Бабушка надвое сказала
🔊 Скажи́те · say it
Ба́бушка на́двое сказа́ла.
Clap on the stress: БА́-буш-ка НА́-дво-е ска-ЗА́-ла.
mp3 – when Natasha records it.
mp3 – when Natasha records it.
📖 Что э́то зна́чит? · what it means
Никто́ не зна́ет, как бу́дет: мо́жет быть, так, а мо́жет быть, ина́че.
Nobody knows how it will turn out – maybe this way, maybe the other way. One explanation of the picture: an old village woman who told fortunes gave answers that could mean two things – so she was always right. Natalia's English: We'll see what we'll see; Maybe rain or maybe snow, maybe yes or maybe no.
🔤 Сло́во за сло́вом · word by word
| ба́бушка | grandmother, old woman (ба́бушка) |
| на́двое | in two (ways) (на́двое) |
| сказа́ла | said (she) (сказа́ть – the pair of говори́ть) |
Tap a word for its dictionary page. Word for word: Grandmother said it in two ways. (Natalia: "Grandmother said it ambiguously.")
🐈 Сли́нки и Ска́ффлз · the cats
Ска́ффлз и Сли́нки ждут у ми́ски. Даду́т ры́бку? Мо́жет быть, да, мо́жет быть, нет. Ба́бушка на́двое сказа́ла! · Scuffles and Slinky wait by the bowl. Will they get a fish? Maybe yes, maybe no. We'll see what we'll see!
💬 Когда́ так говоря́т? · when do Russians say it?
– За́втра бу́дет дождь?
– Ба́бушка на́двое сказа́ла.
– Will it rain tomorrow? – Who knows! We'll see what we'll see.
– Ба́бушка на́двое сказа́ла.
– Will it rain tomorrow? – Who knows! We'll see what we'll see.
🎓 Для тех, кто у́чится серьёзно · for serious students
- An idiom, not a full proverb: it is said alone, as an answer.
- на́двое – "in two": на + два → на́двое.
- сказа́ла – past tense, feminine (ба́бушка – она́), ending -ла.
- Sister: Поживём – уви́дим (We'll live and see).
🔬 Why a page like this: a proverb with its story and picture is remembered better than a bare translation (Boers 2001); words + picture beat words alone (Mayer). It stays out of the lesson video so the lesson keeps one new thing.