{"id":1409,"date":"2010-09-08T20:00:56","date_gmt":"2010-09-08T20:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2010-09-09T02:57:42","modified_gmt":"2010-09-09T02:57:42","slug":"sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00ab\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438\u00bb [Sorry] Seems to be the Hardest Word"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/em><\/strong>\u0412 <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439 <\/em><\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0444\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [in northern California] where I\u2019m presently living \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043d\u0435 <\/em><\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/em><\/strong>\u041b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0430 <\/em><\/strong>\u0432 <\/em><\/strong>\u0448\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u043a\u0435 <\/em><\/strong>\u0432 <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0435 <\/em><\/strong>\u0421\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0430-<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u041a\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0443\u0441\u0430<\/a>\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [(one cannot\/it is not possible) to buy Lenin with a hat in the style of Santa Claus]\u2026 This picture is yet another nostalgic trip down Ural Memory Lane \u2013 the \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u044f <\/em><\/strong>\u043b\u044e\u0431\u043b\u044e<\/span> <\/em><\/strong>\u0423\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043b<\/a>!\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [I love the Urals!] in the background sort of gives it away, I guess\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442 <\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c!\u00bb<\/strong> [Hi everybody!] Excuse me for being so informal; I should\u2019ve probably chosen the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435!\u00bb<\/strong> [hello!] variant of greeting you instead, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438\u00bb <\/strong>[pl.<\/em> dear readers], but I didn\u2019t so let\u2019s just get this party started. In case we haven\u2019t met before \u2013 if you\u2019re new to this blog, for example, or began reading it without being properly introduced to the two women behind it \u2013 one of them is me and my name is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0436\u043e\u0437\u0435\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Josefina]. If you\u2019ve been reading this blog for some time now \u2013 maybe ever since I started writing for it in the fall of 2007? \u2013 then you probably know that \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0448\u0435 <\/strong>\u044f <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0415\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0433\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [before I lived in Yekaterinburg] and perhaps you even remember somewhat vaguely that \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> <\/strong>\u044f <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span> 6 (<\/strong>\u0448\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c) <\/strong>\u043b\u0435\u0442 <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [all in all I lived six years in Russia]. If this is all news to you, that\u2019s alright. I may have been forced to leave Russia this summer due to being accepted \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0443 <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0411\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u043b\u0438<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [to graduate school at Berkeley], but because I study (and spend almost all of my time)<\/em> \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445 <\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> [at the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures] I am in a highly privileged position: even here I am always surrounded by Russian language, Russian people and Russian culture \u2013 despite \u2018officially\u2019 <\/em>residing \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0421\u043e\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u0448\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u0445 <\/strong>\u0410\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [in the United States of America]. Are you also a student of Russian language or literature (or both!)<\/em> at some department in a university? What university? In what country? \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 <\/strong>\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043c <\/strong>\u0434\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0443\u043d\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u0438\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0438!\u00bb<\/strong> [Let’s be friends ‘through our universities’<\/em> or ‘as universities’<\/em>!] How long have you been studying Russian language? I would love to find out more about where our \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [pl.<\/em> dear readers] are learning Russian.<\/p>\n

But now for something completely different! So, what was the biggest shock for me coming to the USA after living in Russia for so long? Well, obviously I was shocked by many things. For example, American grocery stores often carry only one single brand of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [buckwheat] and American public restrooms never lack \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0443\u0430\u043b\u0435\u0442\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0431\u0443\u043c\u0430\u0433\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [toilet paper]. This was all shocking to me after living long as well as prospering \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0435\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [in the Russian Federation]. This one can get used to rather quickly. What I am still getting used to is how Americans tend to say \u2018excuse me!\u2019<\/em> and \u2018sorry!\u2019<\/em> all the time. They say it even though they\u2019re only ALMOST bumping into you. Sometimes they say it while walking past you in the store or on the street. In Russia you\u2019d be surprised if someone who ALMOST bumped into you on the street said \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435<\/a>!\u00bb<\/strong> [(formal or when addressing more than one person) <\/em>excuse me!]. I\u2019d even be surprised in Russia if a stranger did bump into me on the street and then turned to me to exclaim with feeling: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435<\/a>!\u00bb<\/strong> [(formal or when addressing more than one person) <\/em>pardon me!]. Does this mean that Russians are \u2013 as many a foreigner has thought them to be due to situations like the one described above \u2013 a rude people? I don\u2019t think that\u2019s necessarily true. I think it goes deeper than being simply rude or impolite. In general, people do not talk to strangers in Russia (see, it looks like they paid attention to their mothers when they said: \u201cDon\u2019t talk to strangers!\u201d)<\/em>. Usually Russians do not strike up random conversations just with anybody on the street or in the store or in a restaurant. Does this mean that Russians are cold, reserved and not communicative in general? I prefer to look at it as Russians are more introvert than extrovert. In Russia people do not assume that you\u2019re interested in hearing about their day, their week, their year or their life simply because you happen to be next to them in line at the grocery store or also waiting for that same bus. On the one hand, I do miss the Russian \u2018rudeness\u2019<\/em>, i.e. being introvert \u2013 but on the other, it is refreshing to hear \u2018I\u2019m sorry!\u2019<\/em> from somebody, for example, stepping all over your toes.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s further explore how to say \u2018sorry\u2019<\/em> in Russian, for the expression \u2018when in Rome\u2026\u2019<\/em> doesn\u2019t always have to apply to everyone and everywhere. If you come from a culture where excusing yourself is imperative, then bring that tradition with you when you travel. Saying you\u2019re sorry has never hurt anyone, after all. I come from a country (Sweden)<\/em> where one should always say \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [thank you] whenever possible \u2013 ultimately, it should be repeated in every sentence uttered (okay, so that\u2019s me being a teeny tiny bit ironic)<\/em>. This is not common in Russia or Russian language. Yet I kept on doing it during all the six years I lived there\u2026<\/p>\n

The English \u2018<\/em>sorry\u2019<\/em> \u00a0can be translated into three different concepts in Russian:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> (feeling sympathy)<\/em> \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> with which you can say both \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0436\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [I am sorry] and more specifically \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0435\u0451<\/span> <\/strong>\u0436\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [I’m sorry for her] \u2013 when needed.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> (feeling regret)<\/em> \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [impfv.<\/em> to be sorry] by way of which you can express yourself in the following manner: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u044c <\/strong>\u044f <\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u044e, <\/strong>\u0447\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u043b\u0430 <\/strong>\u044d<\/span><\/strong>\u0442\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [I am sorry now that I did it].<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> (expressing one\u2019s apologies)<\/em> \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435!\u00bb<\/strong> [(addressing one person formally or more than one person) <\/em>I\u2019m sorry!] or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>!\u00bb<\/strong> [(addressing one person informally) <\/em>I\u2019m sorry!] is what you should say in Russia when bumping into somebody. Since you usually aren\u2019t informal with strangers on the street in Russia be sure only to use the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435!\u00bb <\/strong>variant. Just so you make sure not to offend people you don\u2019t know \u2013 and who could potentially become close friends with you and perhaps take you skiing in \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [Sochi] next winter if you play your cards right.<\/p>\n

When you want to say \u2018excuse me!\u2019<\/em> in Russian language, you can either use \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435!\u00bb <\/strong>and \u00a0\u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>!\u00bb<\/strong> – as shown above \u2013 or make use of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435!\u00bb<\/strong> (for formal address or plural)<\/em> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438<\/span>!\u00bb<\/strong> (for singular and informal)<\/em> which both translate into English as \u2018excuse me!\u2019<\/em> or \u2018pardon me!\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

From the verb \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [pfv.<\/em> to forgive] the neuter noun \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> is derived. It has two connotations that can both be used to say you\u2019re sorry in Russian: 1.<\/strong> forgiveness: \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u0443 <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>–<\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to ask for someone\u2019s forgiveness] and 2.<\/strong> pardon: \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0443<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f!\u00bb<\/strong> [I beg your pardon!].<\/p>\n

Also from the verb \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb <\/strong>[pfv.<\/em> to excuse, pardon] a neuter noun is derived: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>. It has three connotations in Russian and can indeed too be used to express how sorry you are in the following manner: 1.<\/strong> apology: \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0443<\/span> <\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f!\u00bb<\/strong> [I\u2019m sorry!]; 2.<\/strong> pardon: \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0438\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u0443 <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>–<\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443\u0434\u044c\u00bb <\/strong>[to beg someone’s pardon]; 3. excuse: \u00ab<\/strong>\u044d<\/span><\/strong>\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [that’s no excuse].<\/p>\n

And last \u2013 but not least \u2013 we have a reflexive verb made from the imperfect \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to excuse, pardon]: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [impfv.<\/em> to apologize] + \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0434 <\/strong>\u043a\u0435\u043c?\u00bb<\/strong> [to whom? (with instrumental case)<\/em>]. How should we use it in a sentence then? How about this:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u042f \u0438\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u044e\u0441\u044c \u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0434 \u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0434\u0443\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0446\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0438 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0430\u2026\u00bb<\/strong> [I apologize to you that I didn\u2019t come up with a good ending for this post…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u00ab\u0412 \u0441\u0435\u0432\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u041a\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0444\u043e\u0440\u043d\u0438\u0438\u00bb [in northern California] where I\u2019m presently living \u00ab\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438\u0442\u044c \u041b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u0432 \u0448\u0430\u043f\u043a\u0435 \u0432 \u0441\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0435 \u0421\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0430-\u041a\u043b\u0430\u0443\u0441\u0430\u00bb [(one cannot\/it is not possible) to buy Lenin with a hat in the style of Santa Claus]\u2026 This picture is yet another nostalgic trip down Ural Memory Lane \u2013 the \u00ab\u044f \u043b\u044e\u0431\u043b\u044e \u0423\u0440\u0430\u043b!\u00bb [I love the Urals!]…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":1411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8,7827,7826],"tags":[11224,11225,11226,1211,1237,1248,11223,11234,11230,7839,11232,11231,11227,11228,11229,11233,1674,1696],"class_list":["post-1409","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-language","category-russian-life","category-when-in-russia","tag-excuse-me","tag-i-beg-your-pardon","tag-im-sorry","tag-russia","tag-russian-grammar","tag-russian-language","tag-sorry","tag-11234","tag-11230","tag-7839","tag-11232","tag-11231","tag-11227","tag-11228","tag-11229","tag-11233","tag-1674","tag-1696"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1409"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14559,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions\/14559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}