Signification
To grasp a concept.
Contexte culturel
In Russian schools, teachers often ask 'Вы взяли это в толк?' to ensure students haven't just memorized the facts but actually understand the logic. Classic authors like Dostoevsky used this phrase to describe characters who were struggling with moral or philosophical dilemmas. It's a polite way to say 'I don't understand your logic' without being confrontational. It suggests the problem might be the complexity of the task, not your intelligence. Parents use it with children to encourage them to think for themselves rather than just following orders blindly.
Use with 'Никак'
The phrase sounds most natural when you use 'никак' (in no way) to emphasize your struggle to understand.
Don't use 'Брать'
Even if you are talking about a continuous process, Russians almost always use the perfective 'взять'.
Signification
To grasp a concept.
Use with 'Никак'
The phrase sounds most natural when you use 'никак' (in no way) to emphasize your struggle to understand.
Don't use 'Брать'
Even if you are talking about a continuous process, Russians almost always use the perfective 'взять'.
The 'Aha!' Moment
Use 'Я наконец-то взял в толк!' when you finally solve a puzzle or understand a joke.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word in the idiom.
Я никак не могу взять в ______, почему он так поступил.
The fixed idiom is 'взять в толк'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct form:
We use the perfective 'взяла' and the noun 'толк' does not change its form in this idiom.
Match the response to the situation.
Your teacher explains a very difficult concept, and you are still confused. What do you say?
'Никак не возьму в толк' is the standard way to express ongoing confusion despite effort.
Complete the dialogue.
— Ты понимаешь, почему цена выросла? — Нет, я никак не ______ в толк.
In the context of 'I still don't get it', the future perfective 'возьму' with 'никак не' is the most natural.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesЯ никак не могу взять в ______, почему он так поступил.
The fixed idiom is 'взять в толк'.
Select the correct form:
We use the perfective 'взяла' and the noun 'толк' does not change its form in this idiom.
Your teacher explains a very difficult concept, and you are still confused. What do you say?
'Никак не возьму в толк' is the standard way to express ongoing confusion despite effort.
— Ты понимаешь, почему цена выросла? — Нет, я никак не ______ в толк.
In the context of 'I still don't get it', the future perfective 'возьму' with 'никак не' is the most natural.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, it's neutral. You can use it in almost any situation, from a casual chat to a business meeting.
No, that is incorrect. The idiom is fixed with the word 'толк'.
'Понять' is a general word for 'to understand'. 'Взять в толк' implies that you had to think about it or that it was a bit difficult to grasp.
You can use it to mean you understand someone's motives, but not to mean 'I understand this person' in a general emotional sense.
It's not slang, but it's very common in modern daily speech. It doesn't sound old-fashioned.
It conjugates like the normal verb 'взять': я возьму, ты возьмёшь, он взял, и т.д.
Yes! In fact, it's most commonly used in the negative: 'не взять в толк'.
No, it means 'sense', 'benefit', or 'reason'. It's a false friend for English speakers!
It's better to say 'Я взял в толк содержание книги' or 'Я взял в толк, о чём книга'.
Yes, you will hear it often in dramas and detective stories when characters are solving mysteries.
Expressions liées
Понимать
synonymTo understand
Уразуметь
similarTo comprehend
Вбить в голову
contrastTo hammer into one's head
Без толку
builds onUselessly / To no avail
С толком
builds onSensibly / With good use
