Thread: Здравствуйте Confusing

Здравствуйте

This word has always confused me a little. The pronunciation of it doesn't make sense to me, so could someone clear it up? As far as I understand, the first в is not pronounced. But that isn't the problem... its the end of the word.

Why is it that "уйте" has a sort of 'ch' or 'j' sound to it? I've listened to multiple recordings of people saying it, and to I don't get why the ending sounds that way.

I always thought it should sound sort of like "zdrastvute" but its more like "zdrástvujte". Until I can understand what is changing the sound and how, I'm having trouble saying it which is making me feel stupid since its such a basic word.

Originally Posted by Ammonite

Здравствуйте

Why is it that "уйте" has a sort of 'ch' or 'j' sound to it? I've listened to multiple recordings of people saying it, and to I don't get why the ending sounds that way.

I always thought it should sound sort of like "zdrastvute" but its more like "zdrástvujte". Until I can understand what is changing the sound and how, I'm having trouble saying it which is making me feel stupid since its such a basic word.

The letter "й" is pronounced after the "у" in the same way as the sound before "d" in "guide" or the last sound in "why" or the sound before "ght" in "height".

здравствуйте from old fashion здравие (now здоровье - health).
When you say Здравствуйте! you really say = I wish a health to you!

Why is it that "уйте" has a sort of 'ch' or 'j' sound to it?

That "ch"/"j" sound you're hearing is actually the "soft" consonant т in -те. English doesn't have the hard/soft consonant distinctions that exist in Russian, so it's common for English speakers beginning in Russian to mishear/mispronounce the "soft т" as sounding like the ch in "cheese". Or, in some cases, English speakers may mishear/mispronounce the Russian soft-т as a "t" followed by a "y", as in the phrase "bright yellow."

The best advice I can give you online is that the "soft т" is not a "t followed by a y", but a "t blended with a y," to make a single consonant, if that makes sense. And although it can sound similar to the "ch" in "cheese", that "ch" sound is better understood as a "t blended with a sh", rather than a "t blended with a y".

Try saying the phrases "bright yellow" and "tight shirt" very fast ("brightyellow", "tightshirt"), and that may help you learn to hear the difference.


P.S. If you have any familiarity at all with Spanish, another way to understand hard/soft consonant distinctions in Russian is to consider the difference between the anglicized pronunciation of señor ("sen-yor", with the "n" and the "y" as separate consonants) and the way a native Spanish speaker says the word, with the ñ as a single, pure consonant. And in the Spanish word mañana ("tomorrow" or "morning'), the ñ is actually very close to a "soft н" in Russian, while the n is close to a "hard н". Hope this makes sense to you!

Why is it that "уйте" has a sort of 'ch' or 'j' sound to it? I've listened to multiple recordings of people saying it, and to I don't get why the ending sounds that way.

The "t" sound is certainly voiceless and soft.

Песня Красной Шапочки - YouTube

RussianDVD.com - Audio Stream -


Песня Красной Шапочки

Песенка из кинофильма "Красная Шапочка" (1977).



Если долго, долго, долго,
Если долго по тропинке,
Если долго по дорожке
Топать, ехать и бежать -
То, пожалуй, то, конечно,
То, наверно-верно-верно,
То возможно-можно-можно
Можно в Африку прийти!

А-а, в Африке реки вот такой ширины,
А-а, в Африке горы вот такой вышины,
А-а, крокодилы - бегемоты,
А-а, обезьяны - кашалоты,
А-а - и зеленый попугай!
А-а - и зеленый попугай!

И как только - только - только,
И как только на дорожке,
И как только на тропинке
Встречу я кого-нибудь,
То тому, кого я встречу,
Даже зверю-верю-верю
Не забуду-буду-буду
Буду здрасте говорить!

А-а, здравствуйте реки вот такой ширины,
А-а, здравствуйте горы вот такой вышины,
А-а, крокодилы - бегемоты,
А-а, обезьяны - кашалоты,
А-а - и зеленый попугай!
А-а - и зеленый попугай!

Но, конечно, но, конечно,
Если ты такой ленивый,
Если ты такой пугливый -
Сиди дома, не гуляй!
Ни к чему тебе дороги,
Косогоры-горы-горы,
Буераки-реки-раки -
Руки-ноги береги!

Зачем тебе море вот такой ширины,
Зачем тебе небо вот такой вышины,
А-а, крокодилы - бегемоты,
А-а, обезьяны - кашалоты,
А-а - и зеленый попугай!
А-а - и зеленый попугай!

Originally Posted by kozyablo

здравствуйте from old fashion здравие (now здоровье - health).
When you say Здравствуйте! you really say = I wish a health to you!

I've been recently learning about relationships between Modern Russian (MR) and Church Slavonic (CS). One of the relationships is город град pairs. This pair здоровье здравие looks like one of these MR - CS pairs.
Interesting!

This pair здоровье здравие looks like one of these MR - CS pairs.

Sometimes a Church Slavonic variant has replaced the Russian word: враг - ворог, шлем - шелом.

And although it can sound similar to the "ch" in "cheese", that "ch"

But ветер is by no means вечер.

Originally Posted by Marcus

But ветер is by no means вечер.

And thin is by no means tin (or sin), and bad is by no means bed. But for Russians who are new to learning English, those words can seem almost like homophones!

It just takes time for the ear and tongue to get used to hearing and pronouncing the distinctions. And after Ammonite has learned to clearly pronounce the difference between ть and ч, he'll wonder how he ever got them confused.

And in the Spanish word mañana ("tomorrow" or "morning'), the ñ is actually very close to a "soft н" in Russian, while the n is close to a "hard н".

I'm smacking myself on the forehead because I overlooked a native English example -- the difference (in some dialects of English) between "do" and "dew", or between the initial sounds of "tool" and "tulip".

And the reason I overlooked this example is that in my own dialect of US English, I pronounce "do" and "dew" identically, and the "t" sounds in "tool" and "tulip" are also the same for me. But for other English speakers, the initial sounds in "do" and "tool" are similar to the hard д and т in Russian, while the initial sounds in "dew" and "tulip" are similar to the soft Russian consonants.

But for other English speakers, the initial sounds in "do" and "tool" are similar to the hard д and т

T in tool is similar to Russian т, ть, ч in one and the same time. So, Ammonite, don't use those English sounds in Russian at all.

And thin is by no means tin (or sin), and bad is by no means bed. But for Russians who are new to learning English, those words can seem almost like homophones!

Not only to beginners. Especially bad and bed. That's why I warn Ammonite not to confuse those sounds.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Try saying the phrases "bright yellow" and "tight shirt" very fast ("brightyellow", "tightshirt"), and that may help you learn to hear the difference.

English "t" often sounds like "ч" for Russian ear. I am not sure the "t" in "bright yellow" sounds like Russian soft "t".

Might I add that I also made the foolish mistake of confusing e with и (е и э confusion haha) which made it worse for me to understand. Oops.

Might I add that I also made the foolish mistake of confusing e with и (е и э confusion haha) which made it worse for me to understand. Oops.

Unstressed e and и are pronounced in the same way.