Thread: Why did you choose to learn Russian?

Originally Posted by Karras

I had a feeling никто was wrong after I wrote it. I was guessing genetive but I think I understand now.

Oops, sorry, it really is the genitive, since the sentence contains a negation.

I am a little confused about the tendency to say "one's self" instead of "myself". The Penguin book I have seems to suggest this is optional when refering you yourself. Is this not correct then?

Sometimes, maybe. But not in this case. You can say both " я люблю своего брата" and "я люблю моего брата" (the latter still sounds a bit unnatural to me anyway). But "я разговариваю со мной" sounds wrong.

Concerning parallels between Russian and other languages with respect to some of the words mentioned above, my opinion is that

работать is the relative (cognate) of Latin laborare (to work) which gives our 'labour'. At first sight, this may sound far fetched, until you remember that r, l and t are all produced in a similar way with the tongue and teeth. L and r often confused by Spanish speakers.

Telephone is Greek tele 'far' and phone 'voice'. To me tele is a relative of даль and далеко while phone is cognate with words like звонить, звон, звук.

I am pretty sure about these but I would not try to ram them down anyone else's throat. I do know that there are many real relationships between Russian and English vocabulary that can make learning a little less difficult.

I believe I decided to start learning Russian because I view it as significantly different to the European languages I know/have knowledge of. So it isn't that it attracts me more than "those Romance languages" - which I find interesting for other reasons (though I do prefer Russian). Needless to say, languages such as Arabic and Mandarin Chinese are even more different to the languages I know, but I would like to start learning them at a later date.

My interest in the language may well have partially stemmed from studying Russian history several years ago. I found it very interesting, and best of all, the school organised a trip to Russia - Moscow and St Petersburg to be precise. The trip was certainly unforgettable, and by touring each city, I feel I developed my interest for the language. I also recall on the first day that I lost my passport, and now realise how much better I would be able to deal with the situation today with my improved knowledge of the Russian language, for I simply did not communicate what I wanted to say in English at all. Of course, this applies to any language in any situation, but something about Russia, particularly how little I knew about modern day Russian, prompted me to take it up.

Thanks to everybody for your opinions/

I started learnig it because of my work and the girlfriend.

Well I decided to learn Russian because its part of my heritage its just that no one alive in my family speaks Russian so I find it my duty to learn it and pass it on to my kids.Lots of people have tried scaring me by telling me it's crazy hard but that doesn't phase me so far I've been having a lot of fun learning.I also wanna get a beautiful Russian girlfriend.

Originally Posted by badwolf

Well I decided to learn Russian because its part of my heritage its just that no one alive in my family speaks Russian so I find it my duty to learn it and pass it on to my kids.Lots of people have tried scaring me by telling me it's crazy hard but that doesn't phase me so far I've been having a lot of fun learning.I also wanna get a beautiful Russian girlfriend.

Thanks for your answer. Very nice to hear your attitude to Russian language as "it my duty to learn it and pass it on to my kids". Thank you so much.
I have one question. You wrote that you are from Honolulu,Hawaii. Are there many Russian speakers tourists in Hawaii?

Originally Posted by ekaterinak

Originally Posted by badwolf

Well I decided to learn Russian because its part of my heritage its just that no one alive in my family speaks Russian so I find it my duty to learn it and pass it on to my kids.Lots of people have tried scaring me by telling me it's crazy hard but that doesn't phase me so far I've been having a lot of fun learning.I also wanna get a beautiful Russian girlfriend.

Thanks for your answer. Very nice to hear your attitude to Russian language as "it my duty to learn it and pass it on to my kids". Thank you so much.
I have one question. You wrote that you are from Honolulu,Hawaii. Are there many Russian speakers tourists in Hawaii?

I run into tourist at my work that speak Russian once every blue moon but it's hard to find someone that speaks Russian.From what I have herd there is a Russian community here in Hawaii you just need to look hard which I haven't tried yet once I get more advanced in my Russian then I'll make friend so on.

Originally Posted by badwolf

Originally Posted by ekaterinak

Originally Posted by badwolf

I run into tourist at my work that speak Russian once every blue moon but it's hard to find someone that speaks Russian.From what I have herd there is a Russian community here in Hawaii you just need to look hard which I haven't tried yet once I get more advanced in my Russian then I'll make friend so on.

I am looking for English pen pal. Would you like to change e-mails with me?

Sure I sent you a message

Because I have been some of the fantastic countries where Russian is spoken / understood: Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine.....
The people are fantastic
The food is great
The language is Beauuuuuuuuuuuutiful
The culture and history are interesting
None of these countries are full of Western Europeans behaving badly, or just being boring. (I am a Western European myself!!). Eastern Europe is great.
I like to speak to people in their own language.
I love the Russian language.....but I can (so far) only speak a tiny amount. But I'm trying to improve / learn more words and phrases.
I have friends in Russia and Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan (the problem is they all speak quite good English).

I forgot to add....Russian pop music. It's brilliant.

I forgot to add....Russian pop music. It's brilliant.

Yeah, it is true until you will not try to translate them. Beforehand I am sorry for my clumsy translation, but I will try anyway.

Ты - стебелёк, а я пестик
Мы навсегда с тобой вместе.
-----
You are a small stalk, and I am a pestle
We for ever, with you together.

Я даже не буду и говорить о том, что пестик это женский "орган" (а песню поет мужчина).

И её изумрудные брови колосятся под знаком Луны
-----
And her emerald eyebrows beginning to ear under sign of moon.

Что-то эзотерическое.

Ты далеко, тебя рядом нет, но смотрит на тебя мой палец пистолет
-----
You are so far, you are not beside me, but my finger as pistol looks at you

Хэнди хох!

Гуляй Россия, танцуй Европа, а у меня самая красивая попа
-----
Go for a walk Russia, to dance Europe, and I have the most beautiful buttocks.

Не понимаю, как такое вообще можно показывать по телевизору. Нормальные песни даже по радио не крутят, ибо - "неформат", а вот это пожалуйста.

Теплая вода
Золотой песок
К северу лицом
Сердцем на восток
-----
Warm water
Gold sand
Face to the north
And heart to the east.

Типа голова на 180 градусов поворачивается или певица на голове стояла

У меня губки бантиком, попка краником...
-----
My lips as little bow, my buttocks as little faucet...

Губы бантиком - понятно, а вот насчет краника...

Твои зелёные лосины...
забуду с ними всё и вся
Твои зелёные лосины...
во мне самом родят лося!
-----
Your green buckskins...
I'll forget with them everything and all
Your green buckskins...
In me will give birth to the elk!

Безоговорочный шедевр

Originally Posted by delog

И её изумрудные брови колосятся под знаком Луны
-----
And her emerald eyebrows beginning to ear under sign of moon. ...

http://ellkina.livejournal.com/9928.html

Because to me it taught at school

Согласна, что тексты некоторх песен действительно странноваты, но далеко не все таковы. Лично я их воспринимаю как шутку, и конечно, в свой хит-парад я такие песни не включаю. )))

Но наши песни бывают очень метафоричны. Вот например:

Originally Posted by delog

Теплая вода
Золотой песок
К северу лицом
Сердцем на восток
-----
Warm water
Gold sand
Face to the north
And heart to the east.

Типа голова на 180 градусов поворачивается или певица на голове стояла

Дословно переведено верно. Но тут можно представить такую картину:
Любуется человек морем в южной стране. А в голове тревога об оставленных делах. Смотрит он в сторону работы (на север), а сердце тянет его на родину (на восток). Человек может быть из России, а работать может в Англии.
А можно еще пофантазировать на эту тему и еще что-нибудь придумать.
В этих строках говорится о внутренней тревоге человека, о его исканиях.

Originally Posted by ROVERSFAN

I forgot to add....Russian pop music. It's brilliant.

Ты, наверное, шутишь? Русская поп-музыка -- просто ужас. Хуже её нигде на свете не услышишь. Зачем мучить себя ей, тогда как хороших русских певцов есть так много?

Originally Posted by Zubr

Originally Posted by ROVERSFAN

I forgot to add....Russian pop music. It's brilliant.

Ты, наверное, шутишь? Русская поп-музыка -- просто ужас. Хуже её нигде на свете не услышишь. Зачем мучить себя ей, тогда как хороших русских певцов есть так много?

There are no friends in tastes and colours.

Cuz, fate of my country was tight connected with fate of Russia many times through the history.
And, also,
we have some important economics relations now and, perhaps, russian will be important in my future job.

Originally Posted by DestinationMoscow

Cuz, fate of my country was tight connected with fate of Russia many times through the history.
And, also,
we have some important economics relations now and, perhaps, russian will be important in my future job.

DestinationMoscow, Could you say us where you are from?

Serbia !!! I have guessed about it before studying of your profile.