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đ Why does âYellow blue bus,â mean âI love youâ? - 15 odd English phrases to help learn Russian
7 years ago Memorize these lifehacks to quickly learn basic Russian expressions.
Youâve probably heard that Russian is one of the worldâs most difficult languages, but do you know that some phrases in English sound similar to ones in Russian? In most cases the real âRussianâ pronunciation is not exactly the same; but our list is as close as youâll get. Learn these, but donât forget that theyâve got completely different meanings in Russian.
1. âYellow blue busâ â I love you
How to say, âI love you,â in Russian? The romantic expression, âya lyublu vas,â sounds similar to âyellow blue bus.â âYa lyublu vasâ is the polite version, but if you address your feelings to someone dear and close, then you can say âya lyublutebya.â
2. âHorror showâ - Fine
Hereâs the paradox: the Russian word âkhoroshoâ sounds like âhorror showâ in English.
3. âCoke dealerâ â How are you?
If your Russian friend asks you, âkakdela?â then he means, âhow are you?â However, this phrase is easy to confuse with âcoke dealer.â
4. âWhat can I do?â â Iâll find vodka!
The Russian meaning of this phrase sounds like the answer to the English question. If you ask this question, âWhat can I do?â then a Russian might think youâre looking for vodka â âvodka naidu.â
5. âPale manâ â Russian dumpling
Imagine youâre sitting in a restaurant in Moscow and want to eat. But how to order? Just say, âpale man.â No matter how odd this sounds, youâll get the famous meat dumplings because these words sound like the Russian word, âpelmen.â Donât forget to ask for mayonnaise.
6. âMy own assâ - Mayonnaise
Speaking of which⊠Yes, Russian cuisine can be fattening and full of mayo. To indulge in this ask for âpale manâ with âmy own ass,â which sounds a lot like the way Russians pronounce âmayonnaise.â
7. âChess knockâ - Garlic
If you want to spice up your dinner with garlic then just say âchess knock,â which sounds a lot like the Russian âchesnook.â
8. âTall chalkâ - Push
On the first glance, this phrase makes no sense, but it sounds in Russian like âtolchok.â This word has two meanings, âpush,â or âbreakthrough,â depending on the context. Also, âtolchokâ is a slang word for âtoilet.â
9. âTrue barâ â The tube
Go to Russia, open a bar and name it âTruba.â It will quickly become a main meeting point for linguistic geeks.
10. âTwo pizzasâ â Stupid guy
Sure, âpizzaâ sounds the same in any language, but if you suddenly want âtwo pizzas,â then your Russian friend might be offended because it sounds a lot like âtupitza,â which means âa stupid guy,â or âidiot.â
11. âOur device is Koreaâ - Get dressed soon
Youâre in a hurry, but your partner canât decide what to wear? Just tell him or her: âour device is Korea!â and she or he will hear, âodevaysyaskoree.â (Weâre not sure whether this one was sponsored by Samsung or not.)
12. âNastyâ â Anastasia
If a Russian woman introduces herself as ânasty,â it doesnât mean sheâs mean, or wants to get down and dirty. Anastasia, or Nastya, is one of the most popular female names in Russia.
13. âThe chair is warmâ â Evening bell
We bet youâve heard this old Russian song. The lyrics were adopted by Ivan Kozlov from Thomas Mooreâs poem, Those evening bells, and set to music by Alexander Alyabyev in the mid-19th century. The Russian version âvechernyzvonâ sounds much like âthe chair is warm.â
14. âServe coffeeâ â Church
When traveling to Russia, youâll see a lot of beautiful old churches. The Russian word âtserkovâ (church) is easy to learn; just sat, âserve coffee,â without a pause between the words.
15. âNice driverâ â Bless you! or Youâre welcome!
Try to say slowly, âni-cedri-ver.â Was it fine? Na zdorovye!