1. Размер: маленький, средний, большой — adjective agreement
The barista asks Masha:
Маленький, средний, большой?
These three adjectives describe the size of the coffee cup (стакан — masculine). They agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Here they are in the nominative masculine form.
Masha replies: Я буду большой.
“I’ll have a large one.” — the noun (кофе/стакан) is omitted because it is understood from context. This is very common in café and restaurant Russian: you name the adjective without repeating the noun.
Я буду большой раф. — I’ll have a large raf.
Я буду борщ и котлету. — I’ll have borsch and a cutlet.
2. Сделайте с собой — imperatives and “to go”
Masha asks for her coffee to go:
Сделайте, пожалуйста, с собой.
“Please make it to go.”
The construction с собой (literally “with oneself”) is the standard Russian phrase for “to go / takeaway.” It is used in all cafés and coffee shops.
Сделайте is the polite imperative (вы form) of сделать — “make / do.” In service situations, the вы imperative is the norm.
| Infinitive | Polite imperative (вы) | English |
|---|---|---|
| сделать | сде́лайте | make / do (please) |
| подождать | подожди́те | please wait |
| попробовать | попро́буйте | please try |
| приложить | приложите | please tap (your card) |
3. Оплата картой или наличными — instrumental case for means
The barista asks:
Оплата картой или наличными?
“Payment by card or cash?”
Both картой and наличными are in the instrumental case. In Russian, the means or instrument by which something is done takes the instrumental case.
| Nominative | Instrumental | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ка́рта | ка́ртой | by card |
| нали́чные | нали́чными | in cash |
| ру́чка | ру́чкой | with a pen |
| ло́жка | ло́жкой | with a spoon |
Masha pays cash: Маша оплатила наличными.
4. Оплата не прошла — impersonal constructions with не
When the card payment fails:
Извините, оплата не прошла.
“Sorry, the payment didn’t go through.”
And after the second attempt:
Ничего не получается.
“Nothing works / it’s not working.”
Не прошла — past tense of пройти (to pass / to go through). Used for payments, transactions, and processes that either succeed or fail.
Не получается — impersonal: “it doesn’t work out / it’s not happening.” The subject is nobody — it simply isn’t working.
У меня не получается. — I can’t manage it. / It’s not working for me.