outside/inside

[david-us.livejournal.com]

How do Russians express the concept of outside & inside? Or, the idea of being indoors (in a building) or outdoors (standing in your yard)?

How would a Russian say:
"Why are you inside? All you children should go outside and play."

-and-

"It's cold out outside! We should go inside where it's warmer."

I have always used "на дворе" for outside/outdoors. But I usually get strange looks when I use it.

Also, is there a different way to say this when direction (instead of location) is implied.

For instance: "Where are you going?" ... "I'm going outside."

Thanks!

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Comments

[oryx_and_crake]

I think "на улице" is suitable in most cases. На дворе can be used where you have the actual двор - a backyard or a courtyard, for example.

Дети, почему вы сидите дома? Идите на улицу, погуляйте /поиграйте.

На улице сегодня так холодно! Пойдем в дом, там теплее.

- Куда ты идешь?
- На улицу.

На дворе was widely used for the "outside" a while ago but I think this usage has shifted. For example, Pushkin wrote about 200 years ago:
В тот год осенняя погода
Стояла долго на дворе...
Of course, he meant that the weather was outside in general, not in his backyard only.

[skogens-kjole.livejournal.com]

Plus "на дворе" is still used in colloquial speech, for example in expressions like: "Уже поздно, ночь на дворе!" и т.п.

[acuzena.livejournal.com]

"Why are you inside? All you children should go outside and play." - Ты почему дома? Все дети играют на улице.
"It's cold out outside! We should go inside where it's warmer." - На улице холодно! Следует зайти в дом (or внутрь), там теплее.
"Where are you going?" ... "I'm going outside." - Ты куда? - Пойду выйду (or На улицу).


We use дома, в доме, внутри for inside and на улице, снаружи for outside

[alon_68]

There is no common word for "inside", it depends on the actual location:

Почему ты дома/в классе/в квартире/в зале?

The most common and popular for "outside" is на улице/на улицу

На улице холодно
Пошли на улицу

But во дворе во двор is accepted also if we really speak about children playground

Дети играют во дворе

[oryx_and_crake]

P.S. There is an obsolete meaning to сходить на двор - to obey a call of nature (presumably because an average peasant house would not have indoor plumbing). That may account for the strange looks you are getting...

[o-jovem-louco.livejournal.com]

I don't think so. This meaning is not at all evident. I think everything is much simpler: a phrase like "Мы поднялись из метро во двор" sounds rather strange, doesn't it?

[azazellodroog.livejournal.com]

сходить на двор is verrrrry old. in the pre-revolution times it meant to go check on your household, like pigs, cows and stuff. forget about the nature call thing (; never used nowadays. ever.

[krl-pgh.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would also say "на улице" (outside) vs. "внутри" (inside).

Another way to point out "being inside" in a slightly negative way is to say "в четырех стенах" (literally, "within four walls"): "Why are you inside? All you children should go outside and play." - "Что сидишь в четырех стенах? Все дети играют (должны играть) на улице."

[acuzena.livejournal.com]

I'd say "в четырех стенах" is a phraseology (not a common expression) and means "being oneself locked up inside".

[lucky-flower.livejournal.com]

"Why are you inside? All you children should go outside and play"
Почему вы дома? Пускай дети идут на улицу играть.

"It's cold out outside! We should go inside where it's warmer."
На улице холодно. Пойдем домой, там теплее.

It's used "на улице" in meaning "outside" and "дома" for "inside".
"На дворе" is usually used in villages, where people mostly live in their own cottages, and "двор" means "garden"
:)

[david-us.livejournal.com]

What if, by "inside", you are clearly [i]not[/i] talking about a house, rather, an office building, for instance?

You wouldn't use дома, would you? Or, is that a generic term that implies "inside", even if not in a house?

[angel7-kate.livejournal.com]

No, if we'd talk about the office, for example, we maybe said "в офисе".
I think there is no definite rules as in English.

[sa-sha-s.livejournal.com]

The idea of being outside is generally expressed by "на улице".
For being inside you can use the word "дома" (at home). If it is not a question of being home, but "not outside", you can say "в помещении".
I.g.
"Я не могу работать почтальоном, мне нужна какая-то работа в помещении."
"Летом в помещении жарко и душно."