Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'across'

English Word: across

Key Russian Translations:

• через [ˈtʃʲerʲɪz] - [Preposition, Used for physical crossing or through something]
• поперёк [pəpʲɪˈrʲok] - [Preposition/Adverb, Used for indicating direction or position perpendicular to something]
• сквозь [skvʲosʲ] - [Preposition, Used for passing through with effort or metaphorically]

Frequency: High (especially "через")

Difficulty: A2-B1 (Beginner to Intermediate, varies by context and preposition usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

через: [ˈtʃʲerʲɪz]

Note on через: Stress on the first syllable; the "ч" sound is like "ch" in "church".

поперёк: [pəpʲɪˈrʲok]

Note on поперёк: Stress on the third syllable; the "ё" is always stressed and sounds like "yo".

сквозь: [skvʲosʲ]

Note on сквозь: The "з" is soft due to the following soft vowel "ь".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Moving from one side to the other (Physical Crossing)

Translation(s) & Context:

• через - Used when crossing a physical barrier like a river or road.

Usage Examples:

• Мы перешли через реку.

  We crossed across the river.

• Иди через мост, чтобы добраться до школы.

  Go across the bridge to get to the school.

• Он посмотрел через окно.

  He looked across the window.

2. Position or direction perpendicular to something

Translation(s) & Context:

• поперёк - Used to indicate something lying or moving crosswise.

Usage Examples:

• Бревно лежало поперёк дороги.

  The log lay across the road.

• Он разрезал ткань поперёк.

  He cut the fabric across.

3. Through something with effort or metaphorically

Translation(s) & Context:

• сквозь - Often implies difficulty or metaphorical passing.

Usage Examples:

• Мы пробирались сквозь лес.

  We made our way across the forest.

• Сквозь слёзы она улыбнулась.

  Across her tears, she smiled.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

через, поперёк, сквозь are prepositions and do not inflect or change form in Russian. They are always used in their base form and govern specific cases (usually Accusative for "через" and "сквозь", and Genitive for "поперёк" in certain contexts). Their meaning and usage depend on the noun they are paired with.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for через:

• сквозь (in some contexts of passing through)
• за (in rare metaphorical uses)

Note: "сквозь" often implies more effort or resistance compared to "через".

Antonyms for через/поперёк:

• вдоль (along, lengthwise)

Related Phrases:

• через край - "Over the edge" or "excessively".
• поперёк горла - "Across the throat", meaning something is unbearable or irritating.
• сквозь пальцы - "Through the fingers", meaning to overlook something intentionally.

Usage Notes:

• "через" is the most common and versatile translation of "across", used for physical crossing and often paired with the Accusative case.
• "поперёк" emphasizes a perpendicular direction or position and is less frequent but specific to certain contexts.
• "сквозь" carries a sense of difficulty or metaphorical crossing and is often used in literary or emotional contexts.
• Choosing the correct preposition depends on the context and the noun it governs; English speakers should pay attention to case usage after these prepositions.

Common Errors:

• Incorrect Case Usage: English speakers often forget to use the correct case after "через" (Accusative). For example, saying "через река" (Nominative) instead of "через реку".
• Confusing через and сквозь: Using "сквозь" for simple physical crossing (e.g., "сквозь мост" instead of "через мост") is incorrect, as "сквозь" implies effort or metaphorical passing.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, prepositions like "через" often carry idiomatic meanings in fixed expressions (e.g., "через край" for excessiveness), which may not directly translate to "across". Understanding these expressions can provide deeper insight into Russian conversational style and imagery.

Related Concepts:

• вдоль (along)
• рядом (beside)
• мимо (past)