How to: maintain conversation
While you may not have a wide enough vocabulary to respond in-depth to everything you hear, there are ways to keep a conversation going other than by nodding and smiling. Here are a few handy phrases.
What you’re hearing is surprising
Да ты что?! Say what, for real? (here and in other phrases ‘да’ doesn’t mean ‘yes’, it’s a very short sound used just for emphasis)
Да ладно? No way?
Как это так? How can that be?
You want to express disbelief
Да брось ты. Come off it.
Не может быть! It’s not possible.
Что ты говоришь? What are you saying?
You want confirmation
Неужели? Really?
Правда? Is that true?
You’re following the story avidly
Как интересно. How interesting.
Расскажи ещё. Tell me more.
Ух ты! Wow, look at you!
Resigned
Вот так вот. That’s how it is.
Вот такие дела. That’s how things go.
Вот такие пироги. Them’s the apples.
Or horrified.
Ужас! Awful!
Какой ужас! How awful!
Только в России. Only in Russia.
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