угадай что
ugaday chto
In Russian, "guess what" is translated as угадай что (ugaday chto).
The phrase is used to dramatize the unsurprising.
Meaning: used to dramatize the unsurprising (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the imperative singular verb угадай (guess) and the interrogative pronoun что (what).
Which one should you use?
You may also hear Представляешь, which is an informal way to say "Can you imagine" or "Guess what" to introduce something unexpected.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form угадай что is informal and is intended for use with friends, family or peers. There is also an informal variation written as Угадай, что used among friends or peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form угадай что uses the singular imperative, which is used when addressing one person informally. To address a group of people or someone formally, you should use the plural imperative угадайте что.
How do you pronounce it?
ugaday chto
Did you know?
- If you want to use 'guess what' to introduce a piece of gossip, you might use the phrase Прикинь, which is very slangy. It is a shorthand form of the verb 'to estimate' or 'to calculate'.
- The word что changes its pronunciation based on its role in the sentence, often sounding like 'shto' in spoken Russian, even though it is written with the letter 'ch'.
- The word что in the phrase shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'what' and the Latin 'quis', tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
Examples in context
- Случилось нечто невероятное! Угадай что!Something unbelievable has happened! Guess what!This sentence is useful for seeing how to use угадай что to introduce unbelievable news.Tatoeba #6822994 by marafon, translation #6316435 by sundown
- Угадайте, что я узнал сегодня?Guess what I found out today?
- Угадай, что я купил сегодня?Guess what I bought today?
- Представляешь, кто я встретил вчера на улице?Guess who I met on the street yesterday?
Example conversation
Anastasia and Dmitry are meeting for coffee.
- Анастасия AnastasiaДима, угадай что! Я получила новую работу.Dima, ugaday chto! Ya poluchila novuyu rabotu.Dima, guess what! I got a new job.
- Дмитрий DmitryПравда? Поздравляю, Настя!Pravda? Pozdravlyayu, Nastya!Really? Congratulations, Nastya!
- Анастасия AnastasiaСпасибо! Офис совсем рядом с моим домом.Spasibo! Ofis sovsem ryadom s moim domom.Thanks! The office is right next to my house.
- Дмитрий DmitryЭто просто отлично!Eto prosto otlichno!That is just great!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries что, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
