Posts tagged with "Russian proverbs"

And the Winner Is…

Posted by yelena 15 Comments
May 20 2011

Warning: This is a very long post and the winner is announced at the very end of it. If you’re wondering “who is this on the picture”, the answer is somewhere in the middle of the post.

«Время подводить итоги конкурса» [It’s time to wrap up our contest].

Before I announce «победитель» [the winner], I got to say this – Russian blog readers ROCK! The total of 83 comments is a new record for this blog. But as I wrote before, this is one of the situations when «качество» [quality] means more than «количество» [quantity].

«Огромное спасибо» [Huge thanks] to Rob, Minority, and Delia for fielding the questions and offering help with grammar, translation and additional research. Richard, thank you for your most interesting questions, especially about the word «пошлость» [vulgarity or kitsch].

Overall, the comments confirm my belief that this is a blog where comments oftentimes provide more valuable information on the topic than the posts themselves.

One of the contributors, Stephanie, added a wonderful saying «повторение – мать учения» [repetition is the mother of learning]. It is a very popular one, so let’s roll with it. I’d like to quickly review some of the entries and add my own «три копейки» [two cents-worth; lit. three kopeks] to them.

JT’s entry: «Всё идёт по плану» [All is going according to the plan]

«План» in Russian usually means “plan”, “draft”, or “plot”. It can also mean a “topographic map”. Curiously, it also means «анаша» [hashish].

Mark’s entry: «Говорят, что кур доят» [Don’t believe everything you hear; lit. Some say chickens can be milked]

One of «самые вкусные» [tastiest] of Russian candies are called «Птичье молоко» [lit. Birds’ Milk]. You can usually find them in the Russian stores in the US, although they lose much of their “melt-in-your-mouth softness” after the lengthy transport and storage.

Richard’s entry: «Я не я, и лошадь не моя» [I didn’t do it! Lit: I’m not myself and the horse isn’t mine]

This one made me smile as I haven’t heard it much after moving to the US! There’s a particular word that comes to mind when I hear this phrase – «отнекиваться». Typically translated as “to say no” or “to disavow” it loses some of its linguistic charisma, just like another wonderful word – «поддакивать» [to say yes].

Alison’s entry: «любовь – не картошка» [love is not a potato]

Ok, this sounds cryptic, but there’s a second part of the saying: «любовь – не картошка, не выкинешь в окошко» [love is not a potato; it can’t be thrown out of the window]. So true! After all, «любовь зла, полюбишь и козла» [love is cruel]. Another weird love and gardening saying is «прошла любовь, завяли помидоры» [love ended, tomatoes wilted].

Delia’s entry: «подложить свинью» [to play a dirty trick or to cause a major inconvenience; lit. to lay a pig near someone]

If you are wondering why pigs were singled out for the purpose of lying near someone, it’s because pigs, in Russia, are usually associated with «нечистоплотность» [impurity, frequently of thoughts or intentions]. Sounds interesting? Then find out more in this post about different animals in Russian sayings.

Simon’s entry: «Нет худа без добра» [every cloud has a silver lining]

The well-known corollary of this is «нет добра без худа» [good luck brings bad luck]. One of the traits that foreigners notice in Russians is a certain measure of fatalism. Another saying that goes with it is «в каждой бочке мёда есть ложка дёгтя» [every barrel-full of honey has a spoon-full of tar].

Drew’s entry: «Кто,кто? Конь в пальто» [Who? Who? A horse in a coat!]

Thanks, Drew, for reminding me of this saying! I wish there was something as universal in English to slow the barrage of the “Knock-knock. Who’s there?” jokes. Sometimes the mythical «дед Пихто» [Grandfather Pikhto] is substituted for the proverbial horse. There’s much speculation as to who this Grandfather Pikhto is, but some say that he’s a spirit of the «тайга» [boreal forests] which are abundant with «пихты» [fir trees]. As to the horse in a coat, it’s popular enough that there’s a statue of it in the town of Sochi.

Olia’s entry: «Словами сыт не будешь» [One can’t live on words alone]

Thank you, Olia, for this entry. It goes particularly well with the giveaway theme. Although matreshkas aren’t particularly nourishing either. Another good phrase along the same lines is «кормить обещаниями» [to feed with promises] and a corresponding «обещаниями сыт по горло» [fed up with promises].

Rob’s entry: «Россия – родина слонов» [Russia - the motherland of the elephants]

Rob always provides exhaustive comments, so the only thing I can add to his explanation is this link to a page on Lurkmor.ru

Kate’s entry: «успех – это успеть»

Richard asked for the best way to translate it. Let’s see… «успеть» has a meaning of “to have time” and “to make it” (as in “to be on time”):

«Последние сто метров до причала пришлось пробежать, но нам удалось успеть на паром» [We had to run the last one hundred meters, but we made it to the ferry]

So I’d translate the phrase as either “success means having enough time” or “success means making it”. As another Russian saying goes, «кто не успел, тот опоздал» [you snooze, you lose].

And finally… the big announcement of the winner. Cue in «барабанная дробь» [drum roll]… First, I filtered out the comments of those readers who graciously removed themselves from participation. Then, I the rest of the comments (51) through a random number generator…

Congratulations, Agata, on becoming the official winner of the Transparent Russian blog giveaway. You will be receiving an e-mail from Transparent shortly.

Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all who participated in the contest and commented on the blog post.

7 Ways to Be More Russian

Posted by yelena 12 Comments
Mar 11 2011

Remember a while ago we talked about how to learn Russian by creating an immersive experience. Except now I realize that in my suggestions I overlooked one major resource.

It’s really so simple that I can’t believe I totally missed it! Thankfully I was reminded of it by reading an article in a Russian-language magazine «Сноб» [Snob]. The article in the February issue was called «Кое-что русское во мне» [There’s something Russian in me]. It was essentially a sampling of customs or character traits that are customarily thought of (by Russians themselves) as «чисто русские» [uniquely Russian].   

That’s when it occurred to me that one of the ways to supercharge learning a language (any language, really) is to not just surround yourself with it on the outside, but to engage from within. Now I sound like a life coach, don’t I?

So let’s talk about some of these uniquely Russian habits and thought patterns. Then you can pick and choose the ones you like most and «попробовать их» [try them out] for a little while. And if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll learn some new phrases.

#1 – «Присядем на дорожку»

This means literally sitting down before getting on the road. When you are about to «уехать из дома» [leave the house], you need to sit down in silence for a few moments. It doesn’t apply to short trips or daily commutes, just the big long-distance ones.

A helpful and related phrase that Russians use a lot is «сидеть на чемоданах» [to sit on suitcases]. It means “packed and ready to go” as in «Отпуск начинается лишь через два дня, но я уже вещи упаковала и сижу на чемоданах» [My vacation starts in two days, but I’ve already packed my stuff and am ready to go.]

A less cheerful meaning of this phrase is “being in limbo” as in «Я снял домик на море на неделю, но в последнюю минуту хозяин отказал. Ищу другой вариант, а пока сижу на чемоданах» [I rented a sea-side bungalow for a week, but the owner cancelled at the last moment. So I’m looking for something else and, in the mean time, the situation is uncertain.]

#2 – «домашние тапочки»

Ever been to a Russian home? Then you are familiar with the «переобувание» [footwear-changing] routine. Entering a house, you are supposed to leave your footwear in the hallway and immediately change into house slippers provided by the host. Not taking the shoes off is a major faux pas, a sign of «неуважение к хозяевам» [disrespecting the host]. The rule of «домашние тапочки» holds rain or shine, carpets or hardwood, an informal get-together or a holiday party.

#3 – «Тьфу-тьфу-тьфу»

Well, the actual phrase is «тьфу-тьфу-тьфу чтобы не сглазить» [spit-spit-spit to ward off the evil eye], followed immediately by three knocks on wood (optional). If wood is nowhere to be found, feel free to (gently) knock yourself on the forehead. Note: when saying “spit-spit-spit” turn your head however slightly to the left.

Use it liberally when good news are announced, as an answer to praise «в вашу сторону» [directed at you], your family, people and things you care for, or when hopes and wishes for the future are expressed.

#4 – «Книга – лучший подарок» [a book is the best gift]

Once upon a time, in not so distant past, Russians prided themselves on being «самая читающая нация в мире» [the world’s leader in reading]. Books were treasured and never thrown away. Not having a car or a color TV or a stereo was a sign of «бедный интеллигент» [poor intelligentsia]. But everyone knew that «бедность – это не порок» [poverty is not a vice] Not having books in the house was a sign of «некультурность» [lack of culture].

Newspapers were readily used as «обёрточная бумага» [wrapping paper], «туалетная бумага» [toilet paper] (seriously, was there a better use for the daily «Правда» [Pravda]?), to wash windows with, to use as bedding for hamsters, etc. But books, however poorly printed and bound or «зачитанные до дыр» [read to tatters] were kept forever.

#5 – «Хлеб всему голова» [bread is the staff of life]

Speaking of things Russians are taught to never throw away… It is «стыдно» [shameful] to waste food, but to throw away bread is downright «грешно» [sinful]. «Рука не поднимается» [don’t have a heart to] throw away bread. Instead, use stale bread in cooking, make «сухарики» [croutons], feed birds with bread crumbs, or manufacture your own penicillin. Ok, that last one is a joke, but you get the point.

#6 – «Посиделки на кухне» [kitchen chats]

For Russians the heart of a house is not its living room, but its kitchen. When friends stop by for a chat, they spend time in the kitchen, usually with a cup of tea and a «бутерброд» [open-faced sandwich] or some «сладкое» [dessert]. At a more formal party, when the table is sat up in a «гостиная» [living room], the kitchen remains the main hub of activity and a place where most engaging and heartfelt conversations take place.

#7 – «Да нет, наверное» [lit. yes no, maybe]

I love this phrase and use it A LOT. So I was glad to see it in the aforementioned «Сноб» article. The closest English-language expression I can think of is “definitely maybe” although this is the case when most of the original meaning is lost in translation. The actual meaning of the phrase is “I haven’t really made up my mind one way or the other, but mostly likely it’s going to be a no”.

UPDATE: I ran a highly unscientific poll amongst my Russian friends and relatives regarding the exact meaning of the phrase «Да нет, наверное». The results are in…

  • The phrase means “most likely no” – 10 votes
  • The phrase means “most likely yes” – 1 vote
  • I’m not exactly sure of the meaning of the phrase, but it can be either “no” or “yes” – 1 vote

This list is by no means all-inclusive. So feel free to add to it. What “uniquely Russian” phrases, customs, and habits you know, love, hate, use or are trying to get rid of?

Happy Cheese Week!

Posted by yelena 13 Comments
Mar 3 2011

This week Russians are celebrating «Масленица» [Maslenitsa], also known as «сырная неделя» [lit. cheese-fare week]. And even thought it’s already Thursday, the real fun stuff is just beginning. So read on. Also, I’d like to thank one of our readers, Olga Tarn, for reminding me to write this post as well as for finding awesome sites about Maslenitsa. Without you, Olga, this post wouldn’t have happened! The painting, by Boris Kustodiev, is called “Maslenitsa”.

For me spring starts on March 1st, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I can’t imagine having to wait 19 more days until March 20th to say «прощай, зима!» [so long, winter!]. So to all who argue and urge to wait a few more days, I say «весна не просто время года, а состояние души!» [spring is not just a season, but a state of one’s soul!].

With this in mind, let’s celebrate Spring 2011! Right away, the first holiday is «Масленица» [Maslenitsa] which is all about «проводы» [send-off] of winter and «встреча» [welcoming] of spring. And this year Maslenitsa started on February 28th and goes through March 6th. Not too late to join in.

Last year Josefina did a wonderful post about Maslenitsa that included a step-by-step instruction for making «блины» [thin pancakes, crepes, or just blini]. Definitely try making them. Just keep in mind that «первый блин комом» [the first pancake is always a failure].

This is, in general, a very helpful and widely used expression worth remembering even if you end up not making the blini this year.  Just like its closest English-language equivalent – “practice makes perfect” – its uses are practically unlimited. Although using it to describe your eldest child, however, is a bit insensitive, regardless of the child’s age.

But Maslenitsa is about a lot more than cooking and eating delicious pancakes and learning fun and immensely useful Russian expressions. Each day of Maslenitsa has its own name and associated traditions.

Here’s what you’ve missed:

Monday – «встреча» [welcoming] –  on this day «пугало Масленицы» [the Maslenitsa scarecrow] is made with «солома» [straw] and «старая одежда» [old clothes]. It is paraded around in «сани» [a sleigh].

Tuesday – «заигрыш» [flirting] – young single people go sledding together and then – off to eat blini. «смотрины» [viewing of brides] were traditionally held on this day.

Wednesday – «лакомки» [feasting, particularly on sweets] – that’s the day when «зять» [son-in-law] visited his «тёща» [mother-in-law] to eat pancakes. This tradition gave rise to another widely used expression, «к тёще на блины» [lit. to go eat mother-in-law’s pancakes]. Its meaning outside of the tradition itself is similar to “a cakewalk”. «Это вам не к тёще на блины ходить» means that something is no cakewalk.

Fortunately, the real Maslenitsa fun is just beginning. You see, the last four days of Maslenitsa are known as «Широкая Масленица» [Broad Maslenitsa]. One is not supposed to work on these days.

Thursday – «разгуляй» [carousing] – You’ll need all your energy for «гулянье» [open-air celebration]. Traditionally, this is the day for merriment of all kinds, including «кулачные бои» [knuckle fighting], playing «штурм снежной крепости» [attack on a snow fort], and various competitions. Whatever activities you choose to do this day must end in «пирушка» [a small feast]. Note that, as in many other cases, the diminutive is used self-deprecatingly and in no way refers to the actual size of the feast or the amount of «угощение» [food] served there.

Friday – «тёщины вечёрки» [mother-in-law’s evening] – no work today either. Instead, men get ready for a visit from their mothers-in-law. What exactly do men do to prepare is a mystery since their wives are the ones who are supposed to make pancakes. And the «тёща» herself is supposed to send all the tools and ingredients. I guess, men are to spend the day preparing selves mentally for the challenge. After all, mothers-in-law are supposed to bring her «родственники» [relatives] and «подруги» [female friends] along.

Saturday – «золовкины посиделки» [sister-in-law’s visitation] – young wives invited their husbands’ sisters and other relatives over. The way it works is if the sister-in-law is «замужем» [married] then married «родня» [relatives] are invited to the party. If she’s «незамужняя» [single, not married], only girlfriends are invited and the party turns into «девичник» [girls-only party]. Take one last picture of your Maslenitsa scarecrow before setting it on fire. Scatter the ashes around your potted plants.

Sunday – «проводы» [farewell party] – the last day of Maslenitsa is also called «Прощёное воскресенье» [The Forgiveness Sunday]. Call all your friends and family and ask their forgiveness for any wrongs and hurts you inflicted on them. A frequent response to «прости меня» [forgive me] is «Бог простит» [God will forgive]. Once that’s done and over with, «сходите в баню» [go to a steam bath]. If none is nearby, then take a bath or shower. Finish up as much of the delicious food as you can, then burn the rest (ok, I’m going to compost it).

Once the holiday is over, «Великий пост» [the Lent] begins. It’s just like the saying goes «не всё коту масленица, будет и Великий пост» [it’s not all Maslenitsa for the cat; the Lent is coming]. The meaning is the clearest on the last day of Maslenitsa – every day is not Sunday.

Happy Maslenitsa! How are you celebrating Maslenitsa this year?

How to Compare Things in Russian

Posted by yelena 9 Comments
Dec 30 2010

Do you know a Russian saying «зимой снега не допросишься»? It’s used when describing «скупой» [stingy], «жадный» [greedy] person from whom one literally can’t beg even snow in the winter. Well, we’ve had so much snow over the last weekend that I think even the worst tightwads are ready to part with some of the stuff now.

But all this snow kept us busy – we «расчищали дорожки» [were clearing the walkways], «лепили снеговика» [were making a snowman], «катались на санках» [went sledding], «играли в снежки» [had snowball fights] and «сушили одежду» [were drying our clothes] in between these activities.

With a dryer humming in the background, we sat around the kitchen table, ate «печенье» [cookies], drank «горячий чай» [hot tea] and «какао» [hot cocoa] and talked about the weather.

The consensus was that this winter was not just «холоднее, чем прошлая» [colder than the last one], but also «более снежная» [with more snow]. We also agreed that as long as we didn’t have to drive anywhere on snowy days, such turn of events was «веселее» [merrier] than a warm winter. «Самый младший» [the youngest] family member even opined that this was «самый лучший день» [the best day] in his whole entire life, all four years of it.

That last remark, combined with some New Year resolutions I’ve been putting together for myself, got me thinking about «степени сравнения прилагательных» [degrees of comparison of adjectives] in Russian language.

Now, the positive degree is a pretty straightforward one since it’s just the basic form of the adjective (or adverb) – «снежный» [snowy], «холодный» [cold], «весёлый» [cheerful].

«Сравнительная и превосходная степени гораздо интереснее.» [The comparative and superlative degrees are a lot more interesting.] To begin with, there are two distinct ways of forming these and you can, for the most part, pick and choose. By the way, it will also work for «наречия» [adverbs].

One «способ» [method] is to use suffixes and, in some cases, prefixes to come up with comparative and superlative adjectives. These suffixes include «-ее- (-ей-)-», «-е-», «-ше-» for comparative adjectives and «-ейш- (-айш-)» for superlative ones:

  • Positive – «Зима в этом году холодная.» [Winter is cold this year.]
  • Comparative – «В этом году зима холоднее, чем в прошлом» [This year’s winter is colder than last years’ one.]
  • Superlative – «Зима в этом году – холоднейшая за всю историю нашего города.» [This year’s winter is the coldest in the history of our town.]

 

  • Positive – «Новый Год – мой любимый праздник» [New Year is my favorite holiday]
  • Comparative – «Любимее Нового Года у меня праздника нет» [I have no holiday more favorite than New Year]
  • Superlative – «Новый Год – мой любимейший праздник» [New Year is my most favorite holiday]

You can also form a superlative using comparative adjective + the word “всех” [all]. That’s exactly what was done in the headline above. The article is about Chinese athletes’ strong performance in 2008 Olympics and the article’s title can be translated as “Faster, Higher, Stronger Than All”, a play on the Olympics slogan «Citius, Altius, Fortius!»

I love building new words with suffixes, but it doesn’t always work:

«Хороший» [good] – «лучше» [better; adverb] – «лучший» [the best]

«Плохой» [bad] – «хуже» [worse; adverb] – «худший» [the worst]

Plus there are quite a few adjectives that simply refuse to be augmented this way (if you get bored with this list, skip it to find a simple solution):

  • Adjectives with the suffix «-ск-» or «-зк-»  - «дружеский» [friendly], «вражеский» [hostile], «скользкий» [slippery];
  • Some adjectives with the suffix «-н-» – «ручной» [handmade, also domesticated], «лишний» [excessive], «больной» [ill];
  • Adjectives with the suffix «-ов-» or «-ев-» – «деловой» [business-like], «рядовой» [regular], «массовый» [large scale];
  • Many verbal adjectives with the suffix «-л-», such as «гнилой» [rotten], «усталый» [tired], «хриплый» [hoarse];
  • And a few other strays, including «гордый» [proud] and «робкий» [timid].

With so many exceptions, it might be «проще» [easier] to find another way. Fortunately, there is just such an option that allows you to skip my list of exceptions. (You can use this saved time to finally finish your list of New Year resolutions.)

This other method is called analytical method and consists of getting a bit «более многословный» [more verbose]. See, I just did it – «более» [more] is the extra word you’d add to the adjective’s positive form to form the comparative degree. Its opposite is «менее» [less].

  • «Более интересного объяснения я еще не читала» [I’m yet to read a more interesting explanation]
  • «В ярком свете фонаря она показалась менее привлекательной» [In the bright light of a street lamp she appeared less attractive]

For superlative degree, add «наиболее» [the most], «наименее» [the least] or «самый» [the very].

  • «Наиболее вкусным получился борщ по Наташиному рецепту» [The tastiest borsch was from Natasha’s recipe]
  • «Грамматика всегда была для меня наименее интересным предметом» [For me grammar was always the least interesting subject]
  • «Прошел конкурс на самую красиво украшенную ёлку» [A contest was held for the best-decorated Christmas tree.]

And now it’s time for some «домашнее задание» [homework]  - use your newfound knowledge to come up with adjectives that adequately describe our blog. (Bonus points are given for superlatives.)

Russian Proverbs and Sayings

Posted by Natalie 6 Comments
Dec 1 2010

This picture is distantly related to the post: since I’m going to be talking about a certain part of the Russian language, what better representative of the Russian language than that great writer «Александр Сергеевич Пушкин» [Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin]? This photo is of «памятник Пушкину в Санкт-Петербурге» [the monument to Pushkin in Saint Petersburg], from here.

«Дорогие читатели!» [Dear readers!] Today we are going to talk about «русские пословицы и поговорки» [Russian proverbs and sayings].

Every language has its peculiar turns of the phrase and we cannot hope to know them all–there are many sayings in English that I have never heard–but Russian in particular seems to have some very true, very funny, and very strange proverbs. Today I am going to share some of my favorites, in no particular order.

«Терпи, казак, атаманом будешь.» [Put up with it, Cossak, you'll get to be the head of your tribe.] I encountered this bit of wisdom in a textbook for Russian language learners and liked it instantly. It taught me the verb «терпеть» [to suffer, endure, forbear]. The English equivalent would be No pain, no gain.

«Тише едешь — дальше будешь.» [The more quietly you go, the further you'll get.] I also learned this proverb from the aforementioned textbook. I liked it so much that I had it on my door last year at university («конечно, на русском» [of course, in Russian], much to my roommates’ consternation). The English equivalent would be Haste makes waste or Slow and steady wins the race.

«Волков бояться — в лес не ходить.» [If you're afraid of wolves, don't go in the woods.] I don’t remember where I first heard this, to be honest. The English version would be If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. But Nothing ventured, nothing gained could also work, no?

«В огороде бузина, а в Киеве дядька.» [There are elderberries in the kitchen garden, and your uncle in Kiev.] This is perhaps my favorite Russian saying, probably because there is a funny story behind it. While reading the book Translating History (written by «Игорь Корчилов» [Igor Korchilov] a simultaneous interpreter for Gorbachev), I found out that this very saying caused a diplomatic scandal. Apparently, a Soviet delegate used this saying at an international conference and the interpreter at this conference was unfamiliar with it, so he translated it into English as, “Something is rotten in the kingdom of Denmark.” The delegate from Denmark then became angry with the Soviets for a perceived slur against Denmark, then the Soviet delegate became angry in return. Luckily the entire thing was sorted out, but the interpreter almost lost his job over this poor translation. In English, this saying most nearly corresponds to comparing apples and oranges.

«Всё хорошо, что хорошо кончается.» [All's well that ends well.] This is perhaps the only Russian proverb in existence that translates so beautifully into English. It’s interesting that it exists in both languages, but you know what they say: great minds think alike, right?

«Доверяй, но проверяй.» [Trust, but verify.] How could I not include this one? After all, it was a favorite of the late Ronald Reagan, president of the United States during the end of the Cold War. The English equivalent is Better safe than sorry.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I have but barely touched upon the vast number of Russian proverbs and sayings out there, so feel free to add your own in the comments.

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