Tag Archives: thematic vocabulary
Not Just Swimming: 3 Main Senses of Плавать in Russian Posted by Maria on Dec 15, 2016
Плавать is a verb that means either swim or sail in Russian. It is interesting in many ways. As a verb of motion, it has two distinct imperfective aspect forms. In addition, it has useful metaphorical applications. 1. Water Travel You may remember that verbs of motion have not one but two imperfective forms. Плыть/плавать…
Words for Eating in Russian Posted by Maria on Dec 8, 2016
Most learners will know the word есть, to eat. However, there are many other synonyms of this word, some of which are not very commonly used. Recognizing them can greatly enrich your Russian vocabulary. Есть This is the word most people will know. Note the irregular conjugation: я ем мы едим ты ешь вы едите…
Mutually Beneficial: Russian Words With Взаимо- You Need To Know Posted by Maria on Dec 6, 2016
Взаимо- is a useful root that lets you create compound words with the sense of “mutual” or “two-way.” This post will list some common words made with that root. First, взаимо- is related to the adjective “взаимный,” “mutual.” Сохрани́ть доброжела́тельность, чу́вство взаи́много уваже́ния, любви́ ― о́чень сло́жная шту́ка. (Keeping that friendliness, the feeling of mutual respect and…
Stop And Go: Russian Verbs For Taking About Processes Posted by Maria on Oct 25, 2016
It may sometimes be useful to talk about the phases of a process — beginning, interrupting, picking up, and finishing actions. Below are some verbs that will help you express these temporal notions. Начать Начинать (imperfective)/начать (perfective) means to begin. It can be followed by an infinite or by a noun in the accusative case…
Agree To Disagree: Expressing Opinions in Russian Posted by Maria on Oct 10, 2016
So you have looked at some basic phrases and know how to introduce yourself and ask how the other person is doing. Exchanging pleasantries may get old pretty quickly, so let’s learn to exchange opinions. Below are some phrases that will help you express your views on a variety of subjects. Я думаю This is…
Вокруг да около: Expressing Proximity In Russian Posted by Maria on Sep 15, 2016
Let us talk about ways of expressing proximity in Russian. There are a few of them; however, not all of them are interchangeable. Рядом Рядом + с + object in the instrumental case means “next to something.” Рядом can also be used on its own to mean “nearby.” Рядом с нашей школой был парк (There was a park…
Photography in Russia(n) Posted by Maria on Feb 10, 2014
Whether you shoot selfies by the bathroom mirror, take snapshots of your family at picnics, or do professional photoshoots, chances are you deal with photography in your life. When learning languages, we often chase the practical, “everyday” vocabulary, so arts and crafts tend to fall by the wayside. Let us go over some phrases that…