Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

v devqnośtye go´dy

in the 1990s

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It is also possible to use v + prepositional with years in the plural: 6

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v devqnośtyx goda´x

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in the 1990s

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20111

v seredińe devqnośtyx godo´v

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in the mid-1990s

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Note this use of godo´v as the genitive plural of god. In other contexts 4

let is always used.

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Other useful phrases relating to dates:

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v kako´m godu´?

in what year?

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kako´go hisla´?

on what date?

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Exercise 7

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Answer the following questions.

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1 Kakoé sego´dnq hislo´?

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Sego´dnq (1st May, 7th November, 25th December, 23rd February, 40

30th October, 4th August)

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Migration

2 V kako´m godu´?

Revol[

ćiq v Rossií proizowlaín 1917. Perestro´jka v SSSR

nahalaś; in 1985. SSSR raspaĺsq in 1991. In 2000 praźdnovali nahaĺo no´vogo tysqhele´tiq. Kto znaét, hto sluhi´tsq in 2010.

Staĺin u´mer in 1953.

3 Kako´go hislaí kako´go go´da?

Veli´kaq ote´hestvennaq vojnańahalaś; on 22nd June 1941. On 19th of August 1991 v Rossií proizowe¨l puth. Pu´wkin rodiĺsq on 1st June 1799. Peŕvyj spu´tnik byl zapu´]en on 12th April 1961.

Exercise 8

The following advertisements all offer help with immigration. List the different countries and services offered.

Migraciq

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8111

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20111

N.B. VN@ – vid na 'i´tel;stvo – registration permit; PM@ – postoqńnoe 1

meśto 'i´tel;stva – permanent residence; brak – marriage; nedvi´'imost; –

property; gra'daństvo – citizenship; propiśka – registration 2

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Language points ♦

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Preposition corner

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The preposition v

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Expressions of place

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We have seen how frequently v + accusative is used after verbs of 2

motion indicating arrival or entry. It translates ‘to, into’ when 3

followed by most countries, towns, geographical regions, buildings, 4

receptacles.

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v Ameŕiku, Moskvu´, pusty

ń[, wkoĺu

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to America, Moscow, the desert, school

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v buty

ĺku, q´]ik

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into the bottle, the drawer

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The exceptions are those nouns normally preceded by na, which were 421111

listed in Unit 2.

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Migration

V + prepositional is used with the same nouns as take v + accusative, but to indicate ‘in, inside’:

v Ameŕike, Moskve´, pusty

ńe, wkoĺe

in America, Moscow, the desert, at school

v buty

ĺke, q´]ike

inside a bottle, drawer

Expressions of time

V + accusative is also used in many expressions of time: v kako´j den;?

on what day?

v ponedeĺ;nik, vo vtoŕnik etc.

on Monday, Tuesday etc.

v peŕvyj den;

on the first day (but remember na drugo´j den; ‘the next day’) v peŕvyj raz

for the first time

dva raźa v den;

twice a day

On prohitaĺ gaze´tu v dva´dcat; minu´t.

He read the newspaper in 20 minutes.

(Za + accusative may, alternatively, be used in this way to express the time taken to complete an action. It must be used with the noun has to avoid confusion with telling the time: v dva hasa´ ‘at 2 o’clock’; za dva hasa´ ‘in two hours’).

v No´vyj God

at New Year

v xoro´wu[ pogo´du

in good weather

v sove´tskie vremena´

in Soviet times

v starinu´

in olden times

v peŕvu[, posle´dn[[ nedeĺ[

in the first, last week (but remember na \´toj, pro´wloj, bu´du]ej nedeĺe)

v peŕvu[ o´hered;

in the first place (but na oheredi ‘in turn’)