Thread: "Work on" someone/something...

A phrase meaning to improve/change someone/something (skills/attitude or whatever), or basically have the desired effect on it.

Is there a Russian equivalent?

Like... "we gotta work on your Hebrew"

Or "we got some work to do on you"

Originally Posted by Valda

A phrase meaning to improve/change someone/something (skills/attitude or whatever), or basically have the desired effect on it.

Is there a Russian equivalent?

Like... "we gotta work on your Hebrew"

Or "we got some work to do on you"

Hi, there is a very close equivalent (Есть очень близкий эквивалент).

А именно, "(по)работать над" - that's the basic equivalent, but there are many other ways of conveying this idea

Нам надо поработать над твоим знанием иврита. But more often they say Тебе надо поработать над твоим знанием иврита, or Тебе надо больше работать над языком, cf. Тебе надо работать над собой (You have to work on yourself, on your skills, you have to improve and maintain your skills, etc.)

-we got some work to do on you- Нам надо поработать над тобой. but the alternative would be Нам надо улучшить твои навыки, etc. Or active - Тебе надо поработать над собой (больше работать над собой)

Originally Posted by alexsms

Нам надо улучшить твои навыки,

Can I say: "Нам надо улучшить свой русский".?
The word русский can function like a существительное and it replace the idea of the russian language?

>>>Нам надо улучшить свой русский

Don't see anything wrong with that. However нам надо улучшить наш русский might sound a little better but I'm not completely sure of that though

Originally Posted by Antonio1986

The word русский can function like a существительное and it replace the idea of the russian language?

Absolutely