Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'deteriorate'

English Word: deteriorate

Key Russian Translations:

• ухудшаться [ʊxʊdˈʂatʲsə] - [Neutral, General Use]
• портиться [ˈportʲɪtʲsə] - [Informal, Often for Physical Items or Conditions]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

ухудшаться: [ʊxʊdˈʂatʲsə]

Note on ухудшаться: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "ш" sound is a retroflex fricative, which might be challenging for non-native speakers.

портиться: [ˈportʲɪtʲsə]

Note on портиться: Stress on the first syllable. Pay attention to the soft "т" sound due to the following "и".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To become worse in quality, condition, or value

Translation(s) & Context:

• ухудшаться - Used for abstract or general deterioration (e.g., health, situation, relations).
• портиться - Often used for physical objects (e.g., food spoiling) or informal contexts for conditions.

Usage Examples:

• Его здоровье начало ухудшаться после зимы.

  His health started to deteriorate after winter.

• Отношения между странами продолжают ухудшаться.

  Relations between the countries continue to deteriorate.

• Молоко портится, если его не хранить в холодильнике.

  Milk deteriorates if not kept in the fridge.

• Её настроение портится из-за плохой погоды.

  Her mood deteriorates because of bad weather.

• Качество продукции начало портиться из-за экономии на материалах.

  The quality of the product started to deteriorate due to cost-cutting on materials.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

ухудшаться (verb, imperfective, reflexive): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for reflexive verbs in Russian. It denotes an ongoing or repeated action of deterioration.

портиться (verb, imperfective, reflexive): Similar to ухудшаться, this is a reflexive verb with regular conjugation, often used for tangible or informal deterioration.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for ухудшаться:

• становиться хуже
• деградировать

Note: "становиться хуже" is more neutral and conversational, while "деградировать" often implies a moral or significant decline.

Synonyms for портиться:

• гнить (for organic matter)
• ломаться (for objects breaking down)

Antonyms:

• улучшаться (to improve)
• становиться лучше (to get better)

Related Phrases:

• ухудшаться с каждым днём - "to deteriorate day by day"
• портиться на глазах - "to deteriorate before one’s eyes"
• всё идёт насмарку - "everything is deteriorating" (idiomatic, informal)

Usage Notes:

• Both "ухудшаться" and "портиться" are reflexive verbs, requiring the "-ся" ending in conjugation. English speakers often forget this suffix.
• Use "ухудшаться" for abstract or formal contexts (e.g., health, economy). Use "портиться" for physical objects or informal speech (e.g., food, mood).
• Neither verb has a direct perfective counterpart in common use for "deteriorate," as the process is typically ongoing. Use phrases like "стать хуже" for a completed action.

Common Errors:

• Error: Forgetting the reflexive "-ся" in conjugation (e.g., saying "ухудшаю" instead of "ухудшаюсь"). Explanation: "ухудшаю" means "I worsen something," while "ухудшаюсь" means "I deteriorate" (intransitive). Correct: "Я ухудшаюсь."
• Error: Using "портиться" in formal contexts. Explanation: Avoid "портиться" in academic or professional writing; use "ухудшаться" instead. Incorrect: "Экономика портится." Correct: "Экономика ухудшается."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, discussing deterioration (especially of health or relationships) can carry a tone of fatalism or resignation, reflecting cultural attitudes toward uncontrollable decline. Phrases like "всё портится" might be used colloquially to express frustration or inevitability.

Related Concepts:

• деградация (degradation)
• упадок (decline)
• разрушение (destruction)