Russian For Dummies
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In this part . . .
Part IV gives you short but valuable lists of practical information on how to pick up Russian more quickly
and how to start impressing native speakers with your Russian right away. To help you pick up Russian, we give you ten tried and true tips that have worked for many others, including one of the authors of this book. We also tell you ten favorite Russian expressions, which are sure to warm the heart of any Russian you say them to. We introduce you to ten Russian holidays, and we give you ten Russian phrases that are bound to win you “native speaker” points. And finally, we warn you about ten things you never want to say or do in Russia. If you follow the suggestions in this part, you’re sure to win the minds and hearts of most Russians you meet!
Chapter 17
Ten Ways to Pick Up
Russian Quickly
In This Chapter
Engaging in activities that will advance your Russian
Practicing Russian in the right places
We’re not breaking any news to you by saying that the best way to learn a language is by using it. You have a much better chance of remembering Kak dyela? (kahk dee-lah; How are you?) after you say it to a Russian and
actually hear Normal’no! (nahr-mahl’-nuh; Fine!) in response — just like you can read about in Chapter 3! You’ll feel that your language skills are advanced, to say the least.
Coming up with new and fun ways to practice your Russian isn’t always easy, though. That’s why we give you some ideas in this chapter on creative ways to bring Russian into your life. Try them and feel free to come up with your own! After all, your life will contain only as much Russian as you let into it.
Check Out Russian TV,
Movies, and Music
Whether you’re into independent cinema or action movies, classical ballet or rock music, Russians have something to offer for any taste. Browse the foreign section of a DVD rental and the world music shelf of your local library, and you can definitely find something with which to practice your Russian. As far as movies go, be sure to get a Russian-language version with subtitles, rather than a dubbed one. And plenty of Russian-language TV channels exist in America — your cable service may even come with one!
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Listen to Russian Radio Programs
You can advance your Russian without sitting down and giving it your undivided attention by listening to a Russian radio program in the car, during a walk, or while doing the dishes. Who knows how much of that new vocabulary will get stuck in your subconscious!
A variety of Russian radio stations broadcast on the Internet. For a comprehensive guide to Russian radio online, go to www.multilingualbooks.com/ online-radio-russian.html.
Read Russian Publications
Seeing a phrase in a phrase book, even if it’s your favorite Russian For Dummies, is one thing. Seeing a phrase in a real Russian newspaper and actually recognizing it is a totally different experience.
Pick up a copy of a Russian publication, which are available in many libraries. Russian immigrant establishments, such as law offices and stores, often have local Russian-language newspapers lying around; the bonus of reading those papers is finding out what’s going on locally with Russian social and cultural life. Reading such publications also is a good way to practice recognizing and “decoding” Cyrillic.
Surf the Internet
Now that the Internet exists, no one can complain about the lack of ways to practice Russian. Just remember that Russian Web sites end in ru. You may want to start your exploit from some of these Web sites:
lenta.ru
list.mail.ru/index.html
menu.ru
moskva.ru
www.spb.ru
www.theatre.ru/emain.html
And on blogs.mail.ru, you can read blogi (bloh-gee; blogs) in Russian, or even create your own.
Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Pick Up Russian Quickly 307
Sometimes, Russian characters don’t show properly on the Internet. If, instead of Cyrillic, you see a bunch of characters that look like $$##%%&&, change the encoding to Cyrillic. To do that, go to View, then Encoding, and try different Cyrillic encodings until you find the one that works.
Visit a Russian Restaurant
Most major American cities have at least one Russian restaurant. You may get more out of your visit than just a bowl of steaming borsh’ (bohrsh’) and a plate of aromatic golubtsy (guh-loop-tsih; rissoule rolled in cabbage leaves). Be ambitious, and talk to the staff exclusively in Russian. You may be pleasantly surprised by how supportive Russians can be when people try to speak their language. And who knows, your language skills may even get you a bargain! See Chapter 5 for details on visiting a restaurant.
Find a Russian Pen Pal
If you strike a personal connection with someone in a Russian chat room, you may get the chance to not only practice your Russian but also find an interesting interlocutor, and even a good friend. Some Russian chaty (chah-tih; chat rooms) to go to are chat.mail.ru, www.divan.ru, and www.games.ru/chat. You may even want to open your own Russian e-mail account to exchange messages with your new friend; good places to do so are Mail.ru and Rambler.ru.
If you want to type in Russian, but don’t have a Russian keyboard, you can either put stickers with Russian letters on your regular English keyboard, or use an online Russian keyboard, such as the one at http://www.yandex.ru/ keyboard_qwerty.html.
Teach English to a Russian Immigrant
Because learning is a mutual experience, teaching English to a Russian speaker may be a great way to advance your Russian. If you don’t know anybody from the local Russian community, you can post an ad in a Russian store or restaurant. Writing that ad can be your first Russian exercise!
After you find a Russian establishment, you can just ask people who work there about other Russian restaurants and stores. Make sure to explain that you’re looking for them to practice your language skills. Russians will be flattered by your interest in their culture and will happily share the information with you. You may even make some friends right there.
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Visit a Jewish Community Center
A number of Jewish immigrants came to America throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century; many of them came from the former Soviet Union, where Russian was their native language. For many of them — especially the older generations — the Russian language is a part of their cultural heritage, and some events at a Jewish community center may be held in Russian.
You can find a Jewish community center through the Internet or in the phone book. Pay a visit there; you’ll find out whether you can attend any Russianlanguage events. If you’re willing to donate your time, offer to volunteer. Elderly immigrants may use some help from someone who speaks English, and it will be a great opportunity for you to practice your Russian.
Travel to Russia
Nothing beats traveling to the country of your interest. Whether you’re going to Russia for a year of teaching English to Moscow high school students, a week of sightseeing, or a walk through the streets of St. Petersburg while your cruise ship is waiting in the port, no place makes practicing Russian easier than, well, Russia. See Chapter 11 for details on planning a trip.
Marry a Russian
If you’re really set on the idea of speaking Russian like a native, you gotta do what you gotta do. Marry (or at least date) a Russian, and convince him or her to teach you the language. Of course, we’re being a little tongue-in-cheek. We don’t advocate that you go out and find yourself a Russian spouse just to improve your language skills. But if you do decide to date or marry a Russian, you should know that you have a great opportunity to dramatically improve your Russian. So take advantage of it! Watch out, though: Russians assimilate quickly, and you may end up spending much more time teaching English than being taught Russian. Then you’ll have to resort to the secret weapon: Learning Russian from your mother-in-law!
Chapter 18
Ten Favorite Russian Expressions
In This Chapter
Exploring phrases beyond their dictionary definitions
Discovering the most popular Russian quotes and proverbs
Every culture has a way of taking familiar words and turning them into something else. The most diligent student can flip through his dictionary,
and based on the literal translation, still have no idea what an expression means or why everybody is laughing. This chapter brings together ten words and expressions that Russians use a lot, and whose meanings aren’t always intuitive. Recognizing these expressions in speech and using them with ease can make you sound really Russian!
Oj!
To express surprise, dismay, admiration, gratitude, or even pain — pretty much any strong feeling — Russians say Oj! (ohy) Use Oj! when in English you would say “oops,” “ouch,” or “wow,” or make a facial expression. You can confidently use Oj! in any of the following sentences:
Oj, kak krasivo! (ohy kahk kruh-see-vuh; Wow, how beautiful!)
Oj, spasibo! (ohy spuh-see-buh; Thank you so much!)
Oj, kto eto? (ohy ktoh eh-tuh; Who in the world is this?)
Oj, kak priyatno slyshat’ tvoj golos! (ohy kahk pree-yaht-nah slih-shuht’ tvohy goh-luhs; Oh, it’s so nice to hear your voice!)
Russians consider Oj! a more feminine exclamation; men, on the other hand, are supposed to grind their teeth and keep their emotions to themselves.
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Davaj
If you look up davaj (duh-vahy) in the dictionary, you find the translation “give.” Russians, however, use the word in all kinds of situations. It’s a popular way to suggest doing something, as in Davaj pojdyom v kino (duh-vahy pahy-dyom v kee-noh; let’s go to the movies), and to answer “sure, let’s do it!” (Davaj!) Used by itself, davaj means “bye, take care.” (See Chapter 7 for more details.)
Pryedstav’tye Syebye
While the verb pryedstav’tye can mean “imagine,” “picture,” or even “introduce,” pryedstav’tye syebye (preed-stahf’-tee see-bye) means “Can you believe it?” or “Imagine that!” It’s a good way to begin telling a story, or to open a conversation on a subject you feel strongly about.
Poslushajtye!
Although the literal translation of Poslushajtye! (pahs-loo-shuhy-tee) is “Listen!,” this translation doesn’t do the expression justice. Saying “Listen!” in English sounds pushy and aggressive; in Russian, Poslushajtye! is a good and nice way to attract attention to your arguments. Here are some examples:
Poslushajtye, davajtye pojdyom na progulku! (pahs-loo-shuhy-tee, duh- vahy-tee pahy-dyom nuh prah-gool-koo; You know what? Let’s go for a walk!, Literally: Listen, let’s go for a walk!)
Poslushajtye, no eto pryekrasnyj fil’m! (pahs-loo-shuhy-tee, noh eh-tuh preek-rahs-nihy feel’m; But it’s a wonderful movie!, Literally: Listen, but it’s a wonderful movie!)
A less formal variant of the same expression is Poslushaj! (pahs-loo-shuhy). You can use it with someone you’re on familiar terms with, someone you normally say Ty (tih; you; informal) to; see Chapter 2 for details on the informal “you.” And if you want to be even more informal, you can use the conversational variant Slushaj! (sloo-shuhy) Just make sure the person you say it to is your good friend, and will take this informality the right way. Otherwise, stick to Poslushaj!
Chapter 18: Ten Favorite Russian Expressions 311
Pir Goroj
You may be at a loss to describe the grand abundance of Russian dinner parties and holiday tables. This expression, then, is useful: pir goroj (peer gah- rohy; Literally: feast with food piled up like a mountain). If you’re hungry for more food info, check out Chapter 5.
Ya Tryebuyu Prodolzhyeniya Bankyeta
This phrase is a quote from one of the Russian’s most beloved comedies,
“Ivan Vasil’yevich myenyayet profyessiyu” (ee-vahn vah-seel’-ee-veech mee- nya-eet prah-fye-see-yu; Ivan Vasil’yevich Changes His Occupation), and is sure to make any Russian smile. Say Ya tryebuyu prodolzhyeniya bankyeta!
(ya trye-boo-yu pruh-dahl-zheh-nee-ye buhn-kye-tuh; Literally: I insist on the continuation of the banquet!) when a party or a trip is going well, when somebody is inviting you to come over again, or when you’re suggesting to do some fun activity yet another time.
“Ivan Vasil’yevich myenyayet profyessiyu” is an old Russian movie about a bland accountant, Ivan Vasil’yevich, who switches places with Tsar Ivan the Terrible with the help of a time machine invented by his neighbor. Confused, at first, to find himself in the position of Russia’s 16th-century tsar (who turns out to be his identical twin), Ivan Vasil’yevich quickly takes to the tsar’s lifestyle. Sitting in an ornate banquet hall of the old Kremlin, at the head of a huge table with endless delicacies, and watching a performance of his court dancers, Ivan Vasil’yevich, drunk from the rare wines and the attention of
the beautiful tsarina, raises a precious goblet and exclaims, Ya tryebuyu prodolzhyeniya bankyeta!
Slovo — Syeryebro, A Molchaniye —
Zoloto
Russians love proverbs and use them a lot. Slovo — syeryebro, a molchaniye — zoloto (sloh-vuh see-reeb-roh uh mahl-chah-nee-ee zoh- luh-tuh; a word is silver, but silence is gold) can be loosely translated as “Speaking is nice, but silence is supreme.” This phrase is nice to say after you make a mistake speaking Russian or when you, or somebody else, says something that would be better off left unsaid.
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Odna Golova Khorosho,
A Dvye — Luchshye
Odna golova khorosho, a dvye — luchshye (ahd-nah guh-lah-vah khuh-rah- shoh ah dvye looch-shih; One head is good, but two heads are better) doesn’t refer to science fiction mutants. Rather, it’s a manifestation of the international belief that two heads are better than one. You can say this phrase when you invite somebody to do something together or when you ask for, or offer, help or advice.
Drug Poznayotsya V Byedye
Drug poznayotsya v byedye (drook puhz-nuh-yot-sye v bee-dye; A friend is tested by hardship) is the Russian equivalent of the saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
Russians take friendship seriously. Their definition of a friend is not just a person you know (as in, “This is my new friend . . . what’s your name again?”). Such a person would be called znakomyj (znuh-koh-mihy; acquaintance). A drug (drook; friend), on the other hand, is someone who cares for you. And the best way to find out whether a certain person is a friend or just an acquaintance is to see how they behave when things aren’t going so great.
Staryj Drug Luchshye Novykh Dvukh
Staryj drug luchshye novykh dvukh (stah-rihy drook looch-shih noh-vihkh dvookh; An old friend is better than two new ones) is another speculation on the theme of friendship. An old friend (and they aren’t referring to age) is
better because he or she has already been tested, possibly by hardships mentioned in the previous phrase. New friends, on the other hand, are dark horses; when a bad moment strikes, they may turn out to be just acquaintances.
Chapter 19
Ten Russian Holidays
to Remember
In This Chapter
Finding out what holidays Russians celebrate
Discovering what to expect on Russian holidays
Russians love holidays. You may say, “Who doesn’t?” But there’s a difference: Russians LOVE holidays — the feeling is stable and official. The gov-
ernment recognizes and legally acknowledges it. The difference is not only that the Russian calendar is marked by more official days off than an American one, but also that many holidays get more than one day off, because, as Russians see it, “Come on, what kind of holiday is it if you’re only celebrating for a day?” Moreover, if a holiday falls on a Thursday, the government usually shifts the working schedule around so that the remaining working Friday, inconveniently stuck between the holiday and the weekend, also becomes a day off.
These arrangements, along with proximity of some important Russian holidays in time (Christmas is seven days after the New Year, Victory Day is nine days after May Day) create monstrous holiday chunks, when businesses are closed for ten consecutive days, everybody is celebrating, and attempts to get something done are not only unsuccessful but also shunned as something highly inappropriate. All this merriment is pretty enjoyable when you’re included in the celebration but rather frustrating if you’re trying to get some official paper. Look through this chapter to find out when you’re wise to set all the business aside and celebrate.
New Year’s Night
Novyj God (noh-vihy goht; New Year’s) is celebrated on December 31 and definitely the main holiday in Russia. It’s the holiday to prepare for, give the biggest podarki (pah-dahr-kee; gifts) for, and celebrate for more than a week. Think Christmas, but bigger, not religious, less family-oriented, and more party fun.