More Questions...

1. Can someone explain this to me? The dialogue in my Russian book went as follows:

(А) Вы знаете ее мужа Андрея?
(Б) Да, я его эиаю.
(А) А их сына зовут Миша.

Why is the word сын declined? Is it because it's supposed to be a continuation of the person's previous sentence? Or does it have to do with using the word зовут?

2. What's the difference between человек, лицо, люди?

3. And this is probably a very dumb question. Do people's last names decline via their gender in Russia? For instance, does a family have one last name, but girls will write it with an а or я at the end, and guys won't?

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Originally Posted by Dreams

(А) Вы знаете ее мужа Андрея?
(Б) Да, я его знаю.
(А) А их сына зовут Миша.

Why is the word сын declined? Is it because it's supposed to be a continuation of the person's previous sentence? Or does it have to do with using the word зовут?

2. What's the difference between человек, лицо, люди?

3. And this is probably a very dumb question. Do people's last names decline via their gender in Russia? For instance, does a family have one last name, but girls will write it with an а or я at the end, and guys won't?

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1. It's because of "зовут". "Зовут" requires an Accusative case, hence "сына" (зовут кого? - сына).

2. Человек - a human being, a man (gender is irrelevant). Люди - people.
Лицо - a face, OR a person (it's used almost exclusively in legal speak and some expressions).
For example,
гражданское лицо — civilian
физическое лицо — individual, natural person
юридическое лицо — legal entity, juridical / juristic person
частное лицо — private individual
действующее лицо — character (in a play)

3. YES. Last name of any family member is changed according to their gender (and it changes it's case in the sentence when needed). If you talk about the whole family or about a few family members you use plural (the same as in English): "семья Ивановых" (but father would be Иванов, and mother would be Иванова), "братья Петровы", etc.

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3. And this is probably a very dumb question. Do people's last names decline via their gender in Russia? For instance, does a family have one last name, but girls will write it with an а or я at the end, and guys won't?

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Some of them - yes, some of them - not. Most native Russian surnames are grammatical equivalents of adjectives so they decline according to the rules of adjectives (with endings -ов/-ова, -ев/-ева, -ин/-ина, -ский/-ская). Others surnames (including foreign surnames) - not. Namely John Johnson and Mary Johnson in Russian are both Джонсон.

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Originally Posted by it-ogo

Some of them - yes, some of them - not. Most native Russian surnames are grammatical equivalents of adjectives so they decline according to the rules of adjectives (with endings -ов/-ова, -ев/-ева, -ин/-ина, -ский/-ская). Others surnames (including foreign surnames) - not. Namely John Johnson and Mary Johnson in Russian are both Джонсон.

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Yes, also female last names that end on "-o", "-ich", etc.
But I don't think Dreams is ready for tackling exceptions. Not until he/she is comfortable with gender and case system.

Спасибо, as always! Your answers are very helpful.

I wrote эиаю! :oops: My brain thought of the English N. Do native Cyrillic-writers have the same problem with learning English letters?

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Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

But I don't think Dreams is ready for tackling exceptions. Not until he/she is comfortable with gender and case system.

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It's okay. My book mentions some of what it-ogo said. I like to be told about exceptions and such up front, so I can at least file the information away for later. Besides English, I only know Asian languages, so the gender and case rules are a work in progress for me. http://smilies.vidahost.com/kao/otn/blobtongue.gif

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Originally Posted by Dreams

Do native Cyrillic-writers have the same problem with learning English letters?

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No. Really not.

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Originally Posted by Dreams

Do native Cyrillic-writers have the same problem with learning English letters?

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Yes. Really yes. My daughter had.

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Originally Posted by Wowik

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Originally Posted by Dreams

Do native Cyrillic-writers have the same problem with learning English letters?

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Yes. Really yes. My daughter had.

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M-m... I could remember only one problem kids usually have. Beginners sometimes confuse Russian "p" ('r' sound) and English "p" in written speech. They KNOW these are different letters, but still sometimes confuse them. A habit, I suppose. Also there's a possibility that someone mixes English "c" with "s" ("с" stands for 's'-sound in Russian).

But this is a case of confusing letters that look the same, but sound differently. I've never ever met anyone, who had problems with uniquely looking English letters ("s", "w", "q", etc.). YET.
Maybe I should meet Wowik's daughter. :D

Someone I know thought Petro Canada is a place where antiques are sold. Go figure...

лицо is also used in reference to plays, for example.

Действующие лица
Вронский - Dreams
Татьяна - gRomoZeka
Онегин - it-ogo

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Originally Posted by chaika

лицо is also used in reference to plays, for example.

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I've said that. La-la-la. :angel:

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Originally Posted by chaika

Онегин - it-ogo

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По дуле я стрелой пронзенный?

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Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

But this is a case of confusing letters that look the same, but sound differently.

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Well, that's what I meant, of course. :) Cyrillic is not really difficult otherwise. When I see В I still want to pronounce it like б, and so on...

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Originally Posted by Dreams

Well, that's what I meant, of course. :)

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Oh, I see now. I just thought you were talking about "эиаю". I noticed that many beginners often confuse Russian letters that DON'T look the same. :)

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Originally Posted by Wowik

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Originally Posted by Dreams

Do native Cyrillic-writers have the same problem with learning English letters?

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Yes. Really yes. My daughter had.

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Maybe some children have. But not adults. Every Russian knows the Latin alphabet from childhood.

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Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

I could remember only one problem kids usually have. Beginners sometimes confuse Russian "p" ('r' sound) and English "p" in written speech.

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Yes! It is exactly her case!