Russian Phrases For Dummies E-Book

Andrew D. Kaufman

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 196

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Traveling in a foreign country such as Russia suddenly becomes a lot more exciting when you can engage in elegant small talk with the locals. Russian Phrases For Dummies is your handy guide to everyday words and phrases you can start using immediately to make your visit more rewarding and a whole lot easier. This user-friendly phrasebook will jump-start your comprehension and have you speaking basic Russian in no time. Its quick-and-easy approach gives you language fundamentals up front, the Words to Know section helps you find the right word fast, and the easy-to-use pronunciation key helps other people understand what you're trying to say. You'll learn how to: * Get directions, shop, and eat out * Talk numbers, dates, and time * Chat about family and work * Discuss sports and the weather * Deal with problems and emergencies * Pronounce familiar English words and phrases in Russian and English * Beware of words that sound to English but don't mean the same thing * Read signs that use the Russian alphabet * Follow the conventions of Russian pronunciation * Use basic Russian grammar correctly * Keep ten commonly used Russian phrases on the tip of your tongue * Use basic telephone vocabulary and send letters, emails, and faxes Don't have time to study the language before you get to Russia? No worries. Just flip through Russian Phrases For Dummies, find the section that fits your needs, and start talking!

Leseprobe

Russian Phrases For Dummies®

by Andrew Kaufman, PhD, and Serafima Gettys, PhD, with Nina Wieda

Russian Phrases For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007932467

ISBN: 978-0-470-14974-4

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Andrew Kaufman, PhD, is currently a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Virginia. He holds a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Stanford University, and he has recognized success as both a published scholar and an innovative, award-winning teacher of Russian language, literature, and culture at some of the country’s top universities. To learn more about Dr. Kaufman, please visit his website at www.professorandy.com.

Serafima Gettys, PhD, earned her doctorate degree in Foreign Language Education from Gertzen State Pedagogical University, Leningrad, USSR. She is currently a Coordinator of the Foreign Language Program at Lewis University, where she also teaches Russian. Prior to coming to Lewis University, she taught Russian at Stanford University. Gettys is also a member of a number of professional language associations.

Nina Wieda is a doctoral student in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Northwestern University in Chicago. A trained linguist with an MA in Social Sciences, Nina also has a book of poetry published in Russian, and a number of scholarly articles on Chekhov and contemporary drama published in English.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

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Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Compiler: Laura Peterson-Nussbaum

Project Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier

Copy Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

Technical Editor: Maria Kuruskina

Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistant: Erin Calligan Mooney, Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney, David Lutton

Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com

Composition

Project Coordinator: Heather Kolter

Layout and Graphics: Stephanie D. Jumper, Heather Ryan, Julie Trippetti Christine Williams Erin Zeltner

Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico

Proofreaders: Jacqui Brownstein, Charles Spencer

Indexer: Broccoli Information Management

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Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

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Composition Services

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Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Chapter 1: I Say It How? Speaking Russian

Looking at the Russian Alphabet

Sounding Like a Real Russian with Proper Pronunciation

Chapter 2: Grammar on a Diet: Just the Basics

Making the Russian Cases

Building Your Grammar Base with Nouns and Pronouns

Decorating Your Speech with Adjectives

Adding Action with Verbs

Chapter 3: Numerical Gumbo: Counting of All Kinds

Counting in Russian

First, Second: Ordinal Numbers

The Clock’s Ticking: Telling Time

Monday, Tuesday: Weekdays

Checking Your Calendar

Money, Money, Money

Chapter 4: Making New Friends and Enjoying Small Talk

To Whom Am I Speaking? Being Informal or Formal

Comings and Goings: Saying Hello and Goodbye

Break the Ice: Making Introductions

Let Me Tell You Something: Talking about Yourself

Talking about Family

Where Do You Work?

Let’s Get Together: Giving and Receiving Contact Information

I’m Sorry! I Don’t Understand

Chapter 5: Enjoying a Drink and a Snack (or a Meal!)

Focusing on Food Basics

Enjoying Different Meals

Going Out for Groceries

Eating Out with Ease

Chapter 6: Shop ’Til You Drop

Where and How to Buy Things the Russian Way

You Wear It Well: Shopping for Clothes

This or That? Deciding What You Want

You Gotta Pay to Play

Chapter 7: Making Leisure a Top Priority

Together Wherever We Go: Making Plans to Go Out

Going Out on the Town

Shootin’ the Breeze about Hobbies

Reading All About It

Rejoicing in the Lap of Nature

Doing Things with Your Hands

Scoring with Sports

Chapter 8: When You Gotta Work

Searching for a Job

Communicating in the Workplace

Ringing Up Telephone Basics

Sending a Letter, a Fax, or an E-Mail

Chapter 9: I Get Around: Transportation

Understanding Verbs of Motion

Navigating the Airport

Conquering Public Transportation

Asking “Where” and “How” Questions

Understanding Specific Directions

Describing Distances

Chapter 10: Laying Down Your Weary Head: House or Hotel

Hunting for an Apartment or a House

Settling Into Your New Digs

Booking the Hotel That’s Right for You

Checking In and Out

Chapter 11: Dealing with Emergencies

Finding Help in Case of Accidents

Receiving Medical Care

Calling the Police When You’re the Victim of a Crime

Chapter 12: Ten Favorite Russian Expressions

Oj!

Davaj

Pryedstav’tye Syebye

Poslushajtye!

Pir Goroj

Ya Tryebuyu Prodolzhyeniya Bankyeta

Slovo — Syeryebro, A Molchaniye — Zoloto

Odna Golova Khorosho, A Dvye — Luchshye

Drug Poznayotsya V Byedye

Staryj Drug Luchshye Novykh Dvukh

Chapter 13: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Russian

Tol’ko Poslye Vas!

Vy Syegodnya Pryekrasno Vyglyaditye!

Zakhoditye Na Chaj!

Ugosh’ajtyes’!

Priyatnogo Appetita!

Syadyem Na Dorozhku!

Sadis’, V Nogakh Pravdy Nyet

Ni Pukha, Ni Pyera!

Tseluyu

S Lyogkim Parom!

Introduction

Speaking more than one language is like living more than one life, one of the ancient philosophers said. And it’s true — traveling in a foreign country such as Russia suddenly becomes a lot more exciting when you can engage in elegant small talk with a hotel receptionist, compliment your tour guide’s dress, or actually read the menu and order the food that you really want. Being able to ask for things instead of pointing at them, and being able to get directions from the locals instead of staring at a map, are some of the little things that make you feel at home.