# пожа́луйста



## MAGICARPABR

Hey guys, again sorry for the newbie question, haha, but I need some help on this.

First of all, I'm kinda confused on how to spell it. I've read something like "pajáslta", is it because of the tonic?

Second of all.. when is it used? because.. isnt it "спасибо" the same thing?

Thanks in advance.


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## Maroseika

Пожалуйста is either reply to спасибо or an addition to the polite request or the answer to the request:

- Вот ваш билет.
- Спасибо.
- Пожалуйста.

- Дайте, пожалуйста, ваш билет.

- Отдайте мне ваш кошелек.
- Пожалуйста. (_отдает кошелек_)

[pazh'alsta]


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## morzh

To translate into words:

It means "you're welcome" if said as a reply to "thanks". 
Spasibo. - Pozhaluista.; Thanks - you're welcome.

It means "please" if said after request.
Daite mne, pozhaluista, gaechnyi klyuch. - Give me the wrench, please.


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## MAGICARPABR

Thank you very much, I was confused to the 2 meanings of the word depending on it's position.

But regarding the pronunciation, "pozhaluista" is how you translate it to latin alphabet and "pazh'alsta" is how you should say it, is that correct?

I'm not quite understanding how "-luista" turns to "-'alsta"  D:
it's because of the tonic of the word that "o" turns to "a", but how "луйста" becomes spoke like "ла'ста"

thank you again!


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## Sobakus

I hear it pronounced as пажалуста, it's difficult to pronounce й before a cluster especially at the word's end. When people are extra lazy, they turn у into shwa or even drop it completely, but if you're asking someone for something, it might sound too careless and insincere.


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## Maroseika

I'm not sure there is  in this word because I cannot notice any sign of labialization. At least if pronounced with this sound distinctly the very word looks quite innatural or better say childish.
Maybe there is something between shwa and  but very close to shwa.
But there is a kind of long [l] simplifying consonant cluster лст.


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## Sobakus

Again, to me if a person drops у he's saying the word only because he's required to do so but doesn't mean it and rather wouldn't if it were for him. Then the word actually sounds as пжалста.


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## Maroseika

What I mean is something different. Not пжалста, but пажаллста (kind of long л). I tried many times but still fail to distinguish any [у] sound there.


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## morzh

I usually say it as "п'жал'ста".

As pronunciation goes, it is probably important to understand, that when a sinmple word is formed, it is more often than not well-articulated (in russian, at leat). No sense to do it otherwise.

But then when a compound one is formed from two or more simple ones, there is a potential for some combinations to occur that are real tongue-breakers.

In this very case, the word "пожалуйста", which was formed from "пожалуй" (be generous/benign/giving) and "respectful" addressing particle "-ста" (though it was also use in the introductory sense "де, мол, дескать"). Those two were said separately, with gap between them. Solemnly.
Even in old prints of Krylov's "Tales" in "Демьянова Уха", "Пожалуйста" в "Соседушка, мой свет, пожалуй-ста, откушай" was typed with the "little dash" ("дефис"). 

Now, when this became one word, pronouncing "пожалуйста" as one contiguous word, quickly, became difficult; hence the dropped sounds.

But if one emphasizes the word, putting some emotional stress in it, with exception of "й", all the sounds will be there.

"Саша! По-жа-лу-ста! Уйди отсюда!"


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## Maroseika

Sobakus said:


> if a person drops у he's saying the word only because he's required to do so but doesn't mean it


Does not mean what?


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## morzh

Sobakus

That may be a personal perception. Myself, I only emphasize "у" when I am being sarcastic or exaggeratedly polite. Otherwise, even when meaning it from the bottom of my left ventricle , I will more or less drop the "у


(Маросейка - Sobakus probably tried to say that a person did not mean a "real" "pozhalujsta" and said it as a part of standard "politeness protocol". "Без чувства.")".


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## Maroseika

morzh said:


> (Маросейка - Sobakus probably tried to say that a person did not mean a "real" "pozhalujsta" and said it as a part of standard "politeness protocol". "Без чувства.")".


I'm afraid it is always a part of the protocol. One can easily go without it just using right intonation but in many cases such formal word is a must.


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## morzh

Of course. One thing is when we deal with our family etc - then we can modify the protocol to our mutual satisfaction; but at work, especially in a large corporation, or in some academic/learning institutions or elsewhere,  where hierarchy is very important and strictly observed, and so relations are very formal - one cannot bypass it.


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## Maroseika

That's why my question to Sobakus.


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## konung

My 2 cents (Мои две копейки):

To me it also sounds like it maybe an accent / regional variation. Such as often when people want to emphasize or make fun of Moscow's accent, they will point attention to "А"  in "пАжАлстА". At least a couple of my Moscow's friends say it that way, without being impolite, sarcastic or lazy. I almost never here people say "й" in "пажалуЙста", usually I hear "пажалуста" оr I say "пожалуста" ( I grew up in the NorthWest of Russia, and there is emphasis on "О" in those parts ). Also I have a lot of friends from Ukraine, Belarus and southern and far eastern Russia and they all say the same way, no cutting of off the sound, unless they want to sound a bit confrontational or impolite.


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## Sobakus

Maroseika said:


> Does not mean what?



Doesn't mean what he/she says, the original emotional connotation of the word. Of course in most cases it has become a formality, but if I actually want to thank someone for thanking me and not sound "whateverish", I do pronounce у.


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## Maroseika

Sobakus said:


> Doesn't mean what he/she says, the original emotional connotation of the word. Of course in most cases it has become a formality, but if I actually want to thank someone for thanking me and not sound "whateverish", I do pronounce у.


I understand your idea but still cannot imagine how might it sound. Maybe we are jst talking about different things. As far as I could notice this sound is so much reduced in any natural speech that never sounds as real  unless one spells it syllable by syllable.
Well, maybe this is just a matter of my own comprehension.


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