English has one “you.” Russian splits social distance into вы (formal or plural) and ты (informal singular), and the choice is part of politeness, not optional grammar decoration. Get the default right before you worry about perfect case endings: How hard is Russian.
Where is вы the safe default?
Use вы with MVD and MFC staff, police, landlords, building managers, doctors, pharmacy clerks, and most service counters. Written forms and emails to unknown recipients also stay on вы: Bureaucracy without Russian and Russian at the clinic.
In traditional workplaces such as banks, manufacturing offices, law firms, and older retail, вы is the opening move with managers, clients, and new colleagues. Patronymics (отчество) often travel with that formality when people introduce themselves fully: Russian for work.
When does ты take over?
Friends, classmates, sports partners, and many start-up or creative teams move to ты quickly once trust exists. Children are normally addressed with ты. In Moscow and St Petersburg international offices, English first-name culture can blur the line, yet Russian speech with the same colleagues may still open on вы until someone offers ты.
Wait for a clear invitation such as “давай на ты” rather than guessing from a friendly smile. If you are unsure, stay on вы; people will usually signal when to relax. Language classes and tutors should drill both forms so you do not freeze at the counter: Learn Russian in Russia.
Common misconceptions
Moscow café friendliness is not a nationwide free pass to ты. Another misconception is that English first names erase Russian formality when you switch languages mid-conversation. The better test is whether the Russian half of the chat still uses вы until an offer arrives: English in Russia and Making friends.
Summary
Default to вы with officials, doctors, landlords, and new work contacts, then accept ты only when it is clearly offered. Politeness here is social distance, not stiff grammar for its own sake.
Sources
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