Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'crap'

English Word: crap

Key Russian Translations:

• дерьмо [dʲɪrʲˈmo] - [Informal, Vulgar]
• ерунда [jɪˈrundə] - [Informal, Neutral]
• чушь [tʃuʂ] - [Informal, Neutral]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: A2-B1 (Beginner to Intermediate, varies by context)

Pronunciation (Russian):

дерьмо: [dʲɪrʲˈmo]

Note on дерьмо: The stress is on the second syllable. The 'р' sound is rolled, which may be challenging for non-native speakers.

ерунда: [jɪˈrundə]

Note on ерунда: Stress on the second syllable. The initial 'е' sounds like 'ye' in 'yes'.

чушь: [tʃuʂ]

Note on чушь: A short, sharp word with a soft 'ш' sound at the end, which might be tricky to pronounce.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Excrement or Waste (Literal, Vulgar)

Translation(s) & Context:

• дерьмо - Used in a literal sense for excrement or metaphorically for something worthless (vulgar tone).

Usage Examples:

• На улице полно собачьего дерьма.

  There’s a lot of dog crap on the street.

• Этот фильм — полное дерьмо.

  This movie is complete crap.

• Не покупай это, это дерьмо.

  Don’t buy this, it’s crap.

2. Nonsense or Rubbish (Figurative, Informal)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ерунда - Refers to nonsense or something trivial, less offensive.
• чушь - Used for nonsense or absurd ideas, slightly stronger but still neutral.

Usage Examples:

• Что ты несёшь? Это полная ерунда!

  What are you talking about? That’s complete crap!

• Не слушай его, он говорит чушь.

  Don’t listen to him, he’s talking crap.

• Это задание — ерунда, я сделаю его за пять минут.

  This task is crap, I’ll do it in five minutes.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

дерьмо (noun, neuter): Does not change form as it is an invariable noun. Used in singular only.

ерунда (noun, feminine): Regular declension for feminine nouns ending in -а. See table below for forms.

Case	Singular
Nominative	ерунда
Genitive	ерунды
Dative	ерунде
Accusative	ерунду
Instrumental	ерундой
Prepositional	ерунде

чушь (noun, feminine): Regular declension for soft-sign feminine nouns. Invariable in plural.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for дерьмо (vulgar sense):

• говно
• фекалии (more formal, medical)

Synonyms for ерунда/чушь (nonsense sense):

• бред
• вздор

Antonyms: None directly applicable, as the term is context-dependent.

Related Phrases:

• полная ерунда - complete nonsense (used for something utterly ridiculous).
• чушь собачья - utter nonsense (a stronger, colorful expression).
• дерьмо случается - crap happens (a direct translation of the English phrase, used humorously).

Usage Notes:

• дерьмо is highly informal and vulgar. It should only be used in casual or offensive contexts. Avoid in formal or polite settings.
• ерунда and чушь are safer choices for expressing 'nonsense' or 'rubbish'. While still informal, they are not offensive.
• The choice between translations depends on tone and context. For literal references to waste, use дерьмо (with caution). For figurative nonsense, prefer ерунда or чушь.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using дерьмо in formal or polite conversation. This can offend native speakers.

Incorrect: Этот доклад — дерьмо. (This report is crap - said in a formal meeting)

Correct: Этот доклад — ерунда. (This report is nonsense - less offensive)

Error 2: Mispronouncing чушь as 'chush' instead of with a soft 'ш'. This can make the word sound unnatural.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, swearing or using vulgar terms like дерьмо is more context-sensitive than in English. Such words are often reserved for extreme frustration or very informal settings among close friends. Public use can be seen as highly inappropriate.

Related Concepts:

• мат (Russian profanity)
• брань (abusive language)