# интересный парень



## Encolpius

Hello, I have some problems with the Russian word *интересный*. In some languages (like Hungarian) the word interesting means rather something what/who is strange, not typical, but if I am not mistaken, the Russian интересный means also nice, handsome, pretty. 
a) Does интересный парень mean he is not only interesting but physically attractive, too? 
b) Is it possible to use занимательный парень instead if the person is not physically attractive or what Russian collocation would you use to translate the English interesting guy? Thanks


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## Maroseika

In this case интересный means "attractive" and nothing else. 
Занимательный парень sounds senseless.


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## Encolpius

Ok, and how would you say: He is an interesting guy?


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## rusita preciosa

I agree with Maroseika that most likely интересный means "attractive', but often it simply can mean 'interesting", as in "interesting to talk to / to spend time with / has lived an interesing life"... 
There could be very specific context where интересный would be used sarcastically meaning "weird / unusual".

So, long story short, as always, *it depends on the context*.


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## Angelo di fuoco

Encolpius said:


> Ok, and how would you say: He is an interesting guy?



If you mean he's fun to talk with, you say "с ним/ с этим парнем интересно общаться", "он интересный собеседник" or something sorts of.


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## Maroseika

Encolpius said:


> Ok, and how would you say: He is an interesting guy?


I thought you meant the specific context. In other words, интересный парень can mean only one thing and not both at the same time: either attractive or interesting. The first sense is a bit out-dated now. At least I'd imagine the parents saying this about their daughter's boy-friend rather than the daughther herself saying this about him.


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## Sobakus

As a matter of fact, to me занимательный парень means "not typical, sparking curiousity".


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## Maroseika

Sobakus said:


> As a matter of fact, to me занимательный парень means "not typical, sparking curiousity".



Maybe you mean занятный?


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## Sobakus

Maroseika said:


> Maybe you mean занятный?



I'd be hard pressed to pinpoint the difference in their meanings in this case, apart from the fact that занятный is more likely to be used ironically. Ушаков gives both with the word человек, which is reassuring enough.


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## Maroseika

Sobakus said:


> I'd be hard pressed to pinpoint the difference in their meanings in this case, apart from the fact that занятный is more likely to be used ironically. Ушаков gives both with the word человек, which is reassuring enough.



As far as I understand in Ushakov's dictionary занимательный человек stands for the one who can tell interesting things, i.e. far not the same as занятный человек - the one who attracts attention, занятный малый - amusing guy.

Curiously enough, занимательный is reckoned by Vasmer to be a calque of French _intéressant_, introduced by Karamzin (although not sure what exactly sense has been calqued).


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## Sobakus

Maroseika said:


> As far as I understand in Ushakov's dictionary занимательный человек stands for the one who can tell interesting things, i.e. far not the same as занятный человек



This sense is completely impossible if you ask me... "Возбуждающий интерес/любопытство" is used in both definitions, that's why I'd call them synonymous.


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## Nanon

Maroseika said:


> Curiously enough, занимательный is reckoned by Vasmer to be a calque of French _intéressant_, introduced by Karamzin (although not sure what exactly sense has been calqued).


Karamzin has the response , but FR intéressant covers both _interesting to talk_ to and _attractive _(also _exerting attraction without necessarily being beautiful_).


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## Fortunio

Интересный in russian means just the same as FR. intéressant. In both senses.
 But if I say: "Интересный он парень", pronounced with scepticism and doubt - the sense change. It means that the guy (his words or act) contains something surprising (confusing)  for me.  The situation  needs further explanation (developpement)...


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## Encolpius

I have the feeling Fortunio is the first member who says something different about ""Интересный он парень"...
It seems to me the topic is more complicated than interesting...


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## Maroseika

Encolpius said:


> I have the feeling Fortunio is the first member who says something different about ""Интересный он парень"...
> It seems to me the topic is more complicated than interesting...



Actually this is very close (if not quite the same) to what you wrote about интересный in your starting message: the word interesting means rather something what/who is strange, not typical, but if I am not mistaken, the Russian интересный means also...


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## Encolpius

I give up. Sorry foreros but this is the first time I must say I did not understand anything...


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## igusarov

Sorry to hear that... But rusita preciosa gave you a good answer: it depends on the context.

"Интересный" *could* mean "interesting".
"Интересный" *could* mean "physically attractive".
"Интересный" *could* mean "strange".
Does this word necessarily mean them all? No. It depends on the context, on the previous sentences, on the mood and the intonation of the speaker.
"Интересный парень" basically means that he has something about his person that causes interest in other people (or at least in one man - the speaker). _What exactly_ is interesting about him - is anybody's guess.


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## Encolpius

Maroseika said:


> In this case интересный means *"attractive" and nothing else*.
> Занимательный парень sounds senseless.



Then why did Maroiseka said that? "attractive and nothing else".. 
And is "He is an interesting guy" not enough context? Angelo might understand what I wanted..
Thanks again...


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## Angelo di fuoco

The thing is that the adjective "занимательный" is used much less than "интересный". In southern Russian there's the word цекавый (taken from Ukrainian, I think), but it means rather "curious" in the sence "arousing someone's curiousity, making feel curious about". It's a synonym of любопытный (which also means "nosy").


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## Maroseika

Encolpius said:


> Then why did Maroiseka said that? "attractive and nothing else".. confused
> And is "He is an interesting guy" not enough context?


I meant exactly what I wrote: *in this case*. I.e. if интересный is used in the sense "physically attractive", it has no more additinal senses.
Now I see I was to be more specific.


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## Dr Mjau

> Then why did Maroiseka said that? "attractive and nothing else"..
> And is "He is an interesting guy" not enough context? Angelo might understand what I wanted..
> Thanks again...


The context is 1) Who is saying that, 2) Why and what for.
In general it does not mean strange or not typical, or "nice, handsome, pretty" directly.
In general it means "calling the attention of some sort". And the situation defines what sort of attention is this.
In russian though it has more often positive than negative connotations. But depending on the situation in some cases it can have negative meaning too, and even not "strange" but "not good, not right, out of order" and so on,
most ironically.


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## Encolpius

Dr Mjau said:


> ...In general it means *"calling the attention of some sort".* And the situation defines what sort of attention is this.
> In russian though it has more often positive than negative connotations. But depending on the situation in some cases it can have negative meaning too, and even not "strange" but "not good, not right, out of order" and so on,
> most ironically.



Hello Dr Mjau   interesting comment and it makes me feel adjectives can be really difficult to translate in some cases...


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## Dr Mjau

Translation is always very difficult work. That's why I don't like it. 
As to the topic I wish to accent the problem that words of same or similar origin and even borrowing words very often have different meanings in two languages. So translator must check every step on these deceptively
solid "stones".


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