Thread: Ways to say "To eat", "Food", etc.

In my boyfriend's house, the word "cush-it" is constantly used when we are being called for dinner.
However, in my Russian-English dictionary I cannot find such a word.

I found that
eat = есть
food = пища
dinner = обед

Where does "cush-it" come from, and what is it's proper meaning?
(To me, I always think that it should mean "cook". I think I am taking that from the Italian word "cucina" [pronounced cu-cheena] which means "kitchen".)

Thank you.

The word you ask for is кушать which is the absolute synonym of есть (to eat). It can be used also as a polite call to the served table. As in "кушать подано" or "пойдём кушать" respectively. Overall, this word is no longer used widely.

For those who are interested (knows Russian or wants to train it) read the quotation from gramota.ru about this word:

Слово кушать в литературной речи употребляется ограниченно: оно используется в форме инфинитива (кушать), повелительного наклонения (кушай, кушайте) при вежливом приглашении к еде, при обращении с вопросом о желании есть, по отношению к детям, а также в речи детей. Употребление личных форм (кушаешь, кушает, кушаю и т. п.), а также формы инфинитива в иных ситуациях (не по отношению к детям, не при приглашении к столу) считаются разговорно-просторечными и фамильярными. Видимо, такая характеристика употребления кушать связана с тем, что этот глагол в 19 веке употреблялся в речи горничных, лакее при учтивом приглашении к столу. В «Толковом словаре русского языка» под ред. Д. Н. Ушакова в словарной статье кушать читаем: «Кушать... Есть, принимать пищу (употребляется в форме пов. накл. и инф. при вежливом или ласковом приглашении к еде, иногда к питью). Кушайте, пожалуйста, пирог! Пожалуйте кушайте! Садитесь чай кушать! || То же, во всех формах, кроме 1-го лица, употреблялось в подобострастно-вежливом выражении (о господах, высоких особах и т. п.; дореволюц. простореч.). Барыня кушают. || То же - о себе и о всех (обл.). Я такого мяса не кушаю».

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Overall, this word is no longer used widely.

It's used VERY often in informal speech (at home, etc.)

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Overall, this word is no longer used widely.

It's used VERY often in informal speech (at home, etc.)

Yeah, i just didn't specify that---formal or informal. But many people, me included, don't like it as well. They use "есть" all the time.

When I was in Saratov, I heard it all the time. When I was in Moscow, I was told it was poor Russian and to use есть.

Thank you for the replies.

Are you all from Russia but speak English as well?
Or are you from English-speaking countries?
Just wondering because you all speak English very well, but also Russian very well, I presume.

I am a Russian living in Russia.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

I am a Russian living in Russia.

Where did you learn English so well, then?
In school?

I learned French in school, but am no where near fluency and am at a very low level of understanding. (Not because I'm stupid, but merely because learning a second language is not stressed very much).

Thank you.

When I heard the English language for the first time as early as a very young boy, I fell in love with it. Since then it just grew on me. I studied the language in school, after that in university... My life is tied with it. I used to teach some aspects of English at university, but I'm more a translator by nature. So I'm trying to follow this walk of life.

Wow, weird. I can't understand people finding English so interesting. It's a terrible mess. I mean, I got an e-mail earlier with the subject "update!". Is it a noun? Is it the imperative? Curs

[quote=Seventh-Monkey]Wow, weird. I can't understand people finding English so interesting. It's a terrible mess. I mean, I got an e-mail earlier with the subject "update!". Is it a noun? Is it the imperative? Curs

Oh, it's not difficult to learn languages when you aspire to! I think TATY is the purest example at this forum. Today learning became much easier, and it's not that hard to get a grasp of pronunciation. I find it even more fascinating to learn how to speak.

Somehow it's also interesting to watch people make a declaration of love to Russian which takes a hell of a job to learn it completely. And it's also interesting to compare this passion with yours. I find English beautiful, so do people learning Russian. I see English gorgeous in it's expressive means, so do people in Russian. It seems that we can't just appreciate the languages which we speak at their true value.

love.angel, Rtyom is my nick-name that came from my real name Artyom. R = Ar.

Russian sounds so unbelievably much nicer than English, though! All your words seem to sound nice. Half of ours are all Germanic and Saxon-y.

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Russian sounds so unbelievably much nicer than English, though! All your words seem to sound nice. Half of ours are all Germanic and Saxon-y.

Although some are nice, I have to highly disagree.

Italian/Spanish are by far the most beautiful, appealing languages. Every word sounds nice because of the use of vowels at the end of every word!

In Russia my khozyaka used it all the time with me!

[quote=love.angel]

Originally Posted by "Seventh-Monkey":3c6stfaw

Russian sounds so unbelievably much nicer than English, though! All your words seem to sound nice. Half of ours are all Germanic and Saxon-y.

Although some are nice, I have to highly disagree.

Italian/Spanish are by far the most beautiful, appealing languages. Every word sounds nice because of the use of vowels at the end of every word![/quote:3c6stfaw]

I counter-disagree. The lovely 'ж's and 'ш's are much more appealing to my ear. Each to their own, though!

dinner=ужин

better

завтрак
обед
полдник/ланч
ужин

полдник is not lunch
lunch is what you eat in the middle of the day
полдник is what you eat between обед and ужин

So what's brunch...