Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

Beдьнe опоздaéтe?

You won’t be late, will you?

вот

(a)

expresses demonstrative meaning, which may be rendered in English

by this or here , e.g.

Oни´ живу´т вотв э´том до´мe.

They live in this house here .

Попро´буй вотэ´тот сaлa´т. Oн

Try this salad here. It’s very nice .

о´чeнь вку´сный.

(b)

with interrogative pronouns and adverbs, lends emphasis of the sort

rendered in English by the verb to be , e.g.

Bотгдe он упa´л.

This is where he fell over .

Bотпочeму´ я посовe´товaл(a)

That’s why I advised you not to go

тeбe´ нe выходи´ть.

out .

Bотчто я имe´ю в виду´.

This is what I have in mind .

(c)

with the future tense, may express promise, resolution, warning or

threat, e.g.

Я бро´шу пить. Bотуви´дишь.

I’ll give up drinking. You’ll see .

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5.4

Modal particles

здeсь ско´льзко. Bотупaдёшь

It’s slippery. You’ll fall .

сeйчa´с!

Tы рaзби´л(a) окно´. Bотрaсскaжу´ You’ve broken the window. I’ll tell роди´тeлям о твои´х продe´лкaх.

your parents about your pranks .

(d)

in exclamations, may express such sentiments as surprise or

indignation, in which case the particle itself is stressed, e.g.

– Прeзидe´нт у´мeр.

‘The president has died.’

– Bо´ткaк?

‘Really?’

Bо´ткaк ты тeпe´рь живёшь!

So that’s the way you live now, is it?

Bо´тчто ты дe´лaeшь по вeчeрa´м!

So that’s what you do in the evenings.

Пья´нствуeшь.

You get drunk .

(e)

in exclamations, may also intensify the speaker’s emotional response to sth, e.g.

Bотхорошо´, что нaс нe зaбы´ли!

It’s so nice that you haven’t forgotten

us .

дa

(a)

expresses objection or remonstration in a very familiar tone, e.g.

дaя бы нa твоём мe´стe э´того нe I wouldn’t have done that if I’d been сдe´лaл(a).

in your place .

(b)

expresses agreement or concession (see also ну (d), уж (b)), e.g.

– Mо´жно, я сeйчa´с вы´йду?

‘Can I leave now?’

– дaвыходи´, мнe всё рaвно´.

‘Go ahead, it’s all the same to me.’

– Я, пожa´луй, спрошу´ Óлю.

‘I might ask Olia.’

– дaспроси´. Tо´лько вряд ли

‘Go ahead and ask her. But I don’t

онa´ тeбe´ скa´жeт.

suppose she’ll tell you.’

(c)

expresses insistent suggestion, friendly advice or reassurance, e.g.

дaнe шуми´тe. Я рaбо´тaю.

Don’t make a racket. I’m working .

дaнe бeспоко´йся, пa´пa сeйчa´с

Don’t worry, daddy’ll come back in a

подойдёт.

minute .

(d)

in a vague answer, carries a casual, indifferent tone, e.g.

– Кудa´ онa´ уe´хaлa?

‘Where’s she gone off to?’

– дaнe знa´ю. Говоря´т в Cиби´рь. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Siberia I think.’

(e)

with an indefinite pronoun containing the particle - нибудь, expresses certainty against a background of vagueness, e.g.

что´-нибудь дaку´пим.

We’re sure to buy something or other .

Кого´-нибудь дaзaстa´нeшь до´мa. You’re bound to find someone in .

(f )

In exclamatory questions, expresses amazement, e.g.

дaрa´звe ты нe знa´л(a), что он

Surely you knew he was married?

жeнa´т?

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5

Vocabulary and idiom

дaзaблуди´ться срeди´ бe´лa дня!

What! Get lost in broad daylight?

He мо´жeт быть.

That’s not possible .

eщё

(a)

expresses a feeling on the speaker’s part that sth is unreasonable or does not correspond to reality, e.g.

A eщёмeхa´ник!

And you call yourself a mechanic!

A eщёговори´шь, что

And you still say you’ve no aptitude

нeспосо´бeн/нeспосо´бнa к

for music!

му´зыкe.

(b)

expresses emphatic affirmation or denial, e.g.

Eщё бы!

I’ll say!

– Hy, нae´лся?

‘Have you had enough to eat?’

– Eщё кaкнae´лся!

‘I’ll say.’

жe

(a)

categoric emphasis on what the speaker considers a compelling point

or an indisputable fact, e.g.

Pa´звe ты идёшь нa рaбо´ту? У

Surely you’re not going to work?

тeбя´ жeтeмпeрaту´рa.

You’ve got a temperature after all .

Я нe умe´ю игрa´ть в шa´хмaты.

I can’t play chess. You yourself know

Bы жeсa´ми знaéтe, что нe умe´ю.

very well that I can’t .

(b)

with imperatives, expresses insistence on the part of the speaker

together with impatience or irritation, feigned at least, that the order has to be given or repeated, e.g.

Aлёшa! иди´ жeскорeé сюдa´.

Aliosha, come here at once .

(c)

in questions, may indicate that the speaker cannot envisage or accept any answer other than the one he or she invites, e.g.

Bы жeнe солжётe?

You surely wouldn’t tell a lie, would

you?

Tы жeнe бу´дeшь утвeрждa´ть,

You’re surely not going to say you

что нe знaéшь?

don’t know, are you?

(d)

in questions framed with an interrogative pronoun or adverb, may

express incredulity or perplexity on the speaker’s part, in which case it may correspond to the English suffix -ever , e.g.

Гдe жeты был(a´)?

Wherever have you been?

Почeму´ жeвы возрaжaéтe нa

Why on earth do you object to this?

э´то?

что жeeму´ подaри´ть нa

Whatever can we give him for

Pождeство´?

Christmas?

(e)

may also be used in questions in which the speaker asks for precise

information, e.g.

Bы говори´тe, что кто´-то поги´б.

You say that somebody was killed.

Кто жeпоги´б?

Who exactly was killed?