All Questions
4,663
questions
9
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Etymology of "С дуба рухнуть"
The expression С дуба рухнуть means: crack up, go nuts. For example:
Ты что, с дуба рухнул?
Have you lost it?
What is the etymology of this expression?
- 2,615
9
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Are there rules for shortening words? Like "здрасте" instead of "здравствуйте"?
In my previous question, several answers mentioned different ways здравствуйте can be shortened, namely здравствуй and здрасте. Are these special cases, or is it common to shorten words like these?
...
- 646
12
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Which word in Russian has the longest consonant cluster?
I've heard about this word
контрвзбзднуть
which has 9 consonants in a row. Obviously this word doesn't exist. Which real word(s) has the longest consonant cluster?
- 5,367
18
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Does “official Russian” language exist?
In the Soviet time, the speech of news-readers on radio and TV was considered a standard of the proper Russian language. The spelling in the newpapers was the standard of written language. To support ...
- 4,654
9
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is there a Russian analogue of British Council or Goethe-Institut?
As far as I know, for English, German, French there are state organizations promoting these languages abroad. Does Russia have anything similar?
- 4,654
21
votes
2
answers
984
views
What does "-с" suffix mean?
When reading Dostoyevski's books I often find characters that use a manner of speech that adds "-с" and the end of the words. What does it mean? Is it used to convey some emotion or is it ...
- 899
5
votes
1
answer
861
views
How is the "verb government" called in Russian?
As a Russian student, I've learnt that Russian verbs, like in other languages, "govern" certain cases.
For example: Читать —> что? (Accusative or Винительный падеж).
After a little search, I found ...
- 1,126
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
When to use the genitive or the accusative in negative sentences
In my Russian course we have learnt that in negative sentences the object
is often in the genitive. On the other hand there are situations in which
it is correct to use an accusative, and there is ...
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24
votes
6
answers
3k
views
What's the difference between -либо and -нибудь?
The pairs кто-нибудь and кто-либо, когда-нибудь and когда-либо etc. have slight differences in meaning and each particle is used in specific settings, but I can't quite pinpoint what the difference is....
- 1,905
5
votes
2
answers
147
views
Are composite note names(such as до-диез) declinable?
The names of simple notes
до, ре, ми, фа, соль, ля, си
are not declinable (несклоняемые). The names of the modifiers диез (sharp), бемоль, (flat), бекар (natural), etc. are declinable
знак диезa, ...
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7
votes
2
answers
398
views
Proper use of ничто when answering
This question might arise from a misunderstanding from my part, but here I am to solve it once and for all.
From my russian courses, I remember my classmates answering "ничего" to questions meaning "...
- 1,126
18
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Are there loanwords from English where "h" is transliterated to "х" rather than "г"?
Russian doesn't have a direct equivalent to the sound of English h.
But to some English speakers it seems odd that words taken into Russian from English which have an h sound are transliterated using ...
- 668
28
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Are there words that can be spelled with both т and ф?
Some words of Greek descent use ф as corresponding to the Greek θ, while some use т. The former I think tend to be loaned earlier. However, in "Brothers Karamazov" I have found Mitya using the word "...
- 899
16
votes
5
answers
896
views
Is it considered proper to use вы with older people, even when they address you with ты?
Sometimes I find Russians will use the more familiar form of address, ты, even when I have addressed them with вы. I felt that in the particular circumstances it was unlikely that they meant that we ...
- 577
10
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Pronunciation of unstressed 'я'?
Is there a pronunciation rule for unstressed я?
I remember being told that it was closest to English i, for example, as in десять but this doesn't always hold. It seems that at the end of a word ...
- 577
25
votes
13
answers
85k
views
Is the Ukrainian language understandable for the average Russian native speaker?
The Ukrainian language is very similar to the Russian, but is it understandable for the average Russian native speaker, let's say, in Moscow?
Ukrainians understand Russian, but this is mostly because ...
user37
5
votes
1
answer
908
views
What Russian poet to recommend for beginners and intermediate learners? [closed]
What Russian poet could be recommender for reading for beginners and intermediate Russian Language learners?
Poetry has opinion to be difficult for learners because of extended vocabulary and many ...
18
votes
4
answers
755
views
What are the different ways of saying "but"?
I've been told that in Russian, there are at least two ways of saying "but." One is a, and the other is но. They both translate into the same word but (a or но?) they appear to have two somewhat ...
- 1,213
19
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Миш, Кать, Ань, пап, мам — what is it in an address?
When I am addressing someone and say:
Кать, приходи в гости в воскресенье
is Кать just a spoken reduction of Катя, or is it a separate grammatical form?
- 4,654
22
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Чаю vs. чая: what ending is correct?
Is чаю or чая more correct in the sentences
Я бы не отказался от чашки ча*
and
Можно мне ещё ча*?
and what's the grammatical explanation?
- 4,654
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Pronunciation rules for "о" in "поня́ть"
Are there any pronunciation rules for the letter "о"? Why is that letter said slightly differently in the masculine and feminine versions of the sentence "I understand":
m:
я ...
- 1,658
33
votes
14
answers
33k
views
ахуеть and охуеть - which is used, and what is the precise meaning?
I came across the (obscene) verb ахуеть chatting (instant messaging, to be precise) with a native speaker (context: soccer game). A bit of research on the Russian Wiktionary seems to show that this ...
- 464
20
votes
4
answers
3k
views
General rules for stressing words the right way
Твóрог or творóг?
How do I know which pronunciation is right without looking it up in the dictionary?
- 4,252
6
votes
1
answer
778
views
Request for the correct spelling of "beautiful" and "wonderful"
In my last holiday I met a lot of Russian people and they taught me a couple of Russian sentences, but only the pronunciation. Afterwards I tried to figure out how they are written, but I failed for ...
- 1,658
12
votes
3
answers
389
views
Which syllable is stressed in комплексный?
I looked in a couple of dictionaries, and they claim that комплексный is stressed on o - кóмплексный. However, when it comes to complex numbers in math, most of the professors at my university (many ...
- 5,367
37
votes
2
answers
7k
views
How can "to teach" and "to learn" be translated to Russian?
I know that there are several Russian verbs can be used to translate the English verbs "to teach", "to study", and "to learn", e.g. учить, выучить, научить, учиться, изучать, ...
However, I am a bit ...
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9
votes
1
answer
325
views
Measurement units after numbers - genitive plural or nominative singular?
If a number ends with 0,5,6,7,8, or 9, the following noun is used in genitive plural. Do measurement units make an exception or not?
Compare:
В стаде триста девяносто коров. (В стаде тристо ...
- 5,367
14
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Different words for "German" in Russian?
The Russian word for German is немецкий which means something like, "voiceless" or "mute." And yet the country is sometimes referred to as Германия. Why the difference between the two?
- 1,213
12
votes
6
answers
1k
views
A Russian translation for "privacy"
How would you translate privacy into Russian?
May I have some privacy?
I care about my privacy.
- 2,615
15
votes
2
answers
661
views
Etymology/Origin of "Грузия"
In many languages, the name of the country Georgia is derived from the name of St.George. In Georgian, Georgia is called საქართველო(Sakartvelo), so obviously Грузия has nothing to do with it either. ...
- 5,367
13
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How do I split words into syllables?
It isn't as easy as it sounds. Is it possible to come up with a well-defined set of rules that cover all possible cases?
- 4,252
21
votes
9
answers
4k
views
Is there a word that starts with "ы"?
I remember from my school years that there is no such thing as a word that starts with 'ы'. Is this true? If so, is there something fundamental that prevents this from happening? If no, can anybody ...
- 4,252
12
votes
3
answers
430
views
Has заец really become an acceptable spelling?
This is a follow up to the question Has кофе become neutral?
I have read somewhere on the web that it is now acceptable to write заец instead of заяц. Not that I am going to do that, just like I am ...
- 3,136
19
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Действительно ли по новым правилам слово "кофе" среднего рода?
Многие говорят, что согласно новым правилам "кофе" официально стал(о) считаться существительным среднего рода. Насколько это соответствует действительности?
Если это действительно так, то когда было ...
- 5,367
12
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What are the different operators like =,<,>,% etc. called (named) in Russian
I made a Google search, but couldn't find any answer. I'd like to know the names of the operators
+, -, x, /, =, <, >, %, {, }, (, ), :, &, etc.
Also I would appreciate links pointing to ...
- 231
38
votes
8
answers
5k
views
Why doesn't Russian have native words beginning with А?
I've heard that Russian has no native words beginning with the letter A. The claim is that the words appearing under A in dictionaries were all imported at some stage or another. Browsing through the ...
- 1,905
28
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Elementary understanding of the concept aspect
First, for the aim of this question I must say that I am not familiar with the Russian language, but I read a bit about it and am curious. I've never learned Russian before and just able to say a ...
- 1,658
13
votes
3
answers
248
views
How do I specify a non-whole number of nouns which have no singular form?
For most nouns which have no singular form, fractions are meaningless (e.g. штаны, ножницы, весы), but there are a few such nouns where this is not the case. For example, how do I say "it went on for ...
- 1,905
14
votes
3
answers
5k
views
What is the proper use of the word ли?
My understanding is that it means "whether" in some contexts, but can mean "if" in others. What is the difference in usage?
And what might be the difference between ли and Если, assuming that they ...
- 1,213
23
votes
2
answers
992
views
What's the first person singular future of победить
What is the first person singular of победить in future tense? The other person-numbers have obvious forms such as:
ты победишь, мы победим, они победят, вы победите, он победит, я ???
The obvious &...
- 5,367
26
votes
9
answers
2k
views
Equivalent adjective of 'thirsty' in Russian
When you're hungry, you say
Я голоден.
When you're thirsty you say
Мне хочется пить.
Is there an adjective in Russian that means thirsty? Perhaps derived from жажда (thirst)?
Has there ever ...
- 5,367
16
votes
4
answers
20k
views
Is Russian widely known in Georgia?
Is Russian so widely known in Georgia, that one can expect to be able to communicate with people in Georgia in shops, buses, hostels etc.?
Older people should know Russian well from the times of ...
17
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Where outside the former Soviet Union is the Russian language widely used?
Where, outside the former Soviet Union, is the Russian language so widely used that the knowledge of the other language in practically not required for traveller etc.?
In Ukraine, for example, ...
- 385
5
votes
2
answers
944
views
What are some of the most common words which were borrowed from other neighbouring Soviet republics? [closed]
The Soviet Union endured for over seventy years and I know lots of Russian words were borrowed into the languages of the Soviet Republics around Russia during this time.
But are there some words ...
15
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Are there some typical mistakes made by native Georgian speakers when speaking Russian?
I've been living in Georgia for half a year and most of my friends are fluent in Russian.
I've been focused on learning Georgian rather than Russian so far. But when I want to learn some Russian too, ...
- 668
28
votes
4
answers
3k
views
What is correct: "их" or "ихний"?
My wife always corrects me when I say ихний or ихних instead of их. However, I've seen these pronouns in classical literature many times (Chekhov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky).
Which form is correct in ...
- 675
11
votes
2
answers
357
views
Are there analogous words for words оба, обе for three and more?
I can take two books in the bookshop and say обе to indicate I want to buy both.
Are there any analogous words for three and more items, to indicate that I have all of them in mind?
- 385
27
votes
2
answers
104k
views
Слово "дно" во множественном числе
Как выглядит слово "дно" во множественном числе?
Одно дно
Два дна
Три дна
Четыре дна
Пять ???
Я знаю правильный ответ, но не знаю почему так. Хотелось бы услышать аргументированный ответ, ...
- 389
8
votes
4
answers
326
views
Typographic weight names
Sometimes letters in mathematics are printed in special fonts (e.g., fraktur p for a prime ideal or script F for a sheaf). If I had a script X and wanted to literally say "script X" and not just "X", ...
- 4,964
26
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Mathematical pronunciation of the number 1
I have a question about pronouncing the number 1 in Russian for mathematics.
When the number 1 appears by itself on the right side of an equation (or inequality or congruence or other mathematical ...
- 4,964