Thread: Referential Pronoun (to an event)

Хэлло!

I am aware that Russian is a pro-drop language (pronouns may be dropped when the subject/object is inferred) but there is a certain circumstance I am confused about. For clarity I will just write out what I know.

So referntial pronouns to actual nouns I understand... это - моя машина. она чёрная. (This is my car. It is black).

It in english is sometimes used as a dummy pronoun; It is cold which I believe is not neccessary in Russian, therefore allowing us to just say "холодно" right?

However, what about the situation where one says "Hey we should go out into town tonight". reply: "Yeh let's do that!

"He dumped me via text". reply: "Oh, that's cold".

In other germanic languages (i.e. icelandic, a referential componant is used which is similar to "it", so would be "let's do it/that), my question is does Russian have anything to fill this place, how would these sentences be translated in Russian?

Could это be used to reference who setences and situations?

Thanks (I just wanted to right the lead up to the question incase I have already made some false conclusions).

Originally Posted by ShakeyX

It in english is sometimes used as a dummy pronoun; It is cold which I believe is not neccessary in Russian, therefore allowing us to just say "холодно" right?

Moreover, «Холодно» is the only correct variant. Neither «Оно холодно» nor «Это холодно» are allowed.

So on wiktionary this as one of the definitions;

э́то • (éto)

demonstrative pronoun: this, it, that
Мне э́то нра́вится! ― Mne éto nrávitsja! ― I like it! or I like that!

So I understand this is demonstrative, which is something you can literally point at. Maybe you are getting a back massage and can say this? Maybe you are pointing at your food?

However ontop of that I just want to know how you reference a whole sentence or situations as we do in English and other languages? "I like to eat cheese at the weekends" - "Oh, I like that too". Or 10000 of other examples :P

Originally Posted by ShakeyX

So I understand this is demonstrative, which is something you can literally point at. Maybe you are getting a back massage and can say this? Maybe you are pointing at your food?

Yes. When your food is cold, you can use the pronoun, when the weather is cold, you can’t.

Originally Posted by ShakeyX

However ontop of that I just want to know how you reference a whole sentence or situations as we do in English and other languages? "I like to eat cheese at the weekends" - "Oh, I like that too". Or 10000 of other examples :P

More or less like in English.

The pronoun это is used for referencing a whole sentence.
E.g.: «Я плету из бисера. Мне это нравится.» (это = я плету из бисера)

The pronoun он/она/оно/они is used when a noun is referenced.
E.g.: «Я читаю книгу. Она мне нравится.» (она = книга)

Though when there is no object to reference to, no pronoun is used.
E.g.: «Холодно.»

Мне это нравится.
So, full answer could be "Мне это тоже нравится", "Я тоже это люблю", but most likely we will say just "Мне тоже", "Я тоже".

However, what about the situation where one says "Hey we should go out into town tonight". reply: "Yeh let's do that!

In this case the pronoun isn't a dummy one, it refers to a concrete action, so you can use it.

Originally Posted by Soft sign

The pronoun это is used for referencing a whole sentence.
E.g.: «Я плету из бисера. Мне это нравится.» (это = я плету из бисера)
[/I]

Just to check, even in this circumstance where you can reference a whole, is it possible to omit it anyway? i.e. drop a referential это?

Without это, it sounds like an answer to "do you..." question:
- Тебе это нравится?
- Мне нравится.

So, «Я плету из бисера. Мне нравится.» has the emphasis on "нравится". "I like it (If you have any doubts/questions.)."

And that would mean "I like to (do that action)" and it could be with or without это in this case? Maybe adding это for emphasis?

Это is optional here, as well as "мне", imo.
It's Kinda Ellipsis, that sort of thing.

Originally Posted by ShakeyX

And that would mean "I like to (do that action)" and it could be with or without это in this case? Maybe adding это for emphasis?

Well, "Мне нравится" obviously is an ellipsis of "Мне это нравится", so both mean the same. But they are used in different contexts.
"Мне это нравится" is a neutral declarative sentence without any emphasis. So, "Я плету из бисера. Мне это нравится." is just a story composed of two facts.

"Мне нравится" looks like an answer to the question:

"Do you like it/this?"
"Yes, I do."

"Тебе это нравится?"
"Да, мне нравится."

If you use "Мне нравится" in that story, it looks like you answer to this (unasked) question:

"Я плету из бисера. Мне нравится."

Maybe, you've seen the question on the face of your interlocutor.
Or, maybe, you find it rather surprising that you actually like to do it.
Or something else...

RedFox
I see we slightly differently sense our native language
Because {мне это нравится / мне нравится / нравится} feel totally the same to me.

Maybe, you've seen the question on the face of your interlocutor.
Or, maybe, you find it rather surprising that you actually like to do it.
Or something else...

It also may sound like an excuse, I guess.
It's hard to convey intonation through writing