Implicit meaning (litotes, irony, euphemism)
Implicit meaning: litotes, irony, euphemism
Saying less or the opposite to say more: непло́хо, ну ты мо́лодец!, уйти из жи́зни.
⚡Key points
Литота→litotes: say little to suggest more (непло́хо = good)
не без труда́→litotes by double negation (= with effort)
Ирония→saying the opposite of what you mean (ну ты мо́лодец!)
Эвфемизм→softening a harsh word (уйти из жи́зни = to die)
Literal ≠ intended meaning→context and tone reveal the intention
Saying less or the opposite to say more
At C1, grasping implicit meaning is essential: the literal meaning is not always the intended one. Three devices: litotes (understate), irony (invert), euphemism (soften).
Litotes (understatement)
Say little to suggest more
1
Litotes
Непло́хо! (Not bad! = quite good)
Э́то не без труда́. (Not without effort = with difficulty)
2
Often by double negation
Небезынтересно. (Not uninteresting = quite interesting)
Он человек немаленький. (Not a small figure = important)
💡⚠️ Litotes understates to reinforce
Litotes (литота) says less to suggest more, often by double negation: непло́хо (not bad = good), не без труда́ (not without effort = with effort). Tone and context reveal the real intention.
Я не против. (= I am rather in favour)
Цена́ немаленькая. (= high)
Irony and euphemism
Invert / soften
| Ирония | Ну ты мо́лодец! | opposite meaning: “well done…” (reproach) |
| Ирония | То́же мне специали́ст! | “some expert!” |
| Эвфемизм | уйти из жи́зни | to pass away (for “to die”) |
| Эвфемизм | человек в во́зрасте | of a certain age (for “old”) |
Usage
1
Irony: say the opposite (tone)
Хоро́шенькое де́ло! (Nice business! = a bad situation)
2
Euphemism: soften
Он нетрезв. (He is not sober = drunk.)
Он не блещет умо́м. (He does not shine with intelligence.)
💡⚠️ Recognise the real intention
Irony (ирония) expresses the opposite of the thought, signalled by tone or context (То́же мне геро́й!). Euphemism (эвфемизм) softens a harsh word (уйти из жи́зни for умереть). The literal meaning is not the intended one.
irony: Ну спаси́бо! (= thanks a lot, reproach)
euphemism: места не столь отдалённые (= prison)
Dialogue: a failed exam
Ди́маЯ завали́л экза́мен.
Ка́тяНу ты мо́лодец, коне́чно.
Ди́маНе язви. Гото́вился не без труда́.
Ка́тяЛадно. Ска́жем так: результа́т неблестящий.
Dima: I failed the exam. — Katya: Well done, of course (irony). — Dima: Do not mock. I studied, and not a little. — Katya: All right. Let us put it this way: the result is not brilliant.