Today I could not find a screwdriver for a long time until I remembered that it was in my purse. There were also lost earrings that I last put on at the beginning of the COVID period. There are so many different things in a woman’s bag that you will never believe that they will fit inside again if you take everything out.

This time let’s talk about the contents of your bag (су́мкa) and mine in English and Russian. I am a very practical (практи́чный) and organized (организо́ванный) person; my house is clean (чи́стый). But my purse (су́мочка/кошелёк) is an exception to the rule. So what is in it?

Of course, there is the “2020 kit”:

a hand sanitizer (антисе́птик для рук),
a face mask (ма́скa для лица́), and
a pair of latex gloves (па́ра ла́тексных перча́ток),

а typical modern before-leaving-home standard set, which consists of:

a cell phone (со́товый телефо́н),
a wallet (кошелёк) with
credit cards (креди́тные ка́рты),
debit cards (де́бетные ка́рты),
discount cards (ски́дочные ка́рты),
some cash (нали́чныe),
a driver’s license (води́тельские права́) or/and
a passport (па́спорт),
home keys (ключи́ от до́ма), and
a car key (ключ от маши́ны).

Image by freephotocc from Pixabay

Often it also includes:

a tablet (планше́т) and
a charging cord (шнур заря́дки) for the tablet,
headphones (нау́шники),
a small mirror (зе́ркальце),
a pen (ру́чка),
a hair tie (рези́нка для воло́с),
lip balm (бальза́м для губ), and
wet wipes (вла́жные салфе́тки).

Plus, I’m used to carrying a bottle of water (буты́лка воды́) with me just in case.

In addition to all the above, this time, there is some more stuff (ве́щи) in my handbag (су́мка):

a book (кни́га) that I borrowed from a friend,
handkerchiefs (носовы́е плато́чки),
glasses (очки), for some reason, separate from the eyeglass case (футля́р для очко́в),
a comb (расчёска),
gum (жва́чка),
mints (мя́тные конфе́ты),
migraine pills (табле́тки от мигре́ни),
a piece of paper (клочо́к бума́жки),
a spare fuse (запасно́й предохрани́тель) (what is it doing here?),
someone’s business cards (визи́тки),
hand lotion (лосьо́н для рук), and
receipts (че́ки), lots of them,
сoins (моне́ты) that are in a small pocket (ма́ленький карма́н).

I think I need to check my bag more often for unnecessary items.

For students, this list is undoubtedly different. Read HERE what they bring to school.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Now let’s look at examples of how these words are used in sentences:

• What’s in your bag? (Что у тебя́ в су́мке?)
• I have a laptop in my bag. (У меня́ в су́мке ноутбу́к.) What’s in your backpack? (А что у тебя́ в рюкзаке́?)
• I have books and a wallet in it. (У меня́ в нём кни́ги и кошелёк.)

• Where are my keys? (Где мои́ ключи́?)
• Check in your gym bag. (Прове́рь в свое́й спорти́вной су́мке.)

• Did you take a pen and notebook with you? (Вы взя́ли с собо́й ру́чку и блокно́т?)

• Yes, they are in the little pocket of my purse. (Да, они́ лежа́т в ма́леньком карма́не мое́й су́мочки.)

There are many kinds of bags. Which one do you prefer? What’s in it?