<\/p>\n
Read Part II here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Russian has many\u00a0ways to say you don’t care about something. They range from neutral to decidedly low-register to downright vulgar. In this post, I would like to cover some colloquial ways of expressing indifference.<\/p>\n Let’s start with the basics. Normally, we say “[adjective\/noun in the dative case] + \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0301” to mean “I don’t care.”<\/p>\n \u041c\u043d\u0435 \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e, \u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0301 \u0438\u0434\u0442\u0438\u0301 (I don’t care where I’ll go).<\/em><\/p>\n Note that “\u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e” is followed by a subordinate clause. Literally, it means “It’s all the same (to someone).”<\/p>\n A more formal way of saying this is “[dative] + \u0431\u0435\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0447\u043d\u043e” — “makes no difference to someone.” Note that “\u0431\u0435\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438\u0447\u043d\u043e” is used similarly to “\u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e” to introduce a subordinate clause. In addition, \u0431\u0435\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438\u0447\u043d\u043e can refer to a noun (something you don’t care about), in which case it has to agree with that noun in gender and number.<\/p>\n \u041f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0301\u043c \u043c\u044b \u043f\u043e-\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0301\u0436\u043d\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u0438\u0301\u0437\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043a\u0430 \u0432\u0438\u0301\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c, \u043e\u043d\u0430\u0301 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0432\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c, \u0438, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e\u0441\u044c, \u044f \u0442\u043e\u0301\u0436\u0435 \u0435\u0439 \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u043b \u0431\u0435\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0447\u0435\u043d, \u0445\u043e\u0442\u044f\u0301 \u043e\u043d\u0430\u0301 \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430\u0301\u043b\u0430 \u0432\u0438\u0301\u0434\u0443. (We would still occasionally see each other. I liked her, and it seemed to me, she cared for me, too, although she never let it show.) [\u0410\u043d\u0430\u0442\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0439 \u0420\u044b\u0431\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0432. \u0422\u044f\u0436\u0435\u043b\u044b\u0439 \u043f\u0435\u0441\u043e\u043a (1975-1977)]<\/em><\/p>\n 1. \u041f\u043e \u0431\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0443<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A colloquial way of saying you don’t care is [dative] + \u043f\u043e \u0431\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0443. \u0411\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043d is a drum. The origin of the phrase is ambiguous<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u041d\u0430\u043c \u0442\u0443\u0442 \u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c \u043f\u043e \u0431\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0431\u0430\u043d\u0443, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0435\u0301 \u043e \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0448\u0443\u0442. (All of us here couldn’t care less what they write about us in Moscow.) [\u041e\u043b\u044c\u0433\u0430 \u0410\u043d\u0434\u0440\u0435\u0435\u0432\u0430. \u0427\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u043a, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043d\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0437\u044f \u043d\u0430\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c. \u041a\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043a\u0443\u0440\u0441 \u0431\u043e\u0440\u044c\u0431\u044b \u0437\u0430 \u0441\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c \/\/ \u00ab\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0435\u0440\u00bb, 2013]\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n 2. \u0424\u0438\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0442\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “\u0424\u0438\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0442\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439” is the Russian word for the color purple. Its derivative adverb, \u00a0\u0444\u0438\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0442\u043e\u0432\u043e, is thought to refer to the purple color of the neutral litmus test.<\/p>\n \u2015 \u041e\u0442 \u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0301, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0431\u0443\u0301\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0301 \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0301\u0442\u044c \u0442\u0438\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0438\u0301\u0447, \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u0430\u0431\u0441\u043e\u043b\u044e\u0301\u0442\u043d\u043e “\u0444\u0438\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0442\u043e\u0432\u043e”. (I don’t really care what a typical Muscovite will say about me.) [\u0415\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430. \u041e\u043b\u0438\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0445 \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u0433\u0430\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043a\u0430 (2003) \/\/ \u00ab\u0410\u0440\u0433\u0443\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442\u044b \u0438 \u0444\u0430\u043a\u0442\u044b\u00bb, 2003.01.29]<\/em><\/p>\n As a side note, I am not picking statements of anti-Moscow sentiment on purpose. Look here for the love-hate relationship<\/a> between Moscow and the rest of Russia.<\/p>\n 3. \u041f\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0301\u043c<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u041f\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0430\u043c normally means “in half,” for example, “\u041e\u043d\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u0432\u044b\u0301\u0438\u0433\u0440\u044b\u0448 \u043f\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0301\u043c” (“They split the prize halfway.”) However, within the Russian argot<\/a>, this word is synonymous with “\u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e.”<\/a>\u00a0This usage has made its way into colloquial Russian at large, although you still probably wouldn’t say it to your professor or to a public official.<\/p>\n \u041d\u0430\u043c \u043f\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0301\u043c, \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e \u0446\u0432\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0301\u0441\u043a\u0438 (We don’t care about the color of the curtains).<\/em><\/p>\n 4. \u041f\u0430\u0440\u0430\u043b\u043b\u0435\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This is an adverb that, literally, means “parallel.” The idea is that if something is “parallel” to you, you don’t cross paths, so you have nothing to do with it. This word also originated within the argot<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u042d\u0301\u0442\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u0447\u0443\u0432\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0443 \u0432\u043e\u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435\u0301 \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0430\u043b\u043b\u0435\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e (This dude doesn’t care about anything).<\/em><\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u041f\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This verb means “to spit.” To say you don’t care, you can say “\u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0430 + accusative noun.” This colloquial turn of phrase is a bit more established in the general language and appears in general dictionaries<\/a>. You could also say “\u041f\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c, \u0447\u0442\u043e…” to introduce a subordinate clause.<\/p>\n \u041f\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0430 \u0436\u0435\u043d\u0443\u0301, \u043b\u0438\u0448\u044c \u0431\u044b \u0434\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0438 \u0431\u044b\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u0434\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b! (Who cares about the wife as long as the kids are happy.) [\u0416\u0435\u043d\u0449\u0438\u043d\u0430 + \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0430: \u0411\u0440\u0430\u043a (\u0444\u043e\u0440\u0443\u043c) (2004)]<\/em><\/p>\n Until next time, I will leave you with this song by Yuri Nikulin from the film “The Diamond Arm<\/a>.” See if you recognize any of the ways to say “I don’t care.”<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=e3WuEc2Vokg<\/a><\/p>\n