Thread: Phrases

Are there any differences between "Вы что?" and "Что Вы"??

"what are you up to", what are you thinking etc ...

The question may look kind of silly, but in some ways, however, I feel that phrases are not always easy to handle/use in Russian language

There is a difference, most definitely.

Что вы думаете? = "what do you think". (i.e. you simply inquire about someone's opinion)
"Вы что думеете?" usually has the accent on "вы" and means something like "And you, what do you think?".

This word order with a different stress placement can also be used as a part of more complex question:

"Вы что думаете, вы тут самый умный?" means more or less the same as "Do you really think you are the brightest person here?"

"Ты что, и правда думал, что я этого не знаю?" = Did you really think I didn't know this?

"Вы что думаете, вы тут самый умный?"

I think we need sometimes a comma here, sometimes we don't.

"Вы что, думаете, вы тут самый умный?"
"Вы что думаете, вы тут самый умный?"

These two sentences are a bit different in their grammar structures.

OK, so the emphasis seems to be in the first word in these cases

thx

Вы что, с ума сошли? Sometimes "с ума сошли" is implied.

Ну что Вы, не стоит...
Ну что Вы в самом деле...
These are answers to someone thanking you/giving you a gift for something you would do anyways and didn't expect to be rewarded... Again, sometimes the phrase might be cut short to simple "Что Вы" and all the meaning put into the intonation...

А можно ещё так: Что вы, что вы, я вовсе не хотел вас обидеть.