Breakdown of Говорят, что если выругаться, гнев быстро пройдёт.
говорить
to speak, to talk
быстро
fast, quickly
что
that (conjunction)
если
if
пройти
to pass (perfective)
гнев
the anger
выругаться
to swear (curse)
Questions & Answers about Говорят, что если выругаться, гнев быстро пройдёт.
How does the combination of вы- and -ся change the meaning of ругаться here?
The base verb ругаться means to swear or to curse. Adding the prefix вы- and the postfix -ся adds the meaning of doing an action to the point of full satisfaction or relief. Here, выругаться doesn't just mean to say a bad word, but to swear it out of your system or vent completely, which explains why the anger would pass.
Does выругаться also mean to get an argument out of your system?
No. While the base verb ругаться often means to argue or to quarrel with someone, the saturated form выругаться almost exclusively means to utter curse words to release frustration. If you wanted to express getting things off your chest by talking, you would use a different verb from this lesson, like выговориться.
Why is говорят used without a pronoun like они?
Using the third-person plural verb without a subject is the standard Russian way to express general statements, rumors, or common wisdom. It translates perfectly to the English general 'they say' or 'it is said'. Adding они would make it sound like a specific, known group of people is saying it.
Why is the infinitive выругаться used right after если instead of a conjugated verb like выругаешься?
Using an infinitive in an если (if) clause makes the condition generalized and applicable to absolutely anyone, similar to saying 'if one swears' in English. It pairs perfectly with the general, impersonal говорят at the start of the sentence.
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