# To make an appointment



## Nate385

Привет всем!

У меня есть вопрось. Мои друзья скоро приедут в Россию и им нужно было приглашение гостиницы чтобы получить их визу. Итак, я помог им, позвонив в эту гостиницу и когда я должен был сказал: "They made an appointment at the consulate", я не знал как перевести на русском.

Моя попытка: "Они записались за консульство".

Это правильно или нет?

Спасибо заранее за помощь!


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## Maroseika

Они записались в консульство would be grammatically correct, but maybe not very clear.
However exact Russian phrase depends on what exactly you mean to say. For example, if you meant that you needed the booking confirmation urgently because they have already made an appointment at the consulate, you might say that Им уже назначен день сдачи документов в консульство or something like that.


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## Drink

The correct verb to use is definitely "назначить".

I don't know what the typical word for appointment is in Russia, but here in the US, Russians use the word "аппойнтмент".

Thus, I would say "назначить аппойнтмент".


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## JSV

Drink said:


> The correct verb to use is definitely "назначить".
> 
> I don't know what the typical word for appointment is in Russia, but here in the US, Russians use the word "аппойнтмент".
> 
> Thus, I would say "назначить аппойнтмент".



Many Russian people in US use a "mix" of Russian and English words in speach (especially, for words that do not have direct equivalents in Russian). Bu in Russia it will not work. In 99,9% of the cases Russian person will not understand what means "апойнтмент". Such words in Russia are mostly used by person who wants to show off, so there is a chance that it will make negative reaction of interlocutor because of it.


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## Drink

JSV said:


> Many Russian people in US uses a "mix" of Russian and English words in speach (especially, for words that do not have direct equivalents in Russian). Bu in Russia it will not work. In 99,9% of the cases Russian person will not understand what means "апойнтмент". Such words in Russia are mostly used by person who wants to show off, so there is a chance that it will make negative reaction of interlocutor because of it.



That's why I said that it's what we use in the US and that I don't know what is used in Russia. So instead of criticizing me, perhaps you can tell me what noun _is_ used.


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## JSV

Drink said:


> That's why I said that it's what we use in the US and that I don't know what is used in Russia. So instead of criticizing me, perhaps you can tell me what noun _is_ used.



I'm sorry if my post looks like a critics - it is not. Main goal of the post is to inform that such word is not used in usual speach by Russians and post has no any negative connotation.


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## Drink

JSV said:


> I'm sorry if my post looks like a critics - it is not. Main goal of the post is to inform that such word is not used in usual speach by Russians and post has no any negative connotation.



Well, I thought that I had already pointed that out in my own post, but maybe it was not clear enough. Anyway, you still have not said what word you would use.


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## JSV

Drink said:


> Well, I thought that I had already pointed that out in my own post, but maybe it was not clear enough. Anyway, you still have not said what word you would use.



I would use "собеседование". Although it is not a direct equivalent of appointment, but if take into consideration the described situation then in Russia it will be close to "Им [уже] назначили дату собеседования в консульстве".


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## Maroseika

JSV said:


> I would use "собеседование". Although it is not a direct equivalent of appointment, but if take into consideration the described situation then in Russia it will be close to "Им [уже] назначили дату собеседования в консульстве".



I'm afraid in general case it is not correct. Собеседование and сдача документов are different things, although both can be appointed. But hardly it makes any difference in the described situation - a call to the hotel for booking confirmation. So since сдача документов is a wider notion, I think better to use this one.


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## Drink

Maroseika said:


> I'm afraid in general case it is not correct. Собеседование and сдача документов are different things, although both can be appointed. But hardly it makes any difference in the described situation - a call to the hotel for booking confirmation. So since сдача документов is a wider notion, I think better to use this one.



So essentially, you are saying that it is best to say "назначить день/дату/время чего-то" than to actually translate "appointment"?


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## Maroseika

Drink said:


> So essentially, you are saying that it is best to say "назначить день/дату/время чего-то" than to actually translate "appointment"?



"Appointment" means встреча, "to make an appointment" - назначить встречу, but in the case of the consulate встреча sounds misplaced, better to say what is it exactly: собеседование, сдача документов, получение визы and so on.


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## Drink

Maroseika said:


> "Appointment" means встреча, "to make an appointment" - назначить встречу, but in the case of the consulate встреча sounds misplaced, better to say what is it exactly: собеседование, сдача документов, получение визы and so on.



Well no. Appointment не просто встреча, а еще время назначено для этой встречи. Просто "встреча" - это "meeting".


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## Maroseika

Drink said:


> Well no. Appointment не просто встреча, а еще время назначено для этой встречи. Просто "встреча" - это "meeting".



I'd say, appointment is a meeting, appointed to the exact time, but not the time itself (as I can't say "Appointment is 5 o'clock", can I?). 
But are we still talking about the context, described in the starting post? The very word встреча is hardly applicable in this case, but even if it were, it's time would be the last thing the hotel officer might interest in.


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## Nate385

Thanks to all of you. It was indeed that. They needed the booking confirmation because they had already made an appointment at the consulate! Your proposal is exactly what I was looking for Maroseika! 

So then in what cases would you use "назначить встречу" - "to make a appointment"? With friends? Or else?

Lately, I have asked one of my friends to translate "to make an appointment with the hairdresser" (in French, prendre rendez-vous chez le coiffeur). And in this very case he told me: "записаться за стрижку". So what about making an appointment with the doctor? "записаться или названить"?


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## Maroseika

Nate385 said:


> So then in what cases would you use "назначить встречу" - "to make a appointment"? With friends? Or else?


It sounds too official for a meeting with friends, so the most natural it sounds about a business meeting. Talking about friends I'd rather say something like договориться встретиться. 



> Lately, I have asked one of my friends to translate "to make an appointment with the hairdresser" (in French, prendre rendez-vous chez le coiffeur). And in this very case he told me: "записаться за стрижку". So what about making an appointment with the doctor? "записаться или названить"?


Записаться к парихмахеру, записаться на стрижку, записаться (на прием) к врачу.
Названить - there is no such a word. There are words названивать - to keep calling (ringing) persistently and назвонить - to gossip (colloq.).


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## punctuate

Drink said:


> So essentially, you are saying that it is best to say "назначить день/дату/время чего-то" than to actually translate "appointment"?


Not for this context (the good options, along with good commentary in #11, were already proposed), but I have noticed, just in case it's useful, that such English words are often best of all translated with verbs. For instance, "I have an appointment with the doctor today" -> "Мне сегодня нужно пойти/сходить к врачу" ("встреча с врачом" would be understood, but it sounds strange). So when I see such an abstract noun, I'd often prefer to start looking for a verb in Russian...


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## Nate385

Thanks Maroseika. It's all clear now. And I made a mistake. I didn't mean "названить" but "назначить"!

And thank you punctuate for adding your proposal. I'll keep it as well.


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## tevcat

I guess if I had to find an equivalent, I'd go with "Они записаны (/записались) на прием в консульстве". In this case the meaning would be as general as in your English sentence, nothing specific, yet it would be clear that it has something to do with the consulate and their procedures


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## Nate385

@tevcat: . Thank you! Now I definitely got the way how to think to express myself like Russians in such a situation with making appointments.


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## Enquiring Mind

Hi Nate385, I thought you might find the Russian pages of this site (source: speakenglish.co.uk) helpful as they contain useful phrases for all sorts of everyday situations - just navigate round the site via the выражения tab at the top of the page.


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## punctuate

Nate385 said:


> @tevcat: . Thank you! Now I definitely got the way how to think to express myself like Russians in such a situation with making appointments.


Записать and записаться are words that name one of the procedures of making appointments, namely that one where a representative of some organization writes your data against a date and a time in this organization's book of records. This procedure is common everywhere, but in case another procedure of making an appointment was used (say, your doctor is someone you know and you make a private visit to him without writing any names in any books), then this verb is not suitable. When this method or this procedure does not quite matter and what matters are other things, then again, it is better to refer to those things instead to resolve any questions better.


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## Nate385

Ok thanks for that Enquiring Mind! I'll surely have a look around 

And thanks punctuate for this additional explanation!


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