Saying Things in Order
Russian marks the steps of an argument out loud. Во-первых and во-вторых open the first and second reason; they are frozen forms of the ordinal numbers, they never change, and they are always set off by a comma.
Во-первых, это дорого. Во-вторых, у нас нет времени. Firstly, it's expensive. Secondly, we have no time.
| Firstly, it is expensive. | Во-первых, это дорого. |
Adding, Concluding, Correcting
| marker | what it does |
|---|---|
| кроме того | adds one more point — besides, moreover |
| таким образом | draws the conclusion — thus, in this way |
| итак | sums up and moves on — so, well then |
| затем | the next event in time — then, after that |
| то есть | restates more precisely — that is, i.e. |
| наоборот | flips it — on the contrary |
| на самом деле | corrects a wrong impression — in fact, actually |
| So, let us start working. | Итак, начнём работать. |
То есть Is Not "or"
То есть always REPHRASES what you just said, never offers an alternative: Он приедет в среду, *то есть послезавтра.* If you mean a real choice, that is или.
| He arrives on Wednesday, that is, the day after tomorrow. | Он приедет в среду, то есть послезавтра. |
На самом деле Contradicts
Use на самом деле when the truth differs from what was assumed — it is the everyday "actually". Наоборот is stronger still: it says the opposite is true.
Она молчит. *На самом деле она всё знает.*
| She keeps quiet, but in fact she knows everything. | Она молчит, а на самом деле всё знает. |
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