Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Complex'

English Word: complex

Key Russian Translations:

• сложный [ˈsloʐnɨj] - [Adjective, Formal/Informal]
• комплекс [ˈkomplɛks] - [Noun, Formal]
• запутанный [zəˈputənɨj] - [Adjective, Often Informal]

Frequency: High (especially "сложный")

Difficulty: "сложный" - B1 (Intermediate); "комплекс" - B2 (Upper-Intermediate); "запутанный" - B2 (Upper-Intermediate)

Pronunciation (Russian):

сложный: [ˈsloʐnɨj]

Note on сложный: Pay attention to the "ж" sound, which is a voiced retroflex fricative, unique to Russian.

комплекс: [ˈkomplɛks]

Note on комплекс: Stress falls on the first syllable, unlike some similar English words.

запутанный: [zəˈputənɨj]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Difficult or Complicated (Adjective)

Translation(s) & Context:

• сложный - Used for something intricate or hard to understand, e.g., a complex problem.
• запутанный - Often implies something tangled or confusing, e.g., a complex situation or story.

Usage Examples:

• Это очень сложный вопрос.

  This is a very complex question.

• Его объяснение было таким сложным, что никто не понял.

  His explanation was so complex that no one understood.

• Сюжет фильма слишком запутанный.

  The movie plot is too complex (tangled).

2. A Group of Related Things or Ideas (Noun)

Translation(s) & Context:

• комплекс - Refers to a set of buildings, ideas, or psychological conditions (e.g., inferiority complex).

Usage Examples:

• У него комплекс неполноценности.

  He has an inferiority complex.

• Это жилой комплекс с бассейном.

  This is a residential complex with a pool.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

сложный (Adjective): Declines according to gender, number, and case. Below is a simplified table for singular forms:

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	сложный	сложная	сложное
Genitive	сложного	сложной	сложного

комплекс (Noun): Masculine, inanimate. Declines as a second-declension noun.

запутанный (Adjective): Declines similarly to "сложный." Often used in past participle form, reflecting a state of being "tangled."

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "сложный":

• трудный
• непростой

Note: "трудный" often implies difficulty in effort, while "сложный" implies intricacy.

Antonyms for "сложный":

• простой
• легкий

Related Phrases:

• сложная задача - A complex task
• комплекс мер - A set of measures
• запутанная история - A tangled story

Usage Notes:

• "сложный" is the most versatile and common translation for "complex" as an adjective, suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
• "комплекс" as a noun is used in specific contexts like psychology or architecture; it does not mean "complicated."
• "запутанный" often carries a negative connotation of being overly complicated or confusing, so it is less neutral than "сложный."

Common Errors:

1. Mixing "сложный" and "комплекс": English speakers often misuse "комплекс" when they mean "complicated." For instance, saying "У меня комплексная проблема" is incorrect. The correct form is "У меня сложная проблема" (I have a complex problem).

2. Overusing "запутанный": This word should be reserved for situations implying confusion or messiness, not general difficulty.

Cultural Notes:

The term "комплекс" in Russian often appears in psychological discussions, such as "комплекс неполноценности" (inferiority complex), a concept widely recognized in Russian-speaking cultures due to the influence of psychoanalytic theories in the 20th century.

Related Concepts:

• трудность
• проблема
• структура