In this first episode, we explore the meanings of words like ‘окупи́ться’, ‘не́женка’, ‘насма́рку’, ‘пронести́’, as well as expressions such as ‘сарафа́нное ра́дио’. You can hear a detailed explanation in the video — don’t forget to turn on the subtitles. Below, I’ve included some extra notes related to the video.
Find out more about this format here.
Note 1
The verb ‘окупи́ться’ (to pay off) is reflexive, so don’t forget the -сь/-ся at the end.
In the future tense, it technically has forms for all persons, but in practice you mostly hear it in the third person: ‘оку́пится’ (singular) or ‘оку́пятся’ (plural).
Note 2
Pay attention to how the word ‘прое́кт’ (project) is pronounced. Even though it’s written with an ‘е’, dictionaries recommend pronouncing it with an ‘э’ sound: про[э́]кт, not про[jе́]кт.
Note 3
A common-gender noun is a word that has the same form for both men and women. But any words that agree with it (for example, adjectives, some pronouns, or past-tense verbs) should match the gender of the person you are talking about.
Examples:
- Он был▯ таки́м не́женкой. (He was such a pampered one.)
- Она́ была́ тако́й не́женкой. (She was such a pampered one.)
Note 4
The verb ‘пронести́’ (to get away with it) is used in this meaning in two forms: ‘пронесло́’ (past) and ‘пронесёт’ (future). You cannot use it as ‘я пронесу́’ or ‘ты пронесёшь’, because then the verb has a completely different meaning.
To show who you mean, use pronouns:
- Меня́ пронесло́. (I got away with it.)
- Тебя́ пронесло́. (You got away with it.)
- Его́/Её пронесло́. (He/She got away with it.)
- Нас пронесло́. (We got away with it.)
- Вас пронесло́. (You got away with it.)
- Их пронесло́. (They got away with it.)
Whenever in doubt, check a dictionary.
Activity 1
Choose the correct option that matches the definition.
- If you are using a mobile device, tap the expand icon in the top right corner and the exercise will open in a new window.
Activity 2
Choose the word or expression in the correct form. Tick the box next to your choice, then click the tick in the bottom right corner to check your answer. Click the arrow in the same corner to go to the next sentence.
- If you are using a mobile device, tap the expand icon in the top right corner and the exercise will open in a new window.
Activity 3
Fill in the words that fit the meaning. Make sure nouns and verbs are in the correct form. Click the tick in the bottom right corner to check your answers.
- If you are using a mobile device, tap the expand icon in the top right corner and the exercise will open in a new window.
Activity 4
Try making your own sentences in the comments with this episode’s key words to help them stick in your memory.