Funny Story of the day

[veronique-cheri.livejournal.com]

So today I was in Russian class (Russian I take in mind) & we were learning how to say that we didn't have something. (Oo menya net...) (Sorry I do not have cyrillic on here yet!)

Anyway, it was my turn and I wanted to say that I didn't have a cat. But, I thought the word for cat was "Kishkah."

After I said it, the teacher gave me a strange look:

"You don't have intestines?"

Whoops. Hahaa...

Btw, does anyone know where I can download a phonetic cyrillic keyboard? Spaseeba! (Darn english!)

Comments

[toh-rus.livejournal.com]

i had a cat named "Кышка" (from "Кыш" which mean "shoo!"(go away!))

[beltspinner.livejournal.com]

I don't know about downloading one, but I use this website when I need a phonetic keyboard. I only use if when I need to type a lot, since I'm trying to learn to use the real one.

anyway, here's the link.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PaulGor/screen_e.htm

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

Do you mean a keyboard that will map cyrillic letters to their closest English counterparts (so you would get "н" by hitting the "n" key)?

If you just want an actual Russian keyboard layout, that's easy, but it will take a little bit of practice to be able to use it.

[cherniavska.livejournal.com]

www.translit.ru

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

both mac and windows computers come with phonetic keyboards installed. but here's the caveat--if you're serious about learning russian, you should just type with the regular russian keyboard. if you go to russia, the keyboards there won't be phonetic--they'll have the russian keyboard layout. it won't take you that long to learn. the challenge is that there's no russian layout demarcated on your keyboard. this can be easily solved for under three dollars including shipping by buying stickers like these (http://cgi.ebay.com/RUSSIAN-CYRILLIC-keyboard-stickers-6-COLORS2_W0QQitemZ260229738810QQihZ016QQcategoryZ31568QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). stick them on your keys, and you'll be typing in russian in no time. seriously, i type pretty much as fast in russian as i do in english now. :) the phonetic keyboard is actually harder because you have think "wait... where is ш... oh yeah it's where w is... now, where is я?" it puts too much of a bridge between typing in english and russian when what you really want to do is be in "russian" mode when you're writing in russian. :)

[bokh.livejournal.com]

>the phonetic keyboard is actually harder because you have think "wait... where is ш... oh yeah it's where w is... now, where is я?"

Second that. Even with phonetic keyboard you'll still have to _learn_ quite a few mappings, like w-ш, я, й, ъ -(I can't even imagine what these correspond to), etc. I think it is way more useful to invest some time in learning the real Cyrillic layout, so that you'll always have it with you, on any computer, without having to download any third-party add-ons.

[khathi.livejournal.com]

Я is usually mapped to q, and й to j, but I also agree -- it's quite a bit of hassle, mainly when you have to finally relearn to mainstream cyrillic keyboard. I started on MSX, actually, which had a phonetic keyboard, so when I switched to PC, there was some real trouble, indeed.

[kunaifusu.livejournal.com]

And another problem with a phonetic keyboard would be that Russian letters would be on some random positions so you would move your fingers or switch between left/right hand much too often compared to the natural Russian layout where keys are grouped together to minimize hand movement.

[archaicos.livejournal.com]

кишка = a gut, intestine
кошка = a cat (femenine or a cat in general; кот is masculine)

[xorxor.livejournal.com]

The correct form is "Koshak"

You dont have to download any cyrillic keyboard. You can turn it on in windows control panel.

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

or mac international settings under system preferences :)

[oryx_and_crake]

The correct form is "кошка". "Кошак" (second syllable stressed) is a colloquial word for a male cat.

[xorxor.livejournal.com]

But "Koshak" is closer to "Kishkah" (term used by author) :)

[oryx_and_crake]

So what?

[alon_68]

You probably had learned the Ukrainian word instead of the Russian one. Ukrainian frequently has 'ee' where Russian has 'o' or 'eh'. So, 'kishkah' it's Ukrainian for a cat, while 'koshkah' is Russian.

[tricours.livejournal.com]

Install the real keyboard instead. Do you look at the keyboard when you type in English? If not, don't mind about stickers. I've learnt the keyboard just fine from "feeling" where the different buttons are. It doesn't help me one bit to look at the keyboard cause I don't know where the buttons are with my eyes, only with my fingers, and thus I focus on the screen instead.

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

Stickers helped me a lot. Unless you have a photographic memory, you're not going to remember where all the keys are without many months of trial and error. This what leads people down the dangerous path of icky phonetic keyboards.

[tricours.livejournal.com]

Well it all depends on if you look at the keyboard when typing or not. I've learned all my keyboards (french, russian, arabic) from feeling and memory, and I don't have a very good memory. You can just look at a picture of the [language] keyboard while typing exercises if you find it difficult.

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

but still... stickers are easy. and they look pretty. i don't see the point in discouraging people from using them. plus i never had the time to do exercises--i had to jump right in to typing papers in russian.

[tricours.livejournal.com]

Sure, if you can get your hands on them easily then why not :) They're just not a must if you don't want a phonetic keyboard!

Sounds interesting, but that is also the best way of learning! Do you study Russian at a University?

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

you can get them easily off of ebay :)

yep, i'm graduating in may with my degree in Russian. I also studied for a year at a Russian university, and am going back for more study in Russia after I get my degree.

[tricours.livejournal.com]

Perhaps in the US you can ;)

How many years of study is that? What will you study in Russia later?

[la-dy-ashley.livejournal.com]

May be you were thinking of Киска? That's a gentle way to call a cat. But it's kiska, then, not kishka, for sure:)

[toh-rus.livejournal.com]

Киска = Pussy.
But be carefull, it have different meanings :)

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

I would translate киска as kitty or kitty cat or *maybe* pussy cat, but not just pussy.

[pastilla.livejournal.com]

toh_rus: seriously?

[toh-rus.livejournal.com]

http://lingvo.yandex.ru/q?text=%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0&st_translate=1
http://lingvo.yandex.ru/q?text=pussy&st_translate=1

[pastilla.livejournal.com]

:: chuckles ::

Good to know!

[besisland.livejournal.com]

“Кот” is a male cat, “ко́шка” is a female cat.

“Кі́шка” (kee-shkah, in Russian it would be written as “ки́шка” (do not confuse with “кйшка”, this word does not exist)) is the Ukrainian word for a female cat.

“Кишка́” does exist and is the word for an intesine.

You probably thought about “ки́ска”, which is the affectionate word for “ко́шка”, like “pussy cat”.