Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Blues'

English Word: blues

Key Russian Translations:

• блюз [blʲuz] - [Music Genre]
• хандра [xɐnˈdra] - [Informal, Emotional State]
• тоска [tɐsˈka] - [Emotional State, Poetic]

Frequency: Medium (блюз - Medium; хандра - Medium; тоска - High)

Difficulty: A2-B1 (блюз - A2; хандра - B1; тоска - B1)

Pronunciation (Russian):

блюз: [blʲuz]

Note on блюз: The 'ю' is pronounced as a soft 'u' sound, and the stress is on the single syllable.

хандра: [xɐnˈdra]

Note on хандра: Stress falls on the second syllable; 'х' is a guttural sound not found in English.

тоска: [tɐsˈka]

Note on тоска: Stress on the second syllable; 'о' is reduced to a schwa sound due to unstressed position.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Music Genre (Blues as a style of music)

Translation(s) & Context:

• блюз - Refers specifically to the musical genre or style originating from African-American communities.

Usage Examples:

• Я люблю слушать блюз по вечерам.

  I love listening to blues in the evenings.

• Блюз - это музыка души.

  Blues is the music of the soul.

• Он играет блюз на гитаре.

  He plays blues on the guitar.

2. Emotional State (Feeling sad or depressed)

Translation(s) & Context:

• хандра - Informal, often used for a temporary state of low mood or melancholy.
• тоска - Deeper, often poetic sense of longing or sadness, sometimes with no clear cause.

Usage Examples:

• У меня хандра из-за плохой погоды.

  I’ve got the blues because of the bad weather.

• Осенью на меня часто накатывает хандра.

  In autumn, I often get the blues.

• Его охвати Ascendant Assistant: (continued)

• Тоска по дому не даёт мне покоя.

  The longing for home doesn’t let me rest.

• В её глазах была тоска.

  There was sadness in her eyes.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

блюз (noun, masculine, inanimate): Loanword from English, does not change in plural form (блюз).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	блюз	блюз
Genitive	блюза	блюзов
Dative	блюзу	блюзам
Accusative	блюз	блюз
Instrumental	блюзом	блюзами
Prepositional	о блюзе	о блюзах

хандра (noun, feminine, inanimate): Regular declension for feminine nouns ending in -а.

тоска (noun, feminine, inanimate): Regular declension for feminine nouns ending in -а.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for хандра (emotional state):

• уныние
• грусть
• меланхолия

Note: уныние often implies despondency, грусть is lighter sadness, меланхолия is more literary or formal.

Antonyms for хандра/тоска:

• радость
• веселье

Related Phrases:

• найти блюз - "to find the blues" (to feel sad or melancholic, informal)
• тоска зелёная - "green longing" (idiomatic, extreme boredom or melancholy)
• хандра напала - "the blues struck" (to suddenly feel sad or depressed)

Usage Notes:

• Choosing the right word: Use "блюз" strictly for the music genre. For emotional states, "хандра" is more colloquial and temporary, while "тоска" conveys a deeper, often existential sadness or longing.
• Register: "хандра" is informal and conversational, while "тоска" can be used in both casual and literary contexts.
• Grammar: All translations are nouns and follow standard Russian declension rules as shown in the table above.

Common Errors:

• Mixing up meanings: English speakers may use "блюз" to mean sadness, which is incorrect. Correct: Use "хандра" or "тоска" for emotional states. Incorrect: "У меня блюз" for "I’m sad."
• Pronunciation mistake: Mispronouncing "хандра" by stressing the first syllable. Correct stress is on the second syllable: [xɐnˈdra].

Cultural Notes:

The concept of "тоска" holds a special place in Russian culture, often described as an untranslatable word embodying a profound, soulful longing or melancholy. It is frequently associated with the Russian soul and appears in literature and poetry (e.g., works of Pushkin and Chekhov). Unlike the English "blues," which can be casual, "тоска" often carries a deeper, almost philosophical weight.

Related Concepts:

• грусть (sadness)
• печаль (sorrow)
• ностальгия (nostalgia)