Thread: "в общем"

What does that mean? People are saying it all the time....
I can't figure out what it means.

It means "in general". В общем is something like короче (короче говоря). People say when they want to finish a conversation, a discussion of a particular theme or to make a conclusion. It can probably be a filler word.
For example, you are listening to a long explanation, but you have already understood. Then you say: В общем, я поняла. В общем is close to вообще.

Yes, Marcus is right. When you say ''all in all'', ''on the whole'' it means в общем as well.

Depending on the context, it can mean "generally/broadly speaking" or "all in all", or it can be used before the speaker summarizes what he/she previously said (~"to sum it up"), or, if you ask a question and the person you are speaking to stops to think for a few seconds and then starts the reply with "в общем", it is similar to "Ok, it's like this: blah-blah-blah...." in English. Sometimes it can be used just as a filler phrase with no specific meaning — just for flow.

Thanks all!
What about "нормально" and "Ну, ладно..."
The meaning must be very broad, people use them all the time?

Originally Posted by Hanna

Thanks all!
What about "нормально" and "Ну, ладно..."
The meaning must be very broad, people use them all the time?

as for "нормально", we usually say it when someone asks "как дела?"
-Как дела?
-нормально

as for "ну, ладно", we say it when we agree with something or somebody or it's also used when you finish your phone conversation or when you mean to say "пока"
People like to say "ну, давай" or "давай" Давай, пока Have you noticed that?

Thanks for the explanation, yes I have noticed davai too, but the meaning of that is relatively clear. But why put "Ny" in front?

"Нормально" means "O.K".
"Ну, ладно..." means "Well, it's a deal..." or "Oh, really?" depending on context.

Неужели между "ну" и "давай" или "ну" и "ладно" нужно ставить запятую?

But why put "Ny" in front?

"Ну" shows agreement without big enthusiasm (depending on intonation it can be positive or negative).

Originally Posted by Marcus

Неужели между "ну" и "давай" или "ну" и "ладно" нужно ставить запятую?

Если делаешь паузу после "ну", когда произносишь, то, я думаю, можно. Но не обязательно. Запятые всегда были моим слабым местом.

I would explain ну as being mainly a "filler word", similar to the English "Well, okay!" or "Sure, why not?" or "Um, I don't know!"

BTW, очевидно от её вопроса о "ну", что Ханна -- не еврейка! (It's obvious from her question about "nu" that Hanna isn't Jewish!)

Я сам, жаль, не еврей, но я жил несколько лет в Нью-Йорке, где везде и часто звучат "идишизмы" в ежедневной речи -- откуда я совсем знаком со словом "ну"! (Alas, I'm not Jewish myself, but I lived for several years in New York City, where Yiddishisms are constantly heard in everyday speech -- and thus I'm quite familiar with the word "nu"!)

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

BTW, очевидно от её вопроса о "ну", что Ханна -- не еврейка! (It's obvious from her question about "nu" that Hanna isn't Jewish!)

Я сам, жаль, не еврей, но я жил несколько лет в Нью-Йорке, где везде и часто звучат "идишизмы" в ежедневной речи -- откуда я совсем знаком со словом "ну"! (Alas, I'm not Jewish myself, but I lived for several years in New York City, where Yiddishisms are constantly heard in everyday speech -- and thus I'm quite familiar with the word "nu"!)

Глупости! От меня "Ну" в ответ на вопрос не услышишь, хоть я и еврейка. Скорее, это были одесситы и одесские евреи.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

BTW, очевидно от её вопроса о "ну", что Ханна -- не еврейка!)

LOL Throbert, I have a little bit of Jewish blood although you would never guess if you met me. However I don't know any Yiddish whatsoever and my faith is Christian.

But back to the topic: Thanks for the explanations so far, here is another thing that people say a lot that I don't understand: "Вот это вот___________" (for example, "мужчиина")

"вот этот вот мужчина ..." just means "this (or that) man ..." with a bunch of filler words.
"вот это вот мужчина." means "this is a man." again with a bunch of filler words

Скорее, это были одесситы и одесские евреи.

Скорее это были те, у кого родной язык - идиш.

My theory is that "Voobshem" can be used in the sense of "In fact...", "as a matter of fact", or "For that matter"

Originally Posted by Marcus

Скорее это были те, у кого родной язык - идиш.

Most of them are long gone now.

Originally Posted by Lampada

Most of them are long gone now.

Насколько я знаю, много "хасидов" в Нью-Йорке говорят на идише и до сих пор. Однако, за пределами хасидского общества, почти никакие американские евреи не владеют идишом. А все-таки наши евреи часто "солят и перчат" свой английский язык идишскими выражениями. И некоторые из этих "вытекли" в нееврейский свет, к примерам: schlep/шлеп (тащить), kvetch/квеч (жаловаться), schmuck/шмак (мудак), klutz/клац (неуклюжий человек), schmaltz/шмалц (лишняя сентиментальность), и т.д.

As far as I know, many Hasidic Jews in NYC speak Yiddish even to this day. However, outside the Hasidic community, almost no American Jews know Yiddish with real fluency. But even so, Jewish Americans often "salt and pepper" their English with Yiddish expressions. And some of these have "leaked out" into non-Jewish circles, for example: "schlep" (to drag), "kvetch" (to complain), "shmuck" (a dickhead), "klutz" (a clumsy person), "schmaltz" (overdone sentimentality), etc.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Насколько я знаю, много "хасидов" в Нью-Йорке говорят* на идише и до сих пор. Однако, за пределами хасидского общества, почти никто из американских евреев не владеет идишом. А все-таки наши евреи часто "солят и перчат" свой английский язык идишскими выражениями. И некоторые из них "вытекли" в нееврейский свет, к примерам: schlep/шлеп (тащить), kvetch/квеч (жаловаться), schmuck/шмак (мудак), klutz/клац (неуклюжий человек), schmaltz/шмалц (лишняя сентиментальность), и т.д.

* Либо "много хасидов говорит", либо "многие хасиды говорят".