Thread: When to use А and У?

Hi, I just started learning the alphabet and I was reading an article and it said кот, meaning cat but couldn't you use кат? If you can't, why not? And when are is using A appropriate?

I'm learning English and I was reading an article and it said cat, meaning "a small domesticated feline mammal" but couldn't you use cut? If you can't, why not?

Ok I can help you out on this one, a cat is a small feline animal and a cut is when you take a sharp object and separate an object into smaller pieces. For example, you take a knife (the sharp object) and you cut the bread into two pieces.
Here are two sentences: The cat was cut in half. (this sentence is correct)
The cut was cat in half. (this is incorrect)
I hope I helped you understand a little better, does that make sense?

Курт,

Are you by any chance talking about the stressed and unstressed sound of the letter "о"?

If so, as I understand it, the stressed sound is kind of like an English "oh" sound and the unstressed sounds more like an "a". I believe there is also the tendency to make it sound like an "uh" sound if it is immediately before the stressed syllable.

In a single syllable word, it is almost always stressed and therefore pronounced like "oh". The only exception to this I have come across so far is if a single syllable is a prefix to another word.

Please someone correct me if I am wrong as I would like to improve my understanding as well.

Originally Posted by Курт

Ok I can help you out on this one, a cat is a small feline animal and a cut is when you take a sharp object and separate an object into smaller pieces. For example, you take a knife (the sharp object) and you cut the bread into two pieces.
Here are two sentences: The cat was cut in half. (this sentence is correct)
The cut was cat in half. (this is incorrect)
I hope I helped you understand a little better, does that make sense?

I thought you would catch my joke.
Okay, if you know that "The cut was cat in half" is incorrect and you can't use "cat" instead of "cut", why do you think we can write "кат" instead of "кот" in Russian?

Even if it's about stressed and unstressed vowels, the spelling never changes. As well as in English. You wouldn't write "dy" instead of "die" (I hope).

I have not absolutely understood a question. But in Russian a КОТ (rus) this pet . КАТ(rus) it is the executioner. Absolutely different words

Originally Posted by Aimak

I have not absolutely understood a question. But in Russian a КОТ (rus) this pet . КАТ(rus) it is the executioner. Absolutely different words

Aimak,

Let's see if this helps....

In English, CAT as in the animal is spelled with a "C" and not a "K." There is no word in the English language spelled KAT. The spelling of CAT comes from the etymology of the word.

Originally Posted by wiktionary - cat

Etymology 1Old English catt m., catte f., from Germanic *kattuz; cf. Old Frisian & Middle Dutch katte, O.H.G. kazza, Old Norse kǫttr, Irish cat, Welsh cath, Late Latin cattus (replacing native term felis, feles for domestic cats). Origin obscure. Probably originating in an Afro-Asiatic language. Cf Dutch kat, German Katze, French chat, Italian gatto, and Spanish and Portuguese gato. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cat

The K sound in "Cat" comes from the primary stressed syllable [k] can, speaker, stick
http://dictionary.reference.com/help..._pron_key.html

Originally Posted by Курт

I hope I helped you understand a little better, does that make sense?

Оля was just joking trying to reproduce the way your question looked to a native Russian speaker.

In Russian, "кот" is spelled and pronounced as "kot" which means cat.
If you spell it as "кат" you got it pronounced in Russian as "kat" which is a different word (unknown to me).

Во первых, вопрос к КУРТУ. Вы какой читаете алфавит и какую статью? Русский?
Во вторых, я обращаюсь к rockzmom. Ваше утверждение, что в английском отсутствует слово КАТ я принимаю как постулат. Но в данном случае я понял, что КУРТ написал слово КАТ именно русскими буквами, и соответственно, я считаю, что это русское слово. В русском языке есть слово КАТ. Это название палача на одном из русских диалектов (южно-западный). Также КАТ это снасть блоков, поднимающих якорь.

Я попробую это перевести на английский, но оригинал мысли – русский вариант.


In the first, a question to КУРТУ. You what read the alphabet and what article? Russian?
In the second, I address to rockzmom your statement, that in English there is no word КАТ I accept as a postulate. But in this case I have understood, that КУРТ have written word КАТ Russian letters, and accordingly, I consider, that this Russian word. In Russian there is word КАТ. This name of the executioner on one of Russian dialects (South-Western). Also КАТ it is tackle of the blocks lifting an anchor.

I shall try it to translate on English, but the original think - Russian variant.

for a second then back on...

Aimak,

Let me just inform you that I am probably the ONLY person on this site who DOES NOT speak, read, or write ANY RUSSIAN. And, the chances of me learning any are about -1,000%.

If I see you post a question that I believe I can help you with, I am happy to respond and also happy to try and correct any mistakes that I see with your postings. Just understand that I might have a harder time understanding you than others.

So, when I make corrections, look them over and see if what I changed your sentances to are actually what you wanted to say in the first place or if I really misunderstood you. Also note, that I am American and will correct you with American English, not British. And please, don't get frustrated!

BACK ON TOPIC...

Originally Posted by Aimak

In the second, I address [s:1kbysreu]to[/s:1kbysreu] rockzmom's [s:1kbysreu]your[/s:1kbysreu] statement, that in English there is no word КАТ and I accept that as a [s:1kbysreu]postulate[/s:1kbysreu] fact. But in this case I [s:1kbysreu]have[/s:1kbysreu] understood, that the КУРТ have the written word КАТ in Russian letters, and accordingly, I consider, that this is a Russian word. [s:1kbysreu]In Russian there is word КАТ. This name of the executioner on one of Russian dialects.[/s:1kbysreu] In the South-Western Russian dialect, there is the word KAT which means, "executioner." Also КАТ [s:1kbysreu]it[/s:1kbysreu] is a tackle of [s:1kbysreu]the[/s:1kbysreu] blocks used to lift[s:1kbysreu]ing[/s:1kbysreu] an anchor.

Now Aimak... what is КУРТ?

Только мне кажется, что вся эта темя -- шутка?

@roskzmom: курт is the man who started this thread.

Originally Posted by Zubr

roskzmom: курт is the man who started this thread.

Thank you Zubr!!! I got all confused with Aimak here and though HE had started it!!!

In that case the sentance should be...

But in this case I had understood, КУРТ had written the word КАТ in Russian letters...

Wow, misunderstandings all around (I'm picturing Clinton with that great перезагрузка/перегрузка button). If I hazard my own guess as to the original misunderstanding: go to multitran.ru (or even the inferior translate.google.com) and type in "cat," Roman letters, and check out those results. Not that we should believe everything we read on the internet, particularly in this case since so many natives pointed out the error. But perhaps this is where the original confusion started.

http://multitran.ru/c/m.exe?CL=1&l1=1&s=cat
кот; кошка (в т.ч. плеть); двойной треножник; животное семейства кошачьих; сварливая женщина; кат; гусеничный трактор (сокр. от caterpillar); вагина; мужик; чувак

http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en#en|ru|cat
noun 1. кот 2. кошка 3. животное семейства кошачьих [зоол.] 4. сварливая женщина 5. двойной треножник 6. гусеничный трактор 7. кат

Lingvo:

кат - executioner (outdated)

кат - снасть талей, поднимающих якорь (a rope that used to lift an anchor)

Originally Posted by Zubr

Только мне кажется, что вся эта тема -- шутка?

Ммм... Уже не знаю.

Rockzmom

Thanks for corrections.
I have not resentment

Originally Posted by Aimak

Rockzmom

Thanks for thе corrections.
I have no resentment