Russian/Vocabulary/Rooms and Furniture

These memory aids aren't true! They're nonsense made up to help you remember the meanings of Russian words.

Rooms and Furniture

Russian rooms usually end in ная (nayah). Think of the 1994 movie "Vanya on 42nd Street" as if it were a room on 42nd Street.

крыша	noun	Roof	Krihsha
In Russia they make roof shingles by krishing aluminum cans.
чердак	noun	Attic	Chyerdak
Russians put their old chairs in the attic, and a dock is where ships are tied up when not in use, so a Russian attic is a chair dock.
спальня	noun	Bedroom	Spal nyah
Russian bedrooms have a below-ground hot tub or spa. Also, waking up is "la juice spot," so "spat" and "spal" go together.
коридор	noun	Corridor	Koreedor
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
лестница	noun	Stairs	Lestneetsa
American stairways are hard on your knees. Russian starirways are designed to demand less knee effort. Also "forest" is лесной so a staircase is a forest of stairs.
Столовая	noun	Dining room	Stolovayah
Стол means "table" so Столовая is "table room" (or where Russians keep their stolen tables).
Кухня	noun	Kitchen	Kookhnyah
Russian kitchens are warmy and kootchy.
Ванная	noun	Bathroom	Vannayah
Ваня (Vanya) is a Russian man's name. Don't confuse Ванная and Ваня. You might ask for directions to the bathroom, and instead get introduced to Vanya. Or you might introduce your friend Vanya as "bathroom."
Кабинет	noun	Office	Kabeenyeht
The President's Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments. These are highest offices in the American government. Or, Russian offices always have a cabinet.
Гостиная	noun	Living room	Gosteenayah
The living room is for entertaining guests.
Подвал	noun	Basement	Podval
"pod" means "under," "val" means "heel," so a basement is "under heel." Russians store bags of pea pods in their basements, next to their bags of spuds. For entertainment and exercise they pole vault over the bags of pods. The call this pod vauting.
Холодильник	noun	Refrigerator	Kholodeel neek
Refrigerators hold cold things, such as your friend Nick.
Плита	noun	Stove	Pleeta
Please, we're pleading for you to cook food.
Стул	noun	Chair	Stool
Cognate, also chairs go with tables (стол).
Письменний стол	noun	Desk or writing table	Pees myehnee stol
Писать (peesat) is writing and стол is table, so письменний стол is a writing table.
Лампа	noun	Lamp	Lampa
A cognate (same word in Russian and English).
Диван	noun	Couch	Deevan
A "divan" is large couch usually without back or arms often used as a bed, also called an "ottoman." Or, Russian couches are divine.
Кресло	noun	Comfy chair	Kryehslo
Rest and take it slow in a Russian comfy chair!
Ковёр	adjective	Rug	Kovyor
Russian rugs cover the floor. Also they cover the couch, the dog, etc. Picture a rug that covers everything in the living room.
Кровать	adjective	Bed	Krovat
"Cravat" is French for neck scarf or necktie. Russians are so formal that they wear neckties to bed!