Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'deficiency'

English Word: deficiency

Key Russian Translations:

• недостаток [nʲɪdɐˈstatək] - [Formal, Common]
• дефицит [dʲɪfʲɪˈt͡sɨt] - [Formal, Often used for shortages]
• нехватка [nʲɪˈxvatkə] - [Informal, Common for lack of resources]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for all translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

недостаток: [nʲɪdɐˈstatək]

Note on недостаток: Stress falls on the third syllable. The 'о' in the stressed syllable is pronounced clearly as [o].

дефицит: [dʲɪfʲɪˈt͡sɨt]

Note on дефицит: Stress on the last syllable. The 'ц' is a hard affricate sound, unique to Slavic languages.

нехватка: [nʲɪˈxvatkə]

Note on нехватка: Stress on the second syllable. The final 'а' is reduced to a schwa-like sound [ə].

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Lack or Shortage (General)

Translation(s) & Context:

• недостаток - Used for general deficiencies, such as in skills, qualities, or resources.
• нехватка - Often refers to a shortage of tangible things, like money or time.

Usage Examples:

• У него есть недостаток опыта в этой области.

  He has a deficiency of experience in this field.

• Нехватка времени мешает завершить проект.

  A deficiency of time is preventing the completion of the project.

• Этот план имеет много недостатков.

  This plan has many deficiencies.

2. Scarcity or Deficit (Economic/Quantitative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• дефицит - Commonly used in economic contexts or for measurable shortages.

Usage Examples:

• В стране наблюдается дефицит продуктов питания.

  There is a deficiency of food products in the country.

• Дефицит бюджета стал серьезной проблемой.

  The budget deficiency has become a serious problem.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

недостаток (Noun, Masculine, Animate):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	недостаток	недостатки
Genitive	недостатка	недостатков
Dative	недостатку	недостаткам
Accusative	недостаток	недостатки
Instrumental	недостатком	недостатками
Prepositional	о недостатке	о недостатках

дефицит (Noun, Masculine, Inanimate): Declines similarly to "недостаток" with regular masculine endings.

нехватка (Noun, Feminine, Inanimate): Follows standard feminine declension patterns (e.g., Nominative Singular: нехватка, Genitive Singular: нехватки).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for недостаток:

• изъян
• недочёт

Note: "изъян" often implies a flaw or defect, while "недочёт" is used for minor shortcomings.

Antonyms for недостаток:

• достоинство
• преимущество

Related Phrases:

• недостаток знаний - Deficiency of knowledge
• дефицит товаров - Deficiency of goods (shortage)
• нехватка средств - Deficiency of funds (lack of money)

Usage Notes:

• "недостаток" is the most versatile translation for "deficiency" and can be used in abstract and concrete contexts, such as personal flaws or missing resources.
• "дефицит" is more specific to economic or quantitative shortages, often used in formal or technical discussions.
• "нехватка" is conversational and typically refers to a lack of something tangible like time, money, or materials.
• Be mindful of the context when choosing the appropriate translation, as they are not always interchangeable.

Common Errors:

1. Confusing "дефицит" with "недостаток": English learners often use "дефицит" for personal flaws, which is incorrect. For example, saying "У меня дефицит терпения" (I have a deficiency of patience) sounds unnatural. Correct: "У меня недостаток терпения."

2. Misusing "нехватка" in formal contexts: "нехватка" is informal and should be avoided in academic or professional writing. Use "недостаток" or "дефицит" instead.

Cultural Notes:

The word "дефицит" carries historical connotations in Russian, often associated with the Soviet era when shortages of goods were common. Using it in modern contexts might evoke nostalgia or irony for some speakers.

Related Concepts:

• избыток (excess)
• ограничение (limitation)
• недостаточность (insufficiency)