Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Annoy'

English Word: Annoy

Key Russian Translations:

• раздражать [rɐzdrɐˈʐatʲ] - [Formal, Informal, Verb]
• досаждать [dɐˈsaʐdatʲ] - [Formal, Verb]
• надоедать [nɐdɐˈjedatʲ] - [Informal, Verb]

Frequency: High (especially "раздражать")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "раздражать" and "надоедать"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "досаждать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

раздражать: [rɐzdrɐˈʐatʲ]

Note on раздражать: Stress falls on the third syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, which may be challenging for English speakers.

досаждать: [dɐˈsaʐdatʲ]

Note on досаждать: Stress on the second syllable. Similar "ж" sound as in "раздражать."

надоедать: [nɐdɐˈjedatʲ]

Note on надоедать: Stress on the third syllable. The "е" sounds like "ye" in "yes."

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To cause irritation or displeasure

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражать - Used for general irritation or annoyance, often emotional or psychological.
• надоедать - Often implies repetitive or nagging behavior causing annoyance.

Usage Examples:

• Его постоянные жалобы раздражают меня.

  His constant complaints annoy me.

• Этот шум раздражает всех в офисе.

  This noise annoys everyone in the office.

• Она надоела мне своими вопросами.

  She annoyed me with her endless questions.

2. To bother or disturb, often persistently

Translation(s) & Context:

• досаждать - Used in more formal contexts, often implying persistent disturbance.
• надоедать - Informal, used for persistent bothering.

Usage Examples:

• Соседи досаждают нам своим шумом каждую ночь.

  The neighbors annoy us with their noise every night.

• Он надоел мне своими просьбами.

  He annoyed me with his constant requests.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

раздражать (Verb, Imperfective):

Note: Perfective form is "разозлить" (to make angry/annoy once).

досаждать and надоедать follow similar conjugation patterns as imperfective verbs. Both have perfective counterparts ("досадить" and "надоесть").

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for раздражать:

• нервировать (to irritate, more emotional)
• бесить (to annoy, informal and stronger)

Antonyms for раздражать:

• успокаивать (to calm)
• радовать (to please)

Related Phrases:

• раздражать нервы - "to get on someone's nerves" (lit. to irritate nerves)
• надоедать до смерти - "to annoy to death" (informal, exaggeration for extreme annoyance)
• досаждать вопросами - "to bother with questions" (formal)

Usage Notes:

• "раздражать" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "annoy," suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
• "надоедать" often implies repetitive or nagging annoyance and is more informal.
• "досаждать" is more formal and less frequent, often used in written or elevated speech to describe persistent disturbance.
• All three verbs are imperfective, indicating ongoing or repeated action. For a one-time annoyance, use their perfective forms (e.g., "разозлить" for "раздражать").

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "раздражать" in contexts requiring a perfective verb. Incorrect: "Я раздражаю его вчера." Correct: "Я разозлил его вчера." (I annoyed him yesterday - one-time action).
• Error: Confusing "надоедать" with "надо" (must/need). Incorrect: "Мне надоедать это." Correct: "Мне надо это." (I need this).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing annoyance directly might be considered impolite in formal or unfamiliar settings. Instead, indirect expressions or softening phrases like "это немного мешает" (this is a bit bothersome) might be used instead of directly saying someone "раздражает" (annoys).

Related Concepts:

• злость (anger)
• неприязнь (dislike)
• нетерпение (impatience)