# списывать + school subject



## Interprete

Hello,

It's an excerpt from a novel about a teacher complaining to a parent about his daughter's behavior at school, and the teacher says:

Она на истории списывает алгебру, на алгебре — физику и в результате не знает ни истории, ни алгебры, ни физики.

I know the verb списать as in 'to copy'. But what does it mean here exactly? Thanks.


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## rusita preciosa

Списывать = to secretly copy either form a textbook of from another student's notes


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## Interprete

Thank you, so the teacher says that in history classes she reads her algebra textbook and takes notes from it, instead of listening to the lesson?


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## Interprete

But right after the teacher says that, the following sentence describes the father's reaction:
Алексей молчал, будто это он списывал на уроках.

How would you then translate this? Is it still 'copying in secret'? Doesn't seem that it fits, does it?


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## Maroseika

In my dictionary I found "to use cribs", "to crib someone's essay, homework etc. ".


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## Drink

Maroseika said:


> In my dictionary I found "to use cribs", "to crib someone's essay, homework etc. ".



I've never heard this. We just used to call it copying.


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## Maroseika

Drink said:


> I've never heard this. We just used to call it copying.


Maybe something obosolete, I don't know of course, but many dictionaries mention this word.


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## Interprete

So it can both mean, to 'lawfully' copy, and to cheat during an exam?


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## Maroseika

In the school speach it usually means cheating. Списывать - to "lawfully" copy is used mostly for picture or literary characters (герой романа списан с реального лица) and similar things.
I can imagine a teacher asking pupils: Спишите из учебника пример номер 47. But перепишите sounds more natural.


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## Interprete

Maroseika said:


> In the school speach it usually means cheating. Списывать - to "lawfully" copy is used mostly for picture or literary characters (герой романа списан с реального лица) and similar things.
> I can imagine a teacher asking pupils: Спишите из учебника пример номер 47. But перепишите sounds more natural.


Thank you! but again, what to make of the sentence that immediately follows (it's the teacher speaking, and Alexei is the girl's father) :
-"Она на истории списывает алгебру, на алгебре — физику и в результате не знает ни истории, ни алгебры, ни физики."
*Алексей молчал, будто это он списывал на уроках.*


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## rusita preciosa

I've heard "to use crib notes" (~пользоваться шпаргалками).


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## Rosett

Maroseika said:


> In the school speach it usually means cheating. Списывать - to "lawfully" copy is used mostly for picture or literary characters (герой романа списан с реального лица) and similar things.
> I can imagine a teacher asking pupils: Спишите из учебника пример номер 47. But перепишите sounds more natural.


A teacher can say: "Спишите с доски задание на дом", which sounds natural.

In the OP sense, it's "cheat off (smb.'s) papers."


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## rusita preciosa

Interprete said:


> But right after the teacher says that, the following sentence describes the father's reaction:
> Алексей молчал, будто это он списывал на уроках.
> 
> How would you then translate this? Is it still 'copying in secret'? Doesn't seem that it fits, does it?


Usually the списывание happens during the tests / quizzes, so I would interpret списывать на уроках as using crib notes / copying others' answers / secretly using the textbook during the test portions of the class.

Or alternatively you can just use cheating as Maroseika suggested.


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## Interprete

Thank you, so it's like in French, it means both simply 'to copy something' and to cheat. Thanks it makes more sense now.

Now just to be sure, why is the preposition на used in Алексей молчал, будто это он списывал на уроках. ?


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## Maroseika

Interprete said:


> Now just to be sure, why is the preposition на used in Алексей молчал, будто это он списывал на уроках. ?


На уроке - at a lesson (in class)
На алгебре - at the lesson of algebra (in algebra class).


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## Interprete

Oh ok so it doesn't go with the verb, I thought it was списывать на... thanks!


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## Vovan

Interprete said:


> Thank you, so the teacher says that in history classes she reads her algebra textbook and takes notes from it, instead of listening to the lesson?


Not quite! What she's doing in class is copying someone else's completed homework for the next lesson during the same day (according to the time-table).
(Because she is afraid to get an F for not having done her homework.)

And yes, in the end, she even misses the opportunity to, at least, listen to her teachers in class and learn something from them in this way.

(When reading the thread, I didn't quite understand whether all this was clear enough to you. If it was, sorry!)


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## Interprete

Vovan said:


> Not quite! What she's doing in class is copying someone else's completed homework for the next lesson during the same day (according to the time-table).
> (Because she is afraid to get an F for not having done her homework.)
> 
> And yes, in the end, she even misses the opportunity to, at least, listen to her teachers in class and learn something from them in this way.
> 
> (When reading the thread, I didn't quite understand whether all this was clear enough to you. If it was, sorry!)


No, it wasn't at all, now that I've read your explanation!!! Thank you  It makes perfect sense.


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## Q-cumber

"Списывать " usually means either 'to copy somebody else's homework' (instead of preparing it on your own at home) or 'to cheat on an exam' (by using any forbidden techniques: SMS messaging, coping from paper notes hidden in your trunks or written right on your legs' skin areas covered by a skirt, glancing into your neighbor's writings, etc.)


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