Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Biscuit'

English Word: Biscuit

Key Russian Translations:

• печенье [pʲɪˈt͡ɕenʲjə] - [Neutral, Commonly Used]
• бисквит [bʲɪsˈkvʲit] - [Formal, Specific to Sponge Cake or Certain Biscuits]
• галета [ɡɐˈlʲetə] - [Specific, Often Used for Dry or Hard Biscuits]

Frequency: High (especially for "печенье")

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner) for "печенье"; B1 (Intermediate) for "бисквит" and "галета"

Pronunciation (Russian):

печенье: [pʲɪˈt͡ɕenʲjə]

Note on печенье: The stress falls on the second syllable. The soft 'ч' sound might be tricky for beginners.

бисквит: [bʲɪsˈkvʲit]

Note on бисквит: Stress on the second syllable. Borrowed from French, so pronunciation is close to the original.

галета: [ɡɐˈlʲetə]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. General Term for Biscuit/Cookie

Translation(s) & Context:

• печенье - General term for biscuits or cookies, used in everyday contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Я купил печенье к чаю.

  I bought biscuits for tea.

• Дети любят шоколадное печенье.

  Children love chocolate biscuits.

• У нас есть домашнее печенье.

  We have homemade biscuits.

2. Specific Type of Biscuit (Sponge Cake Base)

Translation(s) & Context:

• бисквит - Refers to a sponge cake or a specific type of soft biscuit used in desserts.

Usage Examples:

• Для торта нужен бисквит.

  A sponge biscuit is needed for the cake.

• Она испекла бисквит с кремом.

  She baked a sponge biscuit with cream.

3. Dry or Hard Biscuit (Often Savory)

Translation(s) & Context:

• галета - Refers to a dry, hard biscuit, often unsweetened or used as a long-lasting food.

Usage Examples:

• Галеты удобны для походов.

  Hard biscuits are convenient for hiking.

• На корабле ели галеты вместо хлеба.

  On the ship, they ate hard biscuits instead of bread.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

печенье (neuter noun): Indeclinable in singular, but changes in plural.

бисквит (masculine noun): Regular declension for masculine inanimate nouns.

галета (feminine noun): Regular declension for feminine nouns ending in -а.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for печенье:

• сухарик (for small, dry biscuits)
• крекер (for crackers)

Note: "сухарик" often implies a smaller or crunchier biscuit, while "крекер" is specific to savory crackers.

Antonyms: None directly applicable.

Related Phrases:

• печенье с изюмом - Biscuit with raisins.
• бисквитный торт - Sponge cake.
• галеты с чаем - Hard biscuits with tea.

Usage Notes:

• "печенье" is the most general and widely used term for biscuits or cookies in Russian. It is the safest choice for most contexts.
• "бисквит" is more specific and often refers to a sponge cake base used in desserts, rather than a standalone biscuit.
• "галета" is niche and refers to dry, hard biscuits, often associated with military or travel provisions.
• Be mindful of cultural differences: what is called a "biscuit" in British English (a sweet baked good) might differ from American English (a savory bread roll), and Russian terms do not directly map to these distinctions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "бисквит" to refer to any biscuit. Incorrect: "Я ем бисквит" for a regular cookie. Correct: "Я ем печенье."
• Error: Mispronouncing "печенье" with stress on the first syllable. Stress should be on "че" [t͡ɕe].

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "печенье" is often associated with tea-drinking traditions, a common social activity. Biscuits like "галеты" have historical ties to military rations during Soviet times, evoking a sense of nostalgia or hardship for some speakers.

Related Concepts:

• чай (tea)
• торт (cake)
• сухари (rusks)