Thread: -то, -нибудь -либо ?

I am a bit confused about these endings and I can't find any good information anywhere. When I try to translate English sentances into Russian (based on existing translations) I often choose the wrong ending because I don't quite understand their meaning.

I want to read a good summary about all this, or I need some very solid "dummies" examples... Any tips?

Originally Posted by Wiktionary

-нибудь
The particle -нибудь imparts a sense of indefiniteness similar to English any. The forms of что-нибудь are usually associated with questions and negatives (like anything), while что-то is associated with affirmatives (like something).

Originally Posted by Wiktionary

-то
The particle -то imparts a sense of indefiniteness similar to English some. The forms of кто-то are associated with affirmatives (like somebody), while кто-нибудь is usually associated with questions and negatives (like anybody).

Originally Posted by Wiktionary

-либо
The particle -либо imparts a stronger sense of indefiniteness than -то or -нибудь.

But I still get it wrong and make the wrong translation!
I think I need some examples, or how some other tips on how to understand this.


"If anybody should find out about this.."

Why is it:

"Если кто-либо об этом узнает" ?
Why not
"Если кто-либудь об этом узнает"

Originally Posted by Johanna

Why is it: "Если кто-либо об этом узнает" ? Why not"Если кто-либудь об этом узнает"

Here it is interchangeable. I think "либо" can always be replaced by "нибудь" (but not vice versa) and I recommend to do it always. "либо" is bookish in style so avoid it.

When making a choice between "то" and "нибудь" just use a general rule of any=нибудь and some=то. Besides there are a number of fixed phrases which are to be got used to each.

Originally Posted by Johanna

Why is it:

"Если кто-либо об этом узнает" ?
Why not
"Если кто-нибудь об этом узнает"

Even "Если кто-то об этом узнает" is correct.

Using "-либо" in many cases (like here) sounds just bookish.

Всё у нас какое-то неопределенное

Originally Posted by «Незримый бой» - песня из телесериала «Следствие ведут знатоки»

Если кто-то кое-где у нас порой
Честно жить не хочет,
Значит, снова нам идти в незримый бой,
Так назначено судьбой для нас с тобой —
Служба дни и ночи!

In many cases these pronouns are interchangeable. However, there's a stylistic difference. Also, there're overtones.

1)'либо' is a alternative conjuctive. "Ребёнок - это либо мальчик, либо девочка". "A child is either boy or a girl". So using кто/что-либо suits best the cases when there's a choice from a fixed set of options. "Кто-либо из третьей группы". Moreover, it's literary, not spoken style.

2)кто/что-'нибудь' is a shortened form of 'someone whoever he/she is' (something whatever it is). It's a more spoken form. Use it where this overtone is appropriate.

3)кто-то/что-то means "someone, we don't know exactly who", "something, we don't exactly what"

"Она любит кого-то". Having heard this a Russian would think that she loves someone but she doesn't know exactly whom she loves.
"Она любит кого-нибудь" makes no sense. "Она любит кого-либо" makes no sense either.

"Кто-нибудь поможет мне?" is therefore better than "кто-то поможет мне?" because this question is usually asked to a group of people.

Great responses, thank you all so much. It's a lot clearer now, particularly knowing that кто-нибудь is ok to use instead of кто-либо. My examples are using либо quite a lot. Seems like a bad idea then, to use it in material for beginners.

I might have to come back to this thread later with more questions about this, because I am only just starting it...

Originally Posted by Ленивец

"Она любит кого-то". Having heard this a Russian would think that she loves someone but she doesn't know exactly whom she loves.

That's a strange idea. A girl can't love someone without knowing exactly who he is. I believe a man can't love someone-he-doesn't-know-who either.
The point is that in this sentence, the speaker doesn't know who the girl loves.

Yes I was a bit confused by that.

So how to say:

She loved someone
She was in love with someone..

(meaning she loved a person, she knows who it is (of course), but it's not relevant exactly who the person is.)

School mnemonic rule:
"То, кое, либо, нибудь -- чёрточку не забудь!"

She loved someone
She was in love with someone..

In both cases you need "кого-то".

"Она любит кого-то" means we do not know who it is, we know only, that she is in love.

The point is that in this sentence, the speaker doesn't know who the girl loves.

I agree.