Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'chairwoman'

English Word: chairwoman

Key Russian Translations:

• председательница [prʲɪdʲsʲɪˈda.tʲɪlʲ.nʲi.t͡sə] - [Formal, Feminine noun, Used in official or organizational contexts]
• руководительница [ru.kə.vɐ.dʲɪˈtʲe.lʲ.nʲi.t͡sə] - [Formal, Alternative in business settings, Implies leadership role]

Frequency: Medium (Common in formal written and spoken Russian, especially in politics, meetings, and organizations, but less frequent in everyday casual conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; involves understanding Russian gender-specific nouns and basic declensions. For 'председательница', it's straightforward; for 'руководительница', it may vary slightly in context.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

председательница: [prʲɪdʲsʲɪˈda.tʲɪlʲ.nʲi.t͡sə]

руководительница: [ru.kə.vɐ.dʲɪˈtʲe.lʲ.nʲi.t͡sə]

Note on председательница: The stress falls on the fourth syllable ('da'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft consonants. Pronunciation may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: A woman who presides over a meeting, organization, or committee.

Translation(s) & Context:

• председательница - Used in formal settings like board meetings or political assemblies; emphasizes the female gender of the leader.
• руководительница - Applied in broader leadership roles, such as in companies or teams, where 'chairwoman' might imply a specific presiding function.

Usage Examples:

• На собрании выступила председательница комитета. (Na sobranii vystupila predsedatel'nitsa komiteta.)

  At the meeting, the chairwoman of the committee spoke.

• В нашей компании руководительница всегда подчёркивает важность командной работы. (V nashey kompanii rukovoditel'nitsa vsegda podchërkivaet vazhnost' komandnoy raboty.)

  In our company, the chairwoman always emphasizes the importance of teamwork.

• Председательница парламента объявила перерыв. (Predsedatel'nitsa parlamenta ob"yavila perezryv.)

  The chairwoman of the parliament announced a break.

• Как новоиспечённая руководительница, она ввела новые правила. (Kak novoispëchënnaya rukovoditel'nitsa, ona vvela novyye pravila.)

  As the newly appointed chairwoman, she introduced new rules.

• Председательница собрания призвала к порядку. (Predsedatel'nitsa sobraniya prizvala k poryadku.)

  The chairwoman of the assembly called for order.

Secondary Meaning: A woman in a position of authority, such as in a social or community group (less formal than primary).

Translation(s) & Context:

• председательница - In informal community contexts, like club meetings, to denote a female leader.

Usage Examples:

• В клубе любителей книг избрана новая председательница. (V klube lyubiteley knig izbrana novaya predsedatel'nitsa.)

  A new chairwoman has been elected in the book lovers' club.

• Руководительница волонтёров организовала мероприятие. (Rukovoditel'nitsa volonteryov organizovala meropriyatiye.)

  The chairwoman of the volunteers organized the event.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'председательница' and 'руководительница' are feminine nouns (first declension). They follow standard Russian noun inflection patterns for gender, number, and case. 'Председательница' is invariant in plural forms in some contexts but typically declines regularly.

For 'руководительница', the inflections are similar: Nominative singular - руководительница; Plural - руководительницы, etc. These words do not change in gender but must agree in case with other elements in the sentence.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • руководительница (Similar, but more general for leadership roles)
  • глава (Head, used in organizational contexts; less gender-specific but can be feminized as глава женщины)
  • директорка (Female director; implies a managerial position with a slight informal tone)
• Antonyms:
  • заместитель (Deputy or substitute; implies a secondary role)
  • подчинённый (Subordinate; opposite in hierarchy)

Related Phrases:

• председательница собрания (predsedatel'nitsa sobranija) - Chairwoman of the meeting; used in formal assemblies.
• новая руководительница отдела (novaya rukovoditel'nitsa otdela) - New chairwoman of the department; common in business contexts.
• избранная председательница (izbrannaya predsedatel'nitsa) - Elected chairwoman; refers to democratic processes.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'chairwoman' is best translated as 'председательница' when referring to a presiding role in meetings, as it directly mirrors the English term's gender specificity. Use 'руководительница' for broader leadership positions. Always ensure gender agreement; for example, avoid using the masculine 'председатель' for a female subject to prevent inaccuracy. In formal writing, these words are preferred in official documents, while in casual speech, they might be shortened or implied.

• Contextual choice: Opt for 'председательница' in political or committee settings; 'руководительница' in corporate environments.
• Grammatical note: These nouns must decline according to case, so pay attention to sentence structure for correct agreement.

Common Errors:

One common mistake is using the masculine form 'председатель' for a female chairwoman, e.g., incorrectly saying "Председатель выступила" instead of "Председательница выступила." This errors in gender agreement and can sound awkward or incorrect. Correct usage: Always add the feminine suffix '-ница' for female subjects. Another error is confusing it with 'руководитель', which might lead to misuse in meeting contexts; explanation: Use 'председательница' specifically for presiding roles to maintain precision.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, gender-specific titles like 'председательница' reflect the language's emphasis on grammatical gender, which is deeply rooted in historical and social norms. This can highlight gender roles in professional settings, such as in the Soviet era where women often held leadership positions in committees, making these terms common in modern discourse.

Related Concepts:

• председатель (predsedatel) - Masculine form of chair.
• директор (direktor) - Director or manager.
• лидер (lider) - Leader, more general term.