{"id":10894,"date":"2018-07-31T07:19:45","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T07:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=10894"},"modified":"2018-07-31T15:23:41","modified_gmt":"2018-07-31T15:23:41","slug":"talking-about-weight-in-russian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/talking-about-weight-in-russian\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking About Weight in Russian"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you know how to describe a person’s weight in Russian? Here are some ways, from neutral to complimentary to derogatory.<\/p>\n

\"scale\"

Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

\u0412\u0435\u0441<\/h2>\n

The most basic word is \u0432\u0435\u0441, weight. You may also hear \u043c\u0430\u0441\u0441\u0430 \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0430 (body mass) in medical or scientific contexts. To weight is \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0438\u0442\u044c. Weight in Russian is measured in kilograms (\u043a\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u044b).<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0421\u043a\u043e\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0442\u044b \u0432\u0435\u0301\u0441\u0438\u0448\u044c?
\n\u2014 \u042f \u0432\u0435\u0301\u0448\u0443 60 \u043a\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430\u0301\u043c\u043c.<\/p>\n

(“How much do you weigh?” “I weigh 60 kilograms [around 132 pounds]).”)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let us look at how Russian talks about weight that is considered\u2014by whoever may be speaking\u2014above or beyond what they consider average.<\/p>\n

\u0422\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0439<\/h2>\n

Probably the most common word for “fat” is \u0442\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0439. This word itself is not rude, apart from the fact that calling someone fat is not considered nice, but that has more to do with the stigma around weight more that the word itself.<\/p>\n

\u042f \u0431\u044b\u043b \u0431\u043e\u043b\u0442\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0432, \u0442\u043e\u043b\u0441\u0442 \u0438 \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0441\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0301\u0442.
\nI was chatty, fat, and a tad cowardly.
\n[\u0412\u0430\u043b\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0439 \u041f\u0430\u043d\u044e\u0448\u043a\u0438\u043d. \u0417\u0430 \u0412\u0438\u043d\u044e (1997) \/\/ \u00ab\u0421\u0442\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0430\u00bb, 1997.02.17]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To gain weight may be \u0442\u043e\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0301\u0442\u044c\/\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0301\u0442\u044c, \u043d\u0430\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c\/\u043d\u0430\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c \u0432\u0435\u0441 or \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043b\u044f\u0301\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f\/\u043f\u043e\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f.<\/p>\n

\"fat

Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0301\u043b\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/h2>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0301\u043b\u043d\u044b\u0439, literally “full,” is a more polite way of referring to someone being large. A related word is \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0435\u0301\u0442\u044c\/\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0435\u0301\u0442\u044c, to gain weight.<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e \u043e\u043d\u0430\u0301 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0430\u0301 \u0445\u043e\u0442\u044f\u0301 \u0431\u044b \u0440\u043e\u0301\u0441\u0442\u0430, \u043f\u043e\u0301\u043b\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0438\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u0445\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0301\u044f?
\nAt least, how tall was she, and was she big or skinny?
\n[\u0410\u043d\u043d\u0430 \u0422\u043a\u0430\u0447\u0435\u0432\u0430. \u041f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0442 (1996)]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u0416\u0438\u0301\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/h2>\n

\u0416\u0438\u0440 is a noun meaning fat or grease. \u0416\u0438\u0301\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439 is probably the most hurtful word for a fat person and is considered rude. \u041e\u0436\u0438\u0440\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0438\u0435 is the medical term for obesity.<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0441\u0442\u044b \u0436\u0438\u0301\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435, \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0448\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u2015 \u044d\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0430\u043c \u0432\u043d\u0443\u0448\u0438\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u0441 \u0434\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430\u2026
\nWe learned from an early age that capitalists were fat and scary…
\n[\u0421\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043b\u0430\u043d\u0430 \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0438\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447. \u0412\u0440\u0435\u043c\u044f second-hand \/\/ \u00ab\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0432\u00bb, 2013]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"greyhound\"

Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

\u0425\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0301\u0439<\/h2>\n

On the opposite end of the spectrum is \u0445\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0301\u0439, thin. This word is interesting because \u0445\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0301\u0439 also means “bad,” as is obvious from the degrees of comparison of “bad” in Russian: \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0301\u0439\u2014\u0445\u0443\u0301\u0436\u0435\u2014\u0445\u0443\u0301\u0434\u0448\u0438\u0439 (bad\u2014worse\u2014worst). You may also remember it from the saying “\u0425\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0301\u0439 \u043c\u0438\u0440 \u043b\u0443\u0301\u0447\u0448\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u0301\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0441\u043e\u0301\u0440\u044b” (literally, “A bad peace is better than a good quarrel”). Of course, now that thinness is considered desirable among speakers of Russian, \u0445\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0301\u0439 has lost some of its bad connotations.<\/p>\n

\u0411\u044b\u043b\u0430\u0301 \u043e\u043d\u0430\u0301 \u0434\u043e \u0447\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0442\u044b\u0301 \u0437\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0440\u0435\u0301\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u0438 \u0435\u0449\u0451 \u0431\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0435\u0435 \u0445\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0301\u0439, \u0447\u0435\u043c \u043e\u0431\u044b\u043a\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0301\u043d\u043d\u043e.
\nShe was extremely tanned and even skinnier than usual.
\n[\u041b\u044e\u0434\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0438\u0446\u043a\u0430\u044f. \u041a\u0430\u0437\u0443\u0441 \u041a\u0443\u043a\u043e\u0446\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e [\u041f\u0443\u0442\u0435\u0448\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438\u0435 \u0432 \u0441\u0435\u0434\u044c\u043c\u0443\u044e \u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0443 \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0430] \/\/ \u00ab\u041d\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u041c\u0438\u0440\u00bb, 2000]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To lose weight is \u0445\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0301\u0442\u044c\/\u043f\u043e\u0445\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0301\u0442\u044c. Weight loss that is desirable is called \u043f\u043e\u0445\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0438\u0435 (or \u043f\u043e\u0445\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0438\u0435 if you want to sound more bookish or sell someone weight-loss supplements :)). This word has a positive connotation and probably wouldn’t be used to talk about someone who is malnourished.<\/p>\n

\u0421\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0439\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/h2>\n

\u0421\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0439\u043d\u044b\u0439 is close to “slim” or “slender” and is a positive word. This word is related to \u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0438\u0442\u044c, to build.<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0435\u0437 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0435\u0301\u043b\u044e \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0301 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438\u0301\u043b\u0430 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0439\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0434\u0435\u0301\u0432\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430 \u0432 \u0438\u0301\u043c\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0442\u0443\u0444\u043b\u044f\u0301\u0445.
\nA week later, a slender woman in imported shoes fell in love with me.
\n[\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0439 \u0414\u043e\u0432\u043b\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0432. \u0427\u0435\u043c\u043e\u0434\u0430\u043d (1986)]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was an overview of some common ways of talking about someone’s weight and build. Do you know any other ones? Are they positive, negative, or neutral?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"greyhound\"

Do you know how to describe a person’s weight in Russian? Here are some ways, from neutral to complimentary to derogatory. \u0412\u0435\u0441 The most basic word is \u0432\u0435\u0441, weight. You may also hear \u043c\u0430\u0441\u0441\u0430 \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0430 (body mass) in medical or scientific contexts. To weight is \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0438\u0442\u044c. Weight in Russian is measured in kilograms (\u043a\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u044b). \u2014…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":10906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[17,230010,507317,7293],"class_list":["post-10894","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-vocabulary","tag-adjectives","tag-fat","tag-skinny","tag-weight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10894"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10909,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10894\/revisions\/10909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}