Escuchar Understanding Spoken Russian

[http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR20.png]* NOTE * All phrases intended for translating/listening practice have been deleted. This is it, guys. Episode 20… the final exam of Understanding Spoken Russian. As a warm up, we’re going to start by listening to a long monologue from Alex. There won’t be any follow up questions. This is just to listen to and follow along. – – – It’s a cool feeling, isn’t it, to listen to a long passage entirely in Russian and understand everything the person is saying? Anyway, let’s get to our first test. Try to say the following… Mom works in a store. Tomorrow I’m going to work. (on foot) Is there milk in the refrigerator? Anton is going to a cafe. (on foot) Maria is heading to the university. (by vehicle) Greg is now at a concert. Oleg is traveling to Moscow. I was watching a video on youtube. I was in the gym. During this episode, to break things up, I’ll be putting in random music quizzes. Here’s the first one: Can you say, in Russian, the name of this instrument? Это было Нил Пирт на барабанах. Next…Listen to these Russian phrases and translate into English.. – – – Привет Дарина. Мне сказали что ты играешь на гитаре. Да. И на бас-гитаре. Смотри… Back to it. Try your best to translate the following phrases into Russian… Yesterday I saw grandma in the library. Yesterday in the park I saw your dog. I was on the balcony, reading a book. In August, in Berlin, my brother bought a new Volkswagen. I gave Anton the T-shirt. Svetlana gave James your number. Galya gave Mom the telephone. Today in the supermarket I saw your mom. I read the recipe in the magazine Cosmopolitan. At the disco I saw Svetlana. I was on the couch, reading a magazine. Grandpa worked as a manager in a supermarket. – – – Я люблю эту музыку, Марк. На каком инструменте он играет? Это банджо. Музыка называется блюграсс. . Back to biz. Let’s again try to translate into English…. – – – Привет, Алексей. Что ты делаешь? Ничего, просто слушаю музыку и отвечаю имейлы. Это красивая музыка. Ну, да. Я люблю Рахманинова. Next: Translate the following into Russian… He tried the pelmeni. They watched (and finished watching) the new film of James Cameron. In August I am traveling to Moscow. Are you traveling to London? Your brother is traveling to Rome? They didn’t want to wait. Are you going to the pharmacy? Dad gave Erik all our documents. Use все for the word all Greg cant wait. For him its time to go to work. I’m cold. I like your guitar. At the office party, tell your boss: Try the cake. Oleg, give me the Scotch tape. Tell me, please…Where is the Bolshoi Theater? I have a motorcycle. Galina has a cat. – – – И, Дарина…У тебя есть балалайка, да? Будешь играть? Хорошо. The balalaika is, of course, a popular Russian folk instrument. Before getting to our last round, let’s listen to another monologue, like we did at the start today. No pressure, no questions. Just the fun of listening… – – – Alright…for our final round, let’s listen again to Alex’s monologue, and try to translate line by line. You ready? Привет. Меня зовут Олег. Hi. My name is Oleg. Literally…what? Me they call Oleg. Я живу в Киеве. I live in Kiev. Я работаю менеджером в супермаркете. I work as a manager in a supermarket. Есть стресс на работе, но что делать? At work there’s stress, but what to do? meaning…What can ya do about it? У меня есть брат и сестра. I have a brother and a sister. Брата зовут Михайл. My brother’s name is Mixhail. lit: Brother…they call..Mixhail. Он живёт в Одессе. He lives in Odessa. Он музыкант, и играет джаз и блюз на гитаре, в ресторане. He’s a musician and plays jazz and blues on the guitar, in a restaurant. Мою сестру зовут Таня. My sister’s name is Tanya. Она живёт в Германии…в Франкфурте. She lives in Germany, in Frankfurt. Она работает в банке. She works in a bank. У Тани есть сын и дочка. Tanya has a son and a daughter. Я их очень люблю. I really love them. В мае, Таня купила мне новый ноутбук…Дэлл. In May Tanya bought for me a new laptop. A Dell. Теперь я могу говорить с ними через Скайп. Now I can talk with them via Skype. В августе, я еду в Одессу. In August I’m going to Odessa. Я хочу видеть Михайла и–(telephone rings) I want to see Mixhail and… Ой, простите. Мне пора…Михайл звонит. Oi, forgive me. It’s time for me to go…Mixhail is calling. Time for us to go, too. If you enjoyed this series, please give it a brief review on whatever platform you found it. I look forward to welcoming you to my Russian Accelerator course. [http://russianaccelerator.com/why-it-works.html]

[http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR19.png]Full Episode Audio Exercises Only Audio Download Full Episode (right click save-as) [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-EPISODE-19.mp3] Download Exercises [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-AUDIO%20EXERCISES-EP19.mp3] * NOTE * All phrases intended for translating/listening practice have been deleted. Welcome to Ep 19.Today’s episode will focus on one of the most intimidating aspects of the Russian language: The notorious Verbs of Motion. It’s a topic worthy of it own podcast, and in my Accelerator course [http://russianaccelerator.com/sign-up.html]there are ten in-depth lessons—two full weeks of material—dedicated to mastering them. So what, you might be wondering, can we possibly hope to cover in one little podcast? Well, let’s just see. For now, repeat after the speaker…Я еду Without any setup, I still wonder if you can get the meaning. Can you translate these phrases? В мае я еду в Лондон. В августе я еду в Москву. He said: In May, ya yedu to London. And she said: In August, ya yedu to Moscow. So what’s your best guess on я еду? It translates as I’m going, I’m heading to, I’m traveling to Like: In May, I’m going to London…or…In August, I’m traveling to Moscow Let’s turn those into questions. Just for fun—again, making your best guess—How would you ask a friend: You’re traveling to London? Ты едешь в Лондон? You’re traveling to Moscow? Ты едешь в Москву? Your brother is traveling to Rome? Твой брат едет в Рим? Your sister is traveling to Paris? Твоя сестра едет в Париж? I’m traveling, you’re traveling, he’s traveling. Я еду, ты едешь, он едет You know the drill. File it away and let’s do some review. Imagine your daughter comes out of her grandparents home carrying a balloon and some gifts, and it wasn’t even her birthday. Ask: “They made a surprise for you?” Lit: They made for you a surprise? Они сделали тебе сюрприз? Tell your friend: Your drums are in the podval. Твои барабаны в подвале. Ask: Where are my guitars? Где мои гитары? …did you get that “ee” sound at the end of guitars…to make it plural? Try to say: They didn’t want to wait. Они не хотели ждать. They said that you worked in a bank. Они сказали, что ты работал в банке. You get those? Good job. Ok..back to our main topic… Imagine Vlad is on a business trip. A friend calls and asks about his travel plans. So Vlad tells him… Я сейчас в Бостоне, но завтра я еду в Питсбург. What do you think he said? I’m now in Boston but zaftra I’m heading to Pittsburgh. You probably got that…it translates as tomorrow. Try to say the opposite. I’m now in Pittsburgh, but tomorrow I’m heading to Boston. Я сейчас в Питсбурге, но завтра я еду в Бостон. Let’s run through some common constructions with these. In this first round, imagine you’re stepping to the door with a suitcase in hand. You roommate asks where you’re going. Say… I’m traveling to Minsk….to Portland…to Berlin. Я еду…в Минск. / …в Портленд. / …в Берлин. / Anton is traveling to Sydney….to San Diego…to Sevastopol Антон едет …в Сидней….в Сан Диего…в Севастополь Quick question..In English, is there any real difference between saying, I’m going to Las Vegas? vs…I’m traveling to Las Vegas? Well, for one, the word ‘going’ is way more common. But is there a difference in meaning? Imagine you step to the door, your roommate asks where you’re going, and you say: “I am traveling to the grocery store.” — “Oh? Fare thee well, young explorer. Godspeed on your journey.” Right? “traveling” is a pretty dramatic word just for some trip across town. Well, in Russian, я еду means I’m traveling **in some vehicle**. As soon as someone hears it, they envision a long trip. Depending on how far you’re going, they will envision you either inside a car, a train, a plane…maybe a bus. And that comes to them in an instant as soon as they hear еду. It comes to them before you even say your destination. English doesn’t work like that. If I open the door and I tell my roommate, I’m going to ****** Whoops… he didn’t catch my last word. He has no idea, now, if I’m going just around the corner, or if I’m flying across the country. Because in English, the word ‘going’ doesn’t tell us much. But in Russian, the verb of motion that you use conveys TONS of information. It’s incredible. (music) Let me really test your memory. This is from Episode #4. Can you translate these two phrases? Я сейчас в парке. Я иду в парк. Since we didn’t hear a ‘yeh’ at the end, we assume that second one means: I’m going to the park. Which it does. But, being a verb of motion, it means a lot more than just “going.” It means, in fact, ‘going on foot.’ It’s thewalking version of я еду Let’s practice spotting them. Just say whether the person is going on foot or by vehicle. Ready? – – – So, as you open the door, if you tell your Russian roommate: Яидув Москву. He might joke with you…”Seriously? You’re going there on foot?” Серьёзно? Ты идёшь туда пешком?! So, again: я иду means I’m going on foot …but it also means you’re on your way there…that you’re en route English makes this difference, too. A kid says…I go to school. He means, He’s old enough, now, and he goes to school. vs a kid hefting his school bag…Mom, I’m going to school. He means he’s on his way there right now. I go…vs I’m going… In Russian, you’d need a totally different verb. Think of it this way. You’re on the phone with a Russian friend, and at some point you mention: Я иду в спортзал. Youthink you’re telling them…I go to the gym. But what does your Russian friend think? They’ll say something like, “Shoot, I didn’t realize. I’ll let you go.” Because what you actually said is, “I’m going to the gym..” or “I’m heading to the gym.” If you want to convey that you go to the gym in general, like the kid who “goes to school”…you need a totally different verb in Russian. Я хожу в спортзал. No need to learn that right now. Like I said, there are ten video lessons in Russian Accelerator that will lead you through all these versions. And really, video is the only way to explain it anyway, because we’re describing motion…It’s so much easier to grasp when you can see it. But for now, just know: Russian conveys much more information with its verbs than English does. Earlier, you listened to phrases and had to say whether the person was going by foot or by vehicle. Let’s see if you can say similar phrases now. First, say just the word ‘library’: библиотека Now say: I’m heading to the library…implying, on foot. Heading there counts as doing something to the library, so its ending changes to an ”u” sound. Listen again. Я иду в библиотеку. Do you recall the word for pharmacy? аптека Now say: I’m heading to the pharmacy. Я иду в аптеку. And discotheque is a cognate. Like the other two, it’s feminine. Listen. дискотека Я иду на дискотеку. Ask your friend: Are you going to Starbucks? Ты идёшь в Старбакс? Are you going to the store? Ты идёшь в магазин? Are you going to the concert? Ты идёшь на концерт? We used the ‘on foot’ versions, because those are places about town. But now say… I’m going to Kiev…I’m going to St. Petersburg…I’m going to Odessa Я еду в Киев…в Санкт Петербург…в Одессу We had to use the ‘by vehicle’ forms for those. And with these next ones, too. Try to ask… Are you going to the seminar? Are you going to a conference? Ты едешь…на семинар?…на конференцию? Why are some of these getting ‘V’ (в) and others get ‘Na’ (на) ? Like, why is it: Я иду в магазин. but Я иду на концерт. I could give you the textbook explanation about ‘enclosed spaces’ versus ‘open air’ locations, but there are just too many exceptions. The way I learned them was to assume I needed to use ‘V’–because it’s the more common one–and then compile a list in my head of locations that actually require Na. It’s such a small thing, please don’t let it keep you from using your Russian. Alright….Russian Immersion time…. << TIP OF THE DAY >> Despite my dire warning at the start of today’s episode—that the Russian Verbs of Motion are notoriously intimidating—you probably don’t feel that yet. But let me lead you a bit deeper in. Imagine you’re traveling with friends and someone calls asking you what everyone’s up to. In English, we can use the verb “went” for almost everything… Jim went to the pharmacy. Sara went to the mall. Roger went to a fair. Oh, but in Russian…? In Russian, before you say a single word, you need to decide: How did Jim go to the pharmacy…On foot or by vehicle? …and then….Is he still out, or did he get back? That’s four possibilities, each needing a different verb. Listen… Джим пошёл в аптеку. That means: Jim headed off to the pharmacy on foot and he is not back yet. Джим ходил в аптеку. That one means: Jim went to the pharmacy and he’s back home. Джим поехал в аптеку. Jim headed to the pharmacy by vehicle. He is not back yet. Джим ездил в аптеку. Jim went to the pharmacy and is back now. He went by vehicle. In English, we say “went” without even thinking. Jim went to the pharmacy. In Russian, in that same microsecond before I answer my friend’s question, I have four combinations that I have to I have to consider. So what’s the tip? Well, the trick is to assign those four possibilities to people’s actions as they happen. If Jim leaves on foot, I tell myself..Джим пошёл…I hold onto that right until he gets back, when I adjust it to: Джим ходил. (Meaning he left and returned). This way you’re doing all that calculating long before anyone anyone ever asks you a question about who went where. It’s one of the tricks we cover in Russian Accelerator. So don’t let the verbs of motion scare you. Believe me, with the right exercises, they will absolutely become second nature for you. << TIP OUT >> Ok…time for our final exam. I’ll prompt you to recite today’s three dialogs. You wont know all the words. It’s ok. After a replay or two you’ll get them all. You ready? Hi Andrei, are you going to the pharmacy? Привет, Андрей. Ты идёшь в аптеку? Can you buy me aspirin? Можешь купить мне аспирин? Of course. Конечно. Hi Galina. Are you going now to McDonalds? Привет, Галина. Ты идёшь сейчас в Макдоналдс? Can you buy me a double-cheeseburger and potato-fries? А можешь купить мне дабл-чизбургер…и картошку-фри? Of course. Конечно. Wow…Passport, suitcase…Where are you going? Ого…Пасспорт, чемодан…Куда ты едешь? I’m going to Munich, to a conference. Я еду в Мюнхен, на конференцию. But you were in Munich in August, no? А ты была в Мюнхене в августе, нет? No. I was in Berlin. I bought a car. Нет. Я была в Берлине. Машину купила. Alright. Great job. The next episode, #20, is our last one. Our final exam. See you there!

[http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR18.png]Full Episode Audio Exercises Only Audio Download Full Episode (right click save-as) [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-EPISODE-18.mp3] Download Exercises [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-AUDIO%20EXERCISES-EP18.mp3] * NOTE * All phrases intended for translating/listening practice have been deleted. Welcome to Ep18. Let’s start with a brief conversation. Along with trying to get the gist of what they’re saying, try to listen for words that end with an “и” sound. Ready? Где мама и папа? Они пошли в магазин. (door opens) О! Вот они. Привет мама, привет папа. Что купили? Мы купили игрушки. Let’s listen again…This time, try to translate after each line. Где мама и папа? Where are mom and dad? Они пошли в магазин. We heard the word магазин, which is a store. In fact, we heard вмагазин…so they must be going there. After all, if they were in the store, it’d be в магазинеright? Anyway… (door opens) О! Вот они. Oh, There they are. I get into this in great detail in Russian Accelerator, but вот doesn’t actually mean “there”… What it is is a way of calling attention to someone or something. But the word I want to focus on today is that word они. Вот они…I’m calling your attention to….they. Or that earlier phrase: Онипошли в магазин… they headed off to the store. Let’s keep going… Привет мама, привет папа. Что купили? Hi mom, hi dad. What did you buy? Мы купили игрушки. We bought toys. So….I asked you to keep an ear out for И sounds. Let me point them out… Онипошли Вот они. Что купили? Мы купили игрушки. What does it signify? Well, that’s the topic of today’s lesson. Let’s try this…How would you say: He bought a laptop. <—- In Russian, they say ‘notebook’ (ноутбук) Он купил ноутбук. She bought an i-Phone. Она купила ай-фон. They bought a printer. Они купили принтер. Let’s try another round…He bought corn. Он купил кукурузу. She bought pelmeni (little Russian raviolis). Она купила пельмени. They bought wine. Они купили вино. Look….more rhyming. She bought….она купила….THEY bought…ОнИ купилИ Let’s try a different verb. How would you say…He worked in Rome. Он работал в Риме. She worked in Paris. Она работала в Париже. Now ask: Where did they work? Где они работали? There’s our И … И rhyme again. Где они работали? Another one: He tried the pelmeni. Он попробовал пельмени. She tried the corn. Она попробовала кукурузу. Now ask: What did they try…or sample? Что они попробовали? As that sinks in, let’s review the core material from the last episode. Our speakers are going to say who they were speaking with. I’d like you to say the person’s name in its most basic form. Ready? – – – Good job. Alright, back to our main topic…Try to say: They read (and finished reading) my book. Они прочитали мою книгу. They watched (and finished watching) your video. Они посмотрели твоё видео. They gave me your rucksack. Они дали мне твой рюкзак. This one’s a little tougher. They wanted to buy for me a saxophone. Они хотели купить мне…саксофон. / … барабан. / … гитару. / Try that again. They wanted to buy for me a drum. One more,…change drum to guitar But wait…Who buys just one drum? Who even says, “I play the drum?” Right? “I play the drums…” Listen to this phrase: I love the drums. Я люблю барабаны. Our ‘ee’ sound is back. Listen again: drum…drums барабан…барабаны Book….books Книга…книги watermelon…watermelons (remember that from the Hoho Panda cartoon?) арбуз…арбузы Remember how, at the very start of today’s lesson, I had you keep an ear out for those ‘и’ sounds. First we concentrated on words like они…and….купили But it was there at the end, too. The parents bought TOYS…plural…and that word ended with an ‘И Listen: toy….toys игрушка….игрушки That ‘ee’ sound at the end of words often—but certainly not always—indicates more than one. In fancy grammar terms? It indicates plurality. Think about it. THEY is more than one person, right? Они. So it has an ‘ee’ sound at the end. It’s a bit like saying, the ‘s’ sound at the end of English words often—but certainly not always—indicates more than one. book…books. drum….drums Imagine this scenario. My kids are sorting through a pile of books in the playroom. When Andrei tries to take one from Sophia’s pile, Sophia hunches over her books and says simply: They are mine. Они мои. Then Andrei looks at William, who doesn’t seem to have collected any books. Andrei asks him… Уильям, где твои? William, where are yours? Your turn. Imagine you’re divvying up a bag of potato chips. With just two words, say: They… are yours. Они твои. Next…try to translate what the speaker is saying… Где мои…чипсы? / …пельмени? / …конфеты? / Where are my chips? Where are my pelmeni–raviolis? Where are my candies? Где твои…барабаны? / …джинсы? / …документы? / Where are your drums? Where are your jeans? Where are your documents? If you’re getting all these, you’re doing great. << (tip of the day) >> Today’s tip is just four words: You. Can. Do. This. You can become conversational in Russian. You know how I know? Because you’re still here. You’ve made it through eighteen of these podcasts, full of some very complex material, high speed audio clips, long Russian Immersion sections…and you are still here. That is an awesome display of will power on your part. And to quote Andy Dufresne, from Shawshank Redemption: If you’ve come this far, maybe you’re willing to come a little further. Because with all you’ve put in, what’s a few more months of learning? I’ve had students finish my Accelerator course in four months. But even if it takes you six, that’s nothing. Six months are going to pass in any case. And at the end, imagine being conversational in Russian. Think of the opportunities that would give you. Think of the value of adding that to your resume: Additional Skills: Speaks Russian. You’ve made it this far. I know you can do this. And I look forward to helping you get there. << END TIP >> Alright, time for our Russian Immersion. – – – Alright, for our final exam, I’m going to prompt you to say almost all of that conversation we just heard. I realize there are words we don’t know. That’s ok….I’ll give those to you. Let’s do it… Say: Hi, Neal. Tell me: These drums are yours? use…эти for ‘these’ Yes. They’re mine. Then she says: Значит, ты умеешь играть на барабанах? Literally: That means, you know how to play the drums? Then she adds: I didn’t know. He answers: I play not very well… Играю не очень хорошо… but I love to play но люблю играть. She commands him: Play! Играй. Now? Сейчас? She says: Почему бы и нет? That translates as: Why not? Да ладно. …Ok, fine. The word for ‘sticks’ is палочки…of course ending with our plural ‘и’…So with two words, tell her: Give the sticks. Дай палочки. На….she says, as she hand them to Neal. He asks: А какую песню тебе играть? So, which song for you to play? Say: I don’t know. How you want. meaning: Play whatever you want to. Не знаю. Как хочешь. Hmm…ok. Хммм….Хорошо. She must’ve made a weird expression, because he stops and says: You what, don’t know Led Zeppelin? Ты что, не знаешь Лед Зе́ппелин? Don t know John Bonham. Не знаешь Джона Бонэма? Did you put those ‘a’s at the end…because John Bonham is a person…we need our cool, animate accusative ending. She asks: Who? Кого? Oh, gosh… О боже… Alright. I hope you enjoyed that one. And I hope you did well. I’ll see you in Ep 19…

[http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR17.png]Full Episode Audio Exercises Only Audio Download Full Episode (right click save-as) [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-EPISODE-17.mp3] Download Exercises [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-AUDIO%20EXERCISES-EP17.mp3] * NOTE * All phrases intended for translating/listening practice have been deleted. Welcome to Ep. 17. Glad you tuned in because I think this episode will prove to be instrumental to your success in Russian. Yeah, I know…You’re thinking: Why did he use that particular word, instrumental?You guys are on to me. Hang around and you’ll see. For now, listen as our speaker tells you who he was talking with… Я говорил…с Владом. / …с Марком. / …с доктором. / с Толиком. A lot of “Oms” there. You catch that? And that ‘C’ by the way translates as “with”. Anyway, you try it. Say: Mom was talking with Chris. Мама говорила…с Крисом. You added that ‘s’ sound before the name, right? S krisom Say: Mom was talking with Andrei…with William… Мама говорила с Андреем. Мама говорила с Уильямом. Now you might be wondering: Wait…Doesn’t ‘talking with someone’ count as doing something to them? Why aren’t we saying: Криса…Андрея…Уильяма Well, because we’re not talking at them. We’re talking withthem. In Russian that makes a big difference. Here’re some more examples…Some female names now… I’m talking with Karina….with mom…with Nina. Я говорю…с Кариной. / …с мамой. / …с Ниной. / Interesting sound there at the end. That ой sound. Let’s do more… I work with Franklin….with John….with Christina….with Olga. Я работаю с Франклином. / …с Джоном. / …с Кристиной. / …с Ольгой / I live with Greg…with a musician….with grandpa…with Yana Я живу с Грегом. / …с музыкантом. / …с дедушкой. / с Яной. / So far so good? Now let’s listen to some more complex phrases that use these new forms. See if you can get the gist… Я говорил с официанткой, и сказал что ты ещё ждёшь омлет. I was speaking with the waitress, and said that you are still waiting for the omelet. Я говорила с барменом, и сказала что ты ещё ждёшь вино. I was speaking with the bartender—lit: barman—and said that you are still waiting for the wine. Это моя мама и это мой папа. Сегодня я говорил с ними через Скайп. This is my mom and this is my dad. Today I was talking with them via Skype. Это моя сестра Сара, и мой брат Эрик. Сегодня я говорила с ними через Фейстайм. This is my sister Sara, and my brother Erik. Today I was talking with them via Facetime. с ними…with them One more: Это мой друг Чарли и моя подруга Настя. Я жила с ними в Лондоне. This is my friend Charlie, and my female friend Nastya. I was living with them in London. You try it. Say…I lived with them in Moscow. Я жил с ними в Москве. I worked with them in Epicenter. Я работал с ними в Эпицентре. Next, let’s listen to our speakers. They’re going to pretend to be my kids. First, Alex will say: “Mom, Andrei hit me with…” Then see if you can guess what he was hit with. It’ll be the last word each time. Мама! Андрей ударил меня…телефоном. / …рюкзаком. / …магнитом / Вини-пухом Mom, Andrei hit me with a telephone…with a rucksack…with a magnet…with Winnie the Pooh Same “om” ending we heard earlier. Like: I was talking with John. Я говорил с Джоном. One more round… Папа! София ударила меня…книгой / …игрушкой. / …вилкой. / Dad! Sophia hit me with a book…with a toy…with a fork Those were all feminine objects…книга игрушка вилка…and they got that ОЙ ending we heard earlier with feminine names. So, what’s going on here? Well, those endings—OM with masculine nouns and ОЙ with feminine ones—those are “instrument markers.” They tell a Russian person how something was done. If English did this, it would sound like this: What did Andrei hit you with? – A pillow-om How’d you open that rusty door? – A crowbar-om What’d you use to smash the glass? – A hammer-om What’d you use to wash away the chalk? – SodOI To bust out another fancy grammar term, words with these endings are in their instrumental form. Or the instrumental case. No need to memorize that, but I wanted to toss it out there. And when we say who we did something with…that person’s name also goes into its instrumental form. That’s what we were doing at the start of the lesson. In both situations, there’s this idea of “with.” I broke it with a brick. I was talking with Jim. Try to say: I was working with the manager. Я работал с менеджером. I was working with a client. Я работала с клиентом. I was playing with grandma. Я играл с бабушкой I was playing with Maxim. Я играла с Максимом. I was waiting with Vladimir. Я ждал с Владимиром. I was waiting with Larrisa. Я ждала с Ларисой. This stuff is starting to get pretty advanced, so if you’re hanging in there….that’s really impressive. So let’s take a step back and look at the big picture. Specifically, the different endings of people’s names that we’ve encountered so far. There’s been a lot. Listen. I wont translate for now. Это Полина.Это Джон. Я знаю Полину.Я вижу Джона. У Полины есть кошка.У Джона есть собака. Я дал книгу Полине.Я дал журнал Джону. Я говорил с Полиной.Я играл с Джоном. In these last ones, a паук is a spider… Есть паук на Полине. Есть паук на Джоне! Incredible, isn’t it? All those forms of the same name? And what’s even more incredible is, now you understand them. You understand what each version means, and how it functions. I say incredible, because it’s so foreign to how we think in English. And yet you’re getting it. Of course, now it’s your turn. I’ll prompt you to say those same phrases. Ready? This is Polina. This is John. I know Polina. I see John. Polina has a cat. John has a dog. I gave the book to Polina. I gave the magazine to John. I was talking with Polina. I was playing with John. There’s a spider on Polina. There’s a spider on John. <> Today’s tip is simple, yet challenging. Try to run other names through all the forms that we just covered. And here’s a tip: A lot of names won’t work,especially non-Russian girls names. Jennifer, Sally, Michele…pretty much any female name that doesn’t end with an ‘a’ sound won’t change. And guy’s names that end, for ex, with an O….Pablo…also wont change. Or an ‘E’ sound, like Harry. But still, give it a try. Start with Darina and James. In fact, one second…Andrei, иди сюда. Say hi everyone. ANDREI: Hi, everyone. How would you say in Russian…This is Yana. Say: I know Yana. Yana has a son. I said to Yana Hi! There’s a spider on Yana! Ok…now it’s your turn, guys… (END TIP) Time for our Russian Immersion section. – – – What do you think С кем means? C….translates as ‘with’ кем is ‘who’…(in its instrumental form.) Ask me: Mark, who were you talking with? Марк, с кем ты говорил? Ok…sorry for the interruption. Back to our immersion… – – – Чай с лимоном…What does that mean? Tea s lemon-om. Tea…with…lemon. So what’s the basic form of the word lemon? Take your time on that one. It must be just: лимон But that little word ‘C’…with…forced it into which form? Its instrumental form. If you got that, you’re doing awesome. Ok, one more…. – – – So, that word кукуруза…What is it? I actually did define it for you way back in Episode 11, but I never tested you on it, so I’m guessing you don’t know what it means. But here’s a really important point…Perhaps the most important thing I can convey to you in this whole course. In language, meaning isn’t all or nothing. What I mean is, It’s not like you either know what the word means or you don’t. That’s not how language works, and that’s not how the brain organizes information. Tell me. Is кукуруза the word for “fuzzy”? It’s not? I thought you didn’t know what the word meant. Is it the word for ‘winter’? No? How about ‘clock’? How do you know? You know it’s none of those things because in the last conversation, Mom made tort with kukuruzoi. So you know it’s some kind of food. And so, you know a whole lot more about kukuruza than “absolutely nothing.” Right? Because meaning is a continuum. From having zero clue what a word might mean, to knowing it so precisely, you could draw a picture of it. For so many words—even in our native language, okay—meaning is hazy. We kind of know what certain words mean. And not knowing them precisely…it’s no big deal. Can you precisely define the word capitulate? Like, The other side capitulated. I’m not saying it’s not useful to know the definition. Of course it is. But it doesn’t stop us from speaking English, right? So, what’s кукуруза? I’ll give you a hint: It’s the most important crop in Nebraska. And you usually eat it on the cob. Here, translate this phrase: Я люблю кукурузу. I love…..corn. Want a way to remember the word? You’d have to be cuckoonot to love corn. Maybe that’ll help you remember it. Alright, you ready for our final exam? As always, there will be words here we haven’t covered. Just try to get the gist. – – – Alright…how’d you do? Hopefully you’re still doing great. So keep it up and I’ll see you in the next episode.

[http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR16.png]Full Episode Audio Exercises Only Audio Download Full Episode (right click save-as) [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-EPISODE-16.mp3] Download Exercises [http://d1pz1pwonj8tt2.cloudfront.net/USRMain/USR-AUDIO%20EXERCISES-EP16.mp3] * NOTE * All phrases intended for translating/listening practice have been deleted. Welcome to Episode 16. Before you started this course, you probably encountered the phrase: My name is…For ex: My name is Steve. Меня зовут Стив. We’ve used it quite a bit in these podcasts, but I never actually broke that down for you. Now, despite what you may have heard online, меня зовут does not translate as “My name is…” Not even close. Yes, it is the Russian equivalent of that phrase. It’s indeed a way of telling someone your name. But the word меня does not mean “my”. And зовут doesn’t mean “name.” When you say: Меня зовут….you’re literally saying: “Me they call….” Here’s the important part…the topic, in fact, of this whole episode: “calling” someone—as in, they call me Mark—counts as doing something to someone. So, imagine you’re telling someone the names of people in your family. Mom they call Linda. Маму зовут Линда. See how Mama changed to Mamu? How might you say: My sister they call Michele. (We’ll leave off the word “my” because it’s understood.) Сестру зовут Мишель. Сестра changed to сестру Do you recall how to say ‘dog’ in Russian? Собака So try to say: The dog is called Fido. Собаку зовут Файдо. Again, we see that sobaka has changed to sobakU. So far so good? Now here’s something interesting about Russian…something I’ve gone out of my way to avoid during this entire course. But we’re ready for it, now: When we do something to a man his name will change. For ex, take the names: Steve, Jeff, Marvin Стив, Джеф, Марвин The speaker will say: I know Steve. I saw Jeff. I love Marvin. Listen to how their names change. Я знаю Стива. Я увидела Джефа. Я люблю Марвина. Did you hear those ‘a’s at the end? Стива, Джефа, Марвина? Your turn. Try to say…”I know Anton.” Я знаю Антона. I saw Maxim. Я увидел Максима. She loves Greg. Она любит Грега. That doesn’t happen to masculine objects, right? I love your phone: Я люблю твой телефон. No change. The phone’s not alive. And actually, it goes beyond people.Any masculine creature that is animate will change. So, not plants. They’re alive, but don’t move about on their own. But a giraffe is animate…Жираф I saw a giraffe. Я увидела жирафа. Let’s say you’re in a rock band and before a big gig, the guitarist falls ill. гитарист is the word for guitarist. So you say, Hey…I know a guitarist. Я знаю гитариста. So, jumping back to when we were naming the people in our family. Now we point to a picture of our brother and say: My brother they call Erik. (Again, we leave off ‘my’. It’s understood.) Брата зовут Эрик. Брат becomes брата because calling him counts as doing something to him. Let that sink in as we review some main points from the last episode. Can you translate the following phrases? – – – We got our grammar point out of the way, next up is our official new word for the lesson. ждать So, you’ve got a train to catch. Meanwhile, your mom says, “Don’t go yet. Aunt Yana wanted to say goodbye.” But you look at your watch and shake your head… Мама…Я не могу ждать. So you pick up your suitcase and step outside, then Mom tugs your coat from behind. She’s pointing to Yana’s car pulling up. Жди, жди! Видишь? Яна приехала. So, he said: Я не могу ждать. I can not wait…as in, I’m unable to wait. So what kind of word is it? ждать is a verb infinitive. We hear that T+soft sign. And what was mom saying as Yana pulled up? Жди! is the command form. She was saying, Wait! Let’s say you go to a restaurant and they tell you it’ll be an hour before you get a table. Tell your friend: I don’t want to wait. Я не хочу ждать. Imagine you’re in a cafe and you still haven’t gotten your food. Listen as the speaker tells the waitress…Девушка… I’m waiting for my salad. Я жду салат. My brother is waiting for his soup. Мой брат ждёт суп. And you, Darina. You’re waiting for pizza, yes? А ты, Дарина…Ты ждёшь пиццу, да? Let’s hear those again: I’m waiting…You’re waiting…He’s waiting… Я жду, ты ждёшь, он ждёт Since ‘waiting for something’ counts as doing something to it, we notice that the feminine word ‘pizza’ changed to ‘pizzu.’ Whereas things like soup and salad didn’t change because they’re inanimate masculine nouns. But how would you say: I’m waiting for Jeff. Я жду Джефа. The word for a client in Russian is a cognate. Listen: клиент Ask your friend: Are you waiting for a client? Ты ждёшь клиента? No. I’m waiting for Yana. Нет. Я жду Яну. Out of curiosity…Can you guess what the past tense might be? How would a guy say: I was waiting and waiting… Я ждал и ждал… How would a woman say that? Я ждала и ждала.. Before the break…this is just for fun…the name for this pattern is the Animate Accusative. You don’t have to learn it. Heck, forget I even told you. You guys know I loathe grammar terms. But this one’s fun to toss around. So the next time you’re hanging with some friends and they ask what you’ve been up to, just say…”Eh, same old stuff. Just getting a handle on Russian’s animate accusative rule. What about you?” Then look at your watch and say, For me it’s time… Мне пора. <> I’m sure you’ve noticed…since the midterm episode, we’ve been doing more and more speaking. Compare that to the early episodes, where almost all we did was listen. It’s because our model through all of this has been my kids, and the way they so efficiently are learning three totally different languages. At first, they listened, picking up the patterns. Like….’Whenever someone says Я there’s a word that ends either with an L sound, or an U. Я ждал…or…Я жду. Я смотрел….or…Я смотрю. Again, they had little idea what the things meant, but they were categorizing like crazy. That’s some kind of action. That’s some kind of location. клиент must be a person, because it changed to клиента and so on. But then came their first trials at speaking. As I write, William is far ahead of his sister Sophia who still mostly listens quietly. But she’s on the verge now. Words are starting to come. As they are with us. So let them flow. Use all the Russian you know. Please don’t worry about making mistakes. My kids sure don’t. Heck, I’m a native speaker of English and I make mistakes. We all do. Who hasn’t said: There’s lot of cars in the garage. That’s wrong. It should be: There ARE lots of cars…not There is… Don’t let the fear of mistakes stop you from practicing your Russian, okay? And if you’re looking for a course that will help you with that…that will do all the work for you, and turn you into a confident conversational Russian speaker, then I hope you check out Russian Accelerator. It’s my premium course…All video, with over a dozen native speakers. Videos that really clarify the meaning of things. It’s all there, in ninety lessons. Plus a podcast I made exclusively for Russian Accelerator members. You’ve come this far, and we’ve got a few more episodes left. But after that, I hope you’ll join my Accelerator course [http://russianaccelerator.com/]. I think you’ll love it. (TIP OUT) Alright…let’s do our Russian Immersion section. So, Irina comes into the mall and sees me sitting on a bench… – – – In today’s tip I mentioned how, as we progress in the language, we inevitably begin speaking more and more…just as kids do. So for today’s final, let’s practice some of our recent vocab. Try to say the following phrases…. – – – If you got most of those, you’re doing awesome. Keep up the great work and I’ll see you in the next episode.