Russian Phrases

[mendeleyev]

Here are a couple of examples of how some some simple words are put together to make phrases you'd hear often in casual conversation:

Да нет looks like "yes no," right? But together they have taken a phrase you will hear daily. In a casual tone you could understand the phrase as "of course not" but with an emphatic tone it can mean "absolutely not!"

Another way that Да нет is used commonly is to tell someone that you won't be going somewhere. An invitation to meet with some friends at a bar or restaurant has been extended. You don't plan to go so in casual conversation you could say Да нет as "of course I won't be going" which in reality means "of course not."


но конечно takes two words and forms a phrase. но sounds like "no" but it doesn't mean no. но means "but" in Russian.

конечно (ka-NESH-kah) means "certainly" or "of course" or "naturally" when we bring this word across to our English understanding.

So as you can see it's very easy to form a very polite phrase and weave the idea of но конечно (no ka-NESH-nah) "but of course" or "but certainly" into a conversation.


Finally, we can take the word "yes" and the word "but" to make something you'll instantly recognize: Да, но, "yes, but" (dah no) to use in a phrase.

[mendeleyev]

Бабье лето


"baab-yeh  leh-tah"

Its what we would call "Indian summer" and translates as old maid's summer or grandmothers summer.


To learn how to say it like a native Russian watch and practice with this video:

[mendeleyev]

Wish to impress your lady?

Time to get into the kitchen. Most RW love it when a man is not afraid of the kitchen.

After you've prepared something, use this phrase:


Очень вкусно, попробуйте!   "oh-chen vkoos-nah  pah-pro-byeh-tye"


It means "very tasty, try it!"

[Helena Bolman]

Here is small "dictionary" for you:) Surprise your lady
 
Good Morning.            
 DObroye Utro!  
      
     Good day           
  DObriy den'!  
  
        Good afternoon. Good evening.           
  DObriy vEcher!  
    
     Good night.           
  Dobroy nOchi!  
  
        How do you do?           
 ZdrAvstvuyte! KAk delA?  
      
     Hello. Hi.           
  PrivEt!  
  
        Welcome.           
 DabrO pozhAlovat'!  
  
        How are you?           
  Kak pozhivAesh?  
  
        How are you feeling?           
  KAk ty sebyA hUvstwuesh?  
      
     I hope you are feeling well.           
     NadEyus',ty sebyA haroshO chUvstwuesh.    
  
        Not too well, I'm afraid.           
     Da, kAzhetsya, ne Ochen' haroshO.  
      
     I hope you are feeling well.           
     NadEyus',ty sebyA haroshO chUvstwuesh.  
      
        How is everything?           
  KAk delA?  
  
        Pretty fair, thank you. And what about you?           
     VpolnE haroshO, spasIbo. A ty?  
      
     Fine, and how are you?           
  Harosho, a kak tY?  
      
     So-so.           
  TAk sebe.  
  
        Not too bad.           
 NeplOho.  
  
        What about your health?           
  KAk tvoyO zdorOv'e?  
  
  
     Aren't you sick?           
  Ty ne bolEesh?  
      
  Is   everything all right?           
 VsyO v poryAdke?  
  
  
     Are you OK?           
  Ty v poryAdke?  
  
  
     Are you really OK?           
     U tebyA prAvda vsyO horoshO?  
  
        What's new?           
  KakIye nOvosti?      
  
     How is your family?           
  Kak semyA?  
  
        How is your mother?           
  Kak tvayA mAma?  
  
    
     Fine, thanks.           
  PrekrAsno, spasIbo  
  
  
     Very well.           
 Ochen' harashO    
  
 
  
     Not so good           
  Ne Ochen' harashO    
  
        The same.           
  Takzhe  
  
  A   bit tired.           
  NemnOgo ustAl  
  
   I   am busy.           
  Ya zAnyat, mnOgo del    
  
     I   am not well.           
  Ya ne zdarOv  
  
  
     And you?           
  A tY?  
      
     I am sorry to hear that.           
 Zhal'  
      
     I am happy for you.           
  Rad za tebyA  

[Helena Bolman]

Some comliments to melt her heart
  
  My   sweet           
  Milaya moyA  
    
  My   sweetheart           
  Lyubimaya moyA    
  
  My   sweet (tender)           
  LAskovaya moyA      
  
  My   sun           
  SOlnyshko moyO      
  
  My   joy           
  RAdost' moyA  
    
  My   gold           
  MoyO zOlotse    
  
  My   dear           
 DorogAya moyA    
 
  My   angel           
  Angel moy    
  
  My   bunny           
  ZAychik moy  
    
    You're my little Angel           
 Moy miliy Angel  
  
     You are so beautiful           
  Ti takAya krasivaya    
  
        You are so tender           
 Ti takAya nEzhnaya    
  
        You are so wonderful           
  Ti takAya chudEsnaya  
  
        You are so splendid           
  Ti tak velikolEpna  
    
     You are so exciting           
  Ti takAya krasivaya  
    
   You are so pretty           
  Ti takAya privlekAtel'naya    
      
     You are so cute           
  Ti takAya prelEsnaya  
  
  
     You are so sweet           
  Ti takAya milaya  
  
        You are so sensitive           
  Ti takAya chustvitel'naya  
  
        You are so gentle           
  Ti takAya nEzhnaya  
  
        You are so supernal           
  Ti takAya bazhEstvennaya  
      
     You are so fairy           
  Ti takAya valshEbnaya  
  
        You are so kind           
 Ti takAya dObraya  
      
     You are so glamorous           
  Ti takAya obayAtel'naya  
      
     You are so heavenly           
 Ti takAya voskhititel'naya    
      
     You are so faithful           
  Ti takAya prEdannaya

[mendeleyev]

Helen, thank you!

Many of our members are also learning the Cyrillic alphabet and it would be nice if you could also post these in Cyrillic so that we can see how to form the phrases while learning the language too.  

[mendeleyev]

Here is a question for the native speakers--

If I wish to translate the phrase "boys will be boys" from English to Russia, is мальчишки как мальчишкки appropriate?

[2tallbill]

Here is a question for the native speakers--

If I wish to translate the phrase "boys will be boys" from English to Russia, is мальчишки как мальчишкки appropriate?

Wow you garnered quite a few responses

[mendeleyev]

  I'd forgotten all about that question until I saw that you had posted, Bill. Guess we need to wake up this language section a bit more often. 

[MND]

Here's one for you (не хороший мальчик) NEHOROSHIJ MALCHIK (Bad Boy) i suppose we could all be this for not keeping an eye on this thread

[MND]

Here is a question for the native speakers--

If I wish to translate the phrase "boys will be boys" from English to Russia, is мальчишки как мальчишкки appropriate?

Maybe it would be this one

мальчики будут мальчиками

I think we need Ed's help

[alenika]

If I wish to translate the phrase "boys will be boys" from English to Russia, is мальчишки как мальчишки appropriate?

I don't understand what exactly means 'boys will be boys'. That is, I understand literally, but ... maybe it's a slang and then 'мальчишки как мальчишки' can be appropriate.
 'мальчишки как мальчишки' means that the boys are usual, normal boys. This is said usually when boys do something non-perfect and then someone to protect them says this expression, meaning they are normal boys, don't expect from them to be some ideal perfect beings.

[Stubben]

Alenika, I think you understand it perfectly! 

[Christian]

Alenika, I think you understand it perfectly! 

Although Alenika understands it perfectly linguistically, I wonder, does a Russian woman really want a boy as husband?

Christian

[mendeleyev]

We have English words which can be confusing because although spelled the same, they're sounded different and have different meanings depending on the context.

Examples:
The wind is blowing.
I need to wind my clock.


Russian has some of those too:
The word for "Wednesday" is Среда.
The idea of environment or habitat can also be Среда.


So when you see this photo:



...are you thinking of "Wednesday" or of the idea of surroundings/environment?

Take your best shot (the top word has to do with "City") and we'll allow our native speakers to come along and refine the process for us.

[alenika]

Although Alenika understands it perfectly linguistically, I wonder, does a Russian woman really want a boy as husband?
Christian

Thought that the original question was not about prospective husband

[mendeleyev]

It won't be long now that the Mr and the lovely Mrs Mendeleyeva will find ourselves at a Moscow ball. We love to dance and she always brightens with a smile upon my use of the phrase, Хотите потанцевать.

This phrase means "would you like to dance?" and sounds like "Ha-tee-tye  Pah tan-syi-vat).

It's a very easy phrase to learn so start practicing for use on your next trip!

Хотите потанцевать

[Vinnvinny]

This phrase means "would you like to dance?" and sounds like "Ha-tee-tye  Pah tan-syi-vat).

Can you translate for me please "no problem love, I’ll find someone with 2 legs"? Thanks. 

[mendeleyev]

Yes, just walk her over to the bartender, catch his attention and then slowly say these words:  Эта дама платит за всё

You'll immediately feel the full impact of her appreciation.

Of course you may thank me later.  

[Norwegian]

I need some help. If i were to write (in Russian)  I Love ..first name....last name...  Would her name be spelled in a certain way??

Thanks.

[Norwegian]

Maybe i was a bit vague..

If i would like to write:    Я люблю ............a  .............a    ( i love     ..first name...  ...last name....)

Both first name and last name ends with an A, but when i write Я люблю , would the peculiar Russian grammar make her
name change??  That both the first name and last name would end with an O , instead of an A ??

Thanks.

[mendeleyev]

Both first name and last name ends with an A, but when i write Я люблю , would the peculiar Russian grammar make her name change?

If correctly understanding your question, perhaps you've mixed up the O sounding like A in cases where the O is not stressed.

Specifically to answer your question, yes the ending of the names will change as they must agree with the verb.

Not knowing your lady's name, we'll take some examples:

Я люблю is "I love" and sounds like "Ya Lu-blue" as the ю is one of two "u" sounds in Russian. The other we'll use to make them agree and it is у which sounds almost like a "u" but in reality is an "ooh."


In simple terms:
I love Svetlana is Я люблю Светлану "Ya Lu-blu Svyet-laa-noo."
I love Oksana is Я люблю Оксану "Ya Lu-blu Ak-sah-noo"
I love Irina is Я люблю Ирину "Ya Lu-blu i-ree-noo"

I've asked Ed to come over and check to see if he would like to add or correct as needed.

[Norwegian]

Thanks Mendeleyev, you understood my question correctly. 

So if Oksana , would end with Y, would her last name (ending with ..eva) also end with the same Y  (..evy)??

[mendeleyev]

We're getting into cases and much mroe complicated territory. However let me give a couple of illustrations.

Take the wife of President Medvedev, Svetlana Медведева.

One could use Я люблю Светлану Владимировну Медведеву.

This begins to take us into sentence construction with nouns and their relationships to verbs and direct objects so it's not so easy.

Ed will come along soon to make sure I'm not giving you bad info.   

[Eduard]

This is the case of винительный падеж (it's a grammar term, sorry can't remember what it's called in English. English language doesn't have these). So it's a YES. you would say: I saw Оксану Иванову shopping today. Or: Let's get Оксану Иванову to finish this project.
Both first and last name's endings change when being "склоняются".

In another падеж, it would go like this: Give this to Оксане Ивановой.

You would normally say: I love Оксану Иванову if you are telling this to a third person, not to Oksana directly

There are 5 different падежей so good luck!