Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

to become

r In a very large number of verbs the reflexive particle renders a

transitive verb intransitive, in other words it fulfils the function of a direct object, e.g.

возврaщa´тъ/возврaти´тьоr

возврaщa´ться/возврaти´тьсяоr

вeрну´ть to return (give back)

вeрну´тъся to return (go back)

кончa´ть/ко´нчить to finish

кончa´ться/ко´нчиться to finish

(complete)

(come to end)

нaчинa´ть/нaчa´ть to begin (sth,

нaчинa´ться/нaчa´ться to begin

to do sth)

(come into being)

одeвa´ть/одe´ть to dress (sb)

одeвa´ться/одe´ться to dress, get

dressed

остaнa´вливaть/остaнови´ть to

остaнa´вливaться/остaнови´ться

stop (bring to halt)

to stop (come to halt)

поднимa´ть/подня´ть to lift

поднимa´ться/подня´ться to go up

рaздeвa´ть/рaздe´ть to undress

рaздeвa´ться/рaздe´ться to undress,

(sb)

get undressed

увeли´чивaть/увeли´чить to

увeли´чивaться/увeли´читься to

increase (make bigger)

increase (get bigger)

удивля´ть/удиви´ть to surprise

удивля´ться/удиви´ться to be

surprised

улучшa´ть/улу´чшить to improve

улучшa´ться/улу´чшиться to

(make better)

improve (get better)

умeньшa´ть/умe´ньшить to

умeньшa´ться/умe´ньшиться to

decrease (make smaller)

decrease (get smaller)

ухудшa´ть/уху´дшить to make

ухудшa´ться/уху´дшиться to get

worse

worse

r reciprocal action, e.g.

встрeчa´ться/встрe´титься

to meet one another

обнимa´ться/обня´ться

to embrace one another

цeловa´ться/поцeловa´ться

to kiss one another

r characteristic action: some verbs which are normally transitive and non-reflexive take the reflexive particle in contexts where they have no specific object but denote action characteristic of the subject, e.g.

Крaпи´вa жжётся.

Nettles sting .

Cобa´кa кусaéтся.

The dog bites .

ло´шaдь лягaéтся.

The horse kicks .

Ко´шки цaрa´пaются.

Cats scratch .

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11.9

The conditional mood

r impersonal verbs: with some common verbs a third-person reflexive

form is used to indicate the physical condition or mood of a subject, e.g.

Mнe хо´чeтсяeсть/пить.

I am hungry/thirsty .

Eму´ нe спи´тся.

He can’t get to sleep .

Eй нe читaéтся.

She doesn’t feel like reading .

r with passive sense: many imperfective verbs are used in a reflexive form with an inanimate subject to mean that sth has been/is being/will be done, e.g.

Э

´тот вопро´с до´лго обсуждa´лся.

This question was discussedfor a

long time .

знa´ниe – э´то то´жe товa´р,

Knowledge too is a commodity that is

кото´рый покупaéтсяи

boughtand sold .

продaётся.

Pы´ночныe отношe´ния бу´дут

Market relations will be builtin

стро´итьсяв Pосси´и eщё до´лгиe

Russia over many long years to come .

го´ды.

Note:

this use of the reflexive belongs mainly to R2/3, as the flavour of the above examples shows.

r in combination with certain verbal prefixes (see also 8.3), e.g.

всмa´тривaться/всмотрe´ться

to peer at

зaчи´тывaться/зaчитa´ться

to get engrossed in reading

нaeдa´ться/нae´сться

to eat one’s fill, stuff oneself (with

food )

рaсходи´ться/рaзойти´сь

to get divorced, disperse

съeзжa´ться/съe´хaться

to gather, assemble

11.9

The conditional mood

Conditional sentences in Russian are of two types, depending on

whether the speaker means that in certain circumstances (a) sth

will/will nothappen or (b) sth mighthappen. Usage in the two clauses of a conditional sentence (i.e. the subordinate clause which contains the condition, usually introduced by e´сли, if , and the main clause, which states the consequence) differs in the two types of

conditional sentence.

Note:

in both types of conditional sentence the clause stating the consequence may be introduced by тоor тогдa´(Eng then ), provided that it follows the clause containing the condition.

r Real conditional sentences, in which the speaker is saying that given certain conditions a particular consequence definitely did/does/will or did not/does not/will not follow, a verb in the past, present or

future tense (depending on the context) is used in each clause,

e.g.

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11

Syntax

´

Eслиты ду´мaeшь[impf pres], что он чe´стeн, тоэ´то оши´бкa.

If you think he’s honest then you’re mistaken .

´

Eсливы пeрeстa´нeтe[pf fut] кричa´ть, я отвe´чунa вaш вопро´с.

If you stop shouting I’ll answer your question .

Note:

a future must be used in the clause containing the condition ( пeрeстa´нeтein the second example above) when the verb denotes an event that has yet to take place (see also 11.6(c); cf. English use of the present tense in such clauses).

r Hypothetical conditional sentences, in which the speaker is saying that given certain hypothetical conditions some consequence would/would

not follow or would have/would not have followed, both clauses must

have a verb in the conditional mood. This mood is rendered in Russian simply by the appropriate form of the past tense (masculine, feminine, neuter or plural) together with the invariable particle бы, e.g.