Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'bully'

English Word: bully

Key Russian Translations:

• хулиган [xʊlʲɪˈɡan] - [Informal, often used for a young troublemaker]
• задира [zɐˈdʲirə] - [Informal, emphasizes a person who provokes or teases]
• тиран [tʲɪˈran] - [Formal, used for someone who oppresses or dominates]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in casual and formal contexts)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "хулиган" and "задира"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "тиран" due to its formal tone

Pronunciation (Russian):

хулиган: [xʊlʲɪˈɡan]

Note on хулиган: The initial 'х' sound is a voiceless guttural fricative, unfamiliar to many English speakers; practice pronouncing it like a harsh 'h'.

задира: [zɐˈdʲirə]

Note on задира: Stress falls on the second syllable; the 'р' is rolled lightly.

тиран: [tʲɪˈran]

Note on тиран: The 'и' is pronounced as a short 'i'; stress is on the second syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A person who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate others (general sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• хулиган - Often refers to a young person or delinquent engaging in disruptive behavior.
• задира - Focuses on someone who teases or provokes others, often in a school or peer context.

Usage Examples:

• Этот хулиган всегда обижает младших детей на площадке.

  This bully always picks on younger kids at the playground.

• Он такой задира, постоянно дразнит одноклассников.

  He’s such a bully, always teasing his classmates.

• Хулиганы разбили окно в школе прошлой ночью.

  Bullies broke a window at school last night.

2. A person who uses power to oppress or dominate (formal or extreme sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• тиран - Used for someone who exercises power cruelly, often in a political or authoritarian context.

Usage Examples:

• Этот начальник — настоящий тиран, он унижает сотрудников.

  This boss is a real bully; he humiliates his employees.

• Историки называют его тираном из-за жестоких методов правления.

  Historians call him a bully due to his cruel methods of ruling.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

хулиган (noun, masculine): Follows the standard masculine noun declension in Russian.

задира (noun, common gender): Can be masculine or feminine depending on the referent; declines as a feminine noun.

тиран (noun, masculine): Follows regular masculine declension; similar to "хулиган" but with different endings.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for хулиган/задира (informal bully):

• дракон
• хулиганка (feminine form)
• забияка

Note: "забияка" often implies a playful or less harmful bully compared to "хулиган".

Synonyms for тиран (formal bully):

• деспот
• угнетатель

Antonyms:

• жертва (victim)
• защитник (protector)

Related Phrases:

• хулиганское поведение - Bullying behavior or hooliganism.
• задирать нос - To act arrogantly or bully others by "lifting one’s nose".
• тиранить кого-то - To bully or oppress someone (verb form of тиран).

Usage Notes:

• "хулиган" is the most common term for a general bully, often associated with delinquent youth. Use it in casual contexts.
• "задира" is more specific to teasing or provoking behavior, often among peers or children.
• "тиран" carries a stronger, more formal tone and is used for someone who dominates or oppresses, often in a workplace or political context.
• Be cautious with tone: using "тиран" in a casual setting might sound overly dramatic.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "тиран" for a schoolyard bully. Wrong: Он тиран на детской площадке. Correct: Он хулиган на детской площадке. Explanation: "тиран" implies serious oppression, not childish bullying.
• Error: Misgendering "задира". Since it can refer to both genders, ensure agreement with context (e.g., Она задира for a female).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the term "хулиган" often carries connotations of Soviet-era youth delinquency, sometimes romanticized in literature or film as rebellious but misguided individuals. "тиран", on the other hand, may evoke historical figures or authoritarian leaders, so it’s a loaded term.

Related Concepts:

• насилие (violence)
• издевательство (mockery, bullying)
• доминирование (domination)