Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

somebody other than the subject of the clause. Compare e.g.

Oн потeря

´ л свои´дe´ньги.

He has lost his (own) money .

Oн потeря

´ л eго´дe´ньги.

He has lost his (sb else’s) money .

r It is not possible to use свой:

(a)

to qualify the subject itself. In the statement His money has been lost , for example, in which money is the subject, his must be translated by eго´; (b)

when the possessive pronoun indicates possession by a subject which

stands in another clause. In the sentence He knows that I have lost his money , for example, his indicates possession by the person who is the subject of the sentence as a whole ( he ), but it is I that is the subject of the clause in which his occurs. The sentence must therefore be translated: Oн знae´т, что я потeря´л(a) eго´дe´ньги.

r However, in certain circumstances the point made in (a) above is

overruled, viz:

(a)

in set expressions in which свойdoes qualify the subject, e.g. Cвоя´

рубa

´ шкa бли´жe к тe´лу, lit One’s own shirt is closer to the body , i.e.

Charity begins at home ;

(b)

in impersonal constructions in which the subject appears in the dative or is understood, e.g. Ha´до служи´ть своe´йро´динe, One must serve one’s country ;

(c)

in constructions with y+ gen which equate to the English verb to have , e.g. У кa´ждого студe´нтa свойкомпью´тeр, Each student has his own computer .

11.3

Use of short adjectives

The short forms of the adjective may only be used when the adjective is predicative, that is to say when in the English translation of the Russian some form of the verb to be stands between the subject and the adjective, as in the sentences Э´тот студe´нт умён, This student is clever , дe´вушкa былa´ грустнa´, The girl was sad .

If the adjective is not separated from the noun in this way, then only a long form of the adjective may be used, irrespective of the word

order employed, e.g. Oн у´мныйстудe´нт/Oн студe´нт у´мный/У ´мный

он студe´нт, He is an intelligent student ; Oнa´ былa´ гру´стнойдe´вушкой, She was a sad girl .

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11

Syntax

Even when the adjective is predicative the short form is not

invariably used. Often the long form is preferred or possible, and when some form of бытьis used an instrumental form of the adjective is also possible. The following guidance can be given, although this is an area of grammar in which usage is relatively fluid.

r Many common adjectives are found only in the short form when used

predicatively, e.g.

виновa´т, виновa´тa, виновa´то, виновa´ты

guilty

гото´в, гото´вa, гото´во, гото´вы

ready

дaлёк, дaлeкa´, дaлeко´, дaлeки´

far, distant

дово´лeн, дово´льнa, дово´льно, дово´льны

satisfied with

до´лжeн, должнa´, должно´, должны´

bound to (i.e. must )

досто´ин, досто´йнa, досто´йно, досто´йны

worthy of

нaмe´рeн, нaмe´рeнa, нaмe´рeно, нaмe´рeны

intending to

ну´жeн, нужнa´, ну´жно, нужны´

necessary

похо´ж, похо´жa, похо´жe, похо´жи

like, similar

прaв, прaвa´, прa´во, прa´вы

right

свобо´дeн, свобо´днa, свобо´дно, свобо´дны

free

скло´нeн, скло´ннa, скло´нно, скло´нны

inclined to

соглa´сeн, соглa´снa, соглa´сно, соглa´сны

agreeable to

спосо´бeн, спосо´бнa, спосо´бно, спосо´бны

capable of

r Short forms are preferred, provided that the adjective is predicative, in the following circumstances:

(a)

when the adjective is followed by some sort of complement (as many

of those in the above list almost invariably are), e.g. (with nature of complement defined in brackets):

Oн рaвноду´шeн к му´зыкe. (preposition + noun)

He is indifferent to music .

Caу´довскaя Aрa´вия богa´тa нe´фтью. (noun in oblique case)

Saudi Arabia is rich in oil .

(b)

when the subject of the statement is one of the words то, that ; э´то, this, it ; что, in the sense of which or what ; всё, everything ; другоé, another thing ; одно´, one thing ; пe´рвоe, the first thing , e.g.

Bсё бы´ло споко´йно.

Everything was peaceful .

Oдно´ я´сно.

One thing is clear .

(c)

when the subject is qualified by some word or phrase such as вся´кий, anу ; кa´ждый, every ; любо´й, anу ; подо´бный, such ; тaко´й, such , which serves to generalise it, e.g.

Кa´ждоe сло´во в ромa´нe умe´стно.

Every word in the novel is apt .

Подо´бныe зaдa´чи просты´.

Such tasks are simple .

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11.3

Use of short adjectives

(d)

if the adjective is derived from a present active participle (ending in

- щий); a present passive participle (ending in - мый); оr a past passive participle (ending in - тыйоr - нный), e.g.

Ba´шe повeдe´ниe нeприe´млeмо.

Your conduct is

unacceptable .

Oн жeнa´т.

He is married .

(e)

with some adjectives when they denote excessive possession of a

quality, especially:

большо´й: вeли´к, вeликa´, вeлико´, вeлики´

too big

мa´лeнький: мaл, мaлa´, мaло´, мaлы´

too small

дорого´й: до´рог, дорогa´, до´рого, до´роги

too dear

дeшёвый: дёшeв, дeшeвa´, дёшeво, дёшeвы

too cheap

широ´кий: широ´к, широкa´, широко´, широки´ too wide