Blog
Explore interesting words, phrases, and cultural insights about the Russian language. Each post dives into the nuances, humor, and unexpected quirks that make learning Russian a fascinating journey. From grammar peculiarities to cultural traditions, discover the stories behind the language.
Идём, пойдём, пошли
November 16, 2025
Olga Godwin
Student: How do you say go in Russian?
Teacher (sighing): You're not quite ready for that yet. That's second-semester material.
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Надо же!
July 15, 2025
Olga Godwin
Learning Russian often feels like navigating uncharted territory. Not only do you encounter new words and grammatical structures, but you also reveal different ways of thinking. There is no end to the surprise when you come across expressions that make no sense if translated literally into your native language.
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Первое и Юля
July 1, 2025
Olga Godwin
Today is the 1st of July, and a friend of mine shared this meme based on a homophone - "первое июля" VS "первое и Юля". What's up with little Yulia? Does she dislike her soup? What about you? Is soup part of your country's culinary tradition?
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Ты ничего! Или нечто?
February 27, 2023
Olga Godwin
"А ты ничего!" What?! Are they trying to insult me?! Don't worry. It's just a flirty way to say they like you. Russian negative pronouns and adverbs are among the most thorny topics for international students.
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Сидеть, стоять, лежать
February 13, 2023
Olga Godwin
If you tend to spend hours on end in front of the screen, your Russian mama would berate you for "sitting in the computer" (Целый день сидишь в компьютере!) As one of those pre-historic humans who still remember how life was before the Internet, she could be a little worried seeing you physically present in the room while your mental self is inside of your digital device.
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А вы уже убрали елку?
January 29, 2023
Olga Godwin
As the long chain of winter holidays remained in the past (in Russia, the holiday season starts with the New Year's Eve - December 31st, continues with Christmas - January 7th, and ends with a humorous informal Old New Year's Day - December 14th), everyone is taking part in an anti-rating "How long are you going to wait before removing the New Year's tree?"
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