How do you say “I feel good”?

  • Wrong: I feel myself well.
  • Correctly: I feel well.

I feel myself it sounds like the speaker is touching himself, and the speakers of the language can be perceived as something indecent. Myself (himself, herself) need to lower.

2. Brilliant

How to translate into English the phrase "diamond ring"?

  • Wrong: brilliant ring.
  • Correctly: diamond ring.

Brilliant - an example of a "false friend" (false friend), words in English, which is similar to a word from the Russian language, but in fact has a different meaning. Brilliant ring - this is not at all a “diamond”, as a Russian person might think, but a “wonderful ring”.

3. Normal

How to answer the question "How are you?"

  • Wrong: I'm normal, thank you.
  • Correctly: I'm fine, thank you.

Indeed, Russians often answer this question: “Normal”, and for them “normal” is “good.” but normal in English it is “not strange.”

And the answer I'm normal, thank you translated "Thank you, I am normal."

4. Enough

Where to put in the sentence the word enough?

  • Wrong:
    Is he smart enough to understand this book?
    She spoke french enough to pass the exam.
    He's enough earned today.
  • Correctly:
    Is he smart enough to understand this book? ("Is he smart enough to understand this book?")
    She spoke french well enough to pass the exam. (“She spoke French well enough to pass the exam.”)
    He's earned enough today. ("He earned enough today.")

In English enough placed before the noun, but after other parts of speech: the adjective (smart), adverbs (well), the verb (earned).

5. Please

What to say to Thank you?

  • Wrong: Please.
  • Correctly: You're welcome.

A typical case is when in Russian one word is used in different contexts, and in English one has to use different words. “Please” as a request (“Please call me back”) will please, and “please”, as an answer to “thank you” - you're welcome.

6. Learn

How in English will be "She teaches higher mathematics at the university"?

  • Wrong: She learns Advanced Mathematics at university.
  • Correctly: She studies Advanced Mathematics at university.

The difference between the two "teach" is difficult to understand. Study rather refers to academic studies learn - to gain knowledge / skills in practice. To this is added the confusion with the word Teachwhich also translates into Russian as "teach." It is necessary to remember that Teach refers only to the activities of the teacher.

7. Freely

How to translate "We are fluent in English"?

  • Wrong: We speak English freely.
  • Correctly: We speak English fluently.

“Free” when it comes to the level of proficiency in the language is translated into English not as freely, but as fluently.

8. Down

How do you say please make some coffee?

  • Wrong: Do some coffee, please.
  • That's right: Make some coffee, please.

Often Russians do not know which of the two options to choose, because doand make translated as "do." The essence is in shades of meaning: if do is “to do”, then make - rather “create”.

9. Say

How to translate "John told parents about the job offer"?

  • Wrong: John said.
  • Correctly: Told his parents about a job offer.

Consuming a verb saySpeaker focuses on information, verb tell - on the person to whom the information is transmitted, that is, after tell should follow direct addition (tell me / him / us). Exceptions: tell a story.

10. Possibility

How to translate "Do not miss the opportunity to learn abroad"?

  • Wrong: Don't miss you.
  • Correctly: Don't miss the opportunity to study abroad.

“Opportunity” means “it can happen” or “it can be true” - possibility. "Opportunity" as a chance - Opportunity.

11. Comfortable

How do you say “convenient time to meet”?

  • Wrong: comfortable time to meet.
  • Correctly: convenient time to meet.

In Russian, both words are translated as "comfortable" or "convenient." But in english comfortable - giving a physical or emotional feeling of comfort, while convenient - suitable (tool or time, for example). Can not be comfortable time to meettime will always be convenient.

12. Useful

How will “healthy food” in English?

  • Wrong: useful food.
  • Correctly: healthy food.

In Russian, "useful" may be some kind of tool, and food. English food only healthy.

13. Very

How do you say I like you very much?

  • WrongAbout: I very like you.
  • That's right: I really like you.

Can also say I like you a lot or - option with very - I like you very much.

14. What

How to translate "I will give you everything you need"?

  • WrongAbout: I'll give you everything what you need.
  • Correctly: I'll give you everything you need.

The Russian "what" is translated into English and as what, and how That depending on the context. Hence the frequent mistakes in choosing the right word.

15. On the picture

How will “in the picture” in English?

  • Wrong: on the picture.
  • Correctly: in the picture.

Not always the relationship between objects, people, concepts are expressed using the same prepositions in Russian and English. So, in the picture / tree - in the picture / treebut Russians often use the preposition on.

16. Advices

How will advice in plural?

  • Wrong: advices.
  • Correctly: pieces of advice.

In Russian, “advice” is a countable noun and has the plural form “tips”. It is incalculable in English, therefore it cannot be said advices, have to use the expression pieces of advice or words of advice. Russians experience similar difficulties with such uncountable nouns as Knowledge, research, information, data.

17. Thanks god

How to translate the steady expression "thank God"?

  • Wrong: thanks God.
  • Correctly: thank god.

For some reason Russians often add s к thankapparently understanding this expression as thanks, God ("Thank God"). Do not need s in phrases no comment и no problem.

18. He / she

How do you say "I could not fix the phone when it broke"?

  • Wrong: I couldn't repair my phone after he broke.
  • Correctly: I couldn't repair my phone after it broke.

In Russian, as is known, 3 is a kind. English speakers claim that Russians are too bothered with childbirth (not surprising - for them to learn all this). Russian English it for any occasion, life seems cold and soulless (as you can, for example, say about a child it!) Therefore, the Russians are trying to assign some kind to the English nouns, which is not necessary, unless we are talking about a person or an animal, the sex of which is obvious.

19. Girlfriend

How to translate "Mary went shopping with her friend"?

  • Wrong: Maria went shopping with her girlfriend.
  • Correctly: Maria went shopping with her friend.

In English there is no direct opportunity to point to the floor of a friend: a friend of either sex will friend. Her girlfriend - this is not “her friend”, but “her girlfriend”. Russians often make such a mistake, and this can cause an awkward situation.

20. City

How do you say “I'm from Moscow”?

  • Wrong: I'm from Moscow city.
  • Correctly: I'm from Moscow.

Russians abroad often say that they are from Moscow city (Rostov city, Irkutsk city ...) Not such a mistake, but native English speakers make fun of her. Enough Moscow or, if you really want to, the city of Moscow. Yes there is Salt Lake Citysometimes City add to not confuse the city and state (Oklahoma City), but in other cases they do not say that. How not to say London city or Paris city.

If you automatically translate Russian phrases into English, you can never speak without errors. There are rules and exceptions that can be memorized with the help of the tips “and in Russian as well” or “and in Russian in reverse”, but the key word here is “to teach”.