?????€?????° ?????±????: pretty woman; a looker
We're heading into the Russian luv season.
First, it's ?”?µ???? ?????µ?… ???»???±?»?‘?????‹?… (Valentine's Day), that un-Russian, unpatriotic holiday that no one should celebrate but everyone does. Then it's Men's Day, aka ?”?µ???? ?·?°?‰???‚???????° ???‚?µ?‡?µ???‚???° (Defender of the Homeland Day), followed by ???µ?¶???????°?€???????‹?? ?¶?µ?????????? ???µ???? (International Women's Day). They jack up the flower prices so high you need an advance on your paycheck to buy a bouquet of daisies.
For me, the season means coming up with ?…???€???????µ ???»?????° (nice things to say) when I meet my neighbor on the landing. Wait, should that be ?????±?€?‹?µ ???»?????° (nice things to say)?
What exactly is the difference between ?…???€???????? and ?????±?€?‹??? Like so much in the Russian language, in some contexts the distinction between ?…???€???????? (good) and ?????±?€?‹?? (good) is clear, while in others it's a bit fuzzy.
You generally use the word ?…???€???????? to describe something you like that possesses good qualities, from ?…???€???????? ?‚?????°?€ (well-made product) to ?…???€?????°?? ???????????° (fine weather). It can describe something that is smart or sensible, like ?…???€???????? ???????…???? (reasonable approach) or ?…???€?????°?? ???‹???»?? (brilliant idea). ???µ?????????? ?µ?‘ ???µ???? ?€???¶???µ?????? — ?…???€???????? ?????????? ?????‚?€?µ?‚???‚?????? (Today is her birthday, a good excuse to get together).
?????€???????? is also used to describe what might be called the right sort of people and their behavior: ?…???€?????µ?µ ???±?‰?µ???‚???? (good society), ?…???€???????? ?‚???? (good taste) and ?…???€???????µ ???°???µ?€?‹ (good manners). ?????€???????? can also describe something that is good-sized. It's good because there's a lot of it: ???? ?·?°?€?°?±?°?‚?‹???°?µ?‚ ?…???€???????µ ???µ???????? (He makes a good salary).
The short form of the adjective — ?…???€????, ?…???€?????°, ?…???€?????? — has a different meaning: good-looking. ???°?? ???? ?…???€????! (He's a real dish!) You can add the word ?????±???? for a bit of emphasis: ?”?? ?‡?µ???? ?????° ?…???€?????° ?????±????! (Wow, is she a looker!)
Today the word ?????±?€?‹?? is mostly used to describe human qualities: tender, caring, kind, warm-hearted, generous. ???? ???€?????‚?? ???‡?µ???? ?????±?€?‹?? ?‡?µ?»?????µ?? (He's simply a very kind man).
When used in reference to opinions or words, ?????±?€?‹?? means positive or admiring: ???? ?????±?€?????? ?????µ?????? ?? ?‚?µ?±?µ (He has a very high opinion of you). ?”???±?€?‹?? ???????µ?‚ is good advice — useful, to the point. ???‚?°?€?°??, ?????±?€?°?? ?‚?€?°?????†???? is a good, old tradition — wise, sensible.
Sometimes ?????±?€?‹?? is used in a folksy, old-fashioned sense to mean something of good quality: ?????° ?????°?€???»?° ?????±?€?‹?? ?±???€?‰ (She made a good pot of borshcht).
In some contexts, ?????±?€?‹?? and ?…???€???????? are almost the same. As far as I can tell, the only difference between ?????±?€???µ ?·?????€???????µ and ?…???€?????µ?µ ?·?????€???????µ (good health) is stylistic.
But with people, the distinction between ?…???€???????? and ?????±?€?‹?? is subtle but significant. Someone can be ?…???€???????? ?‡?µ?»?????µ?? (a good person) but not ?????±?€?‹?? ?‡?µ?»?????µ?? (a kind person). Take, for example, someone who doesn't break the law, doesn't raise his voice or hand in anger and fulfills all his social and personal obligations but is rather niggardly, sharp-tongued and hard-hearted. This is the honest worker and family man who is a pain in the butt to live with. And someone can be ?????±?€?‹?? — generous, warm, kind — but not ?…???€???????? — irresponsible, unreliable, dishonest. This is the thief with a heart of gold.
In the luv season, as you lose your head under the influence of the first harbingers of spring and the constant sales pitch of advertisers, take a look at your main squeeze and think: ???°???°?? ?????° ?????±?€?°??, ?…???€?????°?? ?? ???°?? ?…???€?????°! (She sure is kind, good and so good-looking!)
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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