A2 Idiom 非正式

Тянуть кота за хвост

тянуть кота за хвост

To procrastinate

意思

To delay taking necessary action.

🌍

文化背景

Cats are the most popular pets in Russia, and they appear in many idioms. This one reflects a mix of humor and the reality of rural life where cats were working animals. In business meetings, using this phrase can break the tension if things are moving too slowly, but only if the relationship is already established. The concept of 'long-suffering' (долготерпение) is often contrasted with this idiom, which demands action.

💡

Use for Impatience

This is your best tool when you are annoyed by someone's slowness but want to keep the tone relatively light.

⚠️

Don't use with Bosses

Unless you have a very close relationship, it can sound like you're calling them inefficient.

意思

To delay taking necessary action.

💡

Use for Impatience

This is your best tool when you are annoyed by someone's slowness but want to keep the tone relatively light.

⚠️

Don't use with Bosses

Unless you have a very close relationship, it can sound like you're calling them inefficient.

🎯

The Emoji Trick

In Russian chats, just sending a cat and a clock emoji is a common way to say this idiom.

自我测试

Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.

Хватит тянуть ______ за ______!

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: кота, хвост

The standard idiom is 'тянуть кота за хвост'.

Which situation best fits the idiom?

When would you say 'Не тяни кота за хвост'?

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: When someone is taking 20 minutes to choose a drink.

The idiom is used for delays and indecision.

Match the Russian phrase with its English equivalent.

Match the phrases:

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: Тянуть кота за хвост -> To beat around the bush; Тянуть время -> To stall/buy time; Тянуть резину -> To drag one's feet

While similar, 'тянуть время' is more neutral.

Complete the dialogue.

— Ты уже решил, куда мы поедем в отпуск? — Ну, я ещё смотрю варианты... — Слушай, не __________, нам нужно бронировать сегодня!

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: тяни кота за хвост

The imperative 'не тяни' is the most natural fit here.

🎉 得分: /4

视觉学习工具

练习题库

4 练习
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom. Fill Blank A2

Хватит тянуть ______ за ______!

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: кота, хвост

The standard idiom is 'тянуть кота за хвост'.

Which situation best fits the idiom? Choose A2

When would you say 'Не тяни кота за хвост'?

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: When someone is taking 20 minutes to choose a drink.

The idiom is used for delays and indecision.

Match the Russian phrase with its English equivalent. Match B1

将左侧的每个项目与右侧的配对匹配:

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: Тянуть кота за хвост -> To beat around the bush; Тянуть время -> To stall/buy time; Тянуть резину -> To drag one's feet

While similar, 'тянуть время' is more neutral.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion A2

— Ты уже решил, куда мы поедем в отпуск? — Ну, я ещё смотрю варианты... — Слушай, не __________, нам нужно бронировать сегодня!

✓ 正确! ✗ 不太对。 正确答案: тяни кота за хвост

The imperative 'не тяни' is the most natural fit here.

🎉 得分: /4

常见问题

5 个问题

No, it's purely metaphorical. Russians love cats! The phrase just uses the image of a cat's resistance to show how annoying a delay is.

Better not. Use 'просим вас ускорить процесс' (we ask you to speed up the process) instead.

'Тянуть резину' is slightly more modern and common in business contexts, while 'кота за хвост' is more traditional and vivid.

No, the idiom is fixed with a cat. Changing the animal makes it lose its meaning.

You can change the word order, but 'тянуть кота за хвост' is the most natural and common version.

相关表达

🔄

Тянуть резину

synonym

To stall or delay.

🔗

Откладывать в долгий ящик

similar

To put something on the back burner.

🔗

Тянуть канитель

similar

To engage in a long, boring process.

🔗

Рубить с плеча

contrast

To act decisively and suddenly.

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