Expressing Opinions with "Думаю" and "Считаю"
In Russian, expressing an assessment or opinion often involves verbs like думать (to think) and считать (to consider). These verbs introduce your personal judgment or evaluation of a situation.
Both verbs are commonly used in the present tense to express current thoughts or opinions.
Я думаю, что эта книга интересная.
Ya dumayu, chto eta kniga interesnaya.
I think that this book is interesting.
Он считает этот фильм скучным.
On schitayet etot film skuchnym.
He considers this movie boring.
Using Adjectives for Assessment
Adjectives are essential when giving assessments. Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe, which makes your judgment precise and grammatically correct.
Common adjectives used in assessments include хороший (good), плохой (bad), интересный (interesting), and важный (important).
Это важное решение.
Eto vazhnoye resheniye.
This is an important decision.
У неё хороший вкус.
U neyo khoroshiy vkus.
She has good taste.
Comparative and Superlative Forms
To compare or emphasize the degree of assessment, Russian uses comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
The comparative is often formed by adding -ее or -ей to the adjective stem, and the superlative by adding самый before the adjective.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Positive | интересный (interesting) |
| Comparative | интереснее (more interesting) |
| Superlative | самый интересный (the most interesting) |
Этот тест сложнее предыдущего.
Etot test slozhnee predydushchego.
This test is harder than the previous one.
Это самое важное правило.
Eto samoye vazhnoye pravilo.
This is the most important rule.
Verbs of Judgment and Evaluation
Russian has several verbs specifically used to express evaluation or judgment beyond думать and считать. These include оценивать (to evaluate), хвалить (to praise), and критиковать (to criticize).
These verbs can be conjugated to reflect tense and subject, allowing for nuanced assessments.
Учитель хвалит работу студента.
Uchitel khvalit rabotu studenta.
The teacher praises the student's work.
Мы оцениваем качество проекта.
My otsenivayem kachestvo proekta.
We are evaluating the quality of the project.
Modal Particles in Assessment
Modal particles such as же, ведь, and лишь often add emphasis or nuance to assessments, indicating certainty, surprise, or limitation.
They do not translate directly but affect the tone of the judgment.
Это же очевидно!
Eto zhe ochevidno!
This is obvious!
Он ведь хороший человек.
On ved’ khoroshiy chelovek.
He is, after all, a good person.
Intensifiers and Degree Adverbs
To strengthen an assessment, Russian speakers use intensifiers like очень (very), крайне (extremely), and слишком (too).
These adverbs modify adjectives or verbs and help convey the intensity of the assessment.
Этот фильм очень интересный.
Etot film ochen’ interesnyy.
This movie is very interesting.
Она слишком устала, чтобы работать.
Ona slishkom ustala, chtoby rabotat’.
She is too tired to work.
Practice Examples
Try to analyze and translate these sentences to practice your understanding of assessment expressions in Russian.
Мы считаем, что это важный вопрос.
My schitayem, chto eto vazhnyy vopros.
We consider this an important issue.
Этот ресторан лучше того, что мы посещали раньше.
Etot restoran luchshe togo, chto my poseshchali ran’she.
This restaurant is better than the one we visited before.
Она очень критически относится к своим результатам.
Ona ochen’ kriticheski otnositsya k svoim rezul’tatam.
She is very critical of her results.
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Pay attention to adjective agreement for precise assessments.
- Use verbs like считать and думать to introduce opinions naturally.
- Practice forming comparatives and superlatives to express degrees of judgment.
- Incorporate modal particles and intensifiers to add nuance and emphasis.
- Remember that word order can affect the tone of your assessment in Russian.
Regularly read and listen to Russian content to see how native speakers express assessment in different contexts.