Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'awkward'

English Word: awkward

Key Russian Translations:

• неуклюжий [nʲɪˈuklʲuʐɨj] - [Informal, Often for physical clumsiness]
• неловкий [nʲɪˈlofskʲɪj] - [Neutral, Used for social or situational awkwardness]
• неудобный [nʲɪʊˈdobnɨj] - [Neutral, Often for inconvenient or uncomfortable situations]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in conversational and written contexts)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "неловкий" and "неудобный"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "неуклюжий" due to specific usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

неуклюжий: [nʲɪˈuklʲuʐɨj]

Note on неуклюжий: Stress falls on the second syllable; the "ж" sound is a voiced fricative, unique to Russian.

неловкий: [nʲɪˈlofskʲɪj]

Note on неловкий: Stress on the second syllable; soft "л" sound requires tongue placement near the palate.

неудобный: [nʲɪʊˈdobnɨj]

Note on неудобный: Stress on the third syllable; "у" before a stressed syllable often sounds reduced.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Physical Clumsiness (lack of grace or skill)

Translation(s) & Context:

• неуклюжий - Used to describe someone who lacks physical coordination, often in informal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Он такой неуклюжий, что постоянно что-то роняет.

  He is so awkward that he constantly drops things.

• Её неуклюжие движения вызвали смех у всех.

  Her awkward movements made everyone laugh.

• Неуклюжий медведь пытался залезть на дерево.

  The awkward bear tried to climb the tree.

2. Social or Situational Unease (embarrassing or uncomfortable)

Translation(s) & Context:

• неловкий - Refers to social awkwardness or discomfort in interactions.

Usage Examples:

• После его шутки возникла неловкая тишина.

  After his joke, there was an awkward silence.

• Я чувствовал себя неловко, когда забыл её имя.

  I felt awkward when I forgot her name.

• Это был неловкий момент, когда мы оба начали говорить одновременно.

  It was an awkward moment when we both started speaking at the same time.

3. Inconvenient or Uncomfortable (situations or objects)

Translation(s) & Context:

• неудобный - Used for situations, positions, or objects that cause discomfort or inconvenience.

Usage Examples:

• Этот стул очень неудобный для долгого сидения.

  This chair is very awkward to sit on for long.

• Время встречи оказалось неудобным для всех.

  The meeting time was awkward for everyone.

• Неудобный чемодан было трудно нести по лестнице.

  The awkward suitcase was hard to carry up the stairs.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

неуклюжий (adjective): Declines like a standard Russian adjective. Gender and case agreement required.

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative	неуклюжий	неуклюжая	неуклюжее	неуклюжие
Genitive	неуклюжего	неуклюжей	неуклюжего	неуклюжих

неловкий (adjective): Follows similar adjective declension patterns as above.

неудобный (adjective): Follows standard adjective declension rules as well.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• неуклюжий: нескладный, нерасторопный (slight nuance of slowness)
• неловкий: смущённый (more emotional awkwardness)
• неудобный: затруднительный (more formal, situational)

Antonyms:

• неуклюжий: ловкий, грациозный
• неловкий: уверенный, раскованный
• неудобный: удобный, подходящий

Related Phrases:

• неловкая ситуация - An awkward situation (common expression for uncomfortable social moments).
• неудобный вопрос - An awkward question (often used for intrusive or difficult questions).
• неуклюжие попытки - Awkward attempts (used for clumsy or unskilled efforts).

Usage Notes:

• "неуклюжий" is more specific to physical awkwardness or clumsiness, while "неловкий" is broader, often covering social or emotional discomfort.
• "неудобный" is typically used for practical inconvenience or discomfort, such as an awkward time or position, rather than personal traits.
• Choose the translation based on context: for a person’s behavior, "неловкий" or "неуклюжий" might be better; for objects or situations, use "неудобный".

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "неуклюжий" for social awkwardness.
  Incorrect: Он был неуклюжий на вечеринке. (Implies physical clumsiness, not social unease.)
  Correct: Он был неловкий на вечеринке. (Refers to social discomfort.)
  Explanation: "неуклюжий" is rarely used for social contexts; use "неловкий" instead.
• Error: Using "неудобный" to describe a person’s demeanor.
  Incorrect: Она такая неудобная. (Sounds odd, as it implies inconvenience rather than personality.)
  Correct: Она такая неловкая.
  Explanation: "неудобный" is better for objects or situations, not personal traits.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, social awkwardness ("неловкость") is often associated with politeness and avoiding direct confrontation. Russians might describe a situation as "неловкая" when someone breaches social norms, even subtly, reflecting a cultural emphasis on harmony in interactions.

Related Concepts:

• смущение (embarrassment)
• дискомфорт (discomfort)
• неуверенность (insecurity)