Archive for July, 2010
You say it best when you say «ничего» [nothing] at all Posted by josefina on Jul 30, 2010
Let’s put an end to this kind of boring (and pointless and not to mention plainly weird) conversations frequently used in textbooks on Russian language! Wouldn’t it be much more fun if the policeman had said: «Ну что это?» [Well what is this?] and John at that had answered: «Я вообще не понимаю. Я типо…
5000 Words or Mission Impossible Posted by yelena on Jul 27, 2010
Do you remember Josefina’s post about all the English words that are widely used in Russia? I hope you read the comments as well because Neil, Colin, Steve, saint and Svetlana all provided more great examples and insights into these “lazy” words. I’m in NY now, «в гостях у моих родителей» [visiting my parents]…
Reading «Мастер и Маргарита»: Chapter 8 Posted by josefina on Jul 26, 2010
«Давайте принесём Булгакова на пляж!» [Let’s bring Bulgakov to the beach!] Russians – like most people that live in geographical regions where the longest season of the year is «зима» [winter] – can’t afford «пренебрегать летом: солнцем и теплом» [impfv. to neglect (also: to scorn; disdain; disregard; ignore) the summer: the sun and the warmth]…
Russian Politics 101 Posted by yelena on Jul 22, 2010
Our next guest blogger, Natalie, is a university student studying history and the Russian language. She writes the blog birdbrain and can be found on Twitter at @natalie_. Her interest in the Russian language was sparked by Russian history and a Russian course at university and she’s been hooked ever since. When learning about a…
Reading «Мастер и Маргарита»: Chapter 7 Posted by yelena on Jul 19, 2010
Have you ever been hung over after an especially rowdy night of partying? If yes then you can probably relate especially well to the opening of the Chapter 7 of M&M, «Нехорошая квартира» [The Evil Apartment]. After all, poor «Стёпа Лиходеев» [Styopa Likhodeyev] suffered through a horrible «похмелье» [hangover] all through this short chapter. Another…
Word of the Week: «Жара!» [Heat!] Posted by josefina on Jul 18, 2010
In Russia you’ll only find «такая пустая улица» [such an empty street] in the city «летом» [(instrumental case: when?) in the summer] when «жара» [the heat] has driven all citizens either «на дачу» [(accusative case: direction) to the dacha] or – as one can read about in this article – «в подвал» [into the basement]…
There Is More to Sundress Posted by yelena on Jul 13, 2010
Time flies and it’s already mid-July. Can you smell the winter frost in the air? With the thermometer stubbornly in the 90ies (Fahrenheit), I personally can’t. And yet, while the summer is in full swing, there are many signs pointing to the approaching winter. I have at least 3 of these signs in my own…