Russian For Dummies by Andrew Kaufman Ph.D

Author:Andrew Kaufman, Ph.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Published: 2012-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Going Out on the Town

In This Chapter

Arranging an outing

Catching a flick

Getting the most out of the ballet and theater

Checking out a museum

Sharing your impressions about an event

This chapter is all about going out on the town the Russian way. We take you to the movies, the theater, the ballet, and museums — the most popular entertainment venues among Russians. We show you how to make plans with friends, how and where to buy tickets, how to find your seat, and what to say when you want to share your impressions of an event with your friends.

Together Wherever We Go: Making Plans to Go Out

Going out on the town is always more fun with friends and family. Here is what you may hear when people invite you to do things with them:

Informal: Давай пойдём в . . . (duh-vahy pahy-dyohm v . . .) (Let’s go to the . . .)

Formal or plural: Давайте пойдём в . . . (duh-vahy-tee pahy-dyohm v . . .) (Let’s go to the . . .)

Note that after the preposition в you need to use the noun indicating destination in the accusative case. In the preceding examples, however, it really doesn’t matter because masculine nouns are the same in the accusative and nominative cases. (See Chapter 3 for details on cases.)

Another way to extend an invitation is by using what’s known in grammar as the subjunctive mood, which roughly corresponds to the English phrase Would you like to go. . . ? In Russian, you say Вы не хотели бы пойти в (vi nee khah-tyeh-lee bi pahy-tee v) and then add the name of the place you’re suggesting, using the accusative case. For example, when inviting somebody with whom you’re still on formal вы (vi) (you) terms to go to a restaurant, you can say

Вы не хотели бы пойти в ресторан? (vi nee khah-tyeh-lee bi pahy-tee v rees-tah-rahn?) (Would you like to go to a restaurant?)

The вы form is very appropriate here because this phrasing has a formal tone. When talking to your friend or a member of your family (who turned out to be Russian!) say

Ты не хочешь пойти в ресторан? (ti nee khoh-cheesh pahy-tee v rees-tah-rahn?) (Do you want to go to a restaurant?)

A more casual way to ask the same thing is to simply say:

Formal: Вы хотите . . . (vi khah-tee-tee . . .) (Do you want to . . .)

Informal: Ты хочешь . . . (ti khoh-cheesh’ . . .) (Do you want to . . .)

In either case, you end the phrase with a verb in its infinitive form. For example, to invite someone with whom you’re on informal terms to watch a movie, you can say:

Ты хочешь посмотреть фильм? (ti khoh-cheesh’ pah-smah-tryeht’ feel’m?) (Do you want to watch a movie?)

Flip to Chapter 4 for full details on using formal and informal “you.”

To specify a day of the week in your question, add в plus the day

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