Learn how to form Russian short adjectives
| A: | Здравствуйте, до проспекта Мира, пожалуйста. | ||
| B: | До станции метро? | ||
| A: | Аа… Вот, у меня есть конкретный адрес. | ||
| B: | Аа, бизнес центр, понятно. Вы не из России? | ||
| A: | Нет, я из Америки, только вчера прилетел. | ||
| B: | У Вас бизнес в Москве? | ||
| A: | Ну… можно и так сказать. | ||
| B: | Приехали. С Вас 450 рублей. Вам нужен чек? | ||
| A: | Да, пожалуйста. Вот 450 рублей. | ||
| B: | Будьте осторожны в Москве, удачи! | ||
| A: | Спасибо, Вам тоже! |
чек check, receipt, bill / конкретный exact, concrete, specific / проспект avenue, boulevard / будьте осторожны be careful / с вас that’ll be… (talking about price), you owe me… / бизнес центр business center
Most often, we use the short form to make a statement about something. In English, it normally follows the word “is” or “are.” For example, “You are funny,” or “He is handsome.” Notice that a noun does not follow the adjective. The use of the short form is generally limited to such simple sentences.
For Example:
- Ты смешна.
“You are funny.” - Он очень красив.
“He’s very handsome.” - Будь осторожен!
“Be careful!” - Они мне дороги.
“They are precious to me.”
Нужный – “necessary, need”
the short form of нужный:
becomes the verb “need” in the English translation. It is usually followed by a noun (but, when serving as a verb, doesn’t describe that noun), or another verb (when you talk about the necessity “to do” something).
Note: When you talk about the necessity to do something, “I need to…,” you use the short form of the verb нужный in neuter gender.
For Example:
- Мне нужно поменять деньги
“I need to change money.” - Мне нужно купить подарок
“I need to buy a present.” - Мне нужно на Тверскую
“I need (to get) to Tverskaya.” - Мне нужно домой
“I need to go home.”
Note: When you talk about locations you need to go to, you can omit the words “to go” or “to get,” just as we did in the last two examples.
С Вас…
С Вас is an idiomatic Russian phrase which means “that’ll be…” or “you owe….” You will hear it in casual places such as shops and taxis as a more colloquial version of пожалуйста, but you will not hear it in high-class hotels and restaurants. Literally it means “from you….”