Как ты себя чувствуешь?
Kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh'?
The English phrase "how are you feeling?" is translated into Russian as Как ты себя чувствуешь? (Kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh'?)
This phrase is used to ask someone about their physical or emotional health.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "How you yourself feel?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form Как ты себя чувствуешь? uses the informal pronoun ты. The verb чувствуешь is the second person singular conjugation of чувствовать (to feel) and is used to match ты.
How do you pronounce it?
Kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh'?
Did you know?
- While Как ты себя чувствуешь? is a literal question about health, Russians often respond with Нормально, which means 'normal'. In this context, it doesn't mean 'average' but is a common way to say 'I am fine'.
- In some contexts, if you ask Как ты себя чувствуешь? and the person is very ill, they might answer with a single word Плохо, meaning 'badly'. This is a blunt and honest response that would be considered rude in English social etiquette.
- The pronoun ты is a direct cognate to the English 'thou', both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
Examples in context
- Здравствуйте, как вы себя чувствуете?Hello, how are you feeling?
- Спасибо, я в полном порядке.Thank you, I'm perfectly fine.
- Привет, как ты себя чувствуешь?Hey, how are you feeling?
- Я чувствую себя хорошо.I feel well.
- Я чувствую себя плохо.I feel bad/unwell.
- Скажи, как ты себя чувствуешь?Skazhi, kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh'?Tell me, how are you feeling?
Example conversation
Olga is checking on Dmitry, who has been sick.
- Ольга OlgaДмитрий, как ты себя чувствуешь?Dmitriy, kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh'?Dmitry, how are you feeling?
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ чувствую себя гораздо лучше.Ya chuvstvuyu sebya gorazdo luchshe.I am feeling much better.
- Ольга OlgaЭто отличная новость.Eto otlichnaya novost'.That is great news.
- Дмитрий DmitryСпасибо за заботу, Ольга.Spasibo za zabotu, Ol'ga.Thanks for your concern, Olga.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries как, себя, ты, CC BY-SA 4.0.
