BROADCASTS.com

b'Today we\'ll talk about nouns and genders. Keep in mind that we are going to look only at singular nouns in nominative case (more on the 6 noun cases later).
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\\nAs you know, a noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, event or idea. All Russian nouns are divided into 3 genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. It\'s important to know the gender of a noun, since it needs to agree with other parts of speech. Let me give you an example: \\u043a\\u0440\\u0430\\u0441\\u0438\\u0432\\u0430\\u044f \\u0434\\u0435\\u0432\\u0443\\u0448\\u043a\\u0430 (a pretty girl) is correct, while \\u043a\\u0440\\u0430\\u0441\\u0438\\u0432\\u044b\\u0439 \\u0434\\u0435\\u0432\\u0443\\u0448\\u043a\\u0430 is not. Ending -\\u044b\\u0439 of the adjective \\u043a\\u0440\\u0430\\u0441\\u0438\\u0432\\u044b\\u0439 denotes masculine gender.
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\\nLearning gender rules is not an easy process. Many times you will be able to determine the gender of a noun simply by using your biology knowledge. Ex.: \\u043c\\u0430\\u043b\\u044c\\u0447\\u0438\\u043a (masculine), \\u0434\\u0435\\u0432\\u043e\\u0447\\u043a\\u0430 (feminine), etc. But most of the time noun gender is random and unchangeable. Gender rules MUST be memorized. However, the secret is simple: the ending of a noun determines its gender. After learning a few rules you\'ll be able to instantly recognize whether nouns are masculine, feminine or neuter.
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\\nHere\'s a Russian Noun Genders table for your convenience.(Click the table for an enlarged view)
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\\nHighlights:
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\\n*Every Russian noun has a gender (masculine, feminine or neuter)
\\n*Every adjective or verb must agree with the gender of a Russian noun (and pronoun)
\\n*Most masculine nouns end in a consonant, as well as -\\u044c or -\\u0439
\\n*Feminine nouns usually end in -\\u0430, as well as -\\u044f, -\\u0438\\u044f, and -\\u044c
\\n*Most neuter nouns end in -\\u043e or -\\u0435, but can also take endings like -\\u0438\\u0435, and -[\\u043c]\\u044f
\\n*A handful of Russian nouns appear to be feminine by their endings, are in fact masculine. Commit them to memory!
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\\nIt\'s been a while since I added a Russian song to my podcast. So many of you requested this feature back! I promise to add one when I get a chance to obtain license-free Russian music. May 9th is the Victory Day in Russia. (\\u0414\\u0435\\u043d\\u044c \\u041f\\u043e\\u0431\\u0435\\u0434\\u044b). To mark this day I am including a well-known song from the Soviet era called \\xab\\u0412 \\u0437\\u0435\\u043c\\u043b\\u044f\\u043d\\u043a\\u0435\\xbb - "In the Dugout" performed by \\u041c\\u0438\\u0445\\u0430\\u0438\\u043b \\u0413\\u0443\\u043b\\u044c\\u043a\\u043e.
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\\nHere are the lyrics of the song and its translation.
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\\n\\u0412 \\u0437\\u0435\\u043c\\u043b\\u044f\\u043d\\u043a\\u0435
\\n\\u041c\\u0443\\u0437\\u044b\\u043a\\u0430: \\u041a.\\u041b\\u0438\\u0441\\u0442\\u043e\\u0432 \\u0421\\u043b\\u043e\\u0432\\u0430: \\u0410.\\u0421\\u0443\\u0440\\u043a\\u043e\\u0432
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\\n\\u0411\\u044c\\u0435\\u0442\\u0441\\u044f \\u0432 \\u0442\\u0435\\u0441\\u043d\\u043e\\u0439 \\u043f\\u0435\\u0447\\u0443\\u0440\\u043a\\u0435 \\u043e\\u0433\\u043e\\u043d\\u044c,
\\n\\u041d\\u0430 \\u043f\\u043e\\u043b\\u0435\\u043d\\u044c\\u044f\\u0445 \\u0441\\u043c\\u043e\\u043b\\u0430, \\u043a\\u0430\\u043a \\u0441\\u043b\\u0435\\u0437\\u0430.
\\n\\u0418 \\u043f\\u043e\\u0435\\u0442 \\u043c\\u043d\\u0435 \\u0432 \\u0437\\u0435\\u043c\\u043b\\u044f\\u043d\\u043a\\u0435 \\u0433\\u0430\\u0440\\u043c\\u043e\\u043d\\u044c
\\n\\u041f\\u0440\\u043e \\u0443\\u043b\\u044b\\u0431\\u043a\\u0443 \\u0442\\u0432\\u043e\\u044e \\u0438 \\u0433\\u043b\\u0430\\u0437\\u0430.
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\\n\\u041f\\u0440\\u043e \\u0442\\u0435\\u0431\\u044f \\u043c\\u043d\\u0435 \\u0448\\u0435\\u043f\\u0442\\u0430\\u043b\\u0438 \\u043a\\u0443\\u0441\\u0442\\u044b
\\n\\u0412 \\u0431\\u0435\\u043b\\u043e\\u0441\\u043d\\u0435\\u0436\\u043d\\u044b\\u0445 \\u043f\\u043e\\u043b\\u044f\\u0445 \\u043f\\u043e\\u0434 \\u041c\\u043e\\u0441\\u043a\\u0432\\u043e\\u0439.
\\n\\u042f \\u0445\\u043e\\u0447\\u0443, \\u0447\\u0442\\u043e\\u0431\\u044b \\u0441\\u043b\\u044b\\u0448\\u0430\\u043b\\u0430 \\u0442\\u044b,
\\n\\u041a\\u0430\\u043a \\u0442\\u043e\\u0441\\u043a\\u0443\\u0435\\u0442 \\u043c\\u043e\\u0439 \\u0433\\u043e\\u043b\\u043e\\u0441 \\u0436\\u0438\\u0432\\u043e\\u0439.
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\\n\\u0422\\u044b \\u0441\\u0435\\u0439\\u0447\\u0430\\u0441 \\u0434\\u0430\\u043b\\u0435\\u043a\\u043e, \\u0434\\u0430\\u043b\\u0435\\u043a\\u043e,
\\n\\u041c\\u0435\\u0436\\u0434\\u0443 \\u043d\\u0430\\u043c\\u0438 \\u0441\\u043d\\u0435\\u0433\\u0430 \\u0438 \\u0441\\u043d\\u0435\\u0433\\u0430.
\\n\\u0414\\u043e \\u0442\\u0435\\u0431\\u044f \\u043c\\u043d\\u0435 \\u0434\\u043e\\u0439\\u0442\\u0438 \\u043d\\u0435 \\u043b\\u0435\\u0433\\u043a\\u043e,
\\n\\u0410 \\u0434\\u043e \\u0441\\u043c\\u0435\\u0440\\u0442\\u0438 - \\u0447\\u0435\\u0442\\u044b\\u0440\\u0435 \\u0448\\u0430\\u0433\\u0430.
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\\n\\u041f\\u043e\\u0439, \\u0433\\u0430\\u0440\\u043c\\u043e\\u043d\\u0438\\u043a\\u0430, \\u0432\\u044c\\u044e\\u0433\\u0435 \\u043d\\u0430\\u0437\\u043b\\u043e,
\\n\\u0417\\u0430\\u043f\\u043b\\u0443\\u0442\\u0430\\u0432\\u0448\\u0435\\u0435 \\u0441\\u0447\\u0430\\u0441\\u0442\\u044c\\u0435 \\u0437\\u043e\\u0432\\u0438.
\\n\\u041c\\u043d\\u0435 \\u0432 \\u0445\\u043e\\u043b\\u043e\\u0434\\u043d\\u043e\\u0439 \\u0437\\u0435\\u043c\\u043b\\u044f\\u043d\\u043a\\u0435 \\u0442\\u0435\\u043f\\u043b\\u043e
\\n\\u041e\\u0442 \\u043c\\u043e\\u0435\\u0439 \\u043d\\u0435\\u0433\\u0430\\u0441\\u0438\\u043c\\u043e\\u0439 \\u043b\\u044e\\u0431\\u0432\\u0438.
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\\n\\u0412 \\u0437\\u0435\\u043c\\u043b\\u044f\\u043d\\u043a\\u0435
\\nin English:
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\\nThe fire beats in the tiny hearth,
\\nResin shines on the wood like a tear,
\\nAn accordion sings about love,
\\nAnd your eyes and your smile reappear.
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\\nThe trees have whispered of you to me,
\\nIn the snow-white plains of Moscow,
\\nOh, my love, if it only could be,
\\nIf you heard me here singing alone.
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\\nYou are far, far away at this hour.
\\nSnows between us and winter\'s hard breath.
\\nTo rejoin you is not in my power,
\\nThough just four steps divide me from death.
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\\nSing, accordion, mocking the storm,
\\nCall back joy, drive off sorrow and doubt.
\\nIn the cold of the dogout I \'m warm
\\nFor the fire of our love won\'t go out.
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\\nIn closing, I\'d like to thank Bethany for her lovely greeting that I started today\'s lesson with. To the rest of my listeners: you are welcome to send in your greetings in Russian. Don\'t forget to visit speakrussian.blogspot.com for some lagniappe* (11 years in New Orleans have taken their toll:) . Send all your questions and comments to spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com
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\\n\\u0414\\u043e \\u0441\\u0432\\u0438\\u0434\\u0430\\u043d\\u0438\\u044f \\u0438 \\u0432\\u0441\\u0435\\u0433\\u043e \\u0445\\u043e\\u0440\\u043e\\u0448\\u0435\\u0433\\u043e, \\u0434\\u0440\\u0443\\u0437\\u044c\\u044f!
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\\n* (Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la \\xf1apa, \\u201cthe gift,\\u201d and ultimately from Quechua yapay, \\u201cto give more.\\u201d The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean \\u201can extra or unexpected gift or benefit.\\u201d)'