Archive for November, 2013
Is This the Most Popular Russian Song Ever? Posted by yelena on Nov 29, 2013
Here’s a trivia question for you. What Russian song has been translated into at least 15 languages with the English-language version getting to #1 spot in the UK Singles Chart? What is this song that has been covered by such artists as Bing Crosby and Dolly Parton and its melody was sampled by 50Cent? Of…
TGIF and a Weekend Grammar Conundrum Posted by yelena on Nov 22, 2013
СБУП… What the heck is this? It sounds horrible! Ok, ok, let’s try the full version – слава Богу, уже пятница! (Thank God, it’s Friday!) Somehow coming up with a good-sounding Russian acronym is really hard. Anyway, it is Friday which means завтра – выходной (tomorrow is a day off) for many of us. What…
10 Must-Know Russian Phrases for Dating a Russian Posted by yelena on Nov 20, 2013
Years ago, when I was single, my first dates tended to be fairly predictable. A guy would ask me where I was from always remarking that he was curious because of my “lovely accent”. When I would reply that I was from Russia, he would say: “Wow, this is cool! I’m trying to learn Russian…
Sing, Dance and Get Lucky Posted by yelena on Nov 15, 2013
Have you watched it yet? If not, do so now because a) am I to suffer from this ear worm all by myself?! b) it’s time to forget тверкинг and c) it’s now a viral sensation. Lots of great vocabulary today thanks to the YouTube clip of Russian “police” singing Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”. Almost…
Fall Weather, Foul Weather Posted by yelena on Nov 13, 2013
The next couple of days in Moscow are expected to be пасмурные (overcast) and холодные (cold). Синоптики (meteorologists) say there might be a chance of снег (snow). But the experience has taught us that метеорология (meteorology) is not exactly точная наука (an exact science). On the other hand, the gloomier the forecast, the more chances that…
100 Must-Know Russian Words and How to Learn Them Posted by yelena on Nov 8, 2013
Russian is one of the more difficult major languages to learn because of its crazy grammar (from the point of view of a native speaker of English). But grammar is only one piece of the puzzle. Another one is developing a good словарный запас (vocabulary) which means memorizing lots and lots of Russian words…
Russian Rebus Rules Posted by yelena on Nov 4, 2013
Have you ever tried solving a Russian crossword puzzle? How about “Найдите слово” (Find a word) challenge? Don’t feel bad if you haven’t. Crosswords are tough and “find-a-word”s can be downright boring. So, ditch those and try your hand at something way more fun instead. And what can be more fun than a ребус (rebus…