(no subject)

[vyacheslav.livejournal.com]

Hello.

I'm trying to help my friend make a sign in Russian, and she wants it to say "Show me your smile." and I was wondering if this was the correct way to say that.

"покажи мне вашу улыбку."

I'm sure I've made a mistake, as I'm pretty new to the language. Any help would be most appreciated. I'm not planning on making a habit of asking for tanslations everytime something comes up(I'm sure that can grow old quickly) but this is a special exception.

Comments

[sanin.livejournal.com]

Улыбнись мне.

[vyacheslav.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[noser.livejournal.com]

Если буквально, то "покажи мне свою улыбку."

[moon-aka-sun.livejournal.com]

Ещё более по-русски -- Улыбнись!
Но без контекста тяжело сказать, что лучше подойдёт.

[jaspe.livejournal.com]

"улыбнись мне" or just "улыбнись"
:)

[yers.livejournal.com]

can't see any real difference in terms of более по-русски here

Smile!

[ex-kuzja895.livejournal.com]

Улыбнись!

[moon-aka-sun.livejournal.com]

Well, "Улыбнись мне" is not Russian. It would require a very special situation, I can't even imagine it. For example, something like at the photographer's shop, a mother would say to her child "Улыбнись мне", meaning for her child to forget about all the surrounding and to notice only his mam and smile at her only. In all other cases, a more natural phase will be just "Улыбнись". BTW, I just thought to myself, maybe it's because "in the West" a smile is just a habit and is like a mask. It's *always* for somebody. When greeting, meeting, speaking, communicating, you just pretend that you smile, you only show your teeth (the whiter, the better; as if telling I'm wealthy enough and can afford to spend $3000 to make them white). It's just a gesture of politeness, no feelings behind the smile. On the other hand, it's not so in Russia (I mean ExSU). When you smile, it's not for somebody, it's just your state. You're good, happy, and you smile. To yourself. So it's not a smile "to" or "at", it's your own smile.

[yers.livejournal.com]

I sympathise with your desire to sound clever at any cost, but this is rubbish.

[myslishki.livejournal.com]

I would disagree with your rebuke...