{"id":680,"date":"2010-04-11T14:45:56","date_gmt":"2010-04-11T14:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=680"},"modified":"2010-04-11T14:49:54","modified_gmt":"2010-04-11T14:49:54","slug":"all-good-things-come-in%e2%80%a6-plural","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/all-good-things-come-in%e2%80%a6-plural\/","title":{"rendered":"All Good Things Come In\u2026 Plural!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [grammar] doesn\u2019t make sense. I know this might sound strange coming from me \u2013 such a devoted \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [lover; fancier of grammar] \u2013 but even I will have to admit that grammar isn\u2019t always the spotless \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0437\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u0430\u043b\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0438\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u044f<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0430<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [logical mirror of the human perception of the world]\u00a0 that we would like it to be (though I still hold grammar in high regard and my advise to those who don\u2019t like it as much can be summed up in the following sentence: \u201cDon\u2019t fight grammar and it won\u2019t fight you!\u201d)<\/em>. Some nouns in Russian language \u2013 as in many other languages as well \u2013 are only available for us to use in \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span><\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [plural], even though the \u2018thing\u2019<\/em> in itself seems to us as being only \u2018one\u2019<\/em>. Speaking the universal language of grammar \u2013 everybody\u2019s favorite \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u043d\u044c<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [Latin] \u2013 this phenomenon is known as pluralia tantum<\/a> (into Russian this is translated as \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e<\/em><\/strong>\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [plural only])<\/em>. This doesn\u2019t have to be a difficult part of Russian language at all. Why is that? Because there are some \u2018plural only\u2019 nouns in Russian that are also \u2018plural only\u2019 in English. For example:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0413\u0434\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0443<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u0438\u0446\u044b<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [Where do you have (alt. keep)<\/em> the scissors?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0423<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0442<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u0438\u0446<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [I don\u2019t have any scissors].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0423<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0451<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u044b<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [Does she have scales?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0435\u0442<\/strong>, <\/strong>\u0443<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0451<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0442<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0432<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [No, she doesn\u2019t have scales.]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0422\u044b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0431\u044b\u043b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0410\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u0445<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [Have you been to Athens?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0435\u0442<\/strong>, <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0431\u044b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0441\u044a\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0410\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [No, but I (male)<\/em> would like to visit Athens].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0422\u0435\u0431\u0435 \u043d\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043d\u043e\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u043e\u0447\u043a\u0438<\/span>?\u00bb<\/strong> [Do you like wearing glasses?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0435\u0442<\/strong>, <\/strong>\u044f<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0431\u044b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0437<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043e\u0447\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [No, I (female)<\/em> would like to go without glasses].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0422\u0432\u043e\u0438<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u044e<\/span>\u043a\u0438<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430\u043d\u044b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0447\u0435<\/span>\u043c<\/strong>–<\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [Your pants are spotted with something].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u042d\u0442\u043e<\/span> \u0443 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430\u043d\u044b; \u0431\u0440\u044e\u043a \u0441\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0441 \u043d\u0430 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0435\u0442\u2026\u00bb<\/strong> [It is my legs that are spotted; I don\u2019t have pants on now\u2026]<\/p>\n

That was the easy the part. Now we\u2019ll take the next step and find ourselves handling something a little bit trickier: nouns in Russian which have a different form for plural than for singular. In order to understand this we must start with the two most obvious cases of this in Russian language: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [one person] versus \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [persons; people] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [one child] versus \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [children]. Let\u2019s have a look at this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/em><\/strong>\u041d\u0430<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/em><\/strong>\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [On the square there are a lot of people].<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0443<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u0445<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [How many (genitive plural)<\/em> children do they have?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0423 \u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d \u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [They only have one child].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e \u043b\u0438 \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u043b\u043e<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u0442\u0432\u043e\u044e<\/span> \u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0446\u0438\u044e \u043f\u043e \u0424\u043b\u043e\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0443<\/a>?\u00bb<\/strong> [Did a lot of (genitive plural) <\/em>people come to your lecture on Florensky<\/a>?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041d\u0435\u0442, \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u0451<\/span>\u043b \u0432\u0441\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [No, only one person came].<\/p>\n

And then there are those interesting nouns in Russian which are plural only even though logic would have it that they\u2019re only hinting at ONE single thing. (I aced a course in pedagogic once upon a time and the most useful thing I learned in it was to never say something is \u2018hard\u2019 or \u2018difficult\u2019 but use the adjective \u2018interesting\u2019 instead. So I do.)<\/em> Here are a couple of examples of this:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041e\u043d \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u043b \u0435\u0439 \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0435 \u0434\u0443\u0445\u0438<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [He bought her new perfume].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0438\u0442<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0434\u0443\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0432<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [But she doesn’t wear (genitive plural) <\/em>perfume].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0422\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b \u043c\u043e\u0438<\/span> \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438!\u00bb<\/strong> [My week days are so boring!]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0410 \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0439 \u0431\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0431\u044b \u0441\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b \u0432\u044b\u0445\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b<\/span>\u0435\u2026\u00bb<\/strong> [But without (genitive plural)<\/em> weekdays the weekends would be boring\u2026]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0430<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0445<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043e\u043d<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0443\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043b<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u043e\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u0446\u0430<\/span><\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [On his mother\u2019s funeral he saw his father for the first time].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0418 \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d \u0437\u0430\u043f\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u0430\u043b\u2026\u00bb<\/strong> [And during (genitive plural)<\/em> the funeral (he)<\/em> started to cry\u2026]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0421\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e \u043b\u0438 \u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u0442 \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044b?\u00bb<\/strong> [Will we have holiday\/vacation soon?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041d\u0435 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u0443 \u0432\u0430\u0441 \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0443\u043b!\u00bb<\/strong> [You will not have (genitive plural)<\/em> holiday\/vacation!]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0443<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [When is his (birthday party) <\/em>name day?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041c\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043e\u043d \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0443\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0438<\/span>\u0445 \u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043d?\u00bb<\/strong> [It seems to me that he doesn\u2019t celebrate his (genitive plural)<\/em> name day?]<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/em><\/strong>\u041a\u043e<\/span>\u0444\u0435<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0437<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u043a<\/em><\/strong>\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [coffee without cream] but \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043a<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044e<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0438<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u0432<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e\u043c<\/em><\/strong>\u00bb <\/em><\/strong>[fortunately there\u2019s cream in the cake]!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u042f<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043b\u044e\u0431\u043b\u044e<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0438<\/strong>, <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0437<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u043a<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0433\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [I love cream, without (genitive plural)<\/em> cream I cannot live].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0430<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0447\u0430\u0441\u044b<\/span><\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [She bought him a new watch].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043e\u043d<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0438\u0442<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0447\u0430\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0432<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [But he doesn\u2019t wear (genitive plural)<\/em> a watch].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0441\u044f<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0432<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0441\u0443<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0430\u0445<\/strong>\u2026\u00bb<\/strong> [We\u2019ll meet in the twilight\u2026]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0410 \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430 \u0441\u0443<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043a \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0448\u044c?\u00bb<\/strong> [But you won\u2019t tell (lit. prompt; suggest)<\/em> me the exact time of the arrival of (genitive plural) <\/em>twilight?]<\/p>\n

And at last but not least there\u2019s one very important noun in Russian which is \u2018plural only\u2019 and thus only used in plural – \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0433\u0438<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [money]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0433\u0438<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0443<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [Do you have (any)<\/em> money?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0433<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0443<\/strong> <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0442<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [I don\u2019t have (any) (genitive plural)<\/em> money].<\/p>\n

Or a more positive answer to the same question:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0423 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0433! \u0421\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span><\/strong> <\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u043e<\/strong>?\u00bb<\/strong> [I have a lot of (genitive plural)<\/em> money! How much do you need?]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

A little something about the most interesting phenopluralia tantum in Russian language.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7828],"tags":[8205,3349,7520,8207,1237,1248,8206,8208,1674,8209],"class_list":["post-680","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners","tag-florensky","tag-plural","tag-plural-nouns","tag-pluralia-tantum","tag-russian-grammar","tag-russian-language","tag-russian-nouns","tag-8208","tag-1674","tag-8209"],"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