Archive for 'language'
What does здравствуйте & спасибо actually mean in Russian? Posted by josefina on Feb 11, 2008
The two of the most frequently used words in the Russian language, the two words without which it is simply impossible to get around in Russia, even when one isn’t trying to be the least polite, are actually more than just two words. I believe that anyone studying any language at all sooner or later…
Russian Names – Contemporary Frequencies & Old Soviet Rarities Posted by josefina on Jan 2, 2008
After you’ve spent more than two weeks in Russia and made friends with at least a handful of Russians you will, without a doubt, ask yourself: “Is it just me or does this country only have ten given names all in all?” Though it may seem as if everyone you meet is either a Masha…
How to Approach a Russian Posted by josefina on Nov 12, 2007
Господин, товарищ – молодой человек? It’s that old dilemma again – how do you approach a Russian in a courteous and politically correct manner? Saying ‘comrade’ to anyone anywhere after 1992 without feeling a tinge of irony is impossible, and even though the titles used before the October Revolution, such as «господин» [mister] and «госпожа»…