ru-memes-for-linguists-blog

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

synók, nadénь étot svíter, v njom teplée | mam, nu u nas že vojná

[sɨˈnok nɐˈdʲenʲ ˈɛtət ˈsvʲitər v‿nʲɵm tʲɪpˈlʲejə || mam nʊ ʊ‿ˈnaʐ‿ʐɨ vɐjˈna] 

son-DIM put on-PFV-IMP.2SG this-ACC sweater-ACC, in it-LOC warm-COMP || mom-VOC well at us-GEN after all war

"Son, put on this sweater, you'd be warmer"

"But mom, we're having a war"

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

dóktor, u menjá v pópe čtó-to kólet

da u vas tam rózy

éto vám, dóktor

[ˈdoktər ʊ‿mʲɪˈnʲa f‿ˈpopʲɪ ˈʂtotə ˈkolʲɪt || də ʊ‿ˈvas tɐm ˈrozɨ || ˈɛtə vam ˈdoktər] 

doctor at me-GEN in butt-LOC something have a stich-IMPRS-PRS

but at you-GEN there rose-PL

it you-DAT doctor

"— Doctor, I'm having a stitch in my ass. 

— Oh, you've got roses there! 

— … It's for you, doctor."

Note: in the caption, Вы is written with the capital в. The correct spelling would be вы, Вы is only used in formal letters. However, there's a common misconception among native speakers that Вы is singular and вы is plural, and some even use Вы for formal plural

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

Sanь, odevájsja daváj | Búrja mglóju nébo krójet | Arína Rodiónovna tebjá užé trétij dénь íščet

[sanʲ ədʲɪˈvajsə dɐˈvaj || ˈbuɾʲə ˈmglojʊ ˈnʲebə ˈkrojɪt || ɐˈɾʲinə rədʲɪˈonəvnə tʲɪˈbʲa ʊˈʐɛ ˈtɾʲetʲɪj dʲenʲ ˈiɕːɪt] 

Sanya-VOC* dress yourself-IPFV-IMP.2SG let's | storm darkness-INS sky-ACC cover-PRS.3SG | Arina Rodionovna you-ACC already third day search-PRS.3SG

"— Get dressed, Sanya! 

— Storm has set the heavens scowling… 

— Arina Rodionovna has been searching for you for three days"

"Буря мглою небо кроет" is the first line from Alexander Pushkin's poem "Зимний вечер", "Winter evening". 

Arina Rodionovna is known for being Pushkin's nanny, he was very fond of her and dedicated many poems to her. 

Note: Russian has lost the original Slavic vocative, but has developed new vocative forms for some names and nouns. These forms are often described as a "neo-vocative case". 

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

neprostój god | prostój god

[nʲɪprɐsˈtoj got || prɐsˈtoj got] 

uneasy year | easy/odd year

A pun based on the word "простой", meaning both "difficult" and "odd" (of a number). 

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

napadénije gigántskix paukóv... na gigántskij górod

[nəpɐˈdʲenʲɪjə gʲɪˈgantskʲɪx pɐ.ʊ.ˈkof nə gʲɪˈgantskʲɪj ˈgorət]

attack giant-GEN.PL spider-GEN.PL on giant-ACC city-ACC

"A giant spiders' attack in a giant city"

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

vy vse durakí i ne léčitesь! odná ja úmnaja, v bélom palьtó stojú krasívaja!

[vɨ ˈfsʲe dʊrɐˈkʲi i nʲɪ ˈlʲet͡ɕɪtʲɪsʲ  ‖ ɐdˈna ja ˈumnəjə | v‿ˈbʲeɫəm pɐlʲˈto stɐˈju krɐˈsʲivəjə]

you all fool-PL and not treat-IPFV-REFL-PRS-2.PL one-F I smart-F in white-PREP-N coat-INDECLINABLE NOUN-PREP stand-PRS-1.SG beautiful-F

Due to the semantic ambiguity of the verb in the context, there may be two translations:

You all are fools beyond any treatment, here I am, the only clever and beautiful one, standing in a white coat.

or

You all are fools that aren’t getting proper treatment, here I am, the only clever and beautiful one, standing in a white coat.

There’s no way to clarify which meaning was originally implied, but the twitter poll that we had made showed that the first one is more popular. 

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

ne ješ, podúmoj

correct spelling: "не ешь, подумай" 

[nʲɪ ˈjeʂ pɐˈduməj]

neg eat-IPFV-IMP.2SG think-PFV-IMP.2SG

"Dont eet <me>, think first"

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

Kiríll i Mefódij prodvigájut kiríllicu v mássy. 

Prijátelь, ispólьzuj kiríllicu — za nej búduščeje! 

Kakíje uródlivyje búkvy, lol

[kʲɪˈɾʲiɫˑ ɪ‿mʲɪˈfodʲɪj prədvʲɪˈgajʊt kʲɪˈɾʲilʲˑɪt͡sʊ v‿ˈmasːə ‖ pɾʲɪˈjatʲɪlʲ ɪsˈpolʲzʊj kʲɪˈɾʲilʲˑɪt͡sʊ | zɐ‿ˈnʲej ˈbudʊɕˑɪje ‖ kɐˈkʲije ʊˈrodlʲɪvɨjɪ ˈbukvə ɫoɫ] 

Cyril and Methodius promote-PRS cyrillic alphabet-ACC into masses-PLURALE TANTUM-ACC

buddy, use*-IMP.2SG cyrillic alphabet-ACC behind she-INS future

what kind of-PL ugly-PL letter-PL, lol

“Cyril and Methodius promoting the Cyrillic alphabet. — Man, use the Cyrillic alphabet, it's the future! — Those are some ugly letters, lol”

*испо́льзовать is a so-called “двуви́довый глаго́л”, a rare type of the verbs that can be considered both an imperfective and a perfective aspect verb depending on the context. Most of these verbs end in -ова́ть and -и́ровать 

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

čelovék, rab, ničtóžestvo, kusátь

začém ja zavjól étogo zloebúčego kotá... bársik, otvalí

[t͡ɕɪɫɐˈvʲek | rap | nʲɪt͡ɕˈtoʐɨstvə | kʊˈsatʲ || zɐˈt͡ɕem ja zɐˈvʲɵɫ ˈɛtəvə zɫəjɪˈbut͡ɕɪvə kɐˈta || ˈbarsʲɪk ətvɐˈlʲi] 

human, slave, nonentity, to bite-IPFV

why I get-PFV-PST.M this-ACC fucking-ACC cat-ACC... Barsik*, go away-PFV-IMP.2SG

"Human, slave, nobody, to bite"

"Why did I even adopt this fucking cat... Go away Barsik"

* Barsik is a popular masculine given name for cats. It's a diminutive form of the word "<снéжный> барс", which means "<snow> leopard" 

Note: this image is a part of the series called “Страдающее Средневековье” (”Suffering Middle Ages”)

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

kótikov ljúbite? net! a zájčika v dom vozьmjóte? 

[ˈkotʲɪkəf ˈlʲʉbʲɪtɪ || nʲet || ɐ ˈzajt͡ɕɪkə v‿dom vɐzʲˈmʲɵtʲɪ] 

cat-DIM-ACC.PL love-PRS.2PL? no! and hare-DIM-ACC into house-ACC take-PFV-FUT.2PL

"Do you like cats? No! Then what about adopting a bunny?” 

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

tak korotká žiznь, tak mnógo nesoxranjónnyx kartínok

[tak kərɐtˈka ʐɨzʲnʲ | tak ˈmnogə nʲɪsəxrɐˈnʲɵnːəx kɐrˈtʲinək]

so short-SHORT FORM.F life, so many unsaved-GEN.PL picture-GEN.PL

“Life is too short, there are too many unsaved pics”

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

izviníte, a gde vydajút podoróžniki? 

so svoími nádo prixodítь. vy nóvenьkij?

[ɪzvʲɪˈnʲitʲɪ ɐ‿ˈgdʲe zʲdʲesʲ vədɐˈjut pədɐˈroʐnʲɪkʲɪ]

[sə‿svɐ.ˈimʲɪ ˈnadə pɾʲɪxəˈdʲitʲ ‖ vɨ ˈnovʲɪnʲkʲɪj] sorry, but* where give away-PRS.3PL ribwort-ACC.PL

with own-INS.PL necessary to come-IPFV. you-FORM new-M

“Sorry, where are the ribworts handed?

You should’ve come with your own. Are you new here?”

* “А” is a very useful word which can mean “and” and “but” simultaneously.

Note: this image is a part of the series called “Страдающее Средневековье” (”Suffering Middle Ages”).

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

i ták sojdjót

[ɪ‿ˈtak sɐjˈdʲɵt] 

and like this pass-PFV-FUT.3SG

“That will do!“

It’s a frame from a famous cartoon «Вовка в Тридевятом царстве» which was released on 1965. The boy <Vovka> was really lazy. One day he found himself in a different world and in order to return home he had to craft a bunch of things using his DIY book. This moment took place in the first part of the cartoon when Vovka tried to do everything in a slipshod manner

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

opjátь vse na menjá kričát; slóžno igrátь, kogdá u tebjá lápki

[ɐˈpʲætʲ fsʲe nə mʲɪˈnʲa kɾʲɪˈt͡ɕat || ˈsɫoʐnə ɪgˈratʲ | kɐgˈda ʊ‿tʲɪˈbʲa ˈɫapkʲɪ] 

again everyone at me-ACC yell-PRES.3PL ; difficult to play-IPFV when at thou-GEN paws-DIM

“Everybody is yelling at me again. It’s difficult to play when you got paws“

“I got paws“ has recently become a very popular meme. It’s used in every situation when somebody needs an excuse for their fails.

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

kak perestátь soxranjátь kartínki i načátь žitь

[kak pʲɪɾʲɪsˈtatʲ səxrɐˈnʲatʲ kɐrˈtʲinkʲɪ ɪ nɐˈt͡ɕatʲ ʐɨtʲ] 

how stop-PFV save-IPFV pics-ACC and start-PFV live-IPFV

“How to Stop Saving Pics and Start Living by Dale Carnegie”

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

ustál bytь tupým, no ustálostь - ne póvod sdavátьsâ

[ʊsˈtaɫ bɨtʲ tʊˈpɨm | nə ʊsˈtaləsʲtʲ nʲɪ ˈpovət zdɐˈvat͡sːə]

got tired-PFV-PST.MSC but tiredness neg reason give up-IPFV

"I’m tired of being stupid, but tiredness is no excuse for giving up”

[ru-memes-for-linguists-blog]

otkrýto dostižénie: doistoríčeskij baján

[ɐt.ˈkrɨ.tə də.sʲtʲɪ.ˈʐɛ.nʲɪ.je | də.ɪs.tɐˈɾʲi.t͡ɕɪs.kʲɪj bɐ.ˈjan]

unlocked-PP.NEUT achievement prehistorical accordion

achievement unlocked: prehistorical (stale) meme

Баян (literally “accordion”) means an old hat, a story or a joke that has been told many times and is not funny anymore