Thread: 5 practice sentences - is my translation correct?

1) Karin was kidnapped, the police is organizing a search party.

Карин похищена, полиция организуют поисковую группу.

2) Karin wasn't found, so the police is looking for a suspect.

Карин не найдена, так полиция разыскивать подозреваемый человека.

3) When the suspect was arrested, the officer search him for clues

Когда подозреваемый человек арестован, чиновник обыскать его улик.

4) We know Karin was abducted because her mother searched everywhere for her.

Мы знаем Карин похищена из-за её мама разыскивает всюду для её.

5) We found clues, now we are looking for the location where she is being held.

Мы нашли улики, сейчас мы ищем местонахождения где она.

Originally Posted by Valda

1) Karin was kidnapped, the police is organizing a search party.

Карин похищена, полиция организует поисковую группу.

2) Karin wasn't found, so the police is looking for a suspect.

Карин не найдена, так что полиция разыскивает подозреваемого.

3) When the suspect was arrested, the officer search him for clues

Когда подозреваемого арестовали, полицейский обыскал его на предмет улик.

4) We know Karin was abducted because her mother searched everywhere for her.

Мы знаем, что Карин похищена, потому что её мама всюду её разыскивала.

5) We found clues, now we are looking for the location where she is being held.

Мы нашли улики, сейчас мы ищем (ее местонахождение.) (, где ее держат.)

Note that commas are mostly mandatory in Russian.

You know what, I'm glad most of the mistakes you picked up were NOT cases mistakes, but verb conjugation which I've stupidly forgotten and some inapt conjunction words.

подозреваемого - Well I didn't know you can just use this

Seriously, my other mistakes were silly I should concentrate better and review my work better. I tend to forget conjugate new words I learn.

Thank you very much

где ее держат.)

Ahh was looking how to say that.

Когда подозреваемого арестовали, полицейский обыскал его на предмет улик.

Question - why "арестовали"?

Shouldn't we use the past participle short form "арестован" meaning "was arrested"?

You used plural, and past. While the sentence is past particple, singular male.

Originally Posted by Valda

Question - why "арестовали"?

Shouldn't we use the past participle short form "арестован" meaning "was arrested"?

You used plural, and past. While the sentence is past particple, singular male.

Арестовали - "they arrested" - one way in Russian to use impersonal constructions. "They" means no matter who. Somebody. In English it is also used AFAIK even if not so often as in Russian.

Another way is to say the same "он был арестован" - "he was arrested", but it is a bit bookish, official way.

Again the same construction "где ее держат" - "where they held her".

Another way is to say the same "он был арестован" - "he was arrested", but it is a bit bookish, official way.

True, but I think it's more fitting to the original phrase "[he] was arrested", as opposed to what you more had in mind "they arrested him".

Thanks for the replies and corrections

Originally Posted by Valda

True, but I think it's more fitting to the original phrase "[he] was arrested", as opposed to what you more had in mind "they arrested him".

Thanks for the replies and corrections

You're direct translating rather than rendering. It's perfectly find to render "его арестовали" in English as "He was arrested". Simple impersonal constructs as mentioned by it-ogo are a normal way of speaking. You can use a participle if you want to, but it makes it sound like you're writing a news article rather than telling a story to someone in a less formal setting.

It's good to know the different ways you can say it, but it's also good to know how something is said in different contexts.

formal

informal

To make it clear - арестовали/"they arrested" is not restricted to informal settings, it's a pretty formal and correct way to say it in 99% cases. Participles like был арестован/"was arrested" are called "канцеляризмы" by linguists, and they are usually used by state officials like deputies, police etc. in their official reports, they have their own clumsy speech, for example, имеет место быть literally means "has a place to be" and means "there is". Except state officials in highly formal reports/interviews, no one really uses participles as often as them.