Thread: Italian equivalents of Russian letters

I am starting this thread to find Italian explanations of the letters of the Russian alphabet. The first six are simple but lacking Italian words. Feel free to jump in with your examples.

Подбираем итальянское произношение русских букв. Выставляйте свои примеры и объяснения.
А а (Russian letter)
sounds like Italian "a" in lampada, albero yes, Lampada

Е е
sounds like "e" in "Ieri". It can sometimes be pronounced as "e" in bene.

К к
Looks like K in foreign words. Sounds like "c" in "capo", "cane".

М м
sounds like Italian "m" in "mare"

О о
sounds like closed Italian "o" in "fuoco"

Т т
sounds like "t" in "tavolo"

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

К к
sounds like Italian "k" in __________.
There is no "k" in Italian. It's used in foreign words only. Russian "к" sounds like Italian c in "capo".

М м
sounds like Italian "m" in ___________ in any word.

О о
sounds like "o" nel fuoco.
There are two o's in "fuoco", and if I am not mistaken, they sound different.
Russian "o" sounds like the open "o" (o aperta) in Italian.

Т т
sounds like "t" in ____________ in any Italian word.

A like in "lampada", "albero".
If you mean Е like /je/, then "bene" is not a good example. "Ieri" is better.
Yes, there's no the letter К in Italian, but there's the sound /k/, so "capo", "cane" should be good.
М like in "mare".
Russian О is closer to the closed Italian О. So, "fuoco" is good. There's also (like Оля has already said) an open O like in "può"
T like in "tavolo".

Originally Posted by iriroma

If you mean Е like /je/, then "bene" is not a good example. "Ieri" is better.
Yes, there's no the letter К in Italian, but there's the sound /k/, so "capo", "cane" should be good.
Russian О is closer to the closed Italian О. So, "fuoco" is good. There's also (like Оля has already said) an open O like in "può"

Russian "E" can be pronounced both: as /je/ (есть) or as /eh/ (темп). So it will be /je/ as in "leri" or /eh/ as in "bene". Does this sound right to you?

So if there's no letter K in Italian, does that mean that not all 100% of Italians will know about it?

I think Russian O will be more similar to the closoed Italian O. Besides that, unstressed O can sound as "u" in "nut". Can you recommend any Italian analogies for this situation?

From Wikipedia:
Буквы e и o могут обозначать как более закрытые [e], [o], так и более открытые [ɛ], [ɔ]. Если над ними не стоит знак акута или грависа, они не различаются: legge 'закон' ([leʤ:e]), но legge 'он(а) читает' ([lɛʤ:e]).
[e] pianéta, réte, pésca
[ɛ] sfèra, zèro, pèsca, bène
[o] confrónto, órdine, póéta, balcóne ~ [(russian свобода) in my opinion and ear]
[ɔ] vuòto, bucòlico, ròsa ~ [(russian роза, поэт) in my opinion and ear]
----------------------
But in Northern Italy we generally say: sféra, zéro, pésca, béne, even if we know that the “right” pronunciation is the other one.
There is less anarchy for what concerns [o]/ [ɔ]
---------
K
K -> ca/co/cu: capo, cosa, cupola (~ kapo, kosa, kùpola)
k-> ch: chiesa ~ kiésa
k-> qu: qui, questo ~ kuì, kuèsto

Originally Posted by Vbar

From Wikipedia:
Буквы e и o могут обозначать как более закрытые [e], [o], так и более открытые [ɛ], [ɔ]. Если над ними не стоит знак акута или грависа, они не различаются: legge 'закон' ([leʤ:e]), но legge 'он(а) читает' ([lɛʤ:e]).
[e] pianéta, réte, pésca
[ɛ] sfèra, zèro, pèsca, bène
[o] confrónto, órdine, póéta, balcóne ~ [(russian свобода) in my opinion and ear]
[ɔ] vuòto, bucòlico, ròsa ~ [(russian роза, поэт) in my opinion and ear]
----------------------
But in Northern Italy we generally say: sféra, zéro, pésca, béne, even if we know that the “right” pronunciation is the other one.
There is less anarchy for what concerns [o]/ [ɔ]
---------
K
K -> ca/co/cu: capo, cosa, cupola (~ kapo, kosa, kùpola)
k-> ch: chiesa ~ kiésa
k-> qu: qui, questo ~ kuì, kuèsto

I think we should try to avoid accents if possible because they are not used in Russian except ё. The lesson tries to compare Russian letters with Italian ones by how they look and sound.

NOTE: I will give credits to all contributors when the alphabet article in Italian is finished. Your forum nicknames (or real names if you wish) will be featured on MasterRussian site!!

Б "b" in ______
Г first "g" in segugi
Д d in ______
Ё "io" in iota or like "o" in fuoco
Ж "g" in giardino but softer, or "j" in French jardin
П "p" in ______
Ф "f" in ______
И "_" in ______
Й "_" in ______
Л "_" in ______
Ц "z" in pazzo
Ш "sc" in scivolo
Щ "_" in ______
Э "e" in bello
Ю "iu" in iuta
Я "ia" in iato

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

Russian "E" can be pronounced both: as /je/ (есть) or as /eh/ (темп). So it will be /je/ as in "leri" or /eh/ as in "bene". Does this sound right to you?
To me it sounds right, and Vbar has given a good explanation
So if there's no letter K in Italian, does that mean that not all 100% of Italians will know about it?
Sure! They often write "ke" for "che" in an sms. Also there're foreign words written with "k". For example "kiwi"

I think Russian O will be more similar to the closoed Italian O. Besides that, unstressed O can sound as "u" in "nut". Can you recommend any Italian analogies for this situation?
Hm! There're no analogies because in Italian they pronounce "O" like /o/, "A" like /a/

[quote:1zwrhq6w]So if there's no letter K in Italian, does that mean that not all 100% of Italians will know about it?

Sure! They often write "ke" for "che" in an sms. Also there're foreign words written with "k". For example "kiwi"[/quote:1zwrhq6w]

Sure, 100% of the Italians who can read and write, know about the letter “k” (ke, kiwi, okkupazione, Berlusconi e il komplotto komunista….).

Perhaps not all 100% of Italians will recognize this sentence:
"Sao ke kelle terre per kelle fini que ki contene, trenta anni le possette Sancti Benedicti".
"I know that those lands, within the borders that enclose them, were owned for thirty years by the party of St. Benedict's" (Capua, March 960 - Placito Capuano)
"So per certo che quei terreni, nei confini che li contengono, sono sati posseduti dall'Abbazia di S.Benedetto per trenta anni".
This document was written in early Italian in 960 A.D.: it is generally considered as the Act of Birth of the Italian language.

Here you can read a funny proposal for a General Orthographic Reform of the Italian language.

http://xmau.com/humour/riforma.html

The Russian “O” is generally similar to the close form of the Italian “O” (such as in “balcone”). For what concerns the unstressed Russian “O” there are no analogies in Italian.

Б "b" in alfabeto
Г first "g" in segugi (or gola, gatto and “gh” in ghirlanda)
Д d in delta
Ё "io" in iota or in giorno or fioco
Ж in giardino but softer, or "j" in French jardin.
П "p" in parola
Ф "f" in formula
И "i_" in zio
Й "_" in ieri
Л "l" in lampadina
Ц "z" in pazzo
Ш "sc" in scivolo
Щ "scc_" in sciare
Э "e" in bello
Ю "iu" in iuta or fiuto
Я "ia" in iato or fiato