Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'assassin'

English Word: assassin

Key Russian Translations:

• убийца [uˈbʲiːtsa] - [Neutral, General Use]
• наёмный убийца [nɐˈjomnɨj uˈbʲiːtsa] - [Specific, Hired Killer]
• ассасин [ɐsɐˈsʲin] - [Borrowed Term, Rare, Historical or Literary]

Frequency: Medium (убийца is common; наёмный убийца is more specific; ассасин is rare)

Difficulty: A2-B1 (убийца - Beginner to Intermediate); B2 (наёмный убийца - Intermediate); C1 (ассасин - Advanced due to rarity)

Pronunciation (Russian):

убийца: [uˈbʲiːtsa]

Note on убийца: Stress on the second syllable; the 'у' is pronounced as a clear 'oo' sound.

наёмный убийца: [nɐˈjomnɨj uˈbʲiːtsa]

Note on наёмный убийца: Stress on the second syllable of наёмный and second syllable of убийца.

ассасин: [ɐsɐˈsʲin]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A person who murders someone (general sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• убийца - General term for a killer or murderer, used in legal, everyday, or literary contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Полиция ищет убийцу, который скрылся с места преступления.

  The police are looking for the murderer who fled the crime scene.

• Он был осуждён как убийца своей жены.

  He was convicted as the murderer of his wife.

• Убийца оставил нож на месте преступления.

  The killer left the knife at the crime scene.

2. A hired killer or professional assassin

Translation(s) & Context:

• наёмный убийца - Specifically refers to a hired killer, often in criminal or espionage contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Мафия наняла наёмного убийцу для устранения свидетеля.

  The mafia hired an assassin to eliminate the witness.

• Наёмный убийца всегда работает за деньги.

  A hired killer always works for money.

3. Historical or literary reference to a member of a secret order of killers

Translation(s) & Context:

• ассасин - Borrowed term, used in historical or literary contexts to refer to the medieval order of Assassins or in fiction.

Usage Examples:

• Ассасины были тайным орденом в Средние века.

  The Assassins were a secret order in the Middle Ages.

• В игре главный герой - ассасин.

  In the game, the main character is an assassin.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

убийца (noun, masculine): Follows the standard masculine noun declension in Russian.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	убийца	убийцы
Genitive	убийцы	убийц
Dative	убийце	убийцам
Accusative	убийцу	убийц
Instrumental	убийцей	убийцами
Prepositional	об убийце	об убийцах

наёмный убийца (compound noun phrase): Both words decline; наёмный (adjective) agrees with убийца (noun) in gender, number, and case.

ассасин (noun, masculine): Borrowed term, follows standard masculine declension similar to убийца, but rarely used in plural.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for убийца:

• убийственник (rare, literary)
• душегуб (colloquial, pejorative)

Note: душегуб often implies a particularly cruel or brutal killer.

Antonyms for убийца:

• спаситель (savior)
• защитник (defender)

Related Phrases:

• серийный убийца - Serial killer (used in criminal contexts).
• наёмный убийца на службе - Hired assassin in service (implies working for an organization).
• ассасины древности - Assassins of antiquity (historical reference).

Usage Notes:

• Choosing the right term: Use "убийца" for general contexts involving murder or killing. Use "наёмный убийца" when specifically referring to a hired killer or hitman. Reserve "ассасин" for historical, literary, or gaming contexts.
• Register: "убийца" is neutral and can be used in formal or informal speech. "душегуб" (synonym) is emotionally charged and pejorative.
• Grammar: Remember that "наёмный убийца" is a phrase, and the adjective "наёмный" must agree with "убийца" in case, number, and gender.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "ассасин" in everyday contexts to mean a murderer. Wrong: "Он ассасин, который убил соседа." Correct: "Он убийца, который убил соседа." Explanation: "ассасин" is a specialized term and sounds unnatural in modern, non-historical contexts.
• Error: Forgetting to decline "наёмный" when used with "убийца." Wrong: "Я видел наёмный убийца." Correct: "Я видел наёмного убийцу." Explanation: Adjectives must agree with nouns in Russian grammar.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the term "убийца" is often associated with criminal cases widely covered in the media. The concept of "наёмный убийца" is frequently linked to organized crime, a significant theme in post-Soviet literature and film, reflecting the turbulent 1990s. The term "ассасин" may evoke associations with Western media, such as video games (e.g., Assassin's Creed), rather than real-life contexts.

Related Concepts:

• преступник (criminal)
• мафия (mafia)
• убийство (murder)