{"id":4274,"date":"2012-12-11T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T08:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=4274"},"modified":"2014-07-17T19:11:11","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T19:11:11","slug":"chill-out-or-is-your-refrigerator-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/chill-out-or-is-your-refrigerator-running\/","title":{"rendered":"Chill out! (Or, “is your refrigerator running?”)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u041d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u043b\u0443\u044e \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044e \u043a \u043d\u0430\u043c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0437\u043b\u0438<\/span> \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b> (“Last week, a new refrigerator was delivered to our place”) — \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043c\u0443<\/span> \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u0439 \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0434\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e<\/span> \u0434\u044b<\/span>\u0448\u0430\u043b \u043d\u0430 \u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0430\u043d<\/b>. Literally translated, that’s “the old fridge had long since been breathing the incense”[i.e, the incense from its own funeral Mass]<\/i>. Which is to say that it \u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f<\/span>\u043b \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u0432 \u043c\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0443<\/b> (“was standing with one foot in the grave”). \u041a\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435, \u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u0434\u043e\u043f\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043c, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u0439 \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0431\u044b<\/span>\u043b \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u043c, \u0442\u043e<\/span> \u0443\u0436\u0435<\/span> \u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u044f\u0446\u0435\u0432 \u043e<\/span>\u043d \u043e\u0442\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u043a\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044c.<\/b> (In summary, if we suppose that the old refrigerator was a person, then for the past several months it’s been coughing up blood.)<\/p>\n

But just recently, the fridge’s \u0432\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0440<\/b> (“fan”) completely failed — the practical result of which is that the \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0430<\/b> (“freezer section”) \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u0445\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0442\u0435\u043c\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0443 \u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0436\u0435 \u043d\u0443\u043b\u044f<\/span><\/b> (“stopped maintaining a temperature below zero”), even though the refrigerator was running. Luckily, the freezer stopped working \u0432 \u0427\u0451\u0440\u043d\u0443\u044e \u043f\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0443<\/b>, and thus we were able to get a very good price on a replacement, despite having to wait for the delivery.<\/p>\n

Anyway, for more than a week we were trying to rescue the frozen foods by keeping them in a \u043a\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u0440<\/b> (guess!) along with a few chunks of \u0441\u0443\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u043b\u0451\u0434<\/b> (“dry ice”).<\/p>\n

So this little adventure put me in mind of the different Russian words that relate to low temperatures.<\/p>\n

Freezing (and Melting!)<\/h3>\n

Although freezing and melting are opposite processes, they both occur at the same temperature — so it makes sense to discuss them together.<\/p>\n

But let’s start with “freezing.” As is often true in Russian, you need to pay close attention to whether the English meaning is transitive or instransitive, because the verbs will be different in Russian. “To freeze” in the intransitive sense of \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u043b\u0451\u0434<\/b> (“to have become ice”) can be rendered by the perfective \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b> — whose conjugation is pretty easy, as long as you don’t forget it’s one of those -\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b> verbs that drops the suffix -\u043d\u0443-<\/b> in the past tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b> (“to turn to ice; to die of cold” — perfective)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Past<\/i><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437, \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043b\u0430, -\u043e, -\u0438<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nsing.<\/i><\/td>\npl.<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1st<\/i><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0443<\/b><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0435\u043c<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd<\/i><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0435\u0448\u044c<\/b><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3rd<\/i><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0435\u0442<\/b><\/td>\n\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0443\u0442<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This perfective has two different imperfectives you can choose from: \u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b> conjugates in exactly the same way, only without the \u0437\u0430-<\/b>, while \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/b> behaves like \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/b> — which is to say, \u044f \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u044e, \u0442\u044b \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0448\u044c<\/b>, etc. Generally speaking, these two imperfectives are totally interchangeable. So to express “At what temperature does water freeze?”, you can say:<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0440\u0438 \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u0442\u0435\u043c\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0435 \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0435\u0442 \/ \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442?<\/b><\/p>\n

Or, for “Help me, I’m freezing to death!”:<\/p>\n

\u0421\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span>, \u044f \u043c\u0451\u0440\u0437\u043d\u0443 \/ \u044f \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u044e!<\/b><\/p>\n

However, that’s just the intransitive verb. If you mean “to cause something or someone to freeze”, then the most general verb is (\u043f\u043e)\u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>, which conveniently has fixed stress:<\/p>\n

\u044f \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0443
\n\u0442\u044b \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0448\u044c
\n[…]
\n\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u044f\u0442<\/b>
\npast: \u043e\u043d \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u043b, \u043e\u043d\u0430 \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u043b\u0430…<\/b>
\nimperative: \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u044c(\u0442\u0435)<\/b><\/p>\n

(Reminder: for verbs of the -\u0438-<\/b> type, a consonant mutation — if there’s one at all — will normally occur in the 1st-person singular only<\/i>.)<\/p>\n

Depending on the context, \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b> can mean either “to harm by freezing” or “to preserve by freezing.” Thus:<\/p>\n

\u0418<\/span>\u0437\u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0437\u044c \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0442 \u0430\u043f\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u044f.<\/b>
\nThe hoarfrost is freezing (ruining) the orange trees.<\/i>
\n\u042f \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0443 \u0430\u043f\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0441\u043e<\/span>\u043a \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c.<\/b>
\nI’m freezing the orange juice for later.<\/i><\/p>\n

If you want to clearly emphasize the idea of “preservation by freezing,” then you can use the pair \u0437\u0430\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/\u0437\u0430\u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>. Thus, \u041c\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0437\u0430\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043a\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u043a\u0432\u0443, \u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e \u0435\u0451 \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0438\u0442?<\/b> — “Can one freeze cranberries, or does this ruin them?”<\/p>\n

And one other important point about \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b> — you can use it impersonally, without a nominative subject, to mean simply “It’s freezing!”. So if your \u043e\u0442\u0435\u043f\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/b> (“heating system”) is broken, you could say \u0412 \u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0442!<\/b> (“It’s freezing in here!”).<\/p>\n

But as I mentioned at the start of the post, I was until recently dealing with the opposite problem: my freezer was much too warm, and everything was melting. Once again, “to melt” can be either transitive or intransitive. If you mean “to stop being solid and become liquid,” then the pair you need is \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u0442\u044c\/\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/b>:<\/p>\n

\u044f \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e
\n\u0442\u044b \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0448\u044c
\n[…]
\n\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442<\/b>
\npast: \u043e\u043d \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u043b, \u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u043b\u0430…<\/b><\/p>\n

This word can generally be used for substances that melt at room temperature, or at any rate, below the boiling point of water: \u0441\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0433, \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043e\u0435, \u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u043e, \u0448\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0434, \u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0435 \u0432\u043e\u0441\u043a<\/b> (“snow, ice cream, butter, chocolate, even wax”):<\/p>\n

\u0422\u0435\u043f\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442 \u043d\u0430 \u0443<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0435 \u0438 \u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430 \u0441\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0431\u0430<\/span>\u0431\u0430<\/span> \u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442.<\/b>
\nIt’s getting warm outside and our snowman will soon melt.<\/i><\/p>\n

And the corresponding transitive verb (“to cause to melt”) is \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c (\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u043b\u044e<\/span>, \u0442\u044b \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043f\u0438\u0448\u044c…)<\/b> — as you can probably guess, it’s related to such words as \u0442\u0451\u043f\u043b\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“warm”) and \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043f\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/b> (“fuel”). For example:<\/p>\n

\u041e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u043f\u0447\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0443 \u0432 \u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043a\u0435.<\/b>
\nShe is melting some bee’s wax in a tablespoon.<\/i><\/p>\n

There is, by the way, another set of verbs that mean “to melt”: (\u0440\u0430\u0441)\u043f\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b> and (\u0440\u0430\u0441)\u043f\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>. But these are used in the contexts of metallurgy and volcanoes — i.e., when you’re talking about extremely high temperatures. (\u041d\u0430\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u043b \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0438<\/span> \u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u0435 \u0441\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u044c\u0433\u0438 \u0438 \u043c\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044b, \u0447\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u044b \u0441\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u0446.<\/b> — The populace melted their golden earrings and coins, to make a calf.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u041d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0443\u044e \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u044e \u043a \u043d\u0430\u043c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0437\u043b\u0438 \u043d\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a (“Last week, a new refrigerator was delivered to our place”) — \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u044b\u0439 \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0434\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e \u0434\u044b\u0448\u0430\u043b \u043d\u0430 \u043b\u0430\u0434\u0430\u043d. Literally translated, that’s “the old fridge had long since been breathing the incense”[i.e, the incense from its own funeral Mass]. Which is to say that it \u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f\u043b \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":4277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1032,5260,385640,115136],"class_list":["post-4274","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","tag-cold","tag-freezing","tag-russian-for-beginners","tag-useful-russian-words"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t