A я чё? Я ничё.

English translation: What’s up? Nothing.

09:23 Jan 29, 2021
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang / Popular meme or phrase in Russia
Russian term or phrase: A я чё? Я ничё.
The complete sentences are "A я чё? Я ничё. Другие вон чё, и ничё, а я чуть чё, и сразу вон чё!"
Can anyone suggest an equivalent for this in U.S. English? Can you give an example of a
situation (context) when it would be used?

The link below has a picture that might shed light on this.

https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5f294e124a39e441963ffbb1/sist...

Thank you in advance
Carole Wolfe
United States
Local time: 20:47
English translation:What’s up? Nothing.
Explanation:
What’s up? Nothing. Why is it, when it’s someone else, it’s always nothing, and when it’s me, it’s always something?

When you are suspected of doing something that you might have done, but it’s nowhere near as bad as what others do all the time and got away with it - and you are lost for words :)

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=What's up

what's up

A casual greeting or conversation starter, somewhat of a rhetorical question.
Usually followed by something like "Not much, you?," "Nothing much," or even answered with a "Hey man, how's it going?"
syn: How's it going? What is new?

A question that means "hi" or "What are you doing"
It can get annoying, but people don't seem to understand that.
The best way to answer is "I think it's the opposite of down" if you are annoyed by this question
Selected response from:

Irina Stanford
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:47
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5"So what? Others do and that's ok, but when I do - they roll over me!"
Alexandra Shapovalova
4Why pick on me? I am minding my own business.
Pavel Altukhov
3What’s up? Nothing.
Irina Stanford
2What am I, chopped liver?
Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
"So what? Others do and that's ok, but when I do - they roll over me!"


Explanation:
"So what? Others do and that's ok, but when I do - they roll over me!"
or
"Why you round on me? It's ok when others do this crap, why you round on ME when I do just a little thing like this?"

the meaning is - I've been caught doing something stupid, silly, not good and I got reprimand for this, and I realize that other people did the same or even much worse things but never been caught and reprimanded. And I don't like it. I try to say that my silly thing was just nothing compare to those of others. At the same time I know that I was wrong and I had not to do this silly thing.

Alexandra Shapovalova
Ukraine
Local time: 03:47
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
What am I, chopped liver?


Explanation:
This comes to mind.

What Am I, Chopped Liver?
Meaning:
A rhetorical question used by a person who feels they are being given less attention or consideration than someone else.
https://knowyourphrase.com/what-am-i-chopped-liver

Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
United States
Local time: 21:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in category: 20
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
What’s up? Nothing.


Explanation:
What’s up? Nothing. Why is it, when it’s someone else, it’s always nothing, and when it’s me, it’s always something?

When you are suspected of doing something that you might have done, but it’s nowhere near as bad as what others do all the time and got away with it - and you are lost for words :)

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=What's up

what's up

A casual greeting or conversation starter, somewhat of a rhetorical question.
Usually followed by something like "Not much, you?," "Nothing much," or even answered with a "Hey man, how's it going?"
syn: How's it going? What is new?

A question that means "hi" or "What are you doing"
It can get annoying, but people don't seem to understand that.
The best way to answer is "I think it's the opposite of down" if you are annoyed by this question



    https://aforizm.org/aforizmy/119-a-ya-chjo-ya-nichjo-drugie-von-chjo-i-nichjo
Irina Stanford
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:47
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Why pick on me? I am minding my own business.


Explanation:
Why pick on me? I am minding my own business. Others don't and get away with it. But when I just try to exercise my rights, they hit me like a ton of bricks

Pavel Altukhov
Local time: 04:47
Native speaker of: Russian
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