Relationships Between People

• Relationships between people can be very different. We have our family, like our aunt (тетя), our nephew (племянник) or niece (племянница).
• Then, we have people we see every day: our classmates (одноклассники) at school, our colleagues (коллеги) at work, and our neighbors (соседи) at home.
• We also have acquaintances (знакомые) – people we know but not very well.
• Sometimes, it's hard to maintain (поддерживать хорошие отношения) everyone.
• For example, my little nephew (племянник) is lovely, but when he plays loud video games, he can be a pain in the neck (быть костью в горле, сесть на шею).
• His sister, my niece (племянница), is a teenager, and her loud music really drives me crazy (сводит меня с ума). It really gets on my nerves (действует мне на нервы)!
• In these situations, I have two choices. I can speak frankly (откровенно поговорить) and tell them how I feel. Or, I can hold my tongue (держать язык за зубами) to avoid an argument. Usually, with family, it's better to speak my mind politely.
• With people I don't know well, like acquaintances (знакомые), it's important to break the ice (растопить лед) and start a conversation.
• But if someone is rude, it's sometimes smarter to hold your tongue (придержать язык за зубами). Good relationships make our lives happier!