Thread: The word something

Can somene explain why Pimsleurs 1 gives the pronunciation of the word "something" as ( shtonybutdz) they say "something to eat" as (shtonybutdz pa yeast)

The dictionary I have shows "something" to be (shto-ta)

I find this very confusing. Is Pimsleurs not accurate sometimes.
Scott

Something is что-то (shto-ta) or что-нибудь (shto-nibut'). I guess your shtonybutdz is что-нибудь

This is a very interesting question. I know the russian person, who has lived in America for very long time, and when he speaks Russian, he makes this mistake: he mixes the words "shto-nybutdz" and "shto-ta", because they are both translated into English as "something".

The difference is pretty subtle. You say: "shto-nybutdz" to eat (you don't really know, what exactly, it is unspecific, nobody knows yet what you will eat), but "he knows "shto-ta" - he knows something specific, he already knows what is it. So, "shto-nybutdz" - is a "something unspecific", "shto-ta" - is a "somthing specific".

Maybe somebody can give a more accurate definition.

P.S. We also has "koe-chto" - "something" as well. It's "something specific and I know, what is it". For example: "I know koe-chto <something> about him".

Ahh thank you both. I feel much better now. I always get good answers on this site. Little things like this question answered make a big difference to a beginner learning on his own. I was afraid I was learning something incorrectly. Literally. Thanks again. Scott

Gerty, your explanation is fine, but I can't understand, why shto-nybutdz???

Originally Posted by pranki

Gerty, your explanation is fine, but I can't understand, why shto-nybutdz???

Well, I don't understant it either, but I just kept the spelling. I aldso think it's clother to "shto-nibud", but what do I know?

Nibutdz reflects the sound of the softened "d". Like with "Tb" its said like "ts"...kinda.

Bah! u guys make it so hard.

Короче,
shto-to - Something
Shto-nibud' - Anything.

Ya hochu chto to, no ne znau tochno - I want something, but i dont know what it is

Hochesh chevo-nidud' (Shto-nibud') vypit' ? Do you want anything to drink?

Easy as pie.

Scott

Is Pimsluers not accurate sometime?

Haha, Pimsluer is not accurate all the time.

Вот нашла свой старый пост:

Что-то, кто-то, какой-то - unknown what or who
Что-нибудь, кто-нибудь, какой-нибудь - it does not matter what or who.

With -то it is something certain, definite, but unknown to a speaker or listener.
With -нибудь it is something uncertain, indefinite and can be anything or anybody.

Lemme see if I got this

Я хочу что-то пить. - I want something to drink (somethign defininte though like milk or water)
Я хочу что-нибудь пить. - I want sometning to drink (could be gasoline for all I care)

Originally Posted by Darobat

Lemme see if I got this

Я хочу что-то пить. - I want something to drink (somethign defininte though like milk or water)
Я хочу что-нибудь пить. - I want sometning to drink (could be gasoline for all I care)

Right, as in english u could say "Im so thirsty, give me anything to drink"

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Bah! u guys make it so hard.

Короче,
shto-to - Something
Shto-nibud' - Anything.

Ya hochu chto to, no ne znau tochno - I want something, but i dont know what it is

Hochesh chevo-nidud' (Shto-nibud') vypit' ? Do you want anything to drink?

Easy as pie.

It's not quite right. Incorrect, I say. "Anything" is much closer to "Что угодно". In some situation you can translate it "что-нибудь", but the meaning is different:

Do you want anything to drink? - Ты хочешь хоть чего-нибудь выпить?
I can do anything for you. - Я для тебя что угодно сделаю.
Take anything. - Возьми что угодно.
Take something. - Возьми что-нибудь.
He took something. - Он что-то взял (I don't know what).

Well it still anything.