Archive for October, 2016
Five Easy Parts of Learning Russian — Part I Posted by Maria on Oct 31, 2016
This is part one of this post. Make sure you read part two when it comes out. Russian has the reputation of a hard-to-learn language. The Foreign Service Institute has placed Russian into category 4 out of 5 for how long it takes native English speakers to learn it. A different alphabet, noun declensions, verb…
Stop And Go: Russian Verbs For Taking About Processes Posted by Maria on Oct 25, 2016
It may sometimes be useful to talk about the phases of a process — beginning, interrupting, picking up, and finishing actions. Below are some verbs that will help you express these temporal notions. Начать Начинать (imperfective)/начать (perfective) means to begin. It can be followed by an infinite or by a noun in the accusative case…
Radio Shows Where Russians Talk About Russian Posted by Maria on Oct 20, 2016
I am sure many of our readers would enjoy listening to shows dedicated to the Russian language. I have listed a few program(me)s that touch upon the challenges in the language that even native or advanced speakers struggle with. “Говорим по-русски. Передача-игра” (Эхо Москвы) This is a show about the Russian language on the “Эхо Москвы”…
What’s Physical Comfort for Russians? Posted by Maria on Oct 18, 2016
Many visitors are surprised to find life in Russia, especially in large urban centers, closer to a developed country than they expected. At the same time, some fixtures they are used to may be missing. Conversely, there are some things that Russian are used to having and will likely feel uncomfortable without, no matter how…
Does Russian Sound Different in European Russia and the Far East? Posted by Maria on Oct 13, 2016
Very often I hear people say that, Russia being so large, there must be distinct regional accents. A person from Moscow surely speaks differently than someone from Novosibirsk. However, in the case of Russia we find that the variation is not nearly as drastic as one would expect. As explained in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, “The degree…
Agree To Disagree: Expressing Opinions in Russian Posted by Maria on Oct 10, 2016
So you have looked at some basic phrases and know how to introduce yourself and ask how the other person is doing. Exchanging pleasantries may get old pretty quickly, so let’s learn to exchange opinions. Below are some phrases that will help you express your views on a variety of subjects. Я думаю This is…
Not In My Back Yard: Describing Russian Community Spaces Posted by Maria on Oct 3, 2016
Since Russian cities are often laid out differently from those in Western Europe, North America and elsewhere, the labels applied to various parts of the city may be specific to the Russian language and lack exact equivalents in other languages. The situation may be similar in other countries that use the Russian language. Подъезд The…