What are the easy and hard parts about learning Russian? Some people say it is incredibly difficult but others tell me they are exaggerating. Can you guys lay out sensibly the hard and easy parts of Russian.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Russian, easy and hard points?
6 or 7 cases that make it difficult for those of us that speak languages involving two or three at the most (English... Let's be serious... 1...) and those of us who studied German (4... Let's be serious... 3...). Not to mention aspect....
English has definitely got two cases (and arguably 3), just because they only affect pronouns, and are often not used 'correctly', the basic idea still exists. German definitely has four cases, are you referring to the decline of the genitive or what?
Cases in themselves are not difficult once you understand the underlying logic. In some ways they can be easier than analytic languages. For example, the German indirect object is always marked by the dative form so you just learn that. However in English, you have a weird system of it being marked sometimes by word order, and sometimes by the preposition 'to'. Which one applies depends on the verb in question. Simple? Hardly.
But let's think about times when English recognises cases in a less than overt way. English doesn't only recognise cases when pronouns are involved. Cases certainly affect the construction of sentences in English beginning with 'what'.
'What started that?' - 'What' is nominative
'What did he start' - 'What' is accusative
So, in such a construction, we can see that the difference between nominitive and accusative is marked by the addition of the auxilliary 'do' or 'did' construction. If the word 'what' had changed in form, everyone would say it was a case, but because it doesn't, and an auxilliary verb is added instead, no one thinks it is. But really at the end of the day, what's the difference? Whatever, non-native speakers will continue saying thigs like 'What he started?', and be oblivious to that fact it's wrong.
Cases in themselves are not difficult once you understand the underlying logic. In some ways they can be easier than analytic languages. For example, the German indirect object is always marked by the dative form so you just learn that. However in English, you have a weird system of it being marked sometimes by word order, and sometimes by the preposition 'to'. Which one applies depends on the verb in question. Simple? Hardly.
But let's think about times when English recognises cases in a less than overt way. English doesn't only recognise cases when pronouns are involved. Cases certainly affect the construction of sentences in English beginning with 'what'.
'What started that?' - 'What' is nominative
'What did he start' - 'What' is accusative
So, in such a construction, we can see that the difference between nominitive and accusative is marked by the addition of the auxilliary 'do' or 'did' construction. If the word 'what' had changed in form, everyone would say it was a case, but because it doesn't, and an auxilliary verb is added instead, no one thinks it is. But really at the end of the day, what's the difference? Whatever, non-native speakers will continue saying thigs like 'What he started?', and be oblivious to that fact it's wrong.
Easy
Russian is not difficult to pronounce (for English speakers, but jmo).
Russian shares a lot with other Slavic languages, so if you know another
Slavic language, you may find the motivation to learn it because it makes
other Slavic languages easier.
Difficult
I don't know what's difficult about it yet. Maybe it's difficult if you haven't studied languages. Maybe it's NOT the best choice for a starter language.
Russian is not difficult to pronounce (for English speakers, but jmo).
Russian shares a lot with other Slavic languages, so if you know another
Slavic language, you may find the motivation to learn it because it makes
other Slavic languages easier.
Difficult
I don't know what's difficult about it yet. Maybe it's difficult if you haven't studied languages. Maybe it's NOT the best choice for a starter language.
Words are mainly unique (no same pronunciation with different spellings) so it's not easy to be confused.
Cases are actually pretty good because there is less focus on prepositions which are very troublesome in some languages.
There is no word for "the" or "a".
<<Russian is not difficult to pronounce (for English speakers, but jmo). >>
I don't think it's easy to pronounce. Have you ever heard an English speaker getting right the palatisation and the stress? Not very much!
Cases are actually pretty good because there is less focus on prepositions which are very troublesome in some languages.
There is no word for "the" or "a".
<<Russian is not difficult to pronounce (for English speakers, but jmo). >>
I don't think it's easy to pronounce. Have you ever heard an English speaker getting right the palatisation and the stress? Not very much!
I don't know a lot of English-speakers who speak Russian-maybe a handful. I don't think the palatisation is difficult, but I've heard complaints about the stress.
Ja nenavižu kirilliçu. Ja dumaju čto vse dolžny pisat' russkij jazyk na latiniçe kak bol'šinstvo drugih slavjanskih jazykov. Kiriliça - êto sovsem ustarelaja pis'mennaja sistema, vdabavok russkie bukvy očen' urodlivye. Tol'ko smotret' na nih vredit zreniju, a s drugoj storony, net ničego na svete krasivee latinskih bukv.
"Я ненавиžу кириллиçу. Я думаю čто все долžны писать русский язык на латиниçе как больšинство других славянских языков. Кирилиçа - êто совсем устарелая письменная система, вдабавок русские буквы оčень уродливые. Только смотреть на них вредит зрению, а с другой стороны, нет ниčего на свете красивее латинских букв."
I don't know why but it's hard for me to read your post in Latin letters.
I suppose if I were Serbian or Polish, I would be able to do it easily.
What does it mean? You don't like Cyrillic?
I don't know why but it's hard for me to read your post in Latin letters.
I suppose if I were Serbian or Polish, I would be able to do it easily.
What does it mean? You don't like Cyrillic?
<<Ja nenavižu kirilliçu. Ja dumaju čto vse dolžny pisat' russkij jazyk na latiniçe kak bol'šinstvo drugih slavjanskih jazykov. Kiriliça - êto sovsem ustarelaja pis'mennaja sistema, vdabavok russkie bukvy očen' urodlivye. Tol'ko smotret' na nih vredit zreniju, a s drugoj storony, net ničego na svete krasivee latinskih bukv.>>
I hate Cyrillic. I think everyone should write Russian in Latin letters like most other Slavic languages. Cyrillic is completely outdated writing system, in addition Russian letters are very ugly. Just looking at them damages the vision, on the other hand, there is nothing more beautiful on earth than Latin letters.
I hate Cyrillic. I think everyone should write Russian in Latin letters like most other Slavic languages. Cyrillic is completely outdated writing system, in addition Russian letters are very ugly. Just looking at them damages the vision, on the other hand, there is nothing more beautiful on earth than Latin letters.
Damages the vision? Oh, I get it. "Eye" is the secret word. Eyesight is being discussed on the English forum too. That would be "glas" in Russian, "oko" in Ukrainian and "oko" also in Croatian and Bosnian.
If you think Cyrillic is tough, I imagine that you won't be taking up Arabic or Chinese anytime soon.
I'm used to it. It looks "normal" to me. I like them. I did hear an Arabic, English, Spanish speaker complain about them too, recently. He especially didn't like the way some letters look "m" for "t" for example.
I found that pretty funny.
If you think Cyrillic is tough, I imagine that you won't be taking up Arabic or Chinese anytime soon.
I'm used to it. It looks "normal" to me. I like them. I did hear an Arabic, English, Spanish speaker complain about them too, recently. He especially didn't like the way some letters look "m" for "t" for example.
I found that pretty funny.
It's not that it's hard, it's just ugly. Although I guess it does better at the phonetics. I think it looks terriblily harsh and rough, but when you listen to Russian it sounds completely the opposite.
So it's a matter of beauty. I've heard that Polish would be easier if it was written with Cyrillic, but I've never asked any Poles about this.
Well, beauty is inly a matter of opinion - I've heard people say that Spanish is the most ugly language, and others say that is's beautiful and romantic!
<< German (4... Let's be serious... 3...). >>
Was?? Es gibt auf Deutsch 4 Fälle, nicht 3.
Nominativ
Dativ
Akkusativ
Genitiv
Was?? Es gibt auf Deutsch 4 Fälle, nicht 3.
Nominativ
Dativ
Akkusativ
Genitiv
>>Es gibt auf Deutsch 4 Fälle, nicht 3<<
Shouldn't that be 'Es gibt im Deutschen 4 Fälle', or is either acceptable?
Shouldn't that be 'Es gibt im Deutschen 4 Fälle', or is either acceptable?