Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Collision'

English Word: collision

Key Russian Translations:

• столкновение [stɐlkˈnovʲenʲɪje] - [Neutral, Most Common]
• авария [ɐˈvarʲɪjə] - [Often used for vehicle collisions]
• соударение [səʊdɐˈrʲenʲɪje] - [Formal, Scientific]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "столкновение" and "авария"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "соударение"

Pronunciation (Russian):

столкновение: [stɐlkˈnovʲenʲɪje]

Note on столкновение: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "в" is pronounced softly due to palatalization.

авария: [ɐˈvarʲɪjə]

Note on авария: Stress on the second syllable. The "р" is rolled slightly.

соударение: [səʊdɐˈrʲenʲɪje]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Physical Impact (e.g., vehicles or objects hitting each other)

Translation(s) & Context:

• столкновение - General term for any collision, often used for accidents or physical impacts.
• авария - Specifically refers to vehicle accidents or crashes.

Usage Examples:

• На дороге произошло столкновение двух машин.

  A collision of two cars occurred on the road.

• Эта авария унесла несколько жизней.

  This accident claimed several lives.

• Столкновение поездов вызвало хаос на станции.

  The collision of trains caused chaos at the station.

2. Conflict or Clash (e.g., ideas, interests)

Translation(s) & Context:

• столкновение - Used metaphorically for conflicts of ideas or interests.

Usage Examples:

• Столкновение мнений привело к жаркому спору.

  A collision of opinions led to a heated argument.

• Их интересы вступили в столкновение на переговорах.

  Their interests came into collision during the negotiations.

3. Scientific Context (e.g., particle collision)

Translation(s) & Context:

• соударение - Used in physics or technical contexts for collisions of particles or objects.

Usage Examples:

• Соударение частиц изучается в ускорителях.

  Particle collision is studied in accelerators.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

столкновение (Noun, Neuter): Follows the second declension pattern for neuter nouns.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	столкновение	столкновения
Genitive	столкновения	столкновений
Dative	столкновению	столкновениям
Accusative	столкновение	столкновения
Instrumental	столкновением	столкновениями
Prepositional	о столкновении	о столкновениях

авария (Noun, Feminine): Follows the first declension pattern for feminine nouns. Similar table can be constructed if needed.

соударение (Noun, Neuter): Follows a similar pattern to "столкновение".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for столкновение:

• сшибка (less common, informal)
• конфликт (for metaphorical collisions)

Note: "конфликт" is more abstract and applies to non-physical collisions like disputes.

Antonyms for столкновение:

• согласие (agreement, for metaphorical use)

Related Phrases:

• столкновение интересов - Collision of interests (used in discussions of conflicting goals).
• дорожная авария - Road accident (specific to vehicle collisions).
• соударение частиц - Particle collision (scientific context).

Usage Notes:

• "Столкновение" is the most versatile term and can be used for both literal and metaphorical collisions.
• "Авария" is restricted to accidents, especially involving vehicles or machinery, and carries a connotation of damage or emergency.
• "Соударение" is highly specialized and should only be used in scientific or technical discussions.
• Pay attention to the context when choosing between these translations, as they are not always interchangeable.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using "авария" for non-accident collisions (e.g., a collision of ideas).

Incorrect: Авария мнений. Correct: Столкновение мнений. (Explanation: "Авария" implies a physical accident, not a metaphorical clash.)

Error 2: Misusing "соударение" in everyday contexts.

Incorrect: Соударение машин. Correct: Столкновение машин. (Explanation: "Соударение" is too formal for common accidents.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the term "авария" often evokes strong associations with road safety issues, as traffic accidents are a significant concern in many regions. Discussions around "авария" may carry emotional weight or references to emergency response systems.

Related Concepts:

• несчастный случай (accident)
• катастрофа (catastrophe)
• конфликт (conflict)