{"id":12753,"date":"2020-08-10T19:09:14","date_gmt":"2020-08-10T19:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=12753"},"modified":"2020-08-10T19:17:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-10T19:17:37","slug":"what-animal-are-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/what-animal-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What Animal Are You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Humanity closely lives with animals under the same sky. It is no wonder that since ancient times, people have become accustomed to comparing each other to animals, birds, and fish. Such comparisons are made to describe a person’s appearance, traits of character, activity, behavior, or feelings.<\/p>\n

Animal similes in the Russian language<\/h2>\n

In the Russian language, the conjunction “\u043a\u0430\u043a<\/em>” [kahk] (as\/like) is using for comparison. In English, you can choose between “as” and “like”. But both words will translate the same – “\u043a\u0430\u043a”.<\/p>\n

Let’s look at quite simple yet very colorful expressions and phrases, consisting of the next elementary constructions:<\/p>\n

adjective + \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/em><\/span> + noun\u00a0(an animal)<\/h2>\n

Most of those phrases are very similar to their English equivalents. Many sound a little strange in English. Although today some others have lost their relevance in Russian too. For example,<\/p>\n

“\u0417\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0430.”<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 – “(As) angry as a dog.”<\/p>\n

– \u0418\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0301, \u044f \u0432\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0301 \u0431\u044b\u043b \u0437\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0430<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em>(Sorry, I was (as) angry as a dog yesterday.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Dogs are much friendlier now than a century ago. They do not have to guard the owner’s house and defend it from attacks anymore and prefer to lie on the couch.<\/p>\n

\"Dog\"

Image by AAS Pups Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Most often, comparisons with animals in Russian are used for describing traits of character:<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u0425\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u043b\u0435\u0432<\/span><\/em>.”<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 – “(As) brave as a lion.”<\/p>\n

– \u041c\u043e\u0439 \u043c\u0443\u0436 \u0445\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043b\u0435\u0432. <\/span><\/em>(<\/span>My husband is (as) brave as a lion.)<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u041c\u0435\u0301\u0434\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043f\u0430\u0301\u0445\u0430.”<\/span><\/em><\/strong> – “(As) slow as a tortoise.”<\/p>\n

– \u0427\u0442\u043e \u0442\u044b \u043c\u0435\u0301\u0434\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043f\u0430\u0301\u0445\u0430<\/em>? (Why are you (as) slow as a tortoise?)<\/p>\n

“\u0423\u043f\u0440\u044f\u0301\u043c\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u043e\u0441\u0451\u043b.”<\/span><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 – “(As) stubborn as a mule.”<\/p>\n

– \u041e\u043d \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u044b\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043d\u044f\u0301\u0435\u0442 \u0437\u0430\u0434\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f, \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043c\u0443\u0301<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em> \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0443\u043f\u0440\u044f\u0301<\/em>\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043e\u0441\u0451\u043b.<\/i>\u00a0(He does not perform tasks because he is (as) stubborn as a mule.)<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u0422\u0440\u0443\u0441\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0432\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0437\u0430\u0301\u044f\u0446<\/span><\/em>.”<\/span><\/strong> – “(As) timid as a rabbit.”<\/p>\n

– \u041d\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u044c \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0441\u043b\u0438\u0301<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u043c \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0437\u0430\u0301\u044f\u0446!<\/em> (Don’t be (as) timid as a rabbit!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Describing appearance:<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u0413\u0440\u044f\u0301\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044c\u044f\u0301<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.”<\/span> – “(As) dirty as a pig.”<\/p>\n

– \u041f\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0301<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u0435\u0431\u044f\u0301 – \u0442\u044b \u0433\u0440\u044f\u0301\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044c\u044f\u0301! <\/em>(Look at you – you are (as) dirty as a pig!)<\/p>\n

Describing feelings:<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u0413\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0301\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043a<\/span><\/em>.”<\/span><\/strong> – “(As) hungry as a wolf.”<\/p>\n

– \u041c\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0430, \u044f \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0301\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043a, <\/em>\u0447\u0442\u043e \u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u0431\u0435\u0301\u0434? (Mom, I’m (as) hungry as a wolf, what do we have for lunch?)<\/p>\n

“\u0421\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> <\/em>\u043f\u0442\u0438\u0301\u0446\u0430.”<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 – “(As) free as a bird.”<\/p>\n

– \u041d\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0301\u0446-\u0442\u043e \u044f \u0441\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0301 \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u044d\u043a\u0437\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044b.\u00a0 \u0422\u0435\u043f\u0435\u0301\u0440\u044c \u044f \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0442\u0438\u0301\u0446\u0430<\/em>. (Finally, I passed all the exams. Now I am (as) free as a bird.)<\/p>\n

verb + \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/em><\/span> + noun\u00a0(an animal)<\/h2>\n

By analogy with the previous scheme, there are many sayings with a verb instead of an adjective.<\/p>\n

Since the verbs represent actions, plenty of comparisons are about an activity<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n

“\u041f\u0440\u044b\u0301\u0433\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u043a\u043e\u0437\u0430\u0301.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>– “To jump like a goat.”<\/p>\n

– \u0425\u0432\u0430\u0301\u0442\u0438\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u044b\u0301\u0433\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043a\u043e\u0437\u0430\u0301<\/em>! \u041f\u0440\u0438\u0441\u044f\u0301\u0434\u044c, \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u0301\u043b\u0443\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0430! (Enough jumping like a goat! Sit down, please!)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Goat\"

Image by John Fowler Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

“<\/span>\u041f\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0441\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0301\u0439<\/span><\/em>.”<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0– “To sing like a nightingale.”<\/p>\n

– \u041d\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0301\u0448\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0451\u0442 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0301\u0439<\/em>.<\/em> \u0423 \u043d\u0435\u0451 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0301\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0433\u043e\u0301\u043b\u043e\u0441. (Natasha sings like a nightingale. She has a beautiful voice.)<\/span><\/p>\n

“\u0415\u0301<\/b>\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u043f\u0442\u0438\u0301\u0447\u043a\u0430.”<\/span><\/strong><\/em> – “To eat like a bird.”<\/p>\n

– \u041e\u043d\u0430\u0301 \u0435\u0301\u0441\u0442 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0442\u0438\u0301<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430\u00a0–\u00a0<\/span><\/em>\u0441\u043e\u0432\u0441\u0435\u0301\u043c \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e. (She eats like a bird – very little.)<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u041f\u0430\u0445\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u043b\u043e\u0301\u0448\u0430\u0434\u044c<\/span><\/em>.” <\/span><\/strong>–\u00a0“To work like a horse.”<\/span><\/p>\n

– \u042d\u0301\u0442\u043e\u0442 \u043f\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043f\u0430\u0301\u0448\u0435\u0442 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043b\u043e\u0301\u0448\u0430\u0434\u044c.\u00a0<\/em>\u0415\u043c\u0443\u0301<\/span><\/span> \u043e\u0301\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043d\u0443\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0301 \u0434\u0435\u0301\u043d\u044c\u0433\u0438. (This guy works like a horse. He really needs money.)<\/p>\n

The last idiom can lead to another:<\/p>\n

“<\/span>\u0423\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u043a\u0430\u043a<\/span> \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0430.<\/span><\/strong><\/em>“<\/span> – “To be tired like a dog.”<\/p>\n

– \u042f \u043f\u0430\u0445\u0430\u0301\u043b \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043b\u043e\u0301<\/span>\u0448\u0430\u0434\u044c, \u0438 \u0443\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0301\u043b \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0430<\/em>. (I’ve been working all day like a horse, and I am tired like a dog now.)<\/p>\n

This example shows us that during the day we can work like one animal, but feel like another.<\/p>\n

What animals would you compare yourself with? Try to \u0441ome up with short sentences using the above schemas.<\/p>\n

The are many other idioms and sayings with animal words in Russian. You can read some in our previous posts here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Dog\"

Humanity closely lives with animals under the same sky. It is no wonder that since ancient times, people have become accustomed to comparing each other to animals, birds, and fish. Such comparisons are made to describe a person’s appearance, traits of character, activity, behavior, or feelings. Animal similes in the Russian language In the Russian…<\/p>\n

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