Set phrases in Russian are examples. Phraseologisms are examples of catchphrases in Russian


The English language has a thousand-year history. During this time, it has accumulated a large number of expressions that people found successful, well-aimed and beautiful. And so a special layer of the language arose - phraseology, a set of stable expressions that have an independent meaning.

With the help of phraseological expressions, which are not translated literally, but are perceived as rethinking, the aesthetic aspect of the language is enhanced. With the help of idioms, as with the help of various shades of colors, the informational aspect of the language is complemented by a sensual-intuitive description of our world, our life.

For those who study English as a foreign language, this layer of the language is difficult to master, but after mastering phraseological units, you begin to speak like Englishmen, you understand them from a half-word, your speech readiness increases dramatically. You can express your thought briefly and very accurately, being sure of the correctness of its expression. In many cases, knowledge of English phraseology helps to avoid Russianisms, i.e. verbatim translations of sentences from Russian into English.

All kinds of encyclopedias and dictionaries, as well as Wikipedia, give various definitions. The simplest meaning of "Phraseology" is given in the Encyclopedic Dictionary.

Phraseologism is a stable turn of speech, a phrase, an expression, the meaning of which does not consist of the concepts of its constituent words.

In one of the most common languages ​​\u200b\u200bon the planet - Russian, there are a huge number of such examples of Phraseological units. If we add expressions that were borrowed from foreign languages, then one might think that we are only doing what we are talking with the help of Phraseological units.

"Drop the Glove"

"Beat but listen"

"To beat the key"

"Sleeveless"

"Leave with the nose"

  • Phraseologism is the root of the concept, the basis, the key phrase, the complete turn of speech, the complete thought.
  • The word "Phrase" was borrowed from the Greek language "phrasis", which translates into Russian as "expression".
  • The concept of "Phrase" served as the name of the science of language - phraseology, part of linguistics.

The term "Phraseology" consists of two ancient Greek words "phrasis" - "expression" and "logos" - "concept". This science studies stable turns of speech

Phraseologism can be divided into several types:

Phraseological expressions

Phraseological units

Phraseological combinations

Phraseological fusions (idioms)

Phraseological expressions, are a special turn of speech, which all consist of words with a free meaning. Their feature is the use as ready-made speech turns.

An example Phraseological expressions can serve as aphorisms: " knowledge is power", proverbs:" when cancer on the mountain whistles", "where a horse with a hoof, there is a cancer with a claw"as well as common cliches used in everyday colloquial speech:" Good afternoon", "see you again", "good luck".

Phraseological units, are a figure of speech in which each term has its own special meaning, but the associated ones acquire a figurative meaning.

"Throw the bait"

"Get in the Net"

"To go with the flow"

Phraseological combinations are a turn of speech in which words have a non-free (used only in a specific phrase) or free meaning. Combinations differ from unity and fusions, in that the words included in the expression can be replaced.

"Lust for Glory"

"Revenge"

"Lust for Money"

"burn with hate"

"Burn with Love"

"Burn in shame"

A phrase can be not only a complete sentence, thought, but also a figure of speech, a musical passage, and in singing it can be a musical figure that can be sung without taking a breath.

Phraseological unions or as they are also called, idioms are an unchangeable and untranslatable expression peculiar only to this language. The term idiom was borrowed from the Greek language "idioma" and is translated as "a kind of phrase."

"Neither fish nor fowl"

"Seven spans in the forehead"

"Don't sew a tail on a mare"

  • Phrase they call beautiful, bright, loud speech, not sincere, hypocritical, not corresponding to the content.
  • Fraser- this is a narcissistic person who utters meaningless, beautiful speeches. A synonym for the term "Fraser" can be the word windbag, talker.
  • Phrasing, Phraseology- this is an addiction to meaningless, loud, beautiful speech, in fact, idle talk.

Phrasing Example in Literature

In the play "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov, one can pay attention to the monologue of a certain Gaev, which he addresses to the closet: " Dear, dear closet! I welcome your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed exclusively towards the ideals of justice and kindness, your silent call that made us work fruitfully has not weakened for a long hundred years, maintaining, despite sorrows, faith in a better future, cheerfulness and educating we have social self-consciousness and ideals of goodness".

Phraseological units in video pictures

The Russian language is rightfully considered the most perfect, beautiful and rich language in the world, which has absorbed, along with the authentic culture of more than 200 peoples of the Russian world, the best elements of Western and Eastern cultural traditions.

Our language is one of the basic elements of the entire Russian civilization, therefore, in order to be rightfully considered Russian, we must be able to use it well and master all the richness of concepts and expressions of the Russian language no worse than Pushkin, Gogol and Dostoevsky.

We present to your attention the first part of the TOP-50 most interesting phraseological units of the Russian language with their original and current meanings, as well as the history of origin:

1. Goal like a falcon

The expression denotes extreme poverty, need.

"Falcon"- this is a smoothly planed and iron-bound ram log, which could be hand-held or wheeled and was used until the end of the 15th century to punch holes in wooden palisades or fortress gates. The surface of this tool was even and smooth, i.e. "naked". The same term also denoted cylindrical tools: scrap iron, a pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, and so on.

2. Arshin swallowed

An expression denoting a person who stood at attention or assumed a majestically haughty posture with a straight back.

Arshin is an ancient Russian measure of length of 71 centimeters, widely used in the sewing business before the transition to the metric system of measures. Accordingly, the masters used wooden or metal arshin rulers for measurements. If you swallow this, your posture will surely become phenomenal ...

3. Scapegoat

This is the name of a person who has been blamed for any failure, failure.

An expression that goes back to the Bible. According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the absolution of sins, the high priest put his hands on the goat's head and thereby laid on him the sins of the entire people of Israel. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released, so that he forever carried away the sins of the Jews.

4. Screams all over Ivanovskaya

The ensemble of the Kremlin cathedrals in Moscow is decorated with the bell tower of Ivan the Great, where on holidays all thirty bells were always rung. The ringing was extremely powerful and carried very far.

5. Smoking room is alive!

We remember this expression from the film “The meeting place cannot be changed” and it denoted the joy of meeting a person who has gone through serious trials.

In fact, "smoking room" is an ancient children's game in Russia. The children sat in a circle and passed each other a burning torch, saying: “Alive, alive smoking room! Thin legs, short soul. The one in whose hands the torch was extinguished left the circle. That is, a "smoking room" is a torch that burned weakly and "smoked" (smoked) in children's hands.

In relation to a person, the expression was first used by the poet Alexander Pushkin in an epigram to the critic and journalist Mikhail Kachenovsky: “How! is the Kurilka journalist still alive? .. "

6. Clean out those Augean stables

Deal with an incredibly neglected mess of cyclopean proportions.

It goes back to the ancient Greek myths about Hercules. There lived in ancient Elis King Augius, a passionate lover of horses, who kept three thousand horses in the stables, but did not clean the stall for 30 years.

Hercules was sent to the service of Avgius, to whom the king instructed to clear the stables in one day, which was impossible. The hero thought and directed the waters of the river through the gates of the stables, which carried out all the manure from there in a day. This act was the 6th feat of Hercules out of 12.

7. Bosom friend

Now a positive expression denoting an old and trusted friend. Previously it was negative, because meant companion.

The old expression "to pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol". This is where this idiom comes from.

8. Get into trouble

Be in an extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous position.

A prosak is a drum with teeth in a machine with which wool was combed. Once in a hole, it was easy to cripple, lose a hand.

9. Poor place

And again, a biblical expression found in psalms and church prayers and denoting paradise, the kingdom of heaven. In secular usage, it acquired a negative connotation - "hot places" began to be called bars, strip clubs, etc.

This refers to a place where cereals grow abundantly from which the main food (bread) is prepared - a fertile field, the basis of well-being.

10. Like Buridan's donkey

It means a person who is extremely indecisive.

It goes back to the famous example of the 14th-century French philosopher Jean Buridan, who argued that people's actions depend for the most part not on their own will, but on external circumstances. Illustrating his thought, he argued that a donkey, to the left and right of which two identical piles will be placed at an equal distance, one of which will contain hay, and the other straw, will not be able to make a choice and will die of hunger.

11. Reach the handle

To sink completely, to lose human appearance and social skills.

In ancient Russia, kalachi was baked not round, but in the form of a castle with a round bow. Citizens often bought kalachi and ate it right on the street, holding this handle like a handle. At the same time, for reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not used for food, but was either given to the poor or thrown to the dogs. About those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: it reached the handle.

12. Goof off

Get into an uncomfortable, and often shameful position.

In Russia, walking bareheaded in crowded places (excluding the temple for men) was considered a shame. There was no greater shame for a person than if his hat was torn off in a crowded place.

13. Shabby look

Untidy clothes, unshaven and other signs of negligence in appearance.

Under Tsar Peter I, the Yaroslavl linen manufactory of the merchant Zatrapeznikov began to work, which produced silk and cloth that were in no way inferior in quality to the products of European workshops.

In addition, the manufactory also made very cheap hemp striped fabric, which, by the name of the merchant, was nicknamed “tableware”. She went to mattresses, bloomers, sundresses, women's headscarves, work dressing gowns and shirts.

For rich people, a dressing gown from a “shabby” was home clothes, but for the poor, clothes made from this fabric were used “for going out”. The shabby appearance spoke of the low social status of a person.

14. Caliph for an hour

So they say about a person who accidentally and briefly found himself in power.

The expression has Arabic roots. This is the name of a fairy tale from the collection "A Thousand and One Nights" - "A dream in reality, or Caliph for an hour."

It tells how a young Baghdadian, Abu-Ghassan, not knowing that the caliph Harun al-Rashid is in front of him, shares with him his cherished dream - to become a caliph at least for a day. Wanting to have some fun, Haroun al-Rashid puts sleeping pills in Abu-Ghassan's wine, orders the servants to take the young man to the palace and treat him like a caliph.

The joke succeeds. Waking up, Abu-Ghassan believes that he is a caliph, enjoys luxury and begins to give orders. In the evening, he again drinks wine with sleeping pills and wakes up already at home.

15. Knock down

Make you lose the thread of the conversation, forget about something.

In Greece, there is Mount Pantelik, famous in antiquity, where marble was mined for a long time. Accordingly, there were many caves, grottoes and passages, and once there, one could easily get lost.

16. I saw him through

Those. realized what kind of person he was, noticed a deception or discovered a secret.

The expression came to us from those times when coins made of precious metals were in use. The authenticity of the coins was checked by a tooth, because precious metals without impurities were soft. If there is a dent left on the coin, then it is real, and if not, it is fake.

17. The voice of one crying in the wilderness

This is how they talk about the one whose sound thoughts and warnings stubbornly refuse to listen.

A biblical expression with roots in the prophecy of Isaiah and the Gospel of John. The prophets, who predicted the imminent coming of the Savior, urged the Jews to prepare for this day: to monitor their lives and correct it, becoming pious, attentive to the gospel sermon. But the Jews did not heed these calls and crucified the Lord.

18. Bury talent in the ground

It means not to use and not develop the abilities given by God.

Again, a reference to the Bible. Talent was the largest weight and monetary unit in ancient Greece, Babylon, Persia and other areas of Asia Minor.

In the gospel parable, one of the servants received money from the master and buried it, being afraid to invest in a business that could bring both profit and loss. Upon the return of the master, the servant returned the talent and was punished for the lost time and the profit that the owner did not receive.

19. Tightened the gimp

He began some very long business, began to hesitate.

Gimp is the thinnest wire made of precious metals, which has already acquired the properties of a thread and was used to decorate camisoles, uniforms and dresses with beautiful complex patterns. It was necessary to pull the gimp on ever-decreasing jewelry rollers in several passes, which was a long process. Sewing with a cantle is even less fast.

20. Brought to white heat

Angry to the point of rage, uncontrollable rage.

Goes back to blacksmithing. When the metal is heated during forging, it glows differently depending on the temperature: first red, then yellow, and finally dazzling white. At an even higher temperature, the metal will already melt and boil.

21. Soap opera

This is the name of a television series with a trivial plot.

The fact is that in the 30s in America they began to produce serial (then still radio) programs for housewives with melodramatic plots. They were created with the money of soap and detergent manufacturers, who advertised their products during breaks.

22. Good riddance!

Now this is how they kick out an annoying guest or visitor. Previously, the meaning was the opposite - a wish for a good journey.

In one of Ivan Aksakov's poems, one can read about the road, which is "straight, like an arrow, with a wide smooth surface that the tablecloth lay down." Knowing our spaces, people wished for an unhindered and easy path.

23. Egyptian plagues

Heavy punishments that have fallen, disasters, torments.

Biblical story from the book of Exodus. For Pharaoh's refusal to release the Jews from captivity, the Lord subjected Egypt to terrible punishments - ten Egyptian plagues: blood instead of water, execution with frogs, an invasion of midges, dog flies, pestilence, ulcers and boils, thunder, lightning and hail of fire, an invasion of locusts, darkness and death first-born in the families of the Egyptians.

24. Do your part

To invest part of your work, skills or money in the creation of something important, big.

There is a biblical story about two mites of a poor widow, which she donated to the work of the Jerusalem temple. Lepta is one of the smallest coins of that time in the Roman Empire. Two mites were the widow's only money, donating which she remained hungry until evening. Therefore, her victim was the largest of all.

25. Sing Lazarus

Beat on pity, beg, try to play on sympathy.

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is told by the Savior in the Gospel. Lazarus was poor and lived at the gate of the rich man's house. Lazarus ate the remnants of the rich man's food along with the dogs and endured all sorts of hardships, but after death he went to heaven, while the rich man ended up in hell.

Professional beggars in Russia often begged on the steps of churches, comparing themselves to the biblical Lazarus, although they often lived much better. Therefore, attempts to pity and are called in this way.

Andrey Segeda

In contact with

How quickly you got to us! Seems like you live far from here?
- Itook a taxi .

Correct combination of words.

- I am so glad to see you! What an unexpected meeting!
- I didn't expect it. Justtook the plane and flew to you.

Wrong combination of words.

Well, we Russians don't say that. Got on a plane, bought a plane ticket, but not took the plane. Of course, we will understand the meaning of the expression, but an unnatural combination will “cut the ear”.

In English, the same principle: some words are combined, others are not.

quick food - fast food

a quick shower

Hence our advice: learn not only individual words, but also popular set expressions in English.

Even when you learn a single word, immediately look for the context in which it can and should be used (you will find it in dictionaries). We will devote to how best to learn new words. And today we are talking about phrases.

List of set expressions in English with translation

Yes, we have prepared a small list of ≈ 140 expressions. The same set phrases are duplicated in our set of words -.

And yes, just in case: set expressions- these are combinations of 2 or more words that are often used together with each other and sound natural to a native speaker. It can be noun + adjective, noun + verb, verb + adverb, etc.

Translation of set expressions from English into Russian

1. Set expressions with the verb to do in English

To do someone a favor (Provide someone a favor)

To do the cooking (Cook)

To do the housework (Do housework)

To do the shopping (Make purchases)

To do the washing up (Wash the dishes)

To do your best (Try)

To do your hair (Comb your hair)

2. Set expressions with the verb to have in English

To have a good time (Have a good time, more often used as a wish)

To have a bath (Take a bath)

To have a drink (Drink)

To have a haircut (Cut your hair)

To have a holiday (Have a vacation / vacation)

To have a problem (Have a problem, face a problem)

To have a relationship / to be in relationship (To be in a relationship)

To have lunch (Dine, have lunch)

To have sympathy (Sympathize)

3. Set expressions with the verb to break

To break the law (Break the law)

Break a leg (Informal: Good luck! No fluff, no feather!)

To break a promise (Break a promise)

To break a record (To break a record)

To break someone's heart (Break someone's heart)

To break the ice (Idiom: break the ice, take the first step, soften the situation, make a start)

To break the news to someone (Tell someone important news)

To break the rules (Break the rules)

4. Set expressions with the verb to take

To take a break (Take a break)

To take a chance (Take a chance, use a chance)

To take a look (Look)

To take a rest (Relax)

To take a seat (Sit down)

To take a taxi (Take a taxi)

To take an exam (Take an exam)

To take notes (Take notes)

To take someone's place (Take someone's place)

5. Set expressions with the verb to make

To make a difference (Make a difference, make a difference, significantly change things)

To make a mess (Make a mess)

To make a mistake (Make a mistake)

To make a noise

To make an effort (Make an effort)

To make money (Earn)

To make progress

To make room (Give room for someone)

To make trouble (Deliver problems)

6. Phrases with the verb to catch

To catch the bus (Catch the bus)

To catch a ball (Catch the ball)

To catch a cold (Catch a cold)

To catch a thief (Catch a thief)

To catch fire (Light up)

To catch sight of (See, notice)

To catch someone's attention (Catch someone's attention)

To catch someone's eye (Get someone's attention)

To catch the flu

7. Set expressions with the verb to pay

To pay respect (Express respect)

To pay a fine (Pay a fine)

To pay attention (Pay attention)

To pay by credit card (Pay by credit card)

To pay cash (Pay cash)

To pay interest

To pay someone a visit (Visit someone)

To pay the bill (Pay the bill)

To pay the price (Pay the price)

8. Stable expression with the verb to keep

To keep the change (Leave the change to yourself as an appeal: change is not necessary)

To keep a promise (Keep a promise)

To keep an appointment (Come to the appointed place)

To keep calm (Keep calm)

To keep in touch (Stay in touch)

To keep quiet

To keep someone's place (Take, hold someone's place)

9. Phrases with the verb to save

Dictionary of set expressions of the English language

Phew, that's quite an impressive list, isn't it? to learn these expressions through interactive training.

But that's not all. Let's move on to the promised dictionaries. Oxford Collocation Dictionary- an amazing dictionary of set expressions in the English language. It works like this: you open the word that you are currently learning and look at lists of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, collective words, etc.) that match with it.

There is another source where you can find the context of a word - these are English-English online dictionaries: Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. You type a word into the search bar and you will find a bunch of usage examples next to its meaning. It is immediately clear which independent and service parts of speech are used together with it.

  1. Learn not only individual words, but also set phrases that native speakers use. Learn and perceive them together as a whole.
  2. To search for them, use a special dictionary with stable expressions or look at the context in which the word is used in English-English dictionaries. You need to do this with every new word that you learn!
  3. When you read texts / watch movies / listen to songs in English, also write down the combinations of words that you hear there.
  4. You can memorize set expressions in English in different ways: by topic (food, time, business, etc.) or by keyword (as in our article). If it is more convenient for your memory to memorize by topic, take our examples and break them into such thematic groups.
  5. If you are writing a text or compiling a story in English on a topic, then look for English-language articles on this topic. Look at what expressions are used there (most often, they will be the same). If you find it, feel free to use it: this is exactly what native speakers say about this topic.

: we have a huge amount of authentic materials in English, from where you can pick up set expressions, and then drive them away in training. 🙂

Phraseology is a branch of the science of language that studies stable combinations of words. Phraseologism is a stable combination of words, or a stable expression. Used to name objects, signs, actions. It is an expression that arose once, became popular and entrenched in the speech of people. The expression is endowed with figurativeness, it can have a figurative meaning. Over time, the expression can take on a broad meaning in everyday life, partially including the original meaning or completely excluding it.

The phraseological unit as a whole has lexical meaning. The words included in the phraseological unit separately do not convey the meaning of the entire expression. Phraseologisms can be synonymous (at the end of the world, where the raven did not bring bones) and antonymous (lift up to heaven - trample into the dirt). Phraseologism in a sentence is one member of the sentence. Phraseological units reflect a person and his activities: work (golden hands, fool around), social relations (bosom friend, put sticks in wheels), personal qualities (turn up your nose, sour mine), etc. Phraseologisms make the statement expressive, create figurativeness. Set expressions are used in works of art, in journalism, in everyday speech. Set expressions are otherwise called idioms. Many idioms in other languages ​​- English, Japanese, Chinese, French.

To clearly see the use of phraseological units, refer to their list on the page below or.

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