Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

двa´дцaть, three twenty or во´сeмь три´дцaть пять, eight thirty-five , rather than the more cumbersome двa´дцaть мину´т чeтвёртогоand бeз

двaдцaти´ пяти´ дe´вять, respectively. Forms such as полсeдьмо´го, half (past) six , are also preferred in R1/2 to the fuller полови´нa сeдьмо´го.

Russia contains eleven time zones. Speakers may therefore need to

specify which time zone they have in mind, e.g. в дe´сять чaсо´в по

моско´вскому врe´мeни, at ten o’clock Moscow time .

6.5

Telephone numbers

In big cities these will normally consist of seven digits, which will be divided up and read in the following way:

243-71-59 двe´сти со´рок три, сe´мьдeсят оди´н, пятьдeся´т дe´вять

391-64-27 три´стa дeвяно´сто оди´н, шeстьдeся´т чeты´рe, двa´дцaть

сeмь

However, it would also be perfectly acceptable nowadays for the

foreign speaker, for the sake of convenience, to treat each digit

separately.

6.6

Postal addresses

These have until recently been presented in inverse order to that used in English, that is to say in the order country, postcode, town, street, building, addressee. The abbreviations к. ( ко´рпус, block ), д. ( дом, house ), кв. ( квaрти´рa, flat ) may be used. The name of the addressee is put in the dative case. Examples:

Pосси´я 197343,

г. Кaлу´гa 253223,

Mосквa´,

ул. циолко´вского,

208

6.8

Public notices

ул. Taшкe´нтскaя,

д. 3a, кв. 22,

д. 23, кв. 36,

Пa´влову C.Г.

Eлисeéвой B.A.

However, since 1997 Russian practice has changed, perhaps in order to bring it in line with Western European practice, so that an address

should be set out in the following way:

Кому´: Ко´зырeву B.A.

Кудa´: ул. Cтa´рый Aрбa´т, д. 3, кв. 5,

Mосквa´,

Pосси´я 119026.

6.7

Family relationships

Russian has what to an English-speaker is a bewildering multiplicity of terms to denote family relationships, including e.g. шу´рин,

brother-in-law (wife’s brother); своя´к, brother-in-law (husband of wife’s sister); своя´чeницa, sister-in-law (wife’s sister); дe´вeрь(m), brother-in-law (husband’s brother); золо´вкa, sister-in-law (husband’s sister); зять(m), brother-in-law (sister’s husband or husband’s sister’s husband) or son-in-law ; and нeвe´сткa, sister-in-law (brother’s wife) or daughter-in-law (son’s wife). Fortunately for the foreign learner, however, these terms now have largely historical significance. They were once widespread in the extended family in the rural community, and may be encountered

in classical literature, but they are not used in modern urban society.

One still does need, though, to know the terms for father-in-law and mother-in-law , which have to be rendered in different ways depending on whether the speaker has in mind the parents of the wife ( жeнa´) or the husband ( муж), viz:

тeсть(m)

father-in-law (father of one’s wife)

тёщa

mother-in-law (mother of one’s wife)

свёкор

father-in-law (father of one’s husband)

свeкро´вь(f )

mother-in-law (mother of one’s husband)

To translate brother-in-law or sister-in-law an appropriate descriptive phrase such as брaт жeны´, wife’s brother , жeнa´ брa´тa, brother’s wife , or муж сeстры´, sister’s husband should now be used.

6.8

Public notices

A number of grammatical structures are characteristic of public

notices, the language of which may be seen as a variety of R3b.

(a)

Where an order or prohibition is expressed the imperative is often

rendered by an infinitive form. In an instruction the infinitive is

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6

Language and everyday life

perfective, whilst in a prohibition with the particle нe it is imperfective, e.g.

Пристeгну´ть рeмни´. (in plane)

Fasten seatbelts .

При aвa´рии рaзби´ть стeкло´ молотко´м. (in bus and underground) In the event of an accident break the glass with the hammer .

Pукa´ми нe тро´гaть. (in museum)

Do not touch .

He кури´ть.

No smoking .

He входи´ть в пaльто´. (in offices, etc.)

Do not enter in your coat .

He бe´гaть по эскaлa´торaм. (in underground stations)

Do not run up and down the escalators .

He прислоня´ться. (on doors of underground train)

Do not lean .

По гaзо´нaм нe ходи´ть.

Keep off the grass .

(b)

Instructions and prohibitions may also be couched in the imperative, e.g.

Пройди´тe дa´льшe в вaго´н. (in tram)

Pass down the vehicle .

Cоблюдa´й дистa´нцию. (on back of road vehicle)

Keep your distance .

He отвлeкa´йтe води´тeля посторо´нними рaзгово´рaми. (in bus) Do not distract the driver by talking to him .

He стой под стрeло´й. (on crane)

Do not stand under the arm .

(c)

Prohibitions may also be expressed with a past passive participle, e.g.

Bход посторо´нним зaпрeщён.

Unauthorised persons not admitted .

Кури´ть зaпрeщeно´.

Smoking prohibited .

Купa´ться зaпрeщeно´. Oпa´сно для жи´зни.

Bathing prohibited. Danger of death . (lit dangerous to life ) Приноси´ть и рaспивa´ть спиртныé нaпи´тки зaпрeщeно´.

It is forbidden to bring and consume alcoholic drinks .

(d)

An exhortation may be couched in a third-person-plural form, or with the words про´сьбa, request , or про´сим, we ask , e.g.

У нaс нe ку´рят.

No smoking here .

Про´сьбa зaкрывa´ть двeрь.