Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

She suddenly went and got angry

рaзозли´сьнa мeня´.

with me .

(f )

the very colloquial construction то´лько и дe´лaeт, что/то´лько и

знaéт, что, together with another verb in the same form, indicating a single, exclusive action, e.g.

Mы с брa´том то´лько и дe´лaли,

Mу brother and I just played chess all

что игрa´лив шa´хмaты.

the time .

дeнь-дeньско´й то´лько и знaéт, He does nothing but/All he does is что смо´триттeлeви´зор.

watch TV all day long .

(g)

use of знaй (сeбe´)with a verb to indicate that the subject perseveres with the action in question in spite of unfavourable circumstances or obstacles, e.g.

дe´ти кричa´ли. Ma´мa знaй сeбe´ The children were shouting. Mum just смотрe´лaпeрeдa´чу.

went on watching the programme quite

unconcerned .

(h)

use of смотри´(тe)and a negative imperative in the sense of mind you don’t , e.g.

Tы смотри´ нe говори´про мeня´!

Mind you don’t talk about me .

11.14

Word order

Word order is much more flexible in Russian than in English, since it is primarily inflection that establishes the relationship between the words in a Russian utterance. Whereas the order of words in the

English statement John loves Mary cannot be altered without a consequential change of meaning, in Russian one may say,

depending on the context or emphasis, either ивa´н лю´бит Maри´ю

( Ivan loves Mariia ) or Maри´ю лю´бит ивa´н( It’s Ivan who loves Mariia ).

However, Russian word order, while being flexible, is not random.

On the contrary, it conforms to certain principles and rules. Moreover, it may be affected, like other aspects of language, by register. The following guidance can be given.

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11

Syntax

(a)

Neutral word order: as a general rule the same sequence of subject +

verb + object/complement which characterises English statements is

observed in matter-of-fact statements in Russian too, e.g.

Ma´мa пи´шeт письмо´.

Mum’s writing a letter .

Oхо´тники поймa´ли львa.

The hunters caught a lion .

Ca´шa стa´нeт инжeнe´ром.

Sasha will become an engineer .

(b)

New and known or given information ( но´воe и дa´нноe): the point in an utterance on which the speaker or writer wishes to focus attention, i.e. the novel element in it, is placed at or towards the end of the Russian utterance, since it carries more weight there. The earlier part of the utterance, on the other hand, contains the information which

leads up to the novel point, i.e. information that is already familiar or taken for granted or less important. Contrast e.g.

Поéзд пришёл.

The train arrived .

Пришёл поéзд.

A train arrived .

Ко´шкa сидe´лa нa пeчи´.

The cat was sitting on the stove .

Ha пeчи´ сидe´лa ко´шкa.

A cat was sitting on the stove .

Note 1

What is new in a statement varies of course according to the point in a conversation or narrative that has been reached.

2

If it is the subject of the statement that represents the new information then the order of subject and verb will be inverted.

3

The distinctions achieved in Russian by variations of word order may be achieved in English by choice between the definitearticle ( the introduces known information) and the indefinitearticle ( a introduces a new element).

(c)

Other rules that obtain in specific circumstances: the following

guidance can be given (note differences from English usage).

r Subject and verb are inverted in statements in which the verb denotes natural event, existence, process, state, becoming or occurrence, e.g.

идёт снeг.

It’s snowing .

Cущeствуéт риск пожa´рa.

There’s a risk of fire .

Прошли´ го´ды.

The years went by .

.У мeня´ боли´т головa´.

I’ve got a headache .

Haступи´лa зимa´.

Winter came .

Произошёл взрыв.

There was an explosion .

Note:

it will be seen that in all these sentences the word order is consistent with the point made in (b) above about known and new information: in each instance the weight of the utterance is contained in the subject, while the verb is a weak word with relatively inconsequential meaning.

r Inversion is also common when the place where an action occurred is indicated at the beginning of the statement, e.g.

C зa´пaдa шли облaкa´.

Clouds were coming from the west .

r The order of subject and verb is also inverted in questions introduced by an interrogative word and after reported speech, e.g.

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11.14

Word order

Гдe нaхо´дится вокзa´л?

Where’s the station ?

Когдa´ нaчинaéтся фильм?

When does the film begin ?

Я устa´л, – скaзa´л он.

‘I’m tired’, he said .

r Object pronouns are frequently placed before the verb, e.g.

Я вaсслу´шaю.

I’m listening to you .

Mы вaмскaзa´ли, что . . .

We told you that . . .

Tру´дности бы´ли, но мы с

There were difficulties, but we coped

ни´миспрa´вились.

with them .

Oн ничeго´нe знaéт.

He doesn’t know anything .

r Objects indicating the person in impersonal expressions also tend to be placed before the predicate, e.g.

Mнeнa´до идти´.

I must go .

.У нaснe хвaтaéт дe´нeг.

We haven’t got enough money .

r Infinitives as a rule follow the verb or expression on which they are dependent, e.g.

Mы приe´хaли отдыхa´ть.

We have come to rest .

Cобирa´юсь уe´хaть.

I’m about to go away .

Hу´жно рaбо´тaть.

It’s necessary to work .

r In the modern language attributive adjectives, as in English, normally precede the noun they qualify, but they may follow the noun in menus or catalogues, e.g.

хоро´шaяпого´дa

fine weather

ско´рыйпоéзд

a fast train

нaпи´тки прохлaди´тeльныe