What does "tree" mean in Russian?
The Russian word for "tree" is дерево (dérevo). It is a neuter noun, and it does two jobs that English splits between two words. It is the plant: a tree grows in the park. It is also the material: a table made of wood. English has tree for the first and wood for the second, and Russian has дерево for both. Which one is meant, the sentence decides. Example 105.15 uses the second meaning: "The furniture is made of wood".
Russian has no article, so дерево means "a tree" and "the tree" alike. A noun with no article in front is not a problem, because the endings and the word order carry what the articles carry in English.
Three things about the word are worth knowing at the start.
First, the plural is irregular. The plural of дерево is not деревы, as the pattern of other neuter nouns would lead you to expect. It is деревья (derév’ya), with a soft sign and the ending -ья, and the stress moves from the first syllable to the second: де́рево, but дере́вья. A small group of common nouns share this plural: крыло́ (kryló, "wing") has кры́лья, перо́ (peró, "feather") has пе́рья, and лист (list, "leaf") has ли́стья. Section D gives all the forms.
Second, the word is old and has relatives. Russian дерево comes from a Proto-Slavic word of the shape dervo, which goes back to an Indo-European root meaning "tree, wood, oak". English tree* comes from the same far-off root, so the Russian and the English word are distant cousins. The older Slavic form survives in Russian as древо (drévo), a poetic and learned word: you meet it in the "family tree" (родословное древо) and in the "tree of life" (древо жизни).
Third, Russian likes a precise name for each kind of tree. Where English says "apple tree" or "oak tree", Russian has a word of its own: яблоня (yáblonya), дуб (dub), берёза (beryóza, "birch"), сосна (sosná, "pine"), липа (lípa, "linden"). Дерево is the general word, used when the kind does not matter or is not known.
This lesson follows дерево through its cases and through two texts: a passage of the Gospel of Matthew in the Russian Synodal Translation, where the tree stands for a person's character, and a descriptive text about an old tree in a courtyard.
A note on the script. The letter д before е is soft, which is to say the tongue is raised towards the palate, and the Russian ь in деревья is the soft sign that carries the same softness to в. Neither has an English letter of its own. The Pronunciation Guide at the end of the lesson takes them in turn.
- дерево (dérevo) = "tree" and also "wood" (the material). It is neuter, inanimate, and has no article. - The stress is on the first syllable in the singular (де́рево, де́рева, де́реву, де́ревом, де́реве) and on the second in the plural (дере́вья, дере́вьев, дере́вьям, дере́вьями, дере́вьях). - The plural is деревья (derév’ya), not деревы. The same -ья plural is found in крылья, перья, листья. - The accusative of an inanimate noun is the same as the nominative: Я вижу дерево, Я люблю деревья. - After 2, 3 and 4 the noun is genitive singular: два дерева. After 5 and above it is genitive plural: пять деревьев. - Specific trees have their own names: яблоня, дуб, берёза, сосна, липа. The New Year tree is a ёлка, not a дерево. - The related words are деревянный (derevyánnyy, "wooden"), деревцо (derevtsó, "little tree") and древесина (drevesiná, "timber, wood as a material").
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105.1a Это this-is дерево tree
105.1b Éto (EH-tuh) this-is dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N
105.2a Эти these деревья trees очень very высокие tall
105.2b Éti (EH-tee) these-NOM.PL derév’ya (dee-RYEH-vyuh) trees-NOM.PL óchen’ (OH-chin) very vysókiye (vuh-SOH-kee-yeh) tall-NOM.PL
105.3a Я I люблю love деревья trees
105.3b Ya (yah) I lyublyú (lyoo-BLYOO) love-PRES.1SG derév’ya (dee-RYEH-vyuh) trees-ACC.PL
105.4a Птица bird сидит sits на on дереве tree
105.4b Ptítsa (PTEE-tsuh) bird-NOM.SG.F sidít (see-DEET) sits-PRES.3SG na (nah) on déreve (DYEH-ree-vyeh) tree-PREP.SG.N
105.5a Под under деревом tree лежит lies собака dog
105.5b Pod (poht) under dérevom (DYEH-ree-vuhm) tree-INST.SG.N lezhít (lee-ZHEET) lies-PRES.3SG sobáka (suh-BAH-kuh) dog-NOM.SG.F
105.6a В in нашем our парке park растёт grows старое old дерево tree
105.6b V (v) in náshem (NAH-shuhm) our-PREP.SG.M párke (PAHR-kyeh) park-PREP.SG.M rastyót (rus-TYOHT) grows-PRES.3SG stároye (STAH-ruh-yeh) old-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N
105.7a Дети children играют play вокруг around дерева tree
105.7b Déti (DYEH-tee) children-NOM.PL igráyut (ee-GRAH-yoot) play-PRES.3PL vokrúg (vuh-KROOK) around déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-GEN.SG.N
105.8a Мальчик boy залез climbed-up на onto высокое tall дерево tree
105.8b Mál’chik (MAHL-cheek) boy-NOM.SG.M zaléz (zuh-LYES) climbed-up-PAST.M.SG.PERF na (nah) onto vysókoye (vuh-SOH-kuh-yeh) tall-ACC.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-ACC.SG.N
105.9a Мы we сидели sat в in тени shade этого this дерева tree
105.9b My (mih) we-NOM sidéli (see-DYEH-lee) sat-PAST.PL.IMPF v (v) in tení (tee-NEE) shade-PREP.SG.F étogo (EH-tuh-vuh) this-GEN.SG.N déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-GEN.SG.N
105.10a Отец father посадил planted дерево tree перед in-front-of домом house
105.10b Otéts (uh-TYETS) father-NOM.SG.M posadíl (puh-suh-DEEL) planted-PAST.M.SG.PERF dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-ACC.SG.N péred (PYEH-ryit) in-front-of dómom (DOH-muhm) house-INST.SG.M
105.11a Весной in-spring на on деревьях trees появляются appear зелёные green листья leaves
105.11b Vesnóy (vis-NOY) spring-INST.SG.F na (nah) on derév’yakh (dee-RYEH-vyukh) trees-PREP.PL poyavlyáyutsya (puh-yuv-LYAH-yoot-suh) appear-PRES.3PL.REFL zelyónyye (zee-LYOH-nih-yeh) green-NOM.PL líst’ya (LEEST-yuh) leaves-NOM.PL
105.12a Мы we подошли approached к to двум two деревьям trees у by реки river
105.12b My (mih) we-NOM podoshlí (puh-dush-LEE) approached-PAST.PL.PERF k (k) to dvum (dvoom) two-DAT derév’yam (dee-RYEH-vyuhm) trees-DAT.PL u (oo) by rekí (ree-KEE) river-GEN.SG.F
105.13a На on этой this улице street много many высоких tall деревьев trees
105.13b Na (nah) on étoy (EH-toy) this-PREP.SG.F úlitse (OO-lee-tsyeh) street-PREP.SG.F mnógo (MNOH-guh) many vysókikh (vuh-SOH-keekh) tall-GEN.PL derév’yev (dee-RYEH-vyuhf) trees-GEN.PL
105.14a Он he любит likes гулять to-walk между among деревьями trees и and слушать to-listen птиц birds
105.14b On (ohn) he-NOM lyúbit (LYOO-beet) likes-PRES.3SG gulyát’ (goo-LYAHT) to-walk-INF.IMPF mézhdu (MYEZH-doo) among derév’yami (dee-RYEH-vyuh-mee) trees-INST.PL i (ee) and slúshat’ (SLOO-shuht) to-listen-INF.IMPF ptits (PTEETS) birds-ACC.PL
105.15a Мебель furniture сделана made из of дерева wood а but не not из of пластика plastic
105.15b Mébel’ (MYEH-byil) furniture-NOM.SG.F sdélana (ZDYEH-luh-nuh) made-SHORT.PASS.F iz (ees) of déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) wood-GEN.SG.N a (ah) but ne (nyeh) not iz (ees) of plástika (PLAH-stee-kuh) plastic-GEN.SG.M
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105.1 Это дерево. (Éto dérevo.) "This is a tree."
105.2 Эти деревья очень высокие. (Éti derév’ya óchen’ vysókiye.) "These trees are very tall."
105.3 Я люблю деревья. (Ya lyublyú derév’ya.) "I love trees."
105.4 Птица сидит на дереве. (Ptítsa sidít na déreve.) "A bird is sitting on the tree."
105.5 Под деревом лежит собака. (Pod dérevom lezhít sobáka.) "A dog is lying under the tree."
105.6 В нашем парке растёт старое дерево. (V náshem párke rastyót stároye dérevo.) "An old tree grows in our park."
105.7 Дети играют вокруг дерева. (Déti igráyut vokrúg déreva.) "The children are playing around the tree."
105.8 Мальчик залез на высокое дерево. (Mál’chik zaléz na vysókoye dérevo.) "The boy climbed up a tall tree."
105.9 Мы сидели в тени этого дерева. (My sidéli v tení étogo déreva.) "We sat in the shade of this tree."
105.10 Отец посадил дерево перед домом. (Otéts posadíl dérevo péred dómom.) "Father planted a tree in front of the house."
105.11 Весной на деревьях появляются зелёные листья. (Vesnóy na derév’yakh poyavlyáyutsya zelyónyye líst’ya.) "In spring, green leaves appear on the trees."
105.12 Мы подошли к двум деревьям у реки. (My podoshlí k dvum derév’yam u rekí.) "We went up to two trees by the river."
105.13 На этой улице много высоких деревьев. (Na étoy úlitse mnógo vysókikh derév’yev.) "There are many tall trees on this street."
105.14 Он любит гулять между деревьями и слушать птиц. (On lyúbit gulyát’ mézhdu derév’yami i slúshat’ ptits.) "He likes to walk among the trees and listen to the birds."
105.15 Мебель сделана из дерева, а не из пластика. (Mébel’ sdélana iz déreva, a ne iz plástika.) "The furniture is made of wood, not of plastic."
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105.1 Это дерево.
105.2 Эти деревья очень высокие.
105.3 Я люблю деревья.
105.4 Птица сидит на дереве.
105.5 Под деревом лежит собака.
105.6 В нашем парке растёт старое дерево.
105.7 Дети играют вокруг дерева.
105.8 Мальчик залез на высокое дерево.
105.9 Мы сидели в тени этого дерева.
105.10 Отец посадил дерево перед домом.
105.11 Весной на деревьях появляются зелёные листья.
105.12 Мы подошли к двум деревьям у реки.
105.13 На этой улице много высоких деревьев.
105.14 Он любит гулять между деревьями и слушать птиц.
105.15 Мебель сделана из дерева, а не из пластика.
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Gender and type. Дерево is a neuter noun of the hard-stem type: it ends in -о in the nominative singular, like окно (oknó, "window") and слово (slóvo, "word"). It is inanimate, so its accusative is the same as its nominative.
The singular. The stress stays on the first syllable throughout. Written as text lines:
- Nominative: де́рево (dérevo): Это дерево. "This is a tree." - Genitive: де́рева (déreva): вокруг дерева, "around the tree" (105.7) - Dative: де́реву (dérevu): этому дереву сто лет, "this tree is a hundred years old" (105.18) - Accusative: де́рево (dérevo): Мальчик залез на высокое дерево (105.8) - Instrumental: де́ревом (dérevom): под деревом, "under the tree" (105.5) - Prepositional: де́реве (déreve): на дереве, "on the tree" (105.4)
The plural. The stem grows a soft sign and the ending is -ья. The stress moves to the second syllable and stays there:
- Nominative: дере́вья (derév’ya): Эти деревья очень высокие (105.2) - Genitive: дере́вьев (derév’yev): много высоких деревьев (105.13) - Dative: дере́вьям (derév’yam): к двум деревьям, "to two trees" (105.12) - Accusative: дере́вья (derév’ya): Я люблю деревья (105.3) - Instrumental: дере́вьями (derév’yami): между деревьями, "among the trees" (105.14) - Prepositional: дере́вьях (derév’yakh): на деревьях, "on the trees" (105.11)
Other nouns with this plural. A few common nouns follow the same pattern: крыло́ (kryló) has plural кры́лья, "wings", and перо́ (peró) has пе́рья, "feathers". The masculine лист (list, "leaf") has ли́стья, "leaves" (105.11, 105.20). For comparison, брат (brat, "brother") has бра́тья. These plurals do not follow a rule, so each one is learned with its noun. Take care with лист: ли́стья means "leaves" of a tree (105.11), while листы́ means "sheets" of paper.
Numbers. After the numbers 2, 3 and 4, Russian uses the genitive singular, and the stress goes back to the first syllable: два дерева (dva déreva), три дерева, четыре дерева. After 5 and above, and after words like много, "many", and несколько, "several", it is the genitive plural: пять деревьев (pyat’ derév’yev), много деревьев (105.13). So the same written word дерева can be the genitive singular (вокруг дерева) or the form after two (два дерева), and the stress shows that it is not the plural: де́рева, with the stress on the first syllable, against дере́вья.
The dative. The preposition к ("to, towards") takes the dative: к двум деревьям (105.12), where the numeral двум and the noun are both dative. The dative singular also gives age, as in 105.18: этому дереву больше ста лет, literally "to this tree more than a hundred years". The thing that is old is in the dative, and the years follow.
Prepositions in this lesson. Each takes its own case, and the case changes the meaning:
- на + prepositional: where something is: на дереве, "on the tree" (105.4) - на + accusative: where something goes: залез на дерево, "climbed up a tree" (105.8) - под + instrumental: where something is: под деревом (105.5) - вокруг, у, без, из, с + genitive: вокруг дерева, у дерева (105.22), без дерева (105.29), из дерева, с дерева (105.20) - перед, за, между + instrumental: перед домом (105.10), за деревом (105.21), между деревьями (105.14)
Tree and wood. The sentence decides whether дерево is the plant or the material. After из, the material is meant: сделана из дерева, "made of wood" (105.15). For the building material, "timber", the word is древесина (drevesiná). The adjective "wooden" is деревянный (derevyánnyy): деревянный стол, "a wooden table". The diminutive "little tree, sapling" is деревцо (derevtsó), plural деревца́ (derevtsá).
Predicate nouns. In 105.17, Это дерево — старая липа, there is no verb "is" in the present tense: a dash stands in its place in writing, and both nouns are in the nominative. Липа (lípa, "linden") is feminine, and so is its adjective, старая, while дерево is neuter.
Verbs of position. Russian chooses a verb according to how a thing is placed. Сидит (sidít, "sits") is used for the bird on the tree (105.4), лежит (lezhít, "lies") for the dog under it (105.5), and стоит (stoít, "stands") for the bench by it (105.22). Of the tree itself, Russian says that it растёт (rastyót, "grows") in a place (105.6, 105.16), or that it стоит ("stands") there.
- Saying деревы for the plural. The plural is деревья, and in the genitive it is деревьев, never деревов. (A short genitive plural дерев does exist, but it is archaic and poetic, as in "шум дерев", and you should not use it in ordinary speech.) - Putting the stress on the second syllable in the singular. It is де́рево, and only the plural has дере́вья. - Using the plural after "two": два деревья. After 2, 3 and 4 the form is два дерева. - Using the plural after "five": пять дерева. It is пять деревьев. - Saying в дереве for "on the tree". A bird sits на дереве. The phrase в дереве exists, but it means "inside the tree", as in дупло в дереве, "a hollow in a tree". - Using дерево for the New Year tree. In Russian it is the ёлка (yólka) or новогодняя ёлка, "the New Year tree". - Confusing дерево with the village. Деревня (derévnya, "village") looks close, but it has the stress on the second syllable and a different meaning, and it is a different word. - Trying to translate "an apple tree" as яблочное дерево. The ordinary word is яблоня (yáblonya).
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Дерево is a plain, neutral, everyday word. You use it with children, in a report, in a garden, and in a school lesson about nature. The learned word древо (drévo) has a solemn tone and appears in fixed phrases: генеалогическое or родословное древо, "family tree", and древо жизни, "tree of life". The same phrases are also said with the plain word: родословное дерево, генеалогическое дерево.
Russians name the tree by its kind rather than adding a word for "tree". The apple tree is the яблоня, and its fruit is the яблоко. Many fruit trees share a name with their fruit: груша (grúsha) is both "pear" and "pear tree", вишня (víshnya) is "cherry" and "cherry tree", and слива (slíva) is "plum" and "plum tree". The birch, берёза (beryóza), is the tree most often named as a symbol of Russia, and a young birch is a берёзка (beryózka), a favourite subject of Russian songs and poems.
A saying that is repeated in many cultures, Russian among them, lists three things that a man should do in his life: build a house, plant a tree, raise a son (построить дом, посадить дерево, вырастить сына). The previous lesson of this course, дом (house), was the first of these three. Example 105.10 is a quiet echo of the saying: Отец посадил дерево перед домом.
In a country as full of forest as Russia, дерево as "wood" is part of ordinary life: the wooden house (деревянный дом) is the traditional house of the countryside, and example 105.15 shows the word in this sense. A wooden table or a wooden toy is "of tree" (из дерева), and the material is described by the same word as the plant.
The tree that Russians put up for New Year is the ёлка (yólka), a spruce or a fir. It is not called a дерево, even though it is one. A well-known children's song begins «В лесу родилась ёлочка» («In the forest a little fir-tree was born»), and the diminutive ёлочка is the affectionate form.
Дерево is also a technical word. In computing and mathematics, a "tree" is a дерево: дерево решений, "decision tree". The word keeps its image of a trunk with branches (ветки, vétki) and leaves (листья).
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Source: The Gospel of Matthew (Евангелие от Матфея), chapter 7, verses 17 to 19, in the Russian Synodal Translation (Синодальный перевод), the standard Russian Bible, completed in 1876.
The passage belongs to the Sermon on the Mount. It speaks of false teachers and gives a test for them: a tree is known by its fruit. The passage is chosen for this lesson because the word дерево stands in all three verses, and each time in a different grammatical position: as the subject with its adjective in verse 17, as the subject in both halves of verse 18, and as the head of a participial phrase in verse 19. The wording was checked against the Synodal text as printed on more than one Russian Bible site.
F.1a Так so всякое every дерево tree доброе good приносит brings и also плоды fruits добрые good а but худое bad дерево tree приносит brings плоды fruits худые bad
F.1b Tak (tahk) so vsyákoye (VSYAH-kuh-yeh) every-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N dóbroye (DOH-bruh-yeh) good-NOM.SG.N prinosít (pree-nuh-SEET) brings-PRES.3SG i (ee) also plodý (pluh-DIH) fruits-ACC.PL dóbryye (DOH-brih-yeh) good-ACC.PL a (ah) but khúdoye (KHOO-duh-yeh) bad-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N prinosít (pree-nuh-SEET) brings-PRES.3SG plodý (pluh-DIH) fruits-ACC.PL khúdyye (KHOO-dih-yeh) bad-ACC.PL
F.2a Не not может can дерево tree доброе good приносить to-bring плоды fruits худые bad ни nor дерево tree худое bad приносить to-bring плоды fruits добрые good
F.2b Ne (nyeh) not mózhet (MOH-zhit) can-PRES.3SG dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N dóbroye (DOH-bruh-yeh) good-NOM.SG.N prinosít’ (pree-nuh-SEET) to-bring-INF.IMPF plodý (pluh-DIH) fruits-ACC.PL khúdyye (KHOO-dih-yeh) bad-ACC.PL ni (nee) nor dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N khúdoye (KHOO-duh-yeh) bad-NOM.SG.N prinosít’ (pree-nuh-SEET) to-bring-INF.IMPF plodý (pluh-DIH) fruits-ACC.PL dóbryye (DOH-brih-yeh) good-ACC.PL
F.3a Всякое every дерево tree не not приносящее bringing плода fruit доброго good срубают they-chop-down и and бросают they-throw в into огонь fire
F.3b Vsyákoye (VSYAH-kuh-yeh) every-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N ne (nyeh) not prinosyáshcheye (pree-nuh-SYAH-shchee-yeh) bringing-ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.N plodá (pluh-DAH) fruit-GEN.SG.M dóbrogo (DOH-bruh-vuh) good-GEN.SG.M srubáyut (sroo-BAH-yoot) chop-down-PRES.3PL i (ee) and brosáyut (bruh-SAH-yoot) throw-PRES.3PL v (v) into ogón’ (uh-GOHN) fire-ACC.SG.M
Так всякое дерево доброе приносит и плоды добрые, а худое дерево приносит плоды худые. Не может дерево доброе приносить плоды худые, ни дерево худое приносить плоды добрые. Всякое дерево, не приносящее плода доброго, срубают и бросают в огонь. (Tak vsyákoye dérevo dóbroye prinosít i plodý dóbryye, a khúdoye dérevo prinosít plodý khúdyye. Ne mózhet dérevo dóbroye prinosít’ plodý khúdyye, ni dérevo khúdoye prinosít’ plodý dóbryye. Vsyákoye dérevo, ne prinosyáshcheye plodá dóbrogo, srubáyut i brosáyut v ogón’.)
"So every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
(The English is the Latinum Institute's own, kept close to the Russian.)
Так всякое дерево доброе приносит и плоды добрые, а худое дерево приносит плоды худые. Не может дерево доброе приносить плоды худые, ни дерево худое приносить плоды добрые. Всякое дерево, не приносящее плода доброго, срубают и бросают в огонь.
The word дерево is in the nominative singular every time it is used, and it is the subject of each clause. Its adjectives agree with it in gender, number and case, so they are neuter singular nominative: всякое (every), доброе (good), худое (bad). That is the same pattern as in 105.6, старое дерево. The fruit, by contrast, is masculine plural: плоды (plodý) is the plural of плод (plod, "fruit"), and its adjectives are добрые and худые, the plural ending -ые.
In verse 17 the verb приносит is in the present tense, "brings, bears", and Russian uses the present for a general truth. In verse 18 the construction не может … приносить is "cannot bring", with an imperfective infinitive: the verse speaks of what a tree does by its nature, not of one act. The word ни joins two negatives, "nor".
In verse 19 the phrase не приносящее плода доброго is a participial phrase: приносящее is the active present participle of приносить, "bringing", and it agrees with дерево (neuter, nominative). After the negation не, the object stands in the genitive, плода доброго (plodá dóbrogo), where the positive phrase of verse 17 had the accusative, плоды добрые. This is the genitive after negation. The verbs срубают and бросают are in the third person plural with no subject, which Russian uses for "they chop it down", an indefinite agent, and which English renders with the passive: "is cut down and thrown". The preposition в takes the accusative, в огонь, because the fire is where the tree goes.
The image is a plain observation that a tree is judged by its fruit, and the Gospel uses it for people: a person is known by what comes of them, not by what they say about themselves. The Gospel returns to the image in chapter 12, verse 33, which ends: «…ибо дерево познаётся по плоду» («for a tree is known by its fruit»).
The Synodal Translation was made by Russian scholars of the Orthodox Church over several decades of the nineteenth century, and the whole Bible was printed in 1876. For a century and a half it has been the Russian Bible, and many of its phrases passed into everyday Russian. Its language is slightly formal, and the older word order, with the adjective after the noun (дерево доброе, плоды добрые), gives the verses their stately sound, though ordinary speech today would put the adjective first: доброе дерево.
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A short descriptive text about an old linden tree that stands in the yard of a house: its age, its seasons, the people and birds who use it, and the family that wants to keep it. In each sentence the word is used in a different grammatical position.
105.16a Во in дворе yard нашего our дома house растёт grows большое big дерево tree
105.16b Vo (vuh) in dvoré (dvuh-RYEH) yard-PREP.SG.M náshego (NAH-shih-vuh) our-GEN.SG.M dóma (DOH-muh) house-GEN.SG.M rastyót (rus-TYOHT) grows-PRES.3SG bol’shóye (buhl-SHOH-yeh) big-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N
105.17a Это this дерево tree старая old липа linden
105.17b Éto (EH-tuh) this-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N stáraya (STAH-ruh-yuh) old-NOM.SG.F lípa (LEE-puh) linden-NOM.SG.F
105.18a Говорят they-say что that этому this дереву tree больше more-than ста hundred лет years
105.18b Govoryát (guh-vuh-RYAHT) say-PRES.3PL chto (shtoh) that étomu (EH-tuh-moo) this-DAT.SG.N dérevu (DYEH-ree-voo) tree-DAT.SG.N ból’she (BOHL-sheh) more-than sta (stah) hundred-GEN let (lyet) years-GEN.PL
105.19a Летом in-summer дерево tree покрывается covers-itself душистыми fragrant цветами flowers
105.19b Létom (LYEH-tuhm) summer-INST.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N pokryváyetsya (puh-krih-VAH-yit-suh) covers-PRES.3SG.REFL dushístymi (doo-SHEES-tuh-mee) fragrant-INST.PL tsvetámi (tsvee-TAH-mee) flowers-INST.PL
105.20a Осенью in-autumn листья leaves падают fall с from дерева tree на onto землю ground
105.20b Ósen’yu (OH-sin-yoo) autumn-INST.SG.F líst’ya (LEEST-yuh) leaves-NOM.PL pádayut (PAH-duh-yoot) fall-PRES.3PL s (s) from déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-GEN.SG.N na (nah) onto zémlyu (ZYEM-lyoo) ground-ACC.SG.F
105.21a Дети children любят like прятаться to-hide за behind этим this деревом tree
105.21b Déti (DYEH-tee) children-NOM.PL lyúbyat (LYOO-byuht) like-PRES.3PL pryátat’sya (PRYAH-tuht-suh) to-hide-INF.REFL za (zah) behind étim (EH-teem) this-INST.SG.N dérevom (DYEH-ree-vuhm) tree-INST.SG.N
105.22a У by дерева tree стоит stands скамейка bench
105.22b U (oo) by déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-GEN.SG.N stoít (stuh-EET) stands-PRES.3SG skaméyka (skuh-MYEY-kuh) bench-NOM.SG.F
105.23a Старики old-men часто often сидят sit на on скамейке bench и and смотрят look на at дерево tree
105.23b Starikí (stuh-ree-KEE) old-men-NOM.PL chásto (CHAH-stuh) often sidyát (see-DYAHT) sit-PRES.3PL na (nah) on skaméyke (skuh-MYEY-kyeh) bench-PREP.SG.F i (ee) and smótryat (SMOH-tryuht) look-PRES.3PL na (nah) at dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-ACC.SG.N
105.24a Весной in-spring дворник yard-keeper белит whitewashes стволы trunks деревьев trees
105.24b Vesnóy (vis-NOY) spring-INST.SG.F dvórnik (DVOHR-neek) yard-keeper-NOM.SG.M bélit (BYEH-leet) whitewashes-PRES.3SG stvolý (stvuh-LIH) trunks-ACC.PL derév’yev (dee-RYEH-vyuhf) trees-GEN.PL
105.25a На on ветках branches дерева tree живут live птицы birds
105.25b Na (nah) on vétkakh (VYET-kukh) branches-PREP.PL.F déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-GEN.SG.N zhivút (zhee-VOOT) live-PRES.3PL ptítsy (PTEE-tsih) birds-NOM.PL
105.26a Мой my дедушка grandfather посадил planted это this дерево tree когда when я I был was маленьким small
105.26b Moy (moy) my-NOM.SG.M dédushka (DYEH-doosh-kuh) grandfather-NOM.SG.M posadíl (puh-suh-DEEL) planted-PAST.M.SG.PERF éto (EH-tuh) this-ACC.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-ACC.SG.N kogdá (kuhg-DAH) when ya (yah) I byl (bihl) was-PAST.M.SG málen’kim (MAH-leen-keem) small-INST.SG.M
105.27a Мы we часто often фотографируем photograph наше our дерево tree потому because-of-that что that оно it очень very красивое beautiful
105.27b My (mih) we-NOM chásto (CHAH-stuh) often fotografíruyem (fuh-tuh-gruh-FEE-roo-yim) photograph-PRES.1PL náshe (NAH-sheh) our-ACC.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-ACC.SG.N potomú (puh-tuh-MOO) because-of-that chto (shtoh) that onó (uh-NOH) it-NOM.SG.N óchen’ (OH-chin) very krasívoye (kruh-SEE-vuh-yeh) beautiful-NOM.SG.N
105.28a Соседи neighbours хотят want срубить to-chop-down дерево tree но but мы we против against
105.28b Sosédi (suh-SYEH-dee) neighbours-NOM.PL khotyát (khuh-TYAHT) want-PRES.3PL srubít’ (sroo-BEET) to-chop-down-INF.PERF dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-ACC.SG.N no (noh) but my (mih) we-NOM prótiv (PROH-teef) against
105.29a Без without этого this дерева tree наш our двор yard будет will-be пустым empty
105.29b Bez (byes) without étogo (EH-tuh-vuh) this-GEN.SG.N déreva (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-GEN.SG.N nash (nahsh) our-NOM.SG.M dvor (dvohr) yard-NOM.SG.M búdet (BOO-dyit) will-be-FUT.3SG pustým (poo-STIHM) empty-INST.SG.M
105.30a Вокруг around дома house растут grow и also другие other деревья trees но but это this дерево tree главное main
105.30b Vokrúg (vuh-KROOK) around dóma (DOH-muh) house-GEN.SG.M rastút (rus-TOOT) grow-PRES.3PL i (ee) also drugíye (droo-GEE-yeh) other-NOM.PL derév’ya (dee-RYEH-vyuh) trees-NOM.PL no (noh) but éto (EH-tuh) this-NOM.SG.N dérevo (DYEH-ree-vuh) tree-NOM.SG.N glávnoye (GLAHV-nuh-yeh) main-NOM.SG.N
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105.16 Во дворе нашего дома растёт большое дерево. (Vo dvoré náshego dóma rastyót bol’shóye dérevo.) "In the yard of our house a big tree grows."
105.17 Это дерево — старая липа. (Éto dérevo — stáraya lípa.) "This tree is an old linden."
105.18 Говорят, что этому дереву больше ста лет. (Govoryát, chto étomu dérevu ból’she sta let.) "They say that this tree is more than a hundred years old."
105.19 Летом дерево покрывается душистыми цветами. (Létom dérevo pokryváyetsya dushístymi tsvetámi.) "In summer the tree is covered with fragrant flowers."
105.20 Осенью листья падают с дерева на землю. (Ósen’yu líst’ya pádayut s déreva na zémlyu.) "In autumn the leaves fall from the tree to the ground."
105.21 Дети любят прятаться за этим деревом. (Déti lyúbyat pryátat’sya za étim dérevom.) "The children like to hide behind this tree."
105.22 У дерева стоит скамейка. (U déreva stoít skaméyka.) "A bench stands by the tree."
105.23 Старики часто сидят на скамейке и смотрят на дерево. (Starikí chásto sidyát na skaméyke i smótryat na dérevo.) "The old men often sit on the bench and look at the tree."
105.24 Весной дворник белит стволы деревьев. (Vesnóy dvórnik bélit stvolý derév’yev.) "In spring the yard-keeper whitewashes the trunks of the trees."
105.25 На ветках дерева живут птицы. (Na vétkakh déreva zhivút ptítsy.) "Birds live on the branches of the tree."
105.26 Мой дедушка посадил это дерево, когда я был маленьким. (Moy dédushka posadíl éto dérevo, kogdá ya byl málen’kim.) "My grandfather planted this tree when I was small."
105.27 Мы часто фотографируем наше дерево, потому что оно очень красивое. (My chásto fotografíruyem náshe dérevo, potomú chto onó óchen’ krasívoye.) "We often photograph our tree because it is very beautiful."
105.28 Соседи хотят срубить дерево, но мы против. (Sosédi khotyát srubít’ dérevo, no my prótiv.) "The neighbours want to cut the tree down, but we are against it."
105.29 Без этого дерева наш двор будет пустым. (Bez étogo déreva nash dvor búdet pustým.) "Without this tree our yard will be empty."
105.30 Вокруг дома растут и другие деревья, но это дерево — главное. (Vokrúg dóma rastút i drugíye derév’ya, no éto dérevo — glávnoye.) "Other trees grow around the house too, but this tree is the main one."
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105.16 Во дворе нашего дома растёт большое дерево.
105.17 Это дерево — старая липа.
105.18 Говорят, что этому дереву больше ста лет.
105.19 Летом дерево покрывается душистыми цветами.
105.20 Осенью листья падают с дерева на землю.
105.21 Дети любят прятаться за этим деревом.
105.22 У дерева стоит скамейка.
105.23 Старики часто сидят на скамейке и смотрят на дерево.
105.24 Весной дворник белит стволы деревьев.
105.25 На ветках дерева живут птицы.
105.26 Мой дедушка посадил это дерево, когда я был маленьким.
105.27 Мы часто фотографируем наше дерево, потому что оно очень красивое.
105.28 Соседи хотят срубить дерево, но мы против.
105.29 Без этого дерева наш двор будет пустым.
105.30 Вокруг дома растут и другие деревья, но это дерево — главное.
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Cases of дерево in the description. The nominative singular is the subject in 105.16, 105.17, 105.19 and 105.30. The genitive singular follows the prepositions у (105.22), с (105.20), без (105.29) and the noun ветках (105.25, "the branches of the tree"). The dative singular appears in 105.18, and the accusative in 105.23, 105.26, 105.27 and 105.28. The instrumental is in 105.21, after за. The nominative plural is in 105.30, and the genitive plural in 105.24, where деревьев depends on стволы, "the trunks of the trees".
Age in the dative. Russian gives a person's or thing's age with the dative: этому дереву больше ста лет, literally "to this tree more than a hundred years". The same pattern gives Мне двадцать лет, "I am twenty". The word лет is the genitive plural used for "years" after "a hundred", and after many, few and how many: сто лет, много лет, сколько лет?
Fragrant flowers. In 105.19 the verb покрывается is reflexive: the tree "covers itself" with flowers, which is how Russian says "is covered", and the thing it is covered with is in the instrumental, душистыми цветами.
Impersonal "they". In 105.18 говорят is "they say", the third person plural with no subject. Russian uses it where English says "it is said" or "people say".
Reasons. In 105.27 the conjunction потому что is "because". The words are written separately, and in the interlinear text each is glossed on its own. The comma stands before что. Do not confuse it with почему, "why".
Predicate instrumental. The predicate of был and будет is often in the instrumental when it is an adjective or noun describing a state: когда я был маленьким (105.26), наш двор будет пустым (105.29). The nominative is also heard in speech (наш двор будет пустой), but the instrumental is the careful form.
General word and specific name. The text calls its subject дерево in 105.16 and липа in 105.17. A speaker moves from the general word to the kind and back without effort, and both name the same tree.
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дерево (dérevo): /ˈdʲerʲɪvə/. The stress is on the first syllable, and that vowel is a clear /e/ after a soft /dʲ/. The second е is unstressed and falls to a short /ɪ/, close to the vowel in English "bit". The final -о is unstressed and falls to a weak /ə/, like the last vowel of "sofa". The д is soft: the tongue is raised towards the palate, so that the sound has a faint "y" in it, as if "dyeh".
деревья (derév’ya): /dʲɪˈrʲevʲjə/. The stress is on the second syllable. The first е falls to /ɪ/. The ь shows that the в is soft, and я is pronounced /jə/, so the end of the word sounds like "v-yuh".
деревьев (derév’yev): /dʲɪˈrʲevʲjɪf/. The final в is pronounced /f/ at the end of a word.
деревянный (derevyánnyy, "wooden"): /dʲɪrʲɪˈvʲanːɨj/. The stress is on the third syllable, and the н is long, written double.
- ы is a vowel that English does not have: say "ee" and draw the tongue back. It is in мы, высокие, пустым, плоды. - ё is always stressed and is pronounced /jo/ or, after a soft consonant, /ʲo/: растёт, зелёные. - ц is /ts/, as in "cats": птица, улице, цветами. - ч is /tɕ/, a soft "ch": очень, часто. ж is a hard "zh", as in "measure": лежит. ш is a hard "sh": нашем. - щ in приносящее is a long, soft "sh": /ɕː/. - The letter о is fully pronounced only when it is stressed. Unstressed, it falls to /a/ or /ə/: that is why собака sounds like "sabaka" and дерево like "dyeh-ri-vuh". - Unstressed е and я in the syllable before the stress fall to /ɪ/: деревья, весной (/vʲɪsˈnoj/). - Final voiced consonants become voiceless: под sounds like "pot", дуб like "doop".
- дерево (dérevo, "tree") and деревня (derévnya, "village") are different words. The first has the stress on the first syllable and the second has it on the second. - дерева (déreva), genitive singular or the form after "two", has the stress on the first syllable. деревья has it on the second. - дерево (dérevo, "tree") and древо (drévo, "tree", poetic) mean the same thing, but древо is the word for solemn speech and for set phrases.
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