Duo Russian Grammar

55) Speaking

счита́ть vs. ду́мать

When expressing your opinion, you may use either of the two. «Счита́ть» implies that you think so because of your views, or because that would be your decision, or because you gave it some thought. «Ду́мать» can mean a lot of things, a random, incidental thought included.

Basically, you just have to know that «счита́ть» may mean something other than "to count", and as for using it yourself... well, depends on your exposure to Russian.

име́ть

«име́ть» is a formal verb for "to have" used in business and official language (у кого-то есть что-то is neutral). However, there are a few set expressions where the verb can be used even in normal speech.

  • «име́ть в виду́» = "to mean". When a person means something, it is what they wanted to say.
  • «име́ть пра́во»/«не име́ть пра́ва» = "to have the/a right to"/ "to have no right to".
  • «име́ть большо́е значе́ние» = "to be of great importance" (you may replace "great" with your epithet of choice)
  • «име́ть смысл» = "to be not unreasonable/to have some sense"
  • «име́ть что-то про́тив» = "to mind" (to be against something). Usually in the negative.

Levels

  1. 1) Alphabet 1
  2. 2) Basics 1
  3. 3) Phrases 1
  4. 4) Единственное число
  5. 5) Name and polite "You"
  6. 6) Plurals
  7. 7) Where is it?
  8. 8) Animals 1
  9. 9) Genitive Case - 1
  10. 10) Possessive Modifiers 1
  11. 11) Partitive
  12. 12) Accusative Case: the direct object
  13. 13) Verbs Present 1
  14. 14) Infinitive, Likes and Dislikes
  15. 15) Food
  16. 16) Adjectives Introduction
  17. 17) Conjunctions
  18. 18) There is
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  20. 20) People 1
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  24. 24) Time and Numbers
  25. 25) Family
  26. 26) People 1
  27. 27) Weather and Nature
  28. 28) Sport
  29. 29) Adjectives 1
  30. 30) Past & Infinitive
  31. 31) VLAD
  32. 32) Dative and Plurals
  33. 33) Reported speech
  34. 34) Perfective Verbs
  35. 35) I
  36. 36) Body and Health
  37. 37) Genitive Plural
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  39. 39) Short and Long
  40. 40) Perfective verbs
  41. 41) Countries and Places
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  48. 48) Imperative2
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  55. 55) Speaking
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  60. 60) Together
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