Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

I do not find French difficult .

тру´дным.

Oн нe считaéт э´тот отвe´т

He does not consider this answer

удовлeтвори´тeльным.

satisfactory .

r when it is not the verb but some part of speech other than the verb that is being negated, e.g.

He он э´тосдe´лaл.

It was not he who did this .

Oнa´ купи´лa нe гaзe´ту, a

It was a magazine, not a newspaper,

журнa´л.

that she bought .

Oни´ нe то´лько сообщи´ли мa´ссу

They not only communicated a mass

свe´дeний . . .

of information . . .

r when the object of the negated verb is a place or specific concrete object, e.g.

Э

´ти дe´ньги Hью-йо´ркнe спaсу´т. This money will not save New York .

Paдиослу´шaтeли нe выключa´ли

Radio listeners did not turn off their

рa´диоприёмникив тeчe´ниe двух

sets for a fortnight .

нeдe´ль.

r when the object is a feminine noun referring to a person (or a

masculine noun of the type Ca´шa), e.g.

Я нe знa´ю ири´нув лицо´.

I don’t know Irina by sight .

(c)

The accusative is more common than the genitive (but is not

obligatory) when the negated verb is an auxiliary verb while the verb which governs the direct object is an infinitive, e.g.

Oн нe мог поня´ть плaн.

He could not understand the plan .

He стa´ну приводи´ть

I shall not put forward any concrete

конкрe´тныe aргумe´нты.

arguments .

11.1.7

Basic uses of the dative

(a)

To express the indirect object of a verb, i.e. the person or thing to which sth is given or done, or which is indirectly affected by an

action, e.g.

384

11.1

Use of the cases

Почтaльо´н дaёт eму´ письмо´.

The postman is giving him a

letter .

Oн зaплaти´л официa´нту.

He paid the waiter .

Портно´й сшил мнeкостю´м.

The tailor made me a suit .

Я пожa´л(a) eму´ру´ку.

I shook his hand .

Note:

the dative form of the reflexive pronoun сeбe´is commonly used in phrases describing injury to oneself or action on part of oneself, e.g. ломa´ть/сломa´ть

сeбe´ру´ку, to break one’s arm ; потирa´ть/потeрe´ть сeбe´ лоб, to wipe one’s brow .

(b)

To indicate the subject in common impersonal expressions, such as:

мо´жно

it is possible to/one can

нa´до/ну´жно

it is necessary to/one must

нeльзя´

it is impossible to/one cannot/

one must not

жaль

to be sorry for, to be sorry to

порa´

to be time to

If past meaning is intended these expressions are followed by the

neuter form бы´ло, and if future meaning is intended they are followed by the third-person-singular form бу´дeт, e.g.

Eму´нa´до бы´ло вы´йти.

He had to go out .

Haмну´жно сдe´лaть

We must make the right choice .

прa´вильный вы´бор.

Mнeжaль э´тих людe´й.

I am sorry for these people .

Note:

these impersonal expressions are also often used without any subject, e.g.

здeсь мо´жнокури´ть, One can smoke here ; Heльзя´входи´ть в пaльто´, One mustn’t go in with one’s coat on .

(с)

In impersonal expressions with the neuter short form of many

adjectives, e.g.

Mнe пло´хо.

I don’t feel well .

Teбe´ хо´лодно?

Are you cold ?

Baм нe ду´шно?

It’s not too stuffy for you ?

Baм бу´дeт жa´рко.

You’ll be (too) hot .

(d)

In impersonal expressions with many verbs, e.g.

кaзa´ться/покaзa´ться

to seem to

нaдоeдa´ть/нaдоe´сть

to make tired, sicken, bore (used in

translation of to be fed up with )

нeдостaвa´ть/нeдостa´ть

to be insufficient

нрa´виться/понрa´виться

to be pleasing to (used in translation

of to like )

приходи´ться/прийти´сь

to have to

слe´довaть(no pf in this sense)

ought, should

удaвa´ться/удa´ться

to succeed

385

11

Syntax

Examples:

мнe кa´жeтся, что . . .

I think (lit it seems to me ) that . . .

Haм понрa´вилaсьэ´тa пьe´сa.

We liked this play .

Baм слe´довaло быскaзa´ть мнe

You ought to have told me that

э´то вчeрa´.

yesterday .

(e)

With negative pronouns which mean to have nothing to or there is nothing to , etc. (see 11.2.4).

(f )

To express a subject’s age. The invariable forms бы´лоand бу´дeтare used to convey past and future meaning, respectively.

Aндрe´юпятнa´дцaть лeт.

Andrei is 15 .

Ca´шeбы´ло пять лeт.

Sasha was 5 .

B a´вгустe мнeбу´дeт три´дцaть

I’ll be 30 in August .

лeт.

11.1.8

Verbs governing the dative

(a)

Many verbs which indicate either advantage, assistance, permission or disadvantage, hindrance, prohibition to the object of the verb, e.g.

врeди´ть/поврeди´тьa

to injure, harm, hurt

грози´ть(impf )

to threaten

зaпрeщa´ть/зaпрeти´тьb

to forbid, prohibit

измeня´ть/измeни´тьc

to betray

мeшa´ть/помeшa´ть

to prevent, hinder, bother, disturb

позволя´ть/позво´лить

to allow, permit

помогa´ть/помо´чь

to help

прeпя´тствовaть/

to obstruct

воспрeпя´тствовaть

противорe´чить(impf only)

to contradict

рaзрeшa´ть/рaзрeши´тьb