{"id":1640,"date":"2010-12-09T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2010-12-09T08:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2014-07-17T14:15:52","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T14:15:52","slug":"make-every-single-word-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/make-every-single-word-count\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Every Single Word Count"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

My aunt is visiting from Russia \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0437 <\/strong>\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0443 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [in just a couple of weeks] and I\u2019m seriously contemplating asking her to bring me a pair of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043a\u0438\u00bb,<\/strong> the traditional Russian felt boots. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0417\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/span>!\u00bb<\/strong> [It\u2019s winter!] \u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0434\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [It\u2019s getting frosty].<\/p>\n

One of the beautiful things about Russian language is that you can build a grammatically correct sentence with a single word or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb.<\/strong> What\u2019s more, such a sentence will be not just grammatically correct, but beautiful or at least full of meaning.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re on your way to a New Year\u2019s party at a friend\u2019s house and you\u2019re running late. Your friend buzzes you on \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [mobile phone] and asks \u00ab<\/strong>\u0418\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0448\u044c?\u00bb<\/strong> [are you on your way?]. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0418\u0434\u0443<\/span>!\u00bb<\/strong> [I\u2019m on my way!] you respond with a single-word sentence. If you feel talkative, you might even say \u00ab<\/strong>\u0418\u0434\u0443<\/span>, <\/strong>\u0438\u0434\u0443<\/span>!\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0448\u044c?\u00bb<\/strong> [are you running late?] further inquiries \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0443\u0433\u043e\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [restless] friend. \u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u044b\u0432\u0430\u044e\u00bb<\/strong> [I\u2019m running late] you admit honestly. \u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [hurry up] replies your \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [impatient] friend.<\/p>\n

Once you arrive at a friend\u2019s \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [apartment] for a party on a cold night he inquiries \u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0443 <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u0430?\u00bb<\/strong> [So, how\u2019s the weather?]. Your response can be a single-word \u00ab<\/strong>\u041c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0442!\u00bb<\/strong> [It\u2019s nippy], a response that explains to all present that \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0430 <\/strong>\u0449\u0451<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [cheeks flushed from the cold] are temporary and not due to overuse of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0443\u043c\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [make-up blush].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0428\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0444\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u044e <\/strong>\u043e\u043f\u043e\u0437\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0448\u0438\u043c!\u00bb<\/strong> [a penalty shot for those arriving late to a party], demands \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0435\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [hospitable] friend and the guests \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [chime in] \u00ab<\/strong>\u0428\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0444\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u044e!\u00bb<\/strong>. Next thing you know, you are downing a shot of vodka before you get a chance to even sit down, let alone have a bite of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [appetizers] to eat.<\/p>\n

Russian New Year\u2019s parties can last through the night. After such marathon partying there isn\u2019t much energy left for long speeches. Once again, single-word sentences come to the rescue of the weary. Someone might look out of a window and note \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442.\u00bb<\/strong> [The day is breaking]. And after a pause, they might add \u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>!\u00bb<\/strong> [It\u2019s time!], meaning that it\u2019s time to go home.<\/p>\n

So how exactly can one transform a single word into a single-word sentence? You\u2019ve probably already guessed from the examples in my little story. There are two basic ways:<\/p>\n