Comments on: Learning Russian In The News http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/ Language and Culture of the Russian-Speaking World Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:40:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bruce Dumes http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/comment-page-1/#comment-356 Bruce Dumes Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:26:37 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/#comment-356 My Russian teacher at UCLA told me that when she first took her PhD exams, she made a classic Imperfective/Perfective mistake. Professor: Ты сдавала экзамен? Did you take the exam? Student: Да, я сдала экзамен! She meant to say she took it, using the perfective to emphasize completion, but the perfective means "to pass an exam", so she actually responded, "Yes, I passed", to which the teacher responded: Professor: Ты сдавала экзамен, но ты не сдала экзамен. You took the exam, but you did not pass the exam. A sad story, but she eventually passed her PhD exam, so it was OK in the end. :-) I hope I wrote the Russian correctly in my story. My Russian teacher at UCLA told me that when she first took her PhD exams, she made a classic Imperfective/Perfective mistake.

Professor: Ты сдавала экзамен? Did you take the exam?

Student: Да, я сдала экзамен! She meant to say she took it, using the perfective to emphasize completion, but the perfective means “to pass an exam”, so she actually responded, “Yes, I passed”, to which the teacher responded:

Professor: Ты сдавала экзамен, но ты не сдала экзамен. You took the exam, but you did not pass the exam.

A sad story, but she eventually passed her PhD exam, so it was OK in the end. :-) I hope I wrote the Russian correctly in my story.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/comment-page-1/#comment-355 Anonymous Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:40:08 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/#comment-355 I once wrote to a Russian (ok, Russian-speaking Ukrainian) pen pal ... "я писаю тебе письмо"... not realising of course that писаю is <b>very</b> different to пишу. I'm sure he got some fairly bad mental images before he corrected me ;) I once wrote to a Russian (ok, Russian-speaking Ukrainian) pen pal … “я писаю тебе письмо”… not realising of course that писаю is very different to пишу. I’m sure he got some fairly bad mental images before he corrected me ;)

]]> By: Dale http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/comment-page-1/#comment-354 Dale Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:16:18 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/#comment-354 Rest room or bath room in Russian is туалет, not ванная. (Do not count on the Oxford Dictionary to help with it. It is UK not USA English, no matter what they adv. the dictionary as being.) If not looking for the туалет but wishing to bath or shower, the bath room is ванная. Standing in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and asking direction to the rest room or bath room using ванная will not get the directions you want. :) Rest room or bath room in Russian is туалет, not ванная. (Do not count on the Oxford Dictionary to help with it. It is UK not USA English, no matter what they adv. the dictionary as being.) If not looking for the туалет but wishing to bath or shower, the bath room is ванная. Standing in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and asking direction to the rest room or bath room using ванная will not get the directions you want. :)

]]> By: Stephen http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/comment-page-1/#comment-353 Stephen Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:03:50 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/#comment-353 Two favorites: I was buying a few things at the corner store in Moscow, during a B & B style home stay. Продавщица мне сказала--(е)щё (при)ходите! А я усышал --ещё хотите? Так и ей ответил --Спасибо, нет! Она милая была. Улыбнулась, а надо мной не смеялась. And this by an emigree teaching Russian at a New England College. Talking about alumni reunion weekend, she said, "А молодые выпустники с детьми все любят хвастаться тем, как богатыми становятся. Приезжают на кампус во своих больших ваннах (т.е. в фургонах--"vans") Two favorites:

I was buying a few things at the corner store in Moscow, during a B & B style home stay.

Продавщица мне сказала–(е)щё (при)ходите! А я усышал –ещё хотите? Так и ей ответил –Спасибо, нет! Она милая была. Улыбнулась, а надо мной не смеялась.

And this by an emigree teaching Russian at a New England College. Talking about alumni reunion weekend, she said, “А молодые выпустники с детьми все любят хвастаться тем, как богатыми становятся. Приезжают на кампус во своих больших ваннах (т.е. в фургонах–”vans”)

]]> By: Dale http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/comment-page-1/#comment-352 Dale Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:02:23 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/russian/learning-russian-in-the-news/#comment-352 I just did a google search and found out what is a public house. It is a bar or tavern or saloon or pub. Never hear the term public house, but pub is short for it. My earlier guesses were not even close to the meaning. I thought this was a list for helping learn Russian. I guess it is also for learning UK English. ha,ha,ha I just did a google search and found out what is a public house. It is a bar or tavern or saloon or pub. Never hear the term public house, but pub is short for it. My earlier guesses were not even close to the meaning.

I thought this was a list for helping learn Russian. I guess it is also for learning UK English. ha,ha,ha

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