Vvodnye slova: the words set off by commas
A parenthetical word is not a member of the sentence: cross it out and nothing breaks. Kstati, tvoy zont u menya loses kstati and still stands. Hence the comma rule: the word is fenced off from both sides, wherever it stands. For example: “Во-первых, я устал, во-вторых, уже темно” — There are two reasons: tiredness and darkness. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A parenthetical word is not a member of the sentence: cross it out and nothing breaks. Kstati, tvoy zont u menya loses kstati and still stands. Hence the comma rule: the word is fenced off from both sides, wherever it stands.
Word order survives, but the tone moves: Navernoe, on zabyl is softer than on zabyl. The earlier it stands, the louder the position: Po-moemu, etot dom luchshe states the opinion up front; etot dom, po-moemu, luchshe drops it in passing.
Filler words are the same machine with nothing in it: V obshchem, poshli explains nothing after itself. And an argument climbs a stair: Vo-pervykh ... vo-vtorykh ... — the other side knows the list is not over.
Two traps. Kazhetsya without the to-form doubts a fact: Kazhetsya, dozhd; with it, it is a polite opinion: Mne kazhetsya, ty prav. And odnako at the head of a sentence is a conjunction and takes no comma, but a lone Odnako! is an exclamation — and parenthetical again.
Table
| The word | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kstati | changes the topic, no apology | Kstati, zont u menya |
| navernoe | lowers the certainty | Navernoe, on zabyl |
| po-moemu | states an opinion | Po-moemu, dom luchshe |
| na moy vzglyad | an opinion in an argument or a letter | Na moy vzglyad, dorogo |
| vo-pervykh | opens the list | Vo-pervykh, ya ustal |
| krome togo | adds one more reason | Krome togo, remont |
| v obshchem | wraps up all that was said | V obshchem, poshli |
| odnako | a conjunction, no comma after | Odnako vid togo stoit |
| kazhetsya | doubt about a fact | Kazhetsya, dozhd |
| mne kazhetsya | a polite opinion | Mne kazhetsya, ty prav |
By example
- Во-первых, я устал, во-вторых, уже темноVo-pervykh, ya ustal, vo-vtorykh, uzhe temnoThere are two reasons: tiredness and darkness
- Мне кажется, ты путаешь вторник с четвергомMne kazhetsya, ty putaesh vtornik s chetvergomThe days have got mixed up, the way I see it
- Кстати, твой зонт у меня с пятницыKstati, tvoy zont u menya s pyatnitsyThe umbrella, by the way, has been at my place since Friday
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
Commas with vvodnye slova?
Two traps. Kazhetsya without the to-form doubts a fact: Kazhetsya, dozhd; with it, it is a polite opinion: Mne kazhetsya, ty prav. And odnako at the head of a sentence is a conjunction and takes no comma, but a lone Odnako! is an exclamation — and parenthetical again.
Po-moemu vs po moemu?
Word order survives, but the tone moves: Navernoe, on zabyl is softer than on zabyl. The earlier it stands, the louder the position: Po-moemu, etot dom luchshe states the opinion up front; etot dom, po-moemu, luchshe drops it in passing.
Odnako at the start of a sentence?
Two traps. Kazhetsya without the to-form doubts a fact: Kazhetsya, dozhd; with it, it is a polite opinion: Mne kazhetsya, ty prav. And odnako at the head of a sentence is a conjunction and takes no comma, but a lone Odnako! is an exclamation — and parenthetical again.
Vo-pervykh, vo-vtorykh: building an argument?
Filler words are the same machine with nothing in it: V obshchem, poshli explains nothing after itself. And an argument climbs a stair: Vo-pervykh ... vo-vtorykh ... — the other side knows the list is not over.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Во-первых, я устал, во-вторых, уже темно” (Vo-pervykh, ya ustal, vo-vtorykh, uzhe temno) — There are two reasons: tiredness and darkness. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.