Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Ailment'

English Word: Ailment

Key Russian Translations:

• недуг [ˈnʲeduk] - [Formal, Literary]
• болезнь [bɐˈlʲeznʲ] - [General, Neutral]
• хворь [ˈxvorʲ] - [Informal, Colloquial, Often Emotional]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in medical and everyday contexts)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "болезнь"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "недуг" and "хворь" due to stylistic nuances

Pronunciation (Russian):

недуг: [ˈnʲeduk]

Note on недуг: Stress on the first syllable. The "е" sounds like "ye" in "yes."

болезнь: [bɐˈlʲeznʲ]

Note on болезнь: Stress on the second syllable. The soft "л" requires a slight palatalization.

хворь: [ˈxvorʲ]

Note on хворь: Stress on the first syllable. The "х" is a guttural sound similar to "h" in "loch."

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Physical Illness or Disorder

Translation(s) & Context:

• болезнь - Most common term for any illness or disease, used in both medical and everyday contexts.
• недуг - More formal or literary, often used to describe a chronic or serious condition.

Usage Examples:

• У неё тяжёлая болезнь, и она нуждается в лечении.

  She has a serious illness and needs treatment.

• Этот недуг мучает его уже много лет.

  This ailment has tormented him for many years.

• После простуды болезнь оставила слабость в теле.

  After the cold, the illness left weakness in the body.

2. Minor or Temporary Discomfort (Colloquial)

Translation(s) & Context:

• хворь - Used colloquially to describe minor ailments or feeling unwell, often with an emotional tone.

Usage Examples:

• У меня какая-то хворь, весь день голова болит.

  I’ve got some kind of ailment; my head has been hurting all day.

• Бабушка жалуется на свою хворь, но врачи ничего не находят.

  Grandma complains about her ailment, but the doctors find nothing wrong.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

болезнь (feminine noun, 3rd declension):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	болезнь	болезни
Genitive	болезни	болезней
Dative	болезни	болезням
Accusative	болезнь	болезни
Instrumental	болезнью	болезнями
Prepositional	о болезни	о болезнях

недуг (masculine noun, 2nd declension): Follows regular masculine declension patterns with no irregularities.

хворь (feminine noun, 3rd declension): Similar to "болезнь," follows regular feminine declension with soft stem adjustments.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• заболевание (more clinical)
• немочь (archaic, literary)

Note: "заболевание" is often used in medical reports, while "немочь" is rare and highly literary.

Antonyms:

• здоровье (health)

Related Phrases:

• хроническая болезнь - chronic illness
• страдать недугом - to suffer from an ailment
• подхватить хворь - to catch an ailment (colloquial)

Usage Notes:

• "болезнь" is the most neutral and widely used term for "ailment" or "disease" in Russian. It fits most contexts, from casual conversation to medical discussions.
• "недуг" carries a more formal or literary tone and is often associated with chronic or severe conditions. Avoid using it in casual speech.
• "хворь" is colloquial and often used emotionally, especially by older speakers or in rural areas. It may imply a minor or vague complaint.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using "недуг" in casual conversation. Incorrect: "У меня недуг, я простудился." (sounds overly dramatic). Correct: "У меня болезнь, я простудился." (I have an illness, I caught a cold.)

Error 2: Misusing "хворь" in formal contexts. Incorrect: "В отчёте указано, что у пациента хворь." (sounds inappropriate). Correct: "В отчёте указано, что у пациента болезнь." (The report states the patient has an illness.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, discussing ailments or health issues can be a common topic of conversation, especially among older generations. Using terms like "хворь" may evoke a sense of empathy or shared experience in informal settings. Additionally, Russians often use diminutive or affectionate forms when talking about minor ailments to soften the tone.

Related Concepts:

• здоровье (health)
• лечение (treatment)
• симптом (symptom)