Archive for 'language'
Two Ways of Saying “For” in Russian: What’s The Difference Between Для And За? Posted by Maria on Aug 3, 2017
If you look up “for” in a Russian dictionary, you will see at least two options — для and за. I will list some of the most common scenarios where you would use either preposition so you can grasp the difference better. За + accusative Support За expresses someone’s support of a particular cause, candidate…
Doing Business in Russian: Must-Know Terms Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 24, 2017
Following the end of 75 years of socialism in 1991, Russia is still becoming accustomed to Western-style capitalism, both in its institutions and its culture. Russia’s communist past makes some skeptical of its economic potential today, though it’s for exactly this reason that many experts label numerous Russian companies as overlooked and undervalued on the…
Into The Woods: Tree Names in Russian — Part II Posted by Maria on Jun 22, 2017
Last time, we started listing some trees you may come across in Russia. Let us expand that list with five more trees. Ель — Spruce We have seen ель (spruce) before as ёлка (“Christmas” tree put up for New Year’s in Russia). This can also be used as a catch-all name for any needled tree…
Into The Woods: Tree Names in Russian — Part I Posted by Maria on Jun 12, 2017
In my own language-learning endeavo(u)rs, I often find that I have the vocabulary to talk about more abstract subject like governance or culture but don’t know the words for objects in the physical world. If you have that problem, too, you may want to look at our posts about fruit and vegetables, planets, and birds…
Penny For Your Thoughts: Words With ‑мысл‑ In Russian Posted by Maria on May 18, 2017
Have you read our previous articles about word families yet? Learners may find it useful to see how words with the same root express different meanings depending on prefixes and suffixes. This time, we will look at words with the мысл/мышл root, all having to do with thinking and intention. Мысль Мысль is the word for…
Do You Know The Old Meaning of These 5 Russian Words? Posted by Maria on May 11, 2017
Because modern Russian (современный русский язык) only emerged as recently as the 19th century, a lot of what’s considered Russian literary canon is easily understood by Russian speakers today. However, there are a few words that have changed their meaning over the last centuries. Do you know the old meaning of the following words? Живот Живот…
Can You Name 10 More Birds in Russian? Posted by Maria on Apr 20, 2017
How did you do with our ten-bird challenge last week? Can you name ten additional birds? Here is a list to help you expand your ornithological vocabulary. 1. Сорока Сорока is a magpie. These birds have a reputation for liking and stealing shiny objects, although this perception has been debunked. There is a popular interactive…