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

(na 1000 helovek naseleniq)

Gody

1926

1949

1960

1980

1989

1991

1992

1993

Hislo

44,7

33

23,2

15,9

14,6

12,1

10,7

9,4

rodivwixsq

Hislo

21,3

20,6

7,4

10,6

10,6

10,4

12,2

14,4

umerwix

Estestvennyj

23,4

12,4

15,8

5,3

4

1,7

–1,5

–5

prirost

Po dańnym Goskomsta´ta

Demografiq

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175

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2

Exercise 10

3

4

Answer the questions in Russian.

5

1

6

V kako´m goduńabl[daĺsq sa´myj bol;wo´j prirośt naseleńiq v 7

Rossií?

2

8111

Kogda´ prirośt naseleńiq stal otrica´tel;nym?

3

9

Kak vy mo´'ete ob#qsni´t; takoé qvleńie?

10

1

Language points ♦

2

3

Nu´'en

4

5

Nu´'en ( m), nu'na´ ( f), nu´'no ( n), nu'ny

´ ( pl. ) is a short adjective.

6

Used together with the dative it translates ‘to need’:

7

Nam nu´'no lu´hwee zdravooxraneńie.

8

We need a better health service.

9

20111

Klińike nu'ny

ó´pytnye vrahi´.

The clinic needs experienced doctors.

1

2

In the past and future tense the form of the verb byt; ; will vary 3

according to the subject:

4

Klińike nu'ny

´ bu´dut o´pytnye vrahi´.

5

The clinic will need experienced doctors.

6

7

Another way of expressing the same idea is to use the verb to need 8

nu'da´t;sq v (+ prep).

9

Rossií nu'na´ demografi´heskaq poli´tika.

30

Rossi´q nu'daétsq v demografi´heskoj poli´tike.

1

Russia needs a demographic policy.

2

3

4

Exercise 11

5

6

7

Decide who needs what by putting nu´'en in the right form.

8

1 Mne . . . vre´mq. 2 Emu´ . . . slovaŕ;. 3 Nam . . . viźa. 4 Im . . .

9

40

'urnaĺy. 5 Bol;niće . . . no´voe oboru´dovanie. 6 Mne . . . uhe´bnik 1

ruśskogo qzyka´. 7 Tea´tru . . . akte¨ry. 8 Emuńe . . . gaze´ta.

421111

9 Rossií . . . demografi´heskaq poli´tika.

176

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Demography

Now put these sentences first in the past and then in the future tense.

Exercise 12

From 9–16 October 2002 Russia held a national census. Fill in the questionnaire by giving information about yourself in Russian. (See page 177.)

Word building

Words with the root rod ‘birth, tribe, nature’

Note that d changes to ' or 'd in some words.

Nouns: rod ‘family, tribe, type’; ro´dy ‘childbirth’; naro´d ‘people’; poro´da ‘breed’; ro´dina ‘native land’; rodnq´ ‘relatives’. Note the use of suffixes on the following nouns, indicating a person: rodi´tel;

‘parent’; ro´dstvennik ‘relative’.