Signification
to initiate a talk.
Contexte culturel
In Russia, starting a conversation with a stranger on public transport is less common than in the US. However, if you 'заведете разговор' about a shared struggle (like a late bus), people will often open up quickly. In Russian business, 'завести разговор' about personal topics (family, hobbies) is often a prerequisite to building 'doverie' (trust) before signing contracts. Classic Russian literature (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy) often uses this phrase to signal a turning point in a scene where a character reveals a secret. Younger Russians use 'завести разговор' less formally, often replacing it with 'начать чатиться' in digital contexts, but the original phrase remains the standard for face-to-face meetings.
Use the Past Tense
Native speakers most often use this in the past tense ('завёл') when telling stories. Practice saying 'Он завёл разговор' until it feels like one word.
Watch the 'ё'
Remember that 'завел' is written with 'е' but pronounced 'завёл'. Don't say 'za-vel'.
Signification
to initiate a talk.
Use the Past Tense
Native speakers most often use this in the past tense ('завёл') when telling stories. Practice saying 'Он завёл разговор' until it feels like one word.
Watch the 'ё'
Remember that 'завел' is written with 'е' but pronounced 'завёл'. Don't say 'za-vel'.
The 'O' Preposition
Always follow 'завести разговор' with 'о' (about) to sound professional. It shows you have a specific purpose.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'завести'.
Вчера на конференции я _______ разговор с известным ученым.
The subject 'я' (masculine assumed or neutral) in the past tense requires 'завел'.
Choose the correct preposition for the topic of conversation.
Она хотела завести разговор ____ новой работе.
The preposition 'о' is used with the Prepositional case to indicate the topic.
Match the Russian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are common collocations with 'завести' and 'разговор'.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural phrase.
— Почему ты молчишь? — Я не знаю, как _________.
'Завести разговор' is the most idiomatic way to express the difficulty of starting a chat.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesВчера на конференции я _______ разговор с известным ученым.
The subject 'я' (masculine assumed or neutral) in the past tense requires 'завел'.
Она хотела завести разговор ____ новой работе.
The preposition 'о' is used with the Prepositional case to indicate the topic.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are common collocations with 'завести' and 'разговор'.
— Почему ты молчишь? — Я не знаю, как _________.
'Завести разговор' is the most idiomatic way to express the difficulty of starting a chat.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
5 questionsTechnically yes, but it sounds humorous. It implies your cat might talk back!
'Завести' is about starting the engine; 'завязать' is about tying a knot (creating a connection). Both are common.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Yes, 'беседа' is a slightly more formal/literary word for conversation. It sounds very elegant.
You can say: 'Я плохо умею заводить разговор' or 'Мне трудно заводить разговор'.
Expressions liées
завязать разговор
similarto strike up/tie a conversation
поддержать разговор
builds onto keep a conversation going
сменить тему
contrastto change the subject
разговориться
builds onto start talking a lot/become talkative
заговорить зубы
specialized formto distract someone with talk
