Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Critical'

English Word: critical

Key Russian Translations:

• критический [krʲɪˈtʲitɕɪskʲɪj] - [Formal, Adjective]
• критичный [krʲɪˈtʲiʃnɨj] - [Informal, Adjective]
• решающий [rʲɪˈʂajʊɕːɪj] - [Formal, Adjective, Often used for decisive moments]

Frequency: High

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "критический" and "критичный"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "решающий"

Pronunciation (Russian):

критический: [krʲɪˈtʲitɕɪskʲɪj]

Note on критический: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "ч" sound is soft, similar to 'ch' in "church."

критичный: [krʲɪˈtʲiʃnɨj]

Note on критичный: Stress on the second syllable. The final "й" is a soft consonant sound.

решающий: [rʲɪˈʂajʊɕːɪj]

Note on решающий: Stress on the second syllable. The "щ" is a soft, hissing sound unique to Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Expressing disapproval or judgment (Negative evaluation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• критический - Used in formal contexts to describe critical opinions or reviews.
• критичный - More conversational, often used to describe a critical attitude.

Usage Examples:

• Его критический отзыв о книге вызвал споры.

  His critical review of the book sparked debates.

• Она всегда очень критична к чужим идеям.

  She is always very critical of others' ideas.

• Критический взгляд на проблему помог найти решение.

  A critical perspective on the issue helped find a solution.

2. Crucial or decisive (Important)

Translation(s) & Context:

• решающий - Used to describe something vital or decisive, often in formal or serious contexts.
• критический - Can also mean crucial in specific contexts, like "critical condition."

Usage Examples:

• Это был решающий момент в игре.

  This was a critical moment in the game.

• Пациент находится в критическом состоянии.

  The patient is in critical condition.

• Решающий голос принадлежал председателю.

  The critical vote belonged to the chairman.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

критический (Adjective): Follows standard adjective declension in Russian, changing based on gender, number, and case.

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative	критический	критическая	критическое	критические
Genitive	критического	критической	критического	критических

критичный (Adjective): Similar declension pattern to "критический."

решающий (Adjective): Also follows standard adjective declension, with forms like "решающая" (feminine), "решающее" (neuter), etc.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for критический/критичный (judgmental sense):

• осуждающий
• придирчивый

Note: "осуждающий" implies stronger disapproval, while "придирчивый" suggests being overly picky.

Synonyms for решающий (crucial sense):

• ключевой
• важный

Antonyms for критический/критичный (judgmental sense):

• хвалебный
• одобрительный

Related Phrases:

• критическая ситуация - A critical situation (emergency or urgent state).
• критическая масса - Critical mass (literal or metaphorical).
• решающий фактор - A critical factor (decisive element in a situation).

Usage Notes:

• "критический" is more formal and often used in written or academic contexts, while "критичный" is more colloquial and personal.
• "решающий" should be chosen when referring to something decisive or pivotal, rather than judgmental criticism.
• Be mindful of context, as "критический" can mean both "judgmental" and "crucial" depending on the situation (e.g., "критическое состояние" = critical condition).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "критичный" in formal writing. Explanation: "критичный" is conversational and should be replaced with "критический" in formal contexts. For example, avoid "критичный отзыв" in an academic paper; use "критический отзыв" instead.
• Error: Confusing "решающий" with "критический" when describing a crucial moment. Explanation: While both can mean "critical," "решающий" is more precise for "decisive" contexts (e.g., "решающий момент" for "critical moment").

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, being overly critical ("критичный") in personal interactions can sometimes be seen as impolite or harsh. Russians often value constructive feedback over blunt criticism, especially in social settings. The term "критический" may also evoke associations with Soviet-era literary or political criticism, where it carried significant weight.

Related Concepts:

• анализ (analysis)
• оценка (evaluation)
• значение (importance)