Questions tagged [существительные]
Questions concerning nouns, their form, spelling, functions, derivation, meaning and so on.
61
questions
6
votes
3answers
197 views
How should I inflect animate nouns when they are used to figuratively call inanimate objects, and vice versa?
In Russian, animate and inanimate nouns inflect differently. Let's compare "кабан" and "стакан":
Я вижу кабанов. Я стреляю в кабана.
Я вижу стаканы. Я стреляю в стакан.
It is all easy-peasy ...
6
votes
1answer
360 views
Одушевлённость шахматных фигур
Являются ли слова вроде ферзь одушевлёнными?
С одной стороны, ферзь отвечает на вопрос "что", а не "кто".
С другой, склоняется это существительное, по крайней мере в ед. ч., как одушевлённое: ...
4
votes
5answers
197 views
“у нас туго с деньга́ми”: Does this instrumental “деньга́ми” stem from “де́ньги” or “деньга́”?
у нас туго с деньга́ми
The descriptions on Wiki have me puzzled, as it seems the "деньга́ми" can be the plural instrumental of either the plural-only noun "де́ньги" or the colloquial singular noun "...
1
vote
3answers
194 views
Russian noun that ends with -ы in singular: Myth or Reality?
I was wondering, if there are any or -ы ending is always a definite indicator of plural form...
6
votes
2answers
204 views
Why are some city names, when named after people, given -sk suffix, but others aren't?
Two examples:
Yekaterinburg was renamed to Sverdlovsk in 1924, after the man Yakov Sverdlov. Notice the -sk prefix.
Orenburg was renamed to Chkalov in 1938, after the man Valery Chkalov. Notice this ...
3
votes
3answers
206 views
I am confused by the difference between the word for a language and the word for a people who speak that language [duplicate]
The word for a Russian is Русский. The word for the Russian language is по-русский or русский язык (i.e. they are the same). So you could say я Русский.
However the word for an Englishman is ...
5
votes
4answers
200 views
“Я один кто не знал, что вариантов у итогового теста два?”
вариантов или варианта? Или можно использовать обе вариации?
Нужна ли запятая перед что?
Можно ли использовать один, или грамматически верно использовать только единственный?
Нужна ли запятая перед ...
8
votes
1answer
991 views
Describe a Language Without the Noun for “Language”
In English it is rare to use the noun "language" when describing them. It is most common to name the language as such:
Engl -ish
Span -ish
French
Russi -an
Germ -an
Is it acceptable/common/...
2
votes
2answers
139 views
Does anyone know of any good resource(s) that categorize the declensions of Russian plurals?
Occasionally I see a reference to categorized noun declensions (e.g., first, second, third). I would imagine some question whether or not learning about such declensions is essential to learning the ...
6
votes
5answers
368 views
Difference in usage between “пи́ща” and “еда”
As the title asks, what is the difference in usage between пи́ща and еда? Is one just a more formal version of the other? Are there any people/situations to which you could not usually apply one or ...
1
vote
1answer
265 views
How is яблони different from яблоки?
Consider the first line of the famous song Катюша:
Расцветали яблони и груши
In English, this line roughly translates to "Apples and pears were blossoming".
However, the plural noun "apples" in ...
3
votes
3answers
189 views
Colours as nouns
Ran into this situation when trying to order fabric. Can colours in Russian take a noun form, or must it always be adjective + цвет?
Secondly, if you were to name multiple colours, would you have to ...
4
votes
1answer
344 views
Does the Russian numeral rule for the adjective that comes between the number and the noun (see below) apply to animate nouns in actual usage?
The rule I refer to is this:
For numeral + adjective + noun in genitive case structures where the numeral-noun-adjective phrase is serving in a nominative case (e.g., the three little pigs went to ...
11
votes
3answers
415 views
Can anyone clear up some discrepancies between rules for numeral+adjective+noun agreement for 2/3/4 and actual usage (as found through e-sources)?
While trying to augment my knowledge on Russian numerals with regard to how they combine with nouns and adjectives, I paid a visit to Reverso after learning that any adjectives placed between the ...
2
votes
1answer
167 views
“Радио” or “ра́дио”
I was wondering which is the correct form. радио or ра́дио ? I mean I've seen people writing both of them. And I've also seen many letters with this accent above the a. Is it necessary? Which spelling ...
8
votes
4answers
348 views
«И беспечной птицей» - why instrumental?
Every source I can find of the lyrics of Тополиный пух claims that the song contains the following line near the beginning:
И беспечной птицей в небо улетаешь
If I understand correctly, «беспечной»...
1
vote
0answers
263 views
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Other nouns formed by prepending _само_ to an action
There are a number of nouns formed by prepending само to the action that that thing does that are very common: самолет, самовар. Other similar formations, like самодвижущийся, are uncommon.
Are ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Forming Russian nouns from verbs
I've noticed a couple of patterns in regards to forming nouns from verbs.
1) Removing the -ть from verbs ending in -бить/быть, -вить, чать and -ять and adding -тие (for example: разбить --> разбитие,...
9
votes
3answers
296 views
Meaning of “подъезд”
When I look in dictionaries, they give me driveway, but then the following sentences don't really make sense. It sounds more like a part of a building (complex):
Мы живем в одном подъезде.
Моя ...
7
votes
2answers
193 views
“Добавить в друзья” - why nominative?
As far as I can tell, the Russian equivalent of the English phrase "to add smb" with regards to social media accounts like Facebook, VKontakte, etc. is "добавлять/добавить в друзья." My question is: ...
4
votes
4answers
228 views
What's the difference between пользование and использование?
I looked пользование and использование up in the dictionary but they look the same to me. They translate the english word "use" or "usage". Could you please explain in which contexts you can use these ...
2
votes
2answers
339 views
Is there a locative for words not ending in a consonant?
There are some nouns that take the ending -у (locative) instead of -е (prepositional) after the prepositions в, на, like год, лес, сад.
Question: Is there any such noun which does not end on a ...
2
votes
2answers
150 views
“Отца не стало в июне.” Why is Отца not Отец?
Shouldn't it be in nominative form, not (I assume) genitive?
6
votes
3answers
279 views
Difference between сожитель, любовник and фаворит
I encountered three different words to say "lover".
My teacher said that
сожитель has a negative connotation, it is rather "plebish", but I don't actually understand what kind of bad connotation it ...
1
vote
6answers
452 views
Is there a word for Motherworld, similar to Motherland (Родина)?
родина means motherland, but I'm looking for the translation to a related word, "motherworld". This is similar to mother earth or mother nature.
Google translate does not even attempt a translation ...
2
votes
2answers
171 views
When does неделя become неделю?
I've seen неделю, but I don't know of when the transformation occurs. Could somebody explain it to me?
2
votes
1answer
208 views
Why do you use “воды” in this sentence?
I just saw the following two sentences:
У мальчиков есть вода.
У мальчиков нет воды.
It seems that the meaning is something like The children have water. and The children don't have water.. ...
2
votes
2answers
257 views
Is the “Great Patriotic War” used only for the Eastern European Theater 1941 - 1945?
In the west, it's called World War 2. For Russians, this is called the Great Patriotic War...but does this only refer to the Eastern European Front 1941 Jun 22 to 1945 May 9?
Is the Battle of Britain,...
4
votes
2answers
400 views
Little questions regarding “tram stop”
I'm a beginner and have a question regarding bus stop and tram stop.
I want to say: "I'm going to the bus stop/tram stop." And I would like to use остановке.
I know that остановка is feminine and I ...
5
votes
2answers
167 views
Nouns with mixed masc./fem. declensions
Does anyone know of any nouns like путь that are declined in a mixed masc./fem. way? What I mean is путь follows a typical feminine pattern for the dat./gen./prep. cases (пути), but its instrumental ...
3
votes
1answer
206 views
What gender do place names take if they do not end in letters that mean that a gender is assigned to a noun by default?
I know that nouns that end in certain letters become by default male, but if a noun does not end in any of these letters (e.g., Бостон) what gender does it take by default?
4
votes
2answers
487 views
What are the rules, if any, for naming a city after a person?
Let me start with some examples:
Leningrad / Ленинград (today Saint Petersburg / Санкт-Петербург)
Leninsk / Ленинск
Stalingrad / Сталингрaд (today Volgograd / Волгогрaд)
Gorky / Горький (today ...
8
votes
5answers
226 views
1
vote
3answers
238 views
Are there in Russian any inanimate masculine nouns ending on -я?
Are there any Russian inanimate masculine nouns ending in -я?
I can think of many feminine ones (торговля, трескотня, болтовня, мастерская, спальня, келья, etc.), but are there any masculine ones?
3
votes
1answer
298 views
Are there in Russian any inanimate masculine nouns ending on -a?
Are there any Russian inanimate masculine nouns ending on -a?
I can think of many feminine ones (машина, ангина, книга, панорама, перспектива, etc.), but are there any masculine ones?
3
votes
2answers
201 views
Существительное “забывало”
I just used, without thinking, the word "забывало" to mean "a person who forgets things all the time". When I started to think about it, I couldn't remember having heard the word, nor could I find ...
7
votes
1answer
243 views
Именование жителей городов
Человек, живущий в городе, может быть назван специальным существительным, которое обозначает его принадлежность к этому городу.
Например житель:
Москвы — москвич,
Омска — омич,
Ленинграда — ...
4
votes
1answer
168 views
“Mechanical Draughtsman” in Russian
Please, could somebody tell me how to say in Russian "Mechanical Draughtsman"
It is a profession, trade.
In English means a person who draws and designs mechanical, structural or machine parts.
The ...
8
votes
2answers
366 views
What percentage of nouns with a мягкий знак are feminine vs. masculine
Yes, we can learn whether or not a noun is feminine, but does anyone have a break-down of the percentages? I know that the majority seem to be Feminine, but what is the exact figure?
спасибо за ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Non-Russian names: to decline or not to decline?
Recently I was heckled by a fellow student of mine for saying "Я вижу Лору" (I see Laura). Since Laura (presumably) is not a Russian name, she insisted on "Я вижу Лора".
So when to decline, when not ...
5
votes
3answers
6k views
How do you say and spell “Тоска”
I am very curious about the Russian word “Toska.” The word that is difficult to translate in English and means loosely: melancholy, longing, boredom, spiritual anguish. How is this word written and ...
11
votes
4answers
660 views
Why Russians use adjective when speaking about their nation and nouns for the rest of the world?
how come that russian (русский) in context of ethnic group is adjective, but all(?) other ethic groups are called using nouns, американец, серб, эстонец, латыш, казах ...
Are there similar examples in ...
4
votes
1answer
292 views
“Город, смород” vs. “град, смрад” — is there any rhyme and reason behind all the metatheses of Modern Russian vs. Old Church Slavonic?
I am sure you've come across these word pairings before:
город — град
смород — смрад
скользкий — склизкий
ворота — врата
ворон — враний
ворог — враг
холод — хлад (cf. хладнокровный)
and so on and so ...
3
votes
2answers
126 views
When should “родина” be capitalized?
Is there a thumb rule for when to capitalize Родина? Or is it just a free-for-all poetic-license type of thing?
For lack of a better example,
Родина, еду я на Родину,
Пусть кричат — "уродина!",
...
6
votes
3answers
354 views
“Битком набиты” — was “биток” actually a noun at some time?
Did биток always only exist in the context of the idiom "битком набиты", or was it a "perfectly valid noun in its own right" at some point in the past?
9
votes
2answers
238 views
How can one figure out if there is an implicit noun for a noun that declines like an adjective, and if so, what it is?
Certain nouns that decline like adjectives are adjectival nouns where it is standard to suppress the noun, e.g. ванная is short for ванная комната, and it is not too hard to guess what the implicit ...
3
votes
2answers
9k views
Правильное сокращение «байт» и «бит»
Как правильно сокращать слово «байт»?
В английском языке, обычно принято использовать заглавную букву «Б» для «байт», и строчную букву «б» для «бит». По-русски будет по-другому?
Например, почему ...
0
votes
1answer
205 views
этимология слова “ружьё”?
Кто-нибудь знает происхождение слова "ружьё"? Не смог найти ни одного однокоренного слова, кроме его производных.
