Breakdown of Он не работает, иначе говоря, он отдыхает.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
работать
to work
отдыхать
to rest
иначе говоря
in other words
Questions & Answers about Он не работает, иначе говоря, он отдыхает.
Why do we use говоря in the phrase иначе говоря instead of the Russian word for 'words'?
Говоря is an imperfective verbal adverb meaning 'speaking' or 'saying'. The phrase иначе говоря literally translates to 'differently speaking'. While English says 'in other words', Russian relies on this adverbial construction. You will also see this in similar phrases like честно говоря (honestly speaking) or строго говоря (strictly speaking).
Are the commas around иначе говоря mandatory here?
Yes. In Russian punctuation, иначе говоря is considered a parenthetical phrase used to clarify or rephrase a thought. These phrases must always be isolated by commas from the rest of the sentence, just like 'in other words' or 'however' in English.
Could отдыхает mean he is on vacation, or does it only mean he is taking a short break right now?
It can mean both! The verb отдыхать is much broader than the English 'to rest'. It can mean relaxing on the couch, taking a coffee break, or being on a holiday. Since the first clause says he is not working, отдыхает acts as the natural opposite: he is currently at leisure.
Both verbs (работает and отдыхает) are imperfective. Would we ever use perfective verbs in a sentence like this?
Not in this exact context. We are describing a continuous state in the present tense, and perfective verbs in Russian do not have a present tense form. They only describe completed actions in the past or focused results in the future.
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