Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'ago'

English Word: ago

Key Russian Translations:

• назад [nɐˈzad] - [Neutral, Commonly Used]
• тому назад [tɐˈmu nɐˈzad] - [Formal, Often Used with Specific Time Periods]

Frequency: High

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner to Intermediate for both translations)

Pronunciation (Russian):

назад: [nɐˈzad]

Note on назад: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'а' sounds like the 'a' in 'father'.

тому назад: [tɐˈmu nɐˈzad]

Note on тому назад: Stress is on the second syllable of both words. Often used as a fixed phrase.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Indicating Time in the Past (General Use)

Translation(s) & Context:

• назад - Used to express a period of time before the present (e.g., "two years ago").

Usage Examples:

• Я был там два года назад.

  I was there two years ago.

• Это случилось неделю назад.

  It happened a week ago.

• Мы встретились месяц назад.

  We met a month ago.

2. Indicating Time in the Past (Formal or Specific Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• тому назад - Often paired with a specific time period for a more formal or literary tone.

Usage Examples:

• Это было три года тому назад.

  It was three years ago.

• Много лет тому назад жил один человек.

  Many years ago, there lived a man.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

назад: This is an adverb and does not inflect. It remains unchanged regardless of grammatical context.

тому назад: This is a fixed phrase. "Тому" is the dative case of "тот" (that), and "назад" remains unchanged. The phrase does not vary based on number or gender.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• ранее
• прежде

Note: "ранее" and "прежде" are more formal and often used in written language or historical contexts.

Antonyms:

• вперёд
• в будущем

Related Phrases:

• давно назад - "Long ago" (used to refer to a distant past).
• недавно назад - "Not long ago" (used for a recent past event).
• годы назад - "Years ago" (common in storytelling or reminiscing).

Usage Notes:

• "назад" is the most common and neutral way to express "ago" in Russian and can be used in most conversational contexts.
• "тому назад" is more formal or literary and often appears in written texts or when emphasizing a specific time period.
• In Russian, time expressions with "назад" usually follow the numeral (e.g., "два года назад" = "two years ago").

Common Errors:

• Error: Placing "назад" before the time expression (e.g., *назад два года).

  Correction: Always place "назад" after the time expression (e.g., два года назад).

  Explanation: Word order in Russian is fixed for this construction. Reversing it sounds unnatural to native speakers.

• Error: Using "тому назад" in casual speech (e.g., *Это было тому назад вчера).

  Correction: Use "назад" for informal or everyday contexts (e.g., Это было вчера назад is still incorrect; better to say "Это было вчера").

  Explanation: "тому назад" is reserved for formal or specific contexts and is rarely used with short time periods like "yesterday."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, expressions of time in the past often carry a nostalgic or reflective tone, especially in storytelling. Phrases like "много лет тому назад" are commonly used in fairy tales or historical narratives to evoke a sense of distant past.

Related Concepts:

• время
• прошлое
• раньше