Intonation: ИК-1 to ИК-5
The five Russian intonation patterns. ИК-3 carries the whole yes/no question system, since Russian has no inversion or auxiliary verb.
Russian grammar is written in its endings; Russian intonation is written in five numbered patterns, the интонацио́нные констру́кции, ИК-1 to ИК-5. Academic descriptions go up to ИК-7, but the first five are what a learner needs. Getting them wrong is not a cosmetic problem. A question delivered with the wrong melody is heard as a statement, and a statement delivered with a rising tail is heard as surprise, doubt or sarcasm.
ИК-1 is the plain declarative fall. The tone centre — the stressed syllable of the last meaningful word — drops, and anything after it stays low: Э́то мой дом. ИК-2 is the question that already contains a question word. The fall lands hard on the question word itself, and the rest of the sentence runs level and low: Где ты живёшь? Notice that the pitch falls here, it does not rise; a rising 'where do you live?' sounds English, not Russian.
ИК-3 is the yes/no question, and it is the most important intonation you will learn. The tone centre is the stressed syllable of the word actually in doubt, the pitch jumps sharply up on it, and the tail stays level. Ты студе́нт? — the jump is on -де́нт. Э́то ко́фе? — the jump is on ко́-. This one pattern carries the entire Russian yes/no question system, because the language has no auxiliary ('do you'), no inversion ('are you') and no question particle in ordinary speech. If your rise is half-hearted, you will not be understood as asking anything.
ИК-4 is contrast, usually signalled by а: the tone centre falls and then rises. А ты где живёшь? — 'and where do you live?', with the sense of 'as opposed to the person we were just talking about'. ИК-5 is strong feeling — admiration, delight, amazement — and it does the reverse: a rise then a fall, both large. Кака́я краси́вая ко́мната! None of these can be learnt by reading. Say each one aloud, exaggerate the movement, and only then bring it back down to a natural size.
Examples
- Э́то мой дом. This is my house. — ИК-1: a fall on -дом, then low Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Э́то мой дом.
- Где ты живёшь? Where do you live? — ИК-2: a firm fall on the question word Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Где ты живёшь?
- Ты живёшь в Москве́? Do you live in Moscow? — ИК-3: a sharp rise on -кве́ Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Ты живёшь в Москве́?
- Э́то ко́фе? Is this coffee? — ИК-3 again, with the rise on ко́- Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Э́то ко́фе?
- А ты где живёшь? And where do you live? — ИК-4: contrast, a fall then a rise Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: А ты где живёшь?
- Кака́я краси́вая ко́мната! What a beautiful room! — ИК-5: strong feeling, rise then fall Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Кака́я краси́вая ко́мната!