Quick answer
У у = oo as in “boot”. It is also a word on its own: у + genitive means “at” or “by”, as in у меня́.
Уу
Уу
u
у́троmorning
How to say it
Round your lips more than you would in English — Russian у is tighter than the oo in “boot”.
у́троmorning
рука́hand
му́зыкаmusic
у меня́I have
другfriend
зу́быteeth
The preposition у
One letter, and it carries possession: у меня́ есть (I have), у врача́ (at the doctor’s), у окна́ (by the window). It always takes the genitive.
Unstressed у stays у
Unlike о and е, у barely reduces. An unstressed у still sounds like a shortened oo — one less thing to worry about.
Typical mistakes
Reading У as an English y
“oo”
One of the seven false friends of the alphabet.
у меня́ есть with у + accusative
у + genitive
The preposition у always takes the genitive.
Check yourself
Which word contains У?
у́тро — morning.