Archive for 'Russian for beginners'
Don’t Go to the Beach (Without Reading This First)! Posted by yelena on Jul 18, 2011
What is «лето» [summer] without spending some time «на пляже» [at a beach]? Have you done it yet? If not, then what are you waiting for; the summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) is almost over. As the saying goes, «ноги в руки и вперёд!» [get to it!] Because next thing you know, it will be…
How I Ended This Summer With Russian Grammar Posted by yelena on Jul 11, 2011
Have you watched a great movie lately? How about a great Russian movie? Did I just give the subject of this post away? Not really because while it will be about a really good movie, it will also be about «анаколуф» [anacoluthon] and grammar. The movie I watched a couple of days ago was called…
The Amazing Russian Pop – 80s Edition Posted by yelena on Jul 5, 2011
I’ve been very busy «на прошлой неделе» [last week]. What was I so busy with you might ask. Well, I was wasting time doing research on YouTube. All those hours of watching and yes, singing, Russian hits from late 80’s and early 90’s… I am no «меломан» [audiophile]. Instead, «что для меня ценно» [what matters to…
Summer Grammar – It Can Be Fun Posted by yelena on Jun 14, 2011
«Пирожки – это вкусно, дёшево и даже не вредно» [Pierogies are tasty, cheap, and aren’t bad for you]. Isn’t summer fun?! Or for our Southern Hemisphere readers – isn’t winter pleasant? So let me ask you this – «Как проходит лето (или зима)?» [How’s your summer/winter going so far?] I hope you get to spend…
Russian Gestures – Silence is Golden Posted by yelena on May 13, 2011
And now I’m thinking of a Russian 4-letter word that starts with «ж»… Nope, not that one! The word I’m thinking about is «жест». As so many Russian words it has more than one meaning. «В переносном значении» [Figuratively], it means “an act intended for external effect”: «Его решение жениться на Марии было лишь благородным…
May in Russia – Celebrate, Study, and Plan for Summer Posted by yelena on May 6, 2011
«Май» [May] is my second «самый любимый месяц» [most favorite month] to be in Russia. The first one is «август» [August], «по личным причинам» [for personal reasons]. «Весна в разгаре» [Spring is in full force] or to recall the famous line of a fairly obscure poet: «Это май-баловник, это май-чародей» [It is May the…
Using the Instrumental Case, Part 3 Posted by Natalie on Apr 14, 2011
«Дорогие друзья» [Dear friends], I don’t know about you, «но мне надоедает творительный падеж» [but I am tired of the instrumental case]. But luckily, this is the last post in the series on the instrumental case. Russian grammar is good, but only in small doses, right? But luckily we haven’t only had grammar this…