# thank you



## CélineK.

Hi!!
Can't find a 'good' english-russian dictionary online.
One gave me the same translation for "greetings" and "thank you".
Could this one phrase mean both these things in English?
The phrase given by the translator was: Без перевода.
I speak no Russian whatsoever, please reply in English.
Thank you!


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## Thomas1

Hi,

It's спасибо (thank you). 


Tom


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## CélineK.

Would you by any chance know the best word for "Greetings" also?
Thanks much!!


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## Thomas1

I think it's поздравления, but please wait for a native's confirmation or otherwise. 


Tom


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## Lemminkäinen

CélineK. said:


> The phrase given by the translator was: Без перевода.



That means "without translation" - I wouldn't recommend using that in conversation or writing unless you want to sound like some sort of robot 

As for "greetings", that would be depend on the context - do you mean to say hi or welcome to somebody?


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## Grefsen

Thomas1 said:


> Hi,
> 
> It's спасибо (thank you).
> 
> 
> Tom



I'm also curious to know what the preferred transliteration is for *спасибо*?  I first learned *spasibo* and that is how I have most often seen it written, but I have also seen it written as *spasiba*.


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## Ptak

Grefsen said:


> I'm also curious to know what the preferred transliteration is for *спасибо*? I first learned *spasibo* and that is how I have most often seen it written, but I have also seen it written as *spasiba*.


*spasibo* is preferred.

(*spasib**a* is just illiterate.)


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## Lemminkäinen

Grefsen said:


> I'm also curious to know what the preferred transliteration is for *спасибо*?  I first learned *spasibo* and that is how I have most often seen it written, but I have also seen it written as *spasiba*.



The only correct transliteration is *spasibo*. However, because of the vowel reduction in Russian (unstressed vowels aren't fully pronounced - the stress is on the second syllable in this word), the 'o' has an a-like quality to it.


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## Thomas1

Grefsen, I guess _spasibo_ because it's closer to the pronunciation (btw, I haven't known there's _spasiba_ too).

Tom


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## CélineK.

> As for "greetings", that would be depend on the context - do you mean to say hi or welcome to somebody?


 
I would mean to say "hi"
Thanks!


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## Thomas1

I think you could use:
привет - hi
как дела? - how is it going?

Tom


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## Grefsen

CélineK. said:


> I would mean to say "hi"
> Thanks!



*Привет  **(       Privet)* is how you would say "hi," but I would also be interested to know how to say "greetings" in Russian.


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## CélineK.

If there is a difference in Russian between "hi" and "greetings", I would like the translation for "greetings".
In English we use "greetings" as kind of a more enthusiastic hello.  It's used during the holidays or as a combination of "hello" and "well wishes".
Thanks!


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## CélineK.

поздравления
Would Thomas' suggestion be an acceptable translation of "greetings"?
Thanks!


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## Crescent

Well, I'm not sure that a good translation exists for ''greetings'' in russian. The only other normal way that people use to salute each other with is ''Здравствуйте!'' = Zdravstvuitye! (yes, quite a mouthful, I know )

In fact, I think it's a fairly close translation, because the russian equivalent stems from the word ''здоровье'' - health, which is kind of saying: Be healthy! (but of course, as opposed to the English, it sound absolutely fine and more than appropriate in Russian  )


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## Crescent

CélineK. said:


> поздравления
> Would Thomas' suggestion be an acceptable translation of "greetings"?
> Thanks!



No, no - _поздравления_ is _congratulations_. Nothing to do with ''greetings''.


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## CélineK.

That's fine; I'll take it! (meaning post #15, of course) And hey, I learned something new today!
Spasibo!


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## Thomas1

Crescent said:


> No, no - _поздравления_ is _congratulations_. Nothing to do with ''greetings''.


Crescent, wouldn't you translate 

_поздравления с праздником_ as _holiday greetings_?

I don't think _congratulations_ fits the bill in this context, does it? Well, I think greetings could be at least one of the options, right?


Tom

Edit: on second thought I guess _congratulations _could be one of the options too, but the second part of my comment is valid IMHO.


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## Crescent

Thomas1 said:


> Crescent, wouldn't you translate
> 
> _поздравления с праздником_ as _holiday greetings_?
> 
> I don't think _congratulations_ fits the bill in this context, does it?
> 
> 
> Tom



Dear Tom, 

Yes, I totally see your point! You're completely right in assuming that _поздравления с праздником _would be translated as_holiday greetings, _in this context. 
But I was just thinking more in general terms about the word ''поздлравления'' and it's the exact equivalent of the french ''félicitations'', so.. I thought ''congratulations'' would be the best translation.
But you're right - in the contest that you gave, it is more like ''holiday greetings''.


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## Thomas1

Well, but what would be the generic translation for _greetings_ into Russian then?

Another context:
to send cordial greetings -- посылать сердечные поздравления


Tom


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## dnldnl

For "greetings," you could also say: *приветствую Вас* (privetstvuju Vas), which combines the enthusiastic "hello" and the "best wishes" quite well, I think.


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## cajzl

> The only other normal way that people use to salute each other with is ''Здравствуйте!'' = Zdravstvuitye! (yes, quite a mouthful, I know)


Is it normal to say ''Здрасте!''? I saw it somewhere.


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## Ptak

Thomas1 said:


> Well, but what would be the generic translation for _greetings_ into Russian then?
> 
> Another context:
> to send cordial greetings -- посылать сердечные поздравления


This is not a literal translation.
to greet = приветствовать, здороваться, кланяться


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## Ptak

cajzl said:


> Is it normal to say ''Здрасте!''? I *saw* it somewhere.


It is normal to say, but isn't normal to *write*.


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## Robert Paulson

dnldnl said:


> For "greetings," you could also say: *приветствую Вас* (privetstvuju Vas), which combines the enthusiastic "hello" and the "best wishes" quite well, I think.


I think that it has more to do with salutations than greetings. Like in that gladiator movie: We who are about to die, salute you!
Greetings would be здравствуйте IMO


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## Q-cumber

I normally use greetings as follows:
*Доброе утро!* - Good morning!
*Добрый день!* (or *День добрый!* - less formal) - Good day!
*Добрый вечер!* (or *Вечер добрый!* - less formal) - Good evening!
*Привет!* - Hello! Hi (to a friend/buddy or to several buddies at once)
*Салют!* - Hello! (to a friend/buddy or to several buddies at once)
*Здорово!* howdy! (to a friend/buddy or to several buddies at once)
*Здравствуйте!* is not that popular in my lexicon, perhaps due to its excessive length.  Neither do I like a shorten colloquial variant *Здрасте!* (as it sounds kinda childish to me).
Sometimes I can jokingly say *Бог в помощь!* (God speed!), especially when I approach someone who is busy with something.  
------
To thank I usually say:
*Спасибо!* (Thanks) or *Большое спасибо!* (many thanks) 
*Благодарю!  * (Thank you)


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## papillon

Thomas1 said:


> Grefsen, I guess _spasibo_ because it's closer to the pronunciation (btw, I haven't known there's _spasiba_ too).


Just to clarify things: the only word is спасибо; tends to be transliterated letter-for-letter as _spasibo_.
However, at times we will give the transliteration as spasib*a*, to indicate, as was explained by Lemmi that the last vowel is closer to a than to o.


Lemminkäinen said:


> The only correct transliteration is *spasibo*. However, because of the vowel reduction in Russian (unstressed vowels aren't fully pronounced - the stress is on the second syllable in this word), the 'o' has an a-like quality to it.


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## Kolan

Q-cumber said:


> Sometimes I can jokingly say *Бог в помощь!* (God speed!), especially when I approach someone who is busy with something.
> ------
> To thank I usually say:
> *Спасибо!* (Thanks) or *Большое спасибо!* (many thanks)
> *Благодарю!  * (Thank you)


I am not quite sure about etymological aspects, but the word *спасибо* could derive as a contracted form of *Cпаси* _(тебя)_ *Бо*г! just by dropping the final *г*, which is anyway pronounced like *.*


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## Ptak

Kolan said:


> I am not quite sure about etymological aspects, but the word *спасибо* could derive as a contracted form of *Cпаси* _(тебя)_ *Бо*г!


That's absolutely right.


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## cajzl

> Just to clarify things: the only word is спасибо; ...


It is often written as *пасиба* by natives. I assume it is a nonstandard spelling.


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## Ptak

cajzl said:


> It is often written as *пасиба* by natives. I assume it is a nonstandard spelling.


"*Пасиба*" is just a facetious, colloquial _pronunciation_. So if a native writes "пасиба", then he means exactly *пасиба* (not just "boring" *спасибо*).


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## Kolan

cajzl said:


> It is often written as *пасиба* by natives. I assume it is a nonstandard spelling.


It could be even shorter, like *пасиб!* which means the same, a little bit more expressive. But you can see it only in electronic communications.


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## palomnik

As an alternative for "greetings" there is always добро пожаловать, which literally means "welcome", but is not so far a stretch from English "greetings."


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## mpts

Ptak said:


> That's absolutely right.



What grammatical form is  spassi
Thanks in advance
Michael


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## Maroseika

mpts said:


> What grammatical form is spassi
> Thanks in advance
> Michael


Спасибо (spasibo) usually is a particle, though in some cases can be also used as a noun or a predicate.


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## Ptak

mpts said:


> What grammatical form is spassi


I've never heard "spassi" (as "thank you").


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## Q-cumber

Ptak said:


> I've never heard "spassi" (as "thank you").



Neither have I. The only exception is kinda "blessing" variant of thanking - "*Спаси* Вас бог". It is still occasionally used (esp. by religious people) to express sincere gratitude for some help or contribution.


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## mpts

Q-cumber said:


> Neither have I. The only exception is kinda "blessing" variant of thanking - "*Спаси* Вас бог". It is still occasionally used (esp. by religious people) to express sincere gratitude for some help or contribution.


So it is an imperative singular? Thank you god?


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## Ptak

mpts said:


> So it is an imperative singular? Thank you god?


*Save* you God.
~I wish God to save you.


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## mpts

Maroseika said:


> Спасибо (spasibo) usually is a particle, though in some cases can be also used as a noun or a predicate.


Thank you for your remark.
Michael


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## mpts

Ptak said:


> *Save* you God.
> ~I wish God to save you.


Thank you for your help. So it is I wish God should help you?


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## Q-cumber

mpts said:


> Thank you for your help. So it is I wish God should help you?



More or less. Well, these things ain't as easy to explain as it might appear at first glance.  Cпасать <to save> means in the context: to protect, to safeguard from  disaster or injury, to help to survive, to avoid sudden death...all that sorta things related to the one's physical body... at the same time, the wish implies soul-related matters, so to speak. So, the Lord is asked to lead the one through his/her life, help to avoid sinning and so on in order to save his/her soul for the eternal life...


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## Maroseika

mpts said:


> Thank you for your help. So it is I wish God should help you?


Not at all. 
Thanking me you ask God to save me (my soul, actually).


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