Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'detective'

English Word: detective

Key Russian Translations:

• детектив [dʲɪˈtʲektʲɪf] - [Masculine, Refers to the profession or genre]
• сыщик [ˈsɨʂːɪk] - [Masculine, Informal, Often used for private investigators]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in literature, media, and everyday speech)

Difficulty: A2-B1 (Beginner to Intermediate; varies slightly by term)

Pronunciation (Russian):

детектив: [dʲɪˈtʲektʲɪf]

Note on детектив: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'e' sounds are pronounced distinctly, not reduced.

сыщик: [ˈsɨʂːɪk]

Note on сыщик: Stress on the first syllable. The 'ы' sound is unique to Russian and may be challenging for English speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A person who investigates crimes (profession)

Translation(s) & Context:

• детектив - Often used in formal or neutral contexts to describe a police detective.
• сыщик - More informal, often implies a private investigator or sleuth.

Usage Examples:

• Он работает детективом в полиции.

  He works as a detective in the police force.

• Этот сыщик раскрыл сложное дело.

  This private detective solved a complicated case.

• Детективы допрашивали свидетелей всю ночь.

  The detectives interrogated witnesses all night.

2. A genre of literature or film (mystery/crime story)

Translation(s) & Context:

• детектив - Refers to the genre of detective stories or crime fiction.

Usage Examples:

• Она любит читать детективы Агаты Кристи.

  She loves reading Agatha Christie's detective stories.

• Мы смотрели новый детектив по телевизору.

  We watched a new detective show on TV.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

детектив (Masculine Noun): Follows the standard masculine declension pattern for inanimate nouns.

сыщик (Masculine Noun): Follows the standard masculine declension pattern for animate nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for детектив/сыщик:

• следователь (investigator, often formal and tied to legal proceedings)
• шерлок (colloquial, derived from Sherlock, used humorously)

Antonyms:

• преступник (criminal)

Related Phrases:

• детективное агентство - Detective agency (a business offering investigative services).
• частный сыщик - Private detective (an independent investigator for hire).
• детективный роман - Detective novel (a genre of crime fiction).

Usage Notes:

• детектив is the more neutral and widely used term for both the profession and the genre. It is often associated with official roles like police detectives.
• сыщик carries a slightly more informal or old-fashioned tone and is often used for private investigators or fictional sleuths. It can sometimes have a playful connotation.
• When referring to the genre, only детектив is appropriate; сыщик is never used in this context.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using сыщик to refer to the detective genre. Incorrect: Я читаю сыщик. Correct: Я читаю детектив. Explanation: сыщик refers to a person, not a genre.
• Error: Misplacing stress in pronunciation. Many English speakers stress the first syllable of детектив, but the correct stress is on the second syllable: [dʲɪˈtʲektʲɪf].

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, detective stories (детективы) are extremely popular, especially in literature and television. Soviet-era detective novels and shows often portrayed investigators as moral and intellectual heroes, reflecting societal values of justice. The term сыщик may evoke images of classic literary figures or old-fashioned sleuths.

Related Concepts:

• следствие (investigation)
• преступление (crime)
• улика (evidence)