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Thread: businesswoman - feminine forms of nouns

  1. #1
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    businesswoman - feminine forms of nouns

    Hey,
    Цhat word is most commonly used of the following:
    бизнесменка, коммерсантка, женщина-бизнесмен, деловая женшина

    Aslo, is it offensive for women if you refer to them using the masculine form? And why is it that I often hear women referred to using the masculine form even though a feminine form exists - eg they called a girl an артист instead of an артистка.

    большое спасибо

  2. #2
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    I think the most common is деловая женшина

    Well since you often hear women referred to using the masculine form even though a feminine form exists is it not at all offensive for women if you refer to them using the masculine form (well some can be offended maybe(деловые женщины например)...those who read about that feministic movements and took it too seriously but that's one to a million I believe)
    "Легче, чем пух, камень плиты.
    Брось на нее цветы."

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    Re: businesswoman - feminine forms of nouns

    Quote Originally Posted by basurero
    Hey,
    Цhat word is most commonly used of the following:
    бизнесменка, коммерсантка, женщина-бизнесмен, деловая женшина

    Aslo, is it offensive for women if you refer to them using the masculine form? And why is it that I often hear women referred to using the masculine form even though a feminine form exists - eg they called a girl an артист instead of an артистка.

    большое спасибо
    Well, in Deutsch they just add "-in" to form a feminine profession name. In Russian it's not that easy. For traditional profession names there usually exist both masculine and feminine variant (but not always, for an instance "врач").
    For traditionally masculine professions, the masculine variant is considered "primary", so when there is no intent to emphasize the sex of the person, the masculine variant is often used regardless of the real sex.
    Кто ваша жена по профессии? Она артист.
    Кто эта девушка по профессии? Она художник.
    Кто она по профессии? Она спортсмен.
    But using the feminine variant in this case is also correct.
    However for traditionally feminine professions, feminine variant (which is primary in this case) is virtually never used when the person is a man. Feminine variant can be used only if there is no known masculine variant.
    Кто он по профессии? Он медбрат (not медсестра).
    Кто этот человек по профессии? Он дояр (not доярка).
    Кем работает Ходорковский? Он работает швеей-мотористкой (no masculine variant).
    For many profession names (mostly new ones which come from English) there is no feminine variant at all. Бизнесмен is one instance.
    Моя жена - бизнесмен.
    (this word doesn't break into "business" and "man" in Russian, so "man" here is irrelevant).
    Деловая женщина is more a lifestyle description than a profession.

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    For many professions existing feminine forms are considered utterly illiterate.
    Ex.
    Она - библиотекарь. (not библиотекарша)
    Она работает директором (not директоршой)
    etc

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    Quote Originally Posted by gRomoZeka
    Она работает директором (not директоршой)
    We called ours директриса :)

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    Кто ваша жена по профессии? Она артист.
    Never heard that; " она артистка" sounds far more natural

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    Quote Originally Posted by net surfer
    Quote Originally Posted by gRomoZeka
    Она работает директором (not директоршой)
    We called ours директриса
    Right.

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    So do you still use the masculine declensions of adjectives even if it's a girl?

    Я только что увидел красивого бизнесмена?
    or
    Я только что увидел красивую бизнесмена?

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    Quote Originally Posted by basurero
    So do you still use the masculine declensions of adjectives even if it's a girl?

    Я только что увидел красивого бизнесмена?
    or
    Я только что увидел красивую бизнесмена?
    ... красивую бизнесменку (I don't know if it's colloquial or not)
    My English isn't so good, зато с русским все в порядке ))
    I'll be very thankful, if you correct my mistakes.

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    OK I will continue the question for basurero, since it is valid:

    Красивая врач or красивый врач
    when врач is a woman.
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
    Yo hablo español mejor que tú.
    Trusnse kal'rt eturule sikay!!! ))

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    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    OK I will continue the question for basurero, since it is valid:

    Красивая врач or красивый врач
    when врач is a woman.
    Красивая женщина-врач.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    OK :) I will continue the question for basurero, since it is valid:

    Красивая врач or красивый врач
    when врач is a woman.
    I remember we discussed that not a long time age but I can't find the thread.

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    [quote=net surfer]
    Quote Originally Posted by "kalinka_vinnie":38uxyvg0
    OK I will continue the question for basurero, since it is valid:

    Красивая врач or красивый врач
    when врач is a woman.
    I remember we discussed that not a long time age but I can't find the thread.[/quote:38uxyvg0]

    I'm not authority on the subject, but since you would say мой умный дядя, wouldn't it logically extend to women as well -- красивая врач?
    Заранее благодарю всех за исправление ошибок в моём русском.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    OK I will continue the question for basurero, since it is valid:

    Красивая врач or красивый врач
    when врач is a woman.
    May I ask how often you say "beautiful doctor"? Beauty isn't a characteristic of doctors, if you understand me. In other words no one cares if a doctor beautiful or not, if he/she is interested in his/her doctor skills only. Therefore, it's better to say simply "Она красивая женщина", or, if you want to emphasis that she is a doctor, "Она врач и красивая женщина". The phrases "красивый врач" and especially "Красивая врач" sound weird for me.
    My English isn't so good, зато с русским все в порядке ))
    I'll be very thankful, if you correct my mistakes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pranki
    May I ask how often you say "beautiful doctor"? Beauty isn't a characteristic of doctors, if you understand me. I
    Of course you don't use it very often -- but that's not really the overarching point -- it's simply a common adjective that most people know and I suspect it was chosen for that reason. There may not be many times when you speak of "beautiful doctor babes," but what about intelligent/qualified/talented/ any number of other things?
    Заранее благодарю всех за исправление ошибок в моём русском.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pranki
    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    OK I will continue the question for basurero, since it is valid:

    Красивая врач or красивый врач
    when врач is a woman.
    May I ask how often you say "beautiful doctor"? Beauty isn't a characteristic of doctors, if you understand me. In other words no one cares if a doctor beautiful or not, if he/she is interested in his/her doctor skills only. Therefore, it's better to say simply "Она красивая женщина", or, if you want to emphasis that she is a doctor, "Она врач и красивая женщина". The phrases "красивый врач" and especially "Красивая врач" sound weird for me.
    Fine, drop красивый. Let's take хороший. If the doctor is a woman, how would you say it?
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
    Yo hablo español mejor que tú.
    Trusnse kal'rt eturule sikay!!! ))

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    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    Fine, drop красивый. Let's take хороший. If the doctor is a woman, how would you say it?
    Let's switch on the same logic In that case хороший is a characteristic of a doctor, not woman. So it's natural to say "Она -- хороший врач".
    My English isn't so good, зато с русским все в порядке ))
    I'll be very thankful, if you correct my mistakes.

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    Aha! Now we are on the same page! You answered the question!

    Thanks!
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
    Yo hablo español mejor que tú.
    Trusnse kal'rt eturule sikay!!! ))

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    Она клёвая врачиха.... вот так надо говорить
    "Легче, чем пух, камень плиты.
    Брось на нее цветы."

  20. #20
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    You know when you put 2 words together like женщина-врач how do you know which noun to put first? Is there a rule?

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