Singers, plurals and phrases translated from Russian. How is it right? / Article / LSM.lv

Although we are proud of the Latvian language, we still find sayings transferred from the Russian language, as well as the incorrect use of plural ones.

Dite Liepa, a researcher at the Latvian Language Institute of the University of Latvia and an assistant professor at Riga Stradins University, reminded in the Latvian Radio program “Kultūras Rondo” that most nouns have singular and plural forms. However, there are nouns that are used in the singular and plurals that are commonly used in the plural.

The researcher emphasized that often the plural is heard in the singular – “brain”, “worry”, “anger”, “debate”.

“Debate” as a conversation or exchange of ideas should be used in the plural, as well as “fear”, “anxiety”, “feelings”, “anger”, “torment”, “crying”, “thirst” as mental and emotional states or feelings and their expression names must also be used in the plural.

The researcher emphasized:

“We will not achieve language originality through the misuse of plurals.”

Despite the fact that the influence of the Russian language has diminished during the years of independence, Dite Liepa admitted that Latvians, including generations who do not know Russian, and high-ranking officials still use expressions translated from Russian into Latvian. There is no place for exactly transferred phrases from the Russian language – “как раз” (as once) or “ничего себя” (nothing for yourself) or “по большому счету” (mostly) in Latvian.

Instead of “nothing for yourself, that’s a surprise” you should say “it’s a surprise”.

“We think about it once” should be replaced by “we think about it”.

The word “now” should be replaced by “now”, “now”, “now”.

In turn, the winged phrases are “big”, instead of saying “in general” or “mainly”.

–