Results 1 to 10 of 10
Like Tree7Likes
  • 1 Post By Missionary
  • 1 Post By Soft sign
  • 1 Post By RussianTeacher
  • 1 Post By alexsms
  • 1 Post By Medved
  • 1 Post By Medved
  • 1 Post By Medved

Thread: When To Use Является

  1. #1
    Увлечённый спикер Missionary's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    64
    Rep Power
    7

    When To Use Является

    Hello forum members,
    My question is, when do you use the word "является" in Russian? It means "Is", but for some sentences you don't use it, like in "Это хорошо," or "Не так ли?" But for sentences such as "Она является христианка." (Please correct me on that sentence if I'm wrong) you can include it. So Please tell me when you have to/can use it; thank you!
    Antonio1986 likes this.

  2. #2
    Почтенный гражданин Soft sign's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    г. Новосибирск
    Posts
    611
    Rep Power
    29
    Quote Originally Posted by Missionary View Post
    "Она является христианка." (Please correct me on that sentence if I'm wrong)
    «Она является христианкой». Являться always requires instrumentalis.

    The word являться “to be” is bookish. We usually don’t use it in colloquial speech.
    Antonio1986 likes this.
    Please correct my English

  3. #3
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    23
    Rep Power
    9
    I can also add that the verb "являться" can be used with adjectives and nouns, but not with adverbs.
    Antonio1986 likes this.

  4. #4
    Властелин
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Russia
    Posts
    1,037
    Rep Power
    24
    one of the meanings is also - to appear -
    Он явился вовремя. - He appeared on time. He was present on time.

    являться - implies the idea of presence, quality of being.

    If it's the meaning 'be' - it's more formal, right, like SS said.

    Cf.

    Это является серьезным аргументом. - This presents a serious argument.
    Это серьезный аргумент. - This is is a serious argument.

    The former sounds a little more formal.
    Antonio1986 likes this.

  5. #5
    Увлечённый спикер Missionary's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    64
    Rep Power
    7
    Thanks, guys. This is all really helpful. So, just clarifying what you all said; "являться" means presence, or the quality of being. It can be used with adjectives and nouns, but not with adverbs. It is a term that isn't used often, and if its context is meaning "be", it's more formal.

  6. #6
    Властелин Medved's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Wonderland of Russia
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    26
    1. Являться is always formal
    2. Являться can mean "to be": Наше предприятие является ведущим производителем подшипников в мире.
    3. Являться can mean "to show up": Вчера Васька явился домой пьяный. (являться here is disapproving)
    In case of #3 you can use являться with adverbs: Он специально явился домой пьяный, чтобы Надьку позлить.
    (специально here means "намеренно" aka intentionally)
    Antonio1986 likes this.
    Another month ends. All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied. All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.

  7. #7
    Властелин Medved's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Wonderland of Russia
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    26
    A few words about ethymology:
    The word являться is a reflexive (ends in a -ся) counterpart of the outdated verb "являть" that itself has been lost to the ages.
    The verb basically meant "to bring" like:

    И пришёл Христос и явил чудо - больные исцелялись, а мертвые оживали.
    (Christ came and made/brought a miracle -- the ill would recover and the dead would come alive)

    According to the concept of reflexive vebs (which actually are called "возвратные" глаголы in Russian, which better reflects the idea behind them -- "возврат" means "return"), so the action that the verb denotes "returns" to the subject, like "являться" is "являть"-bring but returned to the subject who "являет", so it's like "bring himself", which perfectly fits in the concept of reflexive verbs in Russian.

    A few more reflexive:
    Катать (take someone for a drive) -- кататься (take yourself for a drive)=ride
    Качать (sway, swing, rock something) -- качаться (swing yourself on something)=a baby "качается" on a child's swing, I can try to "качаться" on a door if I grab it by the top and hang on it (unfortunately it's going to fall apart if I do that but as a child I used to "качаться" hanging on something).
    Вернуть (return, hand something back) -- вернуться ("return yourself to somewhere")=come back


    So являться (to be) = "Our enterprise has brought itself as one of the most profitable companies in Europe"
    And являться (show up) = "He brought himself home drunk late in the evening" = Явился домой пьяный поздно вечером.
    Antonio1986 likes this.
    Another month ends. All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied. All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.

  8. #8
    Увлечённый спикер Missionary's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    64
    Rep Power
    7
    Quote Originally Posted by Medved View Post
    A few words about ethymology:
    The word являться is a reflexive (ends in a -ся) counterpart of the outdated verb "являть" that itself has been lost to the ages.
    The verb basically meant "to bring" like:

    И пришёл Христос и явил чудо - больные исцелялись, а мертвые оживали.
    (Christ came and made/brought a miracle -- the ill would recover and the dead would come alive)

    According to the concept of reflexive vebs (which actually are called "возвратные" глаголы in Russian, which better reflects the idea behind them -- "возврат" means "return"), so the action that the verb denotes "returns" to the subject, like "являться" is "являть"-bring but returned to the subject who "являет", so it's like "bring himself", which perfectly fits in the concept of reflexive verbs in Russian.

    A few more reflexive:
    Катать (take someone for a drive) -- кататься (take yourself for a drive)=ride
    Качать (sway, swing, rock something) -- качаться (swing yourself on something)=a baby "качается" on a child's swing, I can try to "качаться" on a door if I grab it by the top and hang on it (unfortunately it's going to fall apart if I do that but as a child I used to "качаться" hanging on something).
    Вернуть (return, hand something back) -- вернуться ("return yourself to somewhere")=come back


    So являться (to be) = "Our enterprise has brought itself as one of the most profitable companies in Europe"
    And являться (show up) = "He brought himself home drunk late in the evening" = Явился домой пьяный поздно вечером.
    Thank you, Medved. So the main things I have to remember about this word is that it is formal, and that it refers to "to be" or "to show up", and also "to bring but return to the subject". Just one more question on this topic, what is the difference between "является" and "являться"? Also, I don't know if this was just a mistake, but it's etymology.

  9. #9
    Властелин Medved's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Wonderland of Russia
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    26
    Oops, typo, my bad. Thanks a lot!
    Являться is the neutral form of the verb. An infinitive. Like "to know" -> "he knows"
    So it's like:
    "to be" - являться; (don't try to break your tongue pronouncing it as is: anyway it sounds "евляца")
    я являюсь (I am)
    ты являешься (Thou art)
    he/she/it is - он/она/оно является;
    you/we/they are - вы/мы/они являются

    Yes, you will have to learn as many as ummm ... who would count ... forms of one single word.

    P.S. Those are for the present tense. For the past tense we use four more forms.
    я/ты/он - являлся
    она - являлась
    оно - являлось
    мы/вы/они - являлись

    P.P.S. Future:
    Я - буду являться
    Мы - будем являться
    Ты - будешь являться
    Вы - будете являться
    Он - будет являться
    Она - будет являться
    Оно - будет являться
    Они - будут являться

    P.P.P.S. There is also a perfective form (aspect) of the verb (the above was an imperfective)
    Past:
    Я - явился
    Мы - явились
    Ты - явился
    Вы - явились
    Он - явился
    Она - явилась
    Оно - явилось
    Они - явились

    Future:
    Я - явлюсь
    Мы - явимся
    Ты - явишься
    Вы - явитесь
    Он - явится
    Она - явится
    Оно - явится
    Они - явятся

    Present: nonexistent (I mean perfective at all exists only for the past and the future)
    Antonio1986 likes this.
    Another month ends. All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied. All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.

  10. #10
    Увлечённый спикер Missionary's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    64
    Rep Power
    7
    Quote Originally Posted by Medved View Post
    Oops, typo, my bad. Thanks a lot!
    Являться is the neutral form of the verb. An infinitive. Like "to know" -> "he knows"
    So it's like:
    "to be" - являться; (don't try to break your tongue pronouncing it as is: anyway it sounds "евляца")
    я являюсь (I am)
    ты являешься (Thou art)
    he/she/it is - он/она/оно является;
    you/we/they are - вы/мы/они являются

    Yes, you will have to learn as many as ummm ... who would count ... forms of one single word.

    P.S. Those are for the present tense. For the past tense we use four more forms.
    я/ты/он - являлся
    она - являлась
    оно - являлось
    мы/вы/они - являлись

    P.P.S. Future:
    Я - буду являться
    Мы - будем являться
    Ты - будешь являться
    Вы - будете являться
    Он - будет являться
    Она - будет являться
    Оно - будет являться
    Они - будут являться

    P.P.P.S. There is also a perfective form (aspect) of the verb (the above was an imperfective)
    Past:
    Я - явился
    Мы - явились
    Ты - явился
    Вы - явились
    Он - явился
    Она - явилась
    Оно - явилось
    Они - явились

    Future:
    Я - явлюсь
    Мы - явимся
    Ты - явишься
    Вы - явитесь
    Он - явится
    Она - явится
    Оно - явится
    Они - явятся

    Present: nonexistent (I mean perfective at all exists only for the past and the future)
    Wow ... that list! Hmmm ... I think for now I'll just start with learning the neutral form of words, and then when I get better at the language, move on to the other forms. Thanks for giving me that reality check, lol! Your help is appreciated.

Similar Threads

  1. the word 'является'
    By RussianWelshman in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: November 22nd, 2012, 07:33 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary