the verb 'to finish'

[nominals.livejournal.com]

Hello all.

My Russian language professor told me that there are (at least) two sets of verbs that mean "to finish" and one set has sexual connotations. If I'm remembering correctly, they are кончать/кончить и закончать/закончить. Which is which? I don't want to embarrass myself!

Thank you!

Comments

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

The first one.

Which is which?

[nominals.livejournal.com]

Sorry, my question was "which is which" so I'm still not clear. Do you mean that кончать/кончить has the sexual connotation?

Re: Which is which?

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

yes.

Re: Which is which?

[nominals.livejournal.com]

Thank you thank you.

Re: Which is which?

[gera.livejournal.com]

"Кончить" may mean "to come", "to have an orgasm". It is perfectly ok, though, unless the context is otherwise suggestive.
It is kind of unnatural or even childish to deliberately replace it with "закончить" to avoid the connotation (thus, actually making it more obvious).

Re: Which is which?

[nominals.livejournal.com]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[azulejos.livejournal.com]

btw, закончать does not exist.
the right set will be заканчивать/закончить

[nadha.livejournal.com]

There is one more translation for "to finish" - "Завершать".

The word "ЗАКОНЧАТЬ" doesn't exist. You should say "заканчивать".

[macros-a.livejournal.com]

No. If I may add the word "закончАть" DOES exist. And could have ONLY sexual connotation.
"Он закончАл всё вокруг" means smthng like this "He is spread his sperm around"

Sorry for explanation like this.

[arvi.livejournal.com]

This word is meaningless without context. :-)

[nadha.livejournal.com]

Please show me this word in any vocabulary.

[gland.livejournal.com]

Sure what is your address

[miss-mp.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Thank you for information - I'm a native speaker and I didn't know anything about the connotation of кончить/кончать ;) It's not so obvious as you think :)

[prosto-los.livejournal.com]

Серьезно?! А... как же...??!! )))

[warpod.livejournal.com]

BTW, you can use "кончать/кончить" as transitive verb and it will be ok. Ex.: Я кончил работу - is ok, no sexual meanings.

[arvi.livejournal.com]

"Я закончил работу" is better.

"Я кончил работу" is a little unnatural. Correct is "я кончил работать."

"Кончил" has also a meaning to kill someone. "Семён, кончай её!" from Russian song has no sexual connotation. But "Семён, кончай в неё" would have only one, sexual meaning.

If you say "кончил", there is almost always a place for a dirty joke. But, if you are are speaking with someone of a little culture, there would be no joke.

[asyona.livejournal.com]

I prefer refrain from this verb. It's too much ambiguous.
Even if "я кончил работать" is correct, it's better to say "я закончил работать".

[arvi.livejournal.com]

Its only in after-Soviet period, when "sex" and prostitution came to everyday life. It was okay to say "кончить работать" in Soviet times.

[asyona.livejournal.com]

Exactly! It WAS.

Когда я слышу "кончить", то у меня сразу нехорошие ассоциации возникают. Причем не только у меня. :/

[ekeme-ndiba.livejournal.com]

It's merely a problem of the lost Pepsi generation, and educated people shouldn't bother.

[sveta-ko.livejournal.com]

кончать/кончить can have a sexual meaning in certain context, if you talk to someone about sex, then it will mean "to come" for sure, otherwise it will mean "to finish". I think it's perfectly ok to use this word, maybe "закончить" will be safer for you though

[salexey.livejournal.com]

There is also "окончить".

[pacifik.livejournal.com]

Sexual connotation for verb "кончать/кончить" appeared recently. Previously it was a normal verb without connotation. For example you can see proverb "Кончил дело - гуляй смело" (that means "if you finished all your duties you can freely go for a walk").
Now it is more polite to say "закончил/закончить (окончил/окончить)" becouse of appeared connotation. In present continues it is "заканчивать/оканчивать".

[piggy-toy.livejournal.com]

you're right there. my mom doesn't have a clue why i sometimes giggle at her "я кончила (over with stuff she was busy with), теперь давай поговорим".