Quick answer
И́мя (first name), о́тчество (patronymic, from the father), фами́лия (surname). Formal address is first name + patronymic: Ива́н Петро́вич.
How the patronymic is built
| Father | Son | Daughter |
|---|---|---|
| Пётр | Петро́вич | Петро́вна |
| Ива́н | Ива́нович | Ива́новна |
| Серге́й | Серге́евич | Серге́евна |
So Мари́я Ива́новна is Maria, daughter of Ivan. Teachers, doctors and older colleagues are addressed this way — never by the surname.
Short forms and what they hide
| Full name | Short | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Алекса́ндр / Алекса́ндра | Са́ша | unisex |
| Евге́ний / Евге́ния | Же́ня | unisex |
| Дми́трий | Ди́ма | |
| Екатери́на | Ка́тя | |
| Михаи́л | Ми́ша |
Surnames change with gender
Most surnames add -а for women: Ивано́в → Ивано́ва, Петро́вский → Петро́вская. Surnames ending in -ко or -их do not change at all.
How to address people
Colleague your age: first name and ты once offered. Someone older, a teacher, an official: first name + patronymic and вы. Surname alone is for paperwork, not for speaking to people.
Typical mistakes
Госпо́дин Ивано́в as an everyday address
Ива́н Петро́вич
Mr + surname is rare and bureaucratic in Russian.
Мари́я Ивано́в
Мари́я Ивано́ва
Women’s surnames take -а.
Check yourself
How do you politely address a female teacher named Мари́я, daughter of Ива́н?