Russian Idioms: Going into the Depths of the Mind

Ever wondered why we use colorful phrases to describe our mental struggles? Dive into the fascinating world of Russian idioms that paint a picture of the labyrinthine workings of the human mind!

In this post, we’ll explore gems like “шевели извилинами” (stir your convolutions) – a quirky way to tell someone to think hard. We’ll also delve into “голова не варит” (my brain isn’t cooking), the perfect expression for those moments when your mind goes on strike.

Stay tuned for more mind-bending idioms and discover how Russians express frustration, confusion, and the burden of self-inflicted problems!

What is Basic?

Over the past few weeks, several of my students have shared their frustration with me: “I’ve been studying Russian for so long and I still can’t use basic vocabulary! When I asked what kind of vocabulary they were referring to, they mentioned specific cooking verbs (e.g., verbs for cutting ingredients in different ways), words describing

Suddenly Dumb

Embarrassing Story When I moved to Canada, my fluency in English was confirmed twice by IELTS. I had been studying English for decades, since I was twelve. I had ten years of experience working in an international company where English was the only spoken language. I was pretty confident in my speaking abilities, when one

Synonyms: How to Tell the Difference

Synonyms are a blessing and a curse for language learners. How can a language learner know the difference between two words that mean the same thing? How do you know when to choose one word, and when to choose the other? Can they be used interchangeably, or does each word have a specific niche and belong to a certain context? I will try to answer those questions in this article, and I will share a few practical tips on how to make synonyms your friends.

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