Archive for 'language'
How to Say Thank You in Russian Posted by yelena on Nov 24, 2011
This old song is called “I am Grateful to You”. It is interesting how the more formal way of saying “thank you” is combined with the solemn music. Today is «День Благодарения» [Thanksgiving Day] in the US. «Вы празднуете?» [Are you celebrating?] Once «индейка съедена» [the turkey is eaten], «гости разъехались» [the guests left], and…
Let’s Learn the Learning Verbs Posted by Natalie on Nov 22, 2011
Well, I think it’s finally autumn. For a while, the weather was quite warm, but recently, whenever I walk outside, «мне холодно» [I am cold]. This means I have to wear my «пальто, сапоги, и шапка» [coat, boots, and hat]. And I try not to forget «перчатки» [gloves] either! In the photo: birches near Novosibirsk…
Traffic, Road Rage and Other Useful Driving Words Posted by yelena on Nov 21, 2011
Stuck in traffic on I-95 a couple of days ago, I thought of a post full of Russian words that can be used «по будням и праздникам» [workdays and holidays]. First, I have a confession to make – as «водитель» [a driver], I am in the category that subscribes to the philosophy of «тише едешь…
This Russian Grammar Round-Up Will Make Your Head Spin Posted by yelena on Nov 15, 2011
If you are looking for entertaining and helpful takes on some of the stickier problems of Russian grammar, then this post is for you. NOTE: not all the posts mentioned below were written by me. In fact, I wrote just a tiny portion of them. So if you leave comments on those posts (with links…
Playing Surgery Posted by yelena on Nov 8, 2011
A couple of days ago I went on a tour of «операционные залы» [surgery rooms] at a local hospital. It was absolutely fascinating, mostly because I remember nothing of my own first-hand experience of being «на операционном столе» [on an operating table] when I had a surgery. Which, I guess, is really a good thing…
Chemistry for Muggles – Part 3 Posted by yelena on Nov 7, 2011
This is the long-awaited third part of the Chemistry for Muggles by our guest blogger, Rob. Throughout Part 1 and Part 2, I’ve referred back to the «периодическая таблица химических элементов Менделеева» [Mendeleev’s periodic table of the chemical elements]. Mendeleev’s most important brainstorm was that elements with similar properties could be grouped into vertical columns…
Chemistry For Muggles – Part 2 Posted by yelena on Nov 4, 2011
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember the first part of Rob’s “Chemistry for Muggles” post. Well, this is the second part of it, as promised. And yes, there will be a third and final part appearing early next week. This post covers both some technical terms and some excellent…