Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Carol'

English Word: Carol

Key Russian Translations:

• Кэрол [ˈkʲɛrəl] - [Proper Noun, Personal Name]
• рождественская песня [rɐʐˈdʲestvʲɪnskəjə ˈpʲesnʲə] - [Noun, Refers to a Christmas song]

Frequency: Medium (for "рождественская песня"); Low (for "Кэрол" as a name in Russian contexts)

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner-Intermediate for "рождественская песня"); A1 (Beginner for "Кэрол")

Pronunciation (Russian):

Кэрол: [ˈkʲɛrəl]

Note on Кэрол: The stress is on the first syllable, and the 'r' is rolled slightly, typical of Russian phonetics.

рождественская песня: [rɐʐˈdʲestvʲɪnskəjə ˈpʲesnʲə]

Note on рождественская песня: Stress falls on "дес" in "рождественская" and "пес" in "песня". The soft consonants (like 'н' in "песня") are important.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. As a Proper Name (Personal Name)

Translation(s) & Context:

• Кэрол - Used as a transliteration of the English name "Carol" for both male and female individuals, though less common in Russian-speaking regions.

Usage Examples:

• Кэрол приехала из Америки на прошлой неделе.

  Carol arrived from America last week.

• Ты знаешь Кэрол? Она очень добрая.

  Do you know Carol? She is very kind.

• Кэрол позвонила мне вчера вечером.

  Carol called me last night.

2. As a Christmas Song

Translation(s) & Context:

• рождественская песня - Refers to a traditional song or hymn sung during Christmas celebrations.

Usage Examples:

• Мы пели рождественскую песню на празднике.

  We sang a Christmas carol at the celebration.

• Эта рождественская песня очень старая и красивая.

  This Christmas carol is very old and beautiful.

• Дети выучили новую рождественскую песню для концерта.

  The children learned a new Christmas carol for the concert.

• Какая твоя любимая рождественская песня?

  What is your favorite Christmas carol?

• На Рождество мы всегда поём рождественские песни всей семьёй.

  At Christmas, we always sing carols with the whole family.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

1. Кэрол (Proper Noun): As a transliterated name, it does not inflect in Russian. It remains "Кэрол" in all grammatical cases.

2. рождественская песня (Noun Phrase): Both words inflect according to Russian grammar rules.

Note: Plural forms follow similar patterns for both words (e.g., Nominative Plural: рождественские песни).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "рождественская песня":

• колядка (more traditional/folkloric term)
• рождественский гимн (more formal, hymn-like)

Note: "колядка" often refers to folk carols sung during door-to-door traditions, while "гимн" implies a more religious or formal tone.

Antonyms for "рождественская песня":

• светская песня (secular song)

Related Phrases:

• петь рождественские песни - to sing Christmas carols
• традиционная рождественская песня - traditional Christmas carol
• колядовать (from колядка) - to go caroling (traditional singing for gifts during Christmas)

Usage Notes:

• "Кэрол" is a direct transliteration of the name "Carol" and is used only in reference to individuals. It does not carry any cultural or additional meaning in Russian.
• "рождественская песня" is the standard term for a Christmas carol. It is used in both religious and secular contexts but is strongly associated with the Christmas season.
• Be mindful of the adjective-noun agreement in Russian grammar when using "рождественская песня" in different cases.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "Кэрол" to mean a Christmas carol. This is incorrect as it only refers to the name.
  Correct Usage: Use "рождественская песня" for a Christmas song. Example: "Мы пели рождественскую песню," not "Мы пели Кэрол."
• Error: Incorrect case endings for "рождественская песня." For example, saying "рождественская песню" instead of "рождественскую песню" in the accusative case.
  Correct Usage: Ensure proper adjective-noun agreement based on the grammatical case.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian-speaking countries, Christmas carols ("рождественские песни" or "колядки") are often tied to Orthodox Christian traditions and may be sung during the Christmas season (January 7th in the Orthodox calendar). "Колядки" are particularly associated with folk traditions where groups go door-to-door singing for treats or money, a practice common in rural areas.

Related Concepts:

• Рождество (Christmas)
• колядование (caroling tradition)
• праздничная песня (holiday song)