Category: "Uncategorized"

Ты

by Don  

One of the words for you in Russian is ты, which is declined like this:

Sg
Nomты
Accтебя
Gen
Preтебе
Dat
Insтобой
тобою

Ты, of course, is the singular form of ‘you’ that is used when talking to someone you don't have to be more formal and polite with. You can use it when talking to a child. You can use it when talking to a pet. You can use it when you are talking to a brother or a sister. You can use it when talking to one person whom you know well. So, if you suddenly spot someone walking down the street, and you know that person very well, you might say:

Куда ты идёшь? Where are you going?
Откуда у тебя такие красивые глаза? How did you get such beautiful eyes?
Я хочу поцеловать тебя. I want to kiss you.
Я хочу, чтобы мы с тобой были вместе навсегда! I want us to be together forever!

In contrast to ты the word вы is used to talk to a single individual when you are speaking more formally. Mastering when to use ты and вы is a bit problematic for American English speakers for several reasons. The obvious reason is that there is only one word for you in English. Previously the general rule for non-Russian speakers of Russian was that one should use вы until a particular Russian suggests otherwise to you. That's not the worst rule on the planet. But nowadays the transition from вы to ты is taking place much more rapidly than previous generations could have dreamed of. Nonetheless, I am still advising my students to start with вы with anyone older than them, and then allow the Russians to suggest making the change when it suits them. If you are a college age or highschool age American talking to a Russian who is the same age as you, go for it and use ты right away.

One last comment. You may have noticed that the instrumental case has two different forms. The more common one is тобой, so that should be your first choice in speech. But if you are ever writing poetry in Russian and need to have an extra syllable in the line, feel free to use тобою.

Право

by Don  

The word право means right in the sense of “the right to do something”. In the singular it is stem-stressed, and in the plural it is end-stressed.

SgPl
Nomправоправа
Acc
Genправаправ
Preправеправах
Datправуправам
Insправомправами

The word means right both in the sense of moral rights and legal rights:

Не кричи, ты не имеешь права говорить со мной таким тоном! Don't shout! You don't have the right to speak to me in that tone of voice.
В западных странах каждый имеет право сказать, что хочет. In Western countries each person has the right to say whatever they want.
В Аризоне каждый имеет право носить пистолет на территории университета, но не в аудиториях. In Arizona everyone has the right to carry a gun on the university campus, but not in the classrooms themselves.

If you combine the noun with водительский in the plural, then the phrase means driver's license.*

У тебя есть водительские права? Do you have a driver's license?
Нельзя водить машину без водительских прав. You can't drive a car without a driver's license.
В США с водительскими правами можно купить спиртное, а без них — нет. In the US you can buy alcohol with a driver's license, but not without one.
Согласно вашим водительским правам, вам только восемнадцать лет. Не могу впустить вас. Accordeing to your driver's license you are only eighteen years old. I can't let you in.

* In Arizona, at least, the official phrase is “driver license”, but normal human beings say “driver’s license”.

Милый

by Don  

The word милый in its various forms means sweetheart, dear, darling. It's used as a term of affection between boyfriends and girlfriends, among family members and close friends.

Милая, не передашь мне телефон? Sweetie, could you give me the telephone?
Милый, как я тебя люблю! Darling, I love you so!
Милый, не уберёшь со стола? Я так устала. Darling, could you clear the table? I'm so tired.
Милая, не подскажешь, что хочешь на юбилей? Я так плохо разбираюсь в подарках. Darling, could you tell me what you want for our anniversary? I'm so bad at gifts.

The adjective can also be used in a diminutive form, миленький, which is particularly well known in the folk song «Миленький ты мой». Here is the song and the translation:

- Миленький ты мой,
Возьми меня с собой!
Там, в краю далеком,
Буду тебе женой.
Oh, my darling
Take me with you
There in a distant land
I will be your wife.
- Милая моя,
Взял бы я тебя,
Но там, в краю далеком,
Есть у меня жена.
Oh, my darling
I would take you
But there in a distant land
I have a wife.
- Миленький ты мой,
Возьми меня с собой!
Там, в краю далеком,
Буду тебе сестрой.
Oh, my darling
I would take you
And there in a distant land
I will be a sister to you.
- Милая моя,
Взял бы я тебя.
Но там, в краю далеком,
Есть у меня сестра.
Oh, my darling,
I would take you
But there in a distant land
I have a sister
- Миленький ты мой,
Возьми меня с собой!
Там в краю далеком,
Буду тебе чужой.
Oh, my darling
Take me with you
And in a distant land
I will be a stranger to you.
- Милая моя,
Взял бы я тебя.
Но там, в краю далеком,
Чужая ты мне не нужна
Oh, my darling,
I would take you
But there in a distant land
I don't need a stranger

Секрет

by Don  

The word секрет means, surprise-surprise, secret. On that score it's not interesting at all. What is interesting is that the Russians use this phrase all the time in the phrase "if it's not a secret." They use the phrase to soften what might otherwise be a rude question:

— Если не секрет, сколько вы платите за эту квартиру?
— Конечно, не секрет. Мы платим восемь тысяч рублей в месяц.
"If it's not a secret, how much do you pay for this apartment?"
"It's not a secret, of course. We pay eight thousand rubles a month."
— Кто вы по профессии, если не секрет?
— Конечно, не секрет. Я хирург.
"What do you do for a living, if it's not a secret?"
"Of course it's not a secret. I'm a surgeon."
— Если не секрет, почему ты бросила Жанну?
— Потому что её отец меня избил.
"If it's not a secret, why did you break up with Zhanna?"
"Because her father beat me up."
— Если не секрет, сколько раз ты женился?
— В течение этого года? Я женился и разводился три раза.
— Фу, это должно быть секретом. Больше никому не говори.
"If it's not a secret, how many times have you gotten married?"
"This year? I've gotten married and divorced three times."
"Yuck. You should keep that secret. Don't tell anyone again."

Река

by Don  

The word for river in Russian is река. Note how the stress shifts. For the most part in the singular it is end-stressed, with the exception of the accusative, and in the plural it is stem-stressed:

SgPl
Nomрекареки
Accреку
Genрекирек
Preрекереках
Datрекам
Insрекойреками

Growing up in Arizona, I was used to orderly and well organized rivers that had no water in them. I mean, why would they have water? Imagine my shock when I got to Russia and discovered that Russian rivers have water in them. I mean, sure, I knew that it was a theoretical possibility, but why? So very strange. Reader, you'll just have to get used to that idea. Here are some example sentences:

В этой реке можно ловить белугу. You can catch Beluga in this river.
Мой брат утонул в реке. My brother drowned in the river.
Он вошёл в ледяную реку, и всё его тело сразу онемело. He entered the icy river, and his whole body immediately grew numb.
Она подошла к реке, окунула в воду большой палец ноги, и сказала: «Слишком холодно. Я не буду купаться». She walked up to the river, dipped her big toe into the water and said, "It's too cold. I'm not going to swim."

Bodies of water are generally на words:

В выходные мы ездили на Москву-реку около Звенигорода. On the weekend we went to the Moscow River shore near Zvenigorod.
Мы часто ездим на реку на выходные. We often go to the river for the weekend.
Ты когда-нибудь ездил на Волгу? Там можно отлично отдохнуть. Have you ever gone to the Volga? You can have a really nice time there.
Когда я на реке, я отлично отдыхаю. When I'm at the river, I have the best time.

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