Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Adversity'

English Word: adversity

Key Russian Translations:

• несчастье [nʲɪsˈtʃasʲtʲjə] - [Neutral, Singular]
• беда [bʲɪˈda] - [Informal, Singular]
• трудность [ˈtrudnəsʲtʲ] - [Neutral, Singular, Often used for challenges or difficulties]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for all translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

несчастье: [nʲɪsˈtʃasʲtʲjə]

Note on несчастье: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "щ" sound is a unique Russian sound, pronounced as a soft "shch".

беда: [bʲɪˈda]

Note on беда: Stress on the second syllable. Simple pronunciation, often used colloquially.

трудность: [ˈtrudnəsʲtʲ]

Note on трудность: Stress on the first syllable. Pay attention to the soft "т" sound due to the following "ь".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Misfortune or Calamity

Translation(s) & Context:

• несчастье - Used for serious misfortune or tragic events.
• беда - More colloquial, often used for troubles or woes.

Usage Examples:

• Его постигло большое несчастье.

  A great misfortune befell him.

• Какая беда случилась с твоей семьёй?

  What trouble has happened to your family?

2. Difficulty or Hardship

Translation(s) & Context:

• трудность - Refers to challenges or obstacles, often in a less emotional sense.

Usage Examples:

• Мы преодолели все трудности на пути.

  We overcame all the difficulties on the way.

• Эта задача представляет большую трудность для студентов.

  This task poses a great difficulty for students.

• Жизнь полна трудностей, но мы справимся.

  Life is full of hardships, but we will manage.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

несчастье (noun, neuter): Declines according to the second declension pattern for neuter nouns.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	несчастье	несчастья
Genitive	несчастья	несчастий
Dative	несчастью	несчастьям
Accusative	несчастье	несчастья
Instrumental	несчастьем	несчастьями
Prepositional	о несчастье	о несчастьях

беда (noun, feminine): Declines as a feminine noun of the first declension.

трудность (noun, feminine): Declines as a feminine noun ending in -ость, with specific endings for abstract nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for несчастье/беда (Misfortune):

• горе
• напасть

Note: "горе" often implies deep sorrow or grief, while "напасть" is less common and more literary.

Synonyms for трудность (Difficulty):

• проблема
• сложность

Antonyms:

• счастье (happiness, for несчастье)
• удача (luck, for беда)
• лёгкость (ease, for трудность)

Related Phrases:

• попасть в беду - to get into trouble
• преодолеть трудности - to overcome difficulties
• несчастье за несчастьем - one misfortune after another

Usage Notes:

• "несчастье" is often used for serious or tragic events and carries a heavier emotional weight than "беда".
• "беда" is more colloquial and can be used for minor troubles as well as serious issues, depending on context.
• "трудность" is more neutral and often refers to practical challenges or obstacles rather than emotional misfortune.
• Choose the translation based on the context: for personal loss or tragedy, use "несчастье"; for general troubles, use "беда"; for challenges, use "трудность".

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "беда" in formal contexts or for tragic events.
  Incorrect: На его семью обрушилась большая беда (sounds too casual for a tragic context).
  Correct: На его семью обрушилось большое несчастье.
• Error: Confusing "трудность" with emotional misfortune.
  Incorrect: Его постигла большая трудность (implies a challenge, not a tragedy).
  Correct: Его постигло большое несчастье.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressions of adversity or misfortune often carry a fatalistic tone, reflecting historical experiences of hardship. The word "беда" is frequently used in everyday speech, often with a sense of inevitability or resignation, as seen in proverbs like "Беда не приходит одна" (Trouble never comes alone).

Related Concepts:

• горе (grief)
• страдание (suffering)
• проблема (problem)