Thread: Need help reading cursive postcard.

Hi everyone! I received a postcard from Russia and I'm having a hard time translating it.

This is what I have so far, the bold section is where I am having trouble. I've typed out the letters that I think I see, but many of them look like a couple different characters to me.

Привет!
Меня зовут катя,
мне 23 и я мался
огароватепьиой
мапеивкой догку
Всею самого хорошею
и привет у сибири!



I've also noticed that many people who send me cards from Russia write т as a latin t and not like a latin m. Is this more common with the younger generation? I want to write my т's like that, but I worry I won't be understood, or made fun of for not writing them properly.

Also, the н in Меня and мне look like they could be и, is that usual or just how this person writes it?

Thanks in advance for any help

Привет!
Меня зовут Катя,
мне 23 и я мама
очаровательной
маленькой дочки.
Всего самого хорошего
и привет из Сибири!
Катя

Hi, my name is Katya, I'm 23 and a mother of a charming little girl. (literally 'daughter') All the best, and greetings from Siberia. Katya

Also, the н in Меня and мне look like they could be и, is that usual or just how this person writes it?

It's just a sloppy handwriting, don't try to copy that.

I've also noticed that many people who send me cards from Russia write т as a latin t and not like a latin m. Is this more common with the younger generation?

Yes, it's rather common among people of all ages. When kids learn to write they usually have a standard, nearly perfect handwriting. When a person grows older he or she develops his/her own handwriting, that suites their character and motor coordination. Many people include variations of block letters in their cursive. I personally often use "blok" Р's, H's, Г's and T's as capital letters, because they are faster to write.

In other words it's ok to write "т" like that, but note that such pseudo-block letters usually retain some features of cursive letters, for example "т"'s here are written in one stroke and are connected to other letters. If you just put a perfect block letter in the middle of a perfect cursive word it would stick out, but people will understand it anyway.

Thanks! Wow, I was totally off on some of those letters :P

Honestly, I did not see мама when I looked at that word. Now I feel silly

I probably shouldn't ask this, but could you write out the same message in your handwriting so I can see the difference? If you can't that's okay, I thought I would ask.

Honestly, I did not see мама when I looked at that word. Now I feel silly

Don't feel silly! While Katya's handwriting is reasonably legible, it's not perfect and many letters here differ significantly from their textbook appearance. Any Russian would read it easily, but it comes from years of experience and understanding the inner mechanics of writing in cursive.

I probably shouldn't ask this, but could you write out the same message in your handwriting so I can see the difference?

Sure, I will, when I have a minute.

I wonder if I could bother you some more? I wrote out the same message myself and I was wondering if you could point out any faults in my writing. Do the letters look too rounded? How is my к? I think I'm writing it incorrectly. Anything else that sticks out?? Thanks again for all your help

It looks good. Only one issue is your letter "т" it looks like english "t". Don't connect it with left or right letters. Make sure it looks exactly like Russian print "т".

There is also one misprint in the word "Сибири". Don't mix Russian "б" with English "b".

I have always written my т with the single downstroke - saves a lot of hand motion. Also note that the cross stroke does not touch the downstroke, which I think is always true for some reason. It may be connected with the preceding letter.

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to respond I guess I still have work to do on my writing ))))