Thread: By doing something

How do you translate "by doing something" into Russian?

I will pass my exams by studying hard.

In French, I believe that the equivalent is "en + present participle", and in German "indem + clause", if that helps anyone.

Je vais réussir mes examens en étudiant beaucoup.
Ich werde meine Prüfungen bestehen, indem ich hart arbeite.

Sorry about the rubbish French and German, if there are any natives of the two on here

Thanks for the help.
Jack

Originally Posted by JackBoni

How do you translate "by doing something" into Russian?

Никак. Мы просто строим предложение по-другому. В зависимости от контекста.

"I will pass my exams by studying hard" можно перевести:

Я сдам экзамены, усиленно занимаясь.
Я сдам экзамены, потому что буду много/усиленно заниматься.
Я сдам экзамены, так как буду много заниматься.

You've used three different variants of the same expression there, Оля. Is one preferred over the other two, or does it depend entirely on the context? Perhaps one is more natural than the others?

Jack

Originally Posted by JackBoni

You've used three different variants of the same expression there, Оля. Is one preferred over the other two, or does it depend entirely on the context? Perhaps one is more natural than the others?

I always give only those sentences which sound natural

Well, in this case, I'd say all the three sound a little bit bookish/formal. Except the second one maybe. But the context is sort of a bit formal too, isn't it?

Yes, I agree; the context in which we'd use these sorts of phrases is a bit formal. I am a little embarrassed to say, though, that I don't entirely understand the individual words you've used in your three examples. I don't have a dictionary with which to look them up, either, so could you give me a literal translation of the sentences, please?

Your sentence in your last post sounds a little odd to me, Оля. To begin with, I wasn't sure why, but now I think that the two adverbs used so closely together sounds a bit odd.

I always give only those sentences which sound natural

Perhaps it would be better to say "I only suggest sentences which sound natural." - perhaps even the relative pronoun you've used is wrong. Maybe it should be "that you've used", although I'm not sure. I will read up on it, as this is an issue that confuses me, too. I'll get back to you on it, unless someone out there is very sure of the answer?

Jack

Originally Posted by JackBoni

I don't have a dictionary with which to look them up

http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en
http://www.wordreference.com/enru/

усиленно
потому что
много

Thanks, Olya. I just had to look up усиленнo. Thanks for the help with the translations. I understand how it works now, I think.

Jack

To clarify what Olya was saying;

There isn't really an equivalent of the "by + VERBing" construction in Russian. So in order to express the meaning in Russian you will have to use a different contruction. Think about it in English, what does "by VERBing" mean, or what other ways are there to express the same thing but without using the exact construction. you could say:

I will pass my exams studying hard / Studying hard I will pass my exams:
Я сдам экзамены, усиленно занимаясь.*

I will pass my exams because I will study a lot / hard.
Я сдам экзамены, потому что буду много/усиленно заниматься.

I will pass my exams since I will study a lot.
Я сдам экзамены, так как буду много заниматься.

*занимаясь is a gerund / adverbial participle , meaning "studying'

Originally Posted by JackBoni

How do you translate "by doing something" into Russian?

I will pass my exams by studying hard.

Just a couple of variants:

Усиленно занимаясь, я сдам экзамены. (focus on the present)
Я буду усердно заниматься и сдам экзамены. (focus on the future)

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Your sentence in your last post sounds a little odd to me, Оля. To begin with, I wasn't sure why, but now I think that the two adverbs used so closely together sounds a bit odd.

I always give only those sentences which sound natural

The sentence works for me. “Those” makes it feel slightly bookish, but it makes perfect sense and has no grammatical errors. “Always” and “only” make it a bit more emphatic than usual, but that emphasis seems intentional here.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by JackBoni

How do you translate "by doing something" into Russian?

"I will pass my exams by studying hard" можно перевести:

Я сдам экзамены, усиленно занимаясь.

Так не надо переводить. It looks like you are studying during the exam.

[quote=Полуношник]

Originally Posted by "Оля":3sjp4auy

Я сдам экзамены, усиленно занимаясь.

Так не надо переводить. It looks like you are studying during the exam.[/quote:3sjp4auy]
Why not? I do not see that sense in the phrase.