{"id":5140,"date":"2014-03-03T08:09:40","date_gmt":"2014-03-03T08:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=5140"},"modified":"2018-08-16T17:00:46","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T17:00:46","slug":"proper-use-of-russian-proper-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/proper-use-of-russian-proper-names\/","title":{"rendered":"Proper Use of Russian Proper Names"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the first things you might have learned in your Russian course is the Russian names. So, you may know that \u041c\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u0430<\/strong> and \u041f\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430<\/strong> are guys’ names and that last names have male and female forms, but some of you may still be confused about the finer points of calling people by their name in Russian. Here are a few pointers to help you feel more confident about people’s names in Russian.<\/p>\n

Order of Names<\/h2>\n

The English order is normally first (given) name first (\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u044f<\/strong>), then last (family) name (\u0444\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u044f<\/strong>). The Chinese name order<\/a> is usually last name, first name. What about Russian? Well, it can go several ways depending on the situation.<\/p>\n

\u0424\u0430\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438\u044f, \u0438\u043c\u044f, \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e
\n<\/strong>This order is very typical for formal situations. When you introduce yourself in a formal setting, for example, before giving a presentation, you may use this order. Another typical situation is filling out forms in Russian, where the field name may be abbreviated to \u0424.\u0418.\u041e<\/strong>. So, you would write, for example, \u0418\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u041f\u0435\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0447<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u0418\u043c\u044f, \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e, \u0444\u0430\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438\u044f
\n<\/strong>This order may be used in biographies or general narration, for example, \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0434\u0440 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447 \u041f\u0443<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0438\u043d \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f 26 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044f 1799 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430 \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0435<\/span><\/strong> (Alexander Pushkin was born in Moscow on 26 May 1799).<\/p>\n

Patronymic<\/h2>\n

The combinations above can also be used without the \u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/strong> (patronymic<\/a>), as \u0444\u0430\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438\u044f, \u0438\u043c\u044f<\/strong> and \u0438\u043c\u044f, \u0444\u0430\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438\u044f<\/strong>, respectively. For example, \u0423\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/span> \u041a\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430 \u0420\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u043a\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e \u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 \u0422\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0435\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span> \u0423\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u043b\u044c\u044f\u043c\u0441\u0430<\/strong> (Konstantin Raikin<\/a>‘s students show compelling acting in a Tennessee Williams play).<\/p>\n

The combination of \u0438\u043c\u044f, \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/strong> is reserved for professional communication, so you may call a colleague or a professor by this name. However, if your workplace is quite informal and you are friends with your coworkers, you could just call them by their first name.<\/p>\n

Word Stress<\/h2>\n

Russian word stress can be quite unpredictable, and this is true for proper names, as well. While a small number of family names have the stress on the final syllable (for males), like \u0418\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432<\/strong> or \u041f\u0435\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432<\/strong>, most do not. Therefore, the last name \u0428\u0430\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/strong> does not<\/em> rhyme with “supernova.”<\/p>\n

Old and New<\/h2>\n

Some Russian first names have enjoyed popularity for a long time. The most popular names<\/a> given to babies in 2013 were \u0410\u0440\u0442\u0451\u043c, \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0434\u0440, \u041c\u0430\u043a\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043c, \u0414\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0439<\/strong>, and \u041a\u0438\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u043b<\/strong> for boys and \u0410\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044f, \u0414\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044c\u044f, \u041c\u0430\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u044f, \u0412\u0438\u043a\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u044f<\/strong> and \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430<\/strong> for girls. You can read more about Russian names in a previous post<\/a> on this blog.<\/p>\n

Other names that used to be common now sound outdated or like “an old person’s name.” Off the top of my head, I can think of \u0410\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0444\u044c\u044f, \u041a\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0434\u0438\u044f, \u0424\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (Thomas), \u041a\u043b\u0438\u043c<\/strong>, and several others. However, these names are making a comeback<\/a> and may enter the mainstream soon.<\/p>\n

I find it interesting that many Biblical names of Hebrew origin have become mainstream in English, but are usually associated with the Jewish community in Russian. Some examples are \u042d\u0441\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u044c<\/strong> (Esther), \u0420\u0435\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (Rebecca), \u042e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0444\u044c<\/strong> (Judith), or \u0418\u0441\u0430\u0430<\/span>\u043a<\/strong> (Isaac). This is not true for all cases, and some Biblical names have become very mainstream, for example \u0410<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u0430<\/strong> or \u0415\u043b\u0438\u0437\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Have you struggled with using Russian names before? When I was teaching Russian in college, my students would often be overwhelmed by my \u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/strong>, so I would end up going by \u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430. <\/strong>Do you have a Russian name you go by (for those who don’t have a Russian name to begin with)?<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the first things you might have learned in your Russian course is the Russian names. So, you may know that \u041c\u0438\u0448\u0430 and \u041f\u0430\u0448\u0430 are guys’ names and that last names have male and female forms, but some of you may still be confused about the finer points of calling people by their name…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1163,60741],"class_list":["post-5140","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-names","tag-russian-first-names"],"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