# Russian speakers: translate this address? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819 "2005-12-15T22:26:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/1 "2005-12-15T22:26:57Z")
This is the address of the Meteorological Museum of St. Petersburg, according to its Web site: [http://museum.vniim.ru/adres.html](http://museum.vniim.ru/adres.html) 198005, С.-Петербург, Московский пр., 19 Babel fish wasn’t quite as helpful as I hoped. It translates Московский пр. as “Moscow the rest.” I’m assuming that it’s the street address, and that the whole thing in standard US configuration should be: 19 [Moscow the rest] St. Petersburg, 198005, Russia If someone could just translate Московский пр. for me, I’d be very happy. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/2 "2005-12-15T22:29:54Z")
Ya ne gavaryu pa-Russki. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/3 "2005-12-15T22:34:14Z")
Me neither, which is why I posted. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/4 "2005-12-15T22:58:11Z")
In Soviet Union, mail addresses _you_. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/5 "2005-12-15T22:59:55Z")
I can see that this may take a while… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/6 "2005-12-15T23:02:19Z")
Московский пр. = Moskovskiy Pr(ospekt), or, roughly, “Moscow Boulevard” Presumably the 19 is the street address. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/7 "2005-12-15T23:02:27Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I can see that this may take a while… :rolleyes: I’ll just invoke **Eva Luna** - I imagine she can handle it. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/8 "2005-12-15T23:04:55Z")
Thank you, **Polycarp**! Would it be wrong to just put it as Moscow Prospect? Or Moscow Pr.? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/9 "2005-12-15T23:10:19Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Ya ne gavaryu pa-Russki. > > 😃 Which is also wrong, because it is grammatically incorrect to to use _pa Russki_ with the verb ГОВОРИТЬ (_govoreet_, to speak) (with my extremely rusty Russian, it’s hard to properly phonetically type Russian words). With the verb ГОВОРИТЬ, you would use the direct object ЯЗЫК (_yzeik_, language) modified by the adjective РУССКИЙ (_rooskie_[masc], Russian). The proper sentence is therefore Я НЕ ГОВОРЬЮ РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК (_Ya ne govoryu rooskie yzeik_, I don’t speak the Russian language; although in common usage _yzeik_ is often dropped as it is understood). Now, to answer the OP, ПР is probably short for ПРОСПЕКТ (_prospect_, avenue) and Московский is the male adjectival for of Moscow. So it is Moscow Avenue. Not bad, I don’t think, for someone who’s spoken maybe a half dozen sentences of Russian since 1993. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/10 "2005-12-15T23:11:21Z")
And for all you posters who gave a quick and easy answer while I was typing… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/11 "2005-12-16T03:27:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Which is also wrong, because it is grammatically incorrect to to use pa Russki with the verb ??? (govoreet, to speak) (with my extremely rusty Russian, it’s hard to properly phonetically type Russian words). With the verb ???, you would use the direct object ??? (yzeik, language) modified by the adjective ??? (rooskie[masc], Russian). Erm, where did you hear this rule? It’s perfectly acceptable to say “govorit’ po-russki” (not even going to try to type Cyrillic here, cos my attempts always look fine on my computer but turn to gibberish for everyone else). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/12 "2005-12-16T03:30:44Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Which is also wrong See? I told you! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/13 "2005-12-16T05:21:09Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I’ll just invoke **Eva Luna** - I imagine she can handle it. > > - Tamerlane Sorry the invoking took me a while - just got home from hosting a Russian dinner. 🙂 \*\* Polycarp\*\* had it on the nose, in any case. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/14 "2005-12-16T05:31:35Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > The proper sentence is therefore Я НЕ ГОВОРЬЮ РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК (_Ya ne govoryu rooskie yzeik_, I don’t speak the Russian language; although in common usage _yzeik_ is often dropped as it is understood). Sorry, but that sentence is wrong. The proper way to say “I do not speak russian” is a) “Ya ne govoryu na Russkom yazike.” GOVORIT’ (to speak) does not take a direct object, needs a preposition. b) “Ya ne znau Russkii yazik” ZNAT’ (to know) takes a direct object c) “Ya ne govoryu po Russki” Different preposition/object/case, there is no implied “yazik” since “Russki” takes place of indirect object all by itself. It is not an adjective in this case. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/15 "2005-12-16T06:02:58Z")
В СОВЕТСКОЙ РОССИЕ, ГЛАГОЛИ _ВАМ_ СПРЯГАЮТ! Sorry, that’s the wittiest thing I could come up with on short notice. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/16 "2005-12-16T06:11:02Z")
В СОВЕТСКОЙ РОССИЕ, РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК _ВАМ_ ГОВОРИТ! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/17 "2005-12-16T11:24:33Z")
> [@groman](#): > > Sorry, but that sentence is wrong. The proper way to say “I do not speak russian” is > > a) “Ya ne govoryu na Russkom yazike.” GOVORIT’ (to speak) does not take a direct object, needs a preposition. > > b) “Ya ne znau Russkii yazik” ZNAT’ (to know) takes a direct object > > c) “Ya ne govoryu po Russki” Different preposition/object/case, there is no implied “yazik” since “Russki” takes place of indirect object all by itself. It is not an adjective in this case. I’ll concede a and b. As I said, it has been over a dozen years. I do remember clearly, however, being told c was grammatically incorrect. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to my Russian teachers any longer to confirm. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/18 "2005-12-16T15:20:49Z")
> [@](#): > > I do remember clearly, however, being told c was grammatically incorrect. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to my Russian teachers any longer to confirm. Hmmm. I just got finished with my fifth semester of Russian, and we were definitely taught to say “говорить по-русски (по-английски, по-испански, и т.д.)”, and I’ve been asked “Вы говорите по-русски?” by native Russian speakers. Hearkening back to the currently raging pit thread on nuclear vs. nucular, just because a grammarian somewhere, sometime said that a particular construction was incorrect doesn’t make it so. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/19 "2005-12-16T15:40:32Z")
True, **yBeafy**. It could be my Russian teachers (Defense Language Institue, The Presidio, Monterey, CA - 47 week immersion program) were sticklers. The actual Russian language stuff I ended up working with wouldn’t have cause to use that phrase. I know that what I did end up hearing mangled grammar as bad as any Brooklynite (fuhgeddaboudit!) and that the accents, for one trained solely by Muscovites, were a big challenge. My boss is an educated native Russian (Ukranian) speaker, but I won’t get to speak to him until late next week (if at all this year). If I remember (and catch him while he’s still sober), I’ll ask and bump this thread next week. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819/20 "2005-12-16T15:54:39Z")
Just to pile on, I’m going to side with **yBeayf** here. Раньше, я говорил по-русски, а теперь я много русского языка забыл. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-speakers-translate-this-address/335819.md?page=2)