???µ ???…??????: stick around
As I was walking in the park the other day, a woman ran up to me and asked: ?’?‹ ???µ ???????µ?»?? ???°?»?µ?????????? ?????±?°????? This means: Have you seen a little dog? But she asked the question in the negative, something like: You haven't seen a little dog, have you?
Over the years I have noticed and written about the propensity for Russian speakers to use negative constructions where English speakers would use positive phrases. Today I decided to try to put all of those observations into a kind of Russian negation rule-book.
Rule 1: It is more polite and less intrusive to ask questions in the negative. I do not know why this is and I cannot yet determine the topics or situations that this rule applies to, but certainly it applies to asking strangers questions. It works for asking about a missing dog or asking for directions: ?’?‹ ???µ ???????????°?¶?µ?‚?µ, ?????µ ???»???†?° ???»?°???µ?‚???°??? (Can you tell me where Ulitsa Planetnaya is?) Mysteriously to me, it sounds slightly more accommodating to use this kind of negative construction with friends and family, too: ???µ ?…???‡?µ???? ???????‚?? ?? ?‚?µ?°?‚?€ ?? ?????‚?????†??? (How about going to the theater on Friday?)
Rule 2: Not good is better than bad. That is, saying ?????µ ???»???…?? (I'm in bad shape) is bald, categorical, and so strong that it will probably get you a quick ticket to the emergency room. But ?????µ ???µ?…???€?????? (I'm not doing too well) is tactful, polite, and will get you a helping hand to the nearest lounge chair. Unless something is really, really bad, negate some "good" words instead of using "bad" words: ???µ?…???€?????? (not good), ???µ???µ???µ?»?? (not fun), ???µ?????‚?µ?€?µ?????? (not interesting), ???µ?»?µ?????? (not easy), etc. Many times this kind of understatement is very pleasing to the Russian ear, too: ???µ???¶?µ?»?? ?·?° ???µ?????‚?? ?»?µ?‚ ???°?»???‚?? ???µ ???????µ?????»?°? ???µ???????‚?? ?¶?????‘????. (You haven't bought a new coat in ten years? Money's a bit tight, is it?)
Rule 3: ???µ…???µ… (not…not) transforms a sentiment into a strong ???° (yes). That is, ???? ???µ ???????? ???µ???? ???µ ?·?°???µ?‚???‚?? (literally, he couldn't have not noticed me) is really a strong positive phrase: He had to have noticed me! And this kind of construction also sounds elegant to the Russian ear. ???µ ?????°?»?????? ???µ ???????€???‚?????? (We could not keep from fighting.) ?? ???µ ?????? ???µ ???°???????????‚??, ?‡?‚?? ???µ???????? — ???µ ???°????. (I had to remind them that the money was not ours.)
Rule 4: ???µ + a semantically negative verb = a positive. ???µ ???€?????‚?? (literally, don't be sad) = cheer up. It is possible to say ?€?°?·???µ???µ?»?????? (get happy), and saying it will make your friends wildly amused. But it is not good Russian. ???µ ???…??????! (Stay put!) ???µ ???€?????°???°??! (Keep in touch.) ???µ ?±???»?µ??! (Be well.) ???µ ?????‹???°??! (Cheer up!) ???µ ???‚?‡?°?????°??????! (Stay positive!) ???µ ???µ???°?? ??????! (Buck up!) ???µ ???°???€?????°??????! (Relax!)
Of course, sometimes English speakers use the same kind of construction. ???µ ?±?µ?€?? ?? ?????»??????! (Don't give it a thought!) ???µ ???€?????????°?? ?±?»???·???? ?? ???µ?€???†??! (Don't take it to heart!) But in general, English likes to use positive commands and Russian likes to negate a negative command.
But that may be changing. A few years ago the phrase ?±?µ?€?µ???? ???µ?±?? (take care) sounded hilarious in Russian, but now the younger crowd has picked it up along with ?????°???»?????? (smiley face emoticons).
Meanwhile, don't let all this negation get you down. ???µ ?????»??????????, ?±?????? ???‡?°???‚?»????! (Don't worry, be happy!)
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.
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