Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'crabbed'

English Word: crabbed

Key Russian Translations:

• раздражительный (razdrazhitel'nyy, IPA: [rəzdrəʐɨˈtʲelʲnɨj]) - [Informal, often used in everyday conversations to describe someone who is easily annoyed]
• капризный (kapriznыy, IPA: [kəprʲizˈnɨj]) - [Informal, typically for someone who is whimsical or hard to please, with a connotation of stubbornness]

Frequency: Low (The word 'crabbed' and its Russian equivalents are not commonly used in daily Russian speech; they appear more in literary or descriptive contexts.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; learners at this level should grasp the nuances, but distinguishing between similar adjectives like 'раздражительный' and 'капризный' may require practice.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

раздражительный: [rəzdrəʐɨˈtʲelʲnɨj] (The stress is on the fourth syllable; note the soft 'тʲ' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers due to the palatalization.)

Note on раздражительный: This word has a rolled 'r' at the beginning, common in Russian, and the 'zh' sound is similar to the 's' in 'measure'. Practice with native audio for accuracy.

Audio: []

капризный: [kəprʲizˈnɨj] (Stress on the third syllable; the 'prʲ' combination involves a soft 'r', which might feel unfamiliar.)

Note on капризный: The 'ы' vowel is a distinct Russian sound, not exactly like any English vowel; it's pronounced with the tongue in a neutral position.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Irritable or bad-tempered (Referring to a person who is easily annoyed or has a sour disposition.)

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражительный - Used in informal settings to describe someone with a short temper, such as in family or workplace discussions.
• капризный - Applied in contexts involving moodiness or unpredictability, often with children or in humorous descriptions.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда такой раздражительный по утрам, особенно если не выспался.

  He is always so crabbed in the mornings, especially if he hasn't gotten enough sleep.

• Её капризный характер делает общение с ней сложным в стрессовых ситуациях.

  Her crabbed nature makes it difficult to communicate with her in stressful situations.

• В старости дедушка стал более раздражительным, чем в молодости.

  In his old age, grandfather became more crabbed than in his youth.

• Капризный ребенок не хотел есть, потому что еда не была приготовлена именно так, как он хотел.

  The crabbed child refused to eat because the food wasn't prepared exactly as he wanted.

• Из-за плохой погоды все в офисе были раздражительными и не могли сосредоточиться.

  Due to the bad weather, everyone in the office was crabbed and couldn't focus.

Meaning 2: Difficult to read or understand (Referring to handwriting or text that is messy or convoluted.)

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражительный - Less common in this context; might be used metaphorically for frustratingly unclear writing.
• неразборчивый (nerazborchivyy) - A more precise translation for this meaning, used in formal or technical discussions about documents.

Usage Examples:

• Его почерк был таким неразборчивым, что никто не мог прочитать заметки.

  His handwriting was so crabbed that no one could read the notes.

• В старых рукописях текст часто выглядит раздражительным из-за выцветших чернил.

  In old manuscripts, the text often looks crabbed due to faded ink.

• Капризный стиль письма автора делает книгу трудной для понимания.

  The author's crabbed writing style makes the book hard to understand.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily adjectives, which in Russian undergo inflection based on gender, number, and case. For example, 'раздражительный' and 'капризный' follow standard first-declension adjective patterns with some irregularities in spelling.

For 'неразборчивый' (from Meaning 2), it follows similar patterns but remains unchanged in invariable contexts like predicates.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • вспыльчивый (vspyhlchivyy) - More intense, implying quick anger.
  • нервный (nervnyy) - Emphasizes nervousness over general irritability.
• Antonyms:
  • спокойный (spokojnyy)
  • уравновешенный (uravnoveshennyy)

Related Phrases:

• Быть раздражительным как еж (Bыt' razdrazhitel'nym kak ezh) - To be as crabbed as a hedgehog; a metaphorical phrase meaning extremely irritable, often used in humorous contexts.
• Капризный нрав (Kapriznыy nrav) - Crabbed disposition; refers to a difficult personality trait in literature or psychology.
• Неразборчивый текст (Nerazborchivyy tekst) - Crabbed text; common in discussions about poor handwriting or unclear writing.

Usage Notes:

'Crabbed' in English often carries a connotation of both emotional irritability and physical messiness, but in Russian, you should choose 'раздражительный' for emotional contexts and 'неразборчивый' for written forms. Be mindful of formality: these words are informal and may sound overly dramatic in professional settings. When selecting between translations, opt for 'капризный' if the irritability involves whimsy, as in childlike behavior.

• Grammar note: Always agree the adjective with the noun's gender, number, and case in Russian sentences.
• Context tip: In modern Russian, these words are more common in spoken language or novels rather than formal writing.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'раздражительный' with 'раздражающий' (razdrajayushchiy), which means 'annoying' rather than 'irritable'. For example:

• Incorrect: Он раздражающий человек. (This implies he annoys others, not that he is crabbed.)
• Correct: Он раздражительный человек. (This correctly describes him as having a crabbed temperament.)
• Another error is overusing 'капризный' for all types of irritability, ignoring its specific nuance of capriciousness; instead, use 'вспыльчивый' for sudden anger.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'раздражительный' often appear in literature (e.g., in Chekhov's works) to depict the emotional volatility associated with harsh winters or historical hardships, reflecting a broader theme of resilience amid irritability in daily life.

Related Concepts:

• вспыльчивый
• нервный
• неразборчивый