Language through Literature

A Horsey Name


— сказал генерал с презрением и поднёс к лицу его два кукиша.

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said the general with contempt, and thrust two fig-signs up to his face.

Where it stands

— На-кося! “There, take that!”

— Не нужно мне теперь твоей лошадиной фамилии! “I have no need of your horsey surname now!

На-кося! Take that!”

The words in this sentence

сказа́л
he said (past m of сказать, to say) — сказать
генера́л
general (high rank)
с
with (+instr); from, off (+gen)
презре́нием
with contempt (instr sg) — презрение
и
and; also, even
поднёс
brought up, offered (past m) — поднести
к
to, toward (+ dat)
лицу́
face (dat sg of лицо) — лицо
его́
his; him (gen/acc of он/оно) — он
два
two
ку́киша
the fig, rude fist gesture (gen sg) — кукиш

А. П. Чехов, «Лошадиная фамилия», 1885 · sentence 55 of 56

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