Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'dismay'

English Word: dismay

Key Russian Translations:

• разочарование [rɐzəʧərəˈvanʲje] - [Formal, often used in emotional or literary contexts]
• удивление [udʲɪˈvlʲenʲje] - [Informal, when dismay involves surprise, but less intense]
• тревога [trʲɪˈvɔɡə] - [Formal, when dismay includes anxiety or distress]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations, literature, and media, but not as frequent as basic emotions like "радость")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of noun declensions and emotional nuances; for "разочарование", it's B1, while "удивление" might be A2 for beginners)

Pronunciation (Russian):

разочарование: [rɐzəʧərəˈvanʲje]

удивление: [udʲɪˈvlʲenʲje]

тревога: [trʲɪˈvɔɡə]

Note on разочарование: The stress falls on the fourth syllable ("va-"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to Russian's mobile stress patterns. Pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

Note on удивление: The initial "у" is pronounced as a short "oo" sound, similar to "book".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A feeling of disappointment or distress caused by something unpleasant.

Translation(s) & Context:

• разочарование - Used in formal or reflective contexts, such as personal reflections or news discussions, to express deep emotional disappointment.
• удивление - Applied in informal settings where dismay involves an element of shock or unexpectedness, like everyday surprises.
• тревога - Employed when dismay includes worry, often in professional or health-related scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Его разочарование от провала проекта было очевидным для всех.

  His dismay at the project's failure was obvious to everyone.

• После плохих новостей она почувствовала удивление и тревогу.

  After the bad news, she felt dismay and anxiety.

• Разочарование в политике часто приводит к общественным протестам.

  Dismay in politics often leads to public protests.

• Его удивление при виде разрушенного дома быстро переросло в тревогу.

  His dismay upon seeing the destroyed house quickly turned into worry.

• Детское разочарование от отмененного праздника было heart-breaking.

  The child's dismay at the canceled holiday was heart-breaking.

2. To cause someone to feel disappointment or distress (as a verb, though 'dismay' is primarily a noun in English).

Translation(s) & Context:

• разочаровывать - Used in contexts involving emotional impact, like in stories or personal narratives.
• тревожить - When the dismay involves causing anxiety, in more urgent situations.

Usage Examples:

• Это известие разочаровывает многих людей в нашей стране.

  This news dismays many people in our country.

• Его слова тревожат меня и вызывают разочарование.

  His words dismay and worry me.

• Провал экзамена может разочаровывать, но не стоит отчаиваться.

  Failing an exam can dismay you, but don't give up.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"Разочарование" is a neuter noun of the third declension, which follows standard patterns for abstract nouns. It inflects based on case, number, and gender. "Удивление" and "тревога" are also neuter and follow similar rules.

For verbs like "разочаровывать", it is a first-conjugation verb with regular inflections: Present: разочаровываю, разочаровываешь; Past: разочаровывал; Future: буду разочаровывать. "Удивление" as a noun is invariable in some contexts but follows the above declension.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: уныние [ooˈnɨnʲje] (more about despondency), отчаяние [ɐtʲʧaˈjanʲje] (despair, with a stronger negative connotation), грусть [ɡrustʲ] (sadness)
• Antonyms: радость [ˈradəsʲtʲ] (joy), восторг [vɐˈstork] (delight), удовлетворение [ʊdɐvletvɐrʲɪˈvanʲje] (satisfaction; note that радость is more common in everyday use)

Related Phrases:

• Глубокое разочарование - Deep dismay; used to emphasize intensity in emotional discussions.
• Вызывать удивление - To cause dismay or surprise; common in narrative contexts.
• Тревога и разочарование - Anxiety and dismay; a phrase for combined emotions in stressful situations.

Usage Notes:

"Разочарование" best matches the English "dismay" when referring to disappointment, but it's more formal and introspective in Russian culture. Choose "удивление" for contexts involving shock. Be mindful of grammatical gender and case; for example, always decline based on sentence role. When multiple translations exist, select based on nuance: use "тревога" for dismay with fear. In spoken Russian, these words often appear in idiomatic expressions to convey subtlety.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing "разочарование" with "удивление" and using it for neutral surprise. Correct: "Удивление" is for surprise without negativity, while "разочарование" implies disappointment. Example of error: Saying "Я удивлен плохими новостями" when meaning dismay; Correct: "Я разочарован плохими новостями" – This ensures the emotional weight is accurate.

• Error: Forgetting to decline the noun, e.g., using "разочарование" in the wrong case. Correct: In genitive, it should be "разочарования". Example: Incorrect: "Из-за разочарование" (wrong case); Correct: "Из-за разочарования" – Always check the sentence structure for proper agreement.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing dismay like "разочарование" is often more restrained and internalized, especially in formal or public settings, reflecting a historical emphasis on stoicism. This can stem from literary traditions in works by authors like Tolstoy, where emotional dismay is portrayed as a deep, reflective state rather than overt reaction.

Related Concepts:

• отчаяние
• грусть
• разочарование в любви
• тревожное состояние