Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Armour'

English Word: Armour

Key Russian Translations:

• броня [ˈbronʲə] - [General, Formal]
• доспехи [dɐˈspʲexʲɪ] - [Historical, Plural]

Frequency: Medium (used in specific contexts like military or historical discussions)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "броня"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "доспехи" due to historical context

Pronunciation (Russian):

броня: [ˈbronʲə]

Note on броня: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "я" sound is a soft vowel, pronounced like "ya."

доспехи: [dɐˈspʲexʲɪ]

Note on доспехи: Stress on the second syllable. The final "и" is pronounced softly as "ee."

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Protective covering (e.g., for vehicles or tanks)

Translation(s) & Context:

• броня - Used for modern armor, such as tank or vehicle protection, in military or technical contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Броня танка выдержала удар.

  The tank's armor withstood the impact.

• Эта броня сделана из стали.

  This armor is made of steel.

• Броня защищает от пуль.

  The armor protects against bullets.

2. Historical protective gear (e.g., worn by knights)

Translation(s) & Context:

• доспехи - Refers to medieval armor or protective gear worn by warriors or knights, often in historical or literary contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Рыцарь надел доспехи перед боем.

  The knight put on armor before the battle.

• В музее выставлены старинные доспехи.

  Ancient armor is displayed in the museum.

• Доспехи были тяжелыми, но надежными.

  The armor was heavy but reliable.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

броня (Feminine Noun): Follows regular feminine noun declension in Russian.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	броня	брони
Genitive	брони	бронь
Dative	броне	броням
Accusative	броню	брони
Instrumental	бронёй	бронями
Prepositional	о броне	о бронях

доспехи (Plural-Only Masculine Noun): Used only in plural form, follows regular masculine plural declension.

Case	Plural
Nominative	доспехи
Genitive	доспехов
Dative	доспехам
Accusative	доспехи
Instrumental	доспехами
Prepositional	о доспехах

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for броня:

• защита (protection, broader term)
• панцирь (shell or armor, often for animals or metaphorically)

Note: "защита" is more general and can refer to any kind of protection, while "панцирь" is less common and often figurative.

Synonyms for доспехи:

• латы (plate armor, historical term)

Antonyms:

• уязвимость (vulnerability, for броня)

Related Phrases:

• броня крепка - "The armor is strong" (a phrase from a famous Soviet song, symbolizing resilience).
• надеть доспехи - "To put on armor" (often used metaphorically for preparing for a challenge).
• пробить броню - "To penetrate the armor" (used literally for military contexts or figuratively for overcoming defenses).

Usage Notes:

• "броня" is the go-to term for modern armor, especially in military or technical contexts. It can also be used metaphorically to describe emotional or psychological barriers.
• "доспехи" is almost exclusively used for historical armor, such as that worn by medieval knights. It is rarely used in modern contexts outside of literature or history.
• Choose "броня" for general or modern references to armor, and reserve "доспехи" for historical or cultural discussions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "доспехи" to describe modern tank armor. Incorrect: "Броня танка - это доспехи." Correct: "Броня танка очень прочная." (The tank's armor is very strong.)
• Error: Mispronouncing "броня" with stress on the second syllable. Stress must be on the first syllable [ˈbronʲə], not [broˈnʲa].

Cultural Notes:

The term "броня" carries significant cultural weight in Russia due to its association with Soviet military strength, especially during World War II. The phrase "броня крепка, и танки наши быстры" ("Our armor is strong, and our tanks are fast") from a famous wartime song reflects national pride in military technology.

"доспехи," on the other hand, evokes imagery of medieval Russian warriors or European knights, often seen in historical reenactments or literature.

Related Concepts:

• танк (tank)
• рыцарь (knight)
• битва (battle)
• защита (protection)