Way to Russia Talk Lounge

elena_2006 · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:50 am Post subject: How to talk about my fiance . . .

Hi, I'm a Russian student who has only been learning the language for a little over one month now at my university. So I have a fiance . . . would I say "moy muzhchina" when I talk about him?

Generation P

nuregis · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:51 am Post subject:

I thought that boyfriend was

Друг

(Droog or Drook)

and girlfriend

Подруга

(Pa-droo-ga)

If not, what are the meanings of these words? Are they slang terms that are no longer in style in Russia?

Generation P · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:20 pm Post subject:

Nuregis: good that you pointed it out!

One can also use the word друг for boyfriend just as well as парень. None of this words are any slang, just common spoken everyday Russian. Spoken language just might not be all that adapted to textbooks of any language what so ever.

подруга is a girlfriend, but also can be just a female friend. But it is also possible to use the word девушка for girlfriend, allthough девушка can also be adressed to any female (who is mostlikely not very old) in general.But when it is about love Smile

One might say for instance: "Это Маша. Она моя девушка." This would be translated into English as: This is Masha. She is my girlfriend.

Off topic: In Russia when people talk to each other not knowing each other they adres to (younger) women using the word девушка, younger men are usually called as молодой человек. For example, if you happen to drop your gloves in the metro when you're getting out of the train, the person telling you about this would be calling to you Девушка!!/Молодой человек!! So, in this case девушка wouldn't refer to the girl/woman as someone's girlfriend.

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

I think that can be used in literal context... "she's my girl", would imply that girlfriend is his "exclusive" girlfriend. But of course used in a different context "girl" would not necessarily mean girlfriend. Smile