Very Very new at Russian

[ritmann.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone. I would just like to introduce myself as I have just found out about this community on Live Journal.
i just started learning Russian about 8 months ago because i work with about 25 Russian speaking ice skaters and i am now dating one of them. I have no clue on how to read Russian at all, and only a very small vocabulary of things to say. (Mainly the basics of curse words, how to ask for a beer, and thing to flatter my girlfriend.)

I was wondering two things: First off, is there any advice that anyone can give me for learning conversational Russian.

And second: can someone give me a phonetic translation for "trouble maker" the best thing i could come up with is (and forgive my phonetic spelling) "problema" which i know means nothing like "trouble maker" it just means "trouble" ...it might help to know what i am looking for. This is an affectionate name that that my girlfriend and i call each other...so it is not meant in a harsh way.

Comments

[aciel.livejournal.com]

Narushityel, maybe?

You should really consider learning to read it. It doesn't take long at all.

[ritmann.livejournal.com]

I really do want to learn to read, i just haven't had the resources as of yet.

Thank you though, i appreciate anything anyone can offer. :-)

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

A phonetic translation — do you mean a translation, or a transliteration?

[sai17.livejournal.com]

troublemaker =
1. нарушитель [спокойствия, порядка]
2. смутьян

Try to use this:
http://www.online-translator.com/translator.asp?lang=en

[frostflake.livejournal.com]

The best way to learn conversational Russian is that same way you learn your native language -- by hearing and speaking it a lot. Encourage your Russian friends to speak in Russian around you and to speak to you in Russian. After a little (or long) while, you pick up idioms, intonation, vocabulary, structure, and all those other aspects of language I've forgotten to list.

Also, learning to read and write really helps with speaking, especially if you're a visual learner.

[oikade.livejournal.com]

Yup. Make good use of the resources in the community profile. Especially Master Russian. ;)

I'm really kicking myself for not looking at it sooner, it's an amazing resource and so much of what I've wanted it there.

[malaya-zemlya.livejournal.com]

If it's to call your gf, then may I suggest

"shalunya" (diminutive "shalunishka") or "ozornitsa"

These are a bit archaic, but they do mean exactly what you say, a trouble maker in an endearing way.

The other suggested translations don't seem appropriate at all

narushitel(feminine: narushitelnitsa) means "law-breaker", especially if it's a traffic law. This is a police term.

smutyan, is an archaic word for "insurgent"

very cute!

[kaersaij.livejournal.com]

Just want to sat that learning the language is not that difficult. keep at it, and you'll have it in no time.

[ritmann.livejournal.com]

Thanks everyone for your help.

The thing that sucks is I have been away from my gf and the other 24 or so Russians for about two months now. I get back on tour in 25 days.

As far as having them talk to me in Russian thats a lot of what they do and much of what i have learned has come from that.

Again, thanks everyone. I am glad i found this community

[schwarzer-tod.livejournal.com]

If you want a cutesy way of calling her a trouble-maker, you could always call her a Шапокляк (Shapoklyak).

[aciel.livejournal.com]

I recommend just searching Google for the alphabet, and practicing writing English words with that. That's what I did and it worked great.

You could also check Wikibooks. I think it's http://en.wikibooks.org. There should be one for the Russian language.

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

GAH! You're dating a Russian ice skater? That's hot.

Offtopic

[merengue.livejournal.com]

Nice upic :)

[frostflake.livejournal.com]

Yours as well!

[tsepych.livejournal.com]

Well, usually we don't translate word "troublemaker" and pronaunce it as in english.