Archive for 'Russian for beginners'
Ten Little Words – Part 1 Posted by yelena on Sep 15, 2011
Do you remember David Roberts of the “Million Scarlet Roses” post? He’s back with more and I mean lots more insight into Russian language. And don’t be fooled by the title of the post. You will learn way more than 10 little words. And that’s just in Part 1. So here it goes… Grammatical gender…
Confused About Russian Pronouns? Posted by yelena on Sep 13, 2011
Is Russian grammar confusing? You bet! Just check out this photo I snapped at a Russian store in New Jersey. Do you ever get frustrated with Russian grammar rules? Are you tired of declension tables, unpredictable word stress and having to memorize endless exceptions from the rules? Well, I am not about to offer a…
From Earthquake to Hurricane in One Week Posted by yelena on Aug 29, 2011
First things first. It is time to announce «победители» [winners] of the giveaway. Yes, it is not a typo. I do have «два победителя» [two winners]. That was the last secret of the secret giveaway. The winners are Delia and Michael Thompson. «Поздравляю!» [Congratulations]. You will be receiving e-mails from Transparent Language with further details…
When Russians Get Busy, They Say… Posted by yelena on Aug 5, 2011
On my «личный» [personal] blog I frequently start new posts with «извинение» [an apology]. It goes something like this: “Well, it’s been a while since my last post, but things have been crazy-busy here”. Until very recently I didn’t think much of the “crazy-busy” phrase, but how would I say something like that in Russian?…
How to Say “Default” in Russian Posted by yelena on Jul 30, 2011
Have you ever wished for a time machine? What would you use «машина времени» for if you did have it? The protagonists of Soviet «научная фантастика» [science fiction] were always using time machines for various noble deeds, such as dinosaur research or, say, trying to save «одно из семи чудес света» [one of the seven…
Russian Names for Pets Posted by yelena on Jul 28, 2011
This is my cat Xander when he was just a kitty. On the surface of it, Xander is not a typical Russian name for a cat. Unless you know that I derived it from “Александр” [Alexandr]. Yep, every Russian woman has her Alexandr. Names are endlessly fascinating, aren’t they? Ok, maybe “endlessly” is a bit…
Most Popular Russian Names Posted by yelena on Jul 26, 2011
It might seem «невероятно» [unbelievable], but all through elementary and middle school I was the only «Лена» [Lena] in my class of 35 students, half of whom were girls. «Елена» [Yelena] was, until recently, one of the most common Russian names for girls. As for boys, back in the days «Александр» [Alexandr] was «настолько распространённое…