Archive for 'language'
Трое в лодке: Collective Numerals in Russian Posted by Maria on Sep 8, 2016
If you look at the Russian translation of Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in A Boat, you may be surprised to read “Трое в лодке, не считая собаки.” Why “трое” and not “три”? In my last post on forms that don’t exist in Russian, I briefly touched upon the category of collective numerals. Since they have…
Other Missing Forms in Russian Posted by Maria on Sep 1, 2016
Last time, were talked about some verb forms that don’t exist in Russian and some ways around these limitations. However, “missing” forms are not limited to verbs. Let us look at three other cases. These examples may not be immediately practical for beginner learners, who are welcome to check out our basic Russian posts. Dream On…
Verb Forms That Don’t Exist in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 29, 2016
Quite naturally, most of the time, we talk about what can be said in Russian on this blog. However, surprisingly, there are also things you cannot say. Here are a few missing verb forms and ways to work around them, where possible. Победить Ask any Russian what you cannot say in Russian, and, chances are, they will…
Expressions with себя in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 15, 2016
You may remember the word себя, oneself. Apart from its independent usage, forms of this word are also used in several handy expressions. Себя Overview Себе is a reflexive pronoun pointing back to the subject of the sentence. The primary meaning of себя is “myself, yourself,” etc., depending on the subject. Он не узнал себя в…
True Colors: Unexpected Hues in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 2, 2016
We have covered basic color vocabulary on this blog before. However, it goes without saying that a direct translation from the learner’s first language into Russian will not work for all nouns. How do you say brown hair, blue eyes, or black horse? If you answered, “коричневые волосы,” “синие глаза,” or “чёрная лошадь,” keep reading…
Food For Thought: Food Idioms in Russian Posted by Maria on Jul 25, 2016
A good number of Russian sayings feature food. Let us take a look at their literal meaning and idiomatic usage. Scroll to the end of the post to test your understanding and fill in the blanks in authentic contexts. Аппетит приходит во время еды Literally, “appetite comes during the meal.” It is used figuratively to…
Five Confusing Phrases of English Origin in Russian Posted by Maria on Jun 29, 2016
We know that English influences many languages, including Russian. Numerous words from the domains of science, technology, commerce, and entertainment are borrowed from English. At the same time, some Russian words have English origins but are used in ways unheard of in English. We already covered business words of English origin whose meaning is different…