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

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3 Na kogoórientiŕu[tsq kanaĺy TVC, Kul;tuŕa?

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4 Hem znameni´t kanaĺ REN TV?

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Hto predstavlqĺ sobo´j kanaĺ NTV?

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6 Hto za progra´mma ?

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Exercise 5

True or false?

1 L[ba´q gaze´ta zaviśit ot (pravi´tel;stva, hita´telej, vladeĺ;ca gaze´ty)?

2 Televi´denie igraét (maĺen;ku[, vedu´]u[, politi´hesku[) rol;?

3 Mneńiq televedu´]ix otra'a´[t (pozići[ vladeĺ;ca, svo[´

pozići[, poli´tiku pravi´tel;stva)?

4 Kanaĺ orientiŕuetsq na tex, kto interesuétsq (spoŕtom, iskuśstvom, poli´tikoj)?

5 Kanaĺ NTV byl (gosudaŕstvennym, haśtnym, meśtnym)

kanaĺom?

6 Progra´mma – progra´mma o (rossi´jskoj nau´ke, rossi´jskom parla´mente, de´tqx)?

7 NTV vse¨ bol;we stano´vitsq (populqŕnym, nezaviśimym,

zaviśimym ot pravi´tel;stva)?

Language points ♦

Drug dru´ga

Note the examples of drug dru´ga ‘one another’ in the above passage: Vse oniśtara´[tsq byt; ne poxo´'imi drug na dru´ga.

They all try not to be like one another.

Oniótliha´[tsq drug ot dru´ga.

They differ from one another.

Only the second half declines – like the noun drug ‘friend’: Oni pomoga´[t drug dru´gu.

They help one another.

Oni nenavi´dqt drug dru´ga.

They hate one another.

If the construction involves a preposition, it is inserted between the two nouns as in the examples from the text.

Sredstva massovoj informacii (smi)

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Exercise 6

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Complete the following sentences with an appropriate form of drug 5

dru´ga, adding a preposition if necessary.

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1 Oni´ pi´wut piś;ma . . . 2 My du´maem . . . 3 Vy razgovaŕivaete 7

. . . 4 Oni´ 'ivu´t daleko´ . . . 5 My poluhaém po´mo]; . . . 6 Oni´

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ne interesu´[tsq . . . 7 Oni l[

´ bqt . . .

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2

Hto and kto used as relative pronouns

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To, hto

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Clauses which, in English, are linked by the word ‘what’ (or ‘that 6

which’) are linked in Russian by to, hto:

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Q hita´[ toĺ;ko to, hto menqínteresuét.

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I read only what interests me.

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The case of to is governed by its role in the main clause (in the above 1

example it is accusative, object of the verb hita´[) and the case of 2

hto by its role in the subordinate clause (nominative, subject of verb 3

interesuét). Note the forms of to and hto in the following 4

examples:

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Q sly

´ wu o tom, hto svobo´da preśsy v opaśnosti.

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I hear that the freedom of the press is in danger.

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Q ne intersu´[s; tem, hto ty pi´wew;.

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I am not interested in what you write.

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Vse¨ ne to, hem ka´'etsq.

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All is not what it seems.

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Sometimes to, hto translates ‘the fact that’ or ‘that’: 5

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On gordi´tsq tem, hto egońazna´hili dire´ktorom.

He is proud (of the fact) that he has been appointed director.

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It can also translate the English construction preposition + -ing: 9

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On końhil tem, hto pokińul kanaĺ NTV.

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He finished by abandoning NTV.

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To, hto figures in the expressions deĺo v tom, hto ‘the thing / fact is that’, beda´ v tom, hto ‘the trouble is that’ and proble´ma zakl[haétsq v tom, hto ‘the problem consists in the fact that’: Beda´ v tom, hto u nas maĺo deńeg.

The trouble is that we have little money.