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8
votes
4 answers
Вероятность and вера
In Czech language, the word "вероятность" sounds like "pravděpodobnost" [правдеподобность], and means "it is truthlike" (подобно правде). This made me look to Russian word - вероятность. Does it have something to do with "вера"?
For example "ятный…
petajamaja
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3 answers
What's wrong with "я подсела к стене"?
I wrote in an essay,
В зале стоял длинный стол с закусками, один из концов которого упирался в стену. Мы подошли к столу и стали за него садиться. Я подсела к стене.
My teacher marked the last sentence as a mistake. Why did he do so?
The main…
Mitsuko
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8
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1 answer
How to arrange declension tables in Russian
It seems that many English (online) sources list cases in the following order:
Nominative - Accusative - Genitive - Dative - Instrumental - Prepositional
I guess that this ordering is inspired by the unfamiliarity of many English speakers with…
MWL
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8
votes
4 answers
Difference between "лгун" and "лжец"
Speaking of words "лгун" and "лжец", which to me as a native speaker sound quite interchangeable, which form is used more often? And which of these words of such close origin and meaning can be considered the "original" form. Can we say that one of…
shabunc
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8
votes
6 answers
Перевод they в единственном числе
В свете последних событий в сети StackExchange хотелось бы понять как переводить слово they, употребленное в единственном числе, и словосочетания с ним (they did и т.д.), встречающиеся в гендерно-нейтральном контексте. В случае известного пола…
sanyassh
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8
votes
4 answers
Why is the 'г' in "мягкий" pronounced like a 'х'?
According to these consonant assimilation rules, the letters г and к form a voiced/voiceless pair, and the final consonant in the cluster voices or devoices the preceding consonant.
If these rules apply, then shouldn't the 'г' in "мягкий" be…
Orion
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8
votes
3 answers
Can Russians naturally pronounce "попал в бесперспективняк"?
Let's suppose you are having a casual conversation with a friend and talking quickly and want to say, "Попал в бесперспективняк." Will you be able to pronounce this flawlessly and without changing the fast tempo of your speech?
I am asking because…
Mitsuko
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8
votes
3 answers
Why do Russians refer to money as grannies (бабки)?
I read the following in a poem published in 1769:
Два въ бабки мальчика играли:
За бабки заорали:
Къ войнѣ за бабки собрались,
И подрались.
These lines initially made no sense to me, but then I learned that the word "бабки," whose primary meaning…
Mitsuko
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8
votes
1 answer
От сумы, да от тюрьмы не зарекайся - что за сума?
Я всю жизнь считал, что это сума с деньгами, то есть нежданное богатство, а вот народ в интернете считает, что эта сума как-то относится к нищенству.
Paul
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8
votes
6 answers
Как по-русски будет "energy footprint"?
Данное словосочетание часто встречается в экологии.
К примеру:
3% of US energy footprint comes from heating water for laundry.
Правильно ли сказать "энергетический след"?
Stanpol
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8
votes
3 answers
Why was the Russian letter X called "хѣръ"?
The official name of the letter Х in the old Russian alphabet was хѣръ, which is how modern Russians say хер (dick).
The names of most other letters of the old Russian alphabet are understandable: азъ (I), буки (letter), вѣди (know), глаголь…
Mitsuko
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8
votes
2 answers
The origin of "за двумя зайцами погонишься"
За двумя зайцами погонишься, ни одного не поймаешь.
We have the same proverb, 二兎を追う者は一兎も得ず, which is considered borrowed from somewhere, so I am curious whether we borrowed it from the Russians or whether we and the Russians borrowed it from some…
Mitsuko
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8
votes
2 answers
What are the differences between "и" and "і" in pre-reform orthography?
In very old texts, sometimes the letter і is used, but it has been replaced by и in modern spelling.
I, like many others, learned modern orthography, so I don't understand why sometimes і is used, and sometimes и. As far as I know, they both…
Omar and Lorraine
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8
votes
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Oпять, еще раз and снова
For non-Russian-speakers it might be not so easy to detect the difference between words that are almost synonyms; for instance the difference between "теперь" и "сейчас" (cf. this question).
When would you use "опять", when "еще раз" and when…
c.p.
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8
votes
3 answers
Expressing 'our' for objects belonging to our apartment
Should I write
Два балкона находятся у нас в квартире or
Два балкона находятся в нашем квартире
I am trying to write that we have two balconies on our flat.
Bob Daley
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