Let’s Unite and Learn Russian Grammar! Posted by Natalie on Oct 21, 2011
I am back, «дорогие читатели» [dear readers], ready to explain obscure points of Russian grammar to you. What have I been doing in the past weeks? Many things, all of which relate to school. I am writing «тезис» [a thesis] on a famous Soviet leader and just generally studying for exams (I just took…
One Hard-Working Russian Word Posted by yelena on Oct 18, 2011
Do you know that in Russia the expression “birthday suit” translates as «костюм Адама» if talking about a male and «костюм Евы» if talking about a woman. But «фиговый листок» means exactly the same thing, a fig leaf, in its proverbial sense. Just be careful with the stress or you end up saying “worthless leaf”…
Even More Curious то же and так же Posted by yelena on Oct 14, 2011
Learning Russian can be frustrating. But in the end, it’s so worth it! This photo, taking years ago in St. Petersburg, is not really related to anything in this post. But it’s good memories for me, so I thought I’d share. When it comes to me writing grammar posts, I either don’t do them or…
The Curious Case of Russian Words Тоже and Также Posted by yelena on Oct 13, 2011
I got to learn something new about rats thanks to your comments. Now it’s pay-back time. Plus I loved this movie when it came out. Rats can be so cute! When it comes to grammar, being a native speaker of a language is a double-edged sword. Sure, native speakers tend to automatically select just the…
Back from the Surgery Posted by yelena on Oct 11, 2011
Looks like I missed a whole week on the blog. I apologize for that, but I do have a great «оправдание» [excuse]. «Дело в том» [The case is] that I had «операция» [a surgery]. As far as surgeries go, it was a minor one. Still, I am still bed-ridden. Since I’ve been busy recovering for…
How to Talk Like a Russian (Pet) Posted by yelena on Sep 28, 2011
Ever wondered what do Russian animals say and how they say it? Well, consider this video your pronunciation guide and this post – the not-so-boring and definitely non-mandatory reading. I have a bi-lingual cat (here’s his picture). Seriously, my cat is a genius. Not only does he understand everything we tell him whether in Russian…
Советские Анекдоты [Soviet Jokes] Posted by Natalie on Sep 26, 2011
«Дорогие друзья» [Dear friends], it is with great pleasure that I inform you that I am in an advanced Russian class this year. We have been reading «советские анекдоты» [Soviet jokes] in class and I want to share a few of them with you, as they are often quite funny. «–Цензурируется ли переписка советских…