Russian Language Blog
Menu
Search

Tag Archives: confusing Russian words

Two very neat Russian words Posted by on Jul 15, 2021

3 flat head nails

*All images from Google Translate are by author This blog is simple. I have two Russian words that I find very neat and a little underappreciated. We will talk about what they mean, how they are used, and attempt to make sense of their English translations. And if you are a native Russian speaker or…

Continue Reading

Two Ways of Saying “For” in Russian: What’s The Difference Between Для And За? Posted by on Aug 3, 2017

hand lotion

If you look up “for” in a Russian dictionary, you will see at least two options — для and за. I will list some of the most common scenarios where you would use either preposition so you can grasp the difference better. За + accusative Support За expresses someone’s support of a particular cause, candidate…

Continue Reading

Contrast in Russian: What’s The Difference Between А (And/But) And Но (But)? Posted by on Jul 25, 2017

man wearing one blue shoe and one yellow shoe

If your native language only has the basic “and” vs “but” distinction, Russian conjunctions а and но may be a bit confusing. How do you use them, and what’s the difference? I will explain the difference on an intuitive level below and will include links to additional resources at the bottom. Но: Contrasting the Entire…

Continue Reading

When You Must Contradict Posted by on Sep 6, 2012

This is in case your child says не хочу (don’t want to) a bit too often. Sometimes even the most cheerful and positive of us встают не с той ноги (get up on the wrong side of a bed). Or maybe it is the right side of the bed, but then something happens during the…

Continue Reading

Even More Curious то же and так же Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

The Curious Case of Russian Words Тоже and Также Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

There Is More To Marriage Than “Брак” Posted by on Apr 21, 2011

Are you married? Please don’t be offended by what seems to be my idle curiosity. There’s a reason for my asking you this (or is it “me asking you this”?) How would you ask this simple question in Russian? The answer depends on the gender of the person you’re speaking with. So if you…

Continue Reading

Older posts