Since there is no subforum for pronunciation, I'm entering my question here.
Why is что pronounced /shto/ instead of /chto/? I thought ч equates to /ch/. Does the T activate a variant rule?
shto/chto
Re: shto/chto
Hi,
in contemporary Russian language ЧТ in Что and Чтобы pronounced as [sh]
It is more a special case than a rule, because in other words with ЧТ the pronunciation is [cht]
e.g., Чтение [chteniye] - reading, Почта [pochta] - post office etc.
However if you go to St-Petersburg you might come across an old lady or a gentleman saying:
Что [chto] or Конечно - [kanechna] - of course, when they pronounce Ч as it is written.
So it isn't a mistake to say [chto] but it might sound a bit old-fashioned, archaic.
Hope that will help
Elvira I (russianeasy.com)
in contemporary Russian language ЧТ in Что and Чтобы pronounced as [sh]
It is more a special case than a rule, because in other words with ЧТ the pronunciation is [cht]
e.g., Чтение [chteniye] - reading, Почта [pochta] - post office etc.
However if you go to St-Petersburg you might come across an old lady or a gentleman saying:
Что [chto] or Конечно - [kanechna] - of course, when they pronounce Ч as it is written.
So it isn't a mistake to say [chto] but it might sound a bit old-fashioned, archaic.
Hope that will help
Elvira I (russianeasy.com)
Re: shto/chto
Thank you. That's a helpful answer.
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