Most Popular
1500 questions
6
votes
2 answers
What is the rationale for using Nominative Plural following the preposition "в" in "годиться в + noun"?
Не знаю, гожусь ли я в напарники, но попробовать можно.
I've never come across another instance where a noun following the preposition "в" takes any other case than Prepositional or Accusative. Not to mention that the very idea of using Nominative…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
3 answers
"последствие" vs "следствие"
Мне наплевать на последствия.
vs: Мне наплевать на следствия.
On the surface, they both seem to mean "consequence", the sense presumably originating from the word "след/track/footprint".
I wonder why in this specific instance, "последствие" with…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
4 answers
How does the expression "мало ли" mean what it does?
Don't just swallow anything they throw at you! Мало ли какие слухи про нее
ходят...
I assume the sentence means:
You never know / Who knows what kind of (unreliable) gossip may be circling around about it.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
3 answers
Why use the instrumental "чем-то" instead of "что-то" in: "Ты чем-то похож на него"?
Ты чем-то похож на него.
vs: Ты что-то похож на него.
I understand that if the adjective "похожий" were not in the shortened form, it would take the instrumental case here. But I wonder if the adverb "что-то" with the meaning of…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
1 answer
How to say "It depends on the context"?
Will it be correct if I translate "It depends on the context" into "Это зависит от контекста"? I understand that always I have to use the preposition "от" rather than other prepositions (e.g. Это зависит от погода). Isn't it?
Influx
- 2,035
- 12
- 22
6
votes
3 answers
When should I use the — sign?
I'd like to know when I should use the — sign in sentences like this:
Это как собирать базу данных ? не все элементы определены, а уж связи между ними ? тем более.
The symbol ? marks parts I'm not entirely sure about.
user1306322
- 931
- 2
- 7
- 18
6
votes
1 answer
Partitive Genitive
I've read a bit about the partitive genitive in Russian, used in expressions such as "кусок сахару", "чашка чаю".
However, the sources I use usually label this declension as facultative, mainly literary.
1. So, are "кусок сахару" and "чашка чаю"…
swrutra
- 2,593
- 7
- 16
6
votes
3 answers
How does "сильные мира сего" compare to "сильные мира этого"?
сильные мира сего = the powerful (people) of this world
An article on Wiki says that the demonstrative "сей" sounds outdate, literary, humourous etc and is rarely used except in certain set phrases.
In this specific expression, how does the…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
2 answers
Where does the sound "йи" / iotated и / [ji] occur in Russian?
(Note: I would like to learn Russian, but I have not started yet, so unfortunately I will be making this post entirely in English. I don't mind what language you use for answers.)
It seems that the letter "и" does not generally represent an iotated…
sumelic
- 165
- 6
6
votes
2 answers
Decimal Declension II
This is a follow-up question to my earlier question about decimal declensions in colloquial speech. I understand that in everyday speech, native speakers bend the rules a little, and may not fully decline long decimal expressions ("pi equals…
DET
- 171
- 4
6
votes
2 answers
Pronunciation of "a"
My understanding is that the general rule regarding the pronunciation of "a" in Russian is that it is pronounced [a] (IPA notation). However, in certain cases, it can be pronounced as "и", for example in "Чапыгин" or "Чапаева".
My question is the…
filaton
- 337
- 3
- 7
6
votes
3 answers
Difference between "Я хочу" and "Мне хочется"?
Without being given a specific context, can one tell the difference between "Я хочу" and "Мне хочется"? I have already seen this question, but it didn't answer mine, which is more about a general distinction between both.
To make my question more…
filaton
- 337
- 3
- 7
6
votes
5 answers
How to express the idea of "not exactly" humorously?
Хотя, полагаю, скромностью мы не отличаемся...
In English, you can use the phrase "not exactly" to humorously express the idea of "far from" or "hardly", as in: "we are not exactly {= far from} known for being modest". It's almost tantamount to…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
2 answers
Is "слишком" redundant in "не слишком ... много ..."? If not, what is its function?
Не слишком у меня много памятных вещей из детства.
It seems to me that "не слишком" and "не ... много" both mean more or less the same thing. Which makes me wonder what is the function of this seemingly redundant adverb "слишком"?
Can you say…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
- 11,319
- 3
- 14
- 25
6
votes
3 answers
"Я в состоянии" vs "я способен"?
I've come across я в состоянии плавать, I can (am able) to swim, and я способен, I can (am able)...
How are both of these used?
Thrash Tech
- 81
- 1