9.1 Language and Speech – Impersonal Constructions + Dative Case (Gateway Words)

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[VIDEO]

I guess what I’m saying here is that Russian, it turns out, is pretty easy sometimes. You can express a TON with just these short NEUTER adjectives (sometimes adverbs). Where in English we might say, “This is so cool!” a Russian speaker might just say, “Так кру́то!” Or, “It’s so hot!” would be “Так жа́рко!” In the Russian examples, there is NO expressed subject. THAT’S OK!

There are also times when you can talk about how you feel, using these same short form neuter adjectives + a Dative pronoun. For example, “I’m bored,” or “I’m hot.” In Russian, these same short form neuter adjectives are used but you use the Dative pronoun to indicate who is feeling these things: “Мне ску́чно,” “Мне жа́рко.”

Let’s consider some examples WITH and WITHOUT DATIVE PRONOUNS. Note the differences. These may or may not be based on true stories:

Scenario 1

You go to the Кавка́зы (Caucasus Mountains) to visit extended family of your Russian host mother, and you are struck by their incredible beauty. You say:

Так краси́во! It’s so pretty! Мне э́то о́чень краси́во. This is very beautiful to me.

Scenario 2

You go to a настоя́щая ру́сская ба́ня, thinking this kind of thing will never be for you (I mean, come on, it’s a public bathouse), but it turns out to be one of the best things about Russian life, по-вашему́ мне́нию. You say:

Мне о́чень нра́вится! I really like this. Мне э́то о́чень прия́тно. For me this is very pleasant.

Scenario 3

You find a puppet master in Siberia. He carves his own wooden puppets and puts on shows for children and adults, alike, performing out of a studio in his own house. It’s so interesting and you’ve never really seen anything like it.

Scenario 4

Someone offers you грузи́нская ку́хня (Georgian food) for the first time. Why haven’t you ever tried this before, you ask yourself? The world is really missing out! Where has this been your whole life?

О́чень вку́сно! It’s so good (tasty / delicious).

Scenario 5

The family you’re staying with in Со́чи only has one extra bed you can use and it’s on their balcony, but it’s summer and nice outside. You don’t complain when they ask you if this is OK. You say:

Мне э́то удо́бно! This is comfortable for me. Здесь удо́бно. It’s comfortable here. На балко́не удо́бно спать. It’s comfortable to sleep on the balcony.

Scenario 6

You finally ate something bad. It happens. It is awful and you say so.

Мне пло́хо. I’m sick. / Something is wrong with me.

Scenario 7a

You read Достое́вский for the first time. You had no idea it would be like this.

You finally ate something bad. It happens. It is awful and you say so.

Так гру́стно! It’s so sad! Мне э́то о́чень гру́стно! I find this very sad. Э́то о́чень гру́стно. This is very sad.

Scenario 7b.

You read Го́голь for the first time and you are simultaneously delighted and horrified. You can’t decide whether you want to laugh or cry.

Мне это и смешно́ и гру́стно. For me this is funny and sad. Мне совсе́м не поня́тно, но мне э́то о́чень нра́вится. I don’t quite understand it, but I really like it.

Scenario 8

You have to sit on a train for two days while traveling to Petersburg on your way back from Sochi. You’re American and you’re used to a constant stream of entertainment, but it turns out:

Тебе ску́чно? Are you bored? Мне не ску́чно. Интере́сно и споко́йно про́сто сиде́ть, е́хать. I’m not bored. It’s interesting and peaceful to just sit and ride.

Scenario 9

You buy a bunch of souvenirs at an outdoor market to take home to your family, but you are silently robbed of them on your way to the metro.

Ужа́сно! Awful! Это оби́дно. This is offensive / hurtful. Мне о́чень оби́дно. This is really offensive / hurtful to me.

Scenario 10

You get a really bad sunburn while visiting the Black Sea. Your Russian host family offers you sour cream as salve to treat it. You do it, of course, but you think:

Стра́нно. It’s strange. Это стра́нно. This is strange. Мне это о́чень стра́нно. I find this very strange.