Достопримечательности

by Don  

Sometimes when you study a foreign language, especially one as difficult as Russian, you just want to show off your new-found skills and knowledge, and for Russian one of the great words you can use for that purpose is достопримеча́тельности. It means ‘sights.’ That's right, sights. In English it’s one syllable. In Russian it’s eight syllables. Here is how it is pronounced:


When you are trying to learn to pronounce a polysyllabic monstrosity like that, there is a little trick that will help you get it right. If you would like to learn the trick, play this bit of audio:



In terms of declension достопримечательность is a standard third declension noun:

SgPl
Nomдостопримеча́тельностьдостопримеча́тельности
Acc
Genдостопримеча́тельностидостопримеча́тельностей
Preдостопримеча́тельностях
Datдостопримеча́тельностям
Insдостопримеча́тельностьюдостопримеча́тельностями

Although we usually translate it as ‘sights,’ you could also translate it as ‘attractions’ or ‘places of interest.’

Какие есть достопримечательности в Казани? What interestings sights are there in Kazan?
Самая интересная достопримечательность — мечеть Кул-Шариф. The most interesting sight is the Qol Sharif mosque.
В Норильске вообще нет достопримечательностей. Norilsk doesn't have any interesting sights.
— Какая самая интересная достопримечательность в Ванкувере?
— Около университета есть нудистский пляж.
— Разве это интересно?
— Да, там есть на что посмотреть.
“What’s the most interesting sight in Vancouver?”
“There’s a nude beach near the university.”
“You really think that’s interesting?”
“Yeah, there’s stuff worth looking at there.”

1 comment

Comment from: Dennis [Visitor]  

Great job in adding the audio instruction to what was already a great studying tool.

09/22/14 @ 15:30


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