Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Accidental'

English Word: accidental

Key Russian Translations:

• случайный [ˈslut͡ɕəjnɨj] - [Formal/Informal, General Use]
• непреднамеренный [nʲɪprʲɪdnəˈmʲerʲɪnnɨj] - [Formal, Often Legal or Official Contexts]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "случайный"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "непреднамеренный"

Pronunciation (Russian):

случайный: [ˈslut͡ɕəjnɨj]

Note on случайный: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "ч" sound is a soft "ch" as in "church."

непреднамеренный: [nʲɪprʲɪdnəˈmʲerʲɪnnɨj]

Note on непреднамеренный: Stress on the fourth syllable. This is a longer word, often challenging for non-native speakers due to consonant clusters.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Happening by chance or unintentionally (General Sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• случайный - Used in everyday contexts to describe something happening by chance, e.g., a random meeting or event.

Usage Examples:

• Это был случайный выбор.

  It was a random choice.

• Мы встретились случайно на улице.

  We met by chance on the street.

• Случайная ошибка испортила весь проект.

  An accidental mistake ruined the entire project.

2. Unintentional, often in formal or legal contexts

Translation(s) & Context:

• непреднамеренный - Used in formal or legal contexts to describe actions that were not deliberate, often related to accidents or mistakes.

Usage Examples:

• Это был непреднамеренный поступок.

  It was an unintentional act.

• Суд признал его действия непреднамеренными.

  The court recognized his actions as accidental.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

случайный (Adjective): Declines according to standard Russian adjective rules based on gender, number, and case.

непреднамеренный (Adjective): Follows similar declension patterns as "случайный." It is less commonly used in spoken language but appears in written or formal contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for случайный:

• произвольный - Often used for "random" in technical contexts.
• неожиданный - Implies something unexpected, though not always accidental.

Synonyms for непреднамеренный:

• ненамеренный - A less common variant, similar in meaning.

Antonyms:

• преднамеренный - Intentional, deliberate.
• запланированный - Planned.

Related Phrases:

• случайная встреча - A chance meeting.
• случайный прохожий - A random passerby.
• непреднамеренное убийство - Accidental manslaughter (legal term).

Usage Notes:

• "случайный" is the most versatile and commonly used term for "accidental" or "random" in everyday Russian. It can apply to events, choices, or encounters.
• "непреднамеренный" is more formal and often restricted to legal, official, or serious contexts, particularly when emphasizing lack of intent.
• Be mindful of the context when choosing between these terms, as using "непреднамеренный" in casual speech may sound overly formal or out of place.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "непреднамеренный" in casual conversation, e.g., saying "Это был непреднамеренный выбор" for a random choice. Correct Usage: Use "случайный" instead: "Это был случайный выбор."
• Error: Incorrect adjective agreement due to gender or case, e.g., using "случайный" with a feminine noun like "ошибка" (mistake). Correct Usage: "случайная ошибка."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of "случайный" often carries a neutral or even positive connotation in contexts like "случайная встреча" (a chance meeting), which can be seen as fate or serendipity. However, in legal or moral discussions, terms like "непреднамеренный" are used to carefully distinguish accidental actions from intentional ones, reflecting the importance of intent in Russian legal and ethical frameworks.

Related Concepts:

• случай - Chance, incident.
• несчастный случай - Accident (as in an unfortunate event).
• намерение - Intention.