My wife left me!

[eekee 182]

That's great that your kids are so interested in their future stepmothers' culture. it's not always that way.

I don't have any kids yet, but when I do, I hope that they will be fully bilingual.

Oh those phrases are funny!

My 15 year old loves to talk some Russian to a Russian male friend at school. But she tries her best to say it right. My youngest son also loves to speak in Russian which his mother forbids in her home as she sees it as some uninvited presence of me.

I think its more like, "What do you want, that I wlll eat dirt from a flowerpot? Swearing on blood that I am me?"

Still sounds weird though. Oh, Putin.

Woot! I got "flower pot" right! Why on earth I should know the word for flower pot at this point is beyond me, but I do.

Way off topic: My daughter (16 going on 22) has been picking up some Russian too. She's completely fascinated with Nadya and has even spoken to her on the phone. Anyway, she's started incorporating random Russian words into her every day speech, but in completely nonsense contexts. So when she says hi to me on the phone, she says "плавать лошади." Her phrase for goodbye is "Клубника лифчик." Why? No idea. I think she just likes to be weird.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

That's our goal. I think it would be great if all of us are able to communicate fully in either language. Plus, since so few speak Russian in our area, it will be nice to be able to have a covert talk in public if needed.

Yes, all my children love my Alla. Although only my oldest son has had a chance to met her in person thus far. I took him to Kazan' two summers ago so he could see where his father was going to live for the year. He had a blast!

That's great that your kids are so interested in their future stepmothers' culture. it's not always that way.

I don't have any kids yet, but when I do, I hope that they will be fully bilingual.

Oh those phrases are funny!

My 15 year old loves to talk some Russian to a Russian male friend at school. But she tries her best to say it right. My youngest son also loves to speak in Russian which his mother forbids in her home as she sees it as some uninvited presence of me.

I think its more like, "What do you want, that I wlll eat dirt from a flowerpot? Swearing on blood that I am me?"

Still sounds weird though. Oh, Putin.

Woot! I got "flower pot" right! Why on earth I should know the word for flower pot at this point is beyond me, but I do.

Way off topic: My daughter (16 going on 22) has been picking up some Russian too. She's completely fascinated with Nadya and has even spoken to her on the phone. Anyway, she's started incorporating random Russian words into her every day speech, but in completely nonsense contexts. So when she says hi to me on the phone, she says "плавать лошади." Her phrase for goodbye is "Клубника лифчик." Why? No idea. I think she just likes to be weird.

[mox 298]

My 15 year old loves to talk some Russian to a Russian male friend at school. But she tries her best to say it right. My youngest son also loves to speak in Russian which his mother forbids in her home as she sees it as some uninvited presence of me.

Hehe. My kids' mother wouldn't be dumb enough to try to stop her from speaking Russian. She's already alienated the kids quite a bit the way it is. But I'm sure it drives her up a wall to know my daughter is sharing in a part of her father's life that makes him happy. She's funny that way.

Клубника лифчик!

[slim 1,514]

Plus, since so few speak Russian in our area, it will be nice to be able to have a covert talk in public if needed.

That is actually a very nice asset to posses.

..... and the ex-wife so hates it when you and your son/daughter can say stuff without her understanding!

[visaveteran1 33]

Well...my ex wife's father was Russian so I can't say she's got "Russian" issues. My son was interested in the Russian culture long before I got married to Russian woman. He has Soviet Union flag in his room and the Russian national anthem on his IPOD. My son is actually related to Shostakovich the famous composer.

I have mixed feelings about learning Russian. It's a tough language to master and it would be a full-time job to learn it in a robust way....is this a good use of my time? Otherwise, I'm just kidding myself and murdering the Russian language. It's a struggle for me to even memorize their crazy alphabet and those weird symbols. I see English as the center of our new life...Russian is only a symbol of a dying past.

[mox 298]

Plus, since so few speak Russian in our area, it will be nice to be able to have a covert talk in public if needed.

That is actually a very nice asset to posses.

..... and the ex-wife so hates it when you and your son/daughter can say stuff without her understanding!

Jeez for that reason alone I should enroll my kids in Russian language lessons.

I have mixed feelings about learning Russian. It's a tough language to master and it would be a full-time job to learn it in a robust way....is this a good use of my time? Otherwise, I'm just kidding myself and murdering the Russian language. It's a struggle for me to even memorize their crazy alphabet and those weird symbols.

- The Cyrillic alphabet is not near as difficult to pick up as you think. I had it down in just a couple days. No weird symbols that I know of, they use the same punctuation we do.

- Your wife will *LOVE* you for even attempting to learn. When I told Nadya I was starting to learn Russian she positively beamed, and she is always asking how it goes and encouraging me. It will score you massive brownie points. I've heard from more than one person that the women will downplay the importance of learning their language, but they do in fact really want you to learn the language. Perhaps some of the ladies here will speak up and either debunk or confirm.

- You don't have to be "robust." I've decided to take the plunge and learn the language. But you really only need to learn enough to know some common phrases.

- It is definitely a good use of your time, if for anything else, the "secret code" that's been brought up.

I see English as the center of our new life...Russian is only a symbol of a dying past.

Huh.

[eekee 182]

Well...my ex wife's father was Russian so I can't say she's got "Russian" issues. My son was interested in the Russian culture long before I got married to Russian woman. He has Soviet Union flag in his room and the Russian national anthem on his IPOD. My son is actually related to Shostakovich the famous composer.

I have mixed feelings about learning Russian. It's a tough language to master and it would be a full-time job to learn it in a robust way....is this a good use of my time? Otherwise, I'm just kidding myself and murdering the Russian language. It's a struggle for me to even memorize their crazy alphabet and those weird symbols. I see English as the center of our new life...Russian is only a symbol of a dying past.

that's cool that your son's related to shoshtakovich!

yeah, russian is hard, but i'm sure that learning english wasn't a cakewalk for your wife, either. russian is so much more emotive and expressive that i think it adds another dimension to your relationship. english is very cold in comparision.

as far as russian being like a secret language... in new york it doesn't work at all. Plus my mom's first language is Belarusian so when i'm in pennsylvania that wouldn't work either. drat.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

For me the alphabet was super easy. Made be wish ours could that simple. My challenges are the cases and declination. My Alla has also said, "Better to make mistakes than not to try and speak at all."

While I agree English is obviously important. I cannot imagine telling my Alla "Russian is a symbol of a dying past." I am proud of her roots and want them celebrated. I can only imagine if I did, her response would be, "You know I am Russian? Why you wish to marry woman that is this symbol?" As I stated in a previous thread, we intend on having one day a week be 100% Russian in language and spirit.

Well...my ex wife's father was Russian so I can't say she's got "Russian" issues. My son was interested in the Russian culture long before I got married to Russian woman. He has Soviet Union flag in his room and the Russian national anthem on his IPOD. My son is actually related to Shostakovich the famous composer.

I have mixed feelings about learning Russian. It's a tough language to master and it would be a full-time job to learn it in a robust way....is this a good use of my time? Otherwise, I'm just kidding myself and murdering the Russian language. It's a struggle for me to even memorize their crazy alphabet and those weird symbols. I see English as the center of our new life...Russian is only a symbol of a dying past.

[mox 298]

For me the alphabet was super easy. Made be wish ours could that simple. My challenges are the cases and declination. My Alla has also said, "Better to make mistakes than not to try and speak at all."

Same here. Case and declination. And of course gender. I'd like the bash the caveman's skull open that came up with that idea.

The thing that makes Russian easier is that it's a phonetic language. You speak it the way it is spelled. No silent letters, no "it's pronounced this way in this word, and another way in another word," and no "these two letters together make a completely different sound." (there are always exceptions, but they are rare enough not to be a problem. "Ь" and "Ъ" make things interesting, but you can usually fake your way through it.) In that way Russian is easier than French, Spanish, or any other latin-based language. Of course Russian makes up for this ease by trying to cram as many consonants in a row before finally giving you a break with a vowel, and giving German a run for it's money in the "how long can we make a word before your jaws sieze up?" department.

It's a challenge, but it's also pretty fun.

As I stated in a previous thread, we intend on having one day a week be 100% Russian in language and spirit.

I want to try this too. Maybe we'll start off easy with "Russian mornings" or "Russian let's-do-this-another-day."

[eekee 182]

For me the alphabet was super easy. Made be wish ours could that simple. My challenges are the cases and declination. My Alla has also said, "Better to make mistakes than not to try and speak at all."

Same here. Case and declination. And of course gender. I'd like the bash the caveman's skull open that came up with that idea.

The thing that makes Russian easier is that it's a phonetic language. You speak it the way it is spelled. No silent letters, no "it's pronounced this way in this word, and another way in another word," and no "these two letters together make a completely different sound." (there are always exceptions, but they are rare enough not to be a problem. "Ь" and "Ъ" make things interesting, but you can usually fake your way through it.) In that way Russian is easier than French, Spanish, or any other latin-based language. Of course Russian makes up for this ease by trying to cram as many consonants in a row before finally giving you a break with a vowel, and giving German a run for it's money in the "how long can we make a word before your jaws sieze up?" department.

It's a challenge, but it's also pretty fun.

As I stated in a previous thread, we intend on having one day a week be 100% Russian in language and spirit.

I want to try this too. Maybe we'll start off easy with "Russian mornings" or "Russian let's-do-this-another-day."

That's sort of true for Russian pronounciation being totally phonetic, but you have to know where the accent is in the word and certain letters will be pronounced differently when they're next to certain other letters. The orthography is pretty standard, but without knowing where the stress falls you won't pronounce it correctly, even if you know what sounds all the letters make. It is MUCH more standardized thaт english though.

we aim for communicating half the time in english and the other half in russian.

Edited March 3, 2008 by eekee

[mox 298]

That's sort of true for Russian pronounciation being totally phonetic, but you have to know where the accent is in the word and certain letters will be pronounced differently when they're next to certain other letters. The orthography is pretty standard, but without knowing where the stress falls you won't pronounce it correctly, even if you know what sounds all the letters make. It is MUCH more standardized thaт english though.

we aim for communicating half the time in english and the other half in russian.

This is true. I got a curious look from Nadya the first time I said "kak DEE-lah" instead of "kak dee-LAH." This is where it's good to have a tutor.

[Bobalouie 0]

That's sort of true for Russian pronounciation being totally phonetic, but you have to know where the accent is in the word and certain letters will be pronounced differently when they're next to certain other letters. The orthography is pretty standard, but without knowing where the stress falls you won't pronounce it correctly, even if you know what sounds all the letters make. It is MUCH more standardized thaт english though.

we aim for communicating half the time in english and the other half in russian.

This is true. I got a curious look from Nadya the first time I said "kak DEE-lah" instead of "kak dee-LAH." This is where it's good to have a tutor.

Wait until you start using possessives...You have to think a couple of words ahead because the possessive words gender has to match the nouns gender, and the noun might not come for a word or two after the possessive. That is my biggest problem.

[visaveteran1 33]

I have to admire the good intentions to honor the Russian language and your spouses through the process. Good for you guys!

But if you really want to honor Russia in a serious way...why not live in Russia for a certain number of weeks or months each year? Immerse yourself in the culture annually and really use the language authentically...not merely as contrived chit chatting with your spouse once a week in the USA. And how far can you carry that Russian language only commitment...what language will you use when the phone rings or there's a knock at the door or your American kid's friends come over to hang out? That's easy....English.

I can see maybe learning Russian as a hobby but where oh where will i find room for another hobby? i can not even finish a good book anymore. For me learning Russian is not practical or worth the time i could be doing something for my wife to make her happy in my good old American way. I want to serve her now in a way that will have immediate positive impact...not many months or years down the road. I have a Russian vocabulary of about 30 words and i think that's about it for me. It's enough to survive in Russia at a base level and converse with my wife when we want to do a simple exchange in Russian. BUT I will never be able to do the rolling RRRR thing...my mouth just does not work that way. So I'm doomed to failure.

Besides, my father's ancestors spoke French...the most beautiful and romantic language in my judgment. When i hear Russians talk it always sounds like they hate each other even if it's a friendly discourse...or they're yelling at each other. French sounds like poetry even when people are cussing each other out.

Bonjour!

[irish44 0]

I got a Russian tutor before I went to Sochi and it sure paid off. Due to work and other daily drains, I don't take many lessons anymore.

To me, the language is both simple and complex. Tanya and Alina do appreciate that I try to speak in Russian to them but most of the time Tanya tells me "English only, please" on our daily phone conversations.

As I am helping her and Alina with their English lessons, I sure do appreciate how hard they are trying. Incredible how fast a 13 yo girl can learn English! Tanya does well also but like me, it is much harder learning as an adult.

My only motivation left is to learn enough of the Russian Language so I can understand when they talk to each other in "code"!

[eekee 182]

That's sort of true for Russian pronounciation being totally phonetic, but you have to know where the accent is in the word and certain letters will be pronounced differently when they're next to certain other letters. The orthography is pretty standard, but without knowing where the stress falls you won't pronounce it correctly, even if you know what sounds all the letters make. It is MUCH more standardized thaт english though.

we aim for communicating half the time in english and the other half in russian.

This is true. I got a curious look from Nadya the first time I said "kak DEE-lah" instead of "kak dee-LAH." This is where it's good to have a tutor.

Wait until you start using possessives...You have to think a couple of words ahead because the possessive words gender has to match the nouns gender, and the noun might not come for a word or two after the possessive. That is my biggest problem.

wait until you write an essay and your teacher says, "well, there are no grammatical errors" and then proceeds to mark the entire in red to fix non-idiomatic speech.

french men and italian men were recently rated the worst lovers. that's all i have to say about romance languages. i found studying them to be really boring. Наш язык лучше.