Thread: Word of the Day (compilation)

Originally Posted by shadow1

Here are a couple of more words.
I always get them confused so maybe others are haveing the same problem.

слыщать/услышать
Meaning: (verb) to hear
Example: он слышал плач ребёнка — he heard a child* crying
Reference: http://www.rambler.ru/dict/ruen/00/aa/b9.shtml

слушать/послушать
Meaning: (verb) to hear
Example: слушать радио — listen to the radio
Refernce: http://www.rambler.ru/dict/ruen/00/aa/b3.shtml

For a conjugation chart of these verbs, check this site out: http://russian.dmll.cornell.edu/rdt/

I learn a new word every day"...the
Russian trans given was "Ja kazhdy den zapominaju novoe slovo,"....of course
that trans is wrong...the above means that the person "recalls" or "recollects" a word every day...one that the person already knew...and it is just being reinforced...t
he correct translation is "ja uchu po odnomu novomu slovu kazhdy
den"...
Moi Proffesor Skazal?

Originally Posted by dsfoto

I learn a new word every day"...the
Russian trans given was "Ja kazhdy den zapominaju novoe slovo,"....of course
that trans is wrong...the above means that the person "recalls" or "recollects" a word every day...one that the person already knew...and it is just being reinforced...t
he correct translation is "ja uchu po odnomu novomu slovu kazhdy
den"...
Moi Proffesor Skazal?

Your professor deceived you
You can say either "Ja kazhdy den zapominaju novoe slovo" or "ja uchu po odnomu novomu slovu kazhdy den".

Запоминать = memorize, commit to memory (and not "recall" or "recollect")
recollect, recall = вспомнить, припомнить

The following word does not stick well in my head.
Maybe if I post it here, I will remeber it.

обстановка - furniture; situation

Examples:
международная обстановка — international situation
боевая обстановка — tactical situation
в семейной обстановке — in domestic surroundings

I could not find any examples where обстановка means furniture.
Maybe you can say "я лежу на обстановке" - "I lie on the furniture"?

Originally Posted by shadow1

I could not find any examples where обстановка means furniture.
Maybe you can say "я лежу на обстановке" - "I lie on the furniture"?

У него [в квартире] новая обстановка.
Он обставил квартиру антикварной мебелью.

im pretty sure the most common word would be мебель. though обстановка (they use mebel in german and other euro languages) might be the real russian word its probly less widley used.

Обстановка и мебель - не одно и то же.
"Обстановка" is pretty common too.

every sign ive ever seen in a store or on the internet read mebel'.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

every sign ive ever seen in a store or on the internet read mebel'.

Ну это торгаши.
Обстановка квартиры - это главным образом, конечно, мебель, но ещё и то, что висит на стенах, окнах, стоит на полочках, столиках...
Например картины, статуи, ковры, шторы, вазочки, телевизор и аудиосистема, осветительные приборы и даже комнатные растения.
Вообщем всё "недвижимое" (малоподвижное) имущество в доме.

The better word for "обстановка" possible is "decor"

gotcha

Thank you all for your help. I think I got обстановка permanently burned into my brain.

Here are a couple of other words that I often get confused.

страх - fear, fright (masc)
Examples:
страх перед неизвестностью - fear of the unknown
страх смерти - fear of death
быть в страхе - to be afraid

It can also be an adverb
страх - terribly (adv)
ему страх как хочется пойти туда — he wants terribly to go there, he's dying to go there

страсть - passion (fem)
Examples:
иметь страсть к чему-л. — be crazy on / about smth.
проникаться страстью к кому-л. — love smb. passionately

Originally Posted by shadow1

ему страх как хочется пойти туда — he wants terribly to go there, he's dying to go there

You can use both "страсть" and "страх" here:
ему страсть как хочется пойти туда — he wants terribly to go there, he's dying to go there

All other aspects of your post are correct.

Thanks Guin
Here is another word that was giving me troubles.
I often confuse it with обстановка.

остановка - station, stop (as in bus stop)
Examples:
конечная остановка — terminal
остановка автобусов — bus stop / station

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

Я учу русский. Vs. Я изучаю русский.
Although both sentences are often used to convey the same meaning and are often understood as "I learn Russian", the first one can also mean "I teach Russian".

No way!
"I teach Russian" - Я учу русскому (языку).

Here is another word that is giving me much troubles.

принадлежАть - to belong to, to be a member of
Examples:
принадлежать по праву — belong by right, belong rightfully
принадлежать к партии — be a member of a party

исчезать, исчезнуть - to dissapear

Он взял деньги и исчез.
He grabbed the money and dissappeared.

Originally Posted by shadow1

Он взял деньги и исчез.
He grabbed the money and dissappeared.

In this context much better is "Он взял деньги и пропал". Or "Он взял деньги и скрылся".

Because "исчез" means here "disappear" literally (before smb.'s eyes).

so maybe: фокусник взял деньги и исчез

Originally Posted by Lt. Columbo

so maybe: фокусник взял деньги и исчез

Именно так!

А можно так?

- Где Вова?
- Не знаю, целый месяц не видел его. Он просто исчез!