunciation - the Latinization is always just an approximation, since some Cyrillic letters have no equivalent in English.

Answer 2

If you are just trying to learn basic vocabulary, such as things in your home, the Latin alphabet is fine. However, if you are trying to seriously learn Russian, it's best to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. It's really not difficult to learn the alphabet, and, once you know it, even a little, you'll find it's easier to read Russian words in Cyrillic, particularly those words which have letters which are not found in the Latin alphabet.

For example:
жещина (zhenshchina)
муж (muzh)
хорошо (khorosho)

Answer 3

You mean Latin alphabet?

The Cyrillic alphabet is extremely easy to learn. I learned it in one night. Obviously, it won't become as proficient as the Latin alphabet right away, but it is VERY easy to learn. And, once you've learned Cyrillic and can pronounce things correctly, you already know the "Romanized" version of Russian because it's just phonetic! Another reason to learn it is because if you go to Russia, you won't see a bunch of signs with the Latin alphabet.

Good luck :)

Answer 4

That answer is right on.
The Cyrillic Alphabet is NOT difficult to learn.
It is absolutely worthwhile to learn it if you are serious about Russian