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Thread: то ли... то ли...

  1. #1
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    то ли... то ли...

    In an exercise it is said (in Russian):
    'I have heard that in the Main Street have just opened a new cafeteria. I don't remember its name: Tо ли "Минуточку", то ли "Быстро" '.
    For the context it seems clear that it means: Or "Минуточку", or "Быстро". But however I have found "то..., то..." as disyunctive conjunction I have not seen "Tо ли... то ли...".
    Has it the same meaning? Thanks.

  2. #2
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    Re: то ли... то ли...

    Quote Originally Posted by radomir
    Has it the same meaning?
    No. "То... то..." means two different actions following each other during some space of time with reiteration. For example:
    Он то чихает, то кашляет. (meaning: At one moment he sneezes, at another he coughs)
    "То ли... то ли..." means uncertainty of the speaker. For example: Он то ли чихает, то ли кашляет (meaning: He either sneezes, or coughs. [I am not certain; I don't hear it well])
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

  3. #3
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    Re: то ли... то ли...

    Thank you.

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