?’ ???±?€?µ?·: just barely enough
Want to visit the barber? Need to ready your pooch for a dog show? Did badly on a math test? Or want to let your uncouth neighbor know that you do not want to socialize? No problem. Just reach for the verb ?€?µ?·?°?‚?? (to cut) and its prefixed derivatives.
The basic imperfective ?€?µ?·?°?‚?? is a verb you probably use every day in the kitchen, where you might complain: ?????¶ ???µ ?€?µ?¶?µ?‚! (The knife is dull, literally "doesn't cut"). If you are a doctor, you probably use it in the hospital, where it is a slightly slangy way of saying "to operate": ?•???? ?·?°???‚?€?° ?€?µ?¶???‚ (He is going under the knife tomorrow).
But you might use it in other circumstances to describe something that stings, cuts or burns. For example, ?€?µ?·?°?‚?? is used to describe any sound that you find unpleasant, like an irritating voice: ?•???? ?????????»???µ?????µ ???µ?????? ?€?µ?¶?µ?‚ ???»???… (His rendition of the song grates on me). ? ?µ?·?°?‚?? can also be used with the cold: ?’?µ?‚?µ?€ ?€?µ?·?°?» ?»???†?? (the wind stung my face). Or heat: ?????»???†?µ ?€?µ?¶?µ?‚ ???»?°?·?° (the sun is glaring right in my eyes). Or a dark nightclub in a city without anti-?smoking laws: ?’ ???‚???? ???»???±?µ ?…???€?????°?? ?????·?‹???°, ???? ???‹?? ?‚?°?? ?€?µ?¶?µ?‚ ???»?°?·?°, ?‡?‚?? ???µ ???????? ?‚?°?? ?????»???? ???°?…???????‚?????? (That club has good music, but the smoke stings my eyes so much that I cannot stay there for long).
When you add the prefix ??????-, you get a verb that means to cut a bit off, to trim. Use ???????€?µ?·?°?‚?? at the barber's so that you do not walk out with a buzz cut. ?????‡??, ?‡?‚???±?‹ ???‹ ?‚???»?????? ???????€?µ?·?°?»?? ?????»?????‹ ?‡???‚??-?‡???‚?? — ?±???????°?»?????? ???????? ???°???‚?????µ?‚?€! (I want you to just trim my hair a tiny bit — literally one centimeter!).
This verb can be used with wings to give the figurative meaning of holding someone back from success or fulfillment: ???? ?…???€???????? ???µ???µ?†, ???? ?µ???? ?????‘ ???€?µ???? ???????€?µ?·?°???‚ ???€?‹?»???? ?? ???µ ???°???‚ ?€?°?????€?‹?‚?????? (He is a good singer, but they are clipping his wings and not letting him develop his talent).
But clipping can occur down on earth, too: ?’???‚ ???‚???‚ ???°?? ?€?µ?·???? ???????µ?€?????» ???°???€?°???? ?? ?‡???‚?? ???µ ???????€?µ?·?°?» ???µ???? (That creep made a sharp right turn and almost clipped me).
If you add the prefix ???±- you get a verb that means to trim around or all over. ???±?€?µ?·?°?‚?? ?????»?????‹ is to cut your hair all over — to get a major haircut. ???±?€?µ?·?°?‚?? ???????‚?? or ???????‚?? is to cut your nails — or claws: ?”?? ???‹???‚?°?????? ???°???? ???????‹?‚?? ?????±?°???? ?? ?°???????€?°?‚???? ???±?€?µ?·?°?‚?? ?µ?? ???????‚?? (Before the show you have to wash your dog and carefully trim her nails).
But if something is ?? ???±?€?µ?·, it means you are short of it. This expression is usually used with the two things there is never enough of — money and time. ?? ???µ???? ???µ???µ?? ?? ???±?€?µ?· (I am down to my last dime). ?’?€?µ???µ???? ?? ???±?€?µ?· — ???µ?°???? ???°?‡?????°?µ?‚???? ?‡?µ?€?µ?· ?????????‚ ?????‚?? (We are cutting it close — the showing begins in about five minutes.)
???€?µ?·?°?‚?? is used for cutting things completely, like ???€?µ?·?°?‚?? ?†???µ?‚?‹ (to cut the flowers). It can be used figuratively in high society: ?“?µ???µ?€?°?»?° ???€?µ?·?°?»?° ?±?°?€?????µ?????° (The baroness snubbed the general). Or it can be used slangily in school: ???€?µ?·?°?»?? ?µ???? ???? ???°?‚?µ???°?‚?????µ (They flunked him in math).
A good cutting response to being flunked or snubbed? ???€?°?‚?? ???°?? ?€?µ?·?°???‹?? (to scream bloody murder, literally "like someone cut").
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.