Россия (Russia)

[Anastasiya]

Have you ever been to Russia?
Anyway, what do you know about this country?..

Likes/dislikes, opinions, free thoughts are welcome =)

[mike11111]

The advantage of a Latin background is that one is already familiar with case names and their functions. I would say that the three trickiest parts of Russian grammar are verbal aspects,verbs of motion and numbers.

[grasscarp]

I agree Mike about verbal aspects. I am mostly learning from the Ruslan course and workbooks plus a lovely Russian woman who was an interpreter in Novosabirsk.

[mike11111]

Have you tackled verbs of motion yet? They are a joy!

[Anastasiya]

mike11111, a lot has been changed in Minsk since 1970s, you're right) the food is perfect. Really. And one of it's major advantages - it's NATURAL)) In Russia - not always. But in Belarus it is. Lukashenko rules the country with a heavy hand)) I respect him.
Belarus is a small world... Authentic, nice and hospitable...

As far as people are conserned... Russia, Belarus, USA, Africa - they are all different=)

[grasscarp]

Yes Mike, and the differences whether you do something once or regularly!

[Anastasiya]

btw, what does it mean "-- answer removed -- "????..
why some of my comments are not posted here?..

[mike11111]

Lukashenko seems to be more of a dictator than Stalin ever was. In my day, of course, Belarus was a satellite republic and all orders came from Moscow. Although officially bilingual, like all of the Soviet republics, Russian was the main language. Never having been back, I would be interested to know how Russians address people whose names they don't know. It was always товарищ, but since the demise of the USSR does that still apply?

[mike11111]

I wish it were that simple Grasscarp.

[grasscarp]

Answer removed means that something written offended someone so was reported to the editor who took it out.

[samak]

Mike,
Now it is господин or Госпожа (m/f) althouh I never heard much of either .

[grasscarp]

Mike do you mean it gets worse than walking or going by transport, plus the once or many times?

[Anastasiya]

mike11111, no of course no, people don't use this word any more) They can say "Женщина,... (мужчина/молодой человек/девушка)" - it depends on the age and gender

[mike11111]

господин or Госпожа were old fashioned words and only used to address foreigners. Russians never used to address each other with those, though one occasionally heard гражданин/гражданка (citizen).

[Anastasiya]

I mean on the street, e.g.
In official documents it may be "Господин/Госпожа" etc.

[mike11111]

молодой человек/девушка
These were common even in the Soviet era, but not мужчина/женщина.

[Anastasiya]

мужчина/женщина is widly used both in Russia and Belarus...

[Anastasiya]

widely* I mean)

[samak]

согласен

[Anastasiya]

samak, are you Russian, btw?

[mike11111]

Grasscarp, some modes of transport "walk" others "ride". Also, to say that you had gone somewhere on foot you would use a form of идти but if you had returned it would be a form of ходить. Best not go there on this thread!