Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'causal'

English Word: causal

Key Russian Translations:

• причинный [prʲɪˈtʃʲinnɨj] - [Formal, Adjective]
• причинно-следственный [prʲɪˈtʃʲinnə ˈslʲetstvʲɪnnɨj] - [Formal, Compound Adjective]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

причинный: [prʲɪˈtʃʲinnɨj]

Note on причинный: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'ы' sound is a unique Russian vowel, pronounced as a short, relaxed 'i'.

причинно-следственный: [prʲɪˈtʃʲinnə ˈslʲetstvʲɪnnɨj]

Note on причинно-следственный: Stress is distributed across two parts of the compound word, with primary stress on 'причинно' and secondary on 'следственный'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Relating to a cause or reason

Translation(s) & Context:

• причинный - Used in formal or academic contexts to describe something related to a cause (e.g., in philosophy or science).

Usage Examples:

• Причинный фактор был определён в ходе исследования.

  The causal factor was identified during the study.

• Причинная связь между событиями очевидна.

  The causal connection between the events is evident.

• Это исследование выявило причинные механизмы болезни.

  This research revealed the causal mechanisms of the disease.

2. Indicating a cause-and-effect relationship

Translation(s) & Context:

• причинно-следственный - Often used in formal writing or discussions to explicitly denote cause-and-effect relationships.

Usage Examples:

• Причинно-следственная связь между курением и раком доказана.

  The causal relationship between smoking and cancer has been proven.

• Мы изучили причинно-следственные факторы экономического кризиса.

  We studied the causal factors of the economic crisis.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

причинный (Adjective): This word follows standard Russian adjective declension rules based on gender, number, and case.

причинно-следственный (Compound Adjective): Follows similar adjective declension rules as above, with endings adjusting for gender, number, and case.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• каузальный (borrowed term, used in academic contexts)
• обусловленный (closer to "conditioned" or "determined by")

Note: "каузальный" is less common and mostly appears in specialized texts, while "обусловленный" may imply a broader sense of dependency.

Antonyms:

• случайный (random, accidental)
• несвязанный (unrelated)

Related Phrases:

• причинная связь - "causal connection" (used in discussions of cause and effect)
• причинно-следственная зависимость - "causal dependency" (common in scientific or analytical contexts)
• причинный фактор - "causal factor" (used to identify specific causes)

Usage Notes:

• "причинный" is more general and can be used in a variety of formal contexts, often as a direct translation of "causal."
• "причинно-следственный" explicitly emphasizes a cause-and-effect relationship and is preferred in academic or technical discussions.
• Both terms are formal; there is no direct informal equivalent for "causal" in Russian, so context must guide usage.

Common Errors:

1. Misusing "причинный" for non-causal contexts: English learners may use "причинный" to mean "reason" or "cause" as a noun. This is incorrect since "причина" (cause) is the noun form.

Incorrect: Это был причинный конфликта. (Intended: This was the cause of the conflict.)

Correct: Это была причина конфликта.

2. Overusing "причинно-следственный": Learners may overuse this compound adjective in contexts where "причинный" suffices, making the sentence sound overly formal or awkward.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian academic and philosophical discourse, discussions of causality (причинность) are deeply rooted in both scientific and historical contexts, often referencing Marxist or dialectical materialism frameworks. The term "причинно-следственный" may carry these connotations in formal texts.

Related Concepts:

• причина (cause)
• следствие (effect, consequence)
• зависимость (dependency)