Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

кaк двe кa´пли воды´ похо´жи

lit like two drops of water , i.e. alike as two peas

(жить) кaк ко´шкa с собa´кой

(to live) a cat and dog life

холо´дный кaк лёд

cold as ice

знaтьчто´-н кaк свои´ пять пa´льцeв

lit to know sth like one’s five fingers , i.e. like the back of one’s hand

кaк ры´бa в водe´

like a fish in water, like a duck to water, in one’s element

(би´ться) кaк ры´бa об лёд

(to fight) like a fish against ice (said about futile

struggle)

кaк снeг нa´ голову

lit like snow on one’s head , i.e. like a bolt from the blue кaк собa´кa нa сe´нe

like a dog in the manger

гол кaк соко´л

lit naked like a falcon , i.e. poor as a church mouse

кaк нa рaскaлённых у´глях

as on hot coals

кaк чёрт от лa´дaнa

like the devil from incense (said of sb shunning sth)

Note

1. The word глa´сность(f ) is itself an example of the much smaller number of Russian words that have been borrowed by English and other Western European languages; во´дкa, интeллигe´нция, пeрeстро´йкa, спу´тник, тaйгa´, are others.

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6 Language and everyday life

6.1

Measurement

The metric system has been used in Russia since it was introduced on an obligatory basis by the Bolshevik government in 1918. The British imperial system will not be understood by Russians, although some of the words denoting units of measure in that system may be familiar to them. Comparisons of units of different systems in the following

sections are approximate.

6.1.1

Length, distance, height

Approximate metric equivalents of imperial units of measure of length: 1 inch = 25 millimetres

1 foot = 0.3 metres

1 yard = 0.9 metres

1 mile = 1.6 kilometres

The Russian words for the imperial units are дюйм, фут, ярд, ми´ля, respectively.

The Russian words for the basic metric units of measure of length are: миллимe´тр

millimetre

сaнтимe´тр

centimetre

мeтр

metre

киломe´тр

kilometre

Some rough equivalents:

10 сaнтимe´тров

4 inches

1 мeтр

just over a yard

100 мe´тров

110 yards

1 киломe´тр

five-eighths of a mile

100 киломe´тров

62 miles

мужчи´нa ро´стом (в) мeтр

a man 6 tall

во´сeмьдeсят три(1,83)

мужчи´нa ро´стом (в) мeтр

a man 5 9 tall

сe´мьдeсят пять(1,75)

мужчи´нa ро´стом (в) мeтр

a man 5 6 tall

шeстьдeся´т во´сeмь(1,68)

дe´вочкa ро´стом (в) дeвяно´сто

a girl nearly 3 tall

сaнтимe´тров(0,90)

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6

Language and everyday life

Note:

the versions of the above phrases without the preposition вare more colloquial.

A plane might fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet, i.e. нa высотe´ дe´сять

[R3: дeсяти´] ты´сяч мe´тров.

The highest mountain in the world, Everest ( Эвeрe´стor

джомолу´нгмa), has a height of roughly 29,000 feet, i.e. во´сeмь ты´сяч

восeмьсо´т пятьдeся´т мe´тров.

6.1.2

Area

Approximate metric equivalents of imperial units of measure of area: 1 square inch = 6.45 square centimetres

1 square foot = 0.09 square metres

1 square yard = 0.84 square metres

1 acre = 0.4 hectares

1 square mile = 259 hectares

The Russian adjective for square is квaдрa´тный. The metric unit of measure for large areas is the hectare , гeктa´р(= 10,000 square metres).

Some rough equivalents with imperial measurements:

оди´н квaдрa´тный мeтр

just over 1 square yard

10 квaдрa´тных мe´тров

just under 12 square yards

двa гeктa´рa

nearly 5 acres (about the size

of 3 football pitches)

250 гeктa´ров

about 615 acres (roughly the

area of Hyde Park)

20,000 квaдрa´тных киломe´тров

nearly 8,000 square miles

(roughly the area of Wales)

6.1.3

Weight

Approximate metric equivalents of avoirdupois units of measure of

weight:

1 ounce = 28.35 grams

1 pound = 0.45 kilograms

1 stone = 6.36 kilograms

1 hundredweight = 50.8 kilograms

1 ton = 1,016 kilograms

The Russian words for these avoirdupois units are у´нция, фунт, сто´ун, хa´ндрeдвeйт, то´ннa, respectively.

The Russian words for the basic metric units of weight are:

миллигрa´м

milligram

грaмм

gram

килогрa´мм

kilogram

204

6.1

Measurement

цe´нтнeр

100 kilograms

то´ннa

(metric) tonne (1,000 kg)

Some rough equivalents with avoirdupois weights:

200 грaмм мa´слa

about 7 oz of butter

полкило´ мя´сa

just over 1 lb of meat

мужчи´нa вe´сом (в) 65 кило´

a man of just over 10 stone

мужчи´нa вe´сом (в) 100 кило´/

a man of about 151/2 stone

оди´н цe´нтнeр

мaши´нa вe´сом (в) 1000 кило´/

a car weighing just under a ton

одну´ то´нну

Note:

the versions of the above phrases without the preposition вare more colloquial.

6.1.4

Volume

Approximate metric equivalents of imperial units of measure of

volume:

1 cubic inch = 16 cubic centimetres

1 cubic foot = 0.03 cubic metres

1 cubic yard = 0.8 cubic metres

1 pint = 0.57 litres

1 gallon = 4.55 litres

The Russian words for the last two imperial units are пи´нтaand гaлло´н, respectively. The Russian adjective for cubic is куби´чeский; litre is литр. Some rough equivalents:

полли´трa пи´вa

about a pint of beer

литр молокa´

about 13 / 4 pints of milk