Thread: A couple of questions.

A book I'm reading gives the following Russian text and translation:

"Многе хотят его изучать..."

"Many people want to study..."

If I do a literal translation myself, I come up with "Many want its to study". I don't really understand where I'm going wrong, especially why 'его' is there.



Second sentance:

"Давай поедем к моим друзьям."

"Lets go and see ('to') my friends."

I'm confused as to why Давай, 'give', is there?

Many thanks.

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

A book I'm reading gives the following Russian text and translation:

"Многе хотят его изучать..."

"Many people want to study..."

If I do a literal translation myself, I come up with "Many want its to study". I don't really understand where I'm going wrong, especially why 'его' is there.



Second sentance:

"Давай поедем к моим друзьям."

"Lets go and see ('to') my friends."

I'm confused as to why Давай, 'give', is there?

Many thanks.

Многие хотят его изучать\Многие хотят изучать его - many people want to study it.

Seems like your book gives not full translation.

Давай поедем к моим друзьям - the word давай means let us in such constructions.

Eventually to let someone to do something is дать что-либо сделать кому-либо.

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

A book I'm reading gives the following Russian text and translation:

"Многе хотят его изучать..."

"Many people want to study..."

If I do a literal translation myself, I come up with "Many want its to study". I don't really understand where I'm going wrong, especially why 'его' is there.

You go wrong by literal translation. "Многие" is the impersonal form indicating 'many people'. "Его" is the form of "он" in accusative. Therefore, it goes like "want to study it".

Second sentance:

"Давай поедем к моим друзьям."

"Lets go and see ('to') my friends."

I'm confused as to why Давай, 'give', is there?

Many thanks.

"Давай" doesn't mean "give" here. This word is used to tell about some intention a person wants to do with another. In your sentence, there is a proposal of the speaker to go and see his/her friends.

Давай(те) = Let's

его = his = its = him = it in accusative

Аre there any other idiomatic meanings for давай? I've heard it used in a couple different contexts in which it is the only word in sentence.

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

Аre there any other idiomatic meanings for давай?

It can't be more idiomatic.

I thought so. Well, at least give me a couple meanings for "Давай!"

You use "Давай!" to urge someone to do something immediately, like, if you are watching a football match and see that a player is in a position to score you can shout "Давай!" meaning "Бей!".

I.e., "come on!"

Flamin_Squirrel, were our answers helpful? Talk to us.

I understand the answers to my first question - many thanks

As for the second, I can't seem to work out if there is any particular rule that explains why Давай changes its meaning from it's infinitive. Is there a rule, or is it a one off I just have to remember?

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

As for the second, I can't seem to work out if there is any particular rule that explains why Давай changes its meaning from it's infinitive. Is there a rule, or is it a one off I just have to remember?

lingvo.ru wrote:

давать
несовер. - давать; совер. - дать
.....
2) (кому-л. делать что-л.; позволять)

let; allow

дай ему говорить — let him speak

So here 'давай' is used in meaning 'let' in 1st person plural - 'let us go to see friends' -
"давай (мы) поедем"

Originally Posted by E-learner

You use "Давай!" to urge someone to do something immediately, like, if you are watching a football match and see that a player is in a position to score you can shout "Давай!" meaning "Бей!".

I think in this context I would probably say in English "Go for it!" or "Go, go, go!"

Originally Posted by doninphxaz

Originally Posted by E-learner

You use "Давай!" to urge someone to do something immediately, like, if you are watching a football match and see that a player is in a position to score you can shout "Давай!" meaning "Бей!".

I think in this context I would probably say in English "Go for it!" or "Go, go, go!"

Do you really shout "go for it" at sporting events? Do you also say things like, "Fight fiercely!" or "Impress them with your prowess!"?

:P

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

I understand the answers to my first question - many thanks

As for the second, I can't seem to work out if there is any particular rule that explains why Давай changes its meaning from it's infinitive. Is there a rule, or is it a one off I just have to remember?

It's the imperative. The imperative is the command form.

The "We" form of the imperative is "let's play football", "let's go!", etc.

In Russian this is:

Давай + мы form of the verb
e.g. Давай поедем к моим друзьям - Let's go and visit my friends.

Давай hasn't changed its meaning from it's infinitive. You just think that the verb давать only means "to give"; it also has other meanings.

Well all the meanings of давай do have some relative association with giving. Allowing and letting is also "to give the opportunity", "come on" is also for whomever you are shouting to, to give you what you want which is for them to win. You need to broaden your literal translation to the concept of giving

Having said that, давай, дай мне денежки!

Теперь Я понимаю. Спасибо.

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

Теперь я понимаю. Спасибо.