The first day of snow might be approaching! 😀 😀 😀 I was keeping a close eye on the weather report this week- there were a few chances of snow that ended in rain- but I have a good feeling about next week…
In the meantime, here are some words related to snow and winter that my students brainstormed during class today (if you don’t see the audio file below, click here):
снегопад = snowfall
падающий снег = falling snow
снеговик /снежная баба = snowman/snow woman
снежинка = a snowflake
снежная буря, метель, вьюга = snowstorm, blizzard
снежок = snowball (also: a drink available in supermarkets made of kefir and sugar)
сугроб = snowbank, snowdrift
наст = crust (on a pile of snow)
позёмка = snow blowing across the road
прорубь = ice hole (for swimming/fishing)
гололёд = black ice
сосулка = icicle
иней = frost
If you have another good winter word, please leave me a comment! 🙂
7 Responses
Elisabeth
Whoa, snow? Moscow’s enjoying a warm autumn. At least that gives me time to learn some of these words before the snow comes. Look forward to seeing those first snow pics on instagram!
Katherine
Enjoy the nice fall days, Elisabeth! The newspaper says you’ll have another week or so of бабье лето in Moscow. 🙂 It’s been sprinkling snow here off and on since Friday but not cold enough for anything to stick to the ground yet. If it snows again tomorrow, I’ll try to get a good picture for Instagram. The weather will warm up again by Wednesday.
In related news, I’ve had my snow plans in place for over a month already: the first day of legit snowfall = going to Blueberry for donuts and coffee. Can’t wait! Do you have any official “snow plans” for your first day of real Russian winter?
Elisabeth
Snow plans? I hadn’t thought about that at all. Thanks for the thought – I have time to make some plans! 🙂
Teango
I was trying to explain the concept of “snow” to my little daughter yesterday with the aid of online video clips and images, given that it never snows where we live. In fact, thinking about it now, it’s been almost a decade since I’ve seen a single снежинка first-hand either. I often wonder how she’d react to playing outside в снегу for the first time? For me, I have nothing but fond childhood memories of snow (especially when a big снегопад spelt a day off school 😉 ). Here are a few Russian adjectives that came to my wife’s mind when I asked her to think of snow just now: белоснежный (snow-white), пушиистый (fluffy), and хрустящий (crisp).
Katherine
Спасибо за слова, Teango! It’ll certainly be a fun experience, introducing your daughter to her first снег (and снеговик) someday!
Kaylee
I found some words and wanna share, thank yoy for such a useful post!
Holod sobachij – Холод собачий (dog’s cold) – extremely cold weather that gets frozen to the marrow.
Dubak – Дубак – is used to talk about icy cold weather, or when it’s cold inside.
Holodriga – Холодрыга – the same as dubak.
Katherine
Cool words! Спасибо, Kaylee!