{"id":3896,"date":"2012-10-08T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2012-10-08T08:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3896"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:51:47","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:51:47","slug":"%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b3%d1%83%d0%bb%d0%ba%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d0%be-%d0%bb%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%83-or-a-bit-o-botany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b3%d1%83%d0%bb%d0%ba%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d0%be-%d0%bb%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%83-or-a-bit-o-botany\/","title":{"rendered":"\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443\u043b\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e \u043b\u0435\u0441\u0443 (or, “A bit o’ botany”)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u041d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0435, \u044f \u0441\u0438\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b \u0441 \u043f\u043b\u0435\u043c\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043c<\/b> (“Last week, I was babysitting my nephew”) and since the weather was nice, he wanted to \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u043b\u0435\u0441\u0443<\/span><\/b> (“to go for a stroll in the forest”). And a \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e \u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0443<\/b> (“walk through the woods”) actually offers a great opportunity for Russian vocabulary practice: not only learning some new words, but reviewing some words that you already sorta-kinda know, but you can never quite remember what gender they are, or whether the stress moves in the plural…<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0412 \u043b\u0435\u0441\u0443<\/span>\u00bb<\/b> (“In the Woods”), by \u0410\u0440\u043a\u0430\u0434\u0438\u0439 \u0420\u044b\u043b\u043e\u0432<\/b>, 1905<\/div>\n

\u2022 \u0417\u0430 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f\u043c\u0438 \u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0441 \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/b>
\n(“One doesn’t see the forest behind the trees”)<\/em><\/p>\n

Since it takes trees to make a forest, let’s take a second to recall the declension of \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/b>, “tree.” This noun is slightly unusual because the stem ends with a hard -\u0432-<\/b> in the singular, but it changes to a soft -\u0432\u044c-<\/b> in the plural. And it’s worth studying the declension carefully, because a number of other high-frequency neuter nouns follow the same pattern — such as \u043a\u0440\u044b\u043b\u043e<\/span><\/b> (“wing”), \u043f\u0435\u0440\u043e<\/span><\/b> (“feather”), and \u0437\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/b> (“link in a chain”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/b> (“tree”; also “wood from a tree”)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nsing.<\/i><\/td>\npl.<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
nominative<\/i><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/b><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
genitive<\/i><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0430<\/b><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u0435\u0432<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dative<\/i><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0443<\/b><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f\u043c<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
accusative<\/i><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/b><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
instrumental<\/i><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e\u043c<\/b><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f\u043c\u0438<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
prepositional<\/i><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0435<\/b><\/td>\n\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f\u0445<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The same word also means “wood from a tree,” and usually it’s apparent from context whether you mean a living tree or wood as a construction material. But if you want to avoid ambiguity, you can always use \u0434\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430<\/b>, which means “wood” in the sense of “lumber.”<\/p>\n

\u2022 Parts of a tree<\/b><\/p>\n

Maybe you already know the word \u043a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/b> (masc., gen.<\/i> \u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044f<\/b>), which is “the root of a plant,” and \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442<\/b> (“a leaf”). But what comes between the roots and the leaves? First, there’s the \u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u043b<\/b> (gen.<\/i> \u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u043b\u0430<\/span><\/b>), the main “trunk” of the tree. Growing out from the trunk may be multiple \u0441\u0443\u043a\u0438<\/span><\/b> (sing.<\/i> \u0441\u0443\u043a<\/b>) — “large tree limbs; boughs”. And a smaller offshoot of a \u0441\u0443\u043a<\/b> can be called either a \u0432\u0435\u0442\u0432\u044c<\/b> (fem., gen.<\/i> \u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0432\u0438<\/b>) or a \u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0430<\/b>, both of which mean “a tree branch that’s not quite big enough to be a \u0441\u0443\u043a<\/b>.” On the branches, there are \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044f<\/b> (“leaves”), each connected by a \u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0435\u043b\u044c<\/b> (masc., gen.<\/i> \u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u044f<\/b>), meaning “plant’s stem or stalk.” And finally, a skinny little branch, especially one that has dried up and lacks leaves, is a \u043f\u0440\u0443\u0442<\/b> (“twig”).<\/p>\n

By the way, don’t forget that \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442<\/b> has two different plural declensions, depending on whether it means “leaf of a plant” or “leaf\/sheet of paper.” When you mean a plant’s leaf, the hard -\u0441\u0442-<\/b> becomes a soft -\u0441\u0442\u044c-<\/b> in the plural, similar to the pattern of \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/b>. Thus, \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044f<\/b>, \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u0435\u0432<\/b>, \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044f\u043c<\/b>, and so forth. But when you mean “sheet of paper,” the -\u0441\u0442-<\/b> remains hard in the plural: \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u044b<\/span>, \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0432, \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043c<\/b>, etc.<\/p>\n

\u2022 If a tree falls in a forest…<\/b><\/p>\n

…it becomes \u0432\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b> — a collective term for \u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u0438 \u043c\u0451\u0440\u0442\u0432\u044b\u0435 \u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0438, \u0441\u0443\u043a\u0438<\/span>, \u0438 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f<\/b> (“fallen and dead branches, limbs, and trees”). Although this word can refer to a (naturally fallen) “log” that is a home for fungi, insects, or snakes, it should be distinguished from \u0431\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/b> (pl. \u0431\u0440\u0451\u0432\u043d\u0430<\/b>), which means a “log” that was deliberately cut down by humans for use as lumber. And whether a tree falls by the agency of the wind or an axe, the “stump” that remains behind is \u043f\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/b> (masc., gen.<\/i> \u043f\u043d\u044f<\/span><\/b>).<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u041f\u043e \u0438<\/span>\u0445 \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043c \u0443\u0437\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0435<\/span> \u0438<\/span>\u0445<\/b>
\n(“By their fruits ye shall know them”)<\/em><\/p>\n

Now that you know some words for a “generic” tree, let’s get a little more specific. We can broadly place trees into two groups: \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“those having true leaves”), and \u0445\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“conifers”), whose name comes from \u0445\u0432\u043e\u044f<\/b>, meaning \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442 \u0432 \u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u0435 \u0438\u0433\u043b\u044b<\/span><\/b> (“a leaf in the form of a needle”). All conifers are \u0432\u0435\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0437\u0435\u043b\u0451\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“evergreen”), while trees with true leaves may be either \u0432\u0435\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0437\u0435\u043b\u0451\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> or \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u0430\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“deciduous”).<\/p>\n

Pretty much all of the \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f<\/b> reproduce by means of \u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u044b<\/span><\/b> (“flowers”) and \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0434\u044b<\/span><\/b> (“fruits,” in the botanical sense). On the other hand, conifers produce neither flowers nor fruits — one of the traits that distinguishes them, in addition to being evergreen and having needle-like leaves. Instead, conifer seeds are contained in a \u0448\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/b><\/span>, “(pine)cone”. This is one of the reasons why plants such as \u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u0431<\/b>, “holly,” are not grouped with the \u0441\u043e\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“pine”). Although the holly and pine are both \u0432\u0435\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0437\u0435\u043b\u0451\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b>, the holly’s \u044f\u0433\u043e\u0434\u044b<\/b> (“berries”) are “true fruits,” while pinecones are not.<\/p>\n

One of the most familiar of the \u0445\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f<\/b> is the \u0451\u043b\u043a\u0430<\/b>, which is literally “a small spruce,” from \u0435\u043b\u044c<\/b> (fem., gen.<\/i> \u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0438<\/b>). Of course, the same word — and especially the double-diminutive \u0451\u043b\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430<\/b> — is often understood to mean “a decorated New Year’s or Christmas tree,” even if it’s not botanically a “spruce,” and even if it’s made of plastic or aluminum! But other conifers you might see growing in the woods are the \u0441\u043e\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“pine”), which has longer needles that a spruce, and the short-needled \u043c\u043e\u0436\u0436\u0435\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b> (“juniper”), whose so-called “berries” (which are in fact tiny “pinecones”!) can be added to vodka to produce fake \u0434\u0436\u0438\u043d<\/b>.<\/p>\n

But while there are lots of pines in my area, the forests here are dominated by deciduous trees (which will be turning to spectacular colors in the next month or so). One of the most recognizable is the \u0434\u0443\u0431<\/b> (“oak”), whose \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0434<\/b> is known as \u0436\u0451\u043b\u0443\u0434\u044c<\/b> (masc., gen.<\/i> \u0436\u0451\u043b\u0443\u0434\u044f<\/span><\/b>), “acorn.” Acorns and oak leaves are full of bitter “tannins” that have long been used in processing animal hides, and thus leather that has been treated with oak-derived chemicals is called \u0434\u0443\u0431\u043b\u0451\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“tanned”). Another derived word is \u0434\u0443\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430<\/b>, \u0430 “big stout cudgel” (whether oaken or not) — in various fairytales, the hero comes into possession of a magical, self-operating \u0434\u0443\u0431\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/b>, allowing him to kick all kinds of butt.<\/p>\n

\u0416\u0451\u043b\u0443\u0434\u044c \u0445\u043e\u0442\u044c \u0438 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043b, \u0430 \u0438\u0437 \u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0434\u0443<\/span>\u0431 \u0432\u044b\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442.<\/b> (“The acorn may be small, but an oak grows from it”)<\/i><\/div>\n

Another easy-to-recognize tree is the \u043a\u043b\u0451\u043d<\/b>, “maple,” which is known not only for its distinctive leaves, but also for its papery, winglike “seed” (technically, a fruit) called a \u043a\u0440\u044b\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0430<\/b> that whirls helicopter-like down to the ground. Maples aren’t the only trees with \u043a\u0440\u044b\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0438<\/b>; the \u044f<\/span>\u0441\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/b> (“ash”) also has winglike fruits, though they don’t fly quite as well or as far as those of the maple.<\/p>\n

And one more unmistakable tree, seen in the painting at the top of the post: the \u0431\u0435\u0440\u0451\u0437\u0430<\/b> (“birch”) that is so beloved to Russian artists and is famous for its \u0431\u0435\u043b\u0430\u044f \u043a\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/b>, “white bark.”<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u041d\u0435 \u0438\u0449\u0438<\/span> \u043f\u043e\u0434 \u0434\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u043e\u043c \u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u043a, \u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0434 \u0451\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0439 – \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/b>
\n(“Don’t look for pinecones under an oak-tree, or acorns under a spruce.”)<\/i><\/p>\n

But under all the trees in a forest, you can expect to find different sorts of \u043a\u0443\u0441\u0442\u044b<\/b> (“bushes, shrubby plants”), also known by the collective noun \u043a\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b>. One familiar type is the already-mentioned \u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u0431<\/b> (“holly”), which is also known as \u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442<\/b> because its leaves have so many \u043a\u043e\u043b\u044e\u0447\u043a\u0438<\/b> (“prickles”). In fact, you should use care walking through a \u043a\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b>, because many of plants have \u043a\u043e\u043b\u044e\u0447\u043a\u0438<\/b> or <\/b> (“thorns”) — and worse, you might run into a clump of \u043a\u0440\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0432\u0430<\/b> (“stinging nettle”), whose leaves and stems are \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u044b \u0436\u0433\u0443\u0447\u0438\u043c\u0438 \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/b> (“covered with little burning hairs”). Or, here in the States, there’s always the danger of an encounter with “poison ivy” — literally translatable as \u044f\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044b\u0439 \u043f\u043b\u044e\u0449<\/b>, although it doesn’t have a “native” Russian name because it only grows in the Americas. And, as you probably know, it’s not a true \u043f\u043b\u044e\u0449<\/b> (“ivy”) at all!<\/p>\n

But not everything in the undergrowth presents a hazard to walkers. Generally, the \u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/b> (“ferns”) are harmless to humans, and many of them have been domesticated as houseplants because of their attractive leaves. And even closer to the ground — and often on the tree-trunks, too — you’ll see \u0433\u0440\u0438\u0431\u044b<\/b> (“mushrooms”), \u043b\u0438\u0448\u0430\u0439\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/b> (“lichens”), and \u043c\u043e\u0445<\/b> (“moss”). Just remember, if you happen to \u0437\u0430\u0431\u043b\u0443\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u043b\u0435\u0441\u0443<\/b> (“get lost in the woods”), that the \u043c\u0448\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0430 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0430<\/b> (“mossy side of a tree”) is NOT necessarily the northern side — that’s just a \u0431\u0430\u0431\u044c\u044f \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u043a\u0430<\/b> (“old wives’ tale”)!<\/p>\n

Fortunately, getting lost isn’t a big problem when my nephew and I go out for a stroll — you can walk from one end of the “forest” to the other in under five minutes! (That’s the suburbs for you…)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u041d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0435, \u044f \u0441\u0438\u0434\u0435\u043b \u0441 \u043f\u043b\u0435\u043c\u044f\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043c (“Last week, I was babysitting my nephew”) and since the weather was nice, he wanted to \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443\u043b\u044f\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u043b\u0435\u0441\u0443 (“to go for a stroll in the forest”). And a \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443\u043b\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e \u043b\u0435\u0441\u0443 (“walk through the woods”) actually offers a great opportunity for Russian vocabulary practice: not only learning…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":3915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[7828],"tags":[253023,8428,385640,11810],"class_list":["post-3896","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-for-beginners","tag-forests","tag-plants","tag-russian-for-beginners","tag-trees"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896","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\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3896"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6511,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896\/revisions\/6511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}