Thread: The usage of "то"...

Originally Posted by Valda

I like the way you form your reply by considering history of conversations

That doesn't make much sense in English. "I wanna tell you that, that..."

We got "that" twice, that doesn't seem right.

in English of course it doesn't, quite a different language, therefore i'd not advise trying to base your understanding on literal translation

but in Я хочу сказать тебе, что you only have one that just like in English so if another variant (то, что) confuses you, forget it, it's not that euphonical anyway

Originally Posted by Valda

Not sure I get it -- if it ends with a question it's a что and otherwise it's то?

i was trying to show that что and то are not one and the same in Russian, although into English they could be translated with just one word that

here, in Hebrew то, что sounds like ma she-

ani lo shamati et ma she-hu amar - я не слышал то, что он сказал

alternatively

ani lo shamati ma hu amar - я не слышал, что он сказал

I'm not an expert, but I think English "that" has two different meanings:

1. this - that => это/этот/эта - то/тот/та
2. which => что

Oh, if that's really the case then "то/тот/та" ought to be way more frequent than "что"...

Поправьте меня, если я неправа

Originally Posted by Valda

Oh, if that's really the case then "то/тот/та" ought to be way more frequent than "что"...

Поправьте меня, если я неправа

no, because they're used for different purposes, it's like comparing apples and oranges

try giving English examples where you think these should be used when translated into Russian

Originally Posted by Valda

You said that:

"in Hebrew что is ma and she-"

What does it leave for то/тот/та?

they have different purpose, maybe you missed this

ani lo shamati et ma she-hu amar - я не слышал то, что он сказал

alternatively

ani lo shamati ma hu amar - я не слышал, что он сказал


as demonstrative pronoun то/тот in Hebrew is hahu, та - hahi

tistakel, hine holechet ha-bahura hahi - смотри, вон идёт та девушка

Originally Posted by Valda

Oh, if that's really the case then "то/тот/та" ought to be way more frequent than "что"...

Поправьте меня, если я неправа

It rather would be the other way around.
Try to replace "that" with its ["то"] equivalent "something" and see what you could and could not say.