What were the first few things you learned to say in Russian, and why?

[Chuckles 0]

humm... The first word I learned was for work... It was Priviet (sp). I am suprised to see that isn't the first for most people!

I gave up on speaking Russian a while ago. My wife hates any attempt I make at it anyway... I have to deal with Russian people through work, but beyond saying hello, it is all English...

[Brad and Vika 129]

humm... The first word I learned was for work... It was Priviet (sp). I am suprised to see that isn't the first for most people!

I gave up on speaking Russian a while ago. My wife hates any attempt I make at it anyway... I have to deal with Russian people through work, but beyond saying hello, it is all English...

There you have it. I was taught that at work zdrasvuite was the appropriate greeting until you know some one well. It must be a conspracy

[K1researcher 0]

ha ok first :

Сводит с ума

Улица Роз

Спрячь свой обман

Улица слез

Я люблю и ненавижу тебя

then

Что нас ждет, море хранит молчанье

Жажда жить сушит сердца до дна

Только жизнь здесь ничего не стоит

Жизнь других, но не твоя

Then i realized i should probably figure out what the heck i am saying! hahahahahah

next followed the obligatory foul language with standard communication

I had to go to the dictionary for some of the words I can't imagine where street of tears would come up in casual conversation, and saying I love you and I hate you probably wins you no points at all.

Ah sorry i guess our Rusian didnt step in. These are both Song from the Russian band Aria.

The first is the chorus from Улица Роз (Rose STreet) a very famous song and teh second from Shtil (newer but had a lot of play on mtv)

My introduction to Russian language was through this band

Live from 1996

ulitsa

video clip

schtil

great band I have flown to Moscow twice to see them in concert

[slim 1,525]

Anyone have a trick to trying to teach someone to roll the r's?

Yeah, start off with Spanish. Russian R-Rolling is cake compared to all the lingual lapping in Espanol. (Castellano.)

As for my first, my very first few things I learned to say in Russian.... man, it's been so long I don't remember exactly what they were but I do remember picking up the basic introductions and my typical conversation went something like -

(In Russian)

Hi.

What's your name?

Nice to meet you.

My name is....

You are very beautiful.

How old are you? (Not to be confused with "how much do you cost?" Yikes!)

Me too!

Where do you come from?

(Huff.) I know you're from Russia. Which city?

Oh. Yes, of course I know this city. It's near here. (Making hand gestures and relating proximity to Moscow, China, Korea, Japan, etc.)

How long have you been here?

Me too! (See, very easy answer to all questions... especially when you have no idea what the numbers are!)

OK, I want to talk to you some more but I have to go, why don't we meet for lunch tomorrow? (Usually horribly stumbled through with basic words like "ya robota.... ah.. mozhen..... ah... zavtra..... pa-abyedit...." and then holding up one or two fingers to indicate a time and shouting out a place like 7-11. Two fingers plus 7-11 means I'll meet you at two o clock at the 7-11 shop. The words may not have been right, but the message made it out!)

The above system actually worked pretty well. (And looking back on it we were leaps and bounds ahead of our competition.) But, we needed more because there's kind of a plateau you reach once you actually get the girl out to lunch. Then what? So, we bought a book and tape set (now that really shows how long ago it's been. When's the last time you bought a tape?) and learned another phrase "May I use your computer?" Surely, we'd never ever find a girl to let us use her computer but there were plenty of girls who like to hear this phrase and then talk some more.

There was a "date" set up with two girls and my buddy with whom I'd been studying. We sat and talked over ice cream, the two of them in mostly Russian, the two of us in mostly English, and then, he and I started laughing after listening to their story. They looked at each other with that shocked "Oh no, we can't con these guys anymore" look in their eyes, turned to us and said, "you understand Russian language?" We chuckled and said, "we do now."

Well, I totally messed it up a few minutes later when I started laughing again. The girls looked perplexed, "that wasn't funny." My buddy kicked me under the table and said, "great timing, @$$#ole!" So, I guess we didn't understand as much Russian language as we thought we did!

Knowing a little Russian actually came back to bite me on down the road. I met a super-attractive lady and ran through the above lines. She was eating it up, hook line and sinker. Then, she threw me a curve.... "you speak good Russian. WHO TEACH YOU?"

Easy enough to dodge this one, right? "I read Slovar."

Well, she wasn't buying it. "I know before you have Russian girlfriend or wife. Tell me, do you still have love story together whis her?"

Kind of fumbling..... "ah.... noooo?"

"OK! Then we can have love story together." She never asked me about it again. She taught me a lot of new words, too. I talked to her several months after we parted and she had gotten married to some guy. I asked, "How could you get married to this guy when you and I were dating. You must've been dating us at the same time." She said, "Yes, but you have love story with another Russian woman, so what's the problem?"

So, once again, I guess I didn't understand Russian language as well as I thought I did.

But, that's all history. Now that I'm married to a Russian and know way more Russian than I ever did before, I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND as much as I thought I did! Probably even less today than back then when it was OK to fumble through it and point and grunt. Now, the slightest mistake messes me up for a week. "No baby, I said soonka, not sooka. I was talking about your big purse, not your attitude! Come on baby. Lyublu. Skuchayu. Ti oochin krasivaya...." And it starts all over again!

[Corey-Mariya 14]

Well My first words in Russian were right after I got off the plane at th UFA Airport. I was hungry and Mariya picked me up so she took me to macdonalds. So i went up to the order and said Ya hochu mac chicken.

[Chuckles 0]

humm... The first word I learned was for work... It was Priviet (sp). I am suprised to see that isn't the first for most people!

I gave up on speaking Russian a while ago. My wife hates any attempt I make at it anyway... I have to deal with Russian people through work, but beyond saying hello, it is all English...

There you have it. I was taught that at work zdrasvuite was the appropriate greeting until you know some one well. It must be a conspracy

Good point!

[mox 298]

I have the worst time with rolling R's also. Does the roll come off the tip of your tongue, or the top of it? Because all I can manage is a single roll off the tip.

[amberdima 6]

ha ok first :

Сводит с ума

Улица Роз

Спрячь свой обман

Улица слез

Я люблю и ненавижу тебя

then

Что нас ждет, море хранит молчанье

Жажда жить сушит сердца до дна

Только жизнь здесь ничего не стоит

Жизнь других, но не твоя

Then i realized i should probably figure out what the heck i am saying! hahahahahah

next followed the obligatory foul language with standard communication

I had to go to the dictionary for some of the words I can't imagine where street of tears would come up in casual conversation, and saying I love you and I hate you probably wins you no points at all.

Ah sorry i guess our Rusian didnt step in. These are both Song from the Russian band Aria.

The first is the chorus from Улица Роз (Rose STreet) a very famous song and teh second from Shtil (newer but had a lot of play on mtv)

My introduction to Russian language was through this band

Live from 1996

ulitsa

video clip

schtil

great band I have flown to Moscow twice to see them in concert

do russians like these guys? they're like 100. all the russians, etc. i talk to love american bands...but 80's bands, like motley crue, the cure, and so on.

[Brad and Vika 129]

ha ok first :

Сводит с ума

Улица Роз

Спрячь свой обман

Улица слез

Я люблю и ненавижу тебя

then

Что нас ждет, море хранит молчанье

Жажда жить сушит сердца до дна

Только жизнь здесь ничего не стоит

Жизнь других, но не твоя

Then i realized i should probably figure out what the heck i am saying! hahahahahah

next followed the obligatory foul language with standard communication

I had to go to the dictionary for some of the words I can't imagine where street of tears would come up in casual conversation, and saying I love you and I hate you probably wins you no points at all.

Ah sorry i guess our Rusian didnt step in. These are both Song from the Russian band Aria.

The first is the chorus from Улица Роз (Rose STreet) a very famous song and teh second from Shtil (newer but had a lot of play on mtv)

My introduction to Russian language was through this band

Live from 1996

ulitsa

video clip

schtil

great band I have flown to Moscow twice to see them in concert

do russians like these guys? they're like 100. all the russians, etc. i talk to love american bands...but 80's bands, like motley crue, the cure, and so on.

If you mean Belarussians Amber, remember that Minski is in a kind of Uncle Sasha-induced time warp. I think the traditional sensibilities are charming, but you do see a certian slowness to adjust. Even if you watch music videos there, the popular stuff (from Russia) is often 5 years old.

Edited February 19, 2009 by Brad and Vika

[eekee 182]

I've never heard of Aria and I have forty gigs of Russian music. I just wikied them, and now I know why--they're metal.

The first word I learned in Russian/Belarusian was one of the first ten words I learned how to say in any language... Баба, which was what I called my grandmother. I knew more when I was very little, but forgot it after my grandparents died.

I knew some random words from my mom, like дурак and the Belarusian words for aunt/uncle (which I don't know how to spell.)

Here is the first lesson in my Russian textbook that I used in college:

Привет! Меня зовут Тамара. А тебя?

Привет! Меня зовут Павел. Паша.

Кто зто?

Не знаю.

Как её зовут?

Галина.

Как его зовут?

Ян.

As far as rolling your R's goes, it's like the "tt" in the middle of the word "butter." It's not an "r" sound at all, really; it's like "t."

And if you can't roll your R, you'll be in good company. Lenin couldn't do it. Neither can the singer AukcYon.

Edited February 19, 2009 by eekee

[slim 1,525]

Привет! Меня зовут Тамара. А тебя?

Привет! Меня зовут Павел. Паша.

Кто зто?

Не знаю.

Как её зовут?

Галина.

Как его зовут?

Ян.

That's about what my first conversations in Russian were like. And, believe it or not, they were with girls named Tamara and Galina. Small world!

Or, maybe it's because there are only about 12 common girls' names in Russian. My buddy, not Yan, the other guy, he and I used to call the girls T1, T2, T3, O1, O2.... etc. Come to think if it, I probably only knew one or two surnames the whole first year or so I was talking to Russian women.

One thing I do remember is learning the alphabet fairly early. I learned to read/write (still not terribly well) almost before I knew any dialogue. For me, it's just easier to understand what I'm saying/hearing if I can "see" it in my head. It's also a lot easier to figure out which girl to call when you can read her name!

[eekee 182]

That's about what my first conversations in Russian were like. And, believe it or not, they were with girls named Tamara and Galina. Small world!

Or, maybe it's because there are only about 12 common girls' names in Russian. My buddy, not Yan, the other guy, he and I used to call the girls T1, T2, T3, O1, O2.... etc. Come to think if it, I probably only knew one or two surnames the whole first year or so I was talking to Russian women.

One thing I do remember is learning the alphabet fairly early. I learned to read/write (still not terribly well) almost before I knew any dialogue. For me, it's just easier to understand what I'm saying/hearing if I can "see" it in my head. It's also a lot easier to figure out which girl to call when you can read her name!

Very true. It creates a lot of awkward situations, because having an non-Russian name and being American, everyone remembers me and my name, and then when you run into them later you don't remember them or their name quite as clearly, because 75% of the girls you meet are Lena, Sasha, or Masha and the boys don't have that much more variety.

My mom taught me how to write in Russian. For like three weeks in Russian class, I knew more than everybody else.

[K1researcher 0]

I've never heard of Aria and I have forty gigs of Russian music. I just wikied them, and now I know why--they're metal.

well in Russia they are just Rock ... Russian Rock .. Metal is much heavier like Master (formed after the original bass player left aria).

The last 2 concerts I went to were sold out and housed 10k and 12k ppl respectively. So I would venture to say that they are liked. They are the largest Rock band in Russian speaking territories and had teh honor of selling a million copiers of their third release in a week :-) This was a landmark sale in the Soviet Union

[K1researcher 0]

do russians like these guys? they're like 100. all the russians, etc. i talk to love american bands...but 80's bands, like motley crue, the cure, and so on.

Are you serious? They have bee a professional band for over 25 years and still sell large arenas.. so yes they are liked.. but their age is due to their longevity and experience. and they are in their 40s.. Which is not that old. Russians I talk to like all kinds of music but definitely are not limited to 80s.

[eekee 182]

I've never heard of Aria and I have forty gigs of Russian music. I just wikied them, and now I know why--they're metal.

well in Russia they are just Rock ... Russian Rock .. Metal is much heavier like Master (formed after the original bass player left aria).

The last 2 concerts I went to were sold out and housed 10k and 12k ppl respectively. So I would venture to say that they are liked. They are the largest Rock band in Russian speaking territories and had teh honor of selling a million copiers of their third release in a week :-) This was a landmark sale in the Soviet Union

I got that they were heavy metal from their Russian wikipedia page.

А́рия — российская рок-группа, играющая в стиле хэви-метал. Музыка «Арии» выдержана в стиле групп «новой волны британского хэви-метала».

Ария является одной из старейших и самых успешных метал-групп России.[1][2] Лауреат премии Fuzz 2007 года как лучшая live-группа. Её участниками были образованы многие другие известные группы («Мастер», «Кипелов», «Маврик», «Артерия»), которые вместе составляют плеяду, называемую «семейка Арии».[3][4][5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_rock this is a pretty good overview of Russian rock, I think. I prefer the St. Petersburg and Siberian scenes, whereas the Moscow stuff (like Aria and Mashina vremeni) is much more mainstream. Largest doesn't always mean best.