# Forum Learning Russian Language Grammar and Vocabulary  Particle "же"

## Larusja

Some time ago I made text about particle же for one of my friends. It's translation of some Russian philological texts with examples. Today I found it and I think that it can be useful for somebody here.  *How can we use "же"?*  *1.* *ЖЕ в сопоставительной функции  * We can use *же* to show contrast. Like we can use but in some cases.  _Я люблю рыбу, сестра же её ненавидит._ I love fish but sister hates it.  _Я думаю, что лето будет жарким, она же настроена пессимистично._ I think that summer will be hot but she feels pessimistic.  _Справа был лес, слева же - поля._ On the right side was forest but there were fields on the left side. 
Remember that we use *же* in this case only after second subject. And we have a pause afte*r ж*е.   *2.* *ЖЕ в аргументативной функции.*  
Imagine that you have two sentences: A and B.  And A is beginning of thought, B is its end. 
And B is a objection or persuasion.  "A, but B." or "A, cause B."  In this case *же* can be only in B, after subject.  
We can make a dialogue:
-_ Покрась стены._ (It's A)
- _Но я же не умею!_ (It's B) _Он попросил меня покрасить стены, но я же не умею это делать!_ 
- Рaint the walls. (It's A)
- But I can't! (It's B)
He asked me to paint the walls but I can't do it!  _Что ты здесь делаешь? Гости же уже приехали!_ What are you doing here? Guests already have arrived!  _Приберись на столе, это же твой стол_.
Clean the table, it's your table.  _Мне не нравится здесь, пойдем отсюда. Должно же рядом быть другое кафе._ We haven't subject in B so we use* же* afrer action.
I don't like this place, let us go. It should be another cafe near here.  _- Ты купил хлеб?
- Да, я же не тупой._ 
- Did you buy bread?
- Yes, I'm not stupid.   *3. Же в побуждениях и требованиях*
You can use же to intensify request not in a rude way. Like 'let'. 
- Пойдемте *же*!
- Let' go!   *4. Же в вопросительных высказываниях. * In question we can use *же* after question word. Like exactly.  _- Я купил фрукты.
- И какие же?
- Яблоки._ 
- I bought fruits.
- Which fruits exactly?
- Apples.  _- Где кот?
- Думаю, дома.
- И где же?
- Наверное в гостиной._ 
- Where is cat?
- I think at home.
- Where is it exactly?
- It might be in the living room.   *5. Же в восклицаниях.* 
You can add же in emotional sentences like too or so.  _Какой же ты счастливый!
You are so happy!_  _Как долго же мы ехали!_ Road took so much time!   *6. ЖЕ как идентификатор. * In English you, guys, have articles like a, an, the. We don't use it but sometimes we need to know exactely which things we speak about - abstract or concrete. So we also use же.  _- На какой машине ты ездила в отпуск?
- На этой же. _ - Which car did you drive then you went to holidays?
- Thе same one.  _- Где ты купил эти фрукты?
- В ближайшем супермаркете.
- А молоко?
- Там же._ 
- Where have you bought this fruits?
- In the nearest supermarket.
- And where have you bought milk?
- In the same place.   *7. Же в сравнениях. * We use же + как in comparison like as + as.  _Яблоки бывают такими же большими, как и апельсины._ Apples might be as big as oranges.       _Это дерево такое же высокое, как и тот дом._ This tree is as hight as that house.                                             *8. ЖЕ  и безотлагательность * Же might be used to show how quick something happend.  _Фотоаппарат сломался в первый же вечер._ Camera was broken in the first evening.  _Я узнал об этом в первый же день._ I knew about it in a first day.

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## Marcus

> I love fish but sister hate it.

 but my sister hates it.

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## bitpicker

I think I could correct the English sentences and also change them to reflect the meaning of же better. Is it OK if I do that? Furthermore, I'd like to use the example sentences and explanations for a German version of it to use on my Russian-learning blog, if you don't mind.  ::

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## Larusja

Oh, I found mistake that you said about and corrected some more)) If you see more mistakes feel free to correct them) 
Bitpicker, you can use this text)) It stands to reason)) If I didn't want peoples to use it I wouldn't upload it)))

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## Seraph

I am glad to see your writing here about же.  ЖЕ is about number 30 on the Russian word frequency list, and so I really need to use it more.

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## Larusja

If you want you can make some sentences with же and send them to me. I'll correct (if something will be wrong))) and send corrections to you.

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## Lampada

> If you want you can make some sentences with же and send them to me. I'll correct (if something will be wrong))) and send corrections to you.

 Why not in this topic?   It's o.k. to do it here for others to learn.

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## Larusja

Lampada, you are right! I don't know why I didn't think about this easier way)))

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## bitpicker

Here's my suggestion for the English translations, where appropriate I set the word in italics which carries the slant of meaning of же in English.    

> 1. ЖЕ в сопоставительной функции 
> We can use же to show contrast. Like we can use but in some cases. 
> Я люблю рыбу, сестра же её ненавидит.
> I love fish but my sister hates it.
> Or: my sister, _however_, hates it. 
> Я думаю, что лето будет жарким, она же настроена пессимистично.
> I think that the summer will be hot, but she feels pessimistic.
> Or: she, _however_, doubts it. 
> Справа был лес, слева же - поля.
> ...

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## E-learner

> Как долго мы ехали!
>  How long we had to travel! (voice emphasis)
>  Or: My, how long we had to travel.

 "Же" got omitted there, somehow. (but it's ok anyway) 
One could have said, "Ты же пропустил 'же'!"  ::

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## Seraph

Тоже увидел "надо же". Как "wow"?

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## Larusja

Seraph, you are right, "Надо же" = "wow" or "I can't believe"

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## kidkboom

Hey everybody. It would help me IMMENSELY if I could come about a better understanding of what function же has, well, in this sentence, in my life, in the universe. I know it roughly means 'same' and I know what the sentence below means, but why is же hanging out there? Is he a needed part of the gathering, or did he invite himself? (For the purposes of this question, I decided же would be a "he.") And as a foreigner - how the squeak do I know when (or if at all) to use this word?? ::   (EDIT: It seems like I could get by life without ever needing this word, but I want to 100% sure.) 
Что же вовремя не писали, на приёме?  
Thanks a lot, your help is needed AND invaluable to me.
большое спасибо - твое помочь очень нужно

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## Lampada

Вот тебе *научный труд* на тему *"же"*:  http://www.bu.edu/linguistics/UG/hag...trom-McCoy.pdf 
____________________________________-  *Толковый словарь русского языка Д.Н.Ушакова: *  *ЖЕ, частица. * Присоединяется к указательным местоимениям и наречиям и означает полное тожество того, на что указывается этими местоимениями и наречиями, с тем, о чем уже упоминалось в речи.  _Тот же. Туда же. Такой же. Там же. Тогда же.   Это тот же самый человек. 
 Это то же, что вы видели в магазине. 
 Такая же ерунда._    *ЖЕ, усилительная* *частица*. 
После вопросительного слова усиливает его выразительность.  _Когда же мы пойдём? 
Нет, отчего же?   _ Усиливает значение первого или в смысловом отношении наиболее важного слова реплики (разг. ). _ 
Хорошо же ты ему ответил, нечего сказать. 
Ну и хитёр же ты, братец мой. 
Ведь выдумает же! 
Есть же такие мерзавцы на свете!_   *ЖЕ*, *союз*. 
 1*. противительный.*
 В повествовательной речи обозначает противопоставление двух предложений, близко по значению к союзу "а" в 1 знач.
 В_рач велел мне бросить курить, сам же две коробки в день выкуривает. 
Старики сидят дома, дети же ушли гулять_.  _Петя ушёл в отпуск, мне же пришлось работать одному.  _ После первого слова реплики увеличивает силу выражения,добавляет эмоциональность_;_  близко по значению к "ведь".  _Ты же хотел идти, а теперь почему-то раздумал. 
Вот же он! 
 Что же вы не сообщили свой адрес? 
Я же не знал, что так будет.  _ 2.* присоединительный*. 
Присоединяет вводное предложение (ср. союз "а" во 2 знач. ).  _С тех пор, как я его знаю, знаю же я его с детства, я не переставал дружишь с ним.  _ Всё же - всё-таки, тем не менее._ 
Всё же мне вас жаль немножко._ Пушкин.

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## Doomer

> For the purposes of this question, I decided же would be a "he."

 IDK if you joking but if not
же is not "he", it's more like "zhe" or "dze" or "je"
"he" will be хе   

> Что *же* вовремя не писали, на приёме?

 Why you *wouldn't* have written it before, on the appointment? 
Что вовремя не писали, на приёме? Why you didn't write it before, on the appointment?   

> Thanks a lot, your help is needed AND invaluable to me.
>  большое спасибо - твое помочь очень нужно

 Большое спасибо, ваша помощь мне очень нужна и она бесценна.  
"ты" can only be used if you are talking to one person (and usually you know who exactly)

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## kib

> Why you *wouldn't* have written it before, on the appointment? 
>  Why you didn't write it before, on the appointment?

 I'm not good enough at English to completely understand the difference between the two sentences, but I think it's about politeness. If so, Doomer is quite right. The Russian sentence with 'же' sounds like a gentle reproach with a bit of perplexity. But that's what is usually implicated, the most obvious meaning of this phrase. One can say it sarcastically or in much more other ways. The sentence "Что вовремя не писали, на приёме?" - especially with что like чё - is just rude. So 'же' here is an intensifying particle (усилительная частица) for что (which means why in this case).

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## Seraph

> Why you *wouldn't* have written it before, on the appointment? 
>  Why you didn't write it before, at the appointment?

 Both these questions have inverted word order.  "you wouldn't" and "you didn't" should be "wouldn't you" and "didn't you" in these questions as written.  => 
"Why wouldn't you have written it before, at the appointment? 
  Why didn't you write it before, at the appointment?" 
The inverted word order in "Why you didn't write it before, on the appointment?" is almost always used with an additional phrase: 
Why you didn't (do something or other), I don't know. 
There are several such added phrases 'is a mystery to me' or 'is neither here nor there' and some other types of such things. 
Asking the question requires the word order "why didn't you...?"  
Inverting the word order has the effect of changing the function of the phrase.  It changes to a statement that has some more content at the end usually.  And no question mark is used in that construction.  
"Why is the elevator out of service today?"
"Why the elevator is out of service today is beyond me!"

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## Doomer

> Both these questions have inverted word order.  "you wouldn't" and "you didn't" should be "wouldn't you" and "didn't you" in these questions as written.  => 
> "Why wouldn't you have written it before, at the appointment?

 Thank you
I did write it that way first time but it seemed so weird to me that I formed it as of above
I should have stuck to the grammar no matter how weird it seemed  ::

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## Throbert McGee

> And as a foreigner - how *the squeak* do I know when (or if at all) to use this word??

 Heh-heh -- kidkboom, you've kind of answered your own question here! What does "the squeak" mean in your sentence? Answer: It doesn't really mean anything; or, rather, it's a euphemistic replacement for "the fuck", which in turn doesn't really mean anything. You could leave it out and the sentence would have the same meaning: "How do I know when..." 
"How *the fuck*" is really just a strong (and obscene) way of saying "HOW??!?!?!" And *же* often serves the same purposes as "the fuck", only without any obscenity -- it just strengthens the word that came before it. If I'm doing a text-to-text translation from Russian to English, one way to "translate" *же* is simply to omit it, but underline or italicize the word that came before же in the Russian sentence. So, to take your example: 
Что же вовремя не писали, на приёме? 
I think the meaning is basically: 
Why the heck didn't you finish writing this when you were still in the waiting room??" (or "at the reception desk", "in the admission queue", etc.)?  
Although more literally it's like:  *WHY* didn't you write it on time, upon admission? 
In place of "why the heck", you could of course also use "why the fuck" or "why on earth" or "for the love of St. Bridget, why", depending on how rude or euphemistic you wished to be, or depending on the "dialect effect" you wanted to create ("for the love of St. Bridget" might suggest the voice of a 19th-century Irish priest who's too sober to say "fuck"...). 
Also, note that when же is used after certain "demonstrative" terms (words with the basic meaning of "that one", which often start with *т* in Russian), such as тот, то, так, тодга, туда, такой etc., then it can have the meaning "the same" -- although what's really happening is that the basic "emphatic" meaning of же is reinforcing the "that one" meaning of the demonstrative, so the combined meaning is like "that VERY one". (i.e., the same one). For example, *туда* = "to that place" or "in that direction"; *туда же* = "to that very (same) place" or "in that very (same) direction."

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## Doomer

> Что же вовремя не писали, на приёме? 
> I would translate it using either of the following: 
> Why the heck didn't you write this in time for the appointment? _Why_ didn't you write this in time for the appointment?

 This is actually quite opposite
же makes it more polite not more offensive or strong

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## Throbert McGee

> This is actually quite opposite
> же makes it more polite not more offensive or strong

 That's surprising to me! I thought that if Что is rude here, then что же must be more rude. 
What if you began the sentence with почему? 
Почему (же) вы вовремя не писали, на приёме? 
Is there a difference in politeness here, if you use же, or don't use it? 
P.S. Note that I edited my previous post a little bit, before I saw Doomer's response, but my edited version also used the construction "Why the heck?" to translate Что же, so Doomer's point is still the same.

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## Doomer

> That's surprising to me! I thought that if Что is rude here, then что же must be more rude. 
> What if you began the sentence with почему? 
> Почему (же) вы вовремя не писали, на приёме? 
> Is there a difference in politeness here, if you use же, or don't use it?

 же form is still more polite
When you add же to this specific question that makes it "an asking"
if you remove же this sentence becomes "a demand" to answer

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## Lampada

> That's surprising to me! I thought that if Что is rude here, then что же must be more rude. 
> What if you began the sentence with почему? 
> Почему (же) вы вовремя не писали, на приёме? 
> Is there a difference in politeness here, if you use же, or don't use it? 
> P.S. Note that I edited my previous post a little bit, before I saw Doomer's response, but my edited version also used the construction "Why the heck?" to translate Что же, so Doomer's point is still the same.

 "Же" часто придаёт предложению оттенок сожаления. Говорящий старается извиниться, хотя он и не виноват ни в чем. _Ну я же тебе сказал, что меня не будет дома.  Ты чего, забыл?  _ Без частицы "же" это же предложение будет звучать грубовато, обвиняюще._  Я тебе сказал, что меня не будет дома, так что ты сам виноват, что потерял время._

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## CoffeeCup

> This is actually quite opposite
> же makes it more polite not more offensive or strong

   

> That's surprising to me!

 That's surprissing to me too! "же" here represents the degree of emotion:  

> *5. Же в восклицаниях.* 
> You can add же in emotional sentences like too or so.  _Какой же ты счастливый!
> You are so happy!_  _Как долго же мы ехали!_ Road took so much time!

 while the type of emotion: politeness, offensiveness or sorry; is in the way of how you say it (intonation) only.

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