All Questions
4,665
questions
4
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2
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562
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Using ordinal numbers for elapsed time
Иван начал жить в Москве шестого января 2017. Сегодня четвертое апреля 2022. Следовательно
а) Иван живет в Москве пятый год.
б) Иван живет в Москве шестой год.
Which phrase is correct?
- 343
2
votes
1
answer
136
views
Exact rules governing consonant changes as seen in the first person singular in verb conjugations
Apparently, in verbs ending in -ить (but maybe others are also concerned), the last letter of the stem for the first person singular changes according to the following pattern:
д becomes ж as in ...
- 335
1
vote
1
answer
127
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Complete rules for the epenthetic л in verb conjugations
My question is twofold:
What are the complete and exact rules that govern the epenthetic л in verb conjugations i.e. the л that is inserted either just in the first person singular of certain –и ...
- 335
1
vote
2
answers
143
views
About grapes (виноград) and grapes (винограды)
I understand that in Russian, виноград is a collective noun implying the plural “grapes”. However, when looking into it in Wikislovar (https://ru.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%...
- 335
3
votes
3
answers
234
views
About sugar, tea and raisins and their partitive case (сахару, ча́ю, изюму, кишмишу)
I've noticed that some words, such as sugar (сахар), tea (чай) and raisins (изюм or кишмиш), have a partitive case (разделительный падеж), different from their genitive. However, I've also heard that ...
- 335
3
votes
1
answer
161
views
What does "целый муравейник в поле загонял бы" mean?
In the comments to this video about БК-0010, there is a comment
За такой комп в детстве бы целый муравейник в поле загонял!!!!
I'm given to understand that комп is just short for компьютер, so that ...
- 1,293
1
vote
1
answer
165
views
Verbs that require either an accusative or genitive object, depending on their nature
Apparently, there is a number of verbs that may require either an accusative or genitive object, depending on their nature.
If it's a specific, concrete object, the accusative would apply: I wait for ...
- 335
1
vote
2
answers
170
views
Is there a resource that lists what case(s) verbs govern?
In Russian, there are verbs that govern a certain case, but also verbs that can be used with more than one case (typically verbs that take either the accusative or the genitive-partitive).
Would there ...
- 335
1
vote
1
answer
159
views
Why the distinction between animate/inanimate appears in masculine accusative but only in feminine plural?
What is the reason in terms of the history of the language and is there the exact same difference in other Slavic or non-Slavic languages ?
- 335
0
votes
2
answers
141
views
What's the difference between "доверие", "доверительность", and "доверчивость"?
What's the difference between "доверие", "доверительность", and "доверчивость", grammatically speaking?
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1
vote
2
answers
140
views
Is it possible to write «я слушаю музыки» and what would be its meaning?
Usually we encounter «я слушаю музыку» (I listen to music - accusative) but would it be possible, as music is uncountable, to use the partitive-genitive: я слушаю музыки» ?
If it is possible and does ...
- 335
1
vote
3
answers
123
views
Would somoene have a pretty complete list of masculine nouns that have an irregular plural in -а (or in -я for nouns ending in -ь)?
Singular
Plural
English
адрес
адреса
address
берег
берега
shore
бок
бока
side
буфер
буфера
buffer
век
векa
century
вексель
векселя
promissory note
вечер
вечера
evening
глаз
глаза
eye
год
года
...
- 335
2
votes
2
answers
724
views
Is there a difference between "21 час" and "21 часа"
Based on what I've seen so far, the case should follow the last number, 21 (one - один) should be nom. sing. but when I was looking at the macbook pro on apple's web site, they describe the battery ...
- 145
3
votes
1
answer
284
views
Why is the accusative of животное not животного?
In the following sentence:
Ты прячешь животное.
Why is it "животное", not "животного"? In Russian, an animal is considered an animate object, and животное is conjugated much like ...
- 1,157
3
votes
2
answers
262
views
Is the phrase "Сумма денег" grammatically correct?
Is the phrase "Сумма денег" grammatically correct? My tutor was teaching me about "тавтология" and said that this phrase was a case of it. I asked my Russian friends about it and ...
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3
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What's the difference between "уродиться" and "родиться"?
As the title says, what's the difference between these two verbs? I've seen the latter used in this sentence: Он таким уродился. Couldn't one use the verb "родиться" in this case as well? ...
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-2
votes
1
answer
151
views
What does Putin say in Russian that is translated "lead you to such consequences that you have never faced in your history" [closed]
In this short video (starting at 0:50 point) Putin warns that interference with his "special operation" would lead you to such consequences that you have never faced in your history.
What is ...
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0
votes
1
answer
167
views
A very small text I tried to write, could you correct it?
I've been learning Russian for two weeks and I tried to write a small text in order to practice. Could you please correct it? Thanks in advance! Here it is:
Я живу с моей семьёй в малом городком в ...
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votes
2
answers
200
views
How does через work in через каждый пять минут?
In the following sentence:
Он звонил через каждые пять минут.
I'm not sure how через works in this sentence. Specifically, how does it differ from this sentence:
Он звонил каждые пять минут.
This ...
- 1,157
1
vote
3
answers
139
views
Use of the singular imperative to express conditional meaning in the main clause
Reading Gorky's "Мать", I came across this sentence:
Кабы не увидал я тебя - хоть назад в тюрьму иди!
(часть II глава 9-а)
Does this singular imperative in the main clause mean "шел ...
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1
vote
1
answer
173
views
Why is the word "тот" used in this sentence and why is it in the dative case?
Here's the text from my book:
-У вас есть стихи Лермонтова?
-Нет, к сожалению, стихи Лермонтова проданы.
-Но ведь они были несколько дней тому назад!
-Да, но всё уже продано.
I don't understand the ...
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5
votes
3
answers
463
views
How does the meaning of "не мог/смог сдержа́ть/сде́рживать" vary according to the aspect used?
I'm trying to figure out how exactly these aspectual variations modify the meaning of "Она́ не могла́ сдержа́ть слёз" in the following:
Она не могла сдержать слёз.
Она не cмогла сдержать ...
- 153
4
votes
2
answers
366
views
Why is it that some foreign names are declined, while others aren't?
In the following sentence:
МОСКВА, 7 июня. /ТАСС/. Президент России Владимир Путин рассказал, с кем из мировых лидеров общается на "ты". Во время "Прямой линии" глава государства ...
- 1,157
3
votes
3
answers
244
views
Почему глагол "управлять" непереходный?
Ведь, действие переходит к объекту. И вопрос "управлять что?" вроде звучит нормально.
Например: "Я управляю машину рулем и педалями." – Что управляю? Машину. Чем управляю? Рулем и ...
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2
votes
4
answers
365
views
What does "переписала хату на кота" mean exactly?
A (apparently inciting) political poster has been posted in the city of Kamianske, reading as follows:
Взнала, що внук голосував за "регіони", переписала хату на кота
My friend (non-native)...
- 145
1
vote
2
answers
153
views
What is the force of prefixes on perfective and imperfective verbs? Are all prefixed verbs perfective?
So you have the perfective and imperfective form of verbs, e.g. дарить и подарить.
This is sometimes determined by the prefix, as shown above.
But verbs can also have other prefixes which determine ...
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5
votes
1
answer
109
views
What rule governs the grammatical cases in these examples?
I don't understand why the sentences Mы достигли своей цели and Пушка пробивала лобовую броню are correct. Why not Мы достигли свою цель? What's the rule for the grammatical cases used here? Why are ...
- 51
3
votes
1
answer
188
views
meaning of сле́дует
There's an interesting definition and example in wiktionary about следовать.
to should, to ought to (the agent who/which should/ought to do something is in the dative case)
Ему́ сле́дует сро́чно ...
- 432
5
votes
2
answers
539
views
What's the difference between single что and reduplicated что что?
At times, I've heard native Russian speakers say что что, instead of single что. For example,
(I say something that is incomprehensible to a waitress.)
Что-что?
Is there any difference between что-...
- 1,157
3
votes
3
answers
300
views
Двойной род - это норма?
К примеру, возьмём слово "матриарх". Это слово мужского рода, но означает женщину. Как согласовываются с ним прилагательные и глаголы прошлого времени? Мне кажется, в текстах любят ...
- 255
2
votes
5
answers
313
views
What would you call a drinker of non-alcohol beverages in Russian?
A noun derived from the verb “to drink” is a “drinker”. Following this analogy, how would I derive a noun from Russian verb «пить»? Would that be «пьец», «питьец», «пьюн»?
I know that there are words ...
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votes
1
answer
187
views
Какие примеры стилистически-морфологических приёмов имитации иностранных и нерусских акцентов, и каких именно, существуют в русском языке? [closed]
Какие примеры стилистически-морфологических приёмов имитации иностранных и нерусских акцентов, и каких именно, существуют в русском языке?
Ну, всякие такие приемы, как пример : "вах, дарагой !&...
- 705
3
votes
1
answer
267
views
Confusion between forms of быть
I having a little confusion with the different uses of Быть and hoping someone can help me clear it up.
Мне было 6 лет.
Мне было холодно.
Он был хорошим человеком.
Она была веселой.
Всё было хорошо.
...
2
votes
2
answers
260
views
What are the fuller expressions of the Russian equivalents to some common festive greetings (e.g., Happy Birthday, Happy Easter, Happy New Year's)?
Even Duolingo will tell you that
Greetings and other similar expressions are often shortened versions of longer phrases, where words still retain their forms.
When you see an oblique form (i.e., a ...
- 2,215
2
votes
5
answers
244
views
What is the difference between "украшение," "драгоценность," and "ювелирные изделия"?
This one is just in time for Valentine's Day ...
I came across "ювелирные изделия" in my Russian textbook ТРОЙКА. I was curious about the etymology of it, so I looked it up in Wiktionary ...
- 2,215
0
votes
4
answers
311
views
How is the slash verbalized in Russian?
How is the slash (when it is used in English to connect non-contrasting items) verbalized in Russian?
I'm a native Russian speaker and nothing really comes to mind. «Тире» or «слеш», perhaps?
For ...
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votes
3
answers
530
views
Возможно ли смоделировать в русском истинно "Yoda style", чтоб он звучал так же страннейше как в английском?
По-моему, это невозможно - смоделировать в русском истинно "Yoda style", чтоб он звучал так же страннейше (полагаю, не ошибаюсь) как в английском.
Учитывая, что русский - язык флективно-...
- 705
4
votes
1
answer
171
views
Phrase "на пальцах раскладывать"
In this video interview (at 48:43) about Russian cartoons, specifically about censorship of these cartoons abroad, the man interviewed uses the phrase "на пальцах раскладывать" referring to ...
- 259
2
votes
3
answers
321
views
Is there a verb "шкодовать" in Russian?
When I was reading the novel "Дикая охота Короля Стаха" by belarusian writer Uladzimir Karatkievich , I stumbled upon this phrase:
А они детей из Ярков шкодовали?
I searched for this verb, ...
- 343
1
vote
3
answers
230
views
Why is the dative used in "и красному знамени" in the Soviet anthem?
I'm trying to understand why the dative is used here (last verse of the 1977 Soviet anthem):
В победе бессмертных идей коммунизма
Мы видим грядущее нашей страны
И Красному знамени славной Отчизны
Мы ...
- 121
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votes
1
answer
176
views
How to explain use of "что" when a person is being referred to in songs?
I roughly understand that "кто" is used when referring to a person and "что" when referring to a thing, but I've found at least three examples in songs where this doesn't seem to ...
- 153
5
votes
1
answer
223
views
what does спалила mean in this sentence?
excerpt from a song:
"Ты спалила наверняка как он смотрит издалека".
the direct translation of спалила or спали́ть is "to burn", however it does not make sense in this sentence.
...
- 53
0
votes
2
answers
141
views
Do other feminine geographical proper nouns ending in the soft sign have the same declension stress pattern as Русь?
Besides Русь, which has stressed endings in the genitive, dative and prepositional cases (Руси́) and stem stressed instrumental (Ру́сью), are there other soft-sign feminine geographical proper nouns ...
- 343
2
votes
1
answer
155
views
What's the meaning of "иде же несть печали и воздыхания"?
Reading Ivan Bunin's short story Чаша жизни, I stumbled upon this phrase:
"А когда ударила по сердцам скорбно ликующая песнь о той обители, иде же несть печали и воздыхания,"
I guess that ...
- 343
1
vote
2
answers
170
views
When would I choose следующий over ближайший?
I'm a little confused about the difference in usage between the two.
Which is more common?
When would I choose the other (less-common) one to describe a 'next' something?
The dictionary definitions ...
- 161
4
votes
3
answers
298
views
Is there a difference between "Он не был там." and "Его там не было."?
Is there a difference between "Он не был там." and "Его там не было."?
Are both phrases correct?
- 343
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votes
1
answer
97
views
"Презентую" - какое это время?
Слово "презентую" это настоящее время несовершенного вида или будущее время совершенного?
Одновременно ведь быть не может?
- 255
3
votes
1
answer
165
views
What is the most used and widely accepted term for "tree well" in Russian?
Today, due to the tragic death of Amanda Asay, I learned the English term, "tree well", which is (quote from wikipedia):
A tree well, also known as a spruce trap, is the space around a tree ...
- 37.9k
3
votes
3
answers
154
views
Is there a difference between "у меня болит голова" and "у меня головная боль"?
I've been trying to prevent my Russian from rusting by going through Duolingo in both directions (Russian for English speakers and English for Russian speakers). I found "I have a headache" ...
- 33
1
vote
2
answers
158
views
What does есть горячим mean?
Here's an excerpt from the discussion on Duolingo French course for Russian speakers
:
"Я люблю есть горячее."
Перевод: J'aime manger chaud.
— Вот тоже не поняла почему здесь прилагательное ...
- 1,157