뜻
Fighting or arguing constantly.
문화적 배경
In Russian villages, the cat and dog were essential but separate. The dog was outside, the cat was inside. Forcing them together in a small house (izba) was a recipe for chaos, which is why the idiom implies a forced proximity. Soviet animation often used the cat-and-dog rivalry to teach children about conflict resolution. The most famous is 'Leopold the Cat,' who tries to break the cycle of 'living like a cat and dog' with his mice neighbors. Today, many Russians live in small apartments. Describing roommates as 'кошка с собакой' is a very common way to complain about the lack of personal space leading to friction. Classic authors like Chekhov often used this idiom to describe the 'bittersweet' nature of long-term marriages where bickering has become a form of communication.
Use with 'Жить'
If you are unsure which verb to use, always go with 'жить' (to live). It is the most natural pairing for this idiom.
Don't reverse the animals
While 'собака с кошкой' is grammatically correct, it sounds 'off' to native speakers. Stick to 'кошка с собакой'.
뜻
Fighting or arguing constantly.
Use with 'Жить'
If you are unsure which verb to use, always go with 'жить' (to live). It is the most natural pairing for this idiom.
Don't reverse the animals
While 'собака с кошкой' is grammatically correct, it sounds 'off' to native speakers. Stick to 'кошка с собакой'.
Sarcastic usage
You can use this sarcastically. If two people are being unusually nice to each other, you can say: 'Что это вы сегодня НЕ как кошка с собакой?'
셀프 테스트
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
Мои младшие братья постоянно спорят, они живут как ______ с ______.
The first noun 'кошка' stays in the nominative, and the second noun 'собакой' must be in the instrumental case after the preposition 'с'.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'как кошка с собакой'?
Выберите правильную ситуацию:
The idiom describes people who are in constant conflict.
Complete the dialogue.
— Почему ты хочешь переехать? — Потому что мы с соседом живем как ______.
'Кошка с собакой' explains the conflict that would make someone want to move out.
Match the relationship to the description.
Match: 1. Best friends, 2. Constant rivals, 3. Busy person.
'Душа в душу' means perfect harmony, 'Кошка с собакой' means conflict, and 'Белка в колесе' means very busy.
🎉 점수: /4
시각 학습 자료
연습 문제 은행
4 연습 문제Мои младшие братья постоянно спорят, они живут как ______ с ______.
The first noun 'кошка' stays in the nominative, and the second noun 'собакой' must be in the instrumental case after the preposition 'с'.
Выберите правильную ситуацию:
The idiom describes people who are in constant conflict.
— Почему ты хочешь переехать? — Потому что мы с соседом живем как ______.
'Кошка с собакой' explains the conflict that would make someone want to move out.
Match: 1. Best friends, 2. Constant rivals, 3. Busy person.
'Душа в душу' means perfect harmony, 'Кошка с собакой' means conflict, and 'Белка в колесе' means very busy.
🎉 점수: /4
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문No, it's not rude, but it is informal. You wouldn't use it to describe your boss to their face, but you can use it to describe your own family or friends.
Usually, it's used for two people or two groups. If there are three people fighting, it doesn't fit as well because the imagery is based on a pair.
Not necessarily. While 'жить' is the common verb, it can describe any two people who interact frequently, like coworkers or classmates.
The most common opposite is 'душа в душу' (soul to soul), meaning perfect harmony.
Not always. Often it implies a relationship where bickering is just their way of communicating, like siblings who actually love each other deep down.
You could, but it would be a creative variation. It would imply the fighting is cute or very small-scale. Stick to the standard for general use.
Yes. Without 'с', the grammar of the comparison falls apart in Russian.
It is the instrumental case. In Russian, the preposition 'с' (meaning 'with') requires the noun to be in the instrumental case.
Yes, often in headlines to describe political parties or countries that are having a diplomatic spat.
Ironically, yes! If your real cat and dog are fighting, you can say they are living 'как кошка с собакой'. It's a bit of a joke since they literally are a cat and dog.
관련 표현
Душа в душу
contrastIn perfect harmony; soul to soul.
Грызться как собаки
similarTo snap at each other like dogs.
Как воды в рот набрал
contrastTo be silent as if having a mouth full of water.
Заклятые враги
similarSworn enemies.
