Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Anyone speak Russian?

  1. #1
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    1,881
    Thanks
    3,026
    Thanked 3,426 Times in 1,229 Posts

    Default Anyone speak Russian?

    This is kind of a long shot, but I'm hoping I might have some luck... I'm finishing my first poetry manuscript soon and wanted to get a small tattoo for the occasion. Dostoevsky, Tsvetaeva, Kaminsky--all Russian, and all huge influences. I want to get something small like "to write," "writer,"something like that in cursive Russian on my wrist. I asked one girl what the proper translation would be, but she said that in Russian, there are many different words for something that may only be one in word English and I never got back with her on it. According to wiktionary and a few translation sites, "to write" is "писать" in Russian--is this correct? Would something else make more sense, like is there a different term for more creative writing than writing letters or something? I understand French and a bit of German, but Russian totally eludes me and I don't want to get something ridiculous by accident...

  2. #2
    God/dess Kisca's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    2,447
    Thanks
    1,403
    Thanked 1,534 Times in 805 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    The spelling in russian is right. You pronounce it in english with english letters like this, p,e,c,a,t, (last letter isnt pronounable) it gives a soft flow of the pronounation from the "t"

    That word only means "write", the word itself sounds harsh in russian

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Kisca For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
    Banned
    Joined
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Colorado!
    Posts
    6,053
    Thanks
    3,775
    Thanked 3,701 Times in 1,713 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    All Good Things speaks fluent Russian.

  5. #4
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    1,881
    Thanks
    3,026
    Thanked 3,426 Times in 1,229 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Thank you both! Kisca or second (or third or fourth) opinions, does this look like a reliable cursive chart? I'm excited. I've asked around for months and didn't think to try SW till just now.

  6. #5
    God/dess Kisca's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    2,447
    Thanks
    1,403
    Thanked 1,534 Times in 805 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Yes it is,

    this might help to understand how each letter sounds like in english and what their used for

    http://www.russian-language-for-love...-alphabet.html

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Kisca For This Useful Post:


  8. #6
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    1,881
    Thanks
    3,026
    Thanked 3,426 Times in 1,229 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Awesome. Thank you!

  9. #7
    Banned All Good Things's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    33
    Thanked 601 Times in 233 Posts
    My Mood
    Daring

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kisca View Post
    The spelling in russian is right. You pronounce it in english with english letters like this, p,e,c,a,t, (last letter isnt pronounable) it gives a soft flow of the pronounation from the "t"

    That word only means "write", the word itself sounds harsh in russian
    It also means "to paint," as in to paint a drawing.

    And of course, in Russian, the term means "to write" -- the infinitive form -- which, as you note, makes it sound harsh. (Imagine a tattoo in English: "to write.")

    In English, "p,e,c,a,t," the pronunciation you gave above, will be read: "p,e,k,a,t," so that Russian "c" should be an "s". Pronunciation is pee-SAT', with the "t" soft. We don't have soft "t"s in English, and it takes years to master that like a native-Russian speaker.

    Given the richness of Russian literature, it would honestly be a much better choice to pick a word and author or a literary character with deep meaning to you. I can't imagine a Russian with a tattoo писать unless it were some sort of joke.

    Russians do not really refer to the beauty and wisdom of literature using the infinitive verb form "to write." Other words are much more powerful: литература (literature), любовь (love), вечность (eternity), etc.

    In your area of interest, you have стихи (poetry), стихотворение (a short poem) or a sort of cute play on words: стихийность (spontaneity).

    I realize you want a small tattoo, but even a few small words might be more fun:

    Мир тесен - It's a small word (literally: The world's tight)

    Variations on love:

    Старая любовь долго помниться - Old love will be forever remembered

    Любовь кольцо - а у кольца нет конца -- Love is a ring, and a ring is forever (sounds like a bad jewelry chain slogan, but it's alliterative in Russian, so it sounds sweet)

    Любви все возрасты покорны -- Love makes the heart forever young

    Etc.

    If you have a favorite novel or writer, I may be able to come up with something you like.

  10. #8
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    1,881
    Thanks
    3,026
    Thanked 3,426 Times in 1,229 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Oh, wow. I guess I was really tired last night, because I didn't even pick up on when Kisca said it was harsh in Russian. I think my brain just interpreted that as her saying it was pronounced in a harsh way. Thank you for pointing it out again as well as for the alternatives, All Good Things.

    My favorite novel is probably "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Maybe one of the character names, like Alyosha's would work? Ivan is more of the writer, but Alyosha embodies that sensitive artistic sort of soul...

    There's also a poem by Ilya Kaminsky called "Marina Tsvetaeva." I've always considered getting a line from it tattooed: "as a gull, torn". Like I said, I'm completely ignorant of Russian, so even if I had the Russian version of the poem in front of me, I wouldn't be able to isolate where that line is or what it looks like in Russian. I'd probably have to get a longer tattoo somewhere other than my wrists, since they're very tiny, but that's alright.

    Thanks again for your help!

  11. #9
    God/dess
    Joined
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2,066
    Thanks
    440
    Thanked 1,844 Times in 779 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    @tuesdaymarie, i am going to marry into your family.

  12. #10
    Banned All Good Things's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    33
    Thanked 601 Times in 233 Posts
    My Mood
    Daring

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Alyosha from "The Brothers Karamazov" in Russian is Алёша. It's one of the many diminutives of Aleksei, and probably the safest for you to use.

    The more familiar forms sound too cutesy, like Alyoshenka (Алёшенька), unless you are his mother or an older sister.

    Also, Алёша in Russian is nicely euphonious in both Russian and English. Dostoyevsky did this deliberately, as he wanted him to be the most sympathetic of the brothers. The pronunciation, as you likely already know, is al-YO-sha.

    You can write Алёша without the diacritic -- the two dots above the "e" that look like an umlaut -- if it's too much trouble. It's usually omitted in print, but is included in script handwriting, where there is this mysterious and deeply engrained need to circle back at the end of the word and put in the two little marks.

    I'm fairly certain that Kaminsky wrote "Marina Tsvetaeva" in English originally (I think it's in Dancing in Odessa, which he wrote in English.) I know this can be confusing, because he grew up in Odessa and has translated into English work written originally in Russian by the poet Marina Tsvetaeva, to whom he dedicated that piece, and to whom he's often been compared.

    Yeah, it's kind of crazy.

  13. #11
    Banned All Good Things's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    33
    Thanked 601 Times in 233 Posts
    My Mood
    Daring

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Quote Originally Posted by camille27 View Post
    1st, i love everyone in this thread, and not just because i am doing shots of stolichnaya and reading akhmatova at this moment.
    2nd, i do not speak russian, and...this is one of those things where you take a trip to me melodramatic along the neva and get the tattoo there in the heat of the moment because it just feels right.
    3rd, why isn't there a slavophile group? unacceptable.
    We love you back!

    I know you don't speak Russian, but after a bottle of Stolichnaya, and your mind sailing across the Bolshaya and Malaya Neva, the following will become (tragically) clear.


    Жди меня, и я вернусь.
    Только очень жди,
    Жди, когда наводят грусть
    Желтые дожди,
    Жди, когда снега метут,
    Жди, когда жара,
    Жди, когда других не ждут,
    Позабыв вчера.
    Жди, когда из дальних мест
    Писем не придет,
    Жди, когда уж надоест
    Всем, кто вместе ждет.

    Жди меня, и я вернусь,
    Не желай добра
    Всем, кто знает наизусть,
    Что забыть пора.
    Пусть поверят сын и мать
    В то, что нет меня,
    Пусть друзья устанут ждать,
    Сядут у огня,
    Выпьют горькое вино
    На помин души...
    Жди. И с ними заодно
    Выпить не спеши.

    Жди меня, и я вернусь,
    Всем смертям назло.
    Кто не ждал меня, тот пусть
    Скажет: - Повезло.
    Не понять, не ждавшим им,
    Как среди огня
    Ожиданием своим
    Ты спасла меня.
    Как я выжил, будем знать
    Только мы с тобой,-
    Просто ты умела ждать,
    Как никто другой.

  14. #12
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    1,881
    Thanks
    3,026
    Thanked 3,426 Times in 1,229 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    Quote Originally Posted by camille27 View Post
    @tuesdaymarie, i am going to marry into your family.
    My family is pretty crazy. It'd probably just be best for us to go to Canada and get hitched. This will work out well, as I also love Stolichnaya.

    Quote Originally Posted by All Good Things View Post
    Alyosha from "The Brothers Karamazov" in Russian is Алёша. It's one of the many diminutives of Aleksei, and probably the safest for you to use.
    I'm fairly certain that Kaminsky wrote "Marina Tsvetaeva" in English originally (I think it's in Dancing in Odessa, which he wrote in English.) I know this can be confusing, because he grew up in Odessa and has translated into English work written originally in Russian by the poet Marina Tsvetaeva, to whom he dedicated that piece, and to whom he's often been compared.

    Yeah, it's kind of crazy.
    Ah. That would explain why I've had zero luck trying to find a Russian version. I asked my professor about whether it was originally in English and he said he wasn't sure that it was. He's friends with Kaminsky and said he'd ask if they talked anytime soon, but that was months ago and I haven't heard back, so I imagine you're correct.

    I really like the idea of using Alyosha's name. It's small yet meaningful. I've always wanted to learn Russian, but you've made it a summer priority to get started! I'm jealous of your fluency.

  15. #13
    God/dess Sophia_Starina's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Nudie-Land
    Posts
    7,219
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 4,151 Times in 1,462 Posts
    My Mood
    Sneaky

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    All Good Things is pretty much on point with everything. Kudos to our resident russophile.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

  16. #14
    God/dess
    Joined
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2,066
    Thanks
    440
    Thanked 1,844 Times in 779 Posts

    Default Re: Anyone speak Russian?

    and i have already taken your last name anyway.

    i am going to pm you allgoodthings. to see what you think of this translation and if it's worth its salt.

Similar Threads

  1. Anyone speak Polish?
    By High_Heel_Lover in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 11-27-2007, 10:28 PM
  2. Speak?
    By Cally in forum Body Business
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 04-10-2007, 08:41 PM
  3. Anyone speak cat?
    By exotisch23 in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 07-23-2006, 04:31 AM
  4. Stripper-speak.
    By Phil-W in forum Customer Conversation
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 04-27-2006, 04:35 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •