Archive by Author
Sewing in Russian Posted by Maria on Sep 10, 2015
Perhaps some of our readers like to make their own clothes. If that’s the case, let’s review some of the basic sewing vocabulary to help you talk about your craft in Russian. Although sewing (шитьё, to sew – шить) is in the title of the post, other methods of making clothes include вяза́ть (на спи́цах) and вязать крючко́м…
Basic Russian: Uses of Что Posted by Maria on Aug 31, 2015
We have been asked by one of our readers to explain the uses of что. This seemingly simple word has several applications. We will go over the most common uses of this word. Forms The primary meaning of что is “what.” Dictionaries will tell you that it is technically a местоименное существительное, a “pronominal noun.”…
Expand Your Vocabulary: Verbs With Prefixes – Играть Posted by Maria on Aug 27, 2015
A couple of weeks ago, we looked at combining prefixes and verb roots to expand your Russian vocabulary. One of the verbs that I was asked to cover was игра́ть. This is an excellent suggestion for a versatile and useful verb to have in your arsenal. The primary meaning of играть is, as you…
It’s All Greek to Me: Greek References in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 24, 2015
Although words of Greek origin may not strike you as something you need to know in Russian, they come up in conversation with surprising frequency. Apart from the numerous Greek loanwords in the area of arts and sciences, there are many Greek references that have entered the Russian lexicon. People First of all, Greek mythology…
Navigating Libraries in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 17, 2015
The goal of this post is two-fold — it should both help visitors to Russia use a Russian library and librarians outside Russia speak with Russian patrons. It will concentrate on some key vocabulary, although it is not a substitute for a beginner Russian class if you want to have a coherent conversation with…
Expand Your Vocabulary: Verbs With Prefixes – Брать Posted by Maria on Aug 13, 2015
One way to learn more verbs in Russian is to take a common verb you already know and look up its derivatives with the most common Russian prefixes. Here are some of the most widespread Russian verbal prefixes. These are only some of the meanings, and they do not cover everything. However, you can…
Rock It In Russian: The Many Uses of Качать Posted by Maria on Aug 6, 2015
Today we will talk about the oft-overlooked word кача́ть. From its literal meaning of rocking to its uses in exercise and networking, качать is a useful word to have in your arsenal! Don’t Rock the Boat! The first and primary meaning of качать is to rock something back and forth, for example, качать ребёнка…