Thread: The meaning of "вести"

Originally Posted by CoffeeCup

Here "вести" is a plural form of "весть" a little bit old fashioned word for "новость" or "известие" (”news").

Больше спасибо за ответ CoffeeCup (is that correct?)

So my next question is, what is the difference between "новость" or "известие" then? Are they used in different contexts or can they be used interchangeably? Similarly does nobody use the word "вести" then in Russia unless talking about this specific news company given its an old-fashioned word?

Originally Posted by russianhogwash

Больше спасибо за ответ CoffeeCup (is that correct?)

So my next question is, what is the difference between "новость" or "известие" then? Are they used in different contexts or can they be used interchangeably? Similarly does nobody use the word "вести" then in Russia unless talking about this specific news company given its an old-fashioned word?

"Известие" is also rarely used, usually as a name of a newspaper "Известия". As for "весть", it is still used in some set expressions:
не бог весть что - nothing special
пропавший без вести - missing, as in "missing in action". Literally means "disappeared with no further information"(on what happened to that person or her whereabouts.)

As it often happens, there are derived words still in wide use: извещение, оповещение (notice, notification), повестка ("call-up papers" or "agenda", as in questions to discuss), навестить (to visit).

Originally Posted by russianhogwash

what is the difference between "новость" or "известие" then? Are they used in different contexts or can they be used interchangeably?

The plural новости is generally the word that should be used to translate "news," whether the context is "the stuff that professional journalists report" or "Have you heard the latest developments about the downstairs neighbors' divorce?"

The singular, however, can mean "a piece/item/bit of news", as in:

У меня для тебя плохая новость...
I have for you one bit of bad news...

(If you used the plural плохие новости it would imply that you had several unpleasant stories to relate.)