Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Alone'

English Word: alone

Key Russian Translations:

• один [ɐˈdʲin] - [Masculine, Singular, Informal]
• одна [ɐdˈna] - [Feminine, Singular, Informal]
• одно [ɐdˈno] - [Neuter, Singular, Informal]
• в одиночестве [v ɐdʲɪˈnoʲt͡ɕɪstvʲe] - [Formal, Phrase, State of being alone]

Frequency: High (especially "один/одна/одно")

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner-Intermediate for "один/одна/одно"); B1 (Intermediate for "в одиночестве")

Pronunciation (Russian):

один: [ɐˈdʲin]

Note on один: The stress is on the second syllable. The pronunciation of the initial "о" is reduced to "ɐ" in unstressed position.

одна: [ɐdˈna]

одно: [ɐdˈno]

в одиночестве: [v ɐdʲɪˈnoʲt͡ɕɪstvʲe]

Note on в одиночестве: Pay attention to the soft "ч" sound and the stress on "но".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Physically or emotionally by oneself

Translation(s) & Context:

• в одиночестве - Used to describe a state of solitude, often with an emotional or reflective connotation.
• один/одна/одно - Used to emphasize being by oneself, often in a physical sense.

Usage Examples:

• Я люблю гулять в одиночестве по лесу.

  I love walking alone in the forest.

• Она сидела одна в комнате.

  She was sitting alone in the room.

• Он остался один после ухода друзей.

  He was left alone after his friends left.

• В одиночестве легче думать о жизни.

  It’s easier to think about life when alone.

• Это одно из мест, где я чувствую себя спокойно.

  This is one of the places where I feel at peace alone.

2. Without help or support (independently)

Translation(s) & Context:

• один/одна/одно - Used to indicate doing something without assistance.

Usage Examples:

• Я сделал это один, без чьей-либо помощи.

  I did it alone, without anyone’s help.

• Она справилась с задачей одна.

  She handled the task alone.

• Мы не можем оставить это одно без внимания.

  We can’t leave this alone without attention.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

один/одна/одно (Adjective/Numeral): This word changes based on gender, number, and case. It agrees with the noun it modifies or can stand alone as a pronoun.

Case	Masculine (один)	Feminine (одна)	Neuter (одно)	Plural (одни)
Nominative	один	одна	одно	одни
Genitive	одного	одной	одного	одних
Dative	одному	одной	одному	одним
Accusative	один/одного	одну	одно	одни/одних
Instrumental	одним	одной	одним	одними
Prepositional	об одном	об одной	об одном	об одних

в одиночестве (Phrase/Adverbial): This phrase does not inflect and is used as a fixed expression to describe a state of being alone.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for один/одна/одно:

• единственный (unique, only)
• сам (by oneself - colloquial)

Note: "единственный" often implies being the only one, while "сам" is more emphatic and informal.

Synonyms for в одиночестве:

• наедине (in private, alone with someone)

Antonyms:

• вместе (together)
• с кем-то (with someone)

Related Phrases:

• остаться одному - to be left alone (physically or emotionally)
• в одиночку - on one’s own (often implying independence or effort)
• один на один - one on one (as in a direct confrontation or conversation)

Usage Notes:

• "один/одна/одно" must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes or replaces. It is often used colloquially to mean "alone" in a physical sense.
• "в одиночестве" is a more formal or literary expression, often used to describe a state of solitude with emotional or reflective undertones.
• Choose "в одиночестве" when the context involves a deeper sense of isolation or introspection; use "один/одна/одно" for everyday situations of being by oneself.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "один" without adjusting for gender or case, e.g., saying "Я одна" as a male speaker. Correction: A male speaker must say "Я один".
• Error: Overusing "в одиночестве" in casual speech, e.g., "Я пошел в одиночестве в магазин". Correction: Use "Я пошел один в магазин" for a casual context.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of being "alone" (в одиночестве) can carry a nuanced emotional weight, often associated with introspection or melancholy, especially in literature and poetry. Russians may value communal activities, so expressing a preference for solitude might sometimes be seen as unusual or reflective of a deeper state of mind.

Related Concepts:

• уединение (seclusion, solitude)
• изоляция (isolation)
• самостоятельность (independence)