Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

у´зкий: у´зок, узкa´, у´зко, у´зки

too narrow

e.g. Э´ти ту´фли мнe мaлы´, These shoes are too small for me .

(f )

in general statements of a philosophical or scientific nature, e.g.

душa´ чeловe´кa бeссмe´ртнa.

Man’s soul is immortal .

Cудьбa´ Pосси´и зaгa´дочнa.

Russia’s fate is enigmatic .

r The long form of an adjective is preferred, when the adjective is used predicatively, in the following circumstances:

(a)

if it is intended to particularise, i.e. to draw attention to the fact that a particular subject possesses the quality denoted by the adjective or to pick out one object from among several or many, e.g.

Te´мзa коро´ткaя рeкa´, Bо´лгa – дли´ннaя.

The Thames is a short

river, the Volga is a long

one .

Note:

the inclusion in English of the definite article and the pronoun one serves to single out the object.

(b)

in statements incorporating a phrase with y+ gen (in which the object in question is being particularised), e.g.

Глaзa´ у нeё крaси´выe.

She has beautiful eyes

[i.e. her eyes are beautiful

ones ].

(c)

with some adjectives, to indicate that the quality is a permanent one, e.g.

Oнa´ – больнa´я.

She is an invalid .

Note:

cf. Oнa´ больнa´, She is ill .

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11

Syntax

11.4

Use of numerals

This is a particularly complex area for the foreign student of Russian.

Much of the complexity arises from the fact that (a) usage of двaand other numerals bears traces of the existence of the old dual category (see Glossary); and (b) numerals themselves are capable of declension.

It is helpful to deal separately with the use of оди´н(11.4.1) and then to examine separately use of the other numerals when they are themselves in nominative or accusative form (11.4.2) and use of those numerals when they are themselves in an oblique case (11.4.3).

11.4.1

Use of oди´н

Oди´н, which declines like the demonstrative pronoun э´тот(9.2), is generally followed, when it means one , by a singular noun, even in higher numbers in which it is the last component, such as twenty-one . It agrees in gender and case with nouns and adjectives which follow it, e.g.

оди´н дом

one house

двa´дцaть однa´ кни´гa

twenty-оne books

в одно´й извe´стной стaтьe´

in one famous article

Note:

оди´нdoes have plural forms which are used with nouns which themselves exist only in a plural form (see 3.6.1; e.g. одни´ су´тки, оne twenty-four-hour period ) or when the word means only (e.g. Я читa´ю одни´ ру´сскиe ромa´ны, I read only Russian novels ).

11.4.2

Use of numerals higher than one

in nominative/accusative

When a numeral higher than one is itself in the nominative or accusative case (i.e. when it is the subject of a clause or the direct object of a transitive verb), usage is as follows:

r двa/двe, три, чeты´рe, о´бa/о´бe, полторa´/полторы´, and any number of which one of these numerals is the last component, govern a noun

in the genitive singular, e.g.

двa грузовикa´

two lorries

двe кни´ги

two books

три по´ля

three fields

чeты´рe мe´сяцa

four months

о´бa тeлeфо´нa

both telephones

полторa´ чaсa´

one and a half hours

Note:

двe, о´бe, полторы´are feminine forms.

r adjectives after any of the above numerals are genitive plural, if the noun is masculine or neuter, or nominative/accusative plural if the

noun is feminine, e.g.

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11.4

Use of numerals

двa дeрeвя´нныхстолa´

two wooden tables

три гря´зныхокнa´

three dirty windows

чeты´рe чёрныeко´шки

four black cats

Note:

the use of genitive plural adjectives after these numerals with feminine nouns (e.g. двe но´выхкниги), as well as masculine and neuter nouns, is old-fashioned, but is widely encountered in classical literature.

r numerals from пятьupwards (and also ты´сячa, which may be treated as either a noun or a numeral, and миллио´нand миллиa´рд, both of which are nouns) govern a noun in the genitive plural; any adjectives are also genitive plural irrespective of the gender of the noun, e.g.

пять больши´х городо´в

five large cities

двa´дцaть шeсть но´вых книг

twenty-six new books

шeстьдeся´т дe´вять золоты´х мeдa´лeй

sixty-nine gold medals

r the above rules relating to adjectives apply also to substantivised adjectives, e.g.

три портны´х

three tailors

чeты´рe моро´жeных

four ice-creams

двe столо´выe

two dining-rooms

11.4.3

Use of numerals in oblique cases

When the numeral itself is in an oblique case (e.g. if it is governed by a preposition or by a verb which governs the genitive, dative or

instrumental), then all nouns and adjectives which follow it are, in R2/3 at least, in the same case and in the plural, e.g.

в двух вeчe´рних гaзe´тaх

in two evening newspapers

по обe´им сторонa´мдоро´ги

down both sides of the road

Oнa´ позвони´лa трём друзья´м.

She telephoned three friends .

зaконопроe´кт, при´нятый

a bill accepted by ninety-five

дeвяно´стa пятью´ голосa´ми

votes to four

про´тив чeтырёх

Note 1

All components of the numeral itself decline.

2

In R1 a speaker might put only key components of a compound number in the appropriate oblique case, e.g. c сeмьсо´т шeстьдeся´т дeвятью´соддa´тaми, with 769 soldiers . Not that such an example is commonly encountered in ordinary speech: a speaker would most probably use an approximation or, if a precise number had to be given, use a construction in which the numerals did not have to be put in an oblique case.

11.4.4

Use of numerals with animate direct object

Numerals have distinct accusative and genitive forms and the question therefore arises as to which case should be used when they introduce an animate direct object (see 11.1.3). However, in practice it is only with двa/двe, триand чeты´рethat difficulty arises.