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Why Russian is hard to learn
Based on the real complaint of a foreign student:
How can you learn the language where the tree (derevo) is of neutral gender,
the oak (dub) is mascule and
the birch tree (bereza) is feminine?
-- Alex
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Language pair: Russian; English
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Alex
April 29, 2005
# Msgs: 3
Latest: August 4, 2005
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Learn the names of relatives in Russian the fun way (a bit advanced)
Äâà ìóæèêà âñòðåòèëèñü â áàðå è ðàçãîâîðèëèñü. ×åðåç íåêîòîðîå âðåìÿ îäèí èç íèõ ñêàçàë: "Òû äóìàåøü, ó òåáÿ ñåìåéíûå ïðîáëåìû? Ïîñëóøàé ïðî ìîþ ñèòóàöèþ: Íåñêîëüêî ëåò íàçàä ÿ âñòðåòèë ìîëîäóþ âäîâó ñî âçðîñëîé äî÷åðüþ, è ìû ïîæåíèëèñü. Íåäàâíî ìîé îòåö æåíèëñÿ íà ìîåé ïàä÷åðèöå. Ýòî ñäåëàëî ìîþ ïàä÷åðèöó ìîåé ìà÷åõîé, à ìîé îòåö ñòàë ìîèì ïàñûíêîì. Êðîìå òîãî, ìîÿ æåíà ñòàëà òåùåé ñîáñòâåííîãî ñâåêðà. Èäåì äàëüøå, ó äî÷åðè ìîåé æåíû (ìîåé ìà÷åõè) ðîäèëñÿ ñûí. Ýòîò ìàëü÷èê ìíå åäèíîêðîâíûé áðàò, ïîòîìó ÷òî îí ñûí ìîåãî îòöà, íî îí òàêæå ñûí äî÷åðè ìîåé æåíû, ÷òî äåëàåò åãî âíóêîì ìîåé æåíû. Ýòî äåëàåò ìåíÿ äåäóøêîé ìîåãî åäèíîêðîâíîãî áðàòà. Ýòî áûëî áû åùå òåðïèìî, ïîêà ó íàñ ñ æåíîé íå ðîäèëñÿ ñûí. Òåïåðü ñåñòðà ìîåãî ñûíà, ìîÿ òåùà, ñòàëà åùå è áàáóøêîé. Ýòî äåëàåò ìîåãî îòöà øóðèíîì ìîåãî ðåáåíêà, ñâîäíàÿ ñåñòðà êîòîðîãî - æåíà ìîåãî îòöà. ß øóðèí ìîåé ìà÷åõè, ìîÿ æåíà - òåòÿ åå ñîáñòâåííîãî ðåáåíêà, ìîé ñûí - ïëåìÿííèê ìîåãî îòöà, à ÿ ñâîé ñîáñòâåííûé äåäóøêà, à òû òóò æàëóåøüñÿ íà ñåìåéíûå ïðîáëåìû!"
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Language pair: Russian; English
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Alex
April 29, 2005
# Msgs: 1
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Why English is Hard to Learn--follow up to 24082
I was discussing English grammar with a friend today, in particular the difficulty keeping track of the particles from phrasal verbs, like "on" in "to turn on" or "up" in "to wind up". They don't make a lot of sense all of the time.
This reminded me of a wonderful document I often see in my e-mail, one which has been posted here in message number 24082.
But I also noticed that the version I have includes some material that wasn't in 24082. So I thought I'd go ahead and post that part here as well.
Those of you studying English-this is hysterical to a native speaker. I've seen people laughing at this with tears in their eyes. So if any of this doesn't seem funny to you, be sure and ask us about it. It's probably a learning opportunity.
Anybody else have writings like these about your own languages?
Enjoy!
Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA, USA
Why English Is Hard to Learn
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time
to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections, my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
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Language pair: English; All
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Mark S.
April 29, 2005
# Msgs: 3
Latest: May 2, 2005
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I have to speak basic German until next month....
because I have an interview of German Airline Company.
if you want to teach me a little German language, I'll really thank to you... *^^*
or I want to have a pen pal friend ...I love to know people.....
have a nice day!!!! all my friends~~
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Language pair: English; German
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shally c.
April 17, 2005
# Msgs: 1
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Sahara
2 grains of sand sitting in the Sahara
one says to the other, cor it' busy here.
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Language pair: English; French
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Mike C.
April 9, 2005
# Msgs: 1
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Word for word, from the Spanish
Another cute one from this month's edition of "Selecciones"
Pregunta la profesora:
-- Juanito, conjúgueme el verbo "nadar".
--Yo nado, tú nadas,él nada… --dice el niño gritando.
--Más bajo, Juanito! –le pide la profesora.
--Yo buceo, tú buceas, él bucea…
The teacher asks,
Johnny, conjugate the verb, "to swim" for me.
"I swim, you swim, he swims…" shouts the boy.
Lower, Johnny! Pleads the teacher.
"I dive, you dive, he dives…."
Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA USA
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Language pair: English; Spanish
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Mark S.
March 31, 2005
# Msgs: 1
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Wild coincidence
Funny, I ran into this one later the same day in Spanish.
> At a cocktail party, one woman said to another,
Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?" Yes, I am. I
married the wrong man."
En "Selecciones" Abril 2005, le dice,
En una reunión, mientras conversaba con una mujer, me llamó la atención el anillo que llevaba en el dedo medio de la mano izquierda.
--Es mi anillo de matrimonio --señaló.
--¿No lo lleva en el dedo equivocado? --le pregunté.
--¡Ah, sí! Lo que pasa es que me casé con el hombre equivocado.
Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA USA
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Language pair: English; Spanish
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Mark S.
March 31, 2005
# Msgs: 2
Latest: March 31, 2005
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Pun with modern cooking
Lo encontré hoy con un chiste bastante divertido en el periódico "Selecciones," que es el traducción español de "Reader's Digest." Ese chiste, por casualidad, es tal divertido en inglés como en español.
"Tengo un niño de tres años, quién es muy hablante. Cada vez que la alarma de la microondas soña, me dice, 'esta es el tucroondas!' "
I ran across a cute joke today (in "Selecciones" Magazine – the Spanish-language version of "Reader's Digest,") which happens to work just as well in English as it does in Spanish:
I have a three-year-old son who is very chatty. Every time the microwave alarm goes off, he says, 'There goes the yourcrowave!' "
Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA USA
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Language pair: Spanish; English
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Mark S.
March 31, 2005
# Msgs: 1
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English Translation efforts Re:French Jokes, Volume 3
Here's an effort at translation into English:
This first one has me puzzled; perhaps someone will offer me some guidance:
A parachutist jumped into the void, but his parachute didn’t open. Desperate, he appealed to Saint Anthony for help.
An enormous hand came out of the clouds and caught him in midair. Then a voice thundered,
-Saint Anthony, that’s very nice, but what do you need?, (This is the best I can do, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me)
-Saint Anthony of Padua, you've terrorized that man!
-I’m sorry, It’s not me, said the voice
And the hand opened.
~
Un parachutiste saute dans le vide, mais son parachute ne fonctionne pas. Désespéré, il appelle saint Antoine a son secours.
Une énorme main sort d'un nuage et le saisit au passage. Puis une voix tonne:
-Saint Antoine, c'est bien joli, mais lequel tu demandes?
-Saint Antoine de Padoue, fait l'homme, terrorisé.
-Navré, ce n'est pas moi, dit la voix.
Et la main s'ouvre.
Two men were pacing (?) in the waiting room of a maternity ward. The first one said to the other,
-This awful tomb! Some way to spend a vacation!
And the other replied,
Mine’s worse! Ours is arriving right in the middle of our honeymoon!
Deux hommes font les cent pas dans la salle d'attente d'une maternité. Le premier dit a l'autre:
-Ça tombe mal! Ça me fout mes vacances en l'air!
Et l'autre répond:
-Moi, c'est pire! Ça arrive juste pendant le voyage de noces!
~
One midget ran into another.
So! You here? I don’t believe how often I keep seeing you again…
--Yeah, said the other, it sure is a small world.
Groan :-)
Un nain rencontre un autre nain:
-Ça alors! Toi ici? J'aurais jamais cru qu'on finisse par se revoir...
-Eh oui! dit l'autre. Le monde est petit.
Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA USA
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Language pair: French; English
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Mark S.
March 28, 2005
# Msgs: 2
Latest: March 28, 2005
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Anita's Corn Kernel Joke--in English
Thank you for your very cute joke, Anita. I'm not a French speaker, but this is what I got:
A young man who was a little eccentric went one day to consult his doctor.
"Listen, doctor, I have a problem. I am convinced that I'm a kernel of corn, and that causes problems for me. Take the other day, for example. I was walking beside an industrial poultry house, and I was suddenly terrified by the idea that the chickens might want to eat me. You can understand that if this continues, I could go completely mad!"
The doctor listened carefully and decided to take the man as a patient.
Eighteen months later, they were celebrating the patient's recovery together in a bar, when the doctor contrived to release a chicken.
On seeing the bird, the young man fled with all speed.
The doctor chased him down:
"What are you doing? You know perfectly well you're not a kernel of corn! The therapy! All that effort! All those sessions! Don't you get it?"
"Oh, yes, of course I realize that I"m not a kernel of corn, but the chicken—How do I know SHE knows!?"
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Language pair: English; French
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Mark S.
March 27, 2005
# Msgs: 2
Latest: March 27, 2005
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