Thread: To end

Uh, looking through my словарь, I find that the Russian equivalent of "to end" is both:

заканчивать/закончить,
and
кончать/кончить

Is there any subtle difference between the за- pair and the non-за pair, or are they just plain synonyms?

Thanks

And I've just come across this as well:

оканчивать/окончить

кончать = заканчивать = оканчивать in the sense of finishing / ending something.
оканчивать is also finishing school / college / university, etc.
кончать is also to conclude (e.g., a speech), to stop / cease (doing something), finish an educational institituion, or even kill yourself or someone else (покончил с собой, кончил двоих). The last is rather colloquial style.

NEVER SAY "Я КОНЧИЛ"

That was the first rule I learned in Russian. You will hear it in old movies and read it in older books, but nowadays it has a sexual implied meaning, and is better to avoid all together. It means: I just had an orgasm.

Amen.

Yes, I forgot the last meaning!

But you do say, "I will come". Everyone gets it right.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Yes, I forgot the last meaning!

But you do say, "I will come". Everyone gets it right.

довольно серьезная ошибка, не согласишься?

"I will come" has a neutral meaning and doesn't mean anything bad. You are thinking of the present continuous (if I get my nomenclature right)version of of this sentence. And even that has neutral meaning, unless you have a specific context.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

NEVER SAY "Я КОНЧИЛ"

That was the first rule I learned in Russian. You will hear it in old movies and read it in older books, but nowadays it has a sexual implied meaning, and is better to avoid all together. It means: I just had an orgasm.

Amen.

I've already come off

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

NEVER SAY "Я КОНЧИЛ"

That was the first rule I learned in Russian. You will hear it in old movies and read it in older books, but nowadays it has a sexual implied meaning, and is better to avoid all together. It means: I just had an orgasm.

Amen.

I suggest you should change your company

Originally Posted by adoc

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

NEVER SAY "Я КОНЧИЛ"

That was the first rule I learned in Russian. You will hear it in old movies and read it in older books, but nowadays it has a sexual implied meaning, and is better to avoid all together. It means: I just had an orgasm.

Amen.

I suggest you should change your company

True. People still say it in its normal sense.

Говоришь, что можно просто сказать "я кончил"? например когда преподаватель спрашивает "ты ещё пишешь?"?

Sure. I don't know who you've been talking to.

I mean it's difficult for you to judge, so you take everything said at face value, but c'mon. Some teenyboppers may giggle at things you say, but then again, they'll giggle at anything.

ЕВГЕНИЙ ОНЕГИН:

"Кончаю! Страшно перечесть...
Стыдом и страхом замираю...
Но мне порукой ваша честь,
И смело ей себя вверяю..."

Well, it isn't like only one person who told me it... My teachers in St. Pb warned me, my ex-gf in St. Pb also told me... I know that older people still say it and in older books (read my first post)... but is it really OK? Put it in another way, do YOU say it?

Originally Posted by adoc

I mean it's difficult for you to judge, so you take everything said at face value, but c'mon. Some teenyboppers may giggle at things you say, but then again, they'll giggle at anything.

Hahahahah, you're like so right. Hahaha.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Well, it isn't like only one person who told me it... My teachers in St. Pb warned me, my ex-gf in St. Pb also told me... I know that older people still say it and in older books (read my first post)... but is it really OK? Put it in another way, do YOU say it?

I've never thought about it, but starting today I'll be paying more attention . I left Russia 13 years ago, and it may have transformed over the years, so if you would like to be in synch you may want to follow what your gf have told you. On the other hand, they may have warned you to protect from boneheads having fun at your expense in case you dont sense sexual puns in a given conversation.

Lets open a pole for native speakers and ask what they think, if you are interested in statistics, because I'm curious too:

-male, lives in Russia
-female, lives in Russia
-male, lives in FSU, not Russia
-female, lives in FSU, not Russia
-male, lives outside FSU
-female, lives outside FSU

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Говоришь, что можно просто сказать "я кончил"? например когда преподаватель спрашивает "ты ещё пишешь?"?

Можно сказать все что угодно. И преподаватель тебя поймет правильно. Но лучше все же сказать: "Я закончил/заканчиваю". "Я кончаю" звучит очень двусмысленно.

У нас посмеивались над преподавателями, которые заканчивали свои лекции словами: "Я кончил" или "Куда вы собрались? Я еще не кончил".

Хотя во многих ситуациях этот глагол звучит совершенно невинно, зачем рисковать, если его можно легко заменить словом "закончил"?

Вот так именно я думал! А вдруг пришли adoc и friendy... и я запутился!

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

У нас посмеивались над преподавателями, которые заканчивали свои лекции словами: "Я кончил" или "Куда вы собрались? Я еще не кончил".

And who do you think this characterizes and how?

Anyways, KV, if you want to be safe and keep out of trouble, use synonyms, no shame in that. You might also choose to be on the safe side and keep a list of supposedly "sultry" words and expressions. This list could grow very lengthy if you follow every fad and social group. Or you could simply choose to have grownups for friends.

Originally Posted by adoc

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

У нас посмеивались над преподавателями, которые заканчивали свои лекции словами: "Я кончил" или "Куда вы собрались? Я еще не кончил".

And who do you think this characterizes and how?

I know, I know...
But it was funny at the time.

I've been there too Blessed times

Real story.
Russia. Little boy comes home from the school and tells his mother:
- На уроке учительница нам показывала чучело Пушкина.
His mother, higly intrigued, goes to school to talk to the teacher, who shows kids stuffed Pushkin. Teacher - the typical spinster - demonstrates her a little bronze bust of the great poet.
- Это не чучело, - the mother makes a substantial observation.
The teacher, very much uneasy, explaines the situation:
- Не могла же я при детях сказать слово "бюст"! (I couldn't say "bust" in front of the children!)

Don't be like her.