Archives for: "May 2009"
Лимонад
An English speaker might assume that лимонад means lemonade, but in Russian it means almost any non-alcoholic beverage, usually carbonated, and usually sweetened with fruit or berry syrup or sometimes with various herbs or artificial flavors. In other… more »
Сороконожка
I have never had this conversation in Russian, but I can imagine having it: — Боря, как перевести на русский «centipede»? “Boris, how do you translate ‘centipede’ into Russian?” — «Сороконожка». “‘Сороконожка.’” — А «millipede»? “And what about… more »
Салат
If there is any word in the Russian language that a modern American is bound to misunderstand, that word is салат. For an American the primary meaning of salad is a mixture of raw leafy greens with a bit of dressing on top, perhaps with tomatoes or some… more »
Писать экзамен
In English we say “to take an exam.” In Russian we say «(на)писать экзамен». If you try to say in Russian «Я взял экзамен» that means “I took the exam [and it's no longer where it originally was].” «Я хорошо написал экзамен» means “I did well on the… more »