Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'boy'

English Word: boy

Key Russian Translations:

• мальчик [ˈmalʲtɕɪk] - [Informal, Most Common]
• юноша [ˈjunəʂə] - [Formal, Older Boy or Young Man]
• парень [ˈparʲɪnʲ] - [Colloquial, Informal, Often for Teen or Young Adult]

Frequency: High (especially for "мальчик")

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner) for "мальчик"; B1 (Intermediate) for "юноша" and "парень"

Pronunciation (Russian):

мальчик: [ˈmalʲtɕɪk]

Note on мальчик: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "ль" sound is palatalized, a common feature in Russian.

юноша: [ˈjunəʂə]

Note on юноша: The "ш" sound is a retroflex fricative, distinct from English "sh". Stress on first syllable.

парень: [ˈparʲɪnʲ]

Note on парень: The "р" is rolled, and "нь" is palatalized. Stress on first syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Young Male Child

Translation(s) & Context:

• мальчик - Most common and neutral term for a young boy, used in everyday speech.

Usage Examples:

• Мальчик играет в футбол во дворе.

  The boy is playing soccer in the yard.

• Этот мальчик очень вежливый.

  This boy is very polite.

• Мальчики, идите сюда!

  Boys, come here!

2. Older Boy or Young Man

Translation(s) & Context:

• юноша - Formal, often used in literature or formal contexts to refer to a young man.
• парень - Informal, colloquial term for a teenage boy or young adult, often implying familiarity.

Usage Examples:

• Юноша стоял у окна и смотрел на улицу.

  The young man stood by the window and looked at the street.

• Этот парень мой лучший друг.

  This guy is my best friend.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

мальчик (Noun, Masculine, Animate): Follows the second declension pattern in Russian. Below is the case declension for singular and plural forms:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	мальчик	мальчики
Genitive	мальчика	мальчиков
Dative	мальчику	мальчикам
Accusative	мальчика	мальчиков
Instrumental	мальчиком	мальчиками
Prepositional	о мальчике	о мальчиках

юноша (Noun, Masculine, Animate): Similar to "мальчик", follows second declension with slight stem changes in some cases.

парень (Noun, Masculine, Animate): Follows second declension with regular endings.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "мальчик":

• ребёнок (when referring to a child in general)
• малыш (informal, affectionate term for a small boy)

Note: "малыш" is more affectionate and often used for younger children.

Antonyms for "мальчик":

• девочка (girl)
• мужчина (man, adult male)

Related Phrases:

• хороший мальчик - "good boy" (often used to praise a child or pet)
• мальчик на побегушках - "errand boy" (colloquial, slightly derogatory)
• парень что надо - "a great guy" (colloquial, positive expression)

Usage Notes:

• "мальчик" is the most neutral and widely used term for a young male child. It is appropriate in most contexts, formal or informal.
• "юноша" is more formal and often appears in written language or formal speech. It is less common in casual conversation.
• "парень" is very informal and can refer to a boyfriend in certain contexts, so be cautious when using it to avoid ambiguity.
• In Russian, nouns are declined based on grammatical case, so the form of the word changes depending on its role in the sentence (see the inflection table above).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "парень" to refer to a young child.
  Incorrect: Этот парень 5 лет. (This guy is 5 years old.)
  Correct: Этому мальчику 5 лет. (This boy is 5 years old.)
  Explanation: "парень" is typically used for teenagers or young adults, not young children.
• Error: Failing to decline the noun based on case.
  Incorrect: Я вижу мальчик. (I see boy.)
  Correct: Я вижу мальчика. (I see a boy.)
  Explanation: In accusative case, "мальчик" changes to "мальчика" when it is the direct object.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like "мальчик" can sometimes be used affectionately or condescendingly depending on tone and context, even when addressing an older male in informal settings. Additionally, "парень" is often used among friends to mean "guy" or "dude", reflecting a sense of camaraderie.

Related Concepts:

• ребёнок (child)
• подросток (teenager)
• молодой человек (young man)