How many speak their significant others Language?

[slim 1,533]

kharoshaya jenshina is better. devushka means little girl, jenshina (the "j" is more of a "zh" sound) means woman.

It may be better if you're talking to a female that's 40+ years old, but if you're talking to a younger woman, she might get kind of upset that she's a "woman" and not a "girl."

"Who you calling old?"

Plus, there's a whole familiarity thing with Russians. If you know someone well, it's expected that you'll use a dimunitive form of address with them to show your closeness. Especially between men and "girls."

[eekee 182]

kharoshaya jenshina is better. devushka means little girl, jenshina (the "j" is more of a "zh" sound) means woman.

It may be better if you're talking to a female that's 40+ years old, but if you're talking to a younger woman, she might get kind of upset that she's a "woman" and not a "girl."

"Who you calling old?"

Plus, there's a whole familiarity thing with Russians. If you know someone well, it's expected that you'll use a dimunitive form of address with them to show your closeness. Especially between men and "girls."

Ha I am DEFINITELY "devushka." Devushka is the form of address for anyone female whose name you don't know who is under 50, more or less. Same deal with "molodoy chelovek" for men. There is only one context where I have ever been called "zhenschina," and that is to mean "girlfriend."

DevOCHka is little girl. DevUSHka is not insulting at all. No one is ever addressed like, "Izvinite, zhenschina..." But "Izvinite, devushka..."? All the time.

Edited April 12, 2009 by eekee

[amberdima 6]

I started learning beginning between 2004 and 2005. Dropped out of pursuing meeting a FSU woman and last fall begin studying from several sources again.

At a different forum I came across the following website:

Click here!

I have found this an excellent site to visit as I progress. I feel one of the good features is combination of seeing written russian, transliteration, and audio. It is geared for beginners as it mentions on this link. My only complaint is for their sound of Й. Instead of the actual sound the audio is: ee krAtkayeh.

I would make one suggestion if you do visit this site and wish to explore. Especially if you have any basic understanding. At the bottom of the home page there is a button - Let's Begin. This will take you to the Lesson Menu Page. If you just stay with the available options from the Table of Contents you will be missing out on some other valuable options. From this page click on the Site Map button, below TOC, and bookmark This page! Or you may have trouble remembering how to return there.

If you scroll down you can have the next best thing to a live tutor: Huliganov

An example:

There is something for everyone in his videos. Here is a description of his series of videos:

The next installment of Viktor Huliganov's acclaimed Russian alphabet course. After this lesson your knowledge of Russian letters increases from 17 of the 33 to 22 of them. With these it is now possible to write and read just about every other word in Cyrillic.

As ever, there is a joke and a song after the lesson. You don't get that at University.

All lessons are from 10 to 20 minutes long.

I discovered Huliganov Here!. This is an excellent 'beginning' Russian topic at this forum.

thanks for the links....what fun!

[bobb 0]

It's interesting to see certain traits are worldwide.

On the site I mention earlier, in lesson 6 personal pronoun I, they show you how to say I'm ready (to go out) for both a male and female. Yet, they only show how to say I'm almost ready for a female!

[slim 1,533]

Ha I am DEFINITELY "devushka." Devushka is the form of address for anyone female whose name you don't know who is under 50, more or less. Same deal with "molodoy chelovek" for men. There is only one context where I have ever been called "zhenschina," and that is to mean "girlfriend."

DevOCHka is little girl. DevUSHka is not insulting at all. No one is ever addressed like, "Izvinite, zhenschina..." But "Izvinite, devushka..."? All the time.

I made that mistake once in a foreign language and was QUICKLY! corrected. Since then, it's "girl" for any woman unless she's clearly a grandmother, then it's "grandmother" instead of "girl." (... and that's usually only in Korean language. Russian women, like Americans, tend to like being called "girls" as long as they're still alive!)

It's interesting to see certain traits are worldwide.

On the site I mention earlier, in lesson 6 personal pronoun I, they show you how to say I'm ready (to go out) for both a male and female. Yet, they only show how to say I'm almost ready for a female!

Now that's spot-on!

[Brad and Vika 129]

kharoshaya jenshina is better. devushka means little girl, jenshina (the "j" is more of a "zh" sound) means woman.

It may be better if you're talking to a female that's 40+ years old, but if you're talking to a younger woman, she might get kind of upset that she's a "woman" and not a "girl."

"Who you calling old?"

Plus, there's a whole familiarity thing with Russians. If you know someone well, it's expected that you'll use a dimunitive form of address with them to show your closeness. Especially between men and "girls."

Ha I am DEFINITELY "devushka." Devushka is the form of address for anyone female whose name you don't know who is under 50, more or less. Same deal with "molodoy chelovek" for men. There is only one context where I have ever been called "zhenschina," and that is to mean "girlfriend."

DevOCHka is little girl. DevUSHka is not insulting at all. No one is ever addressed like, "Izvinite, zhenschina..." But "Izvinite, devushka..."? All the time.

That's a good point - and I hear it all the time. Trouble is, to my untrained ear, it is tough to distinguish at times the different sounds. I pronounce girl "devichka", or something like that, and miss "devooshka". Does that sound right?

[Brad and Vika 129]

That's a good point - and I hear it all the time. Trouble is, to my untrained ear, it is tough to distinguish at times the different sounds. I pronounce girl "devichka", or something like that, and miss "devooshka". Does that sound right?

Same here. I think it's close enough for Amerikan yazik.

Coolness, I always rely on the slack cut to foreigners. And also surprised that Americans don't give our guests and immigrants the same credit for making the attempt.

[slim 1,533]

Coolness, I always rely on the slack cut to foreigners. And also surprised that Americans don't give our guests and immigrants the same credit for making the attempt.

Why should we? "They're in America, they should speak American, gotdammit." There is that huuuuuuuge double standard out there and, luckily for us, foreigners are nice enough to accomodate us most of the time.

I've found the best way to smooth over your accent (in any language, even American) is to have a couple of adult beverages. You really will speak better and the person you're speaking with will understand you better too. (Provided they've had a couple as well!) Beer, helping white guys dance, and Americans speak, since 1856!

[b_fowler 0]

I can honestly say that the Russian friends that I have that live here in the United States, I have given slack to, as they have to me for not speaking Russian very well!! The same can be said for my fiancee's family in Russia, they have given me slack also, so helping and understanding that they won't speak fluent english overnight I think is important to remember!!

[Brad and Vika 129]

I'm with Slim. My Russian improves exponentially with each ounce of vodka I consume. Nasdarovye means good conversation - right?

[b_fowler 0]

That is true just before you drink up, say it and everyone will be happy, lol!!

[slim 1,533]

I'm under the impression that if you know how to say "hi" and "thank you" in any language, you're half way there. "Cheers!" is the other half! Knowing how to say those three things will get you by in just about any country in the world.

[amberdima 6]

I'm with Slim. My Russian improves exponentially with each ounce of vodka I consume. Nasdarovye means good conversation - right?

when i met my fiance, i said 'Nasdarovye' when we took a shot of absynthe cos it was the only word in russian i ever knew. he seemed fine with it. then, when telling other russians in my community the story of how we met, they said no one uses that phrase as 'cheers.' however, my fiance says it is commonly used. whatever.

[eekee 182]

на здоровье--to health

It is more common to just say за + acc--за дружбу and so on. I've never heard anyone say it except as a joke.

Edited April 21, 2009 by eekee

[chili74 0]

eekee! I spent a while trying to figure out what за + асс--за дружбу meant! Now I realize "za plus accusative case!"

It's funny about "nasdarovye." I think somehow long ago, somebody decided it was a Russian toast and it got into a film and no one seems to know how it happened (maybe it is a toast in another Slavic language?)! I usually hear the word in 2 contexts:

When I say спасибо, someone may say, наздоровье! (you're welcome) (I read a theory that this could be where it came from: the foreigner says "spasibo" when his glass is filled, the Russian says "nasdorovye", and the foreigner thinks that was the toast!)

or they may say, "кушай наздоровье" (so after a command, it means (to me) "to your heart's content")

For a toast, among a million other things, one may say, Ваше здоровье (за is implied, за Ваше здоровье)...