Russian/Lesson 4

Russian Mental Picture Dictionary These memory aids aren't true! They're nonsense made up to help you remember the meanings of Russian words. Russian word Part of speech English meaning Pronunciation   А А   Yes but… Ah   Авиа noun Air Aveea Avia aerobics shoes have air soles.   Авиабилет noun Airplane ticket Aveea beelyet   Автор noun Author Avtor A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Актёр noun Actor Aktyehr A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Алфавит noun Alphabet Alfaveet A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Америка noun America Amyehreeka A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Американец noun American man Amyehreekanyets American men are nuts.   Американка noun American woman Amyehreekanka <td colspan=4>When a Russian girl named Anya misbehaves, her mother calls her "Anka."   Англия noun England Angleeya   Английский noun English (language) Angleeskee English people use angled skis. That's why they're such bad skiers.   Англичанин noun Englishman Angleechaneen "Channing" is one of those names that only an Englishman would name his son. An eccentric English angler (fisherman) named his son "Angle Channing."   Англичанка noun Englishwoman Angleechanka   Анкета noun Questionnaire Ankyehta Russian questionnaires come with an answer kit.   Б Балерина noun Ballerina Ballyehreena A cognate (same word in Russian and English)   Банан noun Banana Banan   Банджо noun Banjo Bandzho A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   белый adjective White Byehlee   Билет noun Ticket Beelyeht A billet is a short letter or ticket ordering a private home to provide lodging and food to a soldier.   Бизнесмен noun Businessman Beezneesmyehn Бизнесменка noun Businesswoman Beezneesmyehnka A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Блузка noun Blouse Bloozka A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Ботинки noun (plural) Men's shoes Boteenkee Russian men remember their moms calling their cute little boots "booteenkees."   Брюки noun (plural) Pants Bryoukee Britches.   В В, Во   In Veh, Vo "Во" is used for words beginning with two consonants if the first consonant is В or Ф.   Варежки noun (plural) Mittens Varyehzhkee Russian mittens make you sing far off key.   Вы pronoun You (formal or plural) Vee   Ваша   Your (formal or plural, feminine) Vasha Ваша машина means "your car" is a washing machine. Think of a car with a washing machine where the engine should be.   Введение   Introduction Vvehdyehneeyeh Don't confuse with До свидания (good-bye, dos veedaneeyah).   Велосипед noun Bicycle Veloseepyehd A cognate (same word in Russian and French).   Версия noun Version Verseeyah A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Виза noun Visa Veeza A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Волосы noun Hair Volosih Russians like big shiny hair, so they use shampoo that gives volume and polish.   Вот   Here, here is Vot Show something to someone.   Всё   All, everything, that's all Vsyo That's all, the show's over.   Г Галстук noun Necktie Galstook   Газета noun Newspaper Gazyehta Don't confuse with журнал (magazine, zhoornal). A person who writes a newspapers and a person who writes a magazine are both a журналист (zhoornalist). In other words, "journalist" is a more prestigious job title because magazines are more prestigious, so newspaper writers want to be called "journalist" even though they should be called a "gazettist."   Где   Where G'dyeh Australians are always late. The Australian greeting "G'day" doesn't mean "Good day," it means "Where were you?"   Гитара noun Guitar Geetara A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Голова noun Head Gollova In A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess changed this to "gulliver," as in Gulliver's Travels, as in "we kicked him in the gulliver." Think of a picture of Gulliver tied down by the Lilliputians, with the little people dancing around his head.   Голос noun Voice Golloss Russians have glossy voices. That's why they can make those sliding R's.   Город noun City Gorod Novgorod is a city between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It means "new city."   Грамматика noun Grammar Grammateeka A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Грязь noun Dirt Gryahz Grass grows in dirt.   Грязный adjective Dirty Gryahznee   Д Да   Yes Da   Давайте   Let's Davaytyeh It's divine to do this together!   Декларация noun Declaration Deklaratseeyah A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Для   For Dlyah Ask the dealer for anything you want.   Джинсы noun Jeans Jeensih A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Диалог noun Dialogue Deealog A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Дипломат noun Diplomat Deeplomat A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Доброе утро   Good morning Dobroyeh utro Добрый день   Good afternoon Dobreey dyehn Добрый вечер   Good evening Dobreey vyehchyehr "Dobry den" is Russian for "hello." Note that "good morning" rhymes, ending in o's. The other "good's" end in "ee."   Документ noun Document Dokoomyehnt A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Дом noun House Dom   Дома adverb At home Doma   До свидaния   Good-bye Do sveedahneeyah "Sweet on ya"   Драма noun Drama Dramah A cognate (same word in Russian and English).   Е Есть verb To eat; is; there is, there are Yehst That eat and is are homonyms suggests that "to be" and "to eat" are the same to a Russian. Or perhaps "you are what you eat"?   Ещё   Still; yet; else; also; more; another Yehschyo Ешё looks like "ewe." Picture a female sheep, standing still. Also picture another female sheep. And picture more female sheep—a whole flock of ewes.   Ж Жаба noun Toad (Bufo sp.) Zhaba     Жена noun Wife Zhena   Женщина noun Woman Zhensheena Russian women use hair color that gives them sheen. Also note that жен and жить are the start of many words about women and living, so think of Old World gender roles where a woman's place was in the home.   Живой adjective Alive, lively, active zheevoi Picture a lively boy, who lives in cottage in the French countryside.   Жить verb Live (e.g. where you live) Zheet A cognate with the French word "gîte," pronounced "zheet," which is a country cottage you rent by the week. When asking where a Russian lives, picture that he or she rents a cottage in the French countryside. Remember that Жить conjugates by changing the т to в, then the next vowel is ё: я живу, ты живёшь, он/она живёт, мы живём, вы живёте, они живут.   Жук noun Bug, beetle Zhook     Журнал noun Magazine Zhoornal Cognate with "journal." Don't confuse with Газета (newspaper).   З Задание noun Task, assignment Zadaneeyeh "Is it done yet?"   Запись noun Recording Zapees   Здесь   Here Zdyes <tr>   Здравствуйте   Greetings (formal) Zdrastvooytye   Здравствуй   Greetings (informal) Zdrastvooy   Значит particle So, then Znacheet   Значить v.impfv. To mean, signify Znacheet "So" and "meaning" are homonyms.   зовут noun Name Zovoot   Зуб noun Tooth Zoob     И И   And Ee Игра noun Game, acting Eegra   Имя noun First name Eemyah   Институт noun Institute Eensteetoot   A cognate (same word in Russian and English). Л лесной adjective Forest Lesnoy Russians walk silently in forests. They make less noise than Americans.   С Стол noun Table Stol (Russian chairs are Стул, stool)   Скрипка noun Violin Scripka <tr> When Russians play violin it screeps or screeches.   Т Твой   Your (informal) Tvoy <tr> Товарищ n. Comrade Tovarishch