Practice with native speakers
Free Russian speaking practice with native speakers
Learning Russian? On Halfsies you meet a native Russian speaker who is learning your language: 30 minutes in Russian, then 30 minutes helping them with yours. Free, live and by video.
Why a native speaker
You can learn cases and verb aspects from tables, but stress, intonation and everyday shortcuts only come from conversation. A native speaker corrects you, suggests the natural word instead of the bookish one and shows you how people actually say it.
How a conversation goes
Press “Find a partner” and the site matches you with someone who speaks the language you want and is learning yours. The first half is 30 minutes in one language, the second in the other. You share one timer, and the language switches at the chime. Words you ask about stay in your notebook.
Tips for practising Russian
Ask for stress marks
Stress in Russian can fall on any syllable and changes the meaning: за́мок (castle) and замо́к (lock). Ask your partner to mark the stress in the words they type for you.
Don’t worry about cases
Native speakers almost always understand what you mean. Keep talking; your partner will fix the endings.
Ты or вы
People of a similar age chatting informally usually switch to ты. You can ask: «Давай на ты?» — “Shall we use ты?”
Ask for everyday words
«Норм», «давай», «ну» — real speech is full of words textbooks skip. Save them to your notebook.
Common questions
What level of Russian do I need?
A basic level is enough. Set your level honestly — your partner sees it on your card and will keep things simple.
Is it really free?
Yes. You pay with time: for half the conversation you help your partner with your language.
Do I have to turn on my camera?
No, you can talk by voice only. In the search, say that such partners are fine with you too.
What if nobody is online?
Halfsies has only just opened, so there aren’t many people yet. Sign up and add your languages, and we can notify you when a native speaker comes online. With partners you liked, you can also agree on a time in the calendar.