How This One Works

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???: how, when, like, as, since, as soon as, both; are you kidding?

A very good translator I know once said that when translating Russian into English, it's not the big words that are the killers (because you can find English equivalents); and it's not the "untranslatable" words and concepts (though they may wound you slightly as you struggle to convey them). No, you are most likely to be done in by the tiny, little, everyday words.

Like ???. The simplest of words, one of the first words you learned in Russian 101. It means "how": ??? ?? ?????????? (How are you?)

Except when it means "what": ??? ?? ???????? (What do you think?) Here, the problem is not so much translating into English, but speaking in Russian. We English speakers tend to impose our grammar on Russian and ask ??? ?? ???????? ??? ?? ???????? (what do you think; what did you say). While not absolutely wrong, it often doesn't sound quite right. That ??? where there should be ??? is the verbal equivalent of having "foreigner" tattooed on your forehead.

You also need different words and constructions when translating ??? in comparisons. Sometimes it can be simply rendered "as" or "like": ?? ???????? ??? ????! (He's as hungry as a wolf!) But in comparative expressions with "???..., ??? ?" you can either use the construction "as... so," or, more colloquially, rephrase the sentence altogether: ??? ???, ??? ? ????? (He died the way he lived, literally, "as he lived, so he died").

Another usage of "???... ??? ?" can be translated as "both": ??? ????????, ??? ? ??????? ????? ???? ????. (Both boys and girls have started to drink beer.)

In another case, ??? might be translated as "when" or "as soon as": ??? ??????? ?????, ??????? ???. (Call me as soon as you get home.)

And in yet another case, ??? might be rendered as "since": ?????? ??? ????, ??? ?? ??????????. (Two years have gone by since we got married.)

As a question, ??? can express everything from simple lack of comprehension to astonished horror or anger. Let's take the instructive case of Vanya, the irresponsible coworker.

At the lowest emotional level, ??? can be used for clarifying information. It's what you ask in a neutral tone when you aren't sure you heard someone right:

-- ???? ????????. ??????? ??? ?? ?????. ???????.

-- ???? ??? ?????????

("Vanya called. He's not going to be in today. He's sick." "Sorry? Who called?")

But it can also convey surprise:

-- ???? ???????. ???????, ? ???? ???????????.

-- ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????????? ??????.

("Vanya's sick. He said he had a fever." "Really? He was perfectly fine yesterday.")

Or ire:

-- ?? ???????? ? ??????, ??? ????? ?? ???????? ?????.

-- ????! ?? ?? ??????!

("He called and said he didn't finish the report yesterday." "What?! He promised he'd do it!")

You could mix and match participles -- ??? and ??? -- to convey the really big trouble Vanya is going to be in:

-- ????, ????????, ????? ???????

-- ??? ???! ??? ????? ??? ???????.

("Do you think Vanya is going to get yelled at?" "And how! The boss wants to fire him.")

Or yet another participle combination -- ??? ?? -- to indicate agreement.

-- ?? ??????? ?????

-- ??? ??, ??? ??. ??? ??? ????????? ?? ?? ???????

("Remember Vanya?" "Of course I remember him. How is he? Did he find a new job?")

Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter.