(no subject)

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

I have a quick question about the word "молодежь" - lingvo.yandex.ru gives the definition as "youth, young people". Does this mean that it's only a collective noun referring to youth as a whole, or can it also be applied to a single youth, like the English word "youth" can be?

Comments

Hmmm...

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

I've heard people address myself with friends as (no cyrillic, lazy, sorry) "molodoy chelovek"...it's usually older folk though. "Devushka" I've heard, but rarely.

As in England/English, in my experience wandering around town, I've found people tend to avoid any form of address (I mean, how many people in English say "Young man/woman, can you tell me what time it is?").

Just my 2kopeks, as it was something that sprang to mind.

Re: Hmmm...

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Right. I wasn't speaking about the way to address to somebody. Even I call my male students "молодой человек" ("барышня", if it's a girl) from time to time, though I'm not that old :) I was speaking about the way you describe a young person. 3rd person. BTW "молодой человек" / "барышня" could be used this way as well. "Ко мне пришел один молодой человек"... (A young man had come to me...) There is also a more slangish trend to call somebody's boyfriend "мой/её молодой человек" (my/her boyfriend).

Re: Hmmm...

[kahala.livejournal.com]

Rarely? God, when I lived in Russia I was addressed as devushka all the time. All the time.

Maybe I just attracted odd people...

You are more right than you think

[esc.livejournal.com]

Right now, the word 'devushka' in Russia has become the most popular unofficial addressing to a woman of ANY age, if she is same age as you or younger.

Re: Hmmm...

[welgar.livejournal.com]

I think "молодой человек" and "девушка" are the most popular ways to address a boy or a girl aged roughly 18 - 25. "Барышня" is quite rare and either old-fashioned or extremely polite. These words are used for unfamiliar people and you are supposed to use "Вы", not "ты", in the speech.