Граница
The Russian word for border is граница. It can be used of national borders or of borders between concepts:
| Граница между Россией и Южной Осетией может быть ликвидирована. (adapted from this source) | The border between Russia and Southern Osetia may be removed. |
| Где граница между правами человека и нравственностью? (source) | Where is the border between human rights and morality? |
| Где граница между ложью и истиной? (source) | Where is the dividing line between a lie and the truth? |
The Russians very often use the phrase “beyond the border” in the sense of “out of the country” or “abroad.” The idea can be expressed as a location phrase, using за followed by the instrumental case:
| — Когда ты в прошлый раз был за границей? — В 1997-ом году. |
“When were you last out of the country?” “In 1997.” |
| — Твой брат был за границей? — Ещё бы! Он уже посетил свыше тридцати семи стран. |
“Has your brother been out of the country?” “And how! He has already visited more than thirty-seven countries.” |
The idea can also be expressed as a motion phrase, using за followed by the accusative case:
| — Летом я поеду за границу. — Правда? Куда? — Во Францию. |
“I'm going abroad this summer.” “Really? Where to?” “France.” |
If somone or something comes from outside of the country, you can use the preposition из-за followed by the genitive case:
| Он только что вернулся из-за границы. | He just got back into the country. (Lit., he just returned from beyond the border.) |
| В советское время считалось подозрительным получать письма из-за границы. | During the Soviet period receiving letters from abroad was considered suspicious. |
The phrase «за границей» has become such a standard part of the language that an adjective has even been made of it, заграничный, which is usually translated as “foreign” or “external.”
| Заграничный паспорт — официальный документ, удостоверяющий личность гражданина Российской Федерации при выезде за пределы страны, а также при въезде на территорию Российской Федерации из заграничной поездки. (adapted from this source) | An external passport is the official document that identifies a citizen of the Russian Federation when leaving the country or when entering the territory of the Russian Federation from a trip abroad. |
| Машины «Пежо» заграничного производства, а не отечественного. | Peugeot automobiles are of foreign manufacture, not domestic. |
| Почему русские мужики так любят заграничные машины? | Why do Russian guys like foreign cars so much? |
3 comments
Another example: Мы с Мухтаром на границе охраняем честь столицы.
But I don’t remember the source :)
Last two examples sound absolutely correct, but a bit old-fashioned. People usually use word “иностранный” in such cases nowadays.
You forgot two very important words with the same root - пограничный и пограничник
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