Thread: Quick question

I have just a question, how would you say for example, "This book is about a girl"
Would you say, "Эта книга о девочке"
That sounds funny to me... I'm confused... where is it appropriate to use насчёт? What does this word mean? ...............

Sorry to bother everybody, I was just curious.

And some other questions....(Correct my mistakes)

1)He is at a funeral
Он на похорнах
2)This notebook is for you
Эта тетрадь для тебя
3)I am not mad anymore
Я не злюсь...(?????)
4)My sister's friend's mom is here
Мама друга моей сестры здесь.
5)I need to clean the cage once a week
Мне нужно почистить клетку раз в неделю

Как правильно почистить или чистить? Can you give me some examples of imperfective and perfective verbs so I can see, and their differences? I will use my books too of course, but I just need some help and sometimes its easier if someone explaines it to you.

For example, my friend said in her letter, ...он поплакал... did she use this way because it was taking about a certain time? Ugh.. I'm confused!

Thanks in advance. Byebye

I have just a question, how would you say for example, "This book is about a girl"
Would you say, "Эта книга о девочке"
That sounds funny to me... I'm confused... where is it appropriate to use насчёт? What does this word mean? ...............

Well, "This book is about a girl" sounds a little weird in English too. Usually you say "This book is about a girl who...dreams of becoming the best secretary...goes to Girl Scout camp..." etc.
But what you have is right. For added emphasis you could say "Эта книга об одной девочке" or maybe even "Эта книга о некоторой девочке."

As for насчет, you can use it like "As for." I often use this to answer a question when I'm writing a letter.

Насчет моего брата, он недавно вернулся с Кавказа.
As for my brother, he recently returned from the Caucusus.

Also "Как насчет" - How about (bla bla bla)

Also "что касается" -
Что касается этой книги, о которой ты говорила, я ее еще не читал.
As for that book you were talking about, I still haven't read it.

Sorry to bother everybody, I was just curious.

If you don't bother people, you will never get anything from them.

1)He is at a funeral
Он на похорнах

Он на похоронах, but it sounded strange to me and turned up only 61 hits on Google. On the other hand, "He is at a funeral" turned up only 45 hits on Google and "He's at a funeral" only 53.

2)This notebook is for you
Эта тетрадь для тебя

Right. But a тетрадь is more like an exercise or workbook. Maybe a записная книжка or something like that.

3)I am not mad anymore
Я не злюсь...(?????)

Я больше не сержусь, but there's other ways you can say it.

4)My sister's friend's mom is here
Мама друга моей сестры здесь.

Right, sounds weird, but it sounds kind of weird in English too. Takes a while to figure out who's mother it is!

5)I need to clean the cage once a week
Мне нужно почистить клетку раз в неделю
Как правильно почистить или чистить?

Ooh, this is a tricky one. You'd think you need to do ONE cleaning action per week, so it'd be perfective - but it's not. It's a recurring, repeating action, so we use the imperfective here - чистить.
BTW, anyone think maybe "Мне приходится" would be a little better here? "Мне нужно", it would seem to me, indicates you do this out of need for yourself(instead of it being a chore of yours).

Can you give me some examples of imperfective and perfective verbs so I can see, and their differences? I will use my books too of course, but I just need some help and sometimes its easier if someone explaines it to you.

Каждый раз, когда мы встречались, я целовал ее.
Every time we saw each other, I kissed her.(recurring, repeating action)
Вчера я поцеловал ее.
Yesterday I kissed her.(one completed action)

Когда я его вижу, я улыбаюсь.
When I see him, I smile.
Когда я его увижу, я его спрошу.
When I see him, I'll ask him.

For example, my friend said in her letter, ...он поплакал... did she use this way because it was taking about a certain time? Ugh.. I'm confused!

По- is often used in front of verbs to make it "a little bit of something." Your example means "He cried a bit." To use a JJ example, "Я немного поснимал на Красной Площади" - "I shot some pics on the Red Square".

Thank you very very much Pravit! I understand your explanations well, thank you so much! I also have another question, how do you say: I need to sharpen my pencil? Or perhaps to say, "to sharpen" or something like that? Thanks!!!

Originally Posted by Pravit

But what you have is right. For added emphasis you could say "Эта книга об одной девочке" or maybe even "Эта книга о некоторой девочке."

Pravit, the correct sentence is "об одной девочке". All you've read below is absolutely right.

How would you say "I need to sharpen my pencil"
Мне нужно _____ мой карандаш (????????????)

Thanks!

поточить (или "заточить")

Originally Posted by Евгения Белякова

Мне нужно _____ мой карандаш (????????????)
Thanks!

Мне нужно заточить/поточить (мой) карандаш. "мой" is not needed here and it sounds a little bit odd. IMHO, in Russian when you talk that you do something on some "thing" it is implied that the thing is yours.