Thread: "что..."

My question is somewhat of a simple matter. I just want to know where to put a pause(comma) with the word "что". Before? or after?

example:

«я знаю, что 1 и 1 будет 2! Ты думал, что я – дурак?!»

or

«я думаю что, 1 и 1 будет 2! ты думал что, я – дурак?!»

Before.

And it's a comma, not pause. A comma doesn't always mark a pause.

My question is somewhat of a simple matter. I just want to know where to put a pause(comma) with the word "что". Before? or after?

example:

«я знаю, что 1 и 1 будет 2! Ты думал, что я – дурак?!»

or

«я думаю что, 1 и 1 будет 2! ты думал что, я – дурак?!»

Of course, the first variant is correct.
If there is a comma in the composite sentence it should be before что.

But it's possible to say not only
Ты думал, что я - дурак?
but
Ты что, думал, я - дурак?/Ты что, думал, что я - дурак?

I'm not sure that I can explain this phenomenon properly(

The second and third sentences mean that a person who says it comes down hard on somebody or goes after somebody or hammers on someone etc. The first one isn't so aggressive, it can be ironical or can express deep offence.
The difference:
Ты думал, (что именно думал?) что я...
Ты что, думал... = Разве ты думал, что... ;Может, ты думал, что...
"ты что" approximately means "разве".

Great explanation, Zaya, thank you!

So basically, if there could be что in the sentence, the comma is always put there (after the verb), even if the что is left out?

Also, are there instances where you can't leave the что out?

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Great explanation, Zaya, thank you!

So basically, if there could be что in the sentence, the comma is always put there (after the verb), even if the что is left out?

Also, are there instances where you can't leave the что out?

Of course there are instances.
Я знаю, что когда-нибудь умру.
Она говорит, что не может без него жить.
I'm not sure about the exact rules but practically it's not very often left out.

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Great explanation, Zaya, thank you!

So basically, if there could be что in the sentence, the comma is always put there (after the verb), even if the что is left out?

It's really difficult to say in general. There are so many possible contexts that you can't allow for them all
Actually, the question of using commas is a matter of the structure of a sentence (and not a matter of the word что). For example, you use comma to separate the main clause from the relative clause.

Also, are there instances where you can't leave the что out?

Of course, there are. For instance:

Я не соглашался с ним, что бы он ни говорил.
or
Скажи, что случилось?
or
Помнишь тот дом, что стоит на углу?
etc.

The common must always be used to mark off a subordinate clause. In English the subordinate clause does not have to be marked off with a comma.

E.g. I knew that he liked her.

That he liker her is the subordinate clause. In Russian it must be seperated by puncuation:

Я знал, что...
Я говорю о том, как

Also Чтобы has a comma before it.

English: I want you to read this book
Я хочу, чтобы ты прочитал эту книгу

Use of the comma is much stricter in Russian than in English. Whereas it is often left up to the writer in English, in Russian there tend to be more rules.

English: I want you to read this book
Я хочу, чтобы ты прочитал эту книгу

If I'm not mistaken, in this English sentence is complex subject, there are no main-clause and relative-clause unlike Russian one. Is it so or not?

PS: Please, help me to get rid of my mistakes, show me them at once

Originally Posted by Zaya

English: I want you to read this book
Я хочу, чтобы ты прочитал эту книгу

If I'm not mistaken, in this English sentence there is a complex subject, but there is no main-clause or relative-clause like there is in a Russian one. Is it not so?

PS: Please, help me to get rid of my mistakes, show me them at once

show me them at once

В этом предложении ошибок нету.

Thanks, all.

It'll take a little while for my brain to get around this one - practice, practice, practice.....

another "что" question...

is "что же..." a russian equivalent to: "what the..."? Kind of like "what the hell?!" but more of a perplexed version, just plainly: "what the..."

Originally Posted by zomby_pengy

another "что" question...

is "что же..." a russian equivalent to: "what the..."? Kind of like "what the hell?!" but more of a perplexed version, just plainly: "what the..."

No. The analogue of "what the hell?!" is "Какого чёрта?!" or "Что за чёрт?!" and the analogue of the shorter version "what the..." is just "Что за..." or "Какого..."

As for "Что же" or "Ну что же" or "Что ж" or "Ну что ж", it's something like "well" (in the beginning of a sentence).

Particle "же" adds a bit of emphasis. (But it doesn't sound as strong, a like "What the hell...")

basurero, даже больше: весь постскриптум без ошибок

"practice, practice, practice..... "

English: I want you to read this book
Я хочу, чтобы ты прочитал эту книгу

Окончательный вариант:
If I'm not mistaken, in this English sentence there is a complex object, but there is no main-clause or relative-clause like there is in a Russian one. Is it not so?
И все-таки я считаю, что раз конструкции по определению разные, то нельзя сравнивать в них пунктуацию.

Но с предыдущими примерами и с главной мыслью, конечно, согласна, перед that запятая не ставится, в отличие от "что".