So many heres

[dzhozef-derfler.livejournal.com]

How are здесь, тут, and сюда different? I know that they all mean "here," but are they different kinds of "here"?

Comments

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

Сюда answers the question Куда? (to where?) But it's rarely used as an answer because it sounds silly. Usually just when somebody says "Иди сюда!"

Здесь answers the question Где? (where?)

Тут to me always seemed more like a "and now/here now." Somethings dealing with the instant where you are.

[asturi.livejournal.com]

come here (from other place!) = иди сюда
I'm here (and here I'm speaking) = я здесь = я тут
здесь = тут (but тут seems to be more colloquial)

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

My classmates found it easiest to remember how to use сюда correctly when my professor explained it as meaning "hither"--

hither = сюда
here = здесь

In English, "hither" is old-fashioned, and instead of saying "come hither", you would say "come here". But in Russian, the two words are still separate and you have to use the right one in the right situation.

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

-In English, "hither" is old-fashioned, and instead of saying "come hither", you would say "come here".

Don't you mean "Instead of 'come here,' it's 'come hither?'"

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

Nope. It would have been in the past, but now "here" is used for both meanings, except in some isolated phrases (like "come hither glance").

[madrumos.livejournal.com]

I've always liked the "hither" explanation as well, it makes good sense. Also note that English used to have an equivalent to куда that has since fallen from common use -- whither. And then thither is an equivalent to туда. Read some Shakespeare, for instance, and you'll see how whither-hither-thither is used when we'd used 'here' nowadays, referring to motion. German has also retained these distinctions (woher, wohin).