Significado
Wait for one's turn.
Contexto cultural
The 'Who is last?' (Кто последний?) ritual is mandatory. Even if there is a clear physical line, asking this question confirms your place and alerts others to your presence. In many former Soviet republics, the concept of 'holding' a place for someone else is very common. One person might 'занять очередь' for a whole group of five people. In state clinics, there is often a mix of 'by appointment' and 'first come, first served'. This leads to heated debates about who has the right to go next. The rise of 'Госуслуги' (State Services) has moved many queues online. People now 'занимают очередь' via smartphone apps, which has reduced the stress of physical queuing.
The 'Who is Last' Rule
Always ask 'Кто последний?' even if the line looks obvious. It's a sign of respect for the social order.
Don't just stand there
If you just stand at the end without saying anything, someone might cut in front of you because you didn't 'claim' your spot verbally.
Significado
Wait for one's turn.
The 'Who is Last' Rule
Always ask 'Кто последний?' even if the line looks obvious. It's a sign of respect for the social order.
Don't just stand there
If you just stand at the end without saying anything, someone might cut in front of you because you didn't 'claim' your spot verbally.
The 'Krayniy' Debate
Some people prefer 'Кто крайний?' over 'Кто последний?'. While 'последний' is grammatically correct, 'крайний' is very common in informal speech.
Leaving the line
If you need to leave for a moment, tell the person behind you: 'Я отойду на минуту, я за вами'.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'занять' or 'занимать'.
Вчера я _______ очередь в 8 утра. (Past tense, Perfective)
Since it happened 'yesterday' and it's a completed action of joining, the perfective past 'занял' is correct.
Choose the most natural way to join a line.
You arrive at a pharmacy. What do you say first?
'Кто последний?' is the essential cultural ritual to identify whom to follow.
Match the Russian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are the key variations of the phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
— Вы последний? — Да. — Хорошо, я займу ____ вами.
The preposition 'за' (behind) is used with the Instrumental case to indicate your position in line.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosВчера я _______ очередь в 8 утра. (Past tense, Perfective)
Since it happened 'yesterday' and it's a completed action of joining, the perfective past 'занял' is correct.
You arrive at a pharmacy. What do you say first?
'Кто последний?' is the essential cultural ritual to identify whom to follow.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are the key variations of the phrase.
— Вы последний? — Да. — Хорошо, я займу ____ вами.
The preposition 'за' (behind) is used with the Instrumental case to indicate your position in line.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, it is very common to say 'занять электронную очередь' for apps or websites.
No, it is actually considered polite and necessary in Russian culture.
'Занять' focuses on claiming the spot, while 'встать' focuses on the physical act of standing in the line.
You can say 'Я здесь занимал' (I was holding a spot here) to reclaim it.
Yes, 'очередь' is a feminine noun ending in a soft sign.
Usually, you 'заказываете столик' (book a table) or 'ждете столик' (wait for a table). 'Занять очередь' is for the line to get in.
You can say 'Я стою в очереди' or simply 'Я в очереди'.
It means 'without a turn' or 'skipping the line'.
People might say 'забиться в очередь', but it's not very common.
It's a superstition that 'последний' (last) might mean the last thing you ever do in life.
Frases relacionadas
Встать в очередь
synonymTo join a line
Пропустить без очереди
specialized formTo let someone skip the line
Очередь подошла
builds onIt's one's turn
Живая очередь
specialized formA physical line
Держать место
similarTo hold a spot
