Learning Russian: Why Imitation is Your Best Strategy

Why is word by word translation dangerous when learning a new language? Can't we assume that you can express basic ideas in the same way in your target language?
You'll soon find that even the most basic ideas may be expressed in very different ways in Russian. Do you "have" something, or "is it by you"? If you ask someone if they're cold using an English structure with Russian words, you might be asking if they're a cold, unfriendly person. And there may be times when a simple phrase may just not make sense at all.
In this video we'll look at these examples to show why "using what you know" - imitating structures you hear native speakers using - is your best strategy for sounding natural in Russian.
For over 200 videos like this one, and over 400 embedded comprehension checks, exercises, quizzes, and example sentences, visit my Russian Grammar Library Project at www.tips4russian.com.
For free sample lessons on verbs of motion, start at www.tips4russian.com/courses/...
Free sample lessons on participles: www.tips4russian.com/courses/...

[@Oshiiiiiiiiiiii]

You rock Dr. Curtis!

[@MrSkypelessons]

Вы правы! I was hopeless at Russian at school, because I didn't understand how another language could work and even 'think' in a completely different way. I still look at how Russians express numbers (for example, but one of many examples) as possibly the most complicated thing I have ever tried to understand, BUT it can be understood (eventually!) The most wonderful thing about learning Russian is that I can now read Преступление и Наказание in the original, and that is priceless and worth every bit of hardship. Your Russian lessons are fantastic. I have said it before (I think?) and I'll say it again - your Russian grammar explanations are the best online. Your advice is 100% vital for language learners. One of the most useful things for me was studying English (I am an English teacher). I often teach wish (and subjunctive forms), so I understand that желать works very differently from 'wish', and делать very differently from 'do'. Getting endings right is sometimes difficult for Russian natives too! I see it in their eyes :)

[@MrSkypelessons]

​@@samcleife1047 I went to school in the UK, as you did, assuming that your strange comment comes from a real human being. Different schools study different languages. This is true for every country on planet earth, and not just the UK. My son studies German, and he is in a UK school.

[@russiangrammar]

Спасибо за тёплые слова! I especially appreciate your journey from "hopeless at school" to reading novels in the original, and how worthwhile it has been for you - that's an inspiration to others just starting out. ☺️ --I see it in their eyes :) Yes, especially when it comes to declining large numbers - makes me wonder if we're seeing a very gradual simplification in process...

[@MrSkypelessons]

@@russiangrammar I was very lucky - firstly, I lived in Moscow for many years (working as a TEFL teacher) and secondly, I married a Russian who still speaks to me in Russian every day. This accelerated what started as a painfully slow journey of language acquisition. I can still remember how little I understood when I first arrived in Moscow, but at least 50% of the problem was how little I knew about English grammar. Now I see VERY clearly that knowing countable/uncountable nouns, passive/active forms, relative clauses, participles, etc. is key to understanding Russian. But you speak about so many of these topics in your lessons, which is why I like your classes the most.

[@MrSkypelessons]

@@samcleife1047 The school in which I learnt Russian doesn't teach it any more. But I am sure there are many schools that do. If Russian is complex to us, I'm sure English is complex to them. I don't see English as 'less complex'. Try teaching a group of foreign students how to correctly use 'a' and 'the', and you will see that English is complex too.

[@MrSkypelessons]

@@samcleife1047 Thanks. (Bot confirmed)

[@marvanwr7151]

Thanks for your video ❤ This is very informative and interesting. Relevant to other languages as well 😘

[@espiritufati]

You're a blessing!!! 😢

[@lilyrose4191]

Thank you 🍎 I needed to see this video today. Your advice is encouraging. This is an excellent video and much appreciated.

[@Erik_Emer]

Thank you very much for continuing to make videos through these years and even after I graduated uni. You were often the material my teacher relied on so that we could try to understand grammar before she delve further into the grammar. On the topic of imitation and learning to get used to expressing things not 1-on-1 with one's native language, I was wonder whether you could explain or make a video (I guess) impersonal sentences that have no conjugated verb, a dative subject, and no (obvious) adverb. Because I see this often in songs and even in some your videos have this kind of construction. I don't know if that makes sense. Also, I found this on reddit: the difference between не надо меня уговаривать (No need to convince me; I'll refuse) and меня не надо уговаривать (No need to convince me; I'd do it regardless). How does the syntax here dictate the nuance between these two? Someone did try to explain this on that reddit, but not entirely why switching the stress using word order from не надо to меня changes the nuance of refusing to unconditional action.

[@russiangrammar]

Are you thinking of expressions like 'что нам делать?' or 'не тебе решать!'? Good idea, I'll look into doing a video on those. As for не надо... that's tricky since it can mean either 'no need,' or "don't!". For this contrast I think intonation and context play an important part.

[@Erik_Emer]

@@russiangrammar Yeah, exactly those types of sentences. Like, is нам functioning as sort of dative topical impersonal subject (probably doesn't make sense), or the indirect object for делать? Is не тебе решать an ellipsed sentence that's just set and stone like that because there's something else in implied? Those are exactly the kinds of sentences that trip me up. I'm used to dative + adverb sentences, but those examples you wrote lack information, I guess, to someone like me educated in English (not first language, but went through the whole K-Uni system in it, so it's kinda is).

[@lilyrose4191]

🙏@@russiangrammar & Erik-Emer ... thanks to you both. Interesting. Erik, I have been puzzling over this too - especially the sentences you found on reddit! I learnt that word for the first time today and looking at in sentences ... I wondered similarly to you 🤔 but I can't express myself as well as you do. Thank you @russiangrammar for the reply.

[@ayabakr6908]

Grateful 🙏

[@SlavicLanguage]

Really interesting channel

[@SlavicLanguage]

I love you English

[@uuco.6037]

A off topic question: When we negotiate a sentence like: "лучше бы я этого не видел." Is the genitive optional? Another example:"Я другой такой страны не знаю!" Here, there's also the genitive present, but I can't figure out if that's optional or not.

[@LaurensVRC]

It's mandatory because negations are supposed to be in genetive. (не знаю)

[@russiangrammar]

With negated direct objects like these there's a tendency to use the genitive, especially with strong negation (он не читал никаких книг), or when there's an implication something doesn't exist (я не вижу никакой сметаны = 'I don't see any sour cream', "there's no country I know like that one"), or is abstract (я понятия не имею = I have no idea, я не обращал внимания = I didn't pay attention). If the negated direct object is a person or something specific, the accusative is more likely (он не встретил Таню на вокзале = 'he didn't meet Tanya at the station'; он не получил письмо = 'he didn't receive the letter' - a specific one which presumably does exist).

[@russiangrammar]

We do use the genitive to express that something doesn't exist or isn't present: молока нет = 'there's no milk,' Сони нет = 'Sonya's not here.' With negated direct objects, though, there's often a choice between genitive and accusative - see my other response. 🙂

[@uuco.6037]

@@russiangrammar thank you a lot! 👍👍👍

[@MrSkypelessons]

@@russiangrammar Thanks so much for answering this question. I have been wondering about the genitive and negations all week. I'm aware that sometimes the accusative is used, and sometimes the genitive, but I had no idea why.

[@SlavicLanguage]

And very nice voice ❤

[@loco_1.2]

ايه ده انت رجعت يا يسطاية

[@Oshiiiiiiiiiiii]

I have noticed the importance of repetition in learning Russian. Anna Strelkovskaya from Russian with Russia uses a lot of repetition in her podcasts, which I love.

[@MrSkypelessons]

Повторение мать учения

[@russiangrammar]

Anna Strelkovskaya does great work, I like to recommend her to those looking for clear explanations in Russian. And podcasts are an excellent way to learn - I'm using them quite a bit for learning Ukrainian now. :)

[@MrSkypelessons]

@@russiangrammar My Russian teacher lives in Kharkov :) We have online classes. I love audio books and TV shows for regular listening practice.

[@Barbarossa97]

Learn like children: they naturally repeat without understanding (yet).

[@NiekLodewijkx]

My parents won't talk in Russian to me!

[@Barbarossa97]

@@NiekLodewijkx Look for new parents!

[@lilyrose4191]

🤣@@Barbarossa97 👍

[@tbountybay3080]

I have found in my personal experience that learning russian is DIFFERENT than what it requires to learn spanish. It’s like going up against 2 different boxers; one fast and one strong. 2 different approaches are needed. So, Dr. Curtis, would you say that memory is more necessary in approaching russian? Memorizing many, many correct phrases in order to not only use but eventually build your own??

[@russiangrammar]

For me as an English speaker, learning Russian certainly "stretched my brain" more than German or Spanish. Memorizing key phrases in context is certainly a good way to get used to certain structures that don't seem intuitive at first (how Russian expresses possession, or distinguishing between motion in one direction vs. more than one direction); and the more exposure and repetition you get, the sooner those structures begin to feel natural. :)

[@CrazyDreamer1001]

I thought it was "sincerest form of flattery" (not "highest").

[@russiangrammar]

I've heard "sincerest" as well. And as I started googling it I saw prompts for "highest form," "sincerest form," "best form," "greatest form"... есть варианты! 🙂

[@livetwiceforyou]

Желать, жалеть close pronunciation, close meaning 🙏