Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Clown'

English Word: clown

Key Russian Translations:

• клоун [ˈkloun] - [Neutral, Common]
• шут [ʂut] - [Historical, Figurative, Often Literary]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in contexts related to circuses or humor)

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner-Intermediate for "клоун"); B2 (Intermediate for "шут" due to figurative usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

клоун: [ˈkloun]

Note on клоун: Stress falls on the first syllable, similar to the English pronunciation.

шут: [ʂut]

Note on шут: The "ш" sound is a retroflex fricative, which might be challenging for non-native speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A performer in a circus or comedy act

Translation(s) & Context:

• клоун - Used for a literal circus clown or comedic performer.

Usage Examples:

• В цирке клоун рассмешил всех детей.

  In the circus, the clown made all the children laugh.

• Клоун жонглировал шарами и падал нарочно.

  The clown juggled balls and fell on purpose.

• Мой сын хочет быть клоуном, когда вырастет.

  My son wants to be a clown when he grows up.

2. A fool or someone behaving ridiculously (figurative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• клоун - Used colloquially to mock someone's silly behavior.
• шут - Often used in historical or literary contexts for a court jester, or figuratively for a foolish person.

Usage Examples:

• Перестань вести себя как клоун на уроке!

  Stop acting like a clown in class!

• В старых сказках шут всегда был умнее короля.

  In old fairy tales, the jester was always smarter than the king.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

клоун (noun, masculine, animate):

шут (noun, masculine, animate):

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for клоун:

• арлекин (Harlequin, often in theatrical contexts)
• комик (Comedian, broader term)

Note: "арлекин" is more specific to theatrical or historical clowns, while "комик" applies to comedians in general.

Antonyms for клоун:

• серьёзный человек (Serious person)

Related Phrases:

• клоун цирка - Circus clown (literal usage)
• вести себя как клоун - To act like a clown (figurative, often derogatory)
• шут гороховый - "Pea jester" (an idiomatic expression for a ridiculous fool)

Usage Notes:

• "клоун" is the direct borrowing from English and is the most commonly used term for a circus clown or in informal contexts to describe foolish behavior.
• "шут" is more literary or historical, often referring to court jesters in medieval contexts, or used metaphorically to describe someone as a fool.
• Be cautious with "клоун" in informal speech as it can sound derogatory when describing someone's behavior.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "шут" to refer to a modern circus clown. Wrong: В цирке был смешной шут. Correct: В цирке был смешной клоун. Explanation: "шут" is not appropriate for modern clowns; it refers to historical jesters.
• Error: Mispronouncing "клоун" by stressing the second syllable. Wrong: [kluˈn]. Correct: [ˈkloun]. Explanation: Stress is on the first syllable in Russian.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, clowns ("клоуны") are strongly associated with circuses, which have a long and popular tradition in Russia. Famous Soviet clowns like Oleg Popov are cultural icons. The term "шут" often evokes images of medieval court jesters from Russian folklore or literature.

Related Concepts:

• цирк (circus)
• юмор (humor)
• комедия (comedy)