Archive for 'Russian life'
Top 10 Russian phrases for expressing love & affection Posted by Jenya on Feb 12, 2014
Valentine’s Day is around the corner! If your Valentine happens to be Russian, you might want to update your vocabulary on the subject of love and affection. While there is hardly a person in the world who doesn’t know the meaning of “I love you”, conquering a Russian heart with some authentic Russian vocab might…
My Connection to Yuri Gagarin, The First Man in Space, and Other Fun Facts About Your New Russian Blogger Jenya Posted by Jenya on Feb 4, 2014
1. Yuri Gagarin and I are connected! My связь (connection) to Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, did not become apparent to me until I was 27 years old. Yuri Gagarin was the first Russian космонавт (cosmonaut). Gagarin received his training and met his future жена (wife) in the city of Orenburg. Coincidentally, that…
Word of the Day – Resourcefulness (and Darn It) Posted by yelena on Dec 23, 2013
Russians are proud of many characteristics which they believe they possess as a people. One is the загадочная русская душа (mysterious Russian soul), the one that cannot be understood by mind alone. Another one is терпеливость (patience). Yet another one is смекалка which usually gets translated as resourcefulness, such as shown in this video at…
10 Must-Know Russian Phrases for Dating a Russian Posted by yelena on Nov 20, 2013
Years ago, when I was single, my first dates tended to be fairly predictable. A guy would ask me where I was from always remarking that he was curious because of my “lovely accent”. When I would reply that I was from Russia, he would say: “Wow, this is cool! I’m trying to learn Russian…
“So the lady says to the talking margarine…” (Participles and dumb TV ads) Posted by Rob on Jan 16, 2013
The title of the post is drawn from a list of “Stupid TV Commercial Cliches” that I found on a Russian humor site. I got a kick out of it because “idiotic advertising” has been a staple of English-language humor for generations, but in Russian, poking fun at consumerism is mostly a post-Soviet development. Apart…
Talking on the Phone – In Russian! Posted by Natalie on Aug 3, 2012
If you are learning Russian, it is a great idea to cultivate friendships with русскоговорящие [Russian speakers]. Your Russian friends will be thrilled that you are learning Russian and can help you learn new words and phrases. When I was за границей [abroad], I made friends with a few Russians who were also studying…
Reading the Russian News: Opposition Protests Posted by Natalie on Jul 13, 2012
Доброе утро, дорогие читатели! [Good morning, dear readers!] Каждый день, я читаю новости на русском [Every morning, I read the news in Russian]. It is a habit I got into last year, when we had to bring a news story to Russian class every day. I am sure I have said this before, but…