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Current Events: Changes to the Russian Constitution Posted by Maria on Feb 6, 2020
If you follow Russian news, you may know that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has suggested changing the Russian constitution. Read on to learn what happened, how you can describe it in Russian, and what the reasons for it might be. Background The current Russian constitution (конститу́ция) was adopted in 1993, after proclamations of independence…
Should You Use Также Or Тоже in Russian? Posted by Maria on Jan 23, 2020
One of the questions that came up in the comments was the distinction between то́же and та́кже in Russian. Both expressions can mean “also,” but they are not always interchangeable. This post will look at some common scenarios where you might use these phrases. Та́кже а та́кже — as well as This usage is pretty…
Prepositions of Direction in Russian Posted by Maria on Jan 16, 2020
This post will talk about Russian prepositions that are used for talking about motion in Russian. Let’s look at some common cases. От От means “from” but this translation alone may not be helpful because из can mean “from,” too. От is used in the following cases: sender or source of information Мы узна́ли о…
Asking Questions in Russian with Ли Posted by Maria on Jan 9, 2020
Did you know Russian had a particle for asking questions? Furthermore, that same word can be used as a conjunction in dependent clauses and reported speech! Let’s talk about the main uses of ли. Yes or No Questions Ли can be used in yes or no questions. As you may remember, Russian does not use…
Top 5 Russian Blog Posts of 2019 Posted by Maria on Dec 30, 2019
I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas or other holidays in December had a great time with their loved ones. As we near the end of 2019, I would like to look back and share our top five most popular posts. Back in the USSR? The first post talks about a survey that discovered that many…
Top 10 Russian Verbs — Part II Posted by Maria on Dec 24, 2019
We are continuing our list of the most common verbs in Russian. Make sure you read Part I, too! 6. Cтать — to become, to start Стать is a perfective verb and refers to the result of becoming something or someone. Think of the game “Кто хочет стать миллионером?” (literal translation, “Who wants to become…
Top 10 Russian Verbs — Part I Posted by Maria on Dec 16, 2019
If you find yourself struggling to come up with the right verb, you may want to learn the conjugation of the most common Russian verbs. They come up frequently in conversation, so being able to recognize and use them will help you with your fluency. 1. Быть – to be Present tense For all intents…