Thread: vocabulary

i know my question has no real answer but since i have a major issue with remembering some russian words, i'm asking you all how you do not to mix up everything and simply memorize vocabulary.

for instance, i keep mistaking podpissat', raspissat'sia, vypissat' all the time.
and the same obviously goes with many other verbs with prefixes. if those prefixes (or whatever you call them) sometimes add a valid point (otstupit', vyidti', razdvinut'), sometimes, they're just losing me.
the podpissat'/vypissat' example is a perfect one.

I think it will be years yet before I stop mixing up stuff like that. Just be pacient and um... there is nothing you can do.

Originally Posted by possopo

i know my question has no real answer but since i have a major issue with remembering some russian words, i'm asking you all how you do not to mix up everything and simply memorize vocabulary.

for instance, i keep mistaking podpissat', raspissat'sia, vypissat' all the time.
and the same obviously goes with many other verbs with prefixes. if those prefixes (or whatever you call them) sometimes add a valid point (otstupit', vyidti', razdvinut'), sometimes, they're just losing me.
the podpissat'/vypissat' example is a perfect one.

Well, the only think I would recommend is to associate Russian previxes with English prepositions, i.e.:

под- under
вы- out
в- in
у- off
при- in
от- off
рас- dis (distribute = распределять)
etc.

This accociation is relative and may play a bad joke on you some day since there ARE exceptions but Russian prefixes generally have similar meaning with English verb+preposition combinations.

The issue about -ся endings can be associated with the word self since -ся means себя (self)

расписаться = расписать (самому/for yourself)

That's not much but I hope it'll help.

I am terrible at remembering words and rules!! I have to learn only through "feel". It is a slow way to learn and requires constant exposure to the language. This is the same way I learned to play musical instruments too! I would have to sit all day with a guitar in my hands and just experiment with it and get the feel of the strings and neck and the sounds that came from placing my fingers at different frets.

The smart thing to do is to memorize things in units -- not so much as isolated words. That provides a context that is more likely to stick in your memory.

context is important, i know. the thing is i'm using a sweet little software that you provide with words' lists but you can't really put whole sentences in it.
it's a good but a little systematic method and has its flaws. i need to go over a word ten to fifteen times over a year'span to finally know it and still use it in a pretty akward way.