Archive for 'language'
Can You Name 10 Birds in Russian? Posted by Maria on Apr 12, 2017
One of the areas where have struggled to build up my second-language vocabulary has been wildlife. Perhaps because there are so many different plants and animals and because city dwellers only ever encounter a fraction of them, words for flora and fauna tend to fall by the wayside. Let us correct that deficiency by looking…
Open and Closed: Verbs With -крыть in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 27, 2017
Открыть (to open) is one of the first Russian verbs we learn. In fact, its conjugation was covered extensively on this blog. There are many related verbs with the -кры- root whose meaning has to do with opening or closing something. I will be listing the imperfective and perfective form for each verb. Открывать/открыть The…
A Sight to Behold: “Vision” Words with ‑з(о)р‑ in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 20, 2017
Many readers have commented they enjoy learning related words in “families.” Today, we will look at a group of words with the root -зр-/-зор-, all having to do with seeing. Зрение — Vision The most basic word in this family is зрение (vision, eyesight). This refers to the physiological ability to perceive things with your…
Believe It Or Not: Верить And Related Words in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 15, 2017
Верить (to believe) and other related words cover various concepts having to do with confidence, reliability, and loyalty in Russian. Let us look at seven of these concepts. Верить The most basic word is верить (to believe). There are two ways you can use it: верить + в + accusative case — to believe in something/someone верить…
Add Emotion to Your Russian: Emphatic Particles (Part II) Posted by Maria on Mar 2, 2017
Last time, we looked at three particles used for emphasis in Russian. These particles convey the speaker’s attitude and make your speech and writing much more lively. Let us look at a couple of other particles. Ведь Ведь is used to reinforce a viewpoint or to show that, although it contradicts previously presented information, it…
Add Emotion to Your Russian: Emphatic Particles (Part I) Posted by Maria on Feb 22, 2017
Whenever I read English translations of Russian literature, they strike me as rather matter-of-fact. This may be because Russian often not only describes reality but also expresses the author’s attitude towards it. One way of doing that is through particles (частицы). Take a look at this excerpt from the story “Записки на чинаровых листьях” (“Notes…
Should I Always Say Комната For “Room” In Russian? Posted by Maria on Feb 8, 2017
What do you say every time you need to name a typically rectangular closed-off space with a door and usually four walls? If you said “комната” (room), that is only part of the answer. Let us look the various ways of referring to different rooms in Russian. Комната — Room in a House The primary…