5 FAQs About Anti-Corruption Protests in Russia Posted by Maria on Mar 30, 2017
Many of our readers have probably seen coverage of anti-corruption rallies in Russia last weekend. Are you still confused about what transpired? Read on to learn how these events were covered by participants and observers in Russia. This post is meant to inform the readers about this coverage and not to promote any specific point of…
Open and Closed: Verbs With -крыть in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 27, 2017
Открыть (to open) is one of the first Russian verbs we learn. In fact, its conjugation was covered extensively on this blog. There are many related verbs with the -кры- root whose meaning has to do with opening or closing something. I will be listing the imperfective and perfective form for each verb. Открывать/открыть The…
A Sight to Behold: “Vision” Words with ‑з(о)р‑ in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 20, 2017
Many readers have commented they enjoy learning related words in “families.” Today, we will look at a group of words with the root -зр-/-зор-, all having to do with seeing. Зрение — Vision The most basic word in this family is зрение (vision, eyesight). This refers to the physiological ability to perceive things with your…
Believe It Or Not: Верить And Related Words in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 15, 2017
Верить (to believe) and other related words cover various concepts having to do with confidence, reliability, and loyalty in Russian. Let us look at seven of these concepts. Верить The most basic word is верить (to believe). There are two ways you can use it: верить + в + accusative case — to believe in something/someone верить…
March 8 in Russia: Appreciation of Women or Sexist Holiday? Posted by Maria on Mar 9, 2017
Yesterday Russia and several neighboring countries celebrated International Women’s Day (Международный женский день). However, as I was reading coverage of the holiday in Russian-language media, I was reminded that the controversy surrounding the holiday remains. So why do some people think this holiday is outdated or a sham? Background The holiday started as a commemoration of the…
Add Emotion to Your Russian: Emphatic Particles (Part II) Posted by Maria on Mar 2, 2017
Last time, we looked at three particles used for emphasis in Russian. These particles convey the speaker’s attitude and make your speech and writing much more lively. Let us look at a couple of other particles. Ведь Ведь is used to reinforce a viewpoint or to show that, although it contradicts previously presented information, it…
Add Emotion to Your Russian: Emphatic Particles (Part I) Posted by Maria on Feb 22, 2017
Whenever I read English translations of Russian literature, they strike me as rather matter-of-fact. This may be because Russian often not only describes reality but also expresses the author’s attitude towards it. One way of doing that is through particles (частицы). Take a look at this excerpt from the story “Записки на чинаровых листьях” (“Notes…