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Video: Sounds, words and established expressions that turn Russian into torture for foreigners
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The fact that Russian is difficult for foreigners to learn is a well-known fact. A huge number of exceptions to the rules, some hard-to-pronounce letters and words no longer surprise anyone. But what lovers of Russian linguistics from other countries do not get tired of being amazed at is the boundless number of established expressions, which in no case should be taken literally. We ourselves do not realize that they constitute a significant part of our speech.
Bismarck and Russian "Nothing"
One famous historical anecdote tells that Otto von Bismarck studied Russian when he lived for some time in St. Petersburg. His studies were given to him well, but he could not comprehend the meaning of the mysterious Russian word "nothing", which was used in very different situations. One day he needed to get to his destination quickly. Hiring a driver, Bismarck asked: - Will you take me quickly? - Nothing-oh-oh! - answered the illiterate peasant. When the horses were dangerously accelerated so that it seemed that the sled was about to overturn, the German became worried: - You're not going to throw me out? - Nothing! - answered the driver. Finally the sled nevertheless overturned on the uneven road, and Bismarck was already swinging at the man with his cane in a rage, but he raked up snow to wipe off the bloody face of his passenger, and kept repeating: - Nothing … nothing! allegedly, the iron chancellor ordered himself an engraved ring. The word "Nothing" was written on it in Latin letters, and when circumstances did not develop in the best way, Bismarck spoke exactly this word to himself in Russian.
How to pronounce it?
Oddly enough, but the champion of problems with pronunciation in Russian is the word "Hello", so difficulties lie in wait for beginners literally from the first steps. In addition, there are individual letters rarely found in other languages that many stumble upon. Here the first place belongs, of course, to the sound "Y". Besides Russian, it can be found only in some Turkic and Scandinavian languages. Teachers, desperate to explain its complex nature, usually say that "the sound should be as if you were hit in the stomach." The letter "E", which can mean several sounds, also complicates life, "E", which disappears from written speech, but try - forget to pronounce it, and the sound "Y", which is also referred to as difficult to pronounce.
But these are only flowers. The real difficulties, it turns out, arise with our sibilants. According to foreigners, the Russian language is simply overflowing with them, and it is not easy for many to pronounce the sounds "Ш", "Ш" and "Ц". It is known, for example, that such problems arose even for Catherine the Great, when she, having just arrived in Russia, tried to master the words insurmountable for the Germans: "borsch", "cab", "cabbage soup". Interestingly, even very simple letters can cause phonetic stupor. For example, the Japanese are easy to recognize by replacing the letter "L" with others (most often, for some reason, on "P"), since this pouring sound is not in the Japanese language. And, of course, soft and hard marks become real stumbling blocks. Not a single Russian person will confuse the words "mother" and "mat", but this happens with foreigners at the beginning of learning our language.
How to understand this?
There is a whole set of well-established phrases that foreigners learning Russian call "brainwashing." Without knowing them, you can misunderstand the spoken language of an ordinary person. The champion here is the expression "No, probably", which only means a mild form of negation, and when literally translated, leads to a dead end. Next to him is the amazing "Probably for sure." In addition, Russians are amused by the way guests from other countries perceive the following words and phrases:
- “Come on” instead of “Bye” (what should be given?) - “Because” - as a separate self-sufficient expression, the answer to the question “Why?”. In other languages, it should be followed by a detailed explanation. - "Begins to end" (is it about the beginning or the end?)
Interesting effects arise from the simple rearrangement of words. So, for example, in a conversation you should not confuse the phrases "Very smart" and "Very clever", since the second means a mockery, and similar to them "The most intelligent?" is generally a threat. Another example is the expressions "Nothing worked" and "Nothing happened!" - the first expresses annoyance, and the second - delight. This despite the fact that “The kettle cools for a long time” and “The kettle does not cool for a long time” mean the same thing. The list of expressions that are difficult to understand can be endless, I would like to mention at least those that have already become classic: “Cold boiling water”, “Old New Year "," Fresh canned food "," Hands in feet "," Hands do not reach to see "," A full hour "," Kill to death "and" I'll go leave."
In addition to difficulties with the literary Russian language, questions arise with its changes. New times bring new rules, and not always everyone likes it. So, for example, one of the controversial issues in recent years has become Feminitives: Who needs and why, and how is it right - a doctor or a doctor
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