![\"green](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/07\/field-1024x768.jpeg\")
Image from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n
\u041d\u043e: Contrasting the Entire Situation<\/h2>\n
If we have two situations\/observations that contradict each other, we use \u043d\u043e (but).<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u041c\u044b \u043e\u043f\u043e\u0437\u0434\u0430\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0430\u0301, \u043d\u043e \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442 \u0435\u0449\u0451 \u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430\u043b\u0441\u044f<\/span> (We were half and hour late, but the concert hadn’t started).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Based on our knowledge of the world, there is an inherent contradiction between the two observations. Here, the speaker expects the concert to have started because the speaker was half an hour late, but for some reason, that did not happen.<\/p>\n
\u0410: Contrasting Parallel Attributes Of Two Different Things<\/h2>\n
\u0410 is used to make a parallel comparison, so to speak. We have two different things (they don’t have to be the subject of the sentence, but more on that later), and we are contrasting some of their attributes. Here is a simple example:<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u041c\u043e\u044f\u0301 \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0435, \u0430 \u043f\u0430\u0301\u043f\u0430 \u2014 \u0432 \u0448\u043a\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0435 (My mother works in a bank, and my father works in a school).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here, our subjects are mother and father. We are comparing where they work (“workplace attribute”), and their workplaces happen to be different. We do not use \u043d\u043e in this situation because there is no inherent logical contradiction between one parent working at a bank and the other in a school.<\/p>\n
If they both worked in the same place, this sentence could read:<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u041c\u043e\u044f\u0301 \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0435, \u0438 \u043c\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u0430\u0301\u043f\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0435 (My mother works in a bank, and my father works in a bank).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A less repetitive way of saying that would be “\u0418 \u043c\u043e\u044f \u043c\u0430\u043c\u0430, \u0438 \u043c\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u0430\u043f\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u043d\u043a\u0435” (Both my mom and dad work in a bank).<\/p>\n
For cases where the “things” are not the subject of the sentence, they can, for example, contrast different activities done by the same person.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u042f \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0443\u0301 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0438\u043d\u0435, \u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e \u0432 \u0446\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0435 (I live on the outskirts and work in the center).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note that here a construction with \u043d\u043e would also be possible.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u042f \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0443\u0301 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0438\u043d\u0435, \u043d\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e \u0432 \u0446\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0435 (I live on the outskirts but work in the center).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The difference is fairly subtle and depends on your perspective. A is used to add new information (“I told you where I lived, now let me tell you more about where I work, which happens to be a different place”), and \u043d\u043e to highlight a contradiction (“Even though I live on the outskirts, and it’s inconvenient for me to commute, I still work in the center”).<\/p>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/07\/shoes-1024x682.jpg\")
Image from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n
\u0410: Making Corrections<\/h2>\n
I’ve also seen a useful explanation that \u0430 is used to provide a correction for wrong information.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u042f \u0443\u0447\u0443\u0301\u0441\u044c \u043d\u0435 \u0432 \u0448\u043a\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0435, \u0430 \u0432 \u0443\u043d\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0435 (I am not in [primary\/secondary] school but in university).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The second location is a correction of the first one, so to speak. We infer that the first location was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u041d\u043e: Reconciling Contradictory Attributes<\/h2>\n
As opposed to the situation above, we may have a sentence where the same thing (subject or not) has different attributes that may be surprising to have at the same time.\u00a0Note that I use the word “attributes” loosely in this article, and this word does not refer exclusively to adjectives.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u042f \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e, \u043d\u043e \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0301\u044e (I work a lot but earn little).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here we have a contradiction: we expect a person who works a lot to earn a lot, but that is not the case.<\/p>\n
To complicate matters further, it is possible to reformulate the same observation with \u0430.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u042f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e, \u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0301\u044e \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This construction is explained by the “parallel contrast” section above.<\/p>\n
Additional Resources<\/h2>\n
- \n
- Quora answer<\/a> about the difference between \u043d\u043e and \u0430<\/li>\n
- RT Learn Russian explanation of \u0438, \u0430, and \u043d\u043e<\/a><\/li>\n
- StackExchange answer about \u0430 and \u0438<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![\"man](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/07\/shoes-350x233.jpg\")
If your native language only has the basic “and” vs “but” distinction, Russian conjunctions \u0430 and \u043d\u043e may be a bit confusing. How do you use them, and what’s the difference? I will explain the difference on an intuitive level below and will include links to additional resources at the bottom. \u041d\u043e: Contrasting the Entire…<\/p>\n
- RT Learn Russian explanation of \u0438, \u0430, and \u043d\u043e<\/a><\/li>\n
- Quora answer<\/a> about the difference between \u043d\u043e and \u0430<\/li>\n
- \u042f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e, \u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0301\u044e \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u042f \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e, \u043d\u043e \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0301\u044e (I work a lot but earn little).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u042f \u0443\u0447\u0443\u0301\u0441\u044c \u043d\u0435 \u0432 \u0448\u043a\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0435, \u0430 \u0432 \u0443\u043d\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0435 (I am not in [primary\/secondary] school but in university).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u042f \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0443\u0301 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0438\u043d\u0435, \u043d\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e \u0432 \u0446\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0435 (I live on the outskirts but work in the center).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u042f \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0443\u0301 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0438\u043d\u0435, \u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u044e \u0432 \u0446\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0435 (I live on the outskirts and work in the center).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u041c\u043e\u044f\u0301 \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0435, \u0438 \u043c\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u0430\u0301\u043f\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0435 (My mother works in a bank, and my father works in a bank).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u041c\u043e\u044f\u0301 \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043a\u0435, \u0430 \u043f\u0430\u0301\u043f\u0430 \u2014 \u0432 \u0448\u043a\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0435 (My mother works in a bank, and my father works in a school).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n