bag<\/span> as me.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nI’m sure there are several more distinct usage examples you can think of, not to mention set expressions like “sleeping bag” or “air bag,” which tend to have their own designations (\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043c\u0435\u0448\u043e\u0301\u043a<\/strong> and \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0443\u0301\u0448\u043a\u0430 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u043e\u043f\u0430\u0301\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/strong> in Russian).<\/p>\nLet’s look at some words that refer to a bag of sorts.<\/p>\n
\u0421\u0443\u0301\u043c\u043a\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>– the most general word. A woman’s purse is \u0441\u0443\u043c\u043a\u0430. A soft baggage\u00a0bag is \u0441\u0443\u043c\u043a\u0430, although a suitcase is \u0447\u0435\u043c\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0301\u043d. However, not every item that could be referred to as a “bag” in English can be called \u0441\u0443\u043c\u043a\u0430.<\/p>\n\u041f\u0430\u043a\u0435\u0301\u0442<\/strong> <\/span>can refer to a plastic shopping bag. Many people in Russia carry big plastic bags with company logos (not the flimsy supermarket ones) to carry other things, but this may be considered not very classy. No one refers to a plastic bag as \u043f\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0443\u043c\u043a\u0430. If you need a modifier, it’s usually called \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u044d\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0435\u0301\u043d\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u043f\u0430\u043a\u0435\u0442.<\/p>\n\u041a\u0443\u043b\u0451\u043a<\/strong> <\/span>– some people call the bag type above \u043a\u0443\u043b\u0451\u043a. This word also has the meaning of a paper bag or cone used for dry foods — think of the paper bags roasted chestnuts are sold in.<\/p>\n\u041c\u0435\u0448\u043e\u0301\u043a<\/strong><\/span> literally means “sack.” This may describe a large canvas sack used, for example, for storing coal or potatoes. However, some people may call plastic bags \u043c\u0435\u0448\u043a\u0438, as well. I think the takeaway here is not to assume that you can call them \u0441\u0443\u043c\u043a\u0430 just because it’s a “bag” in English.<\/p>\nShoes<\/h2>\n
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way — shoes as in “footwear” is \u043e\u0301\u0431\u0443\u0432\u044c<\/strong> <\/span>(feminine, uncountable). This is what you would see in catalogs and on store\/shop signs.<\/p>\n\u0422\u0443\u0301\u0444\u043b\u0438<\/strong> <\/span>– these are shoes that normally cover most of the foot and are of the dressier kind. What follows from this is that slippers, flip flops, etc. are not called \u0442\u0443\u0444\u043b\u0438 in Russian. \u0422\u0443\u0444\u043b\u0438 is what you wear to work in your work in a traditional office. Don’t take my comment about slippers literally, though — of course, what Cinderella left at the ball is a \u0442\u0443\u0301\u0444\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043a\u0430 although it’s referred to as a slipper in English. But you’d agree that it’s not the same kind of slipper you wear at home.<\/p>\n\u0411\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0438<\/strong> <\/span>— boots worn outdoors in cooler weather. Boots that go above your shins and higher are called \u0441\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0433\u0438.<\/p>\n\u0411\u043e\u0441\u043e\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0436\u043a\u0438<\/strong> <\/span>are women’s summer shoes that show the skin of your foot. The word literally means “barefoots.” \u0421\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0438 is the word for a similar type of shoe that is usually flat — this is a cognate of “sandals.”<\/p>\n\u0422\u0430\u0301\u043f\u043a\u0438<\/strong> <\/span>or \u0442\u0430\u0301\u043f\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0438<\/strong> <\/span>are house slippers, which guests are expected to put on in the host’s house.<\/p>\nAre there any other generic things that you have a hard time choosing the Russian word for? Do you use the words above similarly to what I described?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When I taught Russian, I noticed many learners without much exposure to the language would often get confused when choosing the right word for the most mundane objects. Perhaps textbooks are partly to blame, if they simply list the native\/English word and its “equivalent” in Russian without defining or describing the Russian word in detail…<\/p>\n
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