Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Boast'

English Word: boast

Key Russian Translations:

• хвастаться [ˈxvastaˌtʲsʲa] - [Informal, Verb, Imperfective]
• похваляться [pəxvɐˈlʲatʲsʲa] - [Formal, Verb, Imperfective]
• хвастовство [xvɐˈstofstvə] - [Neutral, Noun]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for verbs, A2 (Beginner) for noun form

Pronunciation (Russian):

хвастаться: [ˈxvastaˌtʲsʲa]

Note on хвастаться: Stress falls on the first syllable, and the 'тс' cluster can be tricky for non-native speakers.

похваляться: [pəxvɐˈlʲatʲsʲa]

Note on похваляться: Stress on the third syllable; the prefix 'по-' is unstressed.

хвастовство: [xvɐˈstofstvə]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To speak with excessive pride (Verb)

Translation(s) & Context:

• хвастаться - Commonly used in casual conversations to describe bragging about achievements or possessions.
• похваляться - More formal, often used in written contexts or to describe self-praise in a serious tone.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда хвастается своими успехами в школе.

  He always boasts about his success in school.

• Не стоит хвастаться перед друзьями.

  You shouldn't boast in front of your friends.

• Она похвалялась своим новым платьем на вечеринке.

  She boasted about her new dress at the party.

2. An act of boasting (Noun)

Translation(s) & Context:

• хвастовство - Refers to the act or habit of boasting, often with a negative connotation.

Usage Examples:

• Его хвастовство раздражает всех вокруг.

  His boasting annoys everyone around him.

• Хвастовство не приведёт к настоящей дружбе.

  Boasting won't lead to true friendship.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

хвастаться (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation in present, past, and future tenses. Reflexive verb with the suffix '-ся'.

похваляться (Verb, Imperfective): Similar conjugation pattern to хвастаться, reflexive with '-ся'.

хвастовство (Noun, Neuter): Declines as a neuter noun in all cases.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for хвастаться/похваляться:

• кичиться (to brag, often with arrogance)
• заливать (colloquial, to exaggerate or boast)

Antonyms for хвастаться/похваляться:

• скромничать (to be modest)

Related Phrases:

• хвастаться успехами - to boast about successes
• хвастаться знаниями - to boast about knowledge
• хвастовство без причины - boasting without reason (idiomatic, implies empty bragging)

Usage Notes:

• While both 'хвастаться' and 'похваляться' mean 'to boast,' 'хвастаться' is more commonly used in everyday speech, whereas 'похваляться' often appears in formal or literary contexts.
• The noun 'хвастовство' carries a negative connotation and is often used to criticize someone’s habit of bragging.
• Both verbs are reflexive (require '-ся'), which is a common feature in Russian for verbs describing personal actions or emotions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Forgetting the reflexive suffix '-ся' in verbs like 'хвастаться.' Incorrect: *Он хвастает.* Correct: Он хвастается.
• Error: Using 'хвастовство' as a verb. It is a noun and cannot be conjugated. Incorrect: *Я хвастовство.* Correct: Я хвастаюсь (verb form).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, boasting ('хвастовство') is often frowned upon, as modesty is highly valued. Openly bragging about personal achievements may be seen as impolite or arrogant, especially in formal or traditional settings.

Related Concepts:

• скромность (modesty)
• гордость (pride)
• самоуверенность (self-confidence)