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1500 questions
17
votes
6 answers
Is 'ё' a distinct letter, or is it just 'е' with a diaeresis?
Some sources say that there are 32 letters in the alphabet, while others say there are 33. The discrepancy seems to be a result of including/excluding ё. They also mention (whether or not they include ё) that ё is frequently rendered as е.
Is ё a…
ctype.h
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17
votes
7 answers
What are the differences between Russian and English in punctuation rules?
Are there cases when they directly contradict each other, or can I just apply my Russian knowledge when writing texts in English?
In order for the question to be reasonably scoped, let's stick to the symbols listed below:
, . : ; ( ) ? ! - "
Anton Barkovsky
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17
votes
3 answers
Why do verbs in past tense—and not other parts of speech—have gender?
In Russian, verbs in the past have gender information attached to them, so that “я спросил” implies that the asker was male, whereas “я спросила” comes from a female.
Why no other tenses have this trait, or why verbs were even chosen to differ by…
Khrusch
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17
votes
5 answers
What is most common word for "car" in Russian?
I have seen two words for "car" in Russian: "машина" and "автомобиль" or "авто". Which is most common?
Ева
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17
votes
5 answers
What's the difference between "вот" and "здесь"?
Both words translate as here, but in which context should I use one over the other?
There's a question about it on the Q&A of masterrussian.com that already gives me a rough understanding.
That is, I should use вот when pointing at something and…
Em1
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17
votes
5 answers
On the meanings of the colors in Russian
It is sometimes the case that one attributes a second meaning to the colors, in poetry or just slang. It might be that this association is language-dependent (perhaps an exception is a connotation of "green" as environmentally friendly). Please…
c.p.
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16
votes
2 answers
Prepositions "в" and "во"
What is the rule for changing the preposition "в" into "во"? I cannot think about any way to explain it.
First of all, semantically they seem to be perfectly identical:
(дежурить) во вторник, в среду.
Both forms can be used with the same…
Olga
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16
votes
3 answers
What does "терпячка" mean?
What does "терпячка" mean? I know it has to do with suffering and bearing, but I need the exact meaning.
klm123
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16
votes
4 answers
Is Russian widely known in Georgia?
Is Russian so widely known in Georgia, that one can expect to be able to communicate with people in Georgia in shops, buses, hostels etc.?
Older people should know Russian well from the times of Soviet Union, but what with younger people? Is it safe…
user37
16
votes
1 answer
самец машинистки
Как называется мужчина, чья профессия - печатать на машинке?
user31264
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16
votes
6 answers
Как назвать искреннего ханжу?
Определение ханжи таково:
Тот, кто притворно набожен, добродетелен; лицемер.
А как назвать человека, который непритворно, а искренне набожен, добродетелен? Он лезет ко всем с нравоучениями, упрекает в безнравственности. Он так же напрягает в…
coverback
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16
votes
6 answers
A Russian word describing radio and television
I know there is a word in Russian that describes all the print media — пресса. Is there any word in Russian that would describe only radio and television?
brilliant
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16
votes
2 answers
"Илья" во множественном числе и в родительном падеже
Какая у слова "Илья" правильная форма множественного числа родительного падежа?
Множественное число от имен собственных вообще редко встречается, но все же возможно, например, в предложении "У меня нет знакомых Маш". Как заменить в этом предложении…
Olga
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16
votes
5 answers
What is the best equivalent for FWIW in Russian?
I've seen the usage of English phrase for what it's worth many times.
However, I still don't know what the most precise translation of this phrase is in Russian.
VisioN
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16
votes
1 answer
“к” vs “ко” preposition
Is there any common rule of when to append the “о” vowel to “к” preposition in front of words starting with “в”?
Nowadays almost nobody says e.g. “ко врачу,” it sounds quite archaic. I hear a slight semantic difference in intentions gravity,…
Aleksei Matiushkin
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