Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'adrift'

English Word: adrift

Key Russian Translations:

• дрейфующий [ˈdreɪfʊjʊʃːɪj] - [Adjective, Used for literal drifting, e.g., boats]
• бездомный [bʲɪzˈdomnɨj] - [Adjective, Figurative, e.g., feeling lost or homeless]
• потерянный [pətʲɪˈrʲanːɨj] - [Adjective, Figurative, e.g., emotionally or directionally lost]

Frequency: Medium (less common in everyday speech, often context-specific)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies by context and translation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

дрейфующий: [ˈdreɪfʊjʊʃːɪj]

Note on дрейфующий: Stress falls on the first syllable; the "ш" sound is a soft, prolonged hiss.

бездомный: [bʲɪzˈdomnɨj]

Note on бездомный: Stress on the second syllable; "б" is soft due to palatalization.

потерянный: [pətʲɪˈrʲanːɨj]

Note on потерянный: Stress on the third syllable; double "н" indicates a slightly longer sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Literal (e.g., floating without control, like a boat)

Translation(s) & Context:

• дрейфующий - Used for objects like boats or ice floating aimlessly on water.

Usage Examples:

• Лодка дрейфует в открытом море.

  The boat is adrift in the open sea.

• Корабль оказался дрейфующим после шторма.

  The ship was found adrift after the storm.

• Ледяная глыба дрейфует на север.

  The ice floe is drifting northward.

2. Figurative (e.g., feeling lost or without purpose)

Translation(s) & Context:

• бездомный - Often implies a sense of being homeless or rootless.
• потерянный - Refers to feeling emotionally or directionally lost.

Usage Examples:

• Он чувствует себя бездомным после переезда.

  He feels adrift after moving.

• Она выглядела потерянной на новом месте.

  She looked adrift in the new place.

• После потери работы он стал как потерянный.

  After losing his job, he felt adrift.

• Его жизнь кажется бездомной и бесцельной.

  His life seems adrift and purposeless.

• Молодёжь часто чувствует себя потерянной в современном мире.

  Young people often feel adrift in the modern world.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

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

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative	дрейфующий	дрейфующая	дрейфующее	дрейфующие
Genitive	дрейфующего	дрейфующей	дрейфующего	дрейфующих

бездомный (Adjective): Follows similar adjective declension patterns as above.

потерянный (Adjective, Past Participle): Declines as a past passive participle; often used attributively.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for дрейфующий (literal):

• плывущий
• несущийся

Note: "плывущий" is more general for floating, while "несущийся" implies faster movement.

Synonyms for бездомный/потерянный (figurative):

• беспутный
• растерянный

Antonyms:

• управляемый (for дрейфующий - controlled)
• уверенный (for потерянный - confident)

Related Phrases:

• дрейфовать по течению - To drift with the current (literal or figurative).
• чувствовать себя потерянным - To feel lost or adrift (emotionally).
• жить бездомной жизнью - To live a rootless or adrift life.

Usage Notes:

• The choice between "дрейфующий," "бездомный," and "потерянный" depends heavily on context. Use "дрейфующий" for physical drifting (e.g., boats), while "бездомный" and "потерянный" are figurative and often interchangeable for emotional states, though "бездомный" emphasizes rootlessness.
• These adjectives often require agreement with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case, which is a key grammatical feature in Russian.
• In formal writing, "дрейфующий" is more common in technical or nautical contexts, while "потерянный" is widely used in literature for emotional descriptions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "дрейфующий" for figurative contexts. Incorrect: "Я чувствую себя дрейфующим" (I feel adrift). Correct: "Я чувствую себя потерянным."
• Error: Failing to decline adjectives properly. Incorrect: "Лодка дрейфующий" (should match gender). Correct: "Лодка дрейфующая."

Cultural Notes:

The concept of being "adrift" in a figurative sense, as conveyed by "бездомный" or "потерянный," carries significant weight in Russian culture, often tied to themes of displacement or existential searching, especially in literature and post-Soviet contexts where rootlessness is a recurring motif.

Related Concepts:

• бродяга (vagabond)
• скиталец (wanderer)
• одиночество (loneliness)