Yakoby, mol, po slovam: marking someone else's words
Someone else's words come in several ways, and the first is a phrase with a source: po slovam vracha, so slov soseda. After po slovam always stands the of-form: po slovam materi, po slovam nachalnika. For example: “По словам соседа, дом продают с мебелью” — According to the neighbor, the house is being sold with the furniture. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Someone else's words come in several ways, and the first is a phrase with a source: po slovam vracha, so slov soseda. After po slovam always stands the of-form: po slovam materi, po slovam nachalnika.
The second is the subjectless govoryat, chto — no one is named. The third is little words hung on the speech: yakoby, mol, deskat.
The difference is trust. Po slovam is a plain reference. Yakoby means the speaker does not believe it: he yakoby forgot, and I doubt it. Mol is a retelling with no judgement: he, mol, has left already.
In writing these little words are rare: there one writes po imeyushchimsya svedeniyam or names the source straight out. In living speech they are everywhere — without them no conversation can be retold.
Table
| The word | Example | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| po slovam | po slovam vracha | a link to the source |
| govoryat, chto | govoryat, chto dozhd | a rumor with no name |
| yakoby | yakoby zanyat | the speaker doubts |
| mol | on, mol, ushyol | a retelling with no judgement |
| deskat | deskat, sam prosil | old-fashioned, with a smile |
By example
- По словам соседа, дом продают с мебельюPo slovam soseda, dom prodayut s mebelyuAccording to the neighbor, the house is being sold with the furniture
- Говорят, что мост закроют на ремонтGovoryat, chto most zakroyut na remontThey say the bridge will be closed for repairs
- Он якобы забыл про встречуOn yakoby zabyl pro vstrechuHe supposedly forgot about the meeting
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How to mark words as hearsay?
Someone else's words come in several ways, and the first is a phrase with a source: po slovam vracha, so slov soseda. After po slovam always stands the of-form: po slovam materi, po slovam nachalnika.
What yakoby means?
The difference is trust. Po slovam is a plain reference. Yakoby means the speaker does not believe it: he yakoby forgot, and I doubt it. Mol is a retelling with no judgement: he, mol, has left already.
Mol vs yakoby?
The second is the subjectless govoryat, chto — no one is named. The third is little words hung on the speech: yakoby, mol, deskat.
How to quote a source?
Someone else's words come in several ways, and the first is a phrase with a source: po slovam vracha, so slov soseda. After po slovam always stands the of-form: po slovam materi, po slovam nachalnika.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“По словам соседа, дом продают с мебелью” (Po slovam soseda, dom prodayut s mebelyu) — According to the neighbor, the house is being sold with the furniture. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.