Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Debtor'

English Word: debtor

Key Russian Translations:

• должник [ˈdolʐnʲɪk] - [Formal, Singular]
• должники [ˈdolʐnʲɪkʲɪ] - [Formal, Plural]
• заёмщик [zɐˈjomʂːɪk] - [Formal, Refers specifically to a borrower]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "должник" and "должники"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "заёмщик"

Pronunciation (Russian):

должник: [ˈdolʐnʲɪk]

Note on должник: The stress is on the first syllable. The "ж" sound is a retroflex fricative, unique to Russian.

должники: [ˈdolʐnʲɪkʲɪ]

заёмщик: [zɐˈjomʂːɪk]

Note on заёмщик: The stress falls on the second syllable. The "ё" is always stressed and pronounced as "yo".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A person who owes money (general sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• должник - Used in formal and legal contexts to refer to someone who owes money or a debt.
• должники - Plural form of "должник", used when referring to multiple debtors.

Usage Examples:

• Он стал должником после того, как взял кредит в банке.

  He became a debtor after taking a loan from the bank.

• Должники должны выплатить долг до конца месяца.

  The debtors must pay off the debt by the end of the month.

• Суд обязал должника вернуть деньги кредитору.

  The court ordered the debtor to return the money to the creditor.

2. A borrower (specific to loans)

Translation(s) & Context:

• заёмщик - Specifically refers to someone who has borrowed money, often in the context of loans or mortgages.

Usage Examples:

• Заёмщик подписал договор с банком на ипотеку.

  The borrower signed a mortgage agreement with the bank.

• Банк проверяет кредитную историю каждого заёмщика.

  The bank checks the credit history of every borrower.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

должник (Singular, Masculine Noun): Follows the standard masculine noun declension in Russian.

заёмщик (Singular, Masculine Noun): Also follows standard masculine noun declension with similar patterns to "должник".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for должник:

• заёмщик (when referring to a borrower)
• неплательщик (specifically for someone who fails to pay)

Note: "неплательщик" has a negative connotation compared to "должник".

Antonyms for должник:

• кредитор (creditor)

Related Phrases:

• должник по кредиту - A debtor on a loan; refers to someone who owes money specifically from a credit agreement.
• вернуть долг должнику - To return a debt to the debtor; though grammatically correct, this is a rare construction as it usually implies the opposite.
• заёмщик ипотечного кредита - A mortgage borrower; commonly used in banking contexts.

Usage Notes:

• "должник" is the most general term for someone who owes money and is widely used in legal, formal, and everyday contexts.
• "заёмщик" is more specific and typically used in financial contexts to refer to a borrower of a loan or credit.
• Be cautious with the plural form "должники" as it must agree grammatically with the rest of the sentence in case and number.

Common Errors:

1. Confusing "должник" with "заёмщик": English learners often use "должник" when they mean a specific borrower. For example, saying "Он должник по ипотеке" is less precise than "Он заёмщик по ипотеке".

2. Incorrect case usage: Failing to decline "должник" properly in sentences. For instance, incorrectly using the nominative "должник" in a sentence requiring the genitive "должника" (e.g., "Нет должник" instead of "Нет должника").

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, being a "должник" (debtor) can carry a social stigma, especially if debts are not repaid on time. Historically, debt was a serious matter, and terms like "должник" might evoke associations with personal honor or legal consequences.

Related Concepts:

• кредит (credit/loan)
• долг (debt)
• кредитор (creditor)