{"id":1571,"date":"2010-11-19T10:00:40","date_gmt":"2010-11-19T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=1571"},"modified":"2014-07-17T14:05:25","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T14:05:25","slug":"russian-greetings-are-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/russian-greetings-are-fun\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian Greetings are Fun"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve all likely heard an expression \u201cnature abhors vacuum\u201d. You can translate it into Russian quite literally as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043f\u0438\u0442 <\/strong>\u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> or more figuratively as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0431\u044b\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [lit: the holy place is never empty]. This last one is especially appropriate when talking about people.<\/p>\n

And so now we have a new blogger, Natalie, who you\u2019ve already met and greeted yesterday<\/a>. That\u2019s just what I wanted to talk about, Russian greetings.<\/p>\n

Natalie used the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> for her greeting and with a good reason. The awfully hard to pronounce \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>, literally meaning \u201cbe well\u201d or \u201cbe healthy\u201d, is the most formal general Russian greeting.<\/p>\n

The old textbooks sometimes translate \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> as the equivalent of the British \u201chow do you do\u201d. Nowadays it\u2019s translated as \u201chello\u201d.<\/p>\n

So, if you are meeting someone for the first time, use the polite \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>. But also use it when addressing anyone with whom you are \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0432\u044b\u00bb<\/strong>, meaning that you address them with the formal respectful \u201cyou\u201d. Typically that\u2019s \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438, <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0448\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u0430\u0441 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443 <\/strong>\u0438<\/span><\/strong>\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044e\u00bb<\/strong> [people who are older or more senior ranking than you].<\/p>\n

If you are addressing several people at once, you will also use \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> regardless of how familiar you are with these people.<\/p>\n

Now, it is a tough word to pronounce. The key here is to skip a couple of letters. How many depends on how formal you need this greeting to sound:<\/p>\n

Pronounce it as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> and you will retain all the original formality without getting your tongue twisted.<\/p>\n

Shorten it to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044c\u0442\u0435\u00bb <\/strong>or even \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044c\u0442\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> and it becomes one of the most informal and least respectful greetings (actually, I\u2019d go as far as to classify the latter version as downright disrespectful, but maybe it\u2019s just me).<\/p>\n

Dropping the last two letters, \u00ab-<\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>, you\u2019ll get \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> – a common greeting between friends. You have to be \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [in the habit of using the informal \u201cyou\u201d] with someone to use \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u00bb<\/strong>. Or you can use it to address a child who will, if \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [properly taught], reply with \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0436\u043b\u0438\u0432\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [polite] \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How do you know if you can switch to an informal \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [you] with your Russian \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [conversation partner]? He or she will suggest it either by saying \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0439\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u043c <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 <\/strong>\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043c <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> or even a simple \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong>, all meaning \u201clet\u2019s start addressing each other with the informal \u201cyou\u201d\u201d. Or you can ask \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b?\u00bb<\/strong> [may we switch to the informal you?] or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0435, <\/strong>\u0435<\/span><\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b?\u00bb<\/strong> [do You mind if we switch to the informal you?].<\/p>\n

If you happen to be at a table with \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [appetizers] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u043f\u0438\u0432\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [alcohol], this will happen sooner than later in the form of a mandatory toast \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0430<\/span>\u0444\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [to switching to the informal you].<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another way to become \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong>, something I call the transitive property of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [you] \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f<\/span>\u0449\u0435\u0439 <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [in the appropriate crowd]. If you are \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> with person A who introduces you to person B and A and B are already \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong>, then chances are, you will be \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> with this person B right away.<\/p>\n

Once you are \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> with Russians, you have a host of informal greetings to use:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442!\u00bb<\/strong> [Hi!] is most appropriate between young people or people close in age. I might be \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0436\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [too polite], but \u00ab<\/strong>\u044f <\/strong>\u0442\u0432\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u0434\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u044e\u00bb<\/strong> [I firmly believe] that \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> shouldn\u2019t be used by younger people to address their elders, except within the family. \u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> is a diminutive form of this greeting that shows that give them a word, any word, and Russians will come up with a diminutive<\/a> for it.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430<\/span>?\u00bb<\/strong> [How are things?] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c?\u00bb<\/strong> [How\u2019s life?] both amount to \u201cHow are you\u201d greeting. Except that if that\u2019s how you choose to greet a Russian, be prepared for something more substantial than the typical English-language \u201cfine, thank you\u201d. You are as likely to hear \u00ab<\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [well], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0445\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [not bad] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u043e\u0440\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [all right] as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [so-so], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0445\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [poorly], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [informal: like rubbish]. And in many cases you will also get the full background story as well.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u044f <\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0430!\u00bb<\/strong> [What a meeting!] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438!\u00bb<\/strong> [Look who\u2019s here!] are both informal greetings used to express surprise and joy. By the way, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438!\u00bb<\/strong> can be used to greet both a group and a single person. Both these greetings are likely to be followed by warm hugs and kisses on both cheeks or a round of manly bear hugs and back-patting and exclamations of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e <\/strong>\u043b\u0435\u0442, <\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e <\/strong>\u0437\u0438\u043c!\u00bb<\/strong> [lit. how many summers and winters; long time, no see].<\/p>\n

Once those are over (you might be offered a handkerchief to wipe the lipstick marks off your cheeks), you might be asked \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0438 <\/strong>\u0441\u0443\u0434\u044c\u0431\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438?\u00bb<\/strong> [lit: what fates brought you here; how come you\u2019re here]. And from this point on, whatever plans you\u2019ve made for the day will be null and void and replaced with some kind of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [a feast, although \u201cfeast\u201d is not at all an adequate translation].<\/p>\n

As you can see, moving past the formal \u201cyou\u201d with its hard to pronounce \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [hello] and bland \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [good morning], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [good afternoon] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> [good evening] really opens up the universe of possibilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve all likely heard an expression \u201cnature abhors vacuum\u201d. You can translate it into Russian quite literally as \u00ab\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430 \u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0438\u0442 \u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0442\u044b\u00bb or more figuratively as \u00ab\u0441\u0432\u044f\u0442\u043e \u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e \u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u00bb [lit: the holy place is never empty]. This last one is especially appropriate when talking about people. And so now we have a new…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8,7828],"tags":[12547,1248],"class_list":["post-1571","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners","tag-russian-greetings","tag-russian-language"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1571","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\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1571"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6232,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1571\/revisions\/6232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}