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[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

Can someone please explain to me the "-нибудь" suffix? I've seen phrases like что-нибудь, когда-нибудь, и где-нибудь, and I'm sure there are plenty of others. This is probably something really basic, but I've yet to find an explaination in any of my studies. Thank you!

Comments

[lexabear.livejournal.com]

It corresponds to the English prefix any- (e.g. anyone, anywhere). Also consider the -то suffix, which corresponds to some- (e.g. someone, somewhere).

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

Thanks... that's actually pretty simple lol. So it would be more fitting to say "Кто-нибудь говорит по-русски?" instead of using Кто-то?

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Кто-нибудь говорит по-русски? is a more legitimate question than "кто-то...", definitely. But, if you see a bunch of people and hear somebody speaking Russian in that bunch, you can only describe it as "я слышу, как кто-то говорит по-русски" (I hear somebody speaking Russian,) but cannot use -нибудь in this sentence.

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

I should have added some context to that... I meant it as thought you needed to know if anyone in the room speaks Russian for some reason, and were shouting out "Does anyone speak Russian?". Thanks ^_^

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

OK. So there's a rule: -нибудь applies only to interrogative pronouns, the words you form a quesion with: кто (кому, кого, кем, о ком), что (чему, чего, чем, о чем), как, какой (какому, какого, каким, о каком), чей, сколько, когда, куда, откуда, зачем, почему (who, what, how, which, whose, how much\many, when, where, from where, why/for what purpose, why/for what reason.)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Not exactly. It's "any-" only in negations and conditional sentences. In other cases, it's "some-". There are also other meanings: как-нибудь may mean not only "somehow," but also "some time" (как-нибудь я встречусь с ним - one day I'll meet him,) etc.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Besides of the ones listed in your post, I could only think of "как-нибудь".

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

There isn't one for KTO?

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK, you're right. Looks like tiem to go to bed for me :) Кто-нибудь, and also какой-нибудь [какая-нибудь, какое-нибудь](some; any.)

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

Haha it's no problem... i just thought it was a little weird lol. Does it apply only to nominative, or does it work with other cases too? (like кого-нибудь или чем-нибудь?)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

absloutely, the first part declines all right (-нибудь doesn't :)) --
кому-нибудь, кого-нибудь, о ком-нибудь, кем-нибудь etc. Come on, there's some more that appeared in my sleepy brain: зачем-нибудь (for whatever purpose,) почему-нибудь (for any reason,) откуда-нибудь (from wherever it may be.)

[thebigcooke.livejournal.com]

Wow I like the last examples you gave. Thanks for the tip. When your sleepy brain recharges, would you mind using the last three in a sentence please. I am interested to hear how it sounds. Thanks.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

"Поднимите мне веки!" (Н.В.Гоголь, "Вий") - "Help me raise my eyelids!" (Nikolay Gogol, "Viy") :)))
Когда бы мы ни пришли к нему, у дверей обязательно стоит чей-нибудь велосипед.
Whenever we'd come to his place, there'd sure to be somebody's bike parked at the door.
Я потратил много денег, но на обратный билет сколько-нибудь наберу.
I've spend a lot of money, but I could find some [money] to buy a return ticket.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Oh, so you've moved the comment:) OK then:
Не выбрасывай эти карандаши, они могут еще мне зачем-нибудь понадобиться.
Don't throw away those pencils, I might still need it for something [for whatever purpose].
А что если мы приедем и узнаем, что его почему-нибудь нет дома?
What if we'll come and find out that he is, for whatever reason, not home?
Старого дерева за нашим домом больше нет, но этот сухой лист мог прилететь откуда-нибудь еще.
The old tree behind our house wasn't there anymore, but this dry leaf could fly here from wherever else.

Very Useful

[thebigcooke.livejournal.com]

Thanks again

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Hey, you opened a little fountain in my head, stop it, STOP IT!!! :))) There's also "чей-нибудь" (no matter whose, "anywhose" :)) and "сколько-нибудь" (no matter how much/many).

[kaersaij.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these. I will find them useful.

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

So, -нибудь is something like, "It doesn't matter who", vs. -то being "I don't know who"? Like ... "я слышу что-то" would be "I hear something [but I'm not sure what]", and "ты слышишь что-нибудь?" would be "Do you hear anything [at all]?"

Right.

[mithgol.livejournal.com]

“Do you hear anything [at all]?” — „Ты [хоть] что-нибудь слышишь?“

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

(oh ... and perhaps a better translation of 'чей-нибудь' would be "anybody's"?)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Perhaps. You're the native Enlish speaker, not I :)

[halevi.livejournal.com]

кто-то --- somebody, I don't know, who is it.
кто-нибудь --- somebody, it is no difference, who is it.

For example:

Кто-то вошел в комнату. --- Somebody came into the room. (I don't know, who is it.)
Кто-нибудь может это сделать? --- Is there somebody, who can do it? (It is no difference, who is the person, who can do it.)

I can emphasise the last phrase in the following manner:

Хоть кто-нибудь может сделать это?!