Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Attendant'

English Word: Attendant

Key Russian Translations:

• служащий [ˈsluʐɨjɪj] - [Formal, Often used for staff or employees]
• обслуживающий персонал [ɐbsluˈʐɨvɐjɪj pʲɪrsɐˈnal] - [Formal, Plural, Refers to service staff collectively]
• сопровождающий [sɐprɐvɐˈʐdɐjɪj] - [Neutral, Used for someone accompanying or escorting]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "служащий"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "обслуживающий персонал" and "сопровождающий"

Pronunciation (Russian):

служащий: [ˈsluʐɨjɪj]

Note on служащий: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, unique to Russian.

обслуживающий персонал: [ɐbsluˈʐɨvɐjɪj pʲɪrsɐˈnal]

Note on обслуживающий персонал: Stress on "слу" in "обслуживающий" and "нал" in "персонал". Compound phrases like this are common in formal contexts.

сопровождающий: [sɐprɐvɐˈʐdɐjɪj]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A person employed to provide a service (e.g., in a hotel or on a flight)

Translation(s) & Context:

• служащий - Used for an individual employee in a formal or neutral context, such as a hotel attendant.
• обслуживающий персонал - Refers to service staff collectively, often in written or official contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Служащий отеля помог мне с багажом.

  The hotel attendant helped me with my luggage.

• Обслуживающий персонал был очень вежливым.

  The service staff were very polite.

• Служащий на стойке регистрации выдал мне ключ.

  The attendant at the front desk gave me the key.

2. A person who accompanies or assists someone (e.g., a guide or escort)

Translation(s) & Context:

• сопровождающий - Used for someone who accompanies or escorts, often in travel or official settings.

Usage Examples:

• Сопровождающий показал нам достопримечательности города.

  The attendant showed us the city’s landmarks.

• На экскурсии был сопровождающий, который говорил по-английски.

  There was an attendant on the tour who spoke English.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

служащий: Noun (masculine). Declines according to standard masculine patterns.

обслуживающий персонал: Compound phrase. "Обслуживающий" (adjective) agrees with "персонал" (noun, masculine) in case, number, and gender. "Персонал" does not change in singular/plural as it is a collective noun.

сопровождающий: Noun (masculine) or adjective, depending on context. Declines similarly to "служащий" when used as a noun.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for служащий:

• работник
• сотрудник

Note: "Работник" is more general and can refer to any worker, while "сотрудник" often implies a colleague or office worker.

Antonyms for служащий:

• клиент
• посетитель

Related Phrases:

• служащий компании - Employee of a company.
• обслуживающий персонал ресторана - Restaurant service staff.
• сопровождающий гид - Accompanying guide.

Usage Notes:

• "Служащий" is the most direct translation for "attendant" in formal or professional contexts but may sound overly official in casual speech.
• "Обслуживающий персонал" is a broader, collective term and is rarely used to refer to an individual. It is common in written instructions or signs.
• "Сопровождающий" implies a role of guidance or escorting, so it is inappropriate for service staff in static roles (e.g., a hotel desk clerk).
• Pay attention to gender when using these terms. Feminine forms like "служащая" exist for female attendants.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "обслуживающий персонал" to refer to a single person. Incorrect: "Обслуживающий персонал помог мне." Correct: "Служащий помог мне." (Explanation: "Персонал" is collective and refers to a group.)
• Error: Misusing "сопровождающий" for a stationary service role. Incorrect: "Сопровождающий на ресепшене." Correct: "Служащий на ресепшене." (Explanation: "Сопровождающий" implies movement or escorting.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, addressing service staff formally using "служащий" or specific job titles (e.g., "администратор" for a desk clerk) is considered polite. Unlike in some English-speaking cultures, casual terms like "guy" or "buddy" are rarely used to address attendants.

Related Concepts:

• администратор (administrator)
• официант (waiter)
• гид (guide)