Thread: capitalization

Hello... I'm sort of a beginner at Russian and I was wondering, well I've seen "вас" and other words capitalized in the middle of sentences before, is this correct?
What are the rules regarding this?

Most people recognise "Вы" as very polite form of address. Also, it is accepted in official documents to capitalize the word.

Also, as a rule, capitalized words Вы, Вас, Вам in the middle of the sentenses are addressed to a single person, but not to several persons.
I doubt there is any rule in our days, but it is usual to write that way in inviting and begging letters.

When it is capitalized it is Formal Singular for the word "you." Used when speaking to someone who should be venerated.

When it is not, it is the plural form of "you." Like "you people."

ex.
Как Вас зовут?
What is your name? (Formal Singular)

Как вас зовут?
What are your names? (Addressing more than one person)

This applies to all Declensions too.

Wait, but the singular вы can be not capitalized as well.
Aтв plural Вы can be capitalized when you address several persons.

Originally Posted by Leof

Wait, but the singular вы can be not capitalized as well.
Aтв plural Вы can be capitalized when you address several persons.

Wouldn't singular lowercase Вы just be Ты?
And are you sure it can be capitalized in the middle of a sentence?
If I said:
Как Вы себя чувствуете?
In speech it would depend on the situation but in writing wouldn't this seem like you were addressing someone formally?

I am affraid I can't understand your last questions properly
But I meant such letters:

For example, the invitation to Mr and Mrs Smith:

Дорогие мистер и миссис Смит. Мы приглашаем Вас на Бал упырей в полночь тринадцатого в пятницу.

Вас is plural and stands in the middle of the sentense.

The other example is common, you may see it on this forum as well, when вы is singular but not capitalized:

Не хотите ли вы этим сказать, что...

вы minds a single person here.

Originally Posted by Leof

For example, the invitation to Mr and Mrs Smith:

Дорогие мистер и миссис Смит. Мы приглашаем Вас на Бал упырей в полночь тринадцатого в пятницу.

Вас is plural and stands in the middle of the sentense.

The other example is common, you may see it on this forum as well, when вы is singular but not capitalized:

Не хотите ли вы этим сказать, что...

вы minds a single person here.

In the first example I can see how it isn't singular, but it is still formal so a capital is used.

I don't know about the second one though, seems like you could just use "Ты"

yes you can use ты but if you wish to underline your polity you will use вы.

When you address someone personally (you know his or her name) it's polite to capitalise Вы, for example:

Дорогой Иван Васильевич, третьего дня Вы, нажрамшись, изволили наступить мне на галстук, отчего он испачкался и более непригоден к носке.

When, from the other hand, you address someone you don't know (for example a spam message), you shouldn't capitalise вы (because the letter is addressed to many receivers and you don't know them personally):

Дорогой читатель спама, мы хотим поделиться с вами большой радостью - мы усовершенствовали наш почтовый сервер и теперь вместо 100 рекламных писем в день, вы будете получать 1000.

Я где то в ветке глупые вопросы отвечала, но тема слишком большая, чтобы там что-то найти ^_^

С маленькой буквы вы пишется, если текст обращен не к определенному человеку, а к любому, его читающему: в коллективных рассылках, инструкциях, руководствах, рецептах и т.п.

Originally Posted by Leof

Мы приглашаем Вас на Бал упырей в полночь тринадцатого в пятницу.

This is incorrect, you should not capitalize the "в" here, since you are adressing more than one person. Ref.: http://www.spravka.gramota.ru/blang.html?id=171

Originally Posted by автобус

I don't know about the second one though, seems like you could just use "Ты"

An office worker can address the COE of his/her company as "Hey, Joe!", but I think "Mr. Smith" would be more appropriate in most cases. In Russian, you say "ты" to people with whom you are on a first-name basis, so to say.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Дорогой читатель спама, мы хотим поделиться с вами большой радостью - мы усовершенствовали наш почтовый сервер и теперь вместо 100 рекламных писем в день, вы будете получать 1000.

Тогда «дорогие читатели». На мой вкус.

Originally Posted by Leof

Wait, but the singular вы can be not capitalized as well.

True, it became a de-facto standard just because a lot of people didn't capitalize "Вы". But if a person wants to look well-eucated he/she should always capitalize it when a adressing the (single) person. The only exception is the situation Indra mentioned.

Originally Posted by Leof

Aтв plural Вы can be capitalized when you address several persons.

Absolutely wrong.

I thought it was true.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Originally Posted by Ramil

Дорогой читатель спама, мы хотим поделиться с вами большой радостью - мы усовершенствовали наш почтовый сервер и теперь вместо 100 рекламных писем в день, вы будете получать 1000.

Тогда «дорогие читатели». На мой вкус.

Я специально использовал единственное число, чтобы проиллюстрировать пример.