ANCIENT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Russian idiomatic expressions frequently used nowadays

While teaching Russian by Skype or in a classroom Enjoy Russian shool tutors are often asked by the students about some historical, cultural or scientific facts about Russia, Russian literature,  space industry etc. From time to time learners are interested in Russian measurement system people used especially when they talk about directions in Russian language. To be honest, not every Russian man is familiar with all the notions, but almost everyone uses some idiomatic expressions that contain one-two ancient measurement terms. Enjoy Russian school briefly tells you about the most frequently used notions.

5 common Russian expressions with measurement notions

1. Since ancient Rus’ and till the year 1925 Russian length measurement system included a number of units that grew out of use. For instance the one introduced by Peter the Great in 18 century was called It was equal to 21 English inches (or 71 cm). In modern days here in Russia we still use the expression:

Мерить всех на свой АРШИН. To measure everybody by one’s own ARSHIN – To judge people by yourself.

Another expression with the word:

Проглотить АРШИН. To swallow an ARSHIN – To stand very straight and still.

2. Another weight measurement unit is often used in everyday Russian (especially by teens) and can be viewed as Russian slang – pood – ПУД (that is about 16 kg or 36 lb). We use the following expression to say “something is going to happen 100%, most likely”.

Сто ПУДОВ (plural) – Hundred poods!

3. Another word is VERSTA – ВЕРСТА (which is about 1 km). The expression you may hear very often when in Russia is – Слышно ЗА ВЕРСТУ. This Russian expression means someone screams about something very loud and he/she can be heard everywhere (even 1 km away).
4. ЗОЛОТНИК (zolitnik – “golden one”) – about 4 grams of gold.

Мал ЗОЛОТНИК, да до́рог. A ZOLOTNIK is small, but expensive : when quality is more important than quantity.

5. МИЛЯ (milya) – mile basically, was equal to 7.4 km

Идти СЕМИМИЛЬНЫМИ шагами. To walk in 7-mile steps – To progress fast in something, to improve something quickly.

And if you want to progress fast in Russian (идти СЕМИМИЛЬНЫМИ шагами) join our Russian lessons by Skype or come to Petrozavodsk to Enjoy Russian language school! Choose a course here