Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Collapse'

English Word: Collapse

Key Russian Translations:

• рухнуть [ˈruxnʊtʲ] - [Informal, Often used for sudden falling or failure]
• обрушиться [ɐˈbruʂɨtʲsʲə] - [Formal, Used for structures or metaphorical collapse]
• крах [ˈkrax] - [Noun, Refers to a collapse as an event, often economic or personal]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in specific contexts like news or literature)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies by translation: "крах" is B1, "обрушиться" is B2 due to conjugation complexity)

Pronunciation (Russian):

рухнуть: [ˈruxnʊtʲ]

Note on рухнуть: Stress on the first syllable; the "х" sound is a voiceless fricative, similar to Scottish "loch".

обрушиться: [ɐˈbruʂɨtʲsʲə]

Note on обрушиться: Stress on the second syllable; the reflexive ending "-ся" is pronounced softly.

крах: [ˈkrax]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Physical Collapse (e.g., a building falling down)

Translation(s) & Context:

• рухнуть - Used for sudden, often dramatic physical collapse (e.g., a structure falling).
• обрушиться - More formal, often used in technical or news contexts for structures or natural disasters.

Usage Examples:

• Старый мост рухнул под тяжестью грузовика.

  The old bridge collapsed under the weight of the truck.

• Крыша обрушилась из-за сильного снегопада.

  The roof collapsed due to heavy snowfall.

• Здание рухнуло за считанные секунды.

  The building collapsed in a matter of seconds.

2. Metaphorical Collapse (e.g., failure of a system, economy, or person)

Translation(s) & Context:

• крах - Refers to a collapse as an event or state, often used for economic or personal failure.
• рухнуть - Can be used metaphorically for sudden failure or downfall.

Usage Examples:

• Его бизнес потерпел крах после кризиса.

  His business collapsed after the crisis.

• Все надежды рухнули после этой новости.

  All hopes collapsed after this news.

• Крах экономики стал неизбежен.

  The collapse of the economy became inevitable.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

рухнуть (Verb, Perfective): This is a perfective verb, often used with past or future tense to indicate a completed action. It does not have an imperfective counterpart in common usage.

Person	Past (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter)	Future
1st Singular	рухнул / рухнула / рухнуло	рухну
3rd Plural	рухнули	рухнут

обрушиться (Verb, Perfective, Reflexive): Reflexive verb with complex conjugation due to the "-ся" ending. Used in formal contexts.

крах (Noun, Masculine, Inanimate): Follows the standard masculine declension pattern.

Case	Singular
Nominative	крах
Genitive	краха
Accusative	крах

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• падение (fall, decline - more general)
• разрушение (destruction - often physical)

Antonyms:

• восстановление (recovery)
• подъём (rise, uplift)

Note: Synonyms like "падение" can be broader in meaning, while "разрушение" focuses on destruction.

Related Phrases:

• потерпеть крах - to suffer a collapse (often used for plans or businesses)
• рухнуть с ног - to collapse from exhaustion (literal: to fall off one’s feet)
• обрушиться с критикой - to collapse with criticism (to harshly criticize someone)

Usage Notes:

• "рухнуть" is more colloquial and often implies suddenness, suitable for informal speech or dramatic descriptions.
• "обрушиться" is preferred in formal writing or technical contexts, such as news reports about structural failures.
• "крах" as a noun is used for abstract or event-based collapse (e.g., economic collapse) and cannot be used as a verb.
• Be mindful of aspect: "рухнуть" and "обрушиться" are perfective verbs, so they are not used in the present tense.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "крах" as a verb. Incorrect: *Я крахнул. Correct: Я рухнул (I collapsed).
• Error: Misusing "обрушиться" in informal contexts. Incorrect: *Мой план обрушился. Better: Мой план рухнул (My plan collapsed).
• Explanation: "крах" is strictly a noun, and "обрушиться" sounds overly formal for personal or casual contexts.

Cultural Notes:

The term "крах" carries a strong cultural connotation in Russian, often associated with historical events like the collapse of the Soviet Union (крах СССР). It evokes a sense of finality and disaster, more so than its English equivalent might suggest.

Related Concepts:

• развал (disintegration, breakup)
• упадок (decline, decay)
• катастрофа (catastrophe)