(no subject)

[hopeinagpa.livejournal.com]

Do Russians actually use the phrase "почему нет", or is it only English speakers directly translating a colloquial phrase? I know I haven't been misunderstood saying that in Russia, but then again, I could also probably get around some places just by gesticulating, and that's hardly good Russian. ;D

Comments

[shellesie.livejournal.com]

почему нет, or, more often, почему бы нет. Why not? ;)

[insaint.livejournal.com]

Yes, we use "почему нет".

[zloizloi.livejournal.com]

"почему нет" is acceptable, but better would be to say "почему бы и нет"

[ex-ex-zhuzh.livejournal.com]

Go with «почему бы и нет?», it's perfectly normal Russian and means exactly the same.

[wire-shock.livejournal.com]

"Почему бы и нет" is more appropriate when you accept an offer:
- Хотите чаю/прокатиться/потанцевать со мной?
- Почему бы и нет :-)

"Почему нет?" is more appropriate when you say something like 'si' in French:
- Вы не пьёте кофе?
- Почему нет? Иногда пью.
(You don't drink coffee? - Yes, I do sometimes.)

[hopeinagpa.livejournal.com]

how very interesting. thanks for the examples.

[simonff.livejournal.com]

Why бы и not?, as some friends of mine used to say...

[ob-ivan.livejournal.com]

- а не выпить ли нам по бокалу шампанского?
- почему бы и нет?
- ну нет так нет...

[wire-shock.livejournal.com]

Nice joke! (Yet little use.)

[alpha-cygnus.livejournal.com]

а пурква бы и йок?

[oryx_and_crake]

I have to remind that the working language of this community is English. Please provide a translation, otherwise your comment will be deleted.

[oryx_and_crake]

I have to remind that the working language of this community is English. Please provide a translation, otherwise your comment will be deleted.
(Your joke is nice, but most people here will not be able to appreciate it unless you provide a translation.)

[cema.livejournal.com]

Почему бы и нет?

[yozhevich.livejournal.com]

I should warn you... if you're asking why you're being refused something, you might get the most frustrating answer EVER. "...потому." It rhymes, and is therefore even more infuriating than "because I said so..."

[yozhevich.livejournal.com]

...er, not rhymes... is similar in construction... BUT STILL INFURIATING. :)

huh?

[hopeinagpa.livejournal.com]

like ...."нет потому"?

[alpha-cygnus.livejournal.com]

The translation is still the same "Why not?". From a mixture of three languages, none of them being English, one of them being Russian, all in russian phonetic transliteration.
But since this might be way off topic, you are of course free to delete this comment.

[ob-ivan.livejournal.com]

you're as severe as usual : )

A: Why don't let each of us drink a glass of champagne?
B: Really, why not?
A: Well, if you say 'no', then no.

the joke is based on having the same russian word for 'no' and 'not'. sorry, oryx, the pun is lost during translation.

Re: huh?

[yozhevich.livejournal.com]

No... just "потому". I think it would only work in certain cases, though. For example, I was being refused entry into a club, and the security guard just screamed НЕТ at me. I thought I deserved an explanation (or at least acknowledgement that I understood more than "Нет") and I asked "почему нет?" Well, you can guess the answer... It turned out to be the 10th anniversary of the club's creation, and I do look like I'm 14... so then I understood :)

(Sorry for the incoherence. I'm in the middle of a move...)

Re: huh?

[hopeinagpa.livejournal.com]

ah...ah ha. i have now seen the light. thanks for explaning.

[hopeinagpa.livejournal.com]

And how does the intonation go? Is there a general intonation pattern for that expression, or does it largely depend on context?

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

Haha! I've come across that. I would ask my teacher questions, and she'd answer. Occasionally I'd say "почему?" and she'd answer with "потому."

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

Don't you answer "because" when the kids ask "why" too often?