PHcoz why not
Replace the 'i' with 'ee'
Test yourself: “This fish is a little bigger than this insect”
(Like a Russian: Zees feesh eez a leetle beeger zan zees eensekt)
Use a harsh 'h'
Test yourself: “Happy Halloween, Harry!”
(Like a Russian: kheppi khaloween, kherry”)
Russians usually have to use the “kh” sound instead, which is phonetically closer to the English “h”. This gives the sound a really harsh, back-of-the-throat, phlegm-filled edge, instantly making others less likely to mess with you.
Russians have a tough time with the letter “h,” which is often replaced with a “g” when used in borrowed words from other languages. For example, the Russian word for “hamburger” is “gamburger,” while Russian teens enjoy reading stories about “Garry Potter.”
Soften your 'e'
Test yourself: “My friend said his left leg is better.”
(Like a Russian: my fryend syed kheez lyeft lyeg is byetter)
Forget about the 'th'
Test yourself: “Take the third path to get to the theater.”
(Like a Russian: Tyeyk ze soord pat to gyet to ze teeatr)
Lots of inflection
Russians make things a bit more cryptic, often throwing in the stress somewhere near the middle of the sentence. Try saying this:
“Do you want to come to the park?”
Where did your voice rise? Be honest, was it on the word “park?” Dead giveaway! Now try again, inflecting on the word “want,” then bring the sentence on a downward slope:
“Do you WANT to come to the park?”
Much more confusing, right? That’s the beauty of it, though. If people are having a hard time with your true Russian question-asking skills, just give them a look that says, “What’s wrong with you?”
Have the right attitude
A convincing Russian accent suggests power and confidence – this means speaking calmly and slowly with a deep, authoritative voice. As for the tone: it should be somewhere between, “I don’t have time for this,” and “you get what I mean, yeah?” You can’t smooth-talk your way around Russia; getting what you want often involves assertiveness and sternness, so be ready to wear this attitude in public at all times. There’s a reason they say You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.!
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
Replace the 'i' with 'ee'
Test yourself: “This fish is a little bigger than this insect”
(Like a Russian: Zees feesh eez a leetle beeger zan zees eensekt)
Use a harsh 'h'
Test yourself: “Happy Halloween, Harry!”
(Like a Russian: kheppi khaloween, kherry”)
Russians usually have to use the “kh” sound instead, which is phonetically closer to the English “h”. This gives the sound a really harsh, back-of-the-throat, phlegm-filled edge, instantly making others less likely to mess with you.
Russians have a tough time with the letter “h,” which is often replaced with a “g” when used in borrowed words from other languages. For example, the Russian word for “hamburger” is “gamburger,” while Russian teens enjoy reading stories about “Garry Potter.”
Soften your 'e'
Test yourself: “My friend said his left leg is better.”
(Like a Russian: my fryend syed kheez lyeft lyeg is byetter)
Forget about the 'th'
Test yourself: “Take the third path to get to the theater.”
(Like a Russian: Tyeyk ze soord pat to gyet to ze teeatr)
Lots of inflection
Russians make things a bit more cryptic, often throwing in the stress somewhere near the middle of the sentence. Try saying this:
“Do you want to come to the park?”
Where did your voice rise? Be honest, was it on the word “park?” Dead giveaway! Now try again, inflecting on the word “want,” then bring the sentence on a downward slope:
“Do you WANT to come to the park?”
Much more confusing, right? That’s the beauty of it, though. If people are having a hard time with your true Russian question-asking skills, just give them a look that says, “What’s wrong with you?”
Have the right attitude
A convincing Russian accent suggests power and confidence – this means speaking calmly and slowly with a deep, authoritative voice. As for the tone: it should be somewhere between, “I don’t have time for this,” and “you get what I mean, yeah?” You can’t smooth-talk your way around Russia; getting what you want often involves assertiveness and sternness, so be ready to wear this attitude in public at all times. There’s a reason they say You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.!
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.