Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'awfully'

English Word: awfully

Key Russian Translations:

• ужасно [ˈuʐəsnə] - [Informal, Negative connotation]
• страшно [ˈstraʂnə] - [Informal, Can be positive or negative depending on context]
• чрезвычайно [tɕrʲɪzˈvɨtɕəjnə] - [Formal, Often positive or neutral]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "ужасно" and "страшно"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "чрезвычайно"

Pronunciation (Russian):

ужасно: [ˈuʐəsnə]

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

страшно: [ˈstraʂnə]

Note on страшно: Stress on the first syllable. The "ш" sound is a voiceless retroflex fricative.

чрезвычайно: [tɕrʲɪzˈvɨtɕəjnə]

Note on чрезвычайно: Stress on the third syllable. This is a longer word with a formal tone.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To a great extent (often negative, e.g., "awfully bad")

Translation(s) & Context:

• ужасно - Used in informal contexts to express strong negativity (e.g., something is very bad or unpleasant).
• страшно - Used informally, can imply something is terribly bad or frightening.

Usage Examples:

• Этот фильм ужасно скучный.

  This movie is awfully boring.

• Мне страшно не нравится эта идея.

  I awfully dislike this idea.

• Погода сегодня ужасно холодная.

  The weather today is awfully cold.

2. To a great extent (positive or neutral, e.g., "awfully nice")

Translation(s) & Context:

• страшно - Used informally to emphasize something positive in certain contexts.
• чрезвычайно - Used in formal or neutral contexts to express a high degree of something, often positive.

Usage Examples:

• Она страшно милая девушка.

  She is awfully nice girl.

• Я чрезвычайно благодарен за вашу помощь.

  I am awfully grateful for your help.

• Это чрезвычайно важное решение.

  This is an awfully important decision.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

ужасно and страшно: These are adverbs derived from adjectives "ужасный" (terrible) and "страшный" (scary/frightening), respectively. As adverbs, they do not change form based on gender, number, or case.

чрезвычайно: This is also an adverb and does not inflect. It remains unchanged in all contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for ужасно/страшно (negative sense):

• жутко
• кошмарно

Note: "жутко" often implies something eerie, while "кошмарно" is closer to "nightmarish."

Synonyms for чрезвычайно (formal, positive/neutral sense):

• крайне
• очень

Antonyms:

• слегка (slightly)
• немного (a little)

Related Phrases:

• ужасно устал - Awfully tired; used to express extreme exhaustion.
• страшно рад - Awfully glad; used informally to express great happiness.
• чрезвычайно важно - Awfully important; used in formal contexts to emphasize significance.

Usage Notes:

• "Awfully" in English can have both negative and positive connotations depending on context. In Russian, "ужасно" is almostimmons usually used for negative contexts, while "страшно" can be used for both positive and negative emphasis in informal speech. "Чрезвычайно" is more formal and often used in written or official language for strong emphasis, usually positive or neutral.
• When choosing between translations, consider the tone and context: use "ужасно" for casual, negative emphasis, "страшно" for informal emphasis (positive or negative), and "чрезвычайно" for formal or polite expressions.

Common Errors:

• Misusing "ужасно" in formal contexts: English speakers might use "ужасно" in formal writing or speech, which sounds overly casual or inappropriate. Correct: Use "чрезвычайно" in formal contexts. Example of error: *Этот доклад ужасно интересный* (sounds too informal). Correct: *Этот доклад чрезвычайно интересный* (This report is awfully interesting).
• Overusing "страшно" for negative contexts only: English speakers may assume "страшно" always means "scary" or negative, but it can be used positively in informal speech. Example of error: Avoiding *страшно добрый* (awfully kind). Correct: This is acceptable in casual conversation.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, emotional expressiveness is common, and adverbs like "ужасно" or "страшно" are often used in everyday speech to exaggerate feelings or situations, much like "awfully" in English. However, Russians may perceive overuse of such intensifiers as insincere in formal or serious contexts, so "чрезвычайно" is preferred for professionalism.

Related Concepts:

• очень (very)
• крайне (extremely)
• жутко (terribly, eerily)