а ты
a ty[ə tɨ]word by word
In Russian, the phrase 'what about you' is expressed as а ты (a ty).
This phrase is used to ask for someone's opinion or to request information about them after you have already shared your own.
Which one should you use?
While а ты is a common way to ask the question, you should use а вы when speaking to someone formally or when addressing a group of people. Both а ты and И ты? can be used to mean 'what about you' in informal settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
а ты is the informal version, used when speaking with friends, family or children. For formal situations, you can use Как насчет вас? or the more direct а вы.
How does it change in a sentence?
а ты functions as a complete elliptical sentence in conversation, which allows you to avoid repeating a previous statement or question.
How do you pronounce it?
a ty
Did you know?
- The particle а is related to the Latin 'ā' and Ancient Greek 'ἆ', which were used as expressions of pain or anger.
- In Russian culture, returning a question with а ты is often seen as more polite than answering and not asking the other person back, which can be perceived as self-centered.
- While 'what about you' in English is a neutral query, using а ты in Russian can sometimes sound like a challenge or a sudden confrontation depending on the tone.
Examples in context
- Я голоден. А ты?I'm hungry. What about you?This sentence shows how to use а ты to return a question about a state of being.Tatoeba #4973351 by Karok, translation #2979946 by AlanF_US
- Я не против, а ты?I'm not against it, what about you?This example demonstrates using а ты to follow up on an opinion.Tatoeba #12385962 by marafon, translation #13584692 by Native77
- А ты? Ты доверяешь этому человеку?What about you? Do you trust this man?This shows how а ты can be used to start a follow-up question about a person's trust.Tatoeba #3810789 by odexed, translation #1633576 by Amastan
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexander and Olga are discussing their weekend plans.
- Александр AleksandrЯ собираюсь пойти в парк. А ты?Ya sobirayus' poyti v park. A ty?I'm going to go to the park. What about you?
- Ольга OlgaЯ хочу остаться дома и почитать.Ya khochu ostat'sya doma i pochitat'.I want to stay home and read.
- Александр AleksandrПонятно. Я буду отдыхать там весь день.Ponyatno. Ya budu otdykhat' tam ves' den'.I see. I'll be relaxing there all day.
- Ольга OlgaХорошего дня, Александр!Khoroshego dnya, Aleksandr!Have a great day, Alexander!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (а, ты) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries а, ты, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
