Tag Archives: Russian language
How to Make Russians Do as You Say, or Mastering «повелительное наклонение» [imperative] Posted by josefina on Sep 22, 2009
This peculiar note I came upon on the wall of the restroom at the university today and couldn’t help but to share it with you, first and foremost because it is packed with information necessary for today’s grammatical note: «повелительное наклонение единственного числа» [imperative in singular]. «Если не сможешь сделать это аккуратно – лучше не…
Breaking Russian News: «Авось» Goes International! Posted by josefina on Aug 26, 2009
Remember the post “«Авось!» or a really Russian Expression” in which I decided to try if «авось» [perhaps; possibly; maybe] works also outside of Russia? In the post I posed the following question: Can one say «авось повезёт» [maybe (I’ll) get lucky; perhaps (I’ll) have some luck] a day or two before taking the TOEFL…
Word of the Week: «Съездить» Posted by josefina on Aug 14, 2009
The week might almost be over (it is after all «пятница» [Friday] already as I’m posting this) but it is not too late to learn a new Russian word before «воскресенье» [Sunday] is upon us, inevitably followed by yet another «понедельник» [Monday]. The word of the week this time is a verb and a rather…
It’s all about the Learning Process! Posted by josefina on Aug 8, 2009
Always when I’m back home in Sweden and thus living outside of Russia, one and the same question is constantly on my mind: «Как изучать русский язык вне Российской федерации?» [How to study (learn; read; explore) Russian language outside of the Russian Federation?] The main point within this simple question could also be posed in…
Авось! or a Really Russian Expression Posted by josefina on Aug 3, 2009
Have you ever wondered if the things that work (i.e. are able to function/have a function) in Russia can ever work outside of Russia? I sure have! For example, in Russia your best friend’s «бабушка» [grandmother] will shower your breakfast «гречка» [buckwheat] with «масло» [butter] and «сыр» [cheese] until all of these three ingredients melt…
Another Russian Eternal Question: Soul [«одушевлённый»] or No Soul [«неодушевлённый»]? Posted by josefina on Jul 15, 2009
Pictured above is «Марфа» [Marfa], a handmade «кукла» [doll] given to me by my very talented and close friend in Tomsk in May earlier this year. Even though I would argue – being as it is that I’m an adult nowadays – that Marfa in her capacity as doll is «неодушевлённое существительное» [‘without soul’; an…
Russian Cases: «Винительный падеж» [Accusative] (part I) Posted by josefina on Jul 13, 2009
Today’s case – «винительный падеж» [accusative] – is used in the sentence above «Добро пожаловать в музей!» [‘Welcome to the museum!’] as an answer to the question: «куда?» [where?]. Today’s post will be an easy, breezy post – and thus a perfect post to read on lazy summer days like these in the middle of…