???°?? ?€?°?·: just right, just now, exactly, actually
Let’s see what the digital mailman has just delivered in my weekly mailbag of reader’s questions. Misha in Ukhta asks: “Is it true that Americans don’t speak English?” It’s definitely true in Brooklyn.
Susan writes from Dallas: “Can you help me understand my 15-year-old stepson from Moscow?” No, I don’t speak teenager.
And here’s one from “VVP”: “What’s your problem with stability?”
Ha ha. Very funny, guys.
Oh, here’s a good one from a reader after my own heart: “Can you explain the meaning of ???°?? ?€?°?·?” Yes!
But before we get to ???°?? ?€?°?·, we should take a look at ?€?°?·, a little word that packs a lot of meaning.
First of all, it’s first. That is, it is the word you use for “one” when counting. ? ?°?·, ?????°, ?‚?€?? (one, two, three).
Then ?€?°?· is a kind of generic unit of something, rendered in English as “time.” ???????»?????? ?€?°?· ?? ?‚?µ?±?µ ?????????€???»?°! (How many times do I have to tell you!) ?’ ???€???????? ?€?°?· ?????‚?€?µ?‚???????? (We’ll get together another time). ???° ?????????? ?€?°?±???‚?µ ???? ?·?°?€?°?±?°?‚?‹???°?µ?‚ ?? ?????‚?? ?€?°?· ?±???»?????µ (He earns five times more at his new job).
In colloquial speech, ?€?°?· is a bit of a chameleon. It can be used in place of ?µ???»?? (if) or ???????????»?????? (since): ? ?°?· ?‚?‹ ???µ ???€?????‘????, ?? ?»?????? ?????°?‚?? ?????€?°???????µ (If you’re not coming over, I’ll go to bed earlier). ? ?°?· ???‚?? ?????¶????, ?‚?? ???‹ ?????µ?»?°?µ?? (Since it’s necessary, we’ll do it).
Less commonly, ?€?°?· can replace ???????°?¶???‹ (once): ? ?°?· ?? ?¶???» ???° ???°?‡?µ ???? ?…???»???????? (Once I stayed at the dacha until the cold weather set in). Or it can be used to describe a sudden and unusually unexpected action: ???? ???????????‘?» ?? ?€?°?· — ???…???°?‚???» ?????????? ?? ???±?µ?¶?°?» (He walked up to me and wham! He grabbed my purse and ran).
With ?·?°, ?€?°?· can describe a one-time event: ?—?° ?€?°?· ???? ???????????» 50 ?????»?????€?°???????? (He lifted 50 kilograms in one try).
But if you move those little words around to ?€?°?· ?·?° ?€?°?·????, it means “time after time”: ???? ?€?°?· ?·?° ?€?°?·???? ?????????????°?» ???°???‚?µ?»?? (He lifted the weights again and again).
?’ ???°???‹?? ?€?°?· is an idiom that means “just right,” most commonly in terms of fit: ???°???????? ?±?‹?»?? ?? ???°???‹?? ?€?°?· (The boots fit me perfectly).
This brings us to the idiom ???°?? ?€?°?·, which, among its many meanings, can be a synonym for ?? ???°???‹?? ?€?°?·: ???»?°?‚???µ ???µ ???°?»??, ?° ???°?? ?€?°?· (The dress isn’t too small — it’s a perfect fit).
In time expressions, ???°?? ?€?°?· can mean “exactly at the time (when)”: ???‹ ?????‘?» ???· ???????? ???°?? ?€?°?· ???µ?€?µ?? ?‚?µ??, ???°?? ???°?‡?°?»?????? ???°?????µ ?????‚?µ?€?µ???????µ (You left the movie just when it was getting interesting).
Or it can mean “at exactly this time.” For example, when someone phones you, you might say: ?? ???°?? ?€?°?· ?? ?‚?µ?±?µ ???????°?»! (I was just thinking about you!) ?? ???°?? ?€?°?· ?????‚?????»?? ???¶???? (I’m in the middle of making dinner — that is, “just at this moment”).
In nontime expressions, ???°?? ?€?°?· can act as an intensifier that means “exactly”: ??‚?? ???°?? ?€?°?· ?‚??, ?‡?‚?? ?????µ ?????¶???? (It’s exactly what I need). ???? ???°?? ?€?°?· ?·???µ???? ?¶?????‘?‚ (He lives in this very house).
Sometimes we express this with “actually” in English. To answer “VVP,” I’d say: ??‚?? ???°?? ?€?°?· ???µ ???‚?°?±???»?????????‚??, ?° ???‚?°?????°?†????! (It’s actually not stability but stagnation!)
???°?? ?€?°?· ?????‡?? (I’m just kidding).
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of “The Russian Word’s Worth” (Glas), a collection of her columns.
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