Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Colourful'

English Word: colourful

Key Russian Translations:

• красочный [ˈkrasətʃnɨj] - [Formal, Descriptive]
• яркий [ˈjarkʲɪj] - [Informal, Common]
• пёстрый [ˈpʲɵstrɨj] - [Neutral, Often for patterns]

Frequency: Medium

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

Pronunciation (Russian):

красочный: [ˈkrasətʃnɨj]

Note on красочный: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "ч" sound is similar to "ch" in "church."

яркий: [ˈjarkʲɪj]

Note on яркий: The "я" is pronounced as "ya," with stress on the first syllable.

пёстрый: [ˈpʲɵstrɨj]

Note on пёстрый: The "ё" is always stressed and pronounced as "yo."

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Full of color, visually striking (Literal)

Translation(s) & Context:

• красочный - Often used in formal or descriptive contexts, e.g., for art or landscapes.
• яркий - Commonly used in everyday speech for bright or vivid colors.
• пёстрый - Refers to something multicolored or patterned, often with a mix of colors.

Usage Examples:

• Этот пейзаж очень красочный.

  This landscape is very colorful.

• У неё яркое платье.

  She is wearing a bright dress.

• На рынке продавали пёстрые ткани.

  They sold colorful fabrics at the market.

• Картина была такой яркой, что привлекала внимание всех.

  The painting was so colorful that it caught everyone’s attention.

• Его рассказы всегда красочны и интересны.

  His stories are always colorful and interesting.

2. Lively or interesting (Figurative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• красочный - Used metaphorically for vivid or lively descriptions, often in writing or speech.
• яркий - Can describe a memorable or striking personality or event.

Usage Examples:

• Её жизнь была яркой и полной приключений.

  Her life was colorful and full of adventures.

• Он написал красочное описание своего путешествия.

  He wrote a colorful description of his journey.

• Этот человек оставил яркий след в истории.

  This person left a colorful mark in history.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

красочный, яркий, пёстрый are all adjectives and follow standard Russian adjective declension rules based on gender, number, and case.

Declension of яркий (Masculine, Feminine, Neuter, Plural - Nominative Case)

Gender/Number	Form
Masculine	яркий
Feminine	яркая
Neuter	яркое
Plural	яркие

Note: Similar declension patterns apply to красочный and пёстрый. Each adjective also has short forms (e.g., ярок for яркий), often used in literary or poetic contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• живописный (picturesque, often for landscapes)
• светлый (bright, luminous)
• разноцветный (multicolored)

Note: живописный is more formal and often tied to artistic contexts, while разноцветный emphasizes variety of colors.

Antonyms:

• тусклый (dull)
• блёклый (faded)
• серый (gray, monotonous)

Related Phrases:

• яркие краски - "bright colors" (literal or figurative for vivid impressions)
• красочный рассказ - "colorful story" (a vivid or engaging narrative)
• пёстрая толпа - "colorful crowd" (a diverse or visually varied group)

Usage Notes:

• While "colourful" in English can be used both literally (for colors) and figuratively (for personality or stories), in Russian, the choice of adjective depends on context. Use яркий for everyday speech and figurative meanings, красочный for formal or descriptive contexts, and пёстрый specifically for patterns or mixed colors.
• Be mindful of adjective agreement with the noun’s gender, number, and case in Russian sentences.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using пёстрый for bright colors instead of яркий. Example of incorrect usage: "У неё пёстрое платье" when meaning a bright, single-color dress. Correction: Use "У неё яркое платье" for a bright dress unless it has multiple colors or patterns.
• Error: Forgetting adjective agreement. Example: "Этот яркая картина" (wrong gender). Correction: Use "Эта яркая картина" since "картина" is feminine.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, bright and colorful imagery is often associated with traditional folk art, such as Matryoshka dolls or Khokhloma painting, which feature vivid and intricate designs. Describing something as яркий or красочный might evoke these cultural associations.

Related Concepts:

• цветной (colored)
• радужный (rainbow-like)
• живой (lively, vivid)