Thread: English to Russian

Originally Posted by Chancellor Kremlin

Yes it is. My parents decided to name me after Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. Iuri was quite a popular name in Brazil those days anyway, so the spelling variant did no harm

Здорово тёзка! I thought only my parents gave me such hm.. original answer when I asked them why they decided to give me such a name. I've nothing against it and I actually like my name but I'd prefer to be named in honor of some of my ansectors instead.

Thanks for answering my questions Оля.

Originally Posted by Оля

Strange questions. Seems like you never learnt basic Russian grammar.

Well Оля, it can be confusing when you are reading from a book. The Penguin Classic to Learning Russian perhaps does not follow the order you were taught things at school. The cases are perhaps not numbered in the right order.

So when I see in the dictionary Стены, that is what I writte assuming it to be right. When I get corrected to стенах, I am rightly confused and im my right to ask why this is the case. Once it is explained to me, it becomes clear.

I thank you again for answering my questions, but ask you have patience with me and the learning process.

Originally Posted by Basil77

Здорово тёзка! I thought only my parents gave me such hm.. original answer when I asked them why they decided to give me such a name. I've nothing against it and I actually like my name but I'd prefer to be named in honor of some of my ansectors instead.

Hehe, well I don't mind. It is a lot better than the names floating around in Brazil at that time. Off course, in England (where I live now) it is a more awkward name sadly. What would you rather be called?

Originally Posted by Chancellor Kremlin

Hehe, well I don't mind. It is a lot better than the names floating around in Brazil at that time. Off course, in England (where I live now) it is a more awkward name sadly. What would you rather be called?

As I already said, I like my name, but I still remeber the episode at school when a teacher ask us about our names, and when I said that my parents named me in the honor of Yuriy Gagarin the whole class laughed at me.

Wow seriously? Thats strange. I never got any fun made out of me in Brazil of all places, I never imagined a russian would suffer that in RUSSIA of all places

Its only in England where people don't really appreciate it lol... I don't mind it myself.

[quote=Chancellor Kremlin]Thanks for answering my questions Оля.

Originally Posted by "Оля":6f7sin98

Strange questions. Seems like you never learnt basic Russian grammar.

Well Оля, it can be confusing when you are reading from a book. The Penguin Classic to Learning Russian perhaps does not follow the order you were taught things at school. The cases are perhaps not numbered in the right order.
[/quote:6f7sin98]

Yes that's true, but since at this stage you will know that if you look up 'wall' and you get стена, but it's на стене "on the wall" because it's the prepositional case, you could predict that if you looked up стены in the dictionary for 'walls' but it was 'на стенах', that it is just the prepositional plural form.

Originally Posted by TATY

Yes that's true, but since at this stage you will know that if you look up 'wall' and you get стена, but it's на стене "on the wall" because it's the prepositional case, you could predict that if you looked up стены in the dictionary for 'walls' but it was 'на стенах', that it is just the prepositional plural form.

Normally that would be the case TATY, but for you to have an idea, all the book says is стена - Wall. pl стены. That, and the chapter for Prepositional is short and intermitent during the book; maybe I haven't reached the bit that explains стенах.

Anyway, thanks for helping and sorry for my apparant lack of gramatical knowledge.

OK, lets try it again.

Made some changes, this is how it should read:

My name is Yuri, and I am a Brazilian. I am nineteen years old, and I am a student. I live in Nottingham. My parents live in Durham. My mother is a chef and my father is an economist. He works in London. I study politics at Nottingham University. I live on the second floor of a new and modern student hall, near the city centre. I have a large flat, but a small room. I have many posters on the walls, and on my desk I have my computer and some books. In my spare time I like to listen to music, read, watch television and play on the computer. I don't like studying, exams and stress.

Yesterday I mostly studied.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Меня зовут Юрий, и я бразилец. Мне девятнадцать лет, и я студент. Я живу в Ноттингемe. Мой родители живут в Дурхаме. Моя мама - шеф-повар, а мой папа - экономист. Он работает в Лондоне. Я изучаю политику в Ноттингемском университете. Я живу на втором этаже нового и современного общежития, около центер горада. У меня большая квартира, но маленькая комната. У меня много постеров на стенах, и на столе у меня мой компютер и много книги. в свободное время я люблю слушать музыку, читать, смотреть телевизор и иргать нa компютерe. Я не люблю учиться, сдавать экзамены и перенапрягаться.


Вчера я в основном занимался.

I want to include this:

(From Mondays to Fridays I usually get up early and go to university. I come back (return from uni) at about four o'clock, and cook myself a meal. I can eat many different types of food, I prefer italian. After that, I relax. On weekends, I usually go out with friends and drink. I like tequila and vodka.)

Once again, many thanks.

Originally Posted by Chancellor Kremlin

Моя мама - шеф-повар, а мой папа - экономист.

It's better to avoid repeting "мой": ... а папа - экономист.

Я изучаю политику в Ноттингемском университете.

"Я изучаю политику" is not idiomatic, as I said above. What do you call your faculty? We usually say "я учусь на [say, филологическом] факультете".

Я живу на втором этаже нового и современного общежития, недалеко от центра города.

У меня большая квартира, но маленькая комната.

How's that?

У меня много постеров на стенах, а на столе у меня - _ компьютер и много книг_.

Sorry, but it's still книг here, not книги.

в свободное время я люблю слушать музыку, читать, смотреть телевизор и играть нa компьютерe.

Originally Posted by Оля

It's better to avoid repeting "мой": ... а папа - экономист.

Thanks, I'll do that next time.

Originally Posted by Оля

"Я изучаю политику" is not idiomatic, as I said above. What do you call your faculty? We usually say "я учусь на [say, филологическом] факультете".

Erm, well, I study at nottingham university, and I am studying international relations (I abrevviate to politics). Its the politics school, or faculty I think, if thats what you mean.

Originally Posted by Оля

Я живу на втором этаже нового и современного общежития, недалеко от центра города.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Оля

У меня большая квартира, но маленькая комната.

How's that? [/quote]

As in, I live in a large flat (with six room per person), but my individual room is small. (bedroom)

Originally Posted by Оля

Sorry, but it's still книг here, not книги.

Hehe, fine I'll stick to it this time.

в свободное время я люблю слушать музыку, читать, смотреть телевизор и играть нa компьютерe.

[/quote]

Again, thanks.

[quote=Chancellor Kremlin]

Originally Posted by "Оля":3f65kkh8

У меня большая квартира, но маленькая комната.

How's that?

As in, I live in a large flat (with six room per person), but my individual room is small. (bedroom)[/quote:3f65kkh8]
Then you can't say "У меня большая квартира" because this sentence would mean that the whole flat is yours. Say then: "Я живу в большой квартире, но моя комната маленькая".

Мои родители живут в Дареме

Originally Posted by Оля

Then you can't say "У меня большая квартира" because this sentence would mean that the whole flat is yours. Say then: "Я живу в большой квартире, но моя комната маленькая".

I see, thanks Оля.

Originally Posted by Оля

"Я изучаю политику" is not idiomatic, as I said above. What do you call your faculty? We usually say "я учусь на [say, филологическом] факультете".

Btw, is this better:

я учусь на политикском факультете, в университете Ноттингема. ( I study at the politics faculty, at Nottingham University. Does that sound better/idiomatic?

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Мои родители живут в Дареме

Cheers Rtyom. Btw, is there any specific rule I must adhere to when transliterating (not sure if that is a word, but you get the gist) an english name like Durham into its Russian counterpart?

Oh, and lastly, how do I writte this in Russian:

(From Mondays to Fridays I usually get up early and go to university. I come back (return from uni) at about four o'clock, and cook myself a meal. I can eat many different types of food, I prefer italian. After that, I relax. On weekends, I usually go out with friends and drink. I like tequila and vodka.)

From I think is C, I need the words for Usually. I have the verb ''get up'' and ''go by foot'' to university. I also need ''about/around/circa'' and is there a word for ''myself''? Oh, and I know how to say the last sentence, so don't bother with that.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Chancellor Kremlin

From Mondays to Fridays I usually get up early and go to university. I come back (return from uni) at about four o'clock, and cook myself a meal. I can eat many different types of food, I prefer italian. After that, I relax. On weekends, I usually go out with friends and drink.

С понедельника по пятницу я обычно встаю рано и иду в университет.
(it's better to say that in another way in Russian: "В будние дни я встаю рано..." (обычно - the word "usually" - seems superfluous to me).
Около четырех (or примерно в четыре часа) я возвращаюсь домой и готовлю себе обед.
"I can eat many different types of food" can't be translated literally. You can say:
Я вообще-то ем самую разную еду (doesn't sound perfect to me), но предпочитаю итальянскую кухню.
Я не особенно привередлив в еде (a bit far from the original sense), но предпочитаю итальянскую кухню.
Я могу привыкнуть к любой кухне (hm... so-so), но предпочитаю итальянскую.
(it seems like the first variant is the best anyway)
Потом я отдыхаю.
As for the last sentence, it also can't be translated literally because "по выходным мы пьём" sounds veeeeery unambiguous. I think, you can say:
По выходным мы с друзьями ходим в бар / идем в какой-нибудь бар / любим посидеть в каком-нибудь баре.

From I think is C

It depends on the context.

I like tequila and vodka.

So how do you think to say this?

Originally Posted by Оля

So how do you think to say this?

Я люблю текилa и водкa ?
Я люблю текилу и водку ?
Я люблю пить текилa и водкa ?
Я люблю пить текилу и водку ?

Let me guess, all wrong?

Originally Posted by Chancellor Kremlin

Я люблю текилa и водкa ? wrong
Я люблю текилу и водку ? ok
Я люблю пить текилa и водкa ? wrong
Я люблю пить текилу и водку ? grammatically correct, but sounds unnatural

You can also say "Я предпочитаю текилу или водку" (which fits very much the context above, in my opinion).

[quote=Оля]

Originally Posted by "Chancellor Kremlin":p8bqcfje

Я люблю текилa и водкa ? wrong
Я люблю текилу и водку ? ok
Я люблю пить текилa и водкa ? wrong
Я люблю пить текилу и водку ? grammatically correct, but sounds unnatural

You can also say "Я предпочитаю текилу или водку" (which fits very much the context above, in my opinion).[/quote8bqcfje]

Does that literally mean I prefer tequila over vodka? Or tequila and/or vodka?

Also, can someone help me with this:

There are these three questions, and then my answers. Can someone correct them? Thanks.



3)

A - дорогaя
B - сложньое
C - черная (btw I heard in formal russian Coffe is feminine, but coloquial is is neuter, but for me to stick to formal - still not sure if it is right though)
D - большой
E - эта

4)

A - газету
B - отцы (didn't exactly get that one – I love our fathers?
C – молоко (I don't drink coffee without milk: what needs to be changed here?
D – баскетбол (again, not exactly sure what needs to be changed)
E - Англии

5)

A - Меня
B - Я
C - Мне
D - Меня
E – Я (What did the last question say? - Didn't understand it)

Сложное (without ь)
Чёрный (coffee is masculine, not feminine)
Большие (this is plural form)

Отца (is says “I love my father”, actually I’d like “своего”, but since they didn’t want it, that’s OK too. You need accusative case)
Молока (preposition без requires genetive case)
Баскетболом (instrumental case)

Мне нравится пиво (“I like beer” — “Мне нравится” is not the same as “Я люблю” in grammatical sense)

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Сложное (without ь)
Чёрный (coffee is masculine, not feminine)
Большие (this is plural form)

Отца (is says “I love my father”, actually I’d like “своего”, but since they didn’t want it, that’s OK too. You need accusative case)
Молока (preposition без requires genetive case)
Баскетболом (instrumental case)

Мне нравится пиво (“I like beer” — “Мне нравится” is not the same as “Я люблю” in grammatical sense)

Ahh thanks Rtyom, I had a suspicion it was the genitive case. Didn't know без was a prepositional.

And yes, coffee is masculine, got it mixed up with feminine.

Did I get the rest right though?

Originally Posted by Chancellor Kremlin

Does that literally mean I prefer tequila over vodka? Or tequila and/or vodka?

I prefer tequila or vodka. (I don't think you drink them simultaneously If you do you're truly a macho )

Did I get the rest right though?

Yes, you did.