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Thread: first attempts

  1. #1
    Подающий надежды оратор
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    first attempts

    Hey all,

    I'm trying to say "I started studying the Russian language two weeks ago" in Russian. Here is my attempt -

    Я начали научю Руский язык два недели тому назад.

    Would someone mind correcting this for me?

    Thanks guys

  2. #2
    Старший оракул
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    I think:

    я начал учить русский язык две недели тому назад.

  3. #3
    Подающий надежды оратор
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    Saibot,

    Thanks for the reply. If you get a chance, could you explain the differences in your translation? (Sorry if I seem kind of lazy for not researching this myself - I haven't received the Russian language materials I ordered yet, and you guys are the best resource for this kind of stuff!!)

  4. #4
    Старший оракул
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    You said : Я начали. начали is the plural past tense form. You need singular masculine ( or feminine if you are a girl.)

    учить means "to study", so Я начал учить means "I started to study". научю isnt a word as far as i know.

    две недели - две is the femine plural form of the word двa. You need it here because неделя is a feminine noun.

  5. #5
    Подающий надежды оратор
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    Ok its slowly becoming clear...

    Thanks for the help!

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by saibot
    I think:

    я начал учить русский язык две недели тому назад.
    Good. I'd leave out тому, it sounds sort of bookish.

  7. #7
    DDT
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    I must have the wrong books because mine haven't mentioned putting тому in anywhere yet!!!
    Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself. - Chief Joseph, Nez Perce

  8. #8
    Administrator MasterAdmin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by saibot
    I think:

    я начал учить русский язык две недели тому назад.
    "изучать" will be less ambiguous. "учить" can mean "to teach to someone"

    http://www.gramota.ru/dic/search.php?wo ... &pe=x&az=x
    ~ Мастерадминов Мастерадмин Мастерадминович ~

  9. #9
    Старший оракул
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    изучать also implies that your studying it in depth.
    Я знаю
    Что делаю
    Вилкою
    Пирогу

    How to Post

    Last edited by Darobat on Mon Mar 5, 1759 1:19 am; edited 243 times in total

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by MasterAdmin
    Quote Originally Posted by saibot
    I think:

    я начал учить русский язык две недели тому назад.
    "изучать" will be less ambiguous. "учить" can mean "to teach to someone"
    I don't think "учить что-то" is ambiguous because it can't mean "teach someone".

  11. #11
    Властелин
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    Да, верно, "teach" было бы "учить русскому языку"

    Всё нафик позабудешь с этим английским...
    I've got a TV, and I'm not afraid to use it

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