During the transitional period when your vocabulary is still small and you do not yet fully understand how Russian words and expressions function, you will consciously or unconsciously borrow words and expressions from English. What you say will not necessarily be intelligible as Russian. Instead it will be Runglish, a mixed language which can be fully understood only by those with a knowledge of both Russian and English.
Russians can unconsciously pick up some of the Runglish expressions shown below when they learn English or listen to English speakers who are trying to speak Russian. Do not take this an indication that such expressions are correct or even widely understood.
English | Runglish | Russian | Explanation |
How did he know? | Как он знал? | Отку́да он знал? | “Как он знал?” has the mysterious meaning “How did he do the knowing?” |
to give a talk | дава́ть речь | вы́ступать с ре́чью | “Дава́ть речь” would presumably mean handing over the notes. |
concentrate on the theme |
концентри́роваться на те́ме | сосредото́читься на те́ме |
The expressions with концентри́ровать/ся are not Runglish all by themselves, but it is not normal to use them more than every now and then. The word “фокусировать” is not used in this sense at all. |
concentrate attention on ___ | концентри́ровать внима́ние на ____ | сосредото́чить внима́ние на ____ | |
focus on the theme |
фокуси́роваться на те́ме |
сосредото́читься на те́ме | |
focus attention on ___ | фокуси́ровать внима́ние на ____ | сосредото́чить внимание на ____ | |
so that we can speak boldly | что́бы мы мо́жем говори́ть сме́ло | что́бы мы могли́ говори́ть сме́ло | Что́бы followed by a verb in the present tense is gibberish. Here it 'means' “so that we could have we can”. |
very fine | о́чень прекра́сный | прекра́сный | “Прекра́сный” already means “very fine”. |
through our conduct | че́рез на́ше поведе́ние | свои́м поведе́нием | Our conduct is not an obstacle or space to be crossed. |
ask a question | спроси́ть вопрос | зада́ть вопро́с | You can спроси́ть вопро́с, but it will not answer. |
God's sovereignty | суверените́т Бо́га | влады́чество Бо́га | Суверените́т means sovereignty in the sense of the right of a state to self determination and territorial integrity. |
Ask him if we will come. | Спроси́ его́ е́сли он придёт. | Спроси́ его придёт ли он. | “Спроси́ его е́сли он придёт.” would mean “If he comes, ask him.” When “if” means “whether” it should be translated “ли”. |
different from _____ | ра́зный чем _____ | отлича́ется от _____ | Разные means “different from one another.” Using it in the singular does not make sense. |