Thread: I don't make the rules - Я не делаю правил ?

Originally Posted by Anixx

This is plain simple, just deductive method, popularized by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

As she lives in Israel, but works in a coastal toilet, she is not Jew. But she is also not Arabic because she speaks Hebrew. This means that she is most likely black. But as she is black but lives in Israel, this means she is Christian. Once she is Christian, her father was possibly from Kenya. As she learns Russian, that means she loves a Russian man. But if she had contact with him, he probably could teach her Russian and there would be no purpose to ask in the forum. So she possibly wants to find her lost love. Am I right?

Woah...couldn't be more off.

1) I didn't say I work in a coastal toilet, I said I work in the coast

2) I'm a paramedic, my first aid unit is located near the toilet in the coast I work.

3) I am American and my parents made Aleya (immigration) to Israel. I'm Jewish by roots (though I don't practice any religion). I was raised in Israel.

4) Yes, I do have a Russian lover (you did get that right ), Russian friends, and I ask them tons of quesitons as well, but sometimes it's fun to be be engaged in the forum...the grammatical explanations here are more accurate and it's fun to have back and forths with other people.

5) Do I look black!? Blacks mistake me for Russian :P
I'm whitish-moca

\
I wouldn't like to get my answer too involved to the people who approach me, I often just say "I have nothing to do with it" to some Americans or Israelis who ask me. Which, according to google translate is "Я ничего не имею к этому никакого отношения"... is that right? It's just a bit rude when they ask me for shekel to pay for the toll guy (who is Ethiopian btw! Or Eritrean, I'm not sure. He can barely speak Hebrew).

The best reaction to the fact the toilet coast a shekel I heard from a Russian tourist once.

"One shekel?? One shekel to pee!? Hah, I go pee in ocean!"



Anyway, back to the question at hand!

I guess the most accurate translation would be


..."Правила не я придумываю"


придумываю is a nice word. Although there is also "устанавливаю"

I guess it's the difference between "I don't come up with the rules" and "I don't set the rules"... which is essentially the same thing.

Wouldn't it be better syntax-wise to say "я не придумываю правила"?... The sentence sounds more flowing to me this way.

Yes. Here "льгот нет" basically means that nobody including the needy, retired, schoolchildren etc., is allowed to pay less, say, 15 rubles. Take it or leave it.

I'm pretty sure they let those in for free.

It is in fact very cheap compared to Moscow.

Really? How much is it in Moscow?

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Is there a good Russian phrase for "as one goes along" -- that is, "without earlier planning, rehearsal, or precedent"?

Different situations will require different words.
- импровизировать
- экспромтом
- по наитию
- чутьё(внутренний голос) подсказало (подсказал)
- только что сам придумал (=have invented myself just a moment ago)
- ...

(I hope I understood the question correctly)

"One shekel?? One shekel to pee!? Hah, I go pee in ocean!"

Excellent idea, BTW!
You say: "Извините, у нас платный туалет." (pointing to ocean) "Но бесплатный вон рядом"

What does вон рядом mean?

вон is out or away
рядом is alongside


hmm...does it mean "away there"
?

Originally Posted by maxmixiv

Excellent idea, BTW!
You say: "Извините, у нас платный туалет." (pointing to ocean) "Но бесплатный вон рядом"

It reminds me Russian double act sketch show "Городок":

Woah...couldn't be more off.

Oh, sorry then.

Originally Posted by Valda

Really? How much is it in Moscow?

15-25 rubles. Although I know one state-owned toilet remaining from Soviet era where it is... 2 rubles. But it is very dirty there.

Согласно прейскуранту/согласно прайс-листу.

Принимаю! У меня часто пишется как слышется

Можно и такой вариант:

"Если вам не нравится, уезжайте в Россию или Америку!"

Valda! You are here? Do not take offense to the Russian humor.

Originally Posted by Valda

What does вон рядом mean?

вон is out or away
рядом is alongside


hmm...does it mean "away there"
?

рядом = nearby, not far
вон - just for decoration, makes speech more alive, and could be skipped

Originally Posted by Valda

The best reaction to the fact the toilet coast a shekel I heard from a Russian tourist once.

"One shekel?? One shekel to pee!? Hah, I go pee in ocean!"

I guess that tourist was quite drunk to take a sea for an ocean... Or was his intention to hold himself until he crosses the sea and gets to the Atlantic?

What does вон рядом mean?
вон is out or away
рядом is alongside
hmm...does it mean "away there"

В таких случаях слово "вон" можно заменить на слово "там". Но при произношении этого слова, обычно показывают в сторону объекта рукой или взглядом. Когда говорят: "вон от сюда" тоже часто машут рукой.

Originally Posted by Valda

What does вон рядом mean?

вон is out or away
рядом is alongside


hmm...does it mean "away there"
?

I think, the closest in meaning is probably "right", as in:

вон рядом => right nearby
вон там => right there
вон туда => right over there

Something like that.

(Is there a good Russian phrase for "as one goes along" -- that is, "without earlier planning, rehearsal, or precedent"?)

autocratically? самодержавно, for the phrase "I'm not making these rules up as I go along" => I'm not making these rules autocratically (?)

Originally Posted by Seraph

autocratically? самодержавно for the phrase "I'm not making these rules up as I go along" => I'm not making these rules autocratically (?)

I presume if you didn't mean politics and tzars you probably wanted to say "сам(а)", or "по своей инициативе",or "самостоятельно" or "единолично", or "как мне заблагорассудится", didn't you?

Originally Posted by Valda

What does вон рядом mean?

there, nearby
hebrew: hine shama leyad

Originally Posted by Valda

Wouldn't it be better syntax-wise to say "я не придумываю правила"?... The sentence sounds more flowing to me this way.

я не устанавливаю правила - i don't set the rules
не я устанавливаю правила - it's not me who sets the rules

it's rather a matter of what part of the statement you wish to emphasize

Yea LXNDR but in the previous example they put "pravila" as the first word ... Look again

Originally Posted by Anixx

15-25 rubles. Although I know one state-owned toilet remaining from Soviet era where it is... 2 rubles. But it is very dirty there.

Belarus was awesome in this respect. There were quite a lot of public loos, they cost practically nothing. Some were quite old but stilll reasonably clean. Some were new and spotless. No queues like in London or insane prices like in Stockholm. Stockholm has the disgusing habit of just mixing men and women inside the facilities, instead of having a separate section for each gender. That should be illegal IMHO. I don't massively mind no-sitting toilets as long as they are clean. That was the standard in Belarus. In Belarus, I forgot my handbag with quite a lot of money in a public loo. I did not realise it until 15 minutes later. Can you imagine, I got it back!

Ukraine gets a thumbs-down from me in this respect. The public toilets were dirty and smelled. People using them were complaining that they were disgusting. In some places there were plastic one-unit toilets of the type that are used on carnivals etc.
I noticed that there were old ladies sitting outside asking for money. Not sure if they were maintenance staff or just begging. They did not appear to clean it at any rate.

Originally Posted by Valda

Yea LXNDR but in the previous example they put "pravila" as the first word ... Look again

that would sound too formal and cold to my test, not exactly colloquial

Russian is quite liberal in the syntax so you practically can shuffle the words, almost any words order will make sense as long as the words are grammatically correct, what will differ is connotations

here's a good version

я правила не устанавливаю - pretty harsh, implying 'i don't set the rules, get it?'
of course right intonation can help to get the message across

Originally Posted by Hanna

Belarus was awesome in this respect. There were quite a lot of public loos, they cost practically nothing. Some were quite old but stilll reasonably clean. Some were new and spotless. No queues like in London or insane prices like in Stockholm. Stockholm has the disgusing habit of just mixing men and women inside the facilities, instead of having a separate section for each gender. That should be illegal IMHO. I don't massively mind no-sitting toilets as long as they are clean. That was the standard in Belarus. In Belarus, I forgot my handbag with quite a lot of money in a public loo. I did not realise it until 15 minutes later. Can you imagine, I got it back!

Ukraine gets a thumbs-down from me in this respect. The public toilets were dirty and smelled. People using them were complaining that they were disgusting. In some places there were plastic one-unit toilets of the type that are used on carnivals etc.
I noticed that there were old ladies sitting outside asking for money. Not sure if they were maintenance staff or just begging. They did not appear to clean it at any rate.

good for the cultural differences topic

Originally Posted by LXNDR

that would sound too formal and cold to my test, not exactly colloquial

Russian is quite liberal in the syntax so you practically can shuffle the words, almost any words order will make sense as long as the words are grammatically correct, what will differ is connotations

here's a good version

я правила не устанавливаю - pretty harsh, implying 'i don't set the rules, get it?'
of course right intonation can help to get the message across

Ahhh... as I thought... though I like the word придумываю also thanks