Archive for 'language'
Why, oh Why? [Почему, ах, Зачем?] Posted by josefina on Jan 31, 2009
Да! Yes! Today is the day! Today is the day for the long-awaited post about the difference between «почему» [why] and «зачем» [why; what for]. As you probably notice I’ve taken my time to figure out this, but I think I get it now (наконец-то! [at last, finally]). For a long time I have asked…
Почему изучать русский язык? [or The Best Reasons to Study Russian!] Posted by josefina on Jan 21, 2009
Here are a couple of the best reasons for studying Russian that I found on the web. My best reasons is of course «прочитать «Преступление и наказание» Ф. М. Достоевского в подлиннике» [to read F. M. Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” in the original], which I also did (yes!), but what’s yours? Here are few to…
The Splendor of Russian Proverbs! [Пословицы!] Posted by josefina on Jan 17, 2009
The ‘Word of the Week’ that we’ve had here on this blog for a while now is a very good thing (it proved especially good when that “word” was «Барак Обама»), but what about making some changes in the new year and try ‘Proverb of the Week’ instead? If you really want to get to…
Russian Favorite Word Continued: «Отстой» Posted by josefina on Jan 12, 2009
Never mind the swastika someone painted on this poster (honestly, I didn’t even notice it was there when taking the picture so please forgive me this stupid mistake!) but let’s instead try to focus on two other things present there: 1. “the Soviet poster revived in the 21st century”, and 2. poetry about a bank…
What’s Your Favorite Russian Word? Posted by josefina on Jan 5, 2009
Not very often do we think about what are favorite words are. Not in our native languages, neither in the foreign languages we speak. I didn’t really think much about which Russian word I preferred for a long time. My American classmate here in Yekaterinburg told me a couple of weeks ago that her favorite…
Ничего Себе! [Not Bad! Pretty Good! Pretty Well!] Posted by josefina on Dec 19, 2008
Wrapped up in a thrilling conversation in Russian (this also goes for in Russia) and feeling rather impressed with what someone else has just said, but at a loss for concrete words to express such notions, one does not always know what to say. Of course, you could always make the classical comment of «хорошо!»…
A Russian Facebook: вконтакте.ру Posted by josefina on Dec 2, 2008
When learning a foreign language communication is crucial. Without anyone to talk to while studying a new foreign language your vocabulary, your phrases are all bound to die (as goes for your native language too, when there’s no one around to talk to in it) sooner or later. If left unused, that is! I tell…