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Thread: why so many verbs have the same meaning

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    why so many verbs have the same meaning

    yes I do think there are many russian verbs that have the same meaning. I'm probably wrong and I (along with my poor dictionary) don't understand the subtleties but it's the only language I know ( and I also speak french, english, spanish and russian) that difficulty.

    for instance (I coud find many other examples) :
    ugadyvat' = to guess
    dogadyvat'sya = to guess

    what's the difference and how can I get it by just looking at the verb ?
    I happen to understand that most of the time, the prefix tends to change the meaning a little bit (for verbs of movement, it's even cristal clear) but in some instances (like the one I just mentioned), I don't see the trick.

    and it's getting even worse with the 500 most common verbs list provided on this website...

    so is there any trick I should know to make it easier to learn all these verbs ?

    thanks in advance for your help !
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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    Quote Originally Posted by possopo
    yes I do think there are many russian verbs that have the same meaning. I'm probably wrong and I (along with my poor dictionary) don't understand the subtleties but it's the only language I know ( and I also speak french, english, spanish and russian) that difficulty.

    for instance (I coud find many other examples) :
    ugadyvat' = to guess
    dogadyvat'sya = to guess

    what's the difference and how can I get it by just looking at the verb ?
    I happen to understand that most of the time, the prefix tends to change the meaning a little bit (for verbs of movement, it's even cristal clear) but in some instances (like the one I just mentioned), I don't see the trick.

    and it's getting even worse with the 500 most common verbs list provided on this website...

    so is there any trick I should know to make it easier to learn all these verbs ?

    thanks in advance for your help !
    If your Russian is advanced, try reading definitions in Russian language dictionaries instead of just looking up a translation. Sometimes I can figure out differences by just looking at the verb, but often I find that I can't. Russian language dictionary then comes in very handy.

    English similarly has many words that describe more or less same thing but the difference is in the nuance. Dictionary translations usually just give the most "common" translation. Also they are translating words in a vacuum so to speak, without a context. Seeing words in sentences/context helps with understanding the meaning better.
    If I was kiddin' you, I'd be wearin' a fez and no pants. (Lennie Briscoe)

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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    Ask Russians what they think about many meanings of "to get".
    "Догадываться" and "угадывать" are close synonims. The difference in meaning is very slight, almost non-existent.
    "Догадываться" implies some thinking behind your guess, building a theory, "угадывать" is more like guessing on random. When this difference is not important or in sloppy speech these verbs can be used interchangeably.

    eg.
    а) Я догадался, что убийцей был мистер Х, еще в самом начале фильма - I guessed that Mr.X was a killer in the very beginning of the movie.
    б) Угадай, кого я встретил сегодня! - Guess whom I met today!

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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    догадываться has some meaning of "suspect"

    so is there any trick I should know to make it easier to learn all these verbs ?
    I think it is helpfull to see on suffixes in words (as "ся" in догадываться) they modify words the same way. I think it all comes in context.

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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    The list of 500 most common Russian verbs has verbs in both perfective and imperfective aspects. Pay attention to the verb pair shown on the list. The aspect of the verb only adds a shade of meaning (process vs. result)

    Regarding your verbs, here's how they are different:

    угадывать = to use a random guess
    догадываться = to use knowledge or intuition to make a guess; to sense
    ~ Мастерадминов Мастерадмин Мастерадминович ~

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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    угадывать => to guess
    догадываться => to figure out

    I'm not sure "догадываться" bears the meaning of "guessing", for example:

    Я долго сидел над задачей и наконец догадался, как её решить.

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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    Quote Originally Posted by Crocodile
    угадывать => to guess
    догадываться => to figure out

    I'm not sure "догадываться" bears the meaning of "guessing", for example:

    Я долго сидел над задачей и наконец догадался, как её решить.
    Здесь лучше ...понял, как её решить.

    Я долгое время изучал этот запутанный код и наконец-то догадался, в чём там секрет.

    "Словарь синонимов
    Догадываться, додумываться, домышлять, понимать, подозревать, предчувствовать, предвидеть, предугадывать, предполагать, смекать, соображать, разгадывать, угадывать; теряться в догадках, найтись, спохватиться. Читать между строк. Догадался запереть двери. Нашелся, что ответить. Смекнул, в чем дело. Невдогад (невдомек) мне было спросить. Попал пальцем в небо, не попал (не угадал). Вдруг меня словно осенило. Ср. Понимать." http://pda.gramota.ru/?action=dic&word= ... 2%FC%F1%FF


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BG1Zcc_LXk

    А где мне взять такую песню
    И о любви, и о судьбе,
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    Что эта песня о тебе?
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    Что эта песня о тебе,
    Что эта песня о тебе.
    Чтоб песня по свету летела,
    Кого-то за сердце брала,
    Кого-то в рощу заманила,
    Кого-то в поле увела.
    Кого-то в рощу заманила,
    Кого-то в рощу заманила,
    Кого-то в поле увела,
    Кого-то в поле увела.
    Чтобы у клуба заводского
    И у далёкого села,
    От этой песни замирая,
    Девчонка милого ждала.
    От этой песни замирая,
    От этой песни замирая,
    Девчонка милого ждала,
    Девчонка милого ждала.
    И чтобы он её дождался,
    Прижался к трепетным плечам,
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    О чём я плачу по ночам.
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    О чём я плачу по ночам,
    О чём я плачу по ночам.
    И чтоб никто не дагадался,
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    О чём я плачу по ночам,
    О чём я плачу по ночам...
    "...Важно, чтобы форум оставался местом, объединяющим людей, для которых интересны русский язык и культура. ..." - MasterАdmin (из переписки)



  8. #8
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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    Quote Originally Posted by Lampada
    Здесь лучше ...понял, как её решить.
    Совершенно верно. "Догадался" и "понял" - синонимы в этом контексте.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lampada
    И чтоб никто не догадался,
    Что эта песня о тебе?
    Правильно. И тут то же значение:
    =>
    И чтоб никто не понял,
    Что эта песня о тебе?

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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    I have always gotten the impression from the way native speakers use these words that догадываться is the act of guessing and угадывать was the act of guessing correctly. Well, that was 100% wrong, so back to square one!
    Пожалуйста, исправляйте мои бесконечные ошибки!

  10. #10
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    Re: why so many verbs have the same meaning

    Quote Originally Posted by почемучка
    угадывать was the act of guessing correctly
    I think there is a difference between "угадывать" and "угадать".

    угадывать = to guess
    угадать = to guess correctly

    And there's also another way of saying "to guess":

    пытаться угадать = try to guess correctly = to guess

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