Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'awry'

English Word: awry

Key Russian Translations:

• неправильно [nʲɪˈpravʲɪlʲnə] - [Informal, commonly used in everyday contexts for something that has gone wrong]
• кривой [ˈkrʲivəj] - [Formal, often for physical or literal crookedness, but can extend to metaphorical senses]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations appear in conversational and written Russian, but not as frequently as basic vocabulary; it's more common in narratives or problem-solving contexts.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of adjectives and contextual usage, which may vary slightly between translations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

неправильно: [nʲɪˈpravʲɪlʲnə]

Note on неправильно: The stress falls on the third syllable ("prav"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to Russian's vowel reduction in unstressed positions. Pronounce it with a soft "n" sound at the beginning.

Audio: []

кривой: [ˈkrʲivəj]

Note on кривой: The initial "kr" is pronounced with a palatalized "r," which might sound like a soft "k" to English ears. The final "ой" is a diphthong, similar to "oy" in "boy."

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Gone wrong or not as planned (metaphorical sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• неправильно - Used in informal settings to describe situations where plans or expectations fail, such as in daily conversations or casual writing.

Usage Examples:

• Мои планы пошли наперекосяк из-за непредвиденных обстоятельств.

  My plans went awry due to unforeseen circumstances.

• Всё в этом проекте пошло неправильно с самого начала.

  Everything in this project went awry from the very beginning.

• Её речь вышла неправильно, и аудитория не поняла шутку.

  Her speech went awry, and the audience didn't get the joke.

• Из-за дождя пикник закончился неправильно.

  Due to the rain, the picnic ended up going awry.

Meaning 2: Physically crooked or twisted (literal sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• кривой - Applied in formal or descriptive contexts, such as describing objects or physical appearances, but can metaphorically extend to ideas.

Usage Examples:

• Картина висит криво на стене.

  The picture is hanging awry on the wall.

• Его улыбка была кривой, как будто что-то скрывал.

  His smile was awry, as if he were hiding something.

• Дорога пошла криво из-за оползня.

  The road went awry due to a landslide.

• Кривой забор испортил вид сада.

  The awry fence ruined the garden's view.

• Её шляпа сидела криво на голове.

  Her hat was sitting awry on her head.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

неправильно is an adverb and does not inflect; it remains the same in all contexts, making it straightforward for learners.

кривой is an adjective, which inflects based on gender, number, and case in Russian. Below is a table outlining its basic forms:

Note: кривой follows the standard first-declension pattern for adjectives, with irregularities in some cases due to palatalization.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • неверно (neverno) - Similar to неправильно, but often used for factual errors.
  • ошибочно (oshibochno) - Implies a mistake, with a slight nuance of accidental error.
  • искаженно (iskazhenno) - For distorted or twisted meanings.
• Antonyms:
  • правильно (pravil'no) - Correctly or straight.
  • ровно (rovno) - Evenly or straight (especially for physical contexts).

Related Phrases:

• всё пошло наперекосяк - Literally "everything went crosswise"; used for situations that have gone completely awry; English explanation: Describes total failure or deviation from plan.
• сойти с рельсов - Literally "to go off the rails"; implies plans or events going awry; English explanation: Common in metaphorical contexts for unexpected disruptions.
• кривые дорожки - Literally "crooked paths"; refers to misguided or awry life choices; English explanation: Often used in moral or advisory contexts.

Usage Notes:

"Awry" corresponds most closely to "неправильно" in metaphorical senses and "кривой" in literal ones. Choose "неправильно" for informal, everyday errors (e.g., in conversations), as it's more versatile and less formal than "кривой". Be mindful of context: in Russian, adjectives like "кривой" must agree in gender, number, and case, which has no direct equivalent in English. For example, use "кривой" with masculine nouns and adjust accordingly. This vocabulary is common in narratives or problem-solving discussions, but avoid it in highly formal writing where more precise terms might be preferred.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "неправильно" as an adjective (e.g., treating it like "wrong" in English sentences). Correct: "неправильно" is an adverb; for adjectival use, opt for "неправильный" (nepravil'nyj). Example of error: *Мои планы неправильно* (incorrect). Correct: Мои планы пошли неправильно. Explanation: This confuses parts of speech, leading to grammatical errors in Russian.

• Error: Failing to inflect "кривой" properly in sentences. Correct: Always match the adjective to the noun's gender and case. Example of error: *Кривая дом* (incorrect for a feminine noun). Correct: Кривая дорога (for a feminine noun like "дорога"). Explanation: English speakers often overlook Russian's inflection system, resulting in agreement errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressions like "всё пошло наперекосяк" often reflect a resilient attitude toward life's unpredictability, as seen in literature by authors like Chekhov. This mirrors the Russian proverb "Не всё то золото, что блестит" (Not all that glitters is gold), emphasizing that things can go awry unexpectedly, which is a common theme in folklore and daily life.

Related Concepts:

• неудача (neudacha) - Failure
• сбой (sboy) - Malfunction or glitch
• искажение (iskazhenie) - Distortion