Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'excuse'

English Word: excuse

Key Russian Translations:

• извинение /izvʲinʲenʲije/ - [Formal, used in polite contexts]
• отговорка /ɐtgɐˈvorkə/ - [Informal, slang, often with a negative connotation]
• предлог /prʲɪˈdlog/ - [Formal, in legal or neutral contexts]

Frequency: Medium - Commonly used in everyday conversations, especially in social or professional settings.

Difficulty: B1 for 'извинение' and 'предлог' (Intermediate, as it involves basic noun declensions); B2 for 'отговорка' (Upper Intermediate, due to its informal and idiomatic usage).

Pronunciation (Russian):

извинение: /izvʲinʲenʲije/ - Stress on the third syllable; the 'и' is pronounced as a soft 'ee' sound.

Note on извинение: Be cautious with the soft consonants; this word can vary slightly in rapid speech.

отговорка: /ɐtgɐˈvorkə/ - Stress on the third syllable; the 'о' in the first syllable is reduced in casual speech.

Note on отговорка: This informal word often has a rolled 'r' in native pronunciation, which can be challenging for learners.

предлог: /prʲɪˈdlog/ - Stress on the second syllable; the initial 'п' is aspirated.

Note on предлог: Pronunciation remains consistent across contexts, but ensure the soft 'л' sound is not overemphasized.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A reason or explanation given to justify an action (e.g., as a noun for apology or defense).

Translation(s) & Context:

• извинение - Used in formal apologies or polite excuses, such as in professional emails or social interactions.
• отговорка - Applied in informal settings for weak or evasive excuses, often implying dishonesty.

Usage Examples:

• Я опоздал из-за извинения, что мой автобус сломался. (Ya opozdal iz-za izvineniya, chto moy avtobus slomalsya.)

  I was late because of the excuse that my bus broke down.

• Его отговорка всегда звучит смешно, но никто не верит. (Yego otgovorka vsegda zvuchit smeshno, no nikto ne verit.)

  His excuse always sounds funny, but no one believes it.

• В официальном письме он использовал предлог о плохой погоде. (V ofitsialnom pis'me on ispol'zoval predlog o plokhoy pogode.)

  In the official letter, he used the excuse about bad weather.

• Извинение не помогло, и шеф был разочарован. (Izvineniye ne pomoglo, i shef byl razocharovan.)

  The excuse didn't help, and the boss was disappointed.

Meaning 2: Something said to avoid blame or as a pretext (e.g., in a more negative or casual sense).

Translation(s) & Context:

• отговорка - Common in everyday informal speech, especially among friends or in humorous contexts.
• предлог - Used in structured environments like debates or legal discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Её отговорка про усталость не убедила родителей. (Yeyo otgovorka pro ustalost' ne ubedila roditeley.)

  Her excuse about being tired didn't convince her parents.

• Он придумал предлог, чтобы избежать встречи. (On pridumal predlog, chtoby izbezhat' vstrechi.)

  He came up with an excuse to avoid the meeting.

• В этой ситуации извинение прозвучало как слабая отговорка. (V etoy situatsii izvineniye prozvuchalo kak slabaya otgovorka.)

  In this situation, the excuse sounded like a weak pretext.

• Предлог о болезни был его последней отговоркой. (Predlog o bolezni byl yego posledney otgovorkoy.)

  The excuse about illness was his last pretext.

• Извинение за опоздание не всегда работает в России. (Izvineniye za opozdaniye ne vsegda rabotaet v Rossii.)

  An excuse for being late doesn't always work in Russia.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'извинение' (neuter noun, 2nd declension):

For 'отговорка' (feminine noun, 1st declension): Follows standard feminine patterns with irregularities in plural forms; e.g., Nominative Singular: отговорка, Genitive Plural: отговоров.

For 'предлог' (masculine noun, 2nd declension): Generally regular; e.g., Nominative Singular: предлог, Genitive Singular: предлога.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • извинение - оправдание (opravdaniye; more neutral, less emotional)
  • отговорка - отмазка (otmazka; highly informal, implies deception)
  • предлог - повод (povod; used for reasons in events)
• Antonyms:
  • обвинение (obvineniye; accusation)
  • признание (priznaniye; admission or confession)

Related Phrases:

• Извините за опоздание (Izvinite za opozdaniye) - Excuse me for being late; used in polite apologies.
• Это всего лишь отговорка (Eto vseygo lish otgovorka) - It's just an excuse; implies skepticism in informal talks.
• Придумать предлог для отказа (Pridumat' predlog dlya otkaza) - To come up with an excuse for refusal; common in decision-making contexts.

Usage Notes:

'Извинение' is the most direct equivalent to 'excuse' in formal English contexts, but it's often tied to apologies in Russian culture. Use 'отговорка' sparingly in casual speech to avoid sounding rude. When choosing between translations, consider the context: formal settings prefer 'предлог', while everyday excuses lean towards 'отговорка'. Grammatically, these nouns require appropriate case agreement with prepositions, e.g., 'из-за извинения' (because of the excuse).

• Always pair with verbs like 'придумать' (to make up) for dynamic usage.
• In Russian, excuses can carry cultural undertones of humility, so overuse might seem insincere.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'извинение' with 'извините' (the verb form for 'excuse me'). For example, incorrectly saying 'Я извинение' instead of 'Я прошу извинения' (I ask for an excuse). Correct usage: Use the noun in proper cases, e.g., 'Это было плохое извинение' (This was a bad excuse). Another error is overusing 'отговорка' in formal writing, where 'предлог' is more appropriate—e.g., wrong: 'Моя отговорка — усталость'; right: 'Мой предлог — усталость' in professional contexts.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, making excuses like 'извинение' is common in social interactions to maintain harmony, but it can sometimes be seen as evasive if overused. Historically, during Soviet times, 'отговорка' was prevalent in everyday life to navigate bureaucratic systems, reflecting a cultural resilience against strict rules.

Related Concepts:

• оправдание (opravdaniye)
• повод (povod)
• обвинение (obvineniye)