Questions about Russian

[Ketutar]

But you didn't ask the question for 4 and 40...

I googled 40. The explanation seems logical. There are times when I have no problems accepting "that's the way it just is".
Googling 90 gave me the "ten to hundred" explanation, which doesn't make any sense; nine but (or to) hundred is 91, not 90... but apparently it has nothing to do with но сто, and then I can accept it It's funny how one's mind works.

(And I know how to count in French and Danish... some interesting ways of forming the numbers there )

[Ketutar]

"Барабантер замер с присыпкой в руке, которой наносил пыль на безупречно чистый черный лакированный стол."

Why черный and not чёрный? Is it a typo or just another way of writing something, and if it is just another way, when can I replace ё with е?

Like всё and все

Does it actually say that Barabanter was putting dust on the table?
The original says "Drumknott stopped dusting the impeccably shiny black lacquered desk.", which, of course can mean both taking the dust away and putting dust on, but I read it as if he was dusting the table to appear to be in the room for that, and not because he has the butler sense of being where he is most needed

[neofight78]

Russians like to save on ink and pixels. Often you just have to know that it's ё and not e.

[neofight78]

Sometimes e and ё makes the difference between two words, but it's usually obvious from context which word it is. The most common case you've already uncovered все and всё.

When you write and type yourself I would always recommend using ë.

[aaleks]

There is/was a typographic rule about ё. In books should be used e instead of ё.

[neofight78]

There is/was a typographic rule about ё. In books should be used e instead of ё.

I hate to argue with a native but I don't think that's true. Ё is a separate letter and it's always correct to write or print it that way. The absence of the two dots, as I understand it from other Russians, is a product of cost/time saving from the days when such things had meaning in the printing world. The habit stuck, and now people often think it's correct when it's only ever been a shortcut.

Code: Select all

Note Russians will often just write ) instead of :) or :-). Must be something genetic  :P

[neofight78]

I have done some research

The rules aaleks mentioned are here: http://new.gramota.ru/spravka/rules/117-gl-19-4

A history of the letter can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_(Cyrillic)

In short, I would recommend to you as a learner (and to natives TBH) to always use ё. But be aware that often е is used instead.

[aaleks]

The rules aaleks mentioned are here: http://new.gramota.ru/spravka/rules/117-gl-19-4

@neofight78, this isn't exactly the rule I mentioned. There was a time when it was a part of my job to change ё to e . In every word, besides some but not every surnames. I personally prefer that the letter ё has been written in every word where it's supposed to be and especially surnames. I have the letter in my surname and because in the most cases there's written e many people read my surname in a wrong way.

Note Russians will often just write ) instead of or . Must be something genetic

It's true ))))) . And it is really hard for me don't use those ")", "))" or ")))))))))))" on this forum. I'm never sure what smile to choose because the ")" and the " " aren't the same smile to me

[Serpent]

)))) is non-existent outside рунет tbh

[Ketutar]

I love you, guys
I love this forum!