Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Cranky'

English Word: cranky

Key Russian Translations:

• раздражительный [rəzdrɐˈʒitʲɪlʲnɨj] - [Formal, Descriptive]
• капризный [kɐˈprʲiznɨj] - [Informal, Often used for children or moods]
• нервный [ˈnʲervnɨj] - [Neutral, Can imply irritability due to stress]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for all translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

раздражительный: [rəzdrɐˈʒitʲɪlʲnɨj]

Note on раздражительный: Stress falls on the third syllable. The 'ж' sound is a voiced fricative, similar to the 's' in 'measure'.

капризный: [kɐˈprʲiznɨj]

Note on капризный: Stress on the second syllable. The 'р' is rolled slightly.

нервный: [ˈnʲervnɨj]

Note on нервный: Stress on the first syllable. The 'е' sounds like 'ye' in 'yes'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Irritable or bad-tempered (General mood)

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражительный - Used to describe someone easily annoyed or frustrated, often in formal or neutral contexts.
• нервный - Implies irritability often due to stress or nervousness, can be used in various contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Он сегодня очень раздражительный из-за работы.

  He is very irritable today because of work.

• Она становится нервной, когда не высыпается.

  She gets cranky when she doesn’t get enough sleep.

• Не говори с ним сейчас, он в раздражительном настроении.

  Don’t talk to him now; he’s in a cranky mood.

2. Whiny or fussy (Often for children or behavior)

Translation(s) & Context:

• капризный - Commonly used for children or when someone is being unreasonably fussy.

Usage Examples:

• Ребёнок был капризным весь день.

  The child was cranky all day.

• Не будь таким капризным, это всего лишь еда.

  Don’t be so cranky; it’s just food.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

раздражительный (Adjective): Declines according to gender, number, and case, following standard adjective patterns in Russian.

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative	раздражительный	раздражительная	раздражительное	раздражительные
Genitive	раздражительного	раздражительной	раздражительного	раздражительных

капризный (Adjective): Follows similar adjective declension rules as above.

нервный (Adjective): Follows similar adjective declension rules as above.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for раздражительный/капризный/нервный:

• вспыльчивый (hot-tempered)
• дёрганый (jittery, informal)
• придирчивый (picky, fault-finding)

Note: 'вспыльчивый' often implies a quick temper, while 'придирчивый' focuses on being overly critical.

Antonyms:

• спокойный (calm)
• уравновешенный (balanced)

Related Phrases:

• быть на нервах - Literally "to be on nerves," meaning to be cranky or stressed out.
• капризное настроение - "Cranky mood," often used for temporary fussiness.
• раздражительный тон - "Irritable tone," describing someone’s manner of speaking.

Usage Notes:

• Choosing the right translation: Use 'раздражительный' for general irritability in formal or neutral contexts. 'капризный' is better for describing childish or unreasonable behavior. 'нервный' often carries a connotation of stress or anxiety causing the irritability.
• Register: 'капризный' is more colloquial and should be avoided in very formal writing.
• Agreement: All these adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe, as is typical in Russian grammar.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'нервный' to mean "nervous" in all contexts. While it can mean "nervous," it often implies irritability in Russian. For pure nervousness, 'волнующийся' might be more appropriate.

  Incorrect: Он нервный перед экзаменом. (Intended: He is nervous before the exam.)

  Correct: Он волнуется перед экзаменом.

• Error: Failing to adjust adjective endings based on gender or case, e.g., saying 'раздражительный женщина' instead of 'раздражительная женщина'.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, being openly irritable or cranky ('раздражительный' or 'капризный') might be frowned upon in formal or public settings more than in some Western cultures. Russians often value emotional restraint in such contexts, so describing someone as 'нервный' might also imply a lack of control or composure.

Related Concepts:

• злость (anger)
• усталость (fatigue, often a cause of crankiness)
• настроение (mood)