Changing Direction Mid-Speech
Russian argument has connectors you already know — следовательно, тем не менее, к тому же. This lesson adds the tools for managing the conversation itself: dropping in an aside, cutting a long story short, saying what you really think.
| marker | what it does |
|---|---|
| кстати | by the way — opens an aside |
| между прочим | incidentally — an aside with a raised eyebrow |
| честно говоря | to be honest — marks candour |
| в общем | in general, all in all — wraps up |
| в целом | on the whole — sums a judgement |
| в основном | mainly, mostly — hedges a generalisation |
| By the way, do you remember our neighbour? | Кстати, ты помнишь нашего соседа? |
Cutting It Short
Короче говоря and в двух словах both promise the listener a summary. Короче говоря is spoken and slightly impatient; в двух словах is neutral and fits writing too.
Короче говоря, мы опоздали. — Long story short, we were late. Расскажи в двух словах, что случилось. — Tell me in a nutshell what happened.
| Long story short, we missed the train. | Короче говоря, мы опоздали на поезд. |
Saying It Another Way
Иначе говоря re-states an idea in different words; а именно narrows it to the exact items meant. Both are the written argument's precision tools.
Он полиглот, иначе говоря, знает много языков. Приехали три гостя, а именно: брат, сестра и дядя.
| He is not working; in other words, he is resting. | Он не работает, иначе говоря, он отдыхает. |
По крайней мере
По крайней мере — "at least" — claims the minimum that is certainly true. It is the honest speaker's downtoner.
| At least no one was ill. | По крайней мере, никто не болел. |
