ж

In the following period (from a song of A.Pugaheva):

Заказала я жизнь красивую,
Вот и выполнен мой заказ,
Отчего ж печаль негасимая,
Отчего ж тогда соль из глаз?

I didn't understand the significance/translation of "ж".

Thank you very much.

It has about the same significance as "then" in "why then"

It's contraction of же.

ж, же

2. 1) ( усилительная ) ever, for smbd's sake, on earth, the hеll

когда же вы будете готовы? — aren't you ever going to be ready?
пойдем же! — come along! говорите же! — say something for goodness' sake!
что же мне делать? — what on earth shall I do?

Заказала я жизнь красивую,
Вот и выполнен мой заказ,
Отчего ж печаль негасимая,
Отчего ж тогда соль из глаз?

I ordered a beautiful life.
And I have received my order.
So WhyTF this unending sorrow?
WhyTF does this salt pour from my eyes?

I modified the normal net WTF so it includes that other question word "why", but as others have told you, the word же aka ж is an emphasis-adding word.

ЗЫ can smb check the lyrics, shouldn't that be неугасимая?

Quote:

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an smb check the lyrics, shouldn't that be неугасимая?

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Негасимая, конечно. Ведь иначе будет неритмично.


Заказала я жизнь красивую
Отчего ж печаль негасимая

Это один размер. Если ЖЕ использовать "неугасимую", то несколько другой размер возможно будет:

Заказала я жизнь себе красивую
Отчего ж печаль неугасимая,

Но автор выбрал(а) тот размер который посчитал(а) нужным, да он и сам по себе красивый.

Since noone has given you a straight answer, here you might find this of interest.

Же emphasizes the previous word, so the effect is like pronouncing "Where is she?" with extra emphasise on 'is' or 'where'.

© New Penguin Russian Course
Dr. N.J. Brown.

So, for example.

Почему снег не идет? Why doesn't it snow?
- Лето же! It's Summer!!!

Is there any difference between the two or are they interchangeable? Is one more formal?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by basurero

Is there any difference between the two or are they interchangeable? Is one more formal?

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Between what two7

between ж and же

Quote:

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Originally Posted by basurero

between ж and же

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A friend of mine said that ж emphasizes more strongly, while же emphasizes more softly (she explained this in russian, perhaps I didn't understand... :roll: ).
However, is there any rule about using the one or the other?

I think they are absolutely the same

an example with a sort of foreign language:

Ти ж мене підманула,
Ти ж мене підвела,
Ти ж мене молодого,
З ума-розуму звела.

:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Лето же! It's Summer!!!

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Лето ж!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mishau

что же мне делать?

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что ж мне делать?

Could I use ж in these sentences?

I think it doesn't matter in a spoken language :wink: but in writing it's better to use же, it will be more correctly :roll:

I agree with Tiffany. However, it's not as comfortable to use "ж" if the preceding word ends in a consonant (just try it ypurself); as for a vowel, it's ok.

Думать же надо! - Ok
Думать ж надо! - Hem

Надо же думать! -Ok
Надо ж думать! - Ok

Yea, thats a good explanation. I was trying to think when to use же and ж. But yea that sounds about right.

Где ж он?
- Он же здесь!

ALso i think 'Лето ж.' sounds funny. U need the EEE sound.

Thank you all very much for answering. :D

Ciao. :wink: