Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Е, Ë and Э caracters

  1. #1
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    25
    Rep Power
    13

    Е, Ë and Э caracters

    What's the difference between Е, Ë and Э.

    Which caracter do you use for the following sounds:
    hey, page, late (é in french)
    chair, air, (è in french)
    delete, mecanism (e in french)

    Thank you!

  2. #2
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    YS, Russia
    Posts
    103
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: Е, Ë and Э caracters

    Quote Originally Posted by snorkyller
    What's the difference between Е, Ë and Э.
    These are three different letters, that's the difference. =)

    Quote Originally Posted by snorkyller
    Which caracter do you use for the following sounds:
    hey, page, late (é in french)
    chair, air, (è in french)
    delete, mecanism (e in french)

    Thank you!
    hey, page, late (é in french) = хэй, пэйдж, лэйт
    chair, air, (è in french) = чэир (of course, it sounds not exactly like that, but more closely to эи), эир
    delete, mecanism (e in french) = дэлит, мэканизм
    do you know what Linux is?

  3. #3
    Завсегдатай
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    My Time & Space
    Posts
    6,555
    Rep Power
    19

    Re: Е, Ë and Э caracters

    Е marks iotated e-sound, while Э does not.

    In writing: мера (е shows the softness of the preceding consonant), мэр (the consonant is hard).

    Ё marks iotated o-sound.

    More facts:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_(Cyrillic)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_(Cyrillic)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_(Cyrillic)

    hey, page, late: usually ей is used, эй exists as a variant for not confusing with similar words or to avoid wrong iotatation.
    chair, air: there is no unanimity here. Some transliterate like эй, some transliterate like э. Usually, it is needless to write э after ч like in chair, it is е instead.
    delete, mechanism: e here also. If you want to be precise, и in delete and э in mechanism.
    «И всё, что сейчас происходит внутре — тоже является частью вселенной».

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай Crocodile's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    село Торонтовка Онтарийской губернии
    Posts
    3,057
    Rep Power
    19

    Re: Е, Ë and Э caracters

    Quote Originally Posted by snorkyller
    What's the difference between Е, Ë and Э.
    These different letters of the Cyrillic alphabet denote three different sounds:

    1. Е roughly sounds like "ye" in the word "yesterday"

    2. Ë roughly sounds like "yo" in the word "yogurt"

    3. Э roughly sounds like "e" in the words "well" and "bell"

    Hope it helps.

  5. #5
    Завсегдатай
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Москва, Зеленоград.
    Posts
    2,039
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: Е, Ë and Э caracters

    Russian letter Е in some words sounds like "ye" but in some words (especially foreign) sounds like "e" (Э).
    Moreover letter Е is almost always used instead of Ё. Ё is used in dictionaries and books for children and foreign students.


    Do not confuse Russian letter Э with Ukrainian letter Є and euro sign € !

    Ukrainian and Russian letters have different pronunciation.

    Ukrainian Е approximately equal to Russian Э
    Ukrainian Є approximately equal to Russian Е


    Thousand years ago E, Є, Ё, Э were the single letter E(Є) equivalent to Greek letter Epsilon (Εε)


    é in french — approximately Е
    è,ê in french — approximately Э
    e in french — very approximately Ё

  6. #6
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    25
    Rep Power
    13

    Re: Е, Ë and Э caracters

    Everything is clear!

    Thank you for your precise explanations!

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