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An idiom similar to 'сам чёрт ногу сломит'
Consider the following idiom:
Тут сам чёрт ногу сломит.
As I perceive it, it describes something very complex that one can hardly get through. It can be either something physical like a maze or jungles or something conceptual like a piece of…
brilliant
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Difference in meaning between locative and prepositional cases
In some cases one can write either в тазе/в тазу...на мысе/на мысу...в снегу/в снеге... и.т.д.
Is there a difference in meaning between the old locative case (у,ю endings) and the prepositional case?
VCH250
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10
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3 answers
Origin of the verb form "(я) ем"
Can please someone explain the origin of "-м" in "(я) ем".
Why do other verbs have "-у (-ю)" ending in the 1st person singular of present ("я работаю, я учу"), but this verb has "-м"?
Olga
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Разница между словами "бунтарь", "мятежник" и "бунтовщик"
Викисловарь говорит:
бунтарь: 1. подстрекатель или участник бунта
2. перен. тот, кто протестует, борется против чего-либо; непокорный человек
бунтовщик: подстрекатель или участник бунта
мятежник: участник мятежа, бунтовщик
Есть ли разница между…
marmistrz
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The usage of иметь
Possession is generally expressed in Russian using у + genitive case. However, in technical contexts the verb иметь is used, e.g., это уравнение имеет решение or этот многочлен имеет один корень. I have two questions.
Aside from the useful phrase…
KCd
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The meaning of "влекомый"
Is it possible to use "влекомый" as a passive participle of the verb "влечь" in meaning "to cause"? I can only think of examples where it is used in meaning "to carry" or "to attract":
карета, влекомая лошадьми - a coach carried by horses
…
Olga
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10
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Russian words in cyrillic that look like english words?
Ie words like COP or HAM which have a similar spelling but a totally different meaning in russian or in english. Can you provide the back translation of the russian?
martin
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Рукописи не горят
In Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" there is the famous sentence: Рукописи не горят.
It's usually translated into English as "Manuscripts don't burn". However it seems to me (a native English and non-native Russian speaker) that it could also be…
David
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Может ли известное ругательство с упоминанием матери быть сохранившимся аористом 1 л. ед. ч.?
У глаголов с основой на согласный формы аориста 1 л. ед. ч. (несъ, везъ и т.п.) совпадают с их прошедшим временем ед. ч. м. р. в современном русском. (Которое, разумеется, возникло гораздо позже с утратой конечного -л.)
Ввиду этого возникает…
Nikolay Ershov
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10
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7 answers
Polite way to say I don't speak Russian?
When I was young, I learned that saying "I don't speak Russian." is as simple as
Я не говорю по-русски.
However, is this polite? Would it be more polite to say something along the lines of "I don't know how to speak Russian."? The difference being…
Etheryte
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What is the universal best way to address a Russian policeman?
Let's suppose that you're pulled over by a traffic police (or caught doing something unpleasant by patrol cop). What is the best way to address the officer?
I've heard people using "командир" or "начальник" a lot, but it looks a bit subservient to…
xyzman
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Was "сладкий" ever synonymous with "пресный" in Russian
Fresh (non-salt) water is also called sweet in English.
Surprisingly, the word sweet is also used in some Slavic languages.
To be precise:
in Polish, woda słodka
in Czech, sladká voda
in Croatian (as well as in Serbian and Bosnian, may be with…
shabunc
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10
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3 answers
Difference between "открыл" and "открывал"
I am not sure I understand the difference between these two verb forms. For example, what is the difference in meaning between:
Кто-то открыл дверь.
and
Кто-то открывал дверь.
As far as I understand the first denotes a concrete action and the…
Giorgio
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What is written on this watch?
This is a pocket watch. I think it is Russian. But I am not sure, can anybody read this?!
zenprogrammer
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4 answers
Почему с конца 30-х перестали употреблять словосочетание "в Украине"?
В русском языке сочетание "в Украине" используется издавна.
Господин гетман, <...> того ради вам надлежит итти по Киева, в Украйну свою и смотреть того, о чем уже вы известны.
(К Мазепе)
А ныне по всем обстоятелствам идет в Украйну [чево болше…
user31264
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