Archive for 'language'
Шестеро на диване, or What would you do to win a brand new couch? Posted by ryan on Jun 30, 2022
I recently stumbled across an article on Афиша.ру, a popular Russian website, with the following headline: В Бе́лгороде провели́ соревнова́ние по са́мому до́лгому сиде́нию на дива́не The headline was intriguing because, well, it makes you ask, заче́м? The tough конкурс contest began on June 24 and lasted 4 days, finishing on June 28. From this…
Russian hocus-pocus Posted by bota on Jun 24, 2022
This title is just one of the combinations I used trying to search for the name of the super-duper fascinating language thing we are about to discuss. Would you like to guess what it is? An itsy-bitsy guess? I cannot give you another clue, but I will say this: googling ‘Russian hanky-panky’ will NOT take…
Monasteries, eyeliner, and poverty Posted by bota on May 18, 2022
Today is a deep dive into one Russian verb. Recently one of my students and I were casually talking about ways to express in English that you “подвёл кого–то” (as in ‘to let someone down’) when it dawned on me that I don’t know why we use “подводить” in that sense in Russian. What I…
A very polite hedgehog Posted by bota on Apr 19, 2022
If you are новичок, this blog is for you. If you are an advanced student or a native Russian speaker, this blog is also for you. How? Simple. The answer is ёжик. Или точнее, очень вежливый ёжик. As Russians like to say “Повторение — мать учения“.. For those of you new to Russian language, use…
Some Russian riddles to celebrate spring Posted by ryan on Apr 15, 2022
Spring is finally here. After a long and snowy winter, seeing some цветы́ is a great relief, even if it is still a bit too cold and wet to actually enjoy being outside for a long period of time. However, the sad, gray landscape during this time starts to be dotted by tiny hints of…
Russian malaphors? Posted by bota on Mar 28, 2022
I have recently came across English malaphors – unique and often hilarious mix of idioms, aphorisms, or clichés. The one I saw was “Let’s burn that bridge when we get to it”. It is остроумно, and, as my mom noted, a poster that belongs in a divorce lawyer’s office. Of course, having chuckled at a…
Cat Stepan is safe Posted by bota on Mar 18, 2022
Even if you did not know who cat Stepan is before this blog, я уверена вы не останетесь равнодушным к этому полюбившемуся по всему миру котику из Украины. Here’s a little fanmade Youtube compilation of some of Stepan’s videos, in case you have missed them: Grammar note: “я уверена вы не останетесь равнодушным к этому…