Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

Q pozvoniĺa, hto´by rasskaza´t; tebeńo´vosti.

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I rang (in order) to tell you the news.

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‘In order’ is often omitted in English. In Russian hto´by is sometimes 4

omitted after verbs of motion:

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Q priwlaŕasskaza´t; tebeńo´vosti.

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I came to tell you the news.

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Hto´by + past tense

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It can be seen from the above example that

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hto´by can only be used

with the infinitive where both clauses have the same subject. Where 1

the subject of each verb is different,

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hto´by + past tense is used and

translates ‘so that, in order that’:

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Q pozvoniĺa, hto´by ty rasskazaĺ mne no´vosti.

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I rang so that you could tell me the news.

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Hto´by + past tense after xote´t;

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Note the difference between the two examples:

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Q xohuŕabo´tat;.

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I want to work.

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Q xohu´, hto´by ty rabo´tal.

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I want you to work.

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In the first example the subject of the two verbs is the same and 6

xote´t; is followed by the infinitive. Where the subject of the verbs 7

is different, as in the second example, xote´t; is followed by hto´by 8

+ past tense.

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Other verbs expressing desirability are similarly followed by hto´by 40

+ past tense when the subject of the two verbs is different. These 1

include: tre´bovat; / potre´bovat; ‘demand’; 'dat; ‘to wait for’; 421111

predlaga´t; / predlo'i´t; ‘to suggest’:

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Russian society

On potre´boval, hto´by my uwli´.

He demanded that we leave.

Note the construction after nastaívat; / nastoq´t; ‘to insist’: On nastoqĺ na tom, hto´by my uwli´.

He insisted that we leave.

After

prikaźyvat; / prikaza´t;

‘to order’ and sove´tovat; /

posove´tovat; ‘to advise’ it is possible to use either hto´by + past tense or dative + infinitive:

On prikazaĺ, hto´by my uwli´.

He ordered that we leave.

On prikazaĺ nam ujti´.

He ordered us to leave.

Similarly, after prosi´t; / poprosi´t; ‘to ask, request’, either the construction with hto´by or accusative + infinitive may be used: On poprosiĺ, hto´by my uwli´.

He asked that we leave.

On poprosiĺ nas ujti´.

He asked us to leave.

N.B.: do not confuse prosi´t; / poprosi´t; with spra´wivat; /

sprosi´t; ‘to ask a question’:

On sprosiĺ menq´, zna´[ li q Petra´.

He asked me if I know Peter.

Exercise 8

Change the sentences using xote´t; , hto´by. Make the noun in brackets the subject of the second verb.

Example: Q xohu´ poe´xat; v Rossi´[ (moj drug) – Q xohu´, hto´by moj drug poe´xal v Rossi´[.

1 Q xohu´ kupi´t; mawińu (moj mu'). 2 On xo´het postupi´t; v universite´t (ego´ doh;). 3 Ona xo´het priobresti´ pute¨vku v dom o´tdyxa (ee¨ rodi´teli). 4 On xo´het prinadle'a´t; k sre´dnemu klaśsu (vse uhitelq´). 5 My xoti´m kupi´t; da´hu (naw sose´d).

6 Oni´ xotq´t vkla´dyvat; deń;gi v ceńnye buma´gi (rabo´hie). 7 On xo´het poluhi´t; xoro´wee obrazovańie (vse de´ti).

Rossijskoe obwestvo

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Hto´by + past tense after verbs of doubting or fearing and 2

negative verbs of thinking and believing

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When somneva´t;sq ‘to doubt’; ne veŕit; ‘not to believe’; ne du´mat; 4

‘not to think’; ne o'ida´t; ‘not to expect’ refer to the past or present 5

they are followed by

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hto´by + past tense:

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Q ne veŕil, hto´by on priwe¨l.

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I didn’t believe that he would come.

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For the future use the indicative:

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Q ne veŕ[, hto on pride¨t.

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