Word of the day: Congratulations!
Поздравляю = Congratulations
I’m not celebrating anything in particular. I just came across this post card in some old stuff an I always liked it. I actually bought this used at a little book market somewhere in Russia in 2003.
Are you celebrating something today? If so….Поздравляю!
Word of the day: gamble
Last weekend I had a great time in Vegas with some girlfriends. So of course, I needed to know how to say gamble, which translates as играть в азартные игры.
играть = to play
азартные = risky
игры = games
By the way, this photo is from the “Happy Days” slot machine game. I was very excited to see it because I think this looks exactly like me! (Especially before I lost weight on the ‘Russian diet’, but that’s for another post.)
What do you think? Think this looks like my other pictures that are posted?
***Thanks, filinka, for the correction!
Word of the day: citizen
This is my ticket to get into Peterhof and it’s one of my favorite souvenirs from this last Russia trip! Can you guess why? It’s not because of the pretty image of Peterhof on the front of the ticket, it’s because of that special word on the back of the ticket: граждане. (See the red arrow?)
As I mentioned in the last post about Peterhof, муж and I are cheap, right? And it is not uncommon in Russia to find two sets of prices: 1 for Russian citizens and 1 for tourists. Now is it just me, or is this completely unfair?!
So when I saw this was the case at Peterhof, I decided that I would like to pay the Russian citizen price. So, I got exact change ready for 2 tickets at the citizen price (which was 260 rubles total, as you can see on my ticket. I really wish I could remember what the tourist price was) and when I got to the window, I said as assertively as possible, and in my very best Russian, “2 tickets, please.” (and avoided eye contact).
I know I almost ruined it with the “please”! Believe me I was very nervous. I don’t normally do things that are this dishonest and rebellious. ; ) So the lady took my money and gave me the tickets. I was so excited! Best 260 rubles I ever spent.
Have you ever faked being Russian to get the cheaper ‘citizens’ price?
By the way, граждане is one of those irregular plurals, so I guess the word of the day is actually citizenS. The singular form is гражданин.
Date vs Meeting
There are a lot of different words for get-togethers in Russian and I always get them confused. Recently, I was talking about my busy schedule for the coming workday, and my Russian friend giggled when I said I had a свидание scheduled for early the morning. Turns out the word I really needed was собрание.
So remember, boys and girls,
свидание = date
собрание = meeting
Actually, it’s great when someone is kind enough to correct this type of mistake. After a tiny bit of embarrassment, I’ll be more likely to remember the correct word in the future.
What words do you get confused?
Images: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net, photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Word of the day: milkshake
Milkshake in Russian is молочный коктейль (literally, milk cocktail). Here’s муж and me enjoying one this weekend at Good Stuff Eatery in DC.
I’ve never had a milkshake in Russia, have you? I wonder if they’re too different from ours. This one was quite yummy!
(Saw this this weekend. I give it 3 stars.)
In Russian, when they read an email address, the “@” is read “собака”, which means dog.
When I was in Russia, my friends and I met a drunk guy who was trying to give us his email address. He conveyed the “@” by drawing it in the air at the same time he did a quick whistle. We thought this was hilarious.
Also, I believe the “#” is pronounced “черепаха”, which means turtle.
Anyone know of any others?
Learn Russian through movie titles:
Black Swan = Чёрный лебедь
Also, check out some other cool Black Swan foreign language posters - I love these!
I think it’s interesting to see how the movie poster changes for different cultures - shows what appeals to different people. In the US, it seems we’re all about celebrities’ faces, where in some other cultures the designs are more abstract and artistic.
Кататься на лыжах
Phrase of the day. “To go skiing.”
This weekend was the second annual “Sibski” weekend - a trip to Seven Springs Resort, PA, with Муж and my 2 brothers.
What did you do this weekend?
Uh, very informative - thank you.
Валерий Меладзе - Небеса
As I’ve mentioned a few times, I’ve been listeing to Russian radio occasionally. Here’s a song I hear almost anytime I turn it on. Must be very popular over there.
The title, Небеса, means heaven.
Dear Rachel Uchitel,
I don’t know who you are, but did you know that your last name means teacher in Russian? Hm.
I've been studying Russian for years - I'll fill you in on the fun stuff! (It's all fun!)
areg:
Photo by Vitaly Arutyunov, 1987.
The 52-meter-tall monument “The Motherland Calls” -...
Moving out into the field of the V. I. Lenin Kolkhoz, Ukraine, 1933. Photo by Georgiy Petrusov.
Party Favour Boxes, from Etsy
