http://slovami.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
slovami.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
learn_russian2009-03-04 09:42 pm
slovami.livejournal.com) wrote in learn_russian2009-03-04 09:42 pm
A joke and a question
(x-posted from my journal) Today in my Russian class, our professor told us a joke that I found pretty funny. I thought I'd repost it here, because trying to figure it out can be a good grammar exercise for intermediate Russian learners.
It's a Vasiliy Ivanovich and Petka joke, a genre of jokes that I'm sure native speakers can explain. That's not really important, though, except to know that Vasiliy Ivanovich is V.I. Chapaev, a hero of the Civil War, and Petka is his sidekick. So the joke takes place in the context of the early years of the Soviet Union.
Василий Иванович заходит к Петьке, а тот сидит, что–то пишет. Василий Иванович говорит: "Петька, что ты делаешь?" Петька говорит: "Оперу пишу." Василий Иванович говорит: "О–о, а я и не знал. Много уже написал?" Петька говорит: "Много! Опер будет доволен."
Before you read the explanation, here is a hint: it has to do with ambiguous case endings.
Vasiliy Ivanovich drops in on Petka, who is sitting writing something. He asks: "What are you doing?" Petka says: "I'm writing an opera." Vasiliy Ivanovich says: "Wow, and I had no idea! Have you written a lot?" Petka says: "Yes! The 'oper' will be satisfied."
So, it's a play on words, or rather, a play on cases. When Petka explains what he's writing, it could either be a feminine noun in the accusative (I am writing a thing, like историю, статью). But it could also be a masculine or neuter noun in the dative (I am writing to a person, like брату, Антону, преподавателю). The joke, then, is that "oper" is short for "operative," that is, someone working for the NKVD. He's not writing an opera, he's writing to the police. Those cases, they are so tricky!
And a question: is there a list somewhere of consonant clusters before which в and с become во and со? For example, в Москве, но во Владивостоке, во сне; с малиной, но со сметаной, со вкусом. I used to know them, and I've forgotten. Thanks in advance!
It's a Vasiliy Ivanovich and Petka joke, a genre of jokes that I'm sure native speakers can explain. That's not really important, though, except to know that Vasiliy Ivanovich is V.I. Chapaev, a hero of the Civil War, and Petka is his sidekick. So the joke takes place in the context of the early years of the Soviet Union.
Василий Иванович заходит к Петьке, а тот сидит, что–то пишет. Василий Иванович говорит: "Петька, что ты делаешь?" Петька говорит: "Оперу пишу." Василий Иванович говорит: "О–о, а я и не знал. Много уже написал?" Петька говорит: "Много! Опер будет доволен."
Before you read the explanation, here is a hint: it has to do with ambiguous case endings.
Vasiliy Ivanovich drops in on Petka, who is sitting writing something. He asks: "What are you doing?" Petka says: "I'm writing an opera." Vasiliy Ivanovich says: "Wow, and I had no idea! Have you written a lot?" Petka says: "Yes! The 'oper' will be satisfied."
So, it's a play on words, or rather, a play on cases. When Petka explains what he's writing, it could either be a feminine noun in the accusative (I am writing a thing, like историю, статью). But it could also be a masculine or neuter noun in the dative (I am writing to a person, like брату, Антону, преподавателю). The joke, then, is that "oper" is short for "operative," that is, someone working for the NKVD. He's not writing an opera, he's writing to the police. Those cases, they are so tricky!
And a question: is there a list somewhere of consonant clusters before which в and с become во and со? For example, в Москве, но во Владивостоке, во сне; с малиной, но со сметаной, со вкусом. I used to know them, and I've forgotten. Thanks in advance!