What does it mean word for word?
Literally, вас понял means "you [accusative] understood" (I understood you).
Which one should you use?
While вас понял is the standard for professional contexts, the version тебя понял is an informal alternative used between peers or subordinates.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of вас (the polite or plural form of "you") makes вас понял suitable for professional or formal radio communication. For more explicit formal scenarios, you might use Понял, готов выполнить (Understood, ready to execute) or Я понял сообщение (I understood the message).
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject pronoun я (I) is often omitted in вас понял because the verb ending implies the subject. Note that if the speaker is female, the verb ending changes from понял to вас поняла.
How do you pronounce it?
vas ponyal
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'Roger', which refers to a specific phonetic alphabet letter, the Russian вас понял is purely functional and lacks any coded alphabetic origin.
- While вас понял confirms receipt, Russian pilots may use the specific term принято ('received') to indicate a technical acknowledgment of a signal without necessarily agreeing to the order.
- Russian radio protocol frequently uses the word приём ('reception') at the end of a sentence to signal that the speaker is switching to listening mode, similar to the English 'over'.
Examples in context
- Вас понял.Roger that.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the phrase вас понял.Tatoeba #3205940 by marafon, translation #1453426 by Spamster
- Адмирал: Отправьте сигнал о готовности корабля. Вам все понятно? Капитан: Понял, готов выполнить.Admiral: Send the signal about the ship's readiness. Is everything clear to you? Captain: Understood, ready to execute.
- Вас понял, ждите инструкций.Vas ponyal, zhdite instruktsiy.Roger that, wait for instructions.
- Вас понял, выезжаю немедленно.Vas ponyal, vyezzhayu nemedlenno.Roger that, leaving immediately.
Example conversation
A dispatcher is giving coordinates to a driver over the radio.
- Ольга OlgaДмитрий, точка прибытия изменена.Dmitriy, tochka pribytiya izmenena.Dmitry, the arrival point has changed.
- Дмитрий DmitryВас понял, Ольга.Vas ponyal, Ol'ga.Roger that, Olga.
- Ольга OlgaВы скоро будете на месте?Vy skoro budete na meste?Will you be there soon?
- Дмитрий DmitryДа, буду через десять минут.Da, budu cherez desyat' minut.Yes, I will be there in ten minutes.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (вас, понял) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
