Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Civilian'

English Word: Civilian

Key Russian Translations:

• гражданский [ɡrɐʐˈdanskʲɪj] - [Formal, Adjective]
• гражданин [ɡrɐʐˈdanʲɪn] - [Formal, Noun, Masculine]
• гражданка [ɡrɐʐˈdankə] - [Formal, Noun, Feminine]

Frequency: High (commonly used in news, legal, and everyday contexts)

Difficulty: A2-B1 (Beginner to Intermediate, depending on context and grammatical usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

гражданский: [ɡrɐʐˈdanskʲɪj]

Note on гражданский: Stress falls on the second syllable; the soft 'к' sound can be challenging for non-native speakers.

гражданин: [ɡrɐʐˈdanʲɪn]

Note on гражданин: Stress on the second syllable; the 'ж' sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, unique to Russian.

гражданка: [ɡrɐʐˈdankə]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Non-military person or context

Translation(s) & Context:

• гражданский - Used as an adjective to describe something non-military (e.g., civilian life).
• гражданин/гражданка - Used as a noun to refer to a civilian person, often in formal or legal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Гражданская жизнь отличается от военной службы.

  Civilian life differs from military service.

• Этот район безопасен для гражданских лиц.

  This area is safe for civilians.

• Гражданин, предъявите ваши документы.

  Citizen, show your documents.

• Гражданка Иванова, вы можете пройти?

  Citizen Ivanova, may you come in?

• Гражданские лица пострадали во время конфликта.

  Civilians were harmed during the conflict.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

гражданский (Adjective): Declines according to gender, number, and case. Below is the nominative case table:

гражданин (Noun, Masculine): Declines by case and number. Below is the declension table:

гражданка (Noun, Feminine): Follows a similar declension pattern for feminine nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for гражданский/гражданин:

• мирный (peaceful, civilian)
• житель (resident, inhabitant)

Note: 'мирный' emphasizes non-conflict, while 'житель' focuses on residency rather than civilian status.

Antonyms for гражданский/гражданин:

• военный (military)
• солдат (soldier)

Related Phrases:

• гражданская война - Civil war (refers to conflict within a country).
• гражданские права - Civil rights (legal rights of citizens).
• гражданская ответственность - Civil responsibility (legal or moral duty as a citizen).

Usage Notes:

• 'гражданский' is primarily an adjective and used in formal or descriptive contexts (e.g., civilian infrastructure).
• 'гражданин' and 'гражданка' are nouns and often used in official address or legal contexts. 'гражданин' can also be a polite way to address a man, akin to "citizen" or "sir."
• Choose between 'гражданин' and 'гражданка' based on the gender of the person being addressed or referred to.
• These terms are more formal in tone compared to English 'civilian,' which can be neutral.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'гражданский' as a noun. Incorrect: "Он гражданский." Correct: "Он гражданин." (Explanation: 'гражданский' is an adjective, not a noun.)
• Error: Ignoring gender when addressing someone. Incorrect: Addressing a woman as 'гражданин.' Correct: Use 'гражданка' for women.
• Error: Misplacing stress in pronunciation. Incorrect: Stress on first syllable of 'гражданин.' Correct: Stress on second syllable [ɡrɐʐˈdanʲɪn].

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, addressing someone as 'гражданин' or 'гражданка' carries a formal and sometimes authoritative tone, often associated with Soviet-era speech or interactions with officials. It can sound outdated or overly formal in casual modern contexts, where names or other forms of address might be preferred.

Related Concepts:

• военный (military)
• гражданство (citizenship)
• общество (society)