Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Crinkle'

English Word: crinkle

Key Russian Translations:

• морщить [ˈmorʂːɪtʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Often used for facial expressions]
• мять [mʲætʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Used for crumpling paper or fabric]
• шуршать [ʂʊrˈʂatʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Used for rustling sound]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "морщить" and "мять"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "шуршать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

морщить: [ˈmorʂːɪtʲ]

Note on морщить: The stress is on the first syllable. The "щ" sound is a soft, prolonged "sh" unique to Russian.

мять: [mʲætʲ]

Note on мять: The "я" sound is a palatalized vowel, pronounced with a slight "y" before "a".

шуршать: [ʂʊrˈʂatʲ]

Note on шуршать: Stress on the second syllable. The "ш" is a hard, retroflex "sh" sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To wrinkle or crease (e.g., skin or fabric)

Translation(s) & Context:

• морщить - Often used for facial expressions, like wrinkling the forehead or nose.
• мять - Used for physically crumpling or creasing materials like paper or cloth.

Usage Examples:

• Она морщит лоб, когда думает.

  She wrinkles her forehead when she thinks.

• Не мни бумагу, она нужна для работы.

  Don’t crinkle the paper; it’s needed for work.

• Он морщит нос от неприятного запаха.

  He crinkles his nose at the unpleasant smell.

2. To make a rustling sound (e.g., paper or leaves)

Translation(s) & Context:

• шуршать - Refers to the sound of rustling or crinkling, often with paper, leaves, or fabric.

Usage Examples:

• Бумага шуршит в его руках.

  The paper crinkles in his hands.

• Листья шуршат под ногами осенью.

  Leaves crinkle underfoot in autumn.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

морщить (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation in present, past, and future tenses.

Person	Present Tense
Я (I)	морщу
Ты (You, singular)	морщишь
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	морщит
Мы (We)	морщим
Вы (You, plural)	морщите
Они (They)	морщат

мять (Verb, Imperfective): Follows a similar regular conjugation pattern.

шуршать (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation, with stress on the second syllable in most forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for морщить (wrinkle):

• хмурить (to furrow, often for brows)
• сжимать (to compress, in some contexts)

Synonyms for шуршать (rustle):

• шелестеть (to rustle, often softer sound)

Antonyms for морщить:

• разглаживать (to smooth out)

Related Phrases:

• морщить лоб - To wrinkle one’s forehead (indicating thought or confusion).
• шуршать бумагой - To rustle paper (common in office or study contexts).
• мять ткань - To crumple fabric (often unintentional).

Usage Notes:

• "морщить" is primarily used for facial expressions or skin wrinkling and carries a more specific meaning than "crinkle" in English. It’s less common for inanimate objects.
• "мять" is the go-to verb for physically crumpling or creasing objects like paper or cloth, but it doesn’t imply sound.
• "шуршать" focuses on the sound of crinkling or rustling and is not interchangeable with the other two verbs when describing physical action without sound.
• Choose the appropriate verb based on whether the focus is on appearance ("морщить"), action ("мять"), or sound ("шуршать").

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "шуршать" to describe wrinkling skin or fabric.
  Incorrect: Она шуршит лоб.
  Correct: Она морщит лоб. (She wrinkles her forehead.)
  Explanation: "шуршать" refers to sound, not physical wrinkling.
• Error: Using "морщить" for rustling sounds.
  Incorrect: Бумага морщит в руках.
  Correct: Бумага шуршит в руках. (The paper rustles in the hands.)
  Explanation: "морщить" is for visible wrinkling, not sound.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the act of wrinkling one’s forehead ("морщить лоб") is often associated with deep thought, confusion, or concern, and it’s a common gesture in storytelling or descriptions of emotion. Additionally, the sound of rustling leaves ("шуршать") carries a poetic tone in Russian literature, often evoking autumn or nostalgia.

Related Concepts:

• складка (fold, crease)
• треск (crackle, another sound-related term)
• смятость (crumpled state)